Standardisation in 3D Geometric Morphometrics: Ethics,Ownership, and Methods

The collection and analysis of 3D digital data is a rapidly growing field in archaeology, anthropology, and forensics. Even though the 3D scanning of human remains in archaeology has been conducted for over 10 years, it is still frequently considered as a new field. Despite this, the availability of 3D scanning equipment and the number of studies employing these methods are increasing rapidly, and it is arguably damaging to the validity of this field to continue to consider these methods new and therefore not subject to the same standardisations as other researches. This paper considers the current issues regarding the lack of standardisation in the methods, ethics, and ownership of 3D digital data with a focus on human remains research. The aim of this paper is to stimulate further research and discussion, allowing this field to develop, improving the quality and value of future research.     

An Undiscovered Victorian Institution of Care: A Short Introduction to the Cumberland and Westmorland Joint Lunatic Asylum

Interest surrounding the Victorian county asylum network and its treatment of mental illness has been, and still remains, somewhat substantial. This article will add to, and expand, the existing literature by redressing the geographical imbalance of previous institutional research. Asylum histories have centred upon establishments in prominent towns and cities, and on those with an importance to the evolution of the psychiatry profession, for example the York Retreat. Apart from the examinations of Lancashire and Yorkshire asylums, little exists in the far North of England. This article will specifically use the records of the Cumberland and Westmorland Joint Lunatic Asylum to show the experience of pauper patients from a rural, Northern locality. Particular attention will be paid to the circulation of patients in and out of the asylum to build a comprehensive picture of the nineteenth-century transferral of care. To fully understand the treatment of mental health in this period, one cannot solely look at the asylum, as it formed only one part of a whole system of care.     

Identifying of buried archaeological remains with ground penetrating radar,polarized microscope and confocal Raman spectroscopy methods in ancient city of Nysa,Aydin – Turkey

The aim of this study was to image buried remains and appoint buried Hellenistic street system, and identify minerals and rock types of the ancient city of Nysa, one of the most important historical sites of Turkey. This study used polarized microscope and confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) ground penetrating radar (GPR) method, to identify the buried remains, rock types and minerals.     

Research design in digital luminance analysis

The prevalence of digital image analysis in studies spanning a wide range of fields makes the importance of set-up design decidedly important for repeatability and testing between studies, especially for those interested in the analysis of microscopic properties. This note outlines some important guidelines for setting up an image analysis protocol, and provides a case study based on the digital analysis of dental cement. Our method allowed for us (1) to get data through the conversion of optical luminance into numerical values and (2) to accurately measure image features through numerical analysis.     

GPR and inductive electromagnetic surveys applied in three coastal sambaqui (shell mounds) archaeological sites in Santa Catarina state, South Brazil

In this article, GPR – Ground Penetrating Radar and inductive electromagnetic (EM38 equipment) results are presented for three archaeological sites of shell mounds located between Laguna and Jaguaruna cities, mid-southern coast of Santa Catarina state, Brazil. The Jabuticabeira II, Santa Marta IV, and Encantada III sites were studied. These sites consist of carbonate shell mounds built by societies that inhabited this region during the pre-colonial period (7.5–1.3 ky BP). Geophysical responses obtained in these archaeological sites had allowed the identification of anomalous regions related to archaeological point targets as well as continuous targets, correlated to the shell mound's structure and buried geologic features. GPR numerical modelling studies were done in order to evaluate the performance of the GPR method in relation to materials found in that environment, besides helping interpretations of real results. The synthetic GPR model was a good match with real data obtained in the field. So, the real and synthetic results serve as a reference guide to direct excavation activities in these archaeological and geological structures. In the Jabuticabeira II shell mound, lithic materials and burials were found amidst archaeological layers characterized by sediment rich in organic material, ferruginous concretions, and loose shells. In the Santa Marta IV archaeological site, a concentration of ceramic materials, burials and fireplaces were found. In the Encantada III site, a strong anomaly characterized by a hyperbolic reflection was related to the presence of a silicified tree root; a great example of ambiguity in shallow geophysics interpretation in archaeological applications. Results functioned as a guide to archaeological excavations, allowing cost and time reduction as well as contributing to improve the knowledge of these archaeological sites situated in southern Brazil.     

Reduction of topography effect in inductive electromagnetic profiles: application on coastal sambaqui (shell mound) archaeological site in Santa Catarina state, Brazil

We present results of electrical conductivity profiles obtained with inductive electromagnetic geophysical method in Santa Marta archaeological site, Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. This site is a sambaqui (shell mound), in which several human occupation remains are found during pre-colonial period such as buried lithic and bone artifacts, fire-place, etc. Most of these mounds include as well many human burials, which, in many cases, point to funerary ritual as a main agency for mound building. A set of profiles of apparent electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility was acquired in two sites aiming the identification of geophysical anomalies with potential interest for excavation. To enhance conductivity data, we applied an effective procedure to remove topographical effects in the apparent conductivity measurements, which are rather conditioned by the presence of a variable water table depth or conductive sediment layer. A linear dependence among conductivity values and the site elevation provided a simple linear model to remove the influence of topography. Corrected electric conductivity maps substantially improved the definition of anomalies, many of them rather subtle in raw data images. Corrected maps also show a better adherence with magnetic susceptibility maps, both of them identifying archaeological structures of interest: a well-structured fire-place and a concentration of ceramic fragments.     

Repeat silica extraction: a simple technique for the removal of PCR inhibitors from DNA extracts

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibitors are often co-extracted with ancient DNA (aDNA) and when present make the analysis of aDNA difficult, if not impossible. In this study we review previous research on PCR inhibitors and techniques that address their co-extraction with DNA from sub-optimal samples. Additionally, we introduce a simple extraction technique, “repeat silica extraction,” that effectively removed PCR inhibitors from extracts of 7000–8000-year-old human skeletal remains from the Windover archaeological site in Florida and 700–2000-year-old human coprolites excavated from Fish Slough Cave in southern California. A series of tests on these same samples demonstrates that N-phenacylthiazolium bromide is largely ineffective, despite previously reported success using this compound as part of the DNA extraction process. We also describe a method for demonstrating the presence as well as successful removal of PCR inhibitors by use of a “positive aDNA control,” a test necessary to conclude that negative PCR amplification is the result of the absence of preserved DNA.