First Evidence of Cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh, Pakistan: Analysis of Mineralized Fibres from a Copper Bead

The metallurgical analysis of a copper bead from a Neolithic burial (6th millennium ) at Mehrgarh, Pakistan, allowed the recovery of several threads, preserved by mineralization. They were characterized according to new procedure, combining the use of a reflected-light microscope and a scanning electron microscope, and identified as cotton (Gossypium sp.). The Mehrgarh fibres constitute the earliest known example of cotton in the Old World and put the date of the first use of this textile plant back by more than a millennium. Even though it is not possible to ascertain that the fibres came from an already domesticated species, the evidence suggests an early origin, possibly in the Kachi Plain, of one of the Old World cottons.Résumé: L'analyse métallurgique d'une perle en cuivre, provenant d'une tombe néolithique (VIe millénaire av. notre ère) de Mehrgarh, Pakistan, a permis la découverte de plusieurs fibres textiles, conservées par minéralisation. Elles ont été caractérisées par une nouvelle méthode, combinant l'utilisation d'un microscope à lumière réfléchie à celle d'un microscope électronique à balayage, et ont été identifiées comme étant du coton (Gossypium sp.). Les fibres de Mehrgarh constituent la plus ancienne attestation du coton dans l'Ancien monde et son utilisation a pu être reculée de plus d'un millénaire. Bien qu'il ne soit pas possible d'attribuer avec certitude les fibres à une espèce déjà domestiquée, ces nouvelles données suggèrent une origine ancienne, éventuellement dans la Plaine de Kachi, d'une des espèces cotonnières de l'Ancien monde.     

Preliminary report on the archaeobotanical investigations at Tell Abraq with special attention to chaff impressions in mud brick

Examination of impressions from chaff-tempered mud brick proved rewarding, given the poor preservation of carbonised seed and grain material at Tell Abraq. Individual chaff elements were found to be recognisable from the impressions and it was shown that naked wheat and barley chaff were used as a tempering medium. Charcoal samples indicate that two species of mangrove were present, one of which is no longer found in the area. Tamarisk and Ziziphus were also present. Date charcoal was common. This study remains preliminary, and further sampling and analyses have been planned for the future.     

The production of emancipatory feminist spaces in a post-socialist context: organization of Ladyfest in Romania

Ladyfest – a Riot Grrrl feminist do-it-yourself festival – has been organized independently in cities around the world since the year 2000. The emancipatory spaces that activists at Ladyfest seek to cultivate through workshops, music, and art provide seeds of inspiration for transformative social change. The main strength of the festival is the capacity to strengthen networks. This article discusses how the idea for this festival arose in Olympia, Washington, expanded to other locations, and was later organized by young feminists in Romania. In 2005, young women in Timisoara organized the first such festival in their city with a community of women from both inside and outside of Romania, and held another festival in Bucharest in 2007. Retrospective interviews are used to unpack the meaning of such organizing in a post-socialist context with reflections on how feminism has changed in Romania over the past decade. Specifically, the analysis of this event offers insight on how the production of space can be used to catalyze interconnections between emancipatory feminist spaces, the mode of production, and flows of feminist knowledge and concepts.     

Biological values of the Nordic cultural landscape: Different perspectives

Intensified land use practices in the Nordic countries are increasing the need for more determined strategies in both natural and cultural conservation. The development of such management strategies requires an inter‐disciplinary approach to overcome the existing boundaries between research disciplines. The paper focuses on certain biological elements which should be taken into account in landscape management. These elements are discussed in different perspectives: temporal, spatial Nordic and European, and the close relationship between biological and historical landscape values is emphasised. Examples of changing evaluations over time and among different groups of people are given. In conclusion the paper stresses the need for a holistic approach to preserve the natural and cultural heritage and secure a long‐term utilisation of the landscape.     

Food for eternity? The analysis of a date offering from a 3rd millennium BC grave at Hili N,Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

Ever since the early 3rd millennium BC the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) has played an important role in eastern Arabia where its remains, in the form of seeds, fruits and stem fragments, are preserved on numerous archaeological sites. The recent discovery of a carbonised mass of pitted dates in a collective burial pit from the end of the Umm an-Nar period (ca. 2200–2000 BC) at Hili (United Arab Emirates) constitutes the earliest example of a food preparation involving this species. The present paper describes the discovery and identification of this unique offering before addressing the question of its significance in a funeral context in Bronze Age Arabia.     

Two wooden coffins from the Shakhoura Necropolis, Bahrain

This article presents a detailed analysis of two wooden coffins from the 1^st centuries BC/AD on Bahrain. New C14 dates are published of samples taken from the coffins, and their method of manufacture is reconstructed. The unexpected conservation of wood in a humid environment like Bahrain is explained.     

Analysis of a protohistoric net from Shahi Tump,Baluchistan (Pakistan)

The fire that partly destroyed a 4th millennium BCE building at Shahi Tump in the Kech Valley of south-western Pakistan is responsible for the exceptional preservation by carbonisation of a net found on the burnt floor as a heap of entangled cords and knots. Macro- and microscopic observation has allowed a reconstruction of the techniques used to manufacture the net from a two-strand plied cord. The comparison of the phytoliths extracted from the archaeological net to those from a modern reference collection suggests the use of fibres that originate from the leaves of a local palm species: the desert palm or Nannorrhops ritchieana (Griff.) Aitch. Besides the technical and archaeobotanical aspects of the study, the paper discussed past and present uses of the desert palm in the arid regions of the Middle East as well as the possible utilisation (fishing, carrying etc.) of the protohistoric net.