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What is left behind: Advancing interpretation of pastoral land-use in Harappan Gujarat using herbivore dung to examine biosphere strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) variation

Posted on February 23, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: April 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 92 Author(s): Brad Chase, David Meiggs, P. Ajithprasad, Philip A. SlaterThe analysis of strontium isotopes in archaeologically preserved biological tissues is most productive when these can be compared to naturally occurring variation in strontium isotope ratios across the physical landscape. Such work is in its infancy in South Asia. Here, we report on the first attempt to monitor 87Sr/86Sr variation across the Indian state of Gujarat using herbivore dung. As it incorporates plant material from throughout an individual animal’s grazing range, herbivore dung averages local isotopic variation in palatable vegetation and is therefore an ideal material for use in studies involving domestic livestock. In our analysis of 125 dung samples from 38 sampling locations across the study area, 87Sr/86Sr values and geographic variation are commensurate with expectations based on regional geology. The values that we report are significantly different from those reported for both ecosystem elements and archaeological humans and livestock that have been published for other regions of the Indus Civilization (2600–1900 BC). No individual humans or livestock in these studies appear to have their origins in Gujarat. The present study further allows for more detailed interpretations of our previously published study of strontium isotope ratios in faunal remains from the walled Indus manufacturing center of Bagasra in Gujarat (Chase et al., 2014b). Specifically, it is now clear that while most livestock show very little movement within the period of enamel formation, their places of origin were scattered throughout central Saurashtra, adjacent to the site, suggesting that a portion of the livestock consumed at Bagasra were initially raised in the many small unexcavated villages in the area. There is little evidence for the procurement of livestock from further afield within the region and none for livestock originating outside the region. These results demonstrate that monitoring geographic 87Sr/86Sr variation using herbivore dung has the potential to significantly advance archaeological interpretation of livestock mobility in the past and is applicable anywhere that modern livestock graze on natural vegetation.

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Predictive modeling for archaeological site locations: Comparing logistic regression and maximal entropy in north Israel and north-east China

Posted on February 23, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: April 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 92 Author(s): Ido Wachtel, Royi Zidon, Shimon Garti, Gideon Shelach-LaviArchaeological predictive modeling is a tool that helps assess the likelihood of archaeological sites being present at different locations in the landscape. Such models are used for research purposes, as an analytical tool to better explain settlement patterns and past human behavior. They are also an important tool for the preservation of archaeological sites, as they can help planners avoid areas where sites are likely to exist. In this study we compare two methods of predictive modeling for archaeological site locations using two independent case studies. The more commonly used method of logistic regression is compared with a newer method of maximal entropy (MaxEnt). We examine the effectiveness of both models on two independent datasets collected from the Upper Galilee (northern Israel) and the Fuxin area (northeast China). While both methods have proven useful, in both cases the MaxEnt models produced much better results, which were much more efficient, than those of the logistic regression.

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Editorial: JAS on the move

Posted on February 20, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: March 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 91 Author(s): Robin Torrence, Marcos Martinón-TorresOn his retirement as Editor of Journal of Archaeological Science (JAS) at the end of 2017, we celebrate Thilo Rehren’s contributions to the growth of the journal over the past 13 years and, consequently, his impacts in shaping archaeological science as a discipline. Since Rehren was an architect of the new consortium of journals comprising JAS and JAS Reports, on this occasion it is also appropriate to consider the future of publishing in the constantly evolving field of archaeological science.

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Editorial Board

Posted on February 20, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: March 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 91

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Joint health in free-ranging and confined small bovids – Implications for early stage caprine management

Posted on February 18, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: April 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 92 Author(s): Michaela I. Zimmermann, Nadja Pöllath, Mihriban Özbaşaran, Joris PetersHuman interference with the life cycle of wild ruminant species in the 10th-9th millennia BCE was essential to the ‘Neolithic Revolution’ in the Near East. Being a process of learning by doing, initial ruminant management must have been challenging to both founder flocks and people, but information about potential problems is hitherto lacking in the archaeological record. Here we report on a skeletal condition affecting joint health in small bovids. Detailed examination of the bone surfaces of astragalus of modern and Goitered gazelles as well as wild and domestic sheep revealed circumscribed mesoscopic lesions that we classified into five stages based on their size and properties. Our study demonstrates that intra-articular bone damage is significantly more pronounced in animals living confined to enclosures. Similar non-physiologic conditions have been evidenced in juvenile and adult sheep from early Neolithic contexts throughout Anatolia and interpreted as evidence for locomotor stress due to restricted mobility and stabling on-site. Still in the course of the early Neolithic, joint health improved significantly, implying a better mastering of sheep management over the centuries. In conclusion, pathologic profiling yields the potential for tracing initial management of captive ruminants. Apart from Southwest Asia, the methodological approach presented here seems appropriate for detecting similar developments in the human-animal relationship of behaviorally comparable medium- and large-sized herbivore taxa in other parts of the Old and New Worlds.

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Bears and humans, a Neanderthal tale. Reconstructing uncommon behaviors from zooarchaeological evidence in southern Europe

Posted on February 7, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: February 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 90 Author(s): Matteo Romandini, Gabriele Terlato, Nicola Nannini, Antonio Tagliacozzo, Stefano Benazzi, Marco PeresaniCave bear (Ursus spelaeus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), and Neanderthals were potential competitors for environmental resources (shelters and food) in Europe. In order to reinforce this view and contribute to the ongoing debate on late Neanderthal behavior, we present evidence from zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses of bear bone remains discovered at Rio Secco Cave and Fumane Cave in northeast Italy, an extended geographic area north of the Adriatic Sea. The remains from both caves come from layers dated to 49-42 ky cal. BP, and suggest close interactions between humans and bears, with data not only limited to the association of Mousterian lithic artifacts with numerous bear remains, but also the detection of clearly preserved traces of human modification such as cut and percussion marks, which enable a reconstruction of the main steps of fur recovery and the butchering process. Examples of Neanderthal bear exploitation are extremely sporadic in Europe, and Grotta Rio Secco and Grotta Fumane can be considered rare cases of remain accumulations generated by the human predation of bears of varied age classes during or near the end of hibernation. All of this evidence suggests that bears had a strategic role in the nomadic economy of Neanderthal hunting groups.

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Editorial Board

Posted on February 7, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: February 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 90

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Testing the validity of stable isotope analyses of dental calculus as a proxy in paleodietary studies

Posted on February 7, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: March 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 91 Author(s): Samantha D.R. Price, Anne Keenleyside, Henry P. SchwarczStable isotopic analyses (δ13C, δ15N) of dental calculus have been suggested as a proxy for the study of diet of ancient populations but questions about their validity have been raised. Here we test this question, introducing significant improvements in the analysis of δ13C and comparing our results for δ13C and δ15N of calculus with corresponding analyses of associated well-preserved bone which are widely believed to provide reliable paleodiet values. The content of organic material in calculus is decreased by ∼75% compared with modern calculus, resulting in diagenetic changes to δ13C and δ15N of organic matter. Neither δ13C nor δ15N analyses of the organic component of calculus provide accurate estimates of paleodiet. Although δ15N values of dental calculus are correlated with δ15N values of bone collagen from the same individual, it is clear that they have been greatly affected by diagenesis, as shown by a correlation between C/N ratio and δ15N. The inorganic (mineral-bound) carbon component of calculus, analyzed separately from the organic component, gave δ13C values slightly offset from δ13C values of CO3 in bone mineral. Thus it alone appears to have potential as a dietary proxy.

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Tracing grog and pots to reveal neolithic Corded Ware Culture contacts in the Baltic Sea region (SEM-EDS, PIXE)

Posted on February 6, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: March 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 91 Author(s): Elisabeth Holmqvist, Åsa M. Larsson, Aivar Kriiska, Vesa Palonen, Petro Pesonen, Kenichiro Mizohata, Paula Kouki, Jyrki RäisänenThe Neolithic Corded Ware Culture (CWC) complex spread across the Baltic Sea region ca. 2900/2800–2300/2000 BCE. Whether this cultural adaptation was driven by migration or diffusion remains widely debated. To gather evidence for contact and movement in the CWC material culture, grog-tempered CWC pots from 24 archaeological sites in southern Baltoscandia (Estonia and the southern regions of Finland and Sweden) were sampled for geochemical and micro-structural analyses. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) were used for geochemical discrimination of the ceramic fabrics to identify regional CWC pottery-manufacturing traditions and ceramic exchange. Major and minor element concentrations in the ceramic body matrices of 163 individual vessels and grog temper (crushed pottery) present in the ceramic fabrics were measured by SEM-EDS. Furthermore, the high-sensitivity PIXE technique was applied for group confirmation. The combined pot and grog matrix data reveal eight geochemical clusters. At least five geochemical groups appeared to be associated with specific find locations and regional manufacturing traditions. The results indicated complex inter-site and cross-Baltic Sea pottery exchange patterns, which became more defined through the grog data, i.e., the previous generations of pots. The CWC pottery exhibited high technological standards at these latitudes, which, together with the identified exchange patterns and the existing evidence of mobility based on human remains elsewhere in the CWC complex, is indicative of the relocation of skilled potters, possibly through exogamy. An analytical protocol for the geochemical discrimination of grog-tempered pottery, and its challenges and possibilities, is presented.

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Microflint in archaeological sediments from Boker Tachtit, Israel: A new method for quantifying concentrations of small flint fragments

Posted on February 5, 2018 by ARCAS

Publication date: March 2018Source:Journal of Archaeological Science, Volume 91 Author(s): Zane Stepka, Omry Barzilai, Steve Weiner, Elisabetta BoarettoFlint is one of the most common rock types used for producing stone tools. During flint knapping huge amounts of microscopic sized flint particles are produced. Thus the presence of high concentrations of microflint in a sedimentary layer, could be a good indication that flint was knapped at that location. We have developed and tested a method for quantification of microflint concentrations in sediments. The method involves concentrating the microflints in specific density fractions, and then counting a representative proportion of the flint fragments using a polarized light microscope. We show that the method successfully identifies a knapping layer in an Initial Upper Palaeolithic level at the site of Boker Tachtit, Israel. This level also contains macroscopic flint debitage, including refitted artifacts. Microflint quantification can aid in identifying knapping areas and be useful for better understanding site formation processes.

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