In the southern cone of South America, inhabit a large diversity of Neotropical carnivores. Carnivore coprolites are a valuable source of paleoecological and paleoparasitological information. The rock shelter Gruta del Indio (GI) is an emblematic archeological and paleontological site located from Mendoza, Argentina. Several studies were conducted at this site, which provided a stratified sequence

In Paleolithic archaeology, there are two dichotomous perspectives on so-called splintered pieces, or pieces esquillées, in which, depending upon archaeological context and the availability and quality of lithic of raw material, such pieces are considered bipolar cores or tools for processing organic materials. Here, we discuss for the first time functionality, reduction models, and modes of using

The medieval period in the region near the Aral Sea must have been the era of significant sociopolitical changes and notable transitions in material culture. This prediction was tested with a metal assemblage consisting of numerous bronze and brass objects, mostly small items for personal use, excavated from the medieval (ca. 800–1000 AD) site near the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. A technological transition

The study of thalassaemia syndromes in archeological human remains is of growing interest in the field of paleopathology. However, a definitive diagnosis of the disease in skeletonized individuals remains difficult. Several non-specific bone lesions have been suggested as the most likely evidence of β-thalassaemia syndrome. In particular, skull lesions have been considered by several scholars as the

Throughout the Western provinces of the Roman Empire, greater economic and political connectivity had a major impact on agricultural production, which grew in scale and specialisation after integration with the Roman state. However, uniquely in Western Europe, farming strategies in Italy began to evolve centuries before the Roman conquest, and many ‘Roman’ patterns associated with livestock size and

Decorated Italo-Mycenaean (IM) pottery, a high-status class found and made over three centuries from the Italian Late Middle Bronze Age onwards, was the subject of a large archaeological and archaeometric enquiry published by the present authors in 2014. The present paper focuses on identifying IM’s centres of production. The results of chemical analysis of IM using mainly ICP-ES make a strong case

Given their strong affinity for the skeleton, trace elements are often stored in bones and teeth long term. Diet, geography, health, disease, social status, activity, and occupation are some factors which may cause differential exposure to, and uptake of, trace elements, theoretically introducing variability in their concentrations and/or ratios in the skeleton. Trace element analysis of bioarchaeological

Tonga is a Polynesian island chain that was initially colonized by the Lapita culture about 2700 years ago. Its inhabitants went on to found the Tongan State about 700 years ago. Our project uses carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses to investigate and compare the diets of Lapita and Tongan State individuals. Sampled burial locations include the Talasiu shell midden cemetery dating to the Late

This study explores the significance of spatial sampling resolution on portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis of an archaeological settlement site with favorable preservation conditions and clearly defined stratigraphic contexts as a benchmark study to interpret geochemical mapping of anthropogenic elemental markers. We present geochemical elemental mapping of a Viking-Age house floor in Denmark

A reconsideration of the application of 230Th/234U analysis to thin accretionary skins of re-precipitated carbonate to secure minimum or maximum ages for physically related rock art suggests that the controversy it has created can be resolved. A program to test the method’s results indicates that such calcite skins tend to yield age estimates that are too high, particularly from Pleistocene samples

This paper discusses the results of an analytical study of the metallurgical ceramic assemblage recovered from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) urban settlement of Enkomi, Cyprus. The ceramic fabric and the slagged surfaces of a total of 106 tuyère and crucible samples from the workshops of Enkomi, Area III, have been analysed using a handheld pXRF spectrometer. The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate

Footbinding was an infamous custom of the Han Chinese people used to modify the size and shape of feet in women. Binding started at a very young age and gradually deformed the natural growth of the feet, which was not only a painful process but also a lifetime source of inconvenience and morbidity. In this study, we report a large number of skeletons with signs of footbinding bones excavated from the

There is a growing body of bioarchaeological research on eighteenth and nineteenth century colonial Cape Town, a significant node in the transportation networks of both the Indian and Atlantic oceanic slave trades, attempting to shed light on the lives of enslaved persons. Here, a preliminary archaeological isotopic dietary baseline for the colonial Cape is presented. It is apparent from the data that

The Middle Stone Age (MSA) corresponds to a critical phase in human evolution, overlapping with the earliest emergence of Homo sapiens as well as the expansions of these populations across and beyond Africa. Within the context of growing recognition for a complex and structured population history across the continent, Eastern Africa remains a critical region to explore patterns of behavioural variability

Evidence for chronological change in intra-site subsistence strategies is very rare in the Amerindian record of the Lesser Antilles. The study of the vertebrate assemblage from the archeological site of Roseau in the Guadeloupe Islands underlines the complexity and variability of Ceramic Age Amerindian subsistence behavior. This study establishes a more precise chronology of the previously identified

Burned or charred organic matter in anthropogenic combustion features may provide important clues about past human activities related to fire. To interpret archaeological hearths, a correct identification of the organic source material is key. In the present work, Raman spectroscopy is applied to characterise the structural properties of char produced in laboratory heating- and open-fire experiments

This paper presents the characterisation of 48 ceramic samples from Cova d’En Pardo (Alicante, Spain). Provenance and technology analysis are carried out on materials dated back to different Early and Middle Neolithic cultural phases, including pioneer and Epicardial levels, poorly known in the area. The techniques employed are optical petrography and scanning electron microscope. Two main fabrics

This study aims to provide anthracological data on forest transformations on the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula during the transition from the last glacial GS-2a to the last isotopic event of interstadial GI-1. We present a complete anthracological sequence from Molí del Salt (Vimbodí i Poblet, Tarragona, NE Iberian Peninsula), a site assigned to the Late Upper Palaeolithic. Our results suggest a

The Early Iron Age was an important period of Greek history during which the Greek city states emerged and the two earliest works of western literature, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, were likely composed. This paper introduces the results of faunal isotope analyses (carbon and nitrogen) from the settlement of Zagora on Andros (900–700 BC), the first such study to focus on agriculture from the Greek Early

Great Moravia was one of the first proto-states in East Central Europe. During the ninth century, Moravian settlements underwent rapid growth, development, and population increases. This study presents a first insight into early medieval population mobility in the area by investigating one of its major agglomerations and religious centres, the Mikulčice-Valy stronghold. According to strontium isotope

Proteomics has made important contributions to identify protein residues from ancient burials, especially for those archeological remains that have severely degraded. These analysis methods make it possible to identify the raw materials of textile imprints found in archeological sites and allow the imprints to be a new archeological material that can compensate for the lack of evidence of early silk

This paper investigates aquatic resource exploitation at the Late Natufian site (ca. 12,000 cal. BP) of Nahal Ein Gev II located 2 km east of the Sea of Galilee. Aquatic game, here fish and waterfowl, were an important component of the diverse small game resources that became important in the Late Epipaleolithic in Southwest Asia. We characterize local adaptations to the aquatic habitat and their economic

The article presents the results of petrographic and geochemical analyses on Linear Band Pottery culture (LBK) ceramic materials from the Dzielnica site (Upper Silesia, southern Poland). The study area, situated in the northern foreland of the Moravian Gate, can be considered a melting pot for various cultural influences. This peculiar location resulted in multidirectional entanglements of the Early

Kůlna Cave is the only site in Moravia, Czech Republic, from which large assemblages of both Magdalenian and Epimagdalenian archaeological materials have been excavated from relatively secure stratified deposits. The site therefore offers the unrivalled opportunity to explore the relationship between these two archaeological phases. In this study, we undertake radiocarbon, stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen

More than 4300 Eurasian elk (Alces alces) incisors, most of them pendants, were found in 84 burials in the Late Mesolithic cemetery of Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov, Northwest Russia. We analysed the manufacture techniques of elk teeth (4014), in the collection of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, St Petersburg. A striking observation is that the manufacture of these pendants is similar

The strontium isotope composition of human tissues is widely used in archaeological mobility studies. However, little attention is paid to the relative contributions of terrestrial versus marine sources of strontium in these studies. There is some debate over the role of a solid diet versus drinking water as the most important source of strontium for the human body, with related possibilities of misinterpretation

A unique collection of high-quality late medieval (fifteenth–sixteenth century) glazed and unglazed stove tiles from the northern part of the Carpathian Basin is of great interest to archaeologists and art historians. It is yet to be determined if these products, which are characterised by similar features, were produced in a single workshop, perhaps in Besztercebánya/Banská Bystrica (in present-day

The continuity of occupation at the settlement of Prague, Czech Republic, from the ninth to fourteenth centuries makes it a good case study for investigating the evolution of animal husbandry practices during the Early and High Middle Ages. Previous archaeozoological work shows that people’s dietary behaviour in Prague underwent a transformation at the beginning of the High Middle Ages (thirteenth

To palliate the current scarcity of information about lithic raw materials in the Western Pyrenees during the Gravettian, the study of ten assemblages has explored the flint procurement patterns and economic organisation of the territory. The study was based on the macro- and microscopic analysis of the different lithic remains. A wide range of flint varieties were used, including some excellent rocks

Magdalenian communities exploited mostly local and regional good-quality lithic raw materials. In south-eastern Poland, being the easternmost fringe of the Magdalenian range, Turonian grey flint had a particular importance. Outcrops of this raw material occur both at the west and at the east sides the Vistula River Gorge. The varieties from the eastern area (called here “eastern Turonian flint” or

The Nihewan Basin in North China has proved to be a key area for the study of human evolution outside of Africa due to its continuous record of hominin occupation since the Early Pleistocene. Lower Paleolithic lithic assemblages at Nihewan are attributed to the East Asian Mode 1 techno-complex, which is often defined by the widespread use of freehand knapping techniques. However, our ongoing investigation

In 2015, professional diver and amateur archaeologist A. Matiukas discovered an extraordinarily rich and well-preserved underwater multiperiod archaeological site, Kaltanėnai, at the point where the Žeimenys Lake feeds into the Žeimena River in East Lithuania. Over the duration of 3 years of multiple diving expeditions, he collected ca. 800 archaeological finds made of wood, bone, antler, flint, stone

We present a pilot study using visible near-infrared spectroscopy (vis-NIRS) to investigate ancient geochemical activity signals from an excavation of the Viking-Age Ribe Emporia, Denmark. Our aim is to study whether vis-NIRS is applicable to archaeological soil analysis and if it can provide additional insight into the use of space inside houses. Using 1059 bulk soil samples sampled in a 0.25 cm grid

The study applies mechanical, wet, and chemical cleaning to remove any undesired materials from artistic/historical pottery surfaces. It aims to evaluate the effects and efficiency of three types of cleansers: One in the nano form and two in the traditional form. These three cleansers are Triton-based microemulsion, Na2EDTA, and EDTA. They were applied as poultices to clean some ancient Egyptian pottery

The present study analyses small mammal bone and tooth accumulations recovered in three open-air archaeological sites from northern Mendoza (Argentina) in the central Monte Desert, one of the most arid rangelands of South America. The sites, with radiocarbon dates between ca. 2100 and 400 years BP, are located on the margins of a now-extinct swamp that formed a more widespread wetland environment in

The provenance of the basaltic raw material source(s) used by Hittite sculptors to create the monuments at Karatepe-Aslantaş, Turkey, has been investigated by means of polarising and scanning electron microscopy and image analysis to determine their mineralogy, textural properties and geochemical composition. Information concerning the weathering history of these chemically co-genetic basaltic lavas

Coprolites (fossilized faeces) can provide valuable insights into species’ diet and related habits. In archaeozoological contexts, they are a potential source of information on human-animal interactions as well as human and animal subsistence. However, despite a broad discussion on coprolites in archaeology, such finds are rarely subject to detailed examination by researchers, perhaps due to the destructive

During the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, Spanish ships sailed around the globe connecting Spain to its colonies. While documentary records offer rich details concerning life on board ship, archaeological information is essential to generating a full picture of the past. The cemetery at Old St Bernard’s Hospital, Gibraltar, provides an opportunity to study the skeletal remains of sailors. Following

Hammerstones and anvils are among the oldest tools used by hominins to perform a variety of tasks including knapping activities. The bipolar technique on anvil is well documented in Prehistory since the Lower Palaeolithic and is usually considered to be an expedient technique in comparison to other knapping systems. This technique plays a pivotal role in the Uluzzian techno-complex lithic production

The salt spring exploitation from Hălăbutoaia - Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000–3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved

Thesprotia, one of the most remote regions in Greece, was inhabited from as early as the Palaeolithic period. The particular geomorphological terrain, with the mountainous and fragmented landscape, has been determinant in the formation of economic and social institutions throughout antiquity. Thesprotia was gradually developed into an important node of communication and transport of goods to the West

The Crimean Peninsula has a rich archaeological record characterised by numerous multi-layered sites from the Middle Palaeolithic and by a number of important sites representing the transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic. Absolute dates place the region as one of the last Neanderthal refuges in Europe. Combining dental meso- and microwear analyses of worn molars found at faunal assemblages

Eleven faience objects unearthed from cemeteries (1046–476 BC) of the Zhou Dynasty in Pingdingshan, Henan province, China, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The analysis results provided information on the chemical composition and microstructure of the faience objects, and conclusions were drawn regarding the forming and glazing methods, as well

This paper presents the macrobotanical record, supported by stable isotope data, from the Halaf (5850–5500 BC) and Late Chalcolithic (c. 4000 BC) occupation of the village Tell Tawila, northern Syria. Drawing on this new data and prior studies of the site, we show that subsistence at Tell Tawila combined agriculture, pastoralism, and foraging, adding it to a growing list of Halaf sites which do not

The identification of sex-specific peptides in human tooth enamel by nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS) represents a quantum leap for the study of childhood and social relations more generally. Determining sex-related differences in prehistoric child rearing and mortality has been hampered by the insufficient accuracy in determining the biological sex of juveniles

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained errors. Author’s correction in Table 1 changing “Pb (elemental) with Cinnabar” was misinterpreted as “PbO”only, when it should have been ‘‘`Pb` with cinnabar”.

In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of techniques from a wide range of other sciences, as well as the specific contribution of physical anthropology, genetics, and paleodemography using the analyses of human remains, has enabled the reconstruction of some key aspects of past populations such as mobility, diet, physical activities, and health status

In the archeological record, the presence of smaller-bodied species is often assumed to indicate a decline in higher-ranked, larger-bodied prey and broadening of the diet to include lower-ranked items with higher handling costs. This shift is typically considered to be a product of a “broad spectrum revolution” that gave rise in many regions to increased sedentism, subsistence intensification, and

The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained errors. Author found out that there is an error in the funding declarations of the article.

The Calabria region of Southern Italy is rich in mineralisation. Unfortunately, no consistent data are available about mineral exploitation in the later prehistoric periods. The Grotta della Monaca mine in Calabria is a prehistoric site that is characterised by the mineralisation of iron ores (such as goethite) and copper carbonates (malachite and azurite). For this reason, the site provides an exceptional

Focused on uncoated ceramics, this tutorial paper is divided into two main sections. The first section deals with the operational phases required prior to firing (drying, piling, fuel supply). Then, the second chapter deals with the transformations that occur in the clayey paste during firing. An overall understanding of the firing process includes several issues to be considered and properly investigated

Százhalombatta-Földvár Bronze Age tell settlement is one of the most extensively studied sites of Hungary. Interdisciplinary approach is one of the key factors in understanding the past here. Therefore, a range of natural scientific methods are applied, including thin section soil micromorphology and phytolith analysis. The high resolution of these techniques is used to add details that are impossible

The diagenetic modifications of archaeological bones from the Celtic site of Radovesice (Czech Republic) were described combining histological and instrumental analysis with infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The post-mortem changes in microstructure, mineral and organic fraction of human bones were related to seasonal fluctuations in water saturation and temperature

The plant and animal components of Linearbandkeramik (LBK) subsistence systems were remarkably uniform with cattle, emmer and einkorn wheat providing the primary source of sustenance for Europe’s earliest agricultural communities. This apparent homogeneity in plant and animal use has been implicitly understood to indicate corresponding similarity in the types of husbandry practices employed by LBK

How long decomposed buried human bodies affect soil elemental composition is so far not well-known. Using portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, we determined the elemental composition of sandy necrosols from a Corded Ware Culture (ca 2800–2500 BCE) graveyard, Chudeřín, Czech Republic. The elemental compositions of soils in the grave infills were studied and compared with arable and subsoil layers

Lower Paleolithic stone tool features and shape have been studied in detail; traceology and experimental archaeology have provided us with a lot of information about possible tool use and functionality. The way modern humans use these tools has been used as a proxy for the study of early stone tool-makers’ behavior, taking into account that our ancestors could have had similar manipulative capabilities

The main goal of this paper is to explore possible cultural continuities and discontinuities at the Neolithic transition in Eastern Iberia. To address this issue, we introduce a twofold methodology, consisting of Geometric Morphometrics and the use of the self-developed Geomeasure system, to examine evolutionary patterns in geometric microliths. These are a specific type of arrowhead shared by both

The Montmaneu Formation is located at the NE margin of the Ebro Basin (Catalonia, Spain), and is dated to the Rupelian (Lower Oligocene). It is formed by 120 m of light grey stratified limestones with bedded-nodular chert, the Panadella chert, associated with the La Segarra lacustrine system. This chert is macroscopically characterized by very fine-grained, homogeneous, opaque greenish black colors

Increasingly researchers have employed confocal microscopy and 3D surface texture analysis to assess bone surface modifications in an effort to understand ancient behavior. However, quantitative comparisons between the surfaces of purported archaeological bone tools and experimentally manufactured and used bones are complicated by taphonomic processes affecting ancient bone. Nonetheless, it may be