Archaeometry最新文献

A critical analysis is conducted on the indicators of falsification of incisions on Roman-era material, as presented by the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain (ICHS) regarding the ostraca from the archaeological site of Iruña-Veleia Spain. The phases prior to laboratory analysis, the analytical phase, and the results phase presented by ICHS are discussed. Several issues are identified, including confirmation bias, selection bias, and problems of undercoverage. Additionally, relevant previous contributions are omitted, and serious deficiencies in the preservation of the evidence are observed. There is also a lack of analysis regarding the probability of occurrence of the proposed anomalies, as well as an absence of mention of measurement biases related to the tools used. The lack of reproducibility of the analyses and conclusions based on subjective testimonies compromises the validity of the indicators of falsity of the incisions on archaeological material, rendering them unfounded. Finally, an updated state of the falsehood of the inscriptions is presented, and directions for future research are proposed, emphasizing the need for a more rigorous and systematic approach to address the falsehood of incisions in ostraca.

This study tests predictions of the Economic Defensibility Model (EDM) regarding the relationship between resource density and distribution, as well as signaling behavior among Late Pleistocene foragers. The EDM proposes that territorial signaling intensifies when resources are dense and predictable, as the benefits of broadcasting group membership and maintaining alliances outweigh signaling costs. We evaluate this model using data from Boomplaas Cave, South Africa, with deposits spanning the Last Glacial Maximum (29–19 ka) to the early Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition (19–14 ka). We examine proxies of signaling—ochre procurement and ostrich eggshell beads—relative to measures of resource density and predictability inferred from the site's faunal data. Results reveal a strong positive correlation between non-local ochre use and ostrich eggshell bead production, while ostrich eggshell bead densities are negatively correlated with gregarious grazer abundance. Contrary to EDM predictions, explicit signaling and cultural material social mediation behaviors expand when dense, predictable prey decline. These findings suggest that signaling technologies at Boomplaas were not mechanisms of territorial defense over defensible resources but strategies for maintaining social networks and mitigating subsistence risk under reduced ecological productivity. The intensification of bead production and the use of non-local ochre reflect social boundary defense and alliance-building strategies during periods of resource unpredictability. By integrating behavioral ecology with costly signaling theory, this study highlights the adaptive role of material signaling in buffering risk and sustaining social cohesion during climatic and environmental transitions in Late Pleistocene southern Africa.

Studies of the role played by crucible steel in the evolution of early iron technology in India lag far behind its long-standing reputation as a key historical material with unique functional properties. A comparative metallographic study found evidence of a crucible steel-driven technological transition reflected in the numerous awl-shaped iron objects from two archaeological sites in Maharashtra, India. Those in the first group were recovered from the early 1st millennium bc megalithic burials at Raipur, while the others were from the 2nd century bc settlement at Junnar. The former, products of bloomery iron fraught with nonmetallic inclusions, were forged into a desired shape and then carburized, if necessary, so that their carbon level ranged from zero to the eutectoid. In contrast, the latter contained few nonmetallic inclusions, and their carbon level was uniformly set at the eutectoid throughout the entire object. In addition, evidence of varying thermal treatments causing the formation of martensite, whether in its fresh or tempered state, was observed. We suggest that the shift evident in the foregoing results transpired gradually over centuries with the increased use of various high-carbon steels until crucible-based technology was a regular practice visible in archaeology.

In this study, 30 silver coins from the Sasanian Empire—acquired through various means and added to the inventory of the Batman Museum Directorate between 2020 and 2021—were subjected to archaeometric analysis. The chemical characterization of the coins was carried out using a portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (P-EDXRF), a green analytical technique that enables rapid, in situ, and nondestructive elemental analysis. The P-EDXRF results revealed the chemical composition and alloy ratios of the coins. The data were evaluated to investigate the proportional variation in precious metal content in Sasanian coinage over the lifespan of the empire. On average, the coins were found to contain approximately 93.22% silver (% RSD = 2.65), followed by 4.07% copper (% RSD = 3.06). Trace elements detected included 0.67% gold (% RSD = 3.65), 0.97% lead (% RSD = 3.64), 0.18% bismuth (% RSD = 2.98), 0.78% iron (% RSD = 3.02), 0.13% manganese (% RSD = 4.34), 0.35% germanium (% RSD = 4.76), and 2.38% tin (% RSD = 3.09). These findings provide valuable insights into the economic and metallurgical practices of the Sasanian Empire, shedding light on coin minting technologies and the sourcing of precious metals.

The Jinsha site constitutes a large-scale, significant archaeological settlement in the Chengdu Plain, chronologically succeeding the Sanxingdui culture and extending into the Shang-Zhou period (c. 3200–2800 BP). One subsection of which, named Huangzhong Xiaoxue, has been preliminarily identified as an ordinary residential area of Jinsha through archaeological excavation. Flotation analysis of archaeobotanical remains unearthed from this section demonstrates an abundance of crops and a relative lack of weeds, indicating that agriculture was an important source of sustenance in the area. Among the crops, rice constitutes the majority of samples, with a minority of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum), suggesting that the area's crop mix was dominated by rice, with foxtail millet and broomcorn millet grown in auxiliary. Rice (Oryza sativa) as the dominant staple crop suggests living traditions of Jinsha rooted in rice-farming agriculture, contributing to the formation and development of the Bronze Age civilization. Notably, foxtail millet occurred more frequently than broomcorn millet, reflecting relatively mature cultivation and utilization of northern dryland crops by Jinsha inhabitants during this period, and potentially indicating a preferential inclination toward foxtail millet cultivation.

This study investigated the minute pigment samples obtained from the Daoist statue “Lord of Longevity and Life Protection” in the fourth niche at Heming Mountain, constructed in the Tang Dynasty. The chemical elements and mineral composition of the pigmented fragments were identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results revealed that the green pigment was composed of malachite, mimetite, and atacamite, while cinnabar, minium, and hematite constituted the red pigments. The blackish-brown parts consisted of anglesite, generated from the sulfation degradation of the red minium. A barium-associated mineral was found in the blue robe border. Additionally, hydrocerussite was applied in all painted areas of the statue. Finally, the identity of this grotto statue was discussed, combining the color decoration and Daoist scriptures.