Showing papers in "Geoarchaeology-an International Journal in 1999"
95 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a new drill core taken in the Yangtze delta, coupled with data from borings recovered earlier, record a marked transition to warmer, wetter conditions which resulted in widespread inundation of the delta about 4000 years ago.
Abstract: Petrological, faunal and floral information derived from a new drill core taken in the Yangtze delta, coupled with data from borings recovered earlier, record a marked transition to warmer, wetter conditions which resulted in widespread inundation of the delta about 4000 years ago. Also identified for that time on the delta plain is a major discontinuity between the Neolithic Liangzhu and Bronze age Maqiao cultures. The cultural discontinuity is indicated by: (1) absence of in situ material between the two at ∼4000 yr B.P.; (2) missing Maqiao material in strata above many Liangzhu sites; (3) less sophisticated Maqiao material than in the older Neolithic phase; and (4) notably fewer Maqiao sites in more restricted areas of the delta plain. It is of note that the change from the Liangzhu to the younger Maqiao does not show an increasingly complex cultural advancement of the type generally associated with the foundation of Chinese civilization. We propose that this cultural discontinuity was caused by the interplay of increased environmental stress and new population migrations into the delta. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
76 citations
TL;DR: Aroids have been used extensively in coral atoll agriculture as discussed by the authors, and the first chronometric dates (1910 ± 70 B.P., Beta-79576) for this type of cultivation practice associated with coral atolls found throughout the Pacific.
Abstract: The cultivation of aroids (herbaceous plants with starchy corms) is the foundation of Oceanic societies, yet the study of prehistoric atoll agriculture (utilizing Cyrtosperma chamissonis) has been almost totally neglected. Aroid pit agricultural features, some measuring up to 100 m long and 20 m wide, excavated in the Marshall Islands (center ca. 8°N latitude, 170°E longitude) provide the first chronometric dates (1910 ± 70 B.P., Beta-79576) for this type of cultivation practice associated with coral atolls found throughout the Pacific. Excavations through an aroid pit cultivation pit rim identified a stratigraphic sequence beginning with the sterile subsoil, an A horizon deeply buried under pit spoil dirt, and a prehistoric midden deposit beginning below the surface A horizon. Granulometric analysis of sediments and identification of foraminifers documented the nearshore lagoon as the source for all non-cultural sediments. Anthropophilic land snails (Gastrocopta pediculus and Lamellidea pusilla) in the dated, buried A horizon is a firm basis for confirming the presence of humans near initial colonization (ca. 2000 B.P.) and anchors the culture-historical sequence for the long-term study of human impacts to low coral islands. Consequently, on-going analyses of plant opal phytoliths, starch grains, and charcoal from the buried A horizon, should document the nature of early atoll ecology prior to significant human modification. As aroid pit construction is associated, in many examples, with traditional property boundaries, detailed mapping and dating of these cultivation systems should relate to changes in land tenure and prehistoric social organization.
73 citations
TL;DR: In this article, soils and sediments of a terraced slope at an Early Bronze Age site on the island of Amorgos were examined micromorphologically to determine the nature and amount of erosion on the slope during the past 5000 years, and how this had affected the formation of the surviving archaeological record.
Abstract: Soils and sediments of a terraced slope at an Early Bronze Age site on the Aegean island of Amorgos were examined micromorphologically to determine the nature and amount of erosion on the slope during the past 5000 years, and how this had affected the formation of the surviving archaeological record The deposits forming representative terraces were examined, as was the postdepositional sequence overlying the site, and a palaeosol preserved beneath terrace retaining walls at the break of slope The buried, preterrace system "red soil" was a reworked red palaeosol, much affected by downslope erosion processes, which probably commenced with clearance associated with the Early Bronze Age occupation of the site Examination of this soil suggested that there were at least two premodern phases of use of the hillside © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
67 citations
TL;DR: Early Acheulian assemblages in fluviolacustrine contexts at the Early Pleistocene site of ‘Ubeidiya (Jordan Valley, Israel) have been described as living floors as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Early Acheulian assemblages in fluviolacustrine contexts at the Early Pleistocene site of ‘Ubeidiya (Jordan Valley, Israel) have been described as “living floors.” A study of variation in the surface abrasion of stone tools from several such “living floors” suggest a mixture of cultural and geological factors were involved in the formation of these assemblages. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
60 citations
TL;DR: The Hoge Andjoen motte as mentioned in this paper is an early medieval motte made up of at least eight man-made "ground raising/leveling" layers, each layer associated with a stabilization level and a well-preserved occupation surface with evidence such as living floors, traces of cultivation, and goat/sheep trampling.
Abstract: The “Hoge Andjoen,” an early medieval motte (860–960 A.D.) is an artificial hill made up of at least eight man-made “ground raising/leveling” layers. Each layer is associated with a stabilization level and a well-preserved occupation surface with evidence such as living floors, traces of cultivation, and goat/sheep trampling. The presence of this hill generated a local rise in the original groundwater table present in the natural, buried soil of the site. In some parts of the hill, and with little relation to the sedimentary boundaries, this process generated permanent water stagnation with pronounced anaerobic conditions and locally strong gradients of oxidoreduction. These gradients created a series of particular migrations and accumulations of iron, manganese, and phosphorus components. All organic artifacts, such as oak posts, wooden floors, leather, and seeds remained well preserved in the strongly reduced parts of the hill; they are completely decayed in the aerated zones of the hill. The soil moisture regime within the motte further influenced a series of postdepositional migrations/accumulations of clay and organic matter. The micromorphological study of this archaeological site allows verification of hypotheses developed during field surveying. These hypotheses relate mainly to the origin and mode of dumping of the various types of earthy material, the human activities related to the nine successive living floors, and the traces of numerous postdepo-sitional processes observed throughout this archaeological structure. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
57 citations
53 citations
TL;DR: A detailed overview of the major depositional and postdepositional formation processes affecting underwater archaeological sites can be found in this paper, where it is shown that underwater sites are subject to modification by both cultural and natural processes.
Abstract: Although the formation processes operating on submerged archaeological sites are just as varied as those affecting terrestrial ones, nautical archaeologists have not yet devoted much attention to them. Most studies to date are concerned with formation processes at particular sites. This article provides an overview of the major depositional and postdepositional formation processes affecting underwater sites. The most obvious depositional process is shipwreck, which takes several different forms. Submerged sites may also be formed by the drowning of coastal areas due to tectonic or eustatic sea level changes. In these cases, rapid submergence preserves sites better than slow inundation, which allows time for waves and currents to tear the site apart. For both shipwrecks and coastal sites, once submergence occurs, the single most important factor for preservation is rapid burial by sediment. A cover of sediment protects both the artifacts themselves and their spatial patterning from destruction by water and marine organisms. Once deposited, underwater sites are subject to modification by both cultural and natural processes. The best understood postdepositional processes include salvaging, treasure hunting, and destruction by marine borers. Others, such as dredging, construction, and bioturbation, have hardly been investigated at this time. Archaeologists need to devote more attention to the effects of marine animals that live in close association with the seabed, as well as marine plants, whose roots may disturb sites located in shallow water. From this study it is clear that maritime archaeologists must consider formation processes when planning projects, rather than thinking of underwater sites as simply “time capsules.” © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
52 citations
TL;DR: A decodification of the geographic origin of a mummy recently found in a mediterranean environment in the Andes of Argentina indicates a clear continental origin of the diet, at least during the period of a year and a half before death.
Abstract: Human sacrifices were a ritual practice during the expansion of the Inka Empire. Nevertheless, the homeland of the victims has never been clearly determined. A mummy recently found in a mediterranean environment in the Andes of Argentina provides a unique opportunity to shed some light on the matter. His clothing and funerary trousseau give no evidence regarding his ethnic filiation, geographic origin, nor whether he belonged to the local population or to the Inka elite. Therefore, a decodification of his geographic origin was attempted. This was done through the reconstruction of his palaeodiet: A diet based on continental products would indicate a local origin whereas one including marine food would suggest ties with the Pacific littoral and, indirectly, a foreign origin. Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios of the mummy's bone collagen and hair were compared with values from archaeological populations from littoral and altiplanic environments of South America. The carbon and nitrogen isotopic values of bone collagen were ambiguous tracers, indicating either a continental diet with a high percentage of maize, one including a certain amount of marine products, or a combination of both. The carbon and sulfur isotopic values of hair were conclusive, indicating a clear continental origin of the diet, at least during the period of a year and a half before death. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
51 citations
TL;DR: In the Peruvian Peruvian Desert, a large number of hunter-gatherers older than 8,000 years are rarely found, as much of the landscape from this period is drowned and unexplored as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Humans are constrained by the hyperarid environment of the Peruvian Desert, which they have occupied throughout the Holocene Epoch Habitats amenable to human occupation are limited to the riparian oases and the high-productivity coastal zone Dramatic cultural and technological evolution was coincident with landscape evolution that responded to climatic and sea level variability Occupation sites of hunter-gatherers older than 8,000 years are rarely found, as much of the landscape from this period is drowned and unexplored Seven-thousand years ago, sea level stabilized and coastal middens of this age attest to exploitation of the now stationary marine resource In response, rivers backfilled and the population became progressively more dependent upon terrestrial resources The shift to an agricultural economy resulted in a migration of settlements inland along the river valleys Extreme events (sea level stabilization, droughts, El Nino floods) have likely facilitated periods of rapid technological and cultural innovation 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
49 citations
TL;DR: Petrographic and geochemical studies of fossil-spring tufas in stratigraphic contexts associated with Upper Acheulean and Middle Stone Age-to-historic artifacts provide a basis for characterizing and comparing Quaternary tufa deposition and diagenesis across the Kharga Oasis region of south-central Egypt.
Abstract: Petrographic and geochemical study of artifact-bearing fossil-spring tufas in stratigraphic contexts associated with Upper Acheulean and Middle Stone Age-to-historic artifacts provides a basis for characterizing and comparing Quaternary tufa deposition and diagenesis across the Kharga Oasis region of south-central Egypt. Analysis of tufa deposits at Refuf Pass, Midauwara Pass, A‘in ‘Amur, and Umm el Dabadib suggest that the low Mg-carbonates were precipitated by similar inorganic and biogeochemical processes operating within freshwater spring-fed alkaline stream environments throughout Quaternary time. Detailed petrographic studies suggest that the tufas are relatively pristine, with the original rock textures well preserved with minimal postdepositional alteration. Microstratigraphic details indicate that a variety of interformational facies were present within the former stream environments; understanding these contexts is valuable for interpreting prehistoric human activities. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used thin section micromorphology to investigate the origin of the great pit feature at Hofstaðir and concluded that the pit feature had its origins as a sunken-featured building and that the hollow created by the building's abandonment and collapse was later filled with domestic farmstead waste.
Abstract: The site at Hofstaðir in northeast Iceland has been central to the debate on pre-Christian Norse temples and temple-farm complexes throughout the Scandinavian world. Critical to an understanding of the site have been the various and conflicting interpretations of the great pit feature, which have included the hypotheses that it was intentionally made for the disposal of rubbish after temple feasts, that it was a cooking pit for large-scale food preparation within a temple–farm complex, and that it was the location of a rubbish tip for ordinary farmstead waste materials. In this article we test these competing hypotheses using the technique of thin section micromorphology. These analyses represent the first application of micromorphology to questions of archaeological site formation processes in Iceland, a volcanic island with commonly occurring Andisols. Although this soil type poses new challenges to archaeological soil micromorphology, it was found that pedofeatures, microstructures, and anthropogenic inclusions provide a basis for interpreting site formation processes on Andisols as on other soil types. We conclude that the pit feature had its origins as a sunken-featured building and that the hollow created by the building's abandonment and collapse was later filled with domestic farmstead waste. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: An enigmatic circular pit uncovered during archaeological excavations at the Clovis type site, Blackwater Draw, New Mexico, in 1964 has been reexposed and posited as a water well excavated by the people around 11,500 B.C. as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: An enigmatic circular pit uncovered during archaeological excavations at the Clovis type site, Blackwater Draw, New Mexico, in 1964 has been reexposed and posited as a water well excavated by Clovis people around 11,500 B.C. The prehistoric well, the oldest in the New World, was probably a dry hole. Other Clovis wells may exist in the area. The excavation of wells near where there had been surface water shortly before adds to the evidence for drought during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a methodological approach to detect heated soil on ancient sites, using magnetic measurements. The method is based on changes in magnetic signals of soil by heating, and the following three types of soil were used for testing the method: silty soil (SS), weathered volcanic ash (WVA, = loam) and fairly fresh volcanic ash called Odori tephra.
Abstract: We present a methodological approach to detect heated soil on ancient sites, using magnetic measurements. The method is based on changes in magnetic signals of soil by heating. The following three types of soil were used for testing the method: silty soil (SS), weathered volcanic ash (WVA, = loam) and fairly fresh volcanic ash (VA) called Odori tephra. On heating above 250–600°C, the magnetic susceptibility and remanent magnetization intensity increased for the SS and WVA samples, reflecting chemical alteration of magnetic minerals (from goethites to magnetites through hematites). The VA sample showed no susceptibility change suggesting the absence of goethites within it. On heating below 250°C, only the intensities of all the samples increased. This is possibly due to acquisition of thermal remanent magnetization. The largest change of the magnetic signals was identified for the SS sample and the smallest one was seen for the VA sample. Therefore, the in situ susceptibility measurement, which is the nondestructive and indirect method, seems to be effective to detect heated soil for sites of aqueous deposits as the SS. On the other hand, for sites of aeolian deposits as the WVA (loam) and VA, the intensity measurement of collected soils seems to be the most reliable method to detect evidence of heating. The degree of the magnetic stability (coercivity) against progressive alternating-field demagnetization was also an important parameter, indicating whether the investigated soils were heated or unheated. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this article, a sonar survey of the seafloor in the area where ancient sources located Helike, southeast of Aigion, showed no evidence of a submerged city and concluded that the site must now lie in the alluvial deposits of the adjacent coastal plain.
Abstract: In 373 B.C. an earthquake and seismic sea wave destroyed and submerged Helike, the principal Greek city on the southwestern shore of the Gulf of Corinth. Our sonar survey of the seafloor in the area where ancient sources located Helike, southeast of Aigion, showed no evidence of a submerged city. We concluded that the site must now lie in the alluvial deposits of the adjacent coastal plain. Accordingly, we used bore hole drilling and geophysical techniques to look for buried occupation horizons on land. The bore hole cores yielded numerous ceramic fragments and remains of walls, ranging from near the surface to about 15 m deep, concentrated in an area of some 2 km2 on the upper part of the delta between the Selinous and Kerynites Rivers. Ceramic and organic samples from the cores yielded ages ranging from Byzantine to Early Helladic times. A shallow auger hole brought to light a superb fragment of an architectural terracotta statue from an Archaic building, ca. 600 B.C. Near the center of the ceramic-bearing area, we discovered by magnetometry a large Roman building and began its excavation. It may belong to a Roman settlement that Pausanias visited at the site of Classical Helike. The deeper layers of the excavation yielded black-glazed vase fragments from the 5th century B.C. and potsherds from Protogeometric and Mycenaean times. The overall results suggest that most of the Roman to Classical horizons lie within about 6 m of the surface, whereas Bronze Age horizons range down to 15 m. While we have yet to determine by excavation whether the occupation horizons include the center of a city, this area appears to be a strong candidate for the site of ancient Helike. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the "moated" Iron Age sites of NE Thailand, first identified as significant prehistoric settlement sites in the 1940s from aerial photography and two more recent photograph sets are used to map the surficial geology and prehistoric site distribution for a study area west of Phimai, NE Thailand.
Abstract: The study focuses on the “moated” Iron Age sites of NE Thailand, first identified as significant prehistoric settlement sites in the 1940s from aerial photography Two more recent photograph sets are used to map the surficial geology and prehistoric site distribution for a study area west of Phimai, NE Thailand, with a focus on site–landscape relationships and, in particular, relationships between site location and form and patterns of palaeodrainage The derived record of the surficial geology reflects several phases of palaeodrainage, characterized by differing locations and types of former river channels Of note is the differentiation between a recent period in which river channels, including those presently active, are single-string meandering channels, and an older period of broad belts of meandering multistring channels The prehistoric site distribution correlates closely with the older drainage, and for many, the encircling channels (the “moats”) are closely associated with former river channels These relationships provide a critical and novel model for site distribution; several implications arise, supported by emerging field evidence, and introducing issues for archaeological debate: (i) there is no need, as has been done in the past, to invoke prehistoric artificial forms of drainage associated with the sites; (ii) the definition of the encircling channels as “moats” is seriously called into question; and (iii) the inferred geomorphological evolution of the floodplain implies past changes in environmental parameters such as run-off, climate or biophysical environments Since the sites are all located in or beside ancient meander belts, these parameters should now be introduced into archaeological discussions regarding the establishment, history, evolution, and abandonment of the Iron Age sites Methodologically, this article illustrates the need to be aware of the complexity of aerial photograph interpretation in archaeological survey, showing that careful analysis of aerial photograph information may have a significant impact upon the modeling of prehistoric interpretations Further stratigraphical studies will be reported subsequently, and will refine the models presented here © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
TL;DR: In this article, modal, petrographic, and geochemical data demonstrate that extensively sagged wasters contain a high proportion (∼43−63 vol %) of a former melt phase but are surprisingly porous (7−25 vol % pores).
Abstract: Nantgarw phosphatic (bone-ash) porcelain (ca. 1813–1820) is renowned for its translucency and the high quality of its enamel decoration. However, only a small proportion of its wares (perhaps 10%) were successfully fired due to sagging (body distortion) and other problems. This indicates that: (1) In terms of its potential for generating a minimum melt, the Nantgarw paste had an unusually fertile composition, or (2) Nantgarw's staff had difficulties in controlling kiln temperatures, so that its wares tended to be overfired. This issue has been addressed using analytical data for sherds excavated from the factory site. Detailed modal, petrographic, and geochemical data demonstrate that extensively sagged wasters contain a high proportion (∼43–63 vol %) of a former melt phase but are surprisingly porous (7–25 vol % pores). In terms of minimum melt generation, the sagged samples have a more fertile bulk composition than their successfully fired counterparts. Most of the wasters contain subsolidus anorthite (∼An95) enclosed by a melt phase with (once corrected for entrained silica polymorph crystallites) a eutectic (minimum melt) composition. The anorthite, however, was completely resorbed by the melt in some of the sagged samples, which subsequently crystallized liquidus anorthite that displays a quenched morphology. These samples were therefore fired above (Tmax <1430°C, as estimated from melt compositions) the eutectic (T∼1290°C) in the anorthite–tricalcium phosphate–silica system. The fact that other wasters contain subsolidus anorthite and a minimum melt shows that firing at the eutectic did not guarantee a successful firing, regardless of the melt fertility of the paste. It is likely that the duration of firing near Tmax and character of the object (i.e., flatware vs. hollow-ware) were also important variables in this regard. In addition to producing their well-known phosphatic wares, Nantgarw's proprietors apparently also experimented with silicious pastes with compositions akin to true porcelain. Some of silicious sherds found at the site have a lead-bearing (∼15 wt % PbO) glaze, indicating that they survived an early, high temperature biscuit firing, after which they were fired at lower temperature in the glost kiln (i.e., a “soft-paste type” firing sequence). Evidence that the Nantgarw kiln could achieve temperatures in the order of 1400°C further suggests that these silicious sherds are b.f. wasters. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: An Early Paleolithic site was recently discovered within a sequence of paleosols in the Revadim Quarry, central coastal plain of Israel as discussed by the authors, which is composed of three superimposed soils in a continuous sequence, but separated by two unconformity surfaces.
Abstract: An Early Paleolithic site was recently discovered within a sequence of paleosols in the Revadim Quarry, central coastal plain of Israel. The section is composed of three superimposed soils in a continuous sequence, but separated by two unconformity surfaces. The uppermost paleosol is a modern Dark Brown Grumusol (Vertisol), the middle is a Quartzic Gray Brown Soil (Haploxeralf), and the lower is a Red Hamra (Rhodoxeralf). Normal magnetic polarity was detected in the two lower soils, indicating that they are younger than the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary (<780 ka). A human occupation bed, enriched in secondary carbonate nodules, forms the lower part of the Quartzic Gray Brown Soil and overlies the Red Hamra. The living floor is located on top of the unconformity surface, separating the Red Hamra from the overlying Quartzic Gray Brown Soil. Middle to Late Acheulian handaxes, choppers, cores, and flake tools, including tools made by the Levallois technique, and man-laid flint pebbles were excavated in the human occupation bed. In addition, two elephant tusks, an elephant pelvis, an elephant tooth (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), tusk splinters, and bones of equid, suid, cervid, bovid, felid, and rodents were also collected. Based on well-documented nearby boreholes and on regional correlation, it appears that the underlying dune sands, the parent materials from which the Red Hamra developed, were deposited probably during a phase of high-stand sea level of Isotope Stage 9. The Red Hamra developed simultaneously with the human occupation of the site, probably during a phase of low-stand sea-level of Isotope Stage 8, before some 300–245 ka. The overlying dune sands, the parent materials from which the Quartzic Gray Brown Soil developed, were deposited probably during a phase of high-stand sea level of Isotope Stage 7. The climate prevailing in the area during Stage 8, as well as during the human habitation, was moist, with a dense vegetation cover of grassland and probably scattered trees. A small lake of trapped fresh water at a junction of two small tributaries of the Soreq River drainage system near the area occupied was available to hominids and animals. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: This paper reported on renewed geoarchaeological investigations at the cave site of Jerf al-Ajla, near the oasis town of Palmyra in central Syria in 2000.
Abstract: This study reviews geoarchaeological research on several Paleolithic sites in the Syrian steppe-desert, and reports on renewed geoarchaeological investigations at the cave site of Jerf al-Ajla, near the oasis town of Palmyra in central Syria. Major Middle Paleolithic complexes are associated with extensive exposed Eocene and Cretaceous chert-bearing formations, particularly at sites near permanent water sources. Renewed field investigations at Jerf al-Ajla refined previously reported stratigraphic relationships and Paleolithic industries, particularly for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic boundary. Analysis of burned Middle Paleolithic flints/chert indicate the latter are sufficiently heated for TL dating. Thermoluminescence dates were obtained on five heated flint artifacts from the Mousterian layer C1, giving a weighted mean of 35.6 ± 3.4 ka. This dating of a late Middle Paleolithic industry (Mousterien tardif) at Jerf al-Ajla is in agreement with data from the adjacent El Kowm basin in east-central Syria at the site of Umm el-Tlel, indicating a new aspect of Middle Paleolithic in Levantine Paleolithic research. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: The Upper Twin Mountain Site, located within a geologic slump scar at 2548 m altitude, provides significant information on Paleoindian bison procurement as discussed by the authors, including partial skeletal remains of at least 15 adult Late Pleistocene bison (B. antiquus), Goshen projectile points and debitage.
Abstract: The Upper Twin Mountain Site, located within a geologic slump scar at 2548 m altitude, provides significant information on Paleoindian bison procurement. As the highest known Paleoindian bison bone bed, the site contained the partial skeletal remains of at least 15 adult Late Pleistocene bison (B. antiquus), Goshen projectile points, and debitage. Radiocarbon dates of 10,240±70 and 10,470±50 yr B.P. place Upper Twin Mountain midway between the northern Plains Goshen and southern Plains Plainview sites. With a late fall or early winter mortality of the bison and the presence of only local stone, year round occupation of Middle Park is indicated. Analysis of the geology, soil, and pollen, from the archaeological and nonarchaeological deposits at the Upper Twin Mountain and elsewhere in the region are used to describe the paleoenvironmental conditions in Middle Park. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, the results obtained from their research on two rooms of the 4th century B.C. Iberian sanctuary Cerro El Pajarillo in Huelma (province of Jaen, southern Spain) are presented.
Abstract: This article shows the results obtained from our research on two rooms of the 4th century B.C. Iberian sanctuary “Cerro El Pajarillo” in Huelma (province of Jaen, southern Spain). Our research method combines traditional archaeological procedures with analysis of chemical markers, in particular, analysis of phosphorus and organic matter in samples of soil taken from the floor of the rooms. These analyses help identify two activity areas: one related to storage, and another to food consumption and refuse. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: Wadi Araba is a linear valley that follows the northeast-trending Dead Sea-Jordan transform (DST) fault zone ca. 165 km north from the Gulf of Aqaba to the escarpment overlooking the Southern Ghor of the Dead Sea as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Wadi Araba is a linear valley that follows the northeast-trending Dead Sea-Jordan transform (DST) fault zone ca. 165 km north from the Gulf of Aqaba to the escarpment overlooking the Southern Ghor of the Dead Sea. An archaeological survey and geologic investigation was conducted along the southeast 75 km of Wadi Araba during three field seasons. The geoarchaeological study focused on analyzing sediments and soil development at sites and air photo interpretation of fluvial systems draining into Wadi Araba. The region is sparsely vegetated with a mean annual precipitation of < 50 mm. The topography of the area is characterized mountains of granitic basement rock that rise steeply above the valley floor along DST escarpment. The valley floor is covered with Holocene to Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments emanating from the range front, mudflat (sabkha) sediments in localized valley axis depressions, and sand dune fields. Three dominant phases of valley floor alluviation occurred during the latest Pleistocene, middle Holocene, and historical times. Preliminary results of the Southeast Araba Archaeological Survey show a large number of Chalcolithic–Early Bronze and Nabataean/Roman–Byzantine age sites and a marked paucity in sites of other ages. Chalcolithic–Early Bronze sites are concentrated on alluvial terraces approximately 3–5 m above the wadi bed tributaries to Wadi Araba and form tells (Tell Magass and Tell Ghuzlan) on an alluvial fan surface north of Aqaba. Other major cultural expansions in the southeastern side of the valley include Nabataean/Roman to Byzantine sites that are situated predominately on the valley floor, and less frequently on low alluvial terraces. The lack of continuous occupation at sites in the southeast Araba valley suggests that the extremely arid climatic conditions lessened during parts of the Holocene. The extensive distribution of archaeological sites of Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age and Nabataean/Roman–Byzantine age and the associated development of soils indicate that these periods were marked by wetter or cooler climates. These data agree with other climatic proxy data from the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea regions. Although the evidence from the southeast Wadi Araba is not conclusive, it does suggest a southern shift of precipitation belts at approximately 6–5 ka. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify anomalous results that have yielded information about site formation processes, such as strong and hard remanence due to vitrification, unstable magnetization due to lightning strikes, superimposed thermal magnetizations, chemical remagnetization, magnetization of a hearth fragment before falling, hot brick after falling, and mechanical deformation of an archaeomagnetic feature.
Abstract: As part of a program to investigate archaeomagnetic secular variation in Israel and implications for archaeomagnetic dating, we have identified “anomalous” results that have yielded information about site formation processes. Stereonets, vector demagnetization diagrams, and sample location maps are most useful in examining stability of magnetization and consistency of archaeomagnetic directions with each other and with what would be expected from normal secular variation. A collection of examples is presented, including: strong and hard remanence due to vitrification, unstable magnetization due to lightning strikes, superimposed thermal magnetizations, chemical remagnetization, magnetization of a hearth fragment before falling, magnetization of a hot brick after falling, and mechanical deformation of an archaeomagnetic feature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of natural processes influencing the formation of Palaeolithic sites, in a ferricrete landscape, in the Kortallayar basin, Tamil Nadu, South India is presented.
Abstract: This article presents the results of a study of natural processes influencing the formation of Palaeolithic sites, in a ferricrete landscape, in the Kortallayar basin, Tamil Nadu, South India. The principal points discussed here include the Quaternary geomorphology and Palaeolithic archaeology of the region and the methodology used for the study of site taphonomy. As a result of this research, Palaeolithic sites were categorized into several types based on their sedimentary context, artefact spatial distribution, and morphology and degree of integrity. This work is the first of its kind in establishing a methodology for the study of Palaeolithic sites in ferricrete landscapes in India. The results of this research may be relevant to understanding the study of formation processes at sites in similar contexts elsewhere in the Subcontinent. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of human impacts on pedogenic rock and mineral weathering is presented, where a statistically significant difference was found between impacted and less-impacted samples, with more weathering under areas of greater human impact.
Abstract: Anthropogenic organic compounds and pollutants are routinely used to indicate human presence in anthrosols, but little is understood about human impact on pedogenic processes. This article addresses human impacts on pedogenic rock and mineral weathering. Relatively unexplored from the soil perspective, human impacts on the weathering system can be locally significant and relevant to studies in geoarchaeology, geomorphology, and ecology. The article provides a theoretical framework for human-impacted weathering, and presents a case study of “anthroweathering” at a Hohokam pit house excavated in central Arizona. Mineral grains, sampled from within and outside the pit house, were observed using backscatter electron microscopy. A statistically significant difference was found between impacted and less-impacted samples, with more weathering under areas of greater human impact. Accordingly, soil profile descriptions suggest increased chemical activity within and under the pit house anthrosol. These observations attest to the potential application of anthroweathering toward the identification and analysis of cultural remains and toward an assessment of environmental degradation © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.