Showing papers in "Journal of Field Archaeology in 1974"
TL;DR: In this paper, a series of experiments were carried out to test the formation of edge-damage on flaked stone tools which results from their being used in various tasks, and the results of these experiments may be applied to the identification of patterns of damage to the edges of prehistoric stone tools.
Abstract: The paper describes a series of experiments recently carried out to test the formation of edge-damage on flaked stone tools which results from their being used in various tasks. Variables that were systematically tested include action, worked material, angle of the edge, and grip. The main criterion in distinguishing different patterns of damage was microflaking rather than abrasion in the form of striations and polish.The results of these experiments may be applied to the identification of patterns of damage to the edges of prehistoric stone tools. The information gained from such microwear analysis may be used not only to provide details on the activities and settlement organization of prehistoric societies, but also to provide an important new dimension to lithic analysis in general. In lithic analysis, the main criteria of change have been the macromorphological features of the tools. It is our contention, however, that the additional information on the function of the tools, which is provided...
478 citations
TL;DR: A regional perspective is desirable in the archaeological study of prehistoric complex societies as mentioned in this paper, and over the past decade systematic surface survey has provided such a perspective for the period between 1100 B.C and 1520 A.C. in the Valley of Mexico.
Abstract: A regional perspective is desirable in the archaeological study of prehistoric complex societies. Over the past decade systematic surface survey has provided such a perspective for the period between 1100 B.C. and 1520 A.C. in the Valley of Mexico. This paper attempts to illustrate something of the utility of regional settlement pattern analysis as one phase of a long-term research program aimed at explaining cultural evolution in precolumbian Central Mexico.
54 citations
TL;DR: The site of Anza is of major importance by virtue of its geographical position in the central Balkans (Fig. 1) and its unique stratigraphy The excavations at Anza have yielded a variety of types of information that add to our understanding of the early stages of the [Pottery] Neolithic period, of the succeeding Starcevo Neolithic culture, and of the formation of the Vinca civilization as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The site of Anza is of major importance by virtue of its geographical position in the central Balkans (FIG 1) and its unique stratigraphy The excavations at Anza have yielded a variety of types of information that add to our understanding of the early stages of the [Pottery] Neolithic period, of the succeeding Starcevo Neolithic culture, and of the formation of the Vinca civilization
29 citations
27 citations
TL;DR: Achillefon as mentioned in this paper is a neolithic mound with radiocarbon dates and stratigraphy from ca. 6500 to 5500 B.C. The excavatioz1s have revealed vital information on the environment, economy, architecture, ceramies industry, and religion of the Sesklo civilization.
Abstract: This is a preliminary report on the tJCLA excavations of 1973 and 1974 at Achillefon, Greeve, that were conducted in cooperation with Creek authorities. A chillefon lies in the heart of Thessaly and is a stratiJied neolithic mound which yielded a cultural sequence supported by radiocarbon dates and stratigraphy from ca. 6500 to 5500 B.C. The excavatioz1s have revealed vital information on the environment, economy, architecture, ceramies industry, and religion of the Sesklo civilization.
21 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify a Northeast Asian-Northwest American Microblade Tradition (NANAMT) and define several sub-traditions of the tradition, and show that the distribution of NANAMTs manifestations through space and time indicate the spread of this tradition from its presumed origin in southern Siberia to other parts of Asia and across Beringia to the New World.
Abstract: In 1935, N. C. Nelson raised the possibility of a prehistoric trans-Beringian migration. His hypothesis was unique in that it was based upon specific artifactual evidence. New data from northern British Columbia and comparative technotypological analysis of microblade core production provide additional support for Nelson's hypothesis. It is possible to recognize a Northeast Asian-Northwest American Microblade Tradition (NANAMT) and to define several subtraditions. The distribution of NANAMT manifestations through space and time indicate the spread of the tradition from its presumed origin in southern Siberia/northern China to other parts of Asia and across Beringia to the New World.The “spread” of the culture complex may have been brought about through diffusion, migration, or both. In evolutionary terms, it seems to be the Advanced Palaeolithic-Mesolithic northeast Asian equivalent of southwest Asia's microlithic industries.
18 citations
TL;DR: Questions yet to be answered are: Where did the basal stock for these early Western Hemisphere dogs originate?
Abstract: Archaeologists have contributed much new information relating to types of domestic dogs that were present in pre-Columbian North America. Questions yet to be answered are: Where did the basal stock for these early Western Hemisphere dogs originate? What were they like morphologically? Some reported early canids, particularly those from late Pleistocene deposits, are subject to question as to their domestic role. These and related problems are discussed.
17 citations
TL;DR: The water separator, a mechanical flotation device which is finding increasing usage among Mediterranean archaeologists, is compared with "tub" flotation which is widely practiced by North American archaeologists.
Abstract: The water separator, a mechanical flotation device which is finding increasing usage among Mediterranean archaeologists, is compared with “tub” flotation which is widely practiced by North American archaeologists. The water separator was found to be two to three times more efficient than tub flotation. A redesigned separator is presented which should further improve this figure.The problem of sample size and the attendant aspects of representativeness are evaluated by a comparison of items of various classes recovered in a 100% separator sample compared to the much smaller tub flotation sample.Finally, the specific biasing effects of various recovery techniques with particular emphasis on fish remains is discussed.
15 citations
TL;DR: Karatas-Semayuk is a Bronze Age site near Elmali-Antalya in southwestern Anatolia in the region of ancient Lycia as mentioned in this paper, where the chief period of occupation was in Early Bronze II.
Abstract: Karatas-Semayuk is a Bronze Age site near Elmali-Antalya in southwestern Anatolia in the region of ancient Lycia. The chief period of occupation was in Early Bronze II. The Bryn Mawr College excavations there began in 1963 and are directed by Machteld J. Mellink.
14 citations
TL;DR: In this article, preliminary excavations were conducted at the ancient coastal site of Balakot in Sanmiani Bay, Pakistan and two periods are represented at the site: Early Indus (Harappan) period, the earliest urban period of South Asia, and Mature Indus Period B, capping the mound, represents the Harappan period.
Abstract: During the winter of 1973-74 preliminary excavations were conducted at the ancient coastal site o+Balakot in Sanmiani Bay, Pakistan. Two periods are represented at the site. Period B, capping the mound, represents the Mature Indus (Harappan) period, the earliest urban period of South Asia. Balakot is one of Sive known coastal sites of the Indus Civilization. It is hoped that evidence will be discovered in subsequent seasons bearing on the question of the assumed sea trade contacts between the Indus and the Persian GulSand Mesopotamia in the centuries just beSore and aSter 2000 B. C. Period A at Balakot is designated as Early Indus. The more than 6 m. of occupational debris resting on sterile soil represent the developmental stages leading directly into the earliest civilization of South Asia. The Early Indus sequence at Balakot contains ceramic elements related to many of the so-called "painted pottery cultures" o+Baluchistan and the southern Indus Valley. The proposed series of extensive excavations at the site should provide a sound chronological and culturalSramework within which any of these presently isolated cultural traditions can be studied. This report describes the location and potential importance of the site. The most signif cant f ndings oSthe f rst season's work are presented.
13 citations
TL;DR: Stobi is an ancient city ca. 150 km. north of Thessalonica in what is now Yugoslavian Macedonia as mentioned in this paper, located in the juncture of two important rivers, the Erigon and the Axius, which are known today as the Crna and the Vardar.
Abstract: Stobi is an ancient city ca. 150 km. north of Thessalonica in what is now Yugoslavian Macedonia. It lies in the juncture of two important rivers, the Erigon and the Axius, which are known today as the Crna and the Vardar. Excavations since 1970 by the joint American-Yugoslav Stobi Excavation Project have contributed significantly to our understanding of living conditions, social organization, arts, crafts, and religion in Stobi. The excavations have also increased our knowledge of the physical environment, of the external political, commercial, military, and religious relations, and generally of the history of Stobi from the 3rd century B.C. to the late 6th century A.C. Its growth can now be traced from a relatively small but strategic Paeonian and later Macedonian community during the Hellenistic era, to a large and prosperous municipium during the early centuries of the Roman Empire and finally to a provincial capital and episcopal see of the later Empire.
TL;DR: In this paper, a method for making sediment peels from profiles at prehistoric sites is described, which consists of placing a piece of cheesecloth over a cleaned profile and then applying several coats of white, polyvinyl acetate glue (Elmer's Glue-All). After the glue dries, the peel is removed, mounted on a board and then ready for study or storage.
Abstract: A method for making sediment peels from profiles at prehistoric sites is described. It consists of placing a piece of cheesecloth over a cleaned profile and then applying several coats of white, polyvinyl acetate glue (Elmer's Glue-All). After the glue dries, the peel is removed, mounted on a board and then ready for study or storage. The sediment peel is an effective means of preserving the prehistoric profile and, as important, reveals cryptic stratigraphic features that are important in reconstructing the environment of deposition of the sediment and the environment of prehistoric man.
TL;DR: In this paper, field evidence for the existence of irrigation at a late pre-Inca site in northern Ecuador is examined and the implications of irrigation agriculture are examined with respect to the probable level of socio-political complexity.
Abstract: Field evidence for the existence of irrigation at a late pre-Inca site in northern Ecuador is examined. The implications of irrigation agriculture are examined with respect to the probable level of socio-political complexity. It is concluded that the pre-Inca societies of northern Ecuador were more stable and more clearly stratified than had been suspected previously. They were, therefore, an attractive addition to the Inca Empire which was unwilling or unable to conquer the jungle tribes only a few kilometers from its capital.
TL;DR: Using a combination of remote sensing techniques (side-scan sonar and underwater television), and visual inspection by SCUBA-diving, 18 wrecks ranging in age from preclassical to 19th century A.C. were located between Bodrum and Cape Gelidonya as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Using a combination of remote sensing techniques (side-scan sonar and underwater television), and visual inspection by SCUBA-diving, 18 wrecks ranging in age from preclassical to 19th century A.C. were located between Bodrum and Cape Gelidonya. The majority of wreck sites were known to local sponge divers. All except one site have been looted; nevertheless, eight sites are judged worthy of further investigation.
TL;DR: The first year was largely preparatory, during which organizational work and the application for funds were the principal activities, but the subsequent two years (1972-1974) saw extensive field and laboratory work on the part of some forty scholars coming from six disciplines: archaeology, cultural anthropology, geology, geography, zoology, and botany as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Since July, 1971, the author has been engaged in organizing and directing an interdisciplinary project to investigate the facts and factors of cultural variation and change — past and present — in the Choshui and Tatu river valleys in westcentral Taiwan, in the Republic of China. The first year was largely preparatory, during which organizational work and the application for funds were the principal activities, but the subsequent two years (1972–1974) saw extensive field and laboratory work on the part of some forty scholars coming from six disciplines: archaeology, cultural anthropology, geology, geography, zoology, and botany. Funding for the research has come from the National Science Council (Humanities Section) of the Republic of China, Taipei, and from the National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of the research, the operational strategy and tactics, and some preliminary results. Because of the nature of the study area, such information...
TL;DR: Deetz and Longacre as discussed by the authors made a critical comparison between two recent case studies in American archaeology, The Dynamics of Stylistic Change in Arikara Ceramics by James Deetz and “Archaeology as Anthropology: A Case Study” by William A. Longacre.
Abstract: A critical comparison is made between two recent case studies in American archaeology, The Dynamics of Stylistic Change in Arikara Ceramics by James Deetz and “Archaeology as Anthropology: A Case Study” by William A. Longacre. The notion of experiment is introduced as a standard of comparison which results in a lesson about archaeology as a science.
TL;DR: In this article, five individual projects that spanned a period of five months in 1974 describe the contribution being made to field archaeology by new systems of photography variously combined for search, survey, and recording.
Abstract: Five individual projects that spanned a period of five months in 1974 describe the contribution being made to field archaeology by new systems of photography variously combined for search, survey, and recording.
TL;DR: One of the methods used by the Iberian megalith builders was based on the chemical dissociation by fire of standing stone blocks at their attachment points, a technique hitherto unknown or unreported in the literature as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Evidence in Eastern Spain and in the Balearic Islands indicates that during the building period of the megaliths and thereafter the inhabitants of this region developed a considerable limestone technology. This technology embraced an empirical knowledge of carbonate chemistry and karst geology which enabled them to quarry large limestone blocks to gain a maximum of usable material with a minimum of effort. It appears that one of the quarrying methods used was based on the chemical dissociation by fire of standing stone blocks at their attachment points, a technique hitherto unknown or unreported in the literature. Throughout the interval of megalith occupation there is evidence of the exploitation of limestone for a wide variety of purposes, including the making of objects such as containers, querns, and funereal vessels. Ultimately, their experiments led to a unique burial practice in which the dead were cremated by means of quicklime.The quarrying methods used by the Iberian megalith builders ar...
TL;DR: A detailed survey of the raw materials used in the local chipped stone industries was initiated in 1973 and is being carried out by one of the authors (DMVH), with the objectives of identifying the types and the distribution of locally available raw materials with the hope that this information will contribute further to our understanding of the human ecology of the site and its environs as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Six seasons of excavation have been conducted at Franchthi Cave, a large prehistoric site in southern Greece which has given evidence of essentially continuous human occupation from ca. 20,000 B.C. to ca. 3000 B.C. (in radiocarbon years). A detailed survey of the raw materials used in the local chipped stone industries was initiated in 1973 and is being carried out by one of the authors (DMVH). The objectives of this survey include the identification of the types and the distribution of locally available raw materials with the hope that this information will contribute further to our understanding of the human ecology of the site and its environs. A summary of some of our preliminary observations resulting from a modification of original sampling procedures will be given in the following paragraphs.
TL;DR: For example, during the foundation excavations of the World Trade Center complex in downtown Manhattan (New York) that the major part of the burned 17th century Dutch ship, “Tiger,” would be recovered, no remains were found.
Abstract: Hopes were raised during the foundation excavations of the World Trade Center complex in downtown Manhattan (New York) that the major part of the burned 17th century Dutch ship, “Tiger,” would be recovered. These hopes were pinned on the fact that the forward part of the ship's remains had been accidentally exhumed in the adjacent subway cut in 1916. No remains were found, and we are left with the question of what became of her hulk.
TL;DR: The first Institute on Industrial Archaeology (IIA) was held last summer in Troy, New York as mentioned in this paper, which demonstrated the role of archaeology in understanding industrial processes and the history of technology.
Abstract: The first Institute on Industrial Archaeology was held last summer in Troy, New York. Other Institutes are planned for the future that will demonstrate the role of archaeology in understanding industrial processes and the history of technology.
TL;DR: Franchthi Cave is an important prehistoric site in southern Greece as mentioned in this paper, and six years of excavation have revealed a sequence beginning in later Upper Palaeolithic and continuing to near the end of the Greek Neolithic, i.e. some 17,000 years of essentially continuous human occupation.
Abstract: Franchthi Cave is an important prehistoric site in southern Greece. Six years of excavation have revealed a sequence beginning in later Upper Palaeolithic and continuing to near the end of the Greek Neolithic, i.e. some 17,000 (radiocarbon) years of essentially continuous human occupation. The purpose of the following is to make public 11 new dates from this sequence and, at the same time, to suggest that there is no significant difference between the results of samples collected for radiocarbon dating by flotation and those secured by conventional trench-collection.
TL;DR: The Graduate Center for Ancient Studies at the University of Minnesota as discussed by the authors was established in 1973 and has been used for a wide range of purposes, including teaching, research, and research.
Abstract: The Graduate Center for Ancient Studies was established at the University of Minnesota in 1973. Archaeology as an interdisciplinary study plays a major role in the program. This article discusses the rationale and the operation of the Center.
TL;DR: Aerial photography is playing an important role in the mapping of archaeological sites both terrestrial and under the sea as mentioned in this paper, and new systems of photography variously combined for search, survey, and recording are proving to be an effective and valuable aid to archaeologists.
Abstract: Aerial photography is playing an important role in the mapping of archaeological sites both terrestrial and under the sea. New systems of photography variously combined for search, survey, and recording are proving to be an effective and valuable aid to archaeologists.
TL;DR: A review of the relationship between archaeometric research and time can be found in this article, where the authors discuss the implications of archaeological research beyond the dating of a particular object for the archaeologist.
Abstract: The factor of Time is basic to any study of man and it is in regard to Time that advances in archaeometric research have been generally most obvious. Developments in archaeometry, however, have implications far beyond the dating of a particular object for the archaeologist. Some of those implications are discussed below in the context of a review of the current relationship between archaeometric research and Time.