bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental constraints of human settlement in an evolving holocene alluvial system, the lower Mississippi valley
Authors: Guccione M. J. , Lafferty R. H. , Cummings L. Scott
Published: February 2007

The lower Mississippi River has aggraded throughout the Holocene, resulting in stratification of cultural materials. Determination of this landscape evolution adds a temporal dimension to a model of human settlement. Sites most likely to be settled are high, well‐drained surfaces near a stream. In the middle Holocene, conditions began to be suitable for settlement near Big Lake, Arkansas. A stream developed on the flood plain adjacent to a braided stream terrace. Flooding of the terrace formed a natural levee composed of well‐drained, fertile, loam that was better suited for agriculture, if it existed at this time, and a living substrate than terrace sand to the west and backswamp clay to the east. Water and aquatic food sources were nearby. Open swamp conditions, present during middle Holocene, diminished by Late Holocene as bottomland arboreal habitats were becoming reestablished. This ideal environment has been intensely exploited for the past 3000 years, despite the temporary inconvenience of flooding.
Paleoclimatic changes as indicated by the quaternary Karstic Cave deposits in China
Authors: Liu Zechun
Published: February 2007

This paper describes the paleoclimatic changes reflected by karstic cave deposits during the Quaternary Period in China. the study was based on comprehensive analyses of the spore and pollen, paleontological, and paleoanthropological fossils as well as various kinds of sedimentological features preserved in those cave deposits. the caves studied include those containing fossils of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens in the Zhoukoudian area some 50 km southwest of Beijing and Shenxiandong (the Immortal Cave) in Leishui County, Jiangsu Province, about 120 km southeast of Nanjing. These deposits, which range in thickness from two to 40 meters, have been carefully investigated and have been shown to be representative of portions of the Quaternary. the paleoclimatic fluctuations as recorded in these cave deposits have been well correlated with glacial cycles within the Brunhes Normal Epoch based on the oxygen isotope scale determined from deep ocean cores.
Paleogeographic reconstruction of shoreline archaeological sites around Thunder Bay, Ontario
Authors: Phillips Brian A. M.
Published: February 2007

Paleoindian peoples migrated into the cul‐de‐sac between Lake Agassiz, the Superior basin, and the receding ice margin about 9500 years ago. Around Thunder Bay there is a close but not exclusive association of habitation sites with Lake Minong and its subsequent declining stages. Reconstruction of shorelines by detailed morphological mapping provides explanation of known sites, reasonable longshore correlation, and a predictive tool for focusing new investigations. Sites near taconite sources, in sheltered embayments, at river mouths, and near lookout points are preferred, but some occupance continued after water level decline. the full sequence of Paleoindian to Shield Archaic periods is uniquely destroyed by the Nipissing transgression (8000‐5500 years BP), which buried and truncated earlier shorelines. This sequence is potentially preserved on the north shore of Superior, but limited archaeological resources exist in the region, despite healthy, interdisciplinary cooperation.
Oysters as geoarchaeologic objects
Authors: Lawrence David R.
Published: February 2007

Crassostreine oysters have unutilized potential in analyses of coastal archaeological sites. Intertidal vs. subtidal harvesting may be determined by an examination of shell characters, and the culling of samples recognized through scrutiny of valves or shells collected dead. the season of live shell gathering may be estimated via a ligament growth model. Possible human uses of oysters include foodstuffs, agricultural and building materials, implements, ornaments, objects of curiosity, and in the manufacture of ceramics. Use as implements or ornaments is unlikely, and criteria exist to add strength to interpretations of other uses. Oysters faithfully replicate their substrate on left valve attachment areas and may yield evidence of distinctive, otherwise unrecognizable, archaeological features. Ideas herein developed for the southeastern United States may be extended to other geographic regions through appropriate data gathering processes.
Size distributions of artifact classes: Combining macro‐and micro‐fractions
Authors: Stein Julie K. , Teltser Patrice A.
Published: February 2007

The size and composition of microartifacts (objects less than 2 mm) and macroartifacts (objects greater than 2 mm) are utilized to interpret the formational processes of an archaeological site. Because grain‐size distributions are known to reflect mode of transport and source, the attribute of size is examined by plotting each artifact class (unmodified rock, modified rock, ceramic, concretion, bone/shell, and metal) in size frequency diagrams. the plots allow the agent and mode of transport to be reconstructed, which in turn allows the formational processes of the site to be interpreted. the example used is the Pelts Site (23‐DU‐29) of southeastern Missouri. the site was chosen for this pilot study because the formation processes can be reconstructed from other data. the size distributions of each artifact class support those reconstructions and allow the proposed method to be evaluated as an interpretive method for other archaeological sites.
Theoretical issues in the interpretation of microartifacts
Authors: Dunnell Robert C. , Stein Julie K.
Published: February 2007

Archaeology is increasingly partitioned into specialities. While this practice is not universally deleterious, frequently it limits the impact of novel concepts to small segments of the discipline. Such is the case with the idea of microartifacts, now treated by only a handful of specialists. After linking the definition of microartifact to techniques of sampling and identification, the unique and valuable information of small artifacts is obvious. Microartifacts, by virtue of their unique transport and deposition properties, compliment the information contained in macroartifacts. Thus, they should be a routine concern in all archaeological research. This implies a stronger integration of geoarchaeology and archaeology.
Hunter‐gatherers in the nashville basin: Archaeological and geological evidence for variability in prehistoric land use
Authors: Turner William B. , Klippel Walter E.
Published: February 2007

Results of intensive archaeological surveys conducted within two environmentally contrastive settings in the Nashville Basin of Tennessee demonstrate that prehistoric human activity was much more extensive in the inner Basin where the Duck River floodplain was flanked by patchy upland vegetation relative to the outer Basin where upland vegetation was more homogeneous. Vertebrate remains from caves and rockshelters show that the inner Basin supported such patchy upland vegetation throughout the known period of hunter‐gatherer occupation of the area. There is close correspondance between periods when forest openings were most prevalent (i.e., Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene and Mid‐Holocene) and times when prehistoric human occupation of the inner Basin was most intensive (Paleoindian and Middle Archaic). Comparisons of major artifact categories from systematic collections of various landform surfaces show that the T2 terrace was the most extensively utilized by prehistoric hunter‐gatherers. the T3/valley slope, the uplands, and the T1 produced progressively lower artifact densities. Results of systematic backhoe trenching indicate that substantial Holocene aggradation accounts for the seemingly minor use of the T1.
Late holocene human impact on lake basins in central mexico
Authors: Metcalfe S. E. , Street‐Perrott F. A. , Brown R. B. , Hales P. E. , Perrott R. A. , Steininger F. M.
Published: February 2007

Palaeolimnological investigations in the volcanic highlands of Central Mexico (19°N) have yielded clear evidence of environmental degradation associated with episodes of forest clearance and agricultural expansion during the last 3500 years. Preliminary results are presented from five lake basins situated at altitudes of 1700 to 2575 m a.s.l., along a gradient of decreasing aridity and temperature from north to south: Hoya San Nicolás de Parangueo (Guanajuato); La Piscina de Yuriria (Guanajuato); Pátzcuaro (Michoacán); Zacapu (Michoacán) and Upper Lerma (Estado de México). Samples from sediment cores and pits are being analyzed for loss‐on‐ignition, magnetic susceptibility (X and Xfd), major cations, total P, C/N, carbonate content, δ13C, δ18O, diatoms, pollen, and charcoal content. Evidence for disturbance is provided by increases in non‐arboreal pollen types, especially maize (Zea mays), peaks of X, Xfd and charcoal; increased concentrations of elements associated with soil material such as Al, Fe, Ti, and P, and diatoms indicative of cultural eutrophication.

Pátzcuaro, Hoya San Nicolás, Zacapu, and Upper Lerma show an initial phase of disturbance dating from ca. 3500 to 1400 yr B.P., reflecting the widespread adoption of maize cultivation during the Preclassic. A later, more intense phase is recorded in all the basins. In Hoya San Nicolás, La Piscina de Yuriria, Zacapu, and Pátzcuaro, which lay within, or on the margins of the Tarascan state, this episode dates from Postclassic to Hispanic times (<1100 yr B.P.). In contrast, disturbance in the Matlatzincan area (the Upper Lerma Basin) was apparently more continuous, culminating during the late Classic to early Postclassic (ca. 1400‐700 yr B.P.).
Pompeian red ware: Processing archaeological ceramic data
Authors: Blakely Jeffrey A. , Brinkmann Robert , Vitaliano Charles J.
Published: February 2007

A program of ceramic analysis, by which archaeologically excavated pottery can be efficiently and economically grouped by fabric and geographic origin, has been devised. the fabric is segregated by xeroradiography, macroscopic observation, and heavy‐mineral analysis before it is identified petrologically. the program has enabled determination of the effects of certain aspects of trade patterns and economics on life in the ancient city of Roman‐Period Caesarea Maritima. This program was tested on an 84‐sherd corpus of Pompeian Red Ware. Xeroradiography, heavy‐mineral analysis, and petrology each segregated the sherds into two fabrics, one of which contained 83 sherds. This latter fabric had not been reported in earlier studies of Pompeian Red Ware which concentrated on samples from England and Europe. However, the similarities between this new fabric and another known fabric suggest that the Caecuban and Falernian regions west of Terracina and east of Capua should be the source of this ware. an astonishing result was that other known fabrics were not found at Caesarea Maritima. A potential chronological hypothesis was formulated to account for this observation.
Prehistoric human settlement patterns in a tectonically unstable environment: Outer shumagin islands, southwestern alaska
Authors: Winslow Margaret A. , Lewis Johnson L.
Published: February 2007

Human population movements into and around the outer Shumagin Islands of southwestern Alaska during the last 5000 years, and temporal gaps in Shumagin habitation correlate inversely with geologically inferred prehistoric earthquakes. Clusters of inferred seismic activity correlate with temporal gaps or with small, sparsely distributed archaeological sites; periods of relative seismic quiescence coincide with settlement florescence. Variations in terrace and archaeological site heights across the study area indicate differential uplift of the outer Shumagin Islands when corrected for the Holocene sea level rise and post‐glacial isostatic adjustments.
Microlithic sites and their paleoenvironmental setting, Southeast India; a reevaluation
Authors: Gardner R. , Martingell H.
Published: February 2007

A reevaluation is presented of the distribution, age, and paleoenvironmental context of the microlithic sites (Tinnevelly Ten Industry) found on Quaternary coastal sediments in southeast India. Microliths were found to occur widely on the red teri sands; as extensive surface scatters and in concentrated ‘sites’. the extent and number of sites is far greater than hitherto known. the occupation/use of the area occurred within the period between late last glacial and mid‐Holocene, and it had certainly ceased by 4000 years B.P. Occupation appears to post‐date the aeolian deposition of the teri sands, and to be contemporaneous with the deep weathering of the sands during the early‐mid Holocene climatic optimum. During this moist phase the sands were stable and densely vegetated, and relatively high (+ 2−3 m) mid‐Holocene sea levels led to the formation of lagoons seaward of the tori sands along much of the coastline. the available stratigraphic evidence and radiocarbon dates suggest that this microlithic industry, with geometrical elements, is older than hitherto believed (Zeuner and Allchin, 1956), but not as old as recent suggestions for a similar industry from Sri Lanka (Singhvi et al., 1986).
The geomorphic setting of upper paleolithic sites in Wadi el Sheikh, Southern Sinai
Authors: Gladfelter Bruce G.
Published: February 2007

A protracted phase of aggradation without evidence for episodes of cutting and filling occurred in the drainage of Wadi el Sheikh between about 65,000 and 12,000 B.P. Marl sediments in the deposits at the oasis of Tarfat el Quidrein denote freshwater ponds or marshes that attracted Upper Paleolithic, Ahmarian hunter‐gatherers. Wetter conditions favoring the formation of the marls are explained by local, geomorphic factors including the orographic influence of nearby mountains. A major phase of down‐cutting initiated at the end of the Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene is the only climatically forced gradational change seen in the geomorphic record.
Amino acid racemization in mammalian bones and teeth from La Chaise‐de‐Vouthon (Charente), France
Authors: Blackwell Bonnie , Rutter N. W. , Debénath A.
Published: February 2007

A controlled test of the amino acid dating method as it is currently being applied to bones and teeth was attempted for the time range 100‐250 ka, beyond that of 14C, at the archeological site of La Chaise‐de‐Vouthon (Charente, France). In Bourgeois‐Delaunay, mammal fossils associated with Paleolithic artifacts were collected from layers dated at 101 ± 12 to 114 ± 7 ka by 230Th/230 dating of the over‐ and underlying stalagmitic floors. Racemization ratios for most amino acids were significantly lower than for comparably aged materials from other European sites. Regardless of the rate constants used, most amino acid dates were incorrect. Large associated errors spanned the late Pleistocene, making the dates useless for discriminating archaeological or geological events. Stratigraphic correlations using any tissue were also problematic. Relative interacid ratios varied with age, indicating that diagenetic alteration had affected racemization. Therefore, amino acid relative and absolute dating cannot be accurately applied to mid‐Pleistocene bones or teeth.
Soil/landform relationships surrounding the Harappa archaeological site, Pakistan
Authors: Pendall Elise , Amundson Ronald
Published: February 2007

A soil survey around the archaeological site of Harappa, Pakistan revealed alluvial deposits of five distinct ages based on relative position in the landscape and degree of soil profile development. the youngest deposit (age 1) is in the lowest landscape position and has received flood waters as recently as 1988. Soils there are in an incipient stage of development: only organic carbon and soluble salts have accumulated at the surface of the profile. the age 2 deposit has not undergone significant pedogenic change, but is in a slightly higher landscape position than the youngest deposit. Elevated concentrations of P, and the presence of sand‐sized pottery and brick fragments, indicate that this deposit was derived at least partially from archaeological material. the presence of small, soft calcite nodules (Stage II) and some soluble salt translocation are the primary pedogenic changes observed in the age 3 deposit. the age 4 deposit shows evidence of both carbonate and gypsum accumulation. Presence of large gypsum nodules in deep By horizons suggests that a high groundwater table has altered these soils. the oldest deposit, age 5, forms a late Pleistocene stream terrace of the Ravi River. the soil formed in this deposit exhibits considerable carbonate accumulation, with large, dense nodules (Stage II + ) and an argillic horizon. A14C date from pedogenic calcite gives an age of 7080 ± 90 years B.P., indicating a minimum age of early Holocene. the soil survey suggests that the ancient city of Harappa was built on an age 5 stream terrace remnant, surrounded by Holocene floodplains and a meandering channel of the Ravi River.
Resurrecting beach ridge archaeology: Parallel depositional records from St. Lawrence Island and Cape Krusenstern, Western Alaska
Authors: Mason Owen K. , Ludwig Stefanie L.
Published: February 2007

Archaeological sites on gravel beach ridge plains offer a treacherously facile method of reconstructing cultural chronology based on the assumption that settlements were preferentially situated nearest the sea. the initial phase of beach ridge methodology in Alaska dates from its 1930s use by Henry Collins at St. Lawrence Island and its 1950s use by Louis Giddings in Kotzebue Sound. Numerous questions of cultural and depositional chronology remain unresolved. At Gambell, on St. Lawrence Island, three sets of ridges span the period since about 2000 B.P., with a prominent disconformity after Punuk culture times at ca. 1100 B.P. Reviewing the 14C dates (n = 83) we find that the Gambell sequence (n = 50) broadly parallels that of Kotzebue Sound, especially in the similar erosional disconformity at 1200‐1000 B.P., related to increased storminess in the North Pacific. the Cape Krusenstern sequence is only loosely constrained by 14C dates (n = 33) disproportionately concentrated on 7 of the 114 ridge fragments. the dating of early Choris culture is especially problematic, which seems to occur both before and after the Old Whaling culture, well‐dated at 2900‐2800 B.P. on the 53rd ridge. However, reanalyzing the depositional sequence, we find that some of the more easterly Choris ridges probably represent erosional events after the Old Whaling occupation.
Khok Phanom Di, central Thailand: Chemical analysis of pollen core KL 2 and AMS radiocarbon dates from cores KL 2 and BMR 2
Authors: Maloney B. K. , McAlister J. J.
Published: February 2007

Summary pollen diagrams and carbonized particle concentration figures from cores collected very near the central Thai archaeological site of Khok Phanom Di (ca. 2000‐1500 B.C.) have recently been published in this journal. This paper reports on the chemical analysis of one of these cores (KL 2), the accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dates from two cores (KL 2 and BMR 2), and reinterprets the pollen record in relation to the 17 dates now available from the archaeological site. the chemical analyses are the first from a lowland Southeast Asian pollen core and reinforce the conclusions of pollen analysis, while the radiocarbon dates indicate that the earlier disruption to the vegetation suggested in the previous paper pre‐dates the excavation evidence. There is some evidence that archaeologically older strata than already uncovered occur at Khok Phanon Di.
Application of soil chemistry to interpret cultural events at the Calderwood Buffalo Jump (DkPj‐27), Southern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Dormaar J. F. , Beaudoin A. B.
Published: February 2007

During excavation at Calderwood Buffalo Jump (DkPj‐27), southern Alberta, two profiles were sampled for soil chemical analysis. Transect samples were subjected to the phosphate ring test. The study objectives were to examine the effects of bison‐jump use on the soil profile, to investigate whether discrete jump‐use episodes could be identified within the soil profile, and to see if the ring test was useful in site delimitation. Comparative off‐site profile samples exhibited the normal Ahk, Bmjk, and Ck sequence of a Rego Black Chernozemic soil. In contrast, samples from the primary excavation unit were enriched in organic matter and phosphorus with lower pH and higher fatty acid content. These data indicate that organic input from jump use has had a substantial impact on soil characteristics and development. A ring chromatography field test for available phosphate indicated higher values in this vicinity, suggesting the utility of this method in rapid and relatively non‐destructive field survey of similar sites. The soil chemical data suggest continuous rather than episodic jump use, contrasting with four specific episodes of jump use over the last 2800 years inferred from archaeological data.
Correlation between petrography, NAA, and ICP analyses: Application to early bronze Egyptian pottery from Canaan
Authors: Porat Naomi , Yellin Joseph , Heller‐Kallai Lisa , Halicz Ludwik
Published: February 2007

Under favorable circumstances petrographic studies supported by chemical analysis using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) suffice to establish the provenience of pottery. A case in point is Egyptian‐style pottery of Early Bronze Age found in Canaan. The pottery was divided into three groups according to four criteria determined by thin section analysis supplemented by X‐ray diffraction: sorting and volume of silt‐sized quartz, heavy minerals, the amount of carbonates in the matrix, and the firing temperature. Chemical analyses confirmed the classification. The source materials inferred for the three groups are Nile muds, Egyptian marly sediments, and local loess. Although the chemical analyses obtained by ICP and neutron activation analysis (NAA) were compatible, the existing database for NAA cannot be used indiscriminately. However, for provenience studies based on mineralogical and petrographic data, knowledge of the geology of the potential source areas can replace an extensive database.
A deeply stratified archaeological and sedimentary sequence in the Delaware river valley of the middle Atlantic region, United States
Authors: Stewart Michael , Custer Jay , Kline Donald
Published: February 2007

A stratified sedimentary and archaeological sequence over seven meters thick is under investigation on Upper Shawnee Island in the Upper Delaware Valley, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Artifact deposits identified to date include Early Archaic (7380 B.C.), possible Middle Archaic (4300/3300 B.C.), Late Archaic (1565 B.C.), and Middle and Late Woodland components. This paper focuses on the Early Archaic deposits at approximately 4.3 meters below the surface and the implications that the entire profile has for paleoenvironmental change. The sedimentary sequence represents several major changes in depositional processes. Of special interest is a dramatic decrease in landscape stability and an increase in flood depositions during the mid‐Holocene, circa 4300/3300 B.C. Similar changes are evident at archaeological sites in the Middle and Lower sections of the Delaware Valley and appear to be a reflection of regional climatic change.
Paleoecological perspectives on human adaptation in central Panama. II the Holocene
Authors: Piperno Dolores R. , Bush Mark B. , Colinvuax Paul A.
Published: February 2007

A 17.5 m sedimentary core from Lake La Yeguada, central Panama provides the first complete Holocene sequence for the Pacific watershed of Lower Central America. Phytolith, pollen, and charcoal records document a long lowland history of foraging and food production. Human modification of tropical forests can be described as systematic during the early Holocene and was possibly associated with small‐scale (garden?) horticulture involving native tubers. The incorporation of seed crops like maize and development of slash and burn techiques for larger‐scale field systems is indicated by the increase of secondary forest taxa and removal of primary trees between 7000 and 4000 years ago. After this time, agricultural intensification in an essentially deforested landscape proceeded to the point where, by the time of Christ, agricultural abandonment of the lake watershed may have occurred as a result of loss of soil fertility. Events such as this in the interfluve forests may have, in part, precipitated the coalescence of population and settlement around the river valleys and the emergence of sedentary village life.
The reliability of thermoluminescence dating: A pilot experiment
Authors: Kojo Yasushi
Published: February 2007

The accuracy of thermoluminescence dating of pottery was tested by utilizing dendro‐chronologically dated provenances in the northern part of the American Southwest. Fairly accurate determinations were achieved for potsherds recovered from sedimentary rock soil, while much younger dates were obtained for potsherds recovered from volcanic rock soil. The reduction of accumulated dose through radon escape might be responsible for the much younger dates of the sherds buried in volcanic soil. The application of the technique to samples recovered from soil matrices in volcanic materials, to burnt volcanic rocks, or to sherds containing ample volcanic rocks should be avoided for reliable determinations.
Geoarchaeological analysis of an acheulean site at Kalambo Falls, Zambia
Authors: Schick Kathy
Published: February 2007

Acheulean sites are commonly recovered from sandy channel contexts, particularly in Africa. These sites frequently contain impressive concentrations of artifacts dominated by typical Acheulean large bifacial artifacts (‘handaxes,’ etc.). Possible influences of fluvial sedimentary processes in Acheulean site formation are explored through consideration of sedimentary context and detailed analysis of relevant artifact assemblage characteristics in part of a major Acheulean ‘Floor’ at Kalambo Falls, Zambia. The Kalambo Falls patterns are analyzed here with regard to influences of behavioral and natural processes in their formation, and are compared to those observed in Acheulean horizons at Montagu Cave, South Africa. Spatial concentration of bifaces and paucity of debitage at many Acheulean sites may be due largely to fluvial disturbance and winnowing, although a hominid preoccupation with large bifacial tools may be a bona fide behavior pattern at some sites. Better control over sedimentary context is necessary to elucidate the range of behaviorally‐produced patterns at Acheulean sites.
Non‐destructive xrf characterization of basaltic artifacts from Truckee, California
Authors: Latham Thomas S. , Sutton Paula A. , Verosub Kenneth L.
Published: February 2007

We have developed a new approach to the problem of the chemical fingerprinting of artifacts manufactured from volcanic rocks of basaltic and andesitic composition. The method is an adaptation of standard energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry and is based on the observation that for irregularly‐shaped rock fragments, the ratios of the intensities of the characteristic X‐rays of certain trace elements are proportional to the ratios of the concentrations of those elements. This observation has allowed us to obtain geochemical data about the artifacts in a way that is rapid, inexpensive, and nondestructive, making it particularly suited to archaeological applications. We have used our approach to compare a suite of artifacts from an archaeological site in Martis Valley, near Truckee, California, with a group of lava flows from the surrounding area. Using a numerical measure of the geochemical difference between samples, we have been able to group the artifacts on the basis of their geochemistry, to determine which artifacts were manufactured from material found in Martis Valley and, in at least one case, to identify the lava flow that was the actual source of the lithic material for several of the artifacts.
Site formation processes in the cody and early plains archaic levels at the laddie creek site, wyoming
Authors: Larson Mary Lou
Published: February 2007

The combination of previously published pedological and phytolith analyses with new information on the geology, palynology, and an innovative analysis of archaeological chipped stone remains (including backplots, cluster analyses of artifacts, and chipped stone refitting) clarifies the environment and site formation of the mid‐Holocene deposits at the Laddie Creek site, Wyoming. Palynological analyses strengthen the argument made by Reider and Karlstrom (1987) that the site was slightly wetter and warmer during the Altithermal (7500–5000 B.P.). The mid‐Holocene environment at the site was conductive to the formation of soils and the preservation of archaeological deposits. A Cody Complex level associated with a colluvial C horizon provides evidence of greater movement of this material than that seen in the multiple Early Plains Archaic occupations associated with four A‐horizons. The cultural levels identified in laboratory analyses are palimspsests deposited during multiple occupations.
Geology and the loessial soils, Tell Jemmeh, Israel
Authors: Melson William G. , van Beek Gus W.
Published: February 2007

Tell Jemmeh (Tell Re'im) is in the climatically sensitive transitional zone between the southern Coastal Plain of Israel and the northwestern Negev. It is a major site that was inhabited from about 3500 to 200 B.C. with an occupation gap between ca. 3100 and 1800 B.C., possibly a result of a particularly dry period. Quaternary loess derived by winter dust storms from the Sinai and Sahara and reworked loess blanket the region. Imposed on these are well‐developed Holocene and Quaternary pedocal profiles that have been identified in the field and substantiated in the lab by variations in bulk chemical composition, petrography, and mineralogy by X‐ray diffraction. Pluvial events are evidenced by dark‐colored A‐horizons high in clay minerals, Al2O3, and Fe2O3 and by periods of loess accumulation. Interpluvials and the Holocene commonly involved wind ablation and water erosion, and led to shallow depths with very high‐calcite B‐horizons. Some of the loessial soil horizons were found to be suitable ceramic clays, and their composition and petrography provide a basis for distinctions between locally made and imported ceramics, as well as to identifying modifications of local clay resources by potters.
Man‐made and pseudo‐karst caves: The implications of subsurface features within Maya centers
Authors: Brady James E. , Veni George
Published: February 2007

Recent investigations at a number of sites in the highlands of Guatemala have uncovered the existence of man‐made, man‐modified, and pseudo‐karst caves. The caves were excavated from volcanic or volcanically derived Tertiary and Quaternary age rocks, with construction methods varying according to rock hardness, and the pre‐existence of pseudo‐karst caves and springs. Some of these caves are of considerable length and are associated with site centers or places of particular ritual importance. Their continued role as local and even regional foci of ritual activity suggests that these features were created to lend a sense of sanctity to the sites where they are located. The analysis of these features within the context of site architecture deomonstrates the central symbolic importance of caves within Maya cultural geography.
Geoarchaeology of Johns Bay, Maine
Authors: Young Robert S. , Belknap Daniel F. , Sanger David A.
Published: February 2007

This study examines the Holocene history of a glacially‐sculpted Maine embayment using both geological and archaeological data bases. High‐resolution seismic profiling, in combination with vibracores and Holocene sea‐level curves, were used to develop the Holocene stratigraphy and paleogeographic evolution of Johns Bay and Pemaquid Beach, Maine. These geological databases were, whenever possible, integrated with the Johns Bay archaeological database and general archaeological settlement paradigms for coastal Maine. As sea level has risen from its ‐65 m lowstand at the beginning of the Holocene, Johns Bay has evolved from a narrow fluvial system, to an estuary, to its present form of an open embayment. Over roughly the last 4000 years, the Pemaquid Beach area has changed from a forested upland, to a bedrock‐pinned freshwater wetland, to a pocket barrier fronting a small salt marsh. The barrier continues to migrate over the salt marsh, which is transgressing the freshwater environments. The first evidence of human settlement in Johns Bay is at 4000–5000 yr B.P. Archaeological site distribution around Johns Bay has been examined in light of an estuarine embayment evolution model developed for the Maine coast. Sites are concentrated in zone 1 (the inner embayment). This zone is currently experiencing sediment accumulation. Zone 2 (middle embayment) is undergoing erosion, and zone 3 (outer embayment) has been stripped of sediment. Archaeological sites in these outer areas have been eroded. The Pemaquid Beach area has a history of occupation dating back 4000–5000 years. The last 2000 years of this record is found in stratigraphic context in the Nahanada site. The first 3000 years is represented by a collection of artifacts found out of context on the beach in front of the Nahanada site. The artifacts, dated by morphology, present a time continuum from 4000–5000 yr B.P. until the occupation of the Nahanada site. Thus, it is suggested that the Nahanada site represents the back of a chronologically shingeled settlement area that extended to the 5000 yr B.P. shoreline. Finally, a model for the development of chronologically shingled sites is suggested.
Historical environmental changes at phalasarna harbor, West Crete
Authors: Pirazzoli P. A. , Ausseil‐Badie J. , Giresse P. , Hadjidaki E. , Arnold M.
Published: February 2007

The ongoing archaeological excavations that started in 1986 on the site of the harbor of Phalasarna have confirmed that the ancient port described as a closed harbor by ancient geographers is, due to the regional uplift of west Crete, now situated on dry land, about 6.6 m above sea level. In this paper, after summarizing the geological background, the main historical sources and recent archaeological results, new stratigraphical data obtained from the sediments filling the harbor basin are presented and discussed. The harbor was fortified in the second part of the 4th century B.C. It was a military port, probably a base for pirates, and was destroyed and abandoned in the second part of the first century B.C. After that time the harbor basin was rapidly silted by marine then terrestrial sedimentation. Deposits corresponding to two tsunami waves have been identified and ascribed to events occurring in 66 A.D. and 365 A.D., respectively. About 1530 ± 40 yr B.P., probably in 365 A.D., when west Crete was suddenly uplifted by 6–9 m, Phalasarna harbor was removed permanently from marine influence. Radiometric dating confirms that the harbor could not have been in use in Roman times, in contradiction with ancient Periploi, which continue to mention Phalasarna port until at least the second or third century A.D.
Extinction and biogeography of birds on huahine, society islands, French polynesia
Authors: Steadman David W. , Pahlavan Dominique S.
Published: February 2007

This study is based upon the identification of 336 bird bones from the Fa'ahia archaeological site, Huahine, French Polynesia. The bones represent birds that were killed for their flesh, feathers, or bones by prehistoric Polynesians. The radiocarbon ages of excavated strata at Fa'ahia range from about 1140 ± 90 to 770 ± 90 yr B.P. The bird bones represent 15 species of resident seabirds, 15 species of resident landbirds, four migrant species, and one introduced species. The only extinct seabird is a gull, Larus new species, although locally extirpated seabirds are Puffinus pacificus, Puffinus nativitatis, Puffinus lherminieri, Pterodroma rostrata, Pterodroma alba, Pterodroma arminjoniana, Sula leucogaster, Sula sula, Fregata minor, Fregata ariel, and Anous minutus. Extinct landbirds are Gallirallus new species, Gallicolumba nui, Macropygia arevarevauupa, Vini vidivici, Vini cf. sinotoi, and Aplonis diluvialis. Locally extirpated landbirds are Ardeola striata, Porzana tabuensis, Gallicolumba erythroptera, Ducula galeata, Ducula aurorae, and Acrocephalus caffer. The bones from Fa'ahia increase the seabird and landbird fauna of Huahine, from the historically known 3 to 15 species and from 7 to 18 species, respectively. Thus the number of species from Huahine is even greater than those from nearby Tahiti, which has a much greater land area and elevation. The occurrence of so many extinct or extirpated species of birds at the Fa'ahia site suggests that this site represents a very early phase of human occupation on Huahine, probably no more than 500 years after the first arrival of people on this previously undisturbed island ecosystem.
Neolithic rock resources across the western alps: Circulation data and models
Authors: Bouard M. Ricq‐de , Fedele F. G.
Published: February 2007

Western Alpine rocks feature prominently among the polished stone implements of the Southern French Neolithic. Detailed petrographic examination of about 2600 artifacts from that area and neighboring regions in France, Italy, and Switzerland, coupled with field investigation of both primary and detrital outcrops, now provides conclusive evidence that (i) only selected rocks were used, (ii) specific rock resources were traded east to west across the Western Alps, and (iii) Ligurian rocks from the Voltri Massif were an important part of such circulation. Exploited Alpine rocks were glaucophane schists, eclogites sensu lato, and jadeitites. Serpentinites were only used in Switzerland and the Jura. A regional network for glaucophane schists in French Provence can be contrasted with long‐distance circulation of eclogites, based on primary and/or secondary “quarry” areas in Liguria and Piedmont in northwestern Italy. A preliminary discussion is made of exchange and circulation models for raw materials, blanks, or finished tools, among Neolithic societies around and across the Western Alps. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A geoarchaeological approach to the analysis of secondary lithic deposits
Authors: Shelley Phillip H.
Published: February 2007

The methods and techniques presented provide a means for evaluating raw material characteristics in those situations where secondary deposits of lithic materials were exploited for stone tool production. Those aspects of secondary deposits measured or estimated include size, form, roundness, crystallinity, homogeneity, and raw material frequency. A comparison and discussion of two sampled areas in eastern New Mexico demonstrate how these procedures can be used to elucidate meaningful archaeological information. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A time‐space model for the distribution of shoreline archaeological sites in the lake superior basin
Authors: Phillips Brian A. M.
Published: February 2007

Archaeological site interpretation can be enhanced by consideration of related geological and geomorphological processes. Lake Superior has a history of glaciation, isostatic recovery, and water‐level change. Two examples are given of shoreline sites at which interpretation is enhanced by an understanding of local geologic factors. The archaeologic history of the Lake Superior basin is reviewed, and three cultural traditions are recognized; (1) Paleoindian, (2) Archaic, and (3) Woodland. Three significant factors of geologic history are then discussed: (1) ice margin oscillation, (2) differential isostatic uplift, and (3) lake‐level fluctuations. The factors reducing or improving shoreline archaeological site preservation are examined, and a summary model of shoreline site distribution for the Lake Superior basin is offered. It is concluded that the north shore provides the best potential for a complete archaeological record. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recent and fossil resins from New Zealand and Australia
Authors: Lambert Joseph B. , Johnson Suzanne C. , Poinar George O. , Frye James S.
Published: February 2007

The carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of fossil resins from New Zealand and Australia have been compared with those of modern and semifossilized materials. The great majority of the fossilized samples have strong spectral similarities to modernAgathisresins and to North American fossil resins, which have been attributed to Agathis. TheAgathis‐related spectra are different from those of modernHymenaeaandAraucaria.A small subgroup of Late Cretaceous resins from Australia and Papua New Guinea appears to derive from a different botanical source and shows strong resemblances to Claiborne amber from Arkansas. The spectral resonances of the exomethylene carbons degrade over time and on average provide an approximate measure of the geological age ofAgathis‐related fossil resins. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chronostratigraphy of upper James river floodplain sediments: Implications for southeastern North Dakota archaeology
Authors: Picha Paul R. , Gregg Michael L.
Published: February 2007

Test excavations have been conducted at several dozen prehistoric archaeological sites on the James River floodplain in southeastern North Dakota. Radiocarbon dates and other evidence from these tested artifact deposits indicate that floodplain sedimentary contexts above today's river level are entirely Late Holocene in age. Middle and Early Holocene sediments are more deeply buried. Cultural strata from Late Plains Archaic, Early Plains Woodland, Middle Plains Woodland, and Plains Village settlements are characteristically contained within paleosols in the Late Holocene floodplain sediments. There is a positive correlation between periods of floodplain soil development and mesic climatic episodes identified in current paleoclimatic models for the Plains. There is also evidence for climatic variability within episodes. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Homogeneity of water content in obsidian from the coso volcanic field: Implications for obsidian hydration dating
Authors: Stevenson Christopher M. , Knaus Elizabeth , Mazer James J. , Bates John K.
Published: February 2007

Users of the obsidian hydration dating method have routinely assumed that artifacts which originate from the same geological flow will be of the same chemical composition and thus hydrate at the same rate under equivalent conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Recent laboratory experimentation into the hydration process has shown that the intrinsic water content of the glass is the dominant factor in establishing the rate of hydration. Water content determinations on a large suite of samples from numerous prehistoric quarries within the Coso volcanic field, California, indicated that water content values, and thus hydration rate, varied significantly on a within flow basis. It is recommended that water determinations be made on individual artifacts prior to obsidian hydration dating. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lead smelting slags near Nal, Balochistan Province, Pakistan
Authors: Siddiqui Shamim Ahmed , Sharp W. E.
Published: February 2007

Samples of slag from three sites of a traditional lead industry located between Khuzdar and Nal were studied to determine their petrology, chemical composition, smelting conditions, source material, and age. Polished thin sections viewed in reflected light revealed a white glassy matrix with occasional rare mineral grains. Using an automated microprobe, typical glass composition was found to be 40% SiO2, 17% FeO, 11% CaO, 12% PbO, and 10% BaO. Repeated applications of Principal Component Analysis to the data revealed that the compositions of our slags fell within a tetrahedron. The ratios of most components to other components were found to be nearly constant, suggesting that the same indigenous source materials were mixed in almost the same proportion at all the sites. A comparative study of the composition of our slag in relation with various binary and ternary phase diagrams after necessary normalization of the data showed that addition of CaO and BaO by the traditional smelters and the formation of PbO during the process of smelting helped to lower the temperature required for smelting below 1200°C. Lead isotopic compositions suggested that our lead is isotopically distinct from sites in Greece. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Geoarchaeological dating of petroglyphs at lake Onega, Russia
Authors: Bednarik Robert G.
Published: February 2007

This article introduces a new quantitative method of dating petroglyphs and describes its initial application. First, the major recent developments in the field of rock art dating are briefly reviewed, and the continuing difficulties in the dating of petroglyphs are elucidated. The archaeological background of the Lake Onega art, its geological setting and archaeogeophysical dating are explained. The theory of microerosion dating is described, together with its first practical application at the site Besov Nos on the shore of Lake Onega. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the new method's advantages and disadvantages. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evidence of a 25,000‐year‐old pictograph in Northern Australia
Authors: Watchman Alan
Published: February 2007

Carbon‐bearing substances (charcoal and oxalate minerals) contained in rock surface mineral accretions obscuring pictographs (rock paintings) provide an indirect way of radiocarbon dating the rock art. This article describes the chronological sequence of mineralogical laminations in rock crusts at an Aboriginal site in northern Australia and establishes conformable relationships between distinct compositional bands and past evidence of rock painting. Carbon in the mineral whewellite (CaC2O4. H2O), in a layer stratigraphically equivalent to evidence of an hematite paint, was dated by accelerator mass spectrometry 14C at 24,600 ± 220 years B. P. (NZA‐2559), making this one of the oldest known pictographs in the world. Implications for the archaeology of Australia are briefly discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hydrologic artifact dispersals at Pingasagruk, North Coast, Alaska
Authors: Reinhardt Gregory A.
Published: February 2007

Situated on a coastal sand bar, Pingasagruk is a habitation site with prehistoric and historic components. Data from systematic surface sampling led to analyses that show different artifact distribution patterns on and off this site and suggest the dispersals are due to storms and erosion, in addition to human activity. To explain the disparate distributions of cultural materials, this study uses a model of hydrologic artifact dispersal and, possibly, differential sorting. Differences in distribution patterns at Pingasagruk highlight the importance of considering how cultural and noncultural transformation processes affect the occurrence of sites and their artifacts. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.