bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A magnetic study of Etruscan bucchero pottery: An application of rock magnetism to archaeometry
Authors: Moskowitz Bruce M. , Lindsay Joel , Hemphill Pamela , Judson Sheldon
Published: February 2007

We have applied techniques used in rock magnetism to the study of possible temporal changes in provenance and firing conditions of a collection of Etruscan bucchero pottery fragments representing the interval between 800 B.C. to 400 B.C. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such procedures have been applied to ancient ceramic wares. Our preliminary magnetic measurements demonstrate that this approach can provide useful archaeological information, as exemplified by the following results: (1) Bucchero ceramic styles sottile, spesso, and possibly pesante, contained magnetic particles of similar grain sizes, which suggested a common provenance and similar firing conditions for these pot typologies. (2) Ceramic styles buccheroid impasto and grey bucchero each had magnetic characteristics different from those in (1). However, too few samples of these were available for any definite conclusions. (3) The occurrence of magnetite, and not hematite, in all samples indicated that firing conditions were effectively reducing. (4) Variations in the amount of magnetite in different samples indicated that slight inhomogeneities must have existed in the iron oxide/hydroxide content of the local clay source.

Most magnetic techniques are fast, easy, and generally nondestructive. Some magnetic properties, such as initial susceptibility, saturation remanent magnetization, and coercivity of remanence, can even be measured in the field. At the least, magnetic measurements can be used initially to discriminate among different groups of potsherds. Selected samples can then be analyzed with more elaborate methods of archaeometry.
Soil, archaeological, biotic, and climatic relationships for the late holocene of the Wyoming basin: The case of the Garrett Allen (Elk Mountain) site (48CR301)
Authors: Reider Richard G. , Hayter Michael A. , Zeimens George M.
Published: February 2007

Soils at the Garrett Allen (Elk Mountain) site (48CR301) along Quealy Spring in Carbon County, Wyoming, indicate nearly continuous, although episodic, meadow soil formation during much of Neoglacial or post‐Altithermal time at a mountain‐basin edge (elev. 2237 m) of the Wyoming Basin. Seven relict and buried meadow soils now under sagebrush (Haplaquents or Fluvaquents, Haplaquolls, and Argiaquolls) of the T1 terrace date less than 200 B.P. as well as around 200, 600, 900, 1700, and two soils at greater than 3100 B.P. Composite‐superposed soils of two or more of the individual soils are common. Some soils have E horizons and the older ones have intensely gleyed cambic or argillic subsoils. Development of meadow soils and deposition of their respective parent materials seem to coincide with glacial episodes in the region when the climate may have been somewhat humid. Occupations of the meadow by Archaic and younger cultural groups, whose artifacts occur mainly in A(O?) horizons of meadow soils, appear to coincide with these humid–glacial climates when the meadow grew and flourished. Changes in subsistence and settlement of these peoples may have been partly influenced by humid climates during glacial episodes when rangeland and habitat were able to support large human and animal populations. However, four major erosional unconformities separate some soils. These unconformities may coincide with times of lessened glacial activity when the climate may have become drier and the meadow decreased in size. During these times, human groups may have abandoned the meadow, left the region, or only sparsely occupied the plains and basins. The youngest unconformity developed when Quealy Spring cut from T1 to the T0 level in the last century. This appears to coincide with sagebrush invasion across portions of the meadow, although a small relict meadow still exists. Sagebrush invasion and downcutting of the drainage may relate to climatic drying in the last century. Fluvents are now forming in alluvium of the T0 level along the Quealy Spring drainage.
Late quaternary paleogeography of Middle Europe and the Northcentral United States: A framework for comparative studies of prehistoric man‐land relationships
Authors: Bower John , Kobusiewicz Michal
Published: February 2007

The work summarized in this paper is an important component of a larger study concerned with the responses of prehistoric hunting‐gathering cultures to long term environmental change. the general approach involves comparing cultural systems and their transformations in Middle Europe and the northcentral United States during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene transition from glacial to interglacial conditions. This paper is specifically aimed at identifying ecological factors that may help account for similarities and differences in the cultural successions on opposite sides of the Atlantic. We conclude that, despite broadly similar environmental histories in both regions, important differences are evident in, for example, trajectories of climatic amelioration. These, together with differences in human demography, can be seen to have contributed toward shaping divergent cultural adaptations in Europe and North America.
Neo‐boreal climatic influences on the late prehistoric agricultural groups in the upper Mississippi Valley
Authors: Penman John T.
Published: February 2007

Archaeological research in the Upper Mississippi River valley between 43°EN and the St. Croix River confluence (44.7°EN) has produced a series of large Oneota villages from which corn (Zea mays) has been recovered. Radiocarbon determinations indicate that the sites in the northern reach of this study area date from AD 1010 to 1440. These sites are characterized by large village areas and associated mound groups. Unlike villages in the northern region, sites in the LaCrosse area are more extensive, and burial mound complexes are absent. the southern villages have 14C dates ranging from AD 1030 to 1520. Based on the differences in community plans and artifact assemblages, it is suggested that the northern Oneota groups are not ancestors of the neighboring LaCrosse variant. Historical documents for Europe indicate that at similar latitudes, the climate began to deteriorate after AD 1300. With the onset of cooler summers characteristic of the Neo‐Boreal climatic episode, corn agriculture became unreliable in the northern portion of the Mississippi basin after AD 1400. In response to the unfavorable climatic conditions, large semi‐permanent villages were abandoned and an outward migration began. the peak cold at ca. AD 1550 (the “Little Ice Age”) caused the collapse of agriculture in the LaCrosse region as well. Historical documents, archaeological evidence, and palynological data indicate that the climatic “recovery” did not ensue in this region for more than two centuries. After AD 1750 climatic conditions were again favorable for the cultivation of aboriginal corn.
Late pleistocene paleoenvironmental studies from the Rocky Mountain Region: A comparison of pollen and insect fossil records
Authors: Elias Scott A.
Published: February 2007

A regional paleoenvironmental reconstruction is presented for a north‐south transect of late glacial pollen and insect fossil sites from the Rocky Mountain region. Altitudinal treelines were depressed by an average of 671 m and summer temperatures were an average of 5.4° lower. the interpretation of paleoenvironmental conditions based on insect fossil evidence tends to show stronger departures from modern parameters than that based on palynology. While clear evidence for late glacial occupation of the region by Paleoindians is scarce, montane conditions were not so severe as to preclude human occupation, at least on a seasonal basis. Newly discovered sites of early occupation would benefit greatly from inter‐disciplinary studies.
The Bolton spring site, Connecticut; Early holocene human occupation and environmental changes in southern New England
Authors: Thorson Robert M. , McBride Kevin
Published: February 2007

The recent discovery and excavation of the Bolton Spring Site, located in the glaciated uplands of eastern Connecticut, presents an enigma to archaeologists and geologists interested in dating and interpreting prehistoric human habitation sites. A single discrete charcoal‐bearing occupation level at the site was characterized by artifacts of the Middle Archaic Period (8000‐6000 B.P.) and contained an abundance of small‐mammal remains typical of the Holocene woodland fauna. Although the site seemed to present a clearcut opportunity for radiocarbon‐dating, C13‐corrected radiocarbon dates from the cultural horizon span nearly three thousand years. Our interpretation is that occupation occurred near the end of a depositional hiatus during which noncultural charcoal accumulated. Subsequent burial of the cultural layer by eolian sediments may have resulted from deflation of pre‐existing eolian sediments in the Connecticut River Valley during drier, mid‐Holocene conditions. Substantial rockfall activity and rubble movement on adjacent slopes may have been restricted to late Holocene time.
A defense of the theory of progressive soil salinization in ancient southern Mesopotamia
Authors: Artzy Michal , Hillel Daniel
Published: February 2007

An explanation is given of the fundamental processes of soil salinization and degradation induced by irrigation of poorly‐drained river valleys in arid regions, and of why these processes were practically uncontrollable under the circumstances of ancient Southern Mesopotamia.
ESR dating of level L 2/3 at La Micoque (Dordogne), France: Excavations of Debénath and Rigaud
Authors: Schwarcz H. P. , Grün R.
Published: February 2007

Electron spin resonance (ESR) dates have been obtained on enamel from horse teeth found in Layer L 2/3 of the lower Paleolithic archaeological site of La Micoque. the age given by six of the seven samples analyzed is between 241 ± 15 and 288 ± 10 ka, the ages given by models that postulate early or continuous (linear) uptake of uranium by the tooth, respectively.
A fractal technique for the classification of projectile point shapes
Authors: Kennedy Stephen K. , Lin Wei‐Hsiung
Published: February 2007

Certain cultural information is expressed in the morphology of projectile points. the present paper presents a technique that can extract a large amount of information in the shape of these points. Using a concept from fractal geometry, the degree of shape irregularity is quantified. This technique can be used to document variability in shape of individual points within a point type, or among point types. In this paper, the shapes are segmented into two components (structural and textural), and points of similar characteristics plot closely in bivariate plots of these components. If necessary, the method can be modified to provide information at more than two scales.
Holocene settlement in the rio de la plata littoral (argentina): A methodological approach
Authors: Salemme Monica , Miotti Laura , Aquirre Marina
Published: February 2007

Cultural and faunal remains from archaeological sites of the Rio de La Plata littoral, Argentina, have been studied, attempting to verify their primary associations and occupations during the Holocene. the sites were localized within shell beach ridges more or less parallel to the present shore and are composed of bivalves, gastropods, scarce barnacles, and sandy sediments. the thanatocoenosis found could be equivalent to a transitional area between fluviomarine (mixohaline) and oceanic (polyeuhaline) gradients, i.e., an environment with greater salinity conditions than that of the adjacent coast in the present estuary. These deposits correspond to the Las Escobas Formation (Holocene).

Archaeological remains were found from the base of the shell ridge up into the overlying sediments. the hypothesis proposed here is that the human occupation is not contemporaneous with the formation of the shell ridge. the cultural sequence in this kind of site can be altered by disturbances of the stratigraphy as a consequence of environmental and geological events.
The rockwall in rockwall, texas: A study of unusual natural magnetic effects in geoarcheological surveys produced by mineral oxidation
Authors: Ellwood Brooks B. , Payne Jana , Long Gary J.
Published: February 2007

The city council of Rockwall, Texas, decided in 1985 to build a park containing an exposure of the “famed” rockwall after which the city and county of Rockwall derive their names. This wall, thought to be man‐made because of it's unusual brick‐like appearance, was first discovered in 1851. As a result of weathering, the wall has no surface exposure and crews working for the city had not been able to find it. Geological studies, published between 1927 and 1950, clearly demonstrate that the rockwall is one of a series of sandstone dikes with a carbonate cement and some unusual material constituents.

Geoarchaeological methods, including magnetic and electrical resistivity surveys, and Mössbauer studies were used in identifying the precise location of the rockwall. This was possible because of strongly magnetic secondary minerals produced within the wall by weathering of two primary mineral constituents, siderite and marcasite. the resulting natural magnetic anomaly pattern made it possible to pinpoint the wall's location. This pattern closely resembles those identified in association with historic or prehistoric cultural activity. Our observations may help explain why some archeological excavations, at sites associated with well defined magnetic anomalies, do not yield clear sources for those anomalies, i.e., buried cultural material. These anomalies may result from weathering or from other natural processes, and in some cases interpretation of such ambiguities can be resolved using mineralogical and geochemical data.
Geomorphic investigation of the terrebonne marsh, louisiana: Foundation for cultural resource surveys
Authors: Britsch L. D. , Smith L. M.
Published: February 2007

A geomorphic investigation of Terrebonne Marsh in south‐central Louisiana was conducted to establish a framework for subsequent cultural resource investigations. the investigation consisted of an initial phase of detailed geomorphic mapping, subsequent field investigations, sedimentological, biostratigraphical, and chronological analyses of field samples, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the area. the investigation substantiated and refined previous interpretations of the progradation of three Mississippi River deltas through the area. the earliest known Holocene delta, the Maringouin, was probably active in the area from 7000 to 6000 years before present (YBP). the Teche delta prograded through the area from 4500 to 3500 YBP. From approximately 2000 to 1000 YBP the Lafourche delta partially buried the Teche delta. the periods of approximately 6000‐4500, 3500‐2000, and 1000 YBP to present were characterized by deltaic subsidence and erosion. Distributary natural levees and beach ridges appear to be sites of major cultural focus in Terrebonne Marsh. Due to high rates of subsidence, older cultural components are either buried or disturbed by erosion.
A geoarchaeological reconstruction of cowpen slough, a late archaic site in east central louisiana
Authors: Debusschere K. , Miller B. J. , Ramenofsky A. F.
Published: February 2007

We reconstruct the depositional history of a late Holocene archaeological site, Cowpen Slough (16 CT 147) in the Catahoula Lowlands of east Central Louisiana, and we place that history in regional context. Procedures including grain‐size analysis, field descriptions of soil horizons, x‐ray diffraction of clay minerals, and total element analysis are employed to build a description of depositional units and parent material present in onsite sediment samples and off‐site subsurface core samples. to infer source, results of tests are integrated with radiocarbon dates and Saucier's chronology for this section in the Lower Mississippi Valley. We suggest that between 6000 and 4790 B.P. the Arkansas was the source of sediment present in the archaeological deposit. After 4790 B.P., sediments were deposited by the Mississippi river system.
Experimental thermal discoloration and heat conductivity studies of caliche from eastern new mexico
Authors: Lintz Christopher
Published: February 2007

Thermal experiments under laboratory conditions examined caliche discoloration and thermal conductivity/shock. the results provide information about caliche behavior under thermal conditions, which in some environmental settings will assist archaeologists in identifying discolored caliche from cultural activities as opposed to that from natural range fires. Generally, temperature intensity affects discoloration more than heat exposure duration. Sample colors change markedly towards darker values with carbon reduction between 300° and 700° C caliche glows during heating as the carbon oxidizes; the samples tend towards paler colors, lighter weight, and increased fissures. the thermal conductivity experiment compared heat transference of caliche with other lithic resources of the Llano Estacado, while the thermal shock measured caliche resilience. Metaquartzites and cherts from the Llano Estacado are better heat conductors than caliche, but caliche is far more resilient to repeated thermal shock.
Characteristics of tin‐streaming channels on Dartmoor, UK
Authors: Bradley Stephen B.
Published: February 2007

The remnants of former tin‐streaming channels on the North Teign River, Dartmoor have been investigated using techniques adopted from palaeohydrology, sedimentology, and environmental chemistry. the pattern of multiple streaming channels in the lower reaches, and a single channel in the upper reaches coincides with a reduction of potential stream power from 250 Wm−2 at a drainage area of 8.7 km2. the streaming sections were engineered to maximize the efficiency to separate cassiterite (SnO2) from its gravel matrix, and the palaeohydraulic properties of channels suggests that sorting was most efficient for the sand and fine gravel size ranges. This was confirmed when the residual tin content of streaming‐sediments was assessed. Residual levels of tin were found only in the silt fraction (<63 μm).
Chemical characterization and hydration rate development for New Mexican obsidian sources
Authors: Stevenson Christopher M. , McCurry Michael O.
Published: February 2007

The obsidian hydration dating of prehistoric sites requires that each type of natural glass be identified on the basis of its elemental constituents in order that the appropriate hydration rate constants may be applied. In New Mexico, obsidian occurs in the form of in situ flows and as secondarily deposited detrital material in the sediments of ancestral watercourses. the chemical analysis of 153 geological and archaeological samples from both contexts has resulted in the identification of nine major obsidian sources. the hydration rates for New Mexican obsidians developed by different researchers are compared and evaluated in light of current knowledge on glass‐water interaction. It is argued that a hydration rate developed in silica saturated solution or at 100% relative humidity are the preferred conditions for laboratory hydration rate development.
Preliminary study of the microstructure and mineralogy of 12th and 13th century ceramics, Samsat, Southeastern Turkey
Authors: Sakarya N. , Kapur S. , Fitzpatrick E. A.
Published: February 2007

The mineralogy and microstructure of 12th and 13th century ceramics from Samsat, Turkey were examined with an X‐ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscope. There is a highly vitrified interlayer between the glaze and body in these sherds that probably accounts for the high durability of these ceramics. the lower vitrification and uniformity of the body in these ceramics suggests that leftover glaze was not mixed with paste during manufacture. Finally, the presence of tabular forsterite in the pores of the body points to the use of magnesium rich raw materials.
Paleoenvironmental history of submerged ruins on the Northern Euboean gulf coastal plain, central Greece
Authors: Niemi Tina M.
Published: February 2007

Hewn blocks from submerged ruins associated with the name Thronion are exposed during low, low tide along the northeastern shoreline of the fan delta which separates the Gulf of Euboea from the Maliakos Gulf, central Greece. Although the date of these ruins is not known, their submergence indicates that they predate the most recent marine transgression. Late Holocene sediments of the coastal plain adjacent to the ruins were studied using 34 auger cores drilled along two 1.3 and 1.1 km shore‐normal sections. Cores were described in the field and sampled for sedimentologic and microfossil analyses. These analyses show that late Holocene transgressive marine and strandline units interfinger inland with deposits of a brackish water embayment. Subsequent progradation of the shoreline is marked by overlying slightly brackish to freshwater marsh sediments. A soil horizon developed on these marsh sediments defines a period of aerial exposure and land stability. Late Roman to Byzantine sherds (ca. 4th‐13th Century A.D.) within the buried soil and a high phosphate content suggest that this soil developed in association with human habitation. the buried soil may be the surface on which the now‐submerged ruins were built. the deposits below the buried soil indicate that prior to the period of soil formation, most of this area was under water and the paleoshoreline was landward of its present position. the ruins were later covered by lake or marsh deposits radiocarbon dated as 1400 A.D. the depth of the dated wood samples, 2.5–3.0 meters below the surface, indicates rapid sediment accumulation (ca. 40–55 cm/100 yrs) over the past 550 years. A small exposure of the ca. 1400 A.D. marsh silt and overlying post‐1950 land fill near the ruins is the result of post‐1400 A.D. erosion and recession of the shoreline. the lower pre‐occupational and post‐1400 A.D. transgressions were caused by a combination of eustatic sea level rise, tectonic subsidence, and fluctuations of sediment supply to this portion of the Kenourion fan delta.
Archaeology, geochemistry, and trade of Igneous Rock millstones in Cyprus during the late bronze age to Roman periods
Authors: Williams‐Thorpe Olwen , Thorpe R. S. , Elliott Carolyn , Xenophontos C.
Published: February 2007

Millstones used in Cyprus between the Late Bronze Age and Roman periods (saddle querns, reciprocally operated hopper‐rubber mills, cylindrical rotary querns, and hour‐glass‐shaped Pompeian style mills) were frequently manufactured from igneous rocks including vesicular lavas clearly imported to the island. Potential sources include volcanics of mainland Greece, the Aegean, Anatolia, Egypt, and the Levant (Syria, Israel, and Jordan). Geochemical analysis using X‐ray fluorescence of thirty‐seven Cypriot millstones showed that sources were used as follows: Late Bronze Age saddle querns were made of Levant lavas and of local Troodos rocks, the later hopper‐rubbers were imported from the Aegean island of Nisyros, a rotary mill was of Santorini lava, and the Roman Pompeian style mills were manufactured from Levant lavas, including sources in north Syria and probably around Lake Tiberias. Millstones were probably exported from the Levant ports of Akko, Tell Abu Hawam, and Laodicea, and imported to the Cypriot towns of Salamis and Nea Paphos.
Stratigraphy, depositional environment, and cultural significance of holocene sediments in patterned wetlands of central Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Hebda Richard J. , Siemens Alfred H. , Robertson Alastair
Published: February 2007

The coastal wetlands of Veracruz State, Mexico contain many areas of rectilinearly patterned ground. These are the remains of Prehispanic agricultural complexes. Reconnaissance‐level stratigraphic studies were carried out in one such wetland area, the “San Juan Basin,” in order to reconstruct the local environmental history. Basal, well‐sorted fine sand, which underlies the basin, was likely deposited in the intertidal and beach zones as marine waters gradually left the San Juan Basin. Progradation of the Rio La Antigua delta on the north and the development of coastal dunes on the east closed the embayment by the mid‐Holocene. Thereafter, large volumes of silt and clay were deposited in the basin, in large part during the annual floods of the La Antigua River and other streams. Prehispanic inhabitants dug drainage canals and cultivated the seasonally emergent surface leaving behind artifacts, charcoal, and microfossils of maize. The cultivation destroyed original sedimentary structures and converted the naturally deposited sediment to a massive dark gray silty clay. After the fields were abandoned, they were covered by brown silty peat, but the canals and platforms are still detectable on the surface.
Archaeogeophysical studies at cortaillod and St. Blaise, Lac De Neuchǎtel, Switzerland
Authors: Garrison Ervan G.
Published: February 2007

A sub‐bottom profiler survey was conducted at offshore areas of Lac de Neuchǎtel in March, 1987. The objective was to characterize and understand the lacustrine geomorphology (sediments and geological features) at the archaeological sites of Cortaillod, Hauterive‐Champréveyres, and St. Blaise by means other than systematic coring such as was carried out at Cortaillod‐Est. Additionally, it allowed the optimum placement of subsequent cores. The high resolution acoustical profiling revealed several interesting geomorphological features such as relatively thick alluvial and colluvial sediments at the two sites of Cortaillod‐Est and Les Esserts overlying glacial/post‐glacial unconformities (formations). At St. Blaise‐Hauterive, the southward trend of the Marin reef structure was found to be covered along much of its length with Holocene sediments, as were several suspected nearby stream channels or distributaries. These channels are completely filled with stratified sediments, most probably of Holocene origin. These channels may have been sub‐aerially active in the early Post‐Glacial and hence provide clues to the development of Lake Neuchǎtel in the early Holocene. The results of this study are the basis for future, more detailed, studies of these sediments as to their origin and composition.
Paleoecological perspectives on human adaptation in central Panama. I. The Pleistocene
Authors: Piperno Dolores R. , Bush Mark B. , Colinvaux Paul A.
Published: February 2007

Paleoecological data from two sites in central Pacific Panama have allowed the reconstruction of Late Pleistocene climate and vegetation in lowland areas, the timing of important environmental changes, and the generation of predictions concerning Paleoindian settlement and subsistence. The last 9000 years of the glacial period, from 20,000 B.P. until 11,050 B.P. were marked by climates cooler and drier than today's. The period from ca. 16,000 B.P. until 11,000 B.P. appears to have been the coolest and driest. We postulate that the major effects of these conditions were to have brought montane vegetation 900 m lower than its present range and to create tracts of open landscape along the Pacific coast. Forests, however, were widespread in extent and many lowland forest taxa apparently persisted, creating the basis for the rejection of refugial theory as an explanatory model for early human occupation. Neither the admittedly limited archaeological or paleoecological data indicated the presence of pre‐Clovis populations in Panama, and we chose to view Clovis as the first human expression on the Isthmus. Correlation of reconstructed environmental setting with Paleoindian site location suggests that Clovis adaptations were fluid and flexible, and utilized a wide variety of vegetation types. Occupation and modification of tropical forest appear to have been integral parts of Clovis subsistence and settlement strategies.
Late pleistocene/early holocene environments and climates, fauna, and human occupation in the argentine altiplano
Authors: Fernández Jorge , Markgraf Vera , Panarello Héctor O. , Albero Miguel , Angiolini Fernando E. , Valencio Susana , Arriaga Mirta
Published: February 2007

The Barro Negro site (23°S lat., 65°37′W long.) in the Altiplano (Puna) of northwestern Argentina contains a well stratified sequence of remains of Hippidion, the American extinct horse, camelids, and archaeological materials, which is the focus of this study. In addition to establishing a reliable chronology, paleoenvironmental information was obtained based on analyses of pollen and stable isotopes (oxygen and carbon) from bone and marl. The data indicate that Hippidion was present at the site between 12,000 and 10,000 yr B. P., at a time when Altoandean grasslands had expanded to lower elevations. By 10,000 yr B.P., when modern semi‐arid sub‐puna scrub had replaced the Altoandean grasslands, only camelids (Lama or Vicugna) were present, simultaneous with the first evidence of local human occupation. This suggests that a climatic shift from cool and moist (winter rain regime) to warm and dry (summer rain regime) conditions took place simultaneously with the disappearance of the American horse and the appearance of camelids and man.
Geoarchaeology of the Cerro La China locality (Buenos Aires, Argentina): Site 2 and site 3
Authors: Zárate Marcelo , Flegenheimer Nora
Published: February 2007

Cerro La China, within the Tandilia Range, has a long archaeological record in which three different human occupations were identified. The geoarchaeological approach allowed us to correlate the archaeosedimentary columns at Site 2 and Site 3 and place the local stratigraphy in a regional context.

The archaeologically rich stratigraphic sequence is composed of three episodes of loess deposition. The first bears a 10,600 yr B.P. Paleoindian occupation with Fishtail or Fell's Cave Stemmed points. It is followed by a soil‐forming interval which ended about 5000 yr B.P. with an erosive episode. The second event of loess deposition continued through an unknown span of time until a new soil‐forming interval started; it includes triangular stemless medium size projectile points corresponding to a different human group. By the sixteenth century another erosive event interrupted the soil‐forming interval. After this, the third short‐term eolian episode occurred and bears the most recent archaeological occupation marked by small triangular stemless points.
Trace‐element variability of native copper within a large ore body: The Kingston mine, Michigan, USA
Authors: Allert James D. , Rapp George , Vitali Vanda , Henrickson Eiler
Published: February 2007

This study attempts both single‐site and regional trace‐element variability assessments focusing on the Kingston Mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan, USA, and other sources of native copper in the Lake Superior region of the United States and Canada. This information is of potential significance to all studies trying to characterize and distinguish between individual mineral sources. It is of particular importance to geoarchaeologists/archaeometrists who are attempting to assign geologic/geographic origin to prehistoric copper artifacts and to those interested in the trace‐element variability (vertically and horizontally) within large ore bodies.
Effects of pocket gopher burrowing on archaeological deposits: A simulation approach
Authors: Pierce Christopher
Published: February 2007

The construction of burrows and movement of sediment by pocket gophers alter archaeological deposits by causing vertical size‐sorting of artifacts, destruction of fragile artifacts, disruption of sedimentary structures, and organic enrichment of the subsurface. To evaluate the long‐term effects of exposure to burrowing, a simulation was developed based on quantitative information on pocket gopher burrows and rates of sediment movement. Simulation results indicate the development of a distinct stone zone composed predominantly of particles greater than 6 cm after 4000–5000 years, and a logarithmic pattern to the rate of strata disruption. The patterns produced by the simulation compare well with patterns exhibited by actual archaeological deposits belonging to California's Milling Stone Horizon. These results suggest that current notions concerning the Milling Stone Horizon and other aspects of California prehistory may require revision, and that more emphasis must be placed on formation process research in such settings.
Chinese neolithic jade: A preliminary geoarchaeological study
Authors: Wen Guang , Jing Zhichun
Published: February 2007

This study deals with a geoarchaeological examination of the jade artifacts unearthed from the major sites of jade‐using cultures over Neolithic China. The earliest examples of true jade—tremolite‐actinolite nephrite—were jade artifacts from the Chahai site at Fuxin in Liaoning, dating back to the 6th millennium B.C., approximately contemporaneous with the beginning of the Neolithic age. The expansion of jade‐using culture during the Neolithic period was gradually from east through west China. The jade‐using culture thrived especially in both the lower Yangtze River and Liao River valleys, and came to a climax during the late Neolithic period when not only could nephrite be discerned from jadelike and other minerals and rocks, but also nephrite of various grades could apparently be deliberately used to make jades of different types according to their importance in social life. It may be suggested that the raw nephrite used to make jades during the Neolithic age was derived from unknown ancient deposits that might be within China proper rather than at Kunlun Mountain.
The upper Gila river gravels as an archaeological obsidian source region: Implications for models of exchange and interaction
Authors: Shackley M. Steven
Published: February 2007

Recent geoarchaeological research in the Upper Gila River region of southeastern Arizona indicates the presence of two geochemically distinct archaeological obsidians occurring as small secondarily deposited nodules within the Quaternary gravels and alluvium. Approximately 32% of the nodules recovered in the sample are derived from the known and reported Mule Creek source upstream in western New Mexico. The remaining 68% of the nodules recovered are derived from another source somewhere in the area, probably in the Tertiary silicic volcanics along the San Francisco drainage or the Upper Gila proper. Additionally, analyses of the Mule Creek primary source data indicates significant geochemical variability not previously indicated by energy dispersive x‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) studies. The presence of Mule Creek glass 50 or more kilometers from the primary source bears significantly on distance to source based studies where secondary deposition is not accounted for.
Mineralogy and micromorphology of chalcolithic and early bronze age Ikiztepe ceramics
Authors: Kapur S. , Sakarya N. , Fitzpatrick E. A.
Published: February 2007

The mineralogy and micromorphology of ceramics from the Ikiztepe site (Chalcolithic and Early Bronze) have firing characteristics that indicate low temperature levels and oxidizing conditions. Stress phenomena indicated by cracks most probably indicate a process of shrinkage. Illuviated clay suggests the occurrence of humid periods with vigorous precipitation, pluvials during the Holocene. Provenance of clays used for production of ceramics is determined to be of nearby surface soils.
Evolution of landscapes on the double mountain fork of the brazos river, West Texas: Implications for preservation and visibility of the archaeological record
Authors: Blum Michael D. , Abbott James T. , Valastro Salvatore
Published: February 2007

The Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River is an ephemeral stream that flows across the western Rolling Plains of West Texas. Intensive pedestrian archaeological survey, covering some 8700 acres of the drainage, produced a site inventory with a general paucity of identifiable Paleoindian and Early to Middle Archaic components, whereas Late Archaic and Late Prehistoric sites were widespread and found in a diversity of landscape positions. Geoarchaeological investigations were conducted in conjunction with this survey and later testing activities, and suggested that much of this temporally and spatially skewed archaeological record may be attributable to the evolution of landscapes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene time period, rather than original occupation intensities. Most of the landscape in the study area has been subject to erosional stripping, but in selected localities late Pleistocene and Holocene depositional landform‐sediment assemblages of fluvial, alluvial/colluvial fan, and eolian origin are preserved. With few exceptions, however, depositional contexts or stable geomorphic surfaces more than 3000 years old are erosionally truncated, completely absent, or deeply buried. As a result, a bias is imposed that renders older cultural records either poorly preserved or deeply buried and of low visibility to traditional survey techniques. Similar natural formation processes are likely at other locations on the western Rolling Plains, and should be considered during interpretation of prehistoric population dynamics in the area. The biases imposed by such natural formation processes on the western Rolling Plains are slightly different from other areas in the Southern Great Plains of the United States, but in most cases the known archaeological record corresponds with opportunities for preservation and visibility provided by geologic trajectories, and may reflect little on spatial and temporal discontinuities in prehistoric cultural activity.
On the definition of Geoarchaeology
Authors: Leach Elizabeth K.
Published: February 2007

Two variations of the integration of geology and archaeology have been proposed in the literature—archaeological geology and geoarchaeology. However, there is no agreement among practitioners as to the legitimacy of the distinctions that have been made. This disagreement suggests that the objectives and assumptions of this interdisciplinary field have not been adequately discussed among its practitioners. The published definitions of both of these subfields emphasize their geological and historical aspects rather than their anthropological and processual aspects. A comparison with zooarchaeology and paleoethnobotany suggests that the significance of geoarchaeology to anthropological archaeology has been slighted. This results from a failure to recognize the symbolic character of humans' interaction with their geologic environment. An attempt is made here to clarify the distinction between archaeological geology and geoarchaeology and to define objectives for the latter subfield that have anthropological significance.
Formation of copper—iron sulfide minerals during corrosion of artifacts and possible implications for pseudogilding
Authors: McNeil M. B. , Mohr D. W.
Published: February 2007

Adherent films of the gold‐colored metal sulfides pyrite (FeS2), pyrrhotite (Fe1−xS), and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) are known to exist on metallic and nonmetallic artifacts of Classic times. Consideration of the action of bacterial consortia containing sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) during microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and analyses of appropriate trajectories on Eh‐pH stability diagrams indicate that these films can be understood either as a result of natural processes over archaeological times or of deliberate pseudogilding. Methods of discriminating natural sulfide deposition from pseudogilding are suggested. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Gravel sources of knappable alibates silicified dolomite
Authors: Wyckoff Don G.
Published: February 2007

Alibates silicified dolomite is one of the principal knappable lithic materials indigenous to the Southern High Plains. Prehistorically, this material was extensively quarried along the Canadian River in Potter County, Texas. Some of these quarries are preserved in what is now the Alibates National Monument. Archaeologists working in Oklahoma traditionally interpret artifacts of Alibates silicified dolomite as evidence for long distance trade. However, a survey of three transects across the Canadian's valley in western Oklahoma reveals the persistent, but minor, presence of Alibates clasts in gravel deposits. Thirty‐nine gravel exposures yielded 1365 clasts of the dolomite. The abundance, size, shape, and knappability of this material is comparable to most flakes and implements found on western Oklahoma archaeological sites, especially those of prehistoric and protohistoric Plains Villagers. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sourcing little Colorado white ware: A regional approach to the compositional analysis of prehistoric ceramics
Authors: Douglass Amy A. , Schaller David M.
Published: February 2007

Little Colorado White Ware (LCWW) is a decorated black‐on‐white ceramic constructed by the Anasazi in the southwestern United States from approximately A. D. 1050 to 1250. LCWW potsherds are found in archaeological sites located throughout the Little Colorado River valley of northern Arizona. Two major volcanic fields which are located on opposite sides of the Little Colorado River, the San Francisco Peaks in the west and the Hopi Buttes in the east, have been proposed as source areas for LCWW production. Petrographic, X‐ray diffraction, and electron microprobe analyses of this ware's raw material constituents and geologic samples indicate that LCWW could only have been produced in the Hopi Buttes area. This study is presented as an example of a research design whose sample size, geographic scale, and methodologies can be effective in determining the source of prehistoric ceramics from the southwestern United States and elsewhere. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Electrical resistivity surveys as indicators of site potential: Examples from a rock shelter in Southwestern France and a cave in Southern Albania
Authors: Ellwood Brooks B. , Harrold Francis B. , Petruso Karl M. , Korkuti Muzafer
Published: February 2007

Electrical resistivity surveys have been conducted, in conjunction with follow‐up auger and test excavations, to optimize the excavation potential within two European closed sites. The first site, Pont d'Ambon II rock shelter, is situated on the Dronne River in the Department of the Dordogne, southwestern France. It is located ∼100 m south of Pont d'Ambon I rock shelter, from which late Upper Paleolithic cultural material has been recovered. Auger testing within Pont d'Ambon II yielded results predicted by evaluation of the electrical data, including an area which contains cultural material. A second area contained a large, near‐surface limestone block, which probably resulted from a rock fall. The second site is located in a cave near the town of Konispol, Albania, in the southernmost part of the country. Its cultural deposits range in age from the Iron Age to at least Late Paleolithic times. Interpretation of the electrical resistivity data from Konispol Cave indicates that thick, relatively undisturbed sediments cover the floor in central portions of the cave. Only in one area near the entrance are limestone blocks likely to impair excavation efforts. Results from a test excavation, associated with an anomaly in the electrical data, uncovered a large, carefully constructed hearth. These data indicate that preliminary geophysical surveys at many archaeological sites can optimize excavation potential. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sources of the predynastic grinding stones in the hu‐semaineh region, upper Egypt, and their cultural context
Authors: Mahmoud Abdel‐Moneim A. , Bard Kathryn A.
Published: February 2007

Grinding stones excavated at the Predynastic site of HG in Upper Egypt were analyzed, and consist of igneous rocks (rhyolite porphyry, basalt, granite) and metamorphic rocks (marble, quartzite). These rocks were brought to the site in Predynastic times (ca. 4000–3000 B. C.) from the Dokkan Volcanics located in the Wadi Hammamat, possibly as far away as 150 km. This is further evidence for the widespread exchange network that existed in Predynastic Upper Egypt. Complex economic interaction, as evidenced by artifacts excavated at HG, was a prime force as the early state evolved in Egypt. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Geoarchaeological investigations of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica: The search for the Columbus Caravels and an assessment of 1000 years of human land use
Authors: Waters Michael R. , Giardino John R. , Ryter Derek W. , Parrent James M.
Published: February 2007

A complex interbedded sequence of shallow bay, alluvial fan, and lagoon/marsh facies was revealed during geoarchaeological investigations of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica. Eighteen radiocarbon ages and time‐diagnostic artifacts were obtained from these sediments. From these data, the landscape evolution of St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, during the last 4800 years is reconstructed. The landscape reconstructions for St. Ann's Bay are used to identify areas where the two caravels abandoned by Christopher Columbus in A. D. 1504 might be located. In addition, two periods of rapid sedimentation, one from A. D. 1000 to 1300 (lagoon filling) and the other between A. D. 1700 and modern times (bay filling), are attributed to human land use around St. Ann's Bay. The earlier period of increased sedimentation corresponds to the introduction and expansion of native peoples to the north side of the island, who brought with them slash‐and‐burn agriculture. The later period of increased sedimentation in the bay corresponds to the intensification of agricultural use of the area by the Spanish and British. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fibrous minerals in 16th‐century iznik ceramics
Authors: Kapur S. , Sakarya N. , Fitzpatrick E. A.
Published: February 2007

The presence of uniform orientation patterns of pseudowollastonite indicates a uniform and slow increase of temperature in the furnaces used in the production of the 16th‐century Iznik ceramics. Determination of pseudowollastonite in rounded pores (d = 20–40 μm) in the glaze probably indicates formation of vapor phases in pores. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The landscape context of Anasazi pebble‐mulched fields in the Galisteo Basin, Northern New Mexico
Authors: Lightfoot Dale R.
Published: February 2007

Anasazi farmers in northern New Mexico occasionally applied a pebble mulch to their gardens during the 14th and 15th centuries A. D. to increase crop yield and to buffer against drought. Regional variations in surface geology and soils are compared to the distribution of pebble‐mulch gardens near Pueblo San Marcos in the Galisteo Basin, south of Santa Fe. The slope angle and aspect of 96 individual garden plots are also examined to determine the role of microenvironment as a siting consideration within the broader geological‐pedological context. It is found that Anasazi pebble‐mulch gardens were consistently sited on south‐facing, relatively flat slopes of erosional benches, within naturally occurring surface/near surface deposits of gravel. This suggests that the Anasazi intentionally exploited regionally scaled variations in geology and soils in their pursuit of agricultural diversification. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Obsidian provenancing and magmatic fractionation in central oregon
Authors: Godfrey‐Smith D. I. , Kronfeld J. , Strull A. , D'Auria J. M.
Published: February 2007

In many instances, geologically distinct obsidian flows located within even a relatively small geographic area can be uniquely identified by their chemical composition. This happens to be true for several obsidian sources from central Oregon. Internally each obsidian locality is chemically homogeneous, but the obsidian rocks from different collection sites exhibit chemical differences. Based on the geochemical variations and on K/ Ar dating of the end members of the chemical differentiation trend, these differences are related to the fractionation of a single Late Miocene magma chamber, dated at 6.5 Ma. By understanding the underlying causes of the chemical differences, constraints are disclosed that will govern the possible chemical variations of other, as yet unidentified but related obsidian flows. These can be useful for identifying the possible natural sources of obsidian artifacts which do not match known obsidian sources, and for suggesting possible geographic areas where these as yet undiscovered obsidian flows may be found. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.