- School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, John Percival Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
Nancy Beavan
Cardiff University, Cardiff School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Department Member
- Bioarchaeology, Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Archaeometry, Mortuary archaeology, Jar Burials, and 17 moreSoutheast Asia Archaeology, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Cambodian Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Biogeochemistry, Agency (Archaeological Theory), Biological anthropology, dietary isotope research, palaeopathology and dairying in the European Neolithic, Dental Ablation, Secondary burial, UNESCO Underwater cultural heritage, Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, Maritime Archaeology, Ancient economies (Archaeology), Paleodiet, Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain), and The Copper Age Settlement of Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain): Demography, Metallurgy and Spatial Organizationedit
Around 600 years ago, the people of the remote jungles of southwest Cambodia placed the bones of their dead in large ceramic jars on the steep ledges of hidden cliffs. For nearly a decade, experts have been investigating who these people... more
Around 600 years ago, the people of the remote
jungles of southwest Cambodia placed the bones of
their dead in large ceramic jars on the steep ledges of
hidden cliffs. For nearly a decade, experts have been
investigating who these people were, and why they
used such a unique burial practice
jungles of southwest Cambodia placed the bones of
their dead in large ceramic jars on the steep ledges of
hidden cliffs. For nearly a decade, experts have been
investigating who these people were, and why they
used such a unique burial practice
Research Interests:
In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trade of the 14th–17th century CE BAge of Commerce. Focus... more
In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trade of the 14th–17th century CE BAge of Commerce. Focus on the rise of the larger port towns supporting this burgeoning maritime trade (e.g., Ayutthaya, Melaka, Hoi An) has overshadowed
smaller maritime operations that must have serviced less regulated coastlines. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence of likely supply lines for relatively remote sites in the Southern Cardamom Ranges of southwestern Cambodia. We present the results of a geochemical analysis of ceramics from two contemporary and short-lived assemblages: comprehensively dated mid-15th c. to mid-17th c. CE burial complexes in the Cardamom Mountains, and a dated shipwreck (Koh S’dech) recovered from waters off the adjacent coastline. We compare the shipwreck assemblage with other wreck assemblages to contextualize it within larger
maritime exchange patterns. The Koh S’dech wreck assemblage appears typical of a Southeast Asian short-haul coastal trader of this period, with a cargo consisting of a range of utilitarian household ceramics: large, medium, and small glazed stoneware storage jars, earthenware cooking pots, stoves and mortars, and Btableware^ bowls. Comparison of burial, shipwreck, and reference ceramic compositional data confirms the jars and fine wares predominantly came from multiple production centers in Central and Northern Thailand. The few Angkorian jars identified in the burials were evidently heirlooms from what was, by the mid-15th c. CE, a likely defunct Khmer production complex east of Angkor. The results of this provenience analysis highlight (a) the Cardamom burials as an example of previously undocumented unregulated coastal interaction and (b) the relatively sophisticated
and coordinated market-oriented strategies of inland ceramic producers at this time. For mainland Southeast Asia, the the water frontier integrated not only ethnically diverse maritime port communities, but also those in more remote inland regions.
smaller maritime operations that must have serviced less regulated coastlines. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence of likely supply lines for relatively remote sites in the Southern Cardamom Ranges of southwestern Cambodia. We present the results of a geochemical analysis of ceramics from two contemporary and short-lived assemblages: comprehensively dated mid-15th c. to mid-17th c. CE burial complexes in the Cardamom Mountains, and a dated shipwreck (Koh S’dech) recovered from waters off the adjacent coastline. We compare the shipwreck assemblage with other wreck assemblages to contextualize it within larger
maritime exchange patterns. The Koh S’dech wreck assemblage appears typical of a Southeast Asian short-haul coastal trader of this period, with a cargo consisting of a range of utilitarian household ceramics: large, medium, and small glazed stoneware storage jars, earthenware cooking pots, stoves and mortars, and Btableware^ bowls. Comparison of burial, shipwreck, and reference ceramic compositional data confirms the jars and fine wares predominantly came from multiple production centers in Central and Northern Thailand. The few Angkorian jars identified in the burials were evidently heirlooms from what was, by the mid-15th c. CE, a likely defunct Khmer production complex east of Angkor. The results of this provenience analysis highlight (a) the Cardamom burials as an example of previously undocumented unregulated coastal interaction and (b) the relatively sophisticated
and coordinated market-oriented strategies of inland ceramic producers at this time. For mainland Southeast Asia, the the water frontier integrated not only ethnically diverse maritime port communities, but also those in more remote inland regions.
Research Interests: Maritime Archaeology, Southeast Asian Studies, Early Modern History, Maritime History, Archaeological Science, and 7 moreSoutheast Asian Archaeology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Early Modern economic and social history, Economic archaeology, Cambodian History, Southeast Asian history, and Cambodian Archaeology
""""“Living in the shadow of Angkor”: Responses and strategies of upland social groups to polity demise in the late-to post-Angkor period Dr. Nancy Beavan ( Principle Investigator; University of Otago NZ) Dr. BM Buckley (Associate... more
""""“Living in the shadow of Angkor”: Responses and strategies of upland social groups to polity demise in the late-to post-Angkor period
Dr. Nancy Beavan ( Principle Investigator; University of Otago NZ)
Dr. BM Buckley (Associate Investigator, Columbia University, USA)
Dr. Alison K Carter (Associate Investigator, University of Wisconsin USA)
Dr. WD Hamilton (Associate Investigator, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center, UK)
Mr. Tep Sokha (Research Assistant, Royal University of Fine Arts, Cambodia)
Factors influencing the decline of civilizations may differentially affect communities on the margins of a collapsing society. How these groups fare during societal decline is central to key archaeological questions concerning population response and societal re-emergence. Archaeological research on the Late Angkorian era maintains a lowland-centric focus, mainly due to previous lack of evidence for highland groups' biological, economic and cultural responses to state collapse. However, by the late 14th century AD and the decline of the great kingdom of Angkor, some ethnic minorities had socially and geographically distanced themselves in the Cardamom Mountains of southern Cambodia. Their existence is known only from burial sites that are unique relative to rituals recorded in Khmer history: re-burial of human bone in log coffins and exotic ceramics, on exposed rock ledges. The sites hold previously untapped information on demographics, health, environmental conditions, and trade relationships, which are essential for answering archaeological questions about responses of marginal cultures in an era of political, environmental, and economic change. Using novel integrations of methods to examine the archaeological information from different perspectives, we will develop the first-ever characterization of a highland culture’s lifeways and how they fared in the Late Angkorian era.
Email nancy.beavan@otago.ac.nz""""
Dr. Nancy Beavan ( Principle Investigator; University of Otago NZ)
Dr. BM Buckley (Associate Investigator, Columbia University, USA)
Dr. Alison K Carter (Associate Investigator, University of Wisconsin USA)
Dr. WD Hamilton (Associate Investigator, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center, UK)
Mr. Tep Sokha (Research Assistant, Royal University of Fine Arts, Cambodia)
Factors influencing the decline of civilizations may differentially affect communities on the margins of a collapsing society. How these groups fare during societal decline is central to key archaeological questions concerning population response and societal re-emergence. Archaeological research on the Late Angkorian era maintains a lowland-centric focus, mainly due to previous lack of evidence for highland groups' biological, economic and cultural responses to state collapse. However, by the late 14th century AD and the decline of the great kingdom of Angkor, some ethnic minorities had socially and geographically distanced themselves in the Cardamom Mountains of southern Cambodia. Their existence is known only from burial sites that are unique relative to rituals recorded in Khmer history: re-burial of human bone in log coffins and exotic ceramics, on exposed rock ledges. The sites hold previously untapped information on demographics, health, environmental conditions, and trade relationships, which are essential for answering archaeological questions about responses of marginal cultures in an era of political, environmental, and economic change. Using novel integrations of methods to examine the archaeological information from different perspectives, we will develop the first-ever characterization of a highland culture’s lifeways and how they fared in the Late Angkorian era.
Email nancy.beavan@otago.ac.nz""""
Research Interests:
Funded by the European Research Council and in conjunction with English Heritage and Cardiff University. The Neolithic period in Europe, and elsewhere globally, is of enduring interest because it presents one of the great... more
Funded by the European Research Council and in conjunction with English Heritage and Cardiff University.
The Neolithic period in Europe, and elsewhere globally, is of enduring interest because it presents one of the great transformations in human history: the shift from small-scale hunter-gatherer communities to complex societies materially based on sedentary existence and a farming economy. This process was played out across long periods of time, and in different ways and at different rates in different regions.
"The Times of Their Lives" project website offers a place to set out in more detail such things as the underlying rationale behind the project, the Bayesian approach to the interpretation of radiocarbon dates, and the site-based and regional studies with which the project is engaged. "The Times of their Lives" project offers ground-breaking progress towards the construction of much more precise chronologies for the Neolithic period in Europe, particularly focused on phases after initial transformations. Using a series of case studies from across much of the continent, we hope to provide much more precise timings of key features and trends in the European Neolithic sequence than are currently available, and to construct much more precise estimates of the duration of events and phenomena.
The Neolithic period in Europe, and elsewhere globally, is of enduring interest because it presents one of the great transformations in human history: the shift from small-scale hunter-gatherer communities to complex societies materially based on sedentary existence and a farming economy. This process was played out across long periods of time, and in different ways and at different rates in different regions.
"The Times of Their Lives" project website offers a place to set out in more detail such things as the underlying rationale behind the project, the Bayesian approach to the interpretation of radiocarbon dates, and the site-based and regional studies with which the project is engaged. "The Times of their Lives" project offers ground-breaking progress towards the construction of much more precise chronologies for the Neolithic period in Europe, particularly focused on phases after initial transformations. Using a series of case studies from across much of the continent, we hope to provide much more precise timings of key features and trends in the European Neolithic sequence than are currently available, and to construct much more precise estimates of the duration of events and phenomena.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
" Originally aired on Nine To Noon, Friday 20 July 2012 "US-born Dr Beavan leads research on the enigmatic ancient burial rituals of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. Around 600 years ago, the people in these remote jungles... more
" Originally aired on Nine To Noon, Friday 20 July 2012
"US-born Dr Beavan leads research on the enigmatic ancient burial rituals of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. Around 600 years ago, the people in these remote jungles placed the bones of their dead in large jars on steep ledges and in small wooden coffins - a practice unique to Cambodia at the time. In 2003 Nancy was asked to radiocarbon date a piece of one of the bones, sparking her decade-long interest in finding out more about these ancient people and their remains."
"
"US-born Dr Beavan leads research on the enigmatic ancient burial rituals of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. Around 600 years ago, the people in these remote jungles placed the bones of their dead in large jars on steep ledges and in small wooden coffins - a practice unique to Cambodia at the time. In 2003 Nancy was asked to radiocarbon date a piece of one of the bones, sparking her decade-long interest in finding out more about these ancient people and their remains."
"
Research Interests:
Unfortunately the link to this podcast is no more! I can send an mpeg to anyone interested In 2003, wildlife rangers in Cambodia went looking for tigers. Instead, they found jars and coffins, centuries old, filled with human... more
Unfortunately the link to this podcast is no more! I can send an mpeg to anyone interested
In 2003, wildlife rangers in Cambodia went looking for tigers. Instead, they found jars and coffins, centuries old, filled with human remains. Thirteen in all.
Which made no sense.
Cambodians have practiced cremation for hundreds of years. So who were these people?
It remained a mystery, until recently.
Dispatches contributor Brian Calvert met up with an American scientist braving elephants and...moths...to learn the secret of those jars in the jungle.
""""
In 2003, wildlife rangers in Cambodia went looking for tigers. Instead, they found jars and coffins, centuries old, filled with human remains. Thirteen in all.
Which made no sense.
Cambodians have practiced cremation for hundreds of years. So who were these people?
It remained a mystery, until recently.
Dispatches contributor Brian Calvert met up with an American scientist braving elephants and...moths...to learn the secret of those jars in the jungle.
""""
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A handful of new radiocarbon dates from three Balaton-Lasinja culture graves at the site of Veszprém-Jutasi út in western Hungary form the starting point for formal models for late Lengyel and post-Lengyel chronology in that region. The... more
A handful of new radiocarbon dates from three Balaton-Lasinja culture graves at the site of Veszprém-Jutasi út in western Hungary form the starting point for formal models for late Lengyel and post-Lengyel chronology in that region. The graves date to the later fifth millennium cal BC. They provide the opportunity to put the earlier Copper Age Balaton-Lasinja culture of Transdanubia into its regional and wider context, and to highlight both gradually improving understanding of its character and remaining problems of chronology and classification. The Balaton-Lasinja culture was part of a whole series of regional shifts in settlement and society connected to the end of the Neolithic and the demise of major settlement aggregations which had dominated lifestyles in previous centuries. This study indicates how much further detailed research continues to be needed to get fully to grips with this set of important changes, which run on into the Copper Age. Contrasts are drawn between western and eastern Hungary, and the uncertainties surrounding the chronology of the fourth millennium cal BC, including for the Furchenstich pottery style, are emphasised.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Radiocarbon Dating (Earth Sciences), Neolithic Transition, and 15 moreNeolithic Europe, Medicine, Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Linearbandkeramik, Neolithic, Chronology, Early Neolithic, LBK pottery, Middle Neolithic, Grossgartach culture, Rössen culture, Alsace, Hinkelstein, Bischheim, and Formal chronological modellinglling
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Carbon, and 15 moreSoutheast Asia, Raman Spectroscopy, Southeast Asian Archaeology, Diagenesis, Multidisciplinary, Humans, Collagen, Curation, Nitrogen, PLoS one, Archaeological Curation, Phosphates, Analytical Archaeology, Bone and Bones, and Archarological Chemistry
Louise Shewan, Richard Armstrong, Dougald O’Reilly, Siân Halcrow, Nancy Beavan and Tep Sokha The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries AD,... more
Louise Shewan, Richard Armstrong, Dougald O’Reilly, Siân Halcrow, Nancy Beavan and Tep Sokha
The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was
common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth
to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains,
but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous groups practised a unique burial tradition involving the deposition of un-cremated bone
in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The
authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals from this highland culture, specifically the site
of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred
in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting that the individuals came from discrete groups.
The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was
common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth
to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains,
but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous groups practised a unique burial tradition involving the deposition of un-cremated bone
in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The
authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals from this highland culture, specifically the site
of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred
in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting that the individuals came from discrete groups.
Research Interests:
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of... more
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennium cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the c. 450 ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site and a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive ...
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Archaeological Science, Funerary Archaeology, and 15 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, Neolithic Europe, Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Archaeological Methodology, Funerary Architecture, Funerary Practices, Chronology, World Prehistory, Copper, Copper age, Calcolithic, and Calcolítico
14C ages were determined on samples of foraminifera separated from cores from three areas of the tropical Pacific (East Pacific Rise, Oontong Java Plateau, and South China Sea). Analyses were made on four planktonic species and on mixed... more
14C ages were determined on samples of foraminifera separated from cores from three areas of the tropical Pacific (East Pacific Rise, Oontong Java Plateau, and South China Sea). Analyses were made on four planktonic species and on mixed benthics. The purpose of the multiple analysis on planktonic species is to assess the importance of artifacts resulting from the bioturbation-abundance change couple, from the bioturbation-partial dissolution couple and from redeposition by bottom currents. The goal is to use the benthic-planktonic age difference as a means of establishing changes in deep sea ventilation rate over the past 25,000 years. Results of a part of this work are presented in this paper.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of... more
The great site of Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville in the lower Guadalquivir valley of southwest Spain, is presented in the context of debate about the nature of Copper Age society in southern Iberia as a whole. Many aspects of the layout, use, character and development of Valencina remain unclear, just as there are major unresolved questions about the kind of society represented there and in southern Iberia, from the late fourth to the late third millennium cal BC. This paper discusses 178 radiocarbon dates, from 17 excavated sectors within the c. 450 ha site, making it the best dated in later Iberian prehistory as a whole. Dates are modelled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The resulting formal date estimates provide the basis for both a new epistemological approach to the site and a much more detailed narrative of its development than previously available. Beginning in the 32nd century cal BC, a long-lasting tradition of simple, mainly collective and often successive ...
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Archaeological Science, Funerary Archaeology, and 15 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Social Archaeology, Megalithic Monuments, Neolithic Europe, Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Archaeological Methodology, Funerary Architecture, Funerary Practices, Chronology, World Prehistory, Copper, Copper age, Calcolithic, and Calcolítico
This paper, presents formally modelled date estimates for the sequence of Lengyel funerary pottery in western Hungary, eastern Austria and south-west Slovakia. It is an extension of the dating and modelling already carried out by the... more
This paper, presents formally modelled date estimates for the sequence of Lengyel funerary pottery in western Hungary, eastern Austria and south-west Slovakia. It is an extension of the dating and modelling already carried out by the project, The Times of Their Lives (ToTL), on the major Lengyel aggregation, including burials, at Alsónyék-Bátaszék in south-east Transdanubia.
The present study concentrates on furnished Lengyel graves, using the analysis of Lengyel funerary pottery from western Hungary, eastern Austria and south-west Slovakia. A full catalogue of the 121 pot types identified by István Zalai-Gaál is presented, and correspondence analysis of the occurrence of 113 of these types in 247 graves suggests a seriation for these grave-assemblages. The new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence of Lengyel funerary pottery was designed within the framework of Bayesian chronological modelling. We aimed to provide formal date estimates for the use of different pot types and for their combinations in different phases of the seriation. We also aimed to estimate the period during which furnished Lengyel burial occurred, the pace of its introduction and demise, the date and duration of use of individual cemeteries, and the intensity of Lengyel funerary practice through time.
The present study concentrates on furnished Lengyel graves, using the analysis of Lengyel funerary pottery from western Hungary, eastern Austria and south-west Slovakia. A full catalogue of the 121 pot types identified by István Zalai-Gaál is presented, and correspondence analysis of the occurrence of 113 of these types in 247 graves suggests a seriation for these grave-assemblages. The new radiocarbon dating programme for the sequence of Lengyel funerary pottery was designed within the framework of Bayesian chronological modelling. We aimed to provide formal date estimates for the use of different pot types and for their combinations in different phases of the seriation. We also aimed to estimate the period during which furnished Lengyel burial occurred, the pace of its introduction and demise, the date and duration of use of individual cemeteries, and the intensity of Lengyel funerary practice through time.
Research Interests:
The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains, but in the Cardamom Mountains... more
The use of coffins and jars as funerary receptacles was
common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth
to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant
mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains,
but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous
groups practised a unique burial tradition
involving the deposition of un-cremated bone
in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The
authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals
from this highland culture, specifically the site
of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred
in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different
areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting
that the individuals came from discrete groups.
common across Southeast Asia. During the fifteenth
to seventeenth centuries AD, cremation was the dominant
mortuary tradition on the Angkorian plains,
but in the Cardamom Mountains to the south, contemporaneous
groups practised a unique burial tradition
involving the deposition of un-cremated bone
in exposed ceramic vessels and log coffins. The
authors present the first geochemical analysis of individuals
from this highland culture, specifically the site
of Phnom Pel. The childhood diets of those interred
in jars and coffins may have been sourced from different
areas within the Cardamom Mountains, suggesting
that the individuals came from discrete groups.
Research Interests:
Abstract In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trading of the 14th–17th century CE "Age of... more
Abstract
In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trading of the 14th–17th century CE "Age of Commerce." Focus on the rise of the larger port towns supporting this burgeoning maritime trade (e.g., Ayutthaya, Melaka, Hoi An) has overshadowed smaller maritime operations that must have serviced less regulated coastlines. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence of likely supply lines for relatively remote sites in the Southern Cardamom Ranges of southwestern Cambodia.We present the results of a geochemical analysis of ceramics from two contemporary and short-lived assemblages: comprehensively dated mid-15th c. to mid-17th c. CE burial complexes in the Cardamom Mountains, and a dated shipwreck (Koh S’dech) recovered from waters off the adjacent coastline. We compare the shipwreck assemblage with other wreck assemblages to contextualize it within larger maritime exchange patterns. The Koh S’dech wreck assemblage appears typical of a Southeast Asian short-haul coastal trader of this period, with a cargo consisting of a range of utilitarian household ceramics: large, medium, and small glazed stoneware storage jars, earthenware cooking pots, stoves and mortars, and Btableware^ bowls. Comparison of burial, shipwreck, and reference ceramic compositional data confirms the jars and fine wares predominantly came from multiple production centers in Central and Northern Thailand. The few Angkorian jars identified in the burials were evidently heirlooms from what was, by the mid-15th c. CE, a defunct Khmer production complex east of Angkor. The results of this provenience analysis highlight (a) the Cardamom burials as an example of previously undocumented unregulated coastal interaction and (b) the relatively sophisticated
and coordinated market-oriented strategies of inland ceramic producers at this time. For mainland Southeast Asia, the water frontier integrated not only ethnically diverse maritime port communities, but also those in more remote inland regions.
Keywords Age of Commerce . Neutron activation analysis . Shipwreck
In mainland Southeast Asia, the so-called water frontier unified an otherwise geographically broad and culturally disparate economic network of long-, medium-, and short-distance trading of the 14th–17th century CE "Age of Commerce." Focus on the rise of the larger port towns supporting this burgeoning maritime trade (e.g., Ayutthaya, Melaka, Hoi An) has overshadowed smaller maritime operations that must have serviced less regulated coastlines. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence of likely supply lines for relatively remote sites in the Southern Cardamom Ranges of southwestern Cambodia.We present the results of a geochemical analysis of ceramics from two contemporary and short-lived assemblages: comprehensively dated mid-15th c. to mid-17th c. CE burial complexes in the Cardamom Mountains, and a dated shipwreck (Koh S’dech) recovered from waters off the adjacent coastline. We compare the shipwreck assemblage with other wreck assemblages to contextualize it within larger maritime exchange patterns. The Koh S’dech wreck assemblage appears typical of a Southeast Asian short-haul coastal trader of this period, with a cargo consisting of a range of utilitarian household ceramics: large, medium, and small glazed stoneware storage jars, earthenware cooking pots, stoves and mortars, and Btableware^ bowls. Comparison of burial, shipwreck, and reference ceramic compositional data confirms the jars and fine wares predominantly came from multiple production centers in Central and Northern Thailand. The few Angkorian jars identified in the burials were evidently heirlooms from what was, by the mid-15th c. CE, a defunct Khmer production complex east of Angkor. The results of this provenience analysis highlight (a) the Cardamom burials as an example of previously undocumented unregulated coastal interaction and (b) the relatively sophisticated
and coordinated market-oriented strategies of inland ceramic producers at this time. For mainland Southeast Asia, the water frontier integrated not only ethnically diverse maritime port communities, but also those in more remote inland regions.
Keywords Age of Commerce . Neutron activation analysis . Shipwreck
Research Interests: Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Ceramic Analysis (Archaeology), Cambodian History, Maritime Trade Ceramics (Archaeology), and 6 moreAngkor, Ancient Shipwrecks, Ayutthaya, Neutron Activation Analysis, Archaeology: Maritime & Underwater archaeology; shipwreck archaeology; archaeology of piracy, and Age of Commerce
The emergence of separate cemeteries for disposal of the dead represents a profound shift in mortuary practice in the Late Neolithic of southeast Europe, with a new emphasis on the repeated use of a specific space distinct from, though... more
The emergence of separate cemeteries for disposal of the dead represents a profound shift in mortuary practice in the Late Neolithic of southeast Europe, with a new emphasis on the repeated use of a specific space distinct from, though still often close to, settlements. To help to time this shift more precisely, this paper presents 25 dates from 21 burials in the large cemetery at Cernica, in the Lower Danube valley in southern Romania, which are used to formally model the start, duration of use and end of the cemetery. A further six dates were obtained from four contexts for the nearby settlement. Careful consideration is given to the possibility of environmental and dietary offsets. The preferred model, without freshwater reservoir offsets, suggests that use of the Cernica cemetery probably began in 5355–5220 cal BC (95% probability) and ended in 5190–5080 cal BC (28% probability) or 5070–4940 (67% probability). The implications of this result are discussed, including with reference to other cemeteries of similar age in the region, the nature of social relations being projected through mortuary ritual, and the incorporation of older, Mesolithic, ways of doing things into Late Neolithic mortuary practice.
Research Interests:
Resumen: Se presenta un estudio de la cronología del tholos de Montelirio a partir de 22 fechas radiocarbónicas y su modelado formal mediante estadística bayesiana. Después de considerar minuciosamente los problemas y limitaciones... more
Resumen: Se presenta un estudio de la cronología del tholos de Montelirio a partir de 22 fechas radiocarbónicas y su modelado formal mediante estadística bayesiana. Después de considerar minuciosamente los problemas y limitaciones asociados a cada una de las dataciones disponibles se proponen dos modelos cronológicos alternativos en relación con la temporalidad de este gran monumento megalítico. Los resultados sugieren que Montelirio fue construido en algún momento entre finales del siglo 29 y finales del siglo 28 cal ANE y que la actividad funeraria en su interior pudo ocurrir bien como resultado de un evento único o como pro-ducto de varios eventos relativamente próximos en el tiempo (separados por varias décadas como mucho). La discusión de estos resultados incluye referencias a los resultados de un amplio estudio de la cronología radiocarbónica de Valencina actualmente en prensa (García Sanjuán et al., En Prensa), en términos de la temporalidad de este gran asentamiento calcolítico y la posición de Montelirio en la misma. Abstract: We present a study of the Montelirio tholos chronology based on 22 radiocarbon dates and their formal modelling through Bayesian statistics. After careful consideration of the limitations and problems inherent to each of the available 14 C dates, two alternative models of the temporality of this great megalithic monument are presented. The results suggest that Montelirio was built some time between the end of the 29 th and the end of the 28 th centuries cal BC, and that burial activity inside it may have taken place either as a result of a single event or as the product of various events in close temporal proximity (perhaps through a few decades). The discussion of these results includes references to the results of an extensive study of the chronology of Valencina de la Concepción, currently in press (García Sanjuán et al., In Press) in terms of the temporality of this large Copper Age settlement and the position of Montelirio in it.
Research Interests:
Resumen: Se presenta un estudio de la cronología del tholos de Montelirio a partir de 22 fechas radiocarbónicas y su modelado formal mediante estadística bayesiana. Después de considerar minuciosamente los problemas y limitaciones... more
Resumen: Se presenta un estudio de la cronología del tholos de Montelirio a partir de 22 fechas radiocarbónicas y su modelado formal mediante estadística bayesiana. Después de considerar minuciosamente los problemas y limitaciones asociados a cada una de las dataciones disponibles se proponen dos modelos cronológicos alternativos en relación con la temporalidad de este gran monumento megalítico. Los resultados sugieren que Montelirio fue construido en algún momento entre finales del siglo 29 y finales del siglo 28 cal ANE y que la actividad funeraria en su interior pudo ocurrir bien como resultado de un evento único o como pro-ducto de varios eventos relativamente próximos en el tiempo (separados por varias décadas como mucho). La discusión de estos resultados incluye referencias a los resultados de un amplio estudio de la cronología radiocarbónica de Valencina actualmente en prensa (García Sanjuán et al., En Prensa), en términos de la temporalidad de este gran asentamiento calcolítico y la posición de Montelirio en la misma. Abstract: We present a study of the Montelirio tholos chronology based on 22 radiocarbon dates and their formal modelling through Bayesian statistics. After careful consideration of the limitations and problems inherent to each of the available 14 C dates, two alternative models of the temporality of this great megalithic monument are presented. The results suggest that Montelirio was built some time between the end of the 29 th and the end of the 28 th centuries cal BC, and that burial activity inside it may have taken place either as a result of a single event or as the product of various events in close temporal proximity (perhaps through a few decades). The discussion of these results includes references to the results of an extensive study of the chronology of Valencina de la Concepción, currently in press (García Sanjuán et al., In Press) in terms of the temporality of this large Copper Age settlement and the position of Montelirio in it.
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Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuity J Archaeol Method Theory
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Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuity and discontinuity. To unravel the cultural project of the past, we apply... more
Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuity and discontinuity. To unravel the cultural project of the past, we apply chronological modelling of radiocarbon dates within a Bayesian statistical framework, to interrogate the Neolithic cultural sequence in Lower Alsace, in the upper Rhine valley, in broad terms from the later sixth to the end of the fifth millennium cal BC. Detailed formal estimates are provided for the long succession of cultural groups, from the early Neolithic linear pottery culture (LBK) to the BORS groups at the end of the Middle Neolithic, using seriation and typology of pottery as the starting point in modelling. The rate of ceramic change, as well as frequent shifts in the nature, location and density of settlements, are documented in detail, down to lifetime and generational timescales. This reveals a Neolithic world in Lower Alsace busy with comings and goings, tinkerings and adjustments, and relocations and realignments. A significant hiatus is identified between the end of the LBK and the start of the Hinkelstein group, in the early part of the fifth millennium cal BC. On the basis of modelling of existing dates for other parts of the Rhineland, this appears to be a wider phenomenon, and possible explanations are discussed; full reoccupation of the landscape is only seen in the Grossgartach phase. Radical shifts are also proposed at the end of the Middle Neolithic.
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Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuityand discontinuity. To unravel the cultural project of the past, we apply... more
Starting from questions about the nature of cultural diversity, this paper examines the pace and tempo of change and the relative importance of continuityand discontinuity. To unravel the cultural project of the past, we apply chronological modelling of radiocarbon dates within a Bayesian statistical framework, to interrogate the
Neolithic cultural sequence in Lower Alsace, in the upper Rhine valley, in broad terms from the later sixth to the end of the fifth millennium cal BC. Detailed formal estimates are provided for the long succession of cultural groups, from the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture (LBK) to the Bischheim Occidental du Rhin Supérieur (BORS) groups at the end of the Middle Neolithic, using seriation and typology of pottery as the starting point in modelling. The rate of ceramic change, as well as frequent shifts in the nature, location and density of settlements, are documented in detail, down to lifetime and generational timescales. This reveals a Neolithic world in Lower Alsace busy with comings and goings, tinkerings and adjustments, and relocations and realignments. A
significant hiatus is identified between the end of the LBK and the start of the Hinkelstein group, in the early part of the fifth millennium cal BC. On the basis of modelling of existing dates for other parts of the Rhineland, this appears to be a wider phenomenon, and possible explanations are discussed; full reoccupation of the landscape is only seen in the Grossgartach phase. Radical shifts are also proposed at the end of the Middle Neolithic
Neolithic cultural sequence in Lower Alsace, in the upper Rhine valley, in broad terms from the later sixth to the end of the fifth millennium cal BC. Detailed formal estimates are provided for the long succession of cultural groups, from the early Neolithic Linear Pottery culture (LBK) to the Bischheim Occidental du Rhin Supérieur (BORS) groups at the end of the Middle Neolithic, using seriation and typology of pottery as the starting point in modelling. The rate of ceramic change, as well as frequent shifts in the nature, location and density of settlements, are documented in detail, down to lifetime and generational timescales. This reveals a Neolithic world in Lower Alsace busy with comings and goings, tinkerings and adjustments, and relocations and realignments. A
significant hiatus is identified between the end of the LBK and the start of the Hinkelstein group, in the early part of the fifth millennium cal BC. On the basis of modelling of existing dates for other parts of the Rhineland, this appears to be a wider phenomenon, and possible explanations are discussed; full reoccupation of the landscape is only seen in the Grossgartach phase. Radical shifts are also proposed at the end of the Middle Neolithic
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Vorgestellt wird der Versuch einer präziseren Datierung des Erdwerks von Heilbronn-Klingenberg “Schlossberg” am mittleren Neckar. Die angewendete Methode empfiehlt sich als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen zur Datierung und... more
Vorgestellt wird der Versuch einer präziseren Datierung des Erdwerks von Heilbronn-Klingenberg “Schlossberg” am mittleren Neckar. Die angewendete Methode empfiehlt sich als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Untersuchungen zur Datierung und Belegungsdauer anderer Michelsberger Erdwerke des späten 5. bis frühen 4. Jahrtausends calBC. Vom Erdwerk von Klingenberg wurden in den Jahren 1986–1987 zwei Abschnittsgräben ausgegraben, die einen Lößsporn abriegeln, Spuren einer Palisade innerhalb des inneren Grabens, in beiden Gräben Reste einer verbrannten Holzkonstruktion, zahlreiche Gruben innerhalb wie auch außerhalb der Gräben, und in diesen Befunden zahlreiche Deponierungen von Hunden. Wenige Spuren einer vor-grabenzeitlichen Belegung datieren nach MK II und MK III/IV, doch fanden die Aktivitäten am Platz hauptsächlich während MK V/Munzingen statt. Der chronologische Ansatz kombiniert die detaillierte archäologische Befundinformation mit 14C-Datierungen aus sorgfältig ausgewählten Proben – verwendet wurden ganz überwiegend verkohltes Getreide, und Tierknochen, die anpassend oder einem Teilskelett zuweisbar sind – mit dem statistischen Filter nach dem Satz von Th. Bayes..
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Keywords: Neolithic / tell / Vinča culture chronology / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / Bayesian chronological modelling / radiocarbon dating Schlagwörter: Neolithikum / Siedlungshügel / Vinča Chronologie / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić... more
Keywords: Neolithic / tell / Vinča culture chronology / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / Bayesian chronological modelling / radiocarbon dating Schlagwörter: Neolithikum / Siedlungshügel / Vinča Chronologie / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / Bayesische Modellierung / Radiokarbondatierung Mots-clés: Néolithique / tell / chronologie de la culture de Vinča / Vinča-Belo Brdo / Miloje Vasić / modélisation bayésienne / datation au radiocarbone
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Imprecise chronology has entailed a fuzzy kind of prehistory. Prehistorians should no longer be content with timeframes that employ successive units of 200 years or more duration, or with slow change over the long term as their dominant... more
Imprecise chronology has entailed a fuzzy kind of prehistory. Prehistorians should no longer be content with timeframes that employ successive units of 200 years or more duration, or with slow change over the long term as their dominant chronological and interpretative perspective. The means to get away from very generalised accounts of the past is formal chronological modelling in a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian approach in general is outlined, with emphasis on its interpretive and iterative nature. The approach combines calibrated radiocarbon dates with knowledge of the archaeological contexts from which they are derived to produce a series of formal, probabilistic date estimates. Stringent demands are made of both the radiocarbon dates and our archaeological understanding of stratigraphy, associations, sample taphonomy and context in general. The Bayesian process at Alsónyék involved assessment of existing dates, careful definition of aims and objectives, the construction of a rigorous sampling strategy, with an explicit hierarchy of suitable samples, precise understanding of the contexts from which samples are derived, and simulation to achieve cost-effective use of resources. The principal material dated at Alsónyék was human and animal bone. Potential age offsets from non-vegetarian diets are carefully considered; ‘perfect pairs’ of human and animal bone samples from the same contexts indicate that human bone samples are not subject to wide-scale freshwater reservoir effects. Dietary inputs are estimated formally using a series of Bayesian mixing models.The sequence of iterative sampling submissions between 2012 and 2015 is described, and the procedures of the five laboratories involved are detailed. Procedures for model construction, validation and comparison are discussed. Finally, we consider how we can use precise timings to reveal the web of connections and successions that made up past lives, adding plot and context to a more precise chronicle to create narratives for peopling the past.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Stable Isotopes, Neolithic Archaeology, Prehistoric Settlement, and 10 morePrehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic Europe, Bayesian Models, Bayesian Radiocarbon Dating, Prehistory, Neolithic, Neolithic of the Carpathian Basin, Chronology, Prehistoric Archeology, and Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology)
This paper, focused on the great tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo near Belgrade, Serbia, (figs 1–2) is ultimately a contribution to understanding the development of the Neolithic way of life in the southern part of the Carpathian basin, in the... more
This paper, focused on the great tell of Vinča-Belo Brdo near Belgrade, Serbia, (figs 1–2) is ultimately a contribution to understanding the development of the Neolithic way of life in the southern part of the Carpathian basin, in the northern Balkans of south-east
Europe. It confronts some of the key questions about the trajectory of change in the Neolithic period, through the study of a single site, which can now be dated – as presented in this paper – from the first decades of the 53rd century cal BC to the later part of the 46th century cal BC.
Europe. It confronts some of the key questions about the trajectory of change in the Neolithic period, through the study of a single site, which can now be dated – as presented in this paper – from the first decades of the 53rd century cal BC to the later part of the 46th century cal BC.
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Dougald O’Reilly, Louise Shewan, Kate Domett, Jennifer Newton, Damian Evans, Voeurn
Vuthy and Nancy Beavan
Vuthy and Nancy Beavan
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Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Geochemistry, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, and 10 moreHistorical Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Southeast Asia, Radiocarbon, Radiocarbon Dating (Earth Sciences), Cambodian History, Human Osteology, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Cambodian Archaeology, and Academia Edu
Research Interests: Archaeology, Polynesian Studies, Oceania (Archaeology), Ancient DNA (Archaeology), Gallus gallus, and 10 morePacific Archaeology, Chicken, Precolumbian transoceanic migrations, Polynesian Voyaging, Pacific Islands Archaeology, Precolumbian archaelogy, Polynesian prehistoric contact with Americas, Chickens, Precolumbian Archaeology, and Commensal Models
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By Alison Carter, Laure Dussubieux, Nancy Beavan. Abstract: A total of 74 glass beads, included as grave goods in 15th–17th century ce jar burials from Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, were analysed using laser ablation – inductively... more
By Alison Carter, Laure Dussubieux, Nancy Beavan. Abstract:
A total of 74 glass beads, included as grave goods in 15th–17th century ce jar burials from Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, were analysed using laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS). Several glass types were identified, including two subtypes of high-alumina mineral soda glass, and lead–potash glass. The final glass type represents a newly discovered and previously unidentified type of high-alumina soda glass, with high magnesia (m-Na–Al Mg>). This study represents the first glass data from the mid-second millennium ce from Cambodia and sheds light on the multiple long-distance maritime exchange networks in which the upland people buried in the jars were participating.
A total of 74 glass beads, included as grave goods in 15th–17th century ce jar burials from Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, were analysed using laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS). Several glass types were identified, including two subtypes of high-alumina mineral soda glass, and lead–potash glass. The final glass type represents a newly discovered and previously unidentified type of high-alumina soda glass, with high magnesia (m-Na–Al Mg>). This study represents the first glass data from the mid-second millennium ce from Cambodia and sheds light on the multiple long-distance maritime exchange networks in which the upland people buried in the jars were participating.
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The Cardamom Mountain Jar and Coffin burial site of Phnom Khnang Peung is the most extensive example of the distinctive burial ritual first reported by Beavan et al. (2012a). The 40 intact Mae Nam Noi and late Angkorian-era ceramic jars... more
The Cardamom Mountain Jar and Coffin burial site of Phnom Khnang Peung is the most extensive example
of the distinctive burial ritual first reported by Beavan et al. (2012a). The 40 intact Mae Nam Noi and late Angkorian-era
ceramic jars used as burial vessels held a total of up to 152 individuals, representing the largest corpus of skeletal remains of
any of the 10 known Jar and Coffin burial sites that have been discovered in the eastern ranges of the Cardamom Mountains
of Cambodia. We report here on the radiocarbon dating of this site and notable burial phenomena, using a Bayesian approach
to model the start and end date of activity as well as its overall span. The results of the dating and Bayesian analyses indicate
that the Phnom Khnang Peung site’s earliest burials began cal AD 1420–1440 (95% probability). Interestingly, the concentration
of burial activity spans only 15–45 years (95% probability), despite the large number of inhumations at the site. The
14C chronology presented for the site places the Highland burial ritual coincident with a period of economic, political, and
societal transformations in the lowland Angkorian polity, but the unique burial practice and trade relationships evidenced by
the burial goods and maritime trade ware ceramics employed in the burial ritual suggest these Highland people were a culture
apart from Angkorian cultural influences.
of the distinctive burial ritual first reported by Beavan et al. (2012a). The 40 intact Mae Nam Noi and late Angkorian-era
ceramic jars used as burial vessels held a total of up to 152 individuals, representing the largest corpus of skeletal remains of
any of the 10 known Jar and Coffin burial sites that have been discovered in the eastern ranges of the Cardamom Mountains
of Cambodia. We report here on the radiocarbon dating of this site and notable burial phenomena, using a Bayesian approach
to model the start and end date of activity as well as its overall span. The results of the dating and Bayesian analyses indicate
that the Phnom Khnang Peung site’s earliest burials began cal AD 1420–1440 (95% probability). Interestingly, the concentration
of burial activity spans only 15–45 years (95% probability), despite the large number of inhumations at the site. The
14C chronology presented for the site places the Highland burial ritual coincident with a period of economic, political, and
societal transformations in the lowland Angkorian polity, but the unique burial practice and trade relationships evidenced by
the burial goods and maritime trade ware ceramics employed in the burial ritual suggest these Highland people were a culture
apart from Angkorian cultural influences.
Research Interests:
Alison Carter and Nancy Beavan. A variety of glass beads were encountered in jar burials dating to the 15th-17th centuries found on rock ledges in remote portions of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. These burials represent a... more
Alison Carter and Nancy Beavan.
A variety of glass beads were encountered in jar burials dating to the 15th-17th centuries found on rock ledges in remote portions of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. These burials represent a mortuary ritual in which defieshed bones, often from multiple individuals, were deposited in large ceramic jars predominantly from Thai kilns. Despite the isolated location, the jars and glass beads suggest that the people buried in the jars were active participants in exchange networks. The identification of different compositional types of glass beads can be related to possible trade networks with the lowlands and maritime Southeast Asia. Using ethnographic analogies with other upland communities in Southeast Asia, the authors also propose that the placement of beads in the jar burials may have been an important part of the mortuary ritual of the Cardamom Mountain people.
A variety of glass beads were encountered in jar burials dating to the 15th-17th centuries found on rock ledges in remote portions of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. These burials represent a mortuary ritual in which defieshed bones, often from multiple individuals, were deposited in large ceramic jars predominantly from Thai kilns. Despite the isolated location, the jars and glass beads suggest that the people buried in the jars were active participants in exchange networks. The identification of different compositional types of glass beads can be related to possible trade networks with the lowlands and maritime Southeast Asia. Using ethnographic analogies with other upland communities in Southeast Asia, the authors also propose that the placement of beads in the jar burials may have been an important part of the mortuary ritual of the Cardamom Mountain people.
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ABSTRACT.We present the first radiocarbon dates from previously unrecorded, secondary burials in the Cardamom Mountains,Cambodia. The mortuary ritual incorporates nautical tradeware ceramic jars and log coffins fashioned from locally... more
ABSTRACT.We present the first radiocarbon dates from previously unrecorded, secondary burials in the Cardamom Mountains,Cambodia. The mortuary ritual incorporates nautical tradeware ceramic jars and log coffins fashioned from locally harvested trees as burial containers, which were set out on exposed rock ledges at 10 sites in the eastern Cardamom Massif. The suite of 28 14C ages from 4 of these sites (Khnorng Sroal, Phnom Pel, Damnak Samdech, and Khnang Tathan) provides the first estimation of the overall time depth of the practice. The most reliable calendar date ranges from the 4 sites reveals a highland burial ritual unrelated to lowland Khmer culture that was practiced from cal AD 1395 to 1650. The time period is concurrent with the 15th century decline of Angkor as the capital of the Khmer kingdom and its demise about AD 1432, and the subsequent shift of power to new Mekong trade ports such as Phnom Penh, Udong, and Lovek. We discuss the Cardamom ritual relative to known funerary rituals of the pre- to post-Angkorian periods, and to similar exposed jar and coffin burial rituals
in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia
in Mainland and Island Southeast Asia
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The “Koh S’dech Shipwreck” was found by a local fishing trawler in February 2005 about 20 kilometres off the coast of Koh S’dech, Koh Kong province, Cambodia. Between 2005 and 2006, some 900 pieces of pottery consisting mainly of Maenam... more
The “Koh S’dech Shipwreck” was found by a local fishing trawler in February 2005 about 20 kilometres off the coast of Koh S’dech, Koh Kong province, Cambodia. Between 2005 and 2006, some 900 pieces of pottery consisting mainly of Maenam Noi (Singburi) storage jars of varying sizes, Sawankhalok, Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai ware were recovered. In November of 2011 the authors obtained permissions to examine the shipwreck cargo now stored in Koh Koh city, Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. Two woven-bamboo core lacquered vessels among the recovered ceramics cargo. This Field Note reports on the radiocarbon dating and lacquer analysis.
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by Alison Carter and Nancy Beavan. A variety of glass beads were encountered in jar burials dating to the 15-17th centuries found on rock ledges in remote portions of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. These burials represent a... more
by Alison Carter and Nancy Beavan. A variety of glass beads were encountered in jar burials dating to the 15-17th centuries found on rock ledges in remote portions of the Cardamom Mountains in southern Cambodia. These burials represent a mortuary ritual in which defleshed bone, often from multiple individuals, were deposited in large ceramic jars predominantly from Thai kilns. Despite the isolated location, the jars and glass beads suggest that the people buried in the jars were active participants in exchange networks. The identification of different compositional types of glass beads can be related to possible trade networks with the lowlands and maritime Southeast Asia. Using ethnographic analogies with other upland communities in Southeast Asia, the authors also propose that the placement of beads in the jar burials may have been an important part of the mortuary ritual of the Cardamom Mountain people.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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Richard N. Holdaway, Morten E. Allentoft, Christopher Jacomb, Charlotte L. Oskam,, Nancy R. Beavan, Michael Bunce New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by... more
Richard N. Holdaway, Morten E. Allentoft, Christopher Jacomb, Charlotte L. Oskam,, Nancy R. Beavan, Michael Bunce
New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by humans. New Zealand offers the best opportunity to estimate the number of people involved in a megafaunal extinction event because, uniquely, both the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and moa extinction are recent enough to be dated with a high degree of precision. In addition, the founding human population can be estimated from genetic evidence. Here we show that the Polynesian population of New Zealand would not have exceeded 2,000 individuals before extinction of moa populations in the habitable areas of the eastern South Island. During a brief (<150 years) period and at population densities that never exceeded ~0.01 km−2, Polynesians exterminated viable populations of moa by hunting and removal of habitat. High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction.
New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by humans. New Zealand offers the best opportunity to estimate the number of people involved in a megafaunal extinction event because, uniquely, both the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and moa extinction are recent enough to be dated with a high degree of precision. In addition, the founding human population can be estimated from genetic evidence. Here we show that the Polynesian population of New Zealand would not have exceeded 2,000 individuals before extinction of moa populations in the habitable areas of the eastern South Island. During a brief (<150 years) period and at population densities that never exceeded ~0.01 km−2, Polynesians exterminated viable populations of moa by hunting and removal of habitat. High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction.
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n 2007, based on direct radiocarbon dates, we presented evidence that chickens were introduced to Chile before Europeans first made contact with the New World. The pre-Columbian age of the chicken bones and their mtDNA affinities with... more
n 2007, based on direct radiocarbon dates, we presented evidence that chickens were introduced to Chile before Europeans first made contact with the New World. The pre-Columbian age of the chicken bones and their mtDNA affinities with one of two prehistoric Pacific chicken haplogroups (E) led us to conclude that Polynesia was the most likely origin for these pre-Columbian chickens. Subsequently, the mtDNA and radiocarbon evidence provided has been applied to a range of studies and occasionally reinterpreted. This has revealed issues related to the brevity of the initial report in 2007. Here, we provide a full discussion of the evidence, including the relevant archaeological, historical and biological information necessary to provide the context for interpreting genetic analyses and understanding their implications for addressing archaeological questions. We include a comprehensive analysis of the isotope data within a geographical and temporally relevant dataset to verify the pre-Columbian age of the El Arenal chickens. In addition, we provide longer DNA sequences obtained from some of the ancient Chilean chicken remains to address objections raised by critics and to demonstrate that longer sequences do not change the observed affinities of the mtDNA sequences, nor their interpretation. In this analysis, historical information is used to critically evaluate the results of phylogenetic analyses. This comprehensive approach demonstrates that the examination of modern chicken DNA sequences does not contribute to our understanding of the origins of Chile’s earliest chickens. Interpretations based on poorly sourced and documented modern chicken populations, divorced from the archaeological and historical evidence, do not withstand scrutiny. Instead, this expanded account will confirm the pre-Columbian age of the El Arenal remains and lend support to our original hypothesis that their appearance in South America is most likely due to Polynesian contact with the Americas in prehistory.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The publications by Storey et al. (2007, 2008a, 2008b) describing the discovery and radiocarbon dating of pre-Columbian chicken remains from the archaeological site of El Arenal-1 in south central Chile reinvigorated longstanding debates... more
The publications by Storey et al. (2007, 2008a, 2008b)
describing the discovery and radiocarbon dating of
pre-Columbian chicken remains from the archaeological
site of El Arenal-1 in south central Chile reinvigorated
longstanding debates about the presence of prehistoric
domestic chickens in the Americas. Some have questioned the
validity of the link between prehistoric Polynesian voyagers
and the pre-Columbian chickens of El Arenal-1, requesting
more details to verify the dates and the likely origin of the
introduction. In this paper we provide an expanded account
regarding the dating of the chicken remains from the site
of El Arenal-1 in order to reaffirm their authenticity. Their
prehistoric age established, we focus attention on a critical
reanalysis of arguments surrounding the source of the first
introductions of chickens to the Americas. These include
historic accounts and hypotheses developed as a result of
comparative morphology. Particular attention is focused on
assessing the utility of evidence from the study of physical
characteristics of both black-boned, black-meat chickens
and the phenotypic traits of the Araucana (Gallus inauris)
breed to support pre-Columbian introductions. As a result,
we reinforce the previous hypothesis that a pre-Columbian
introduction of chickens from Polynesia is the most
parsimonious explanation for the available evidence.
describing the discovery and radiocarbon dating of
pre-Columbian chicken remains from the archaeological
site of El Arenal-1 in south central Chile reinvigorated
longstanding debates about the presence of prehistoric
domestic chickens in the Americas. Some have questioned the
validity of the link between prehistoric Polynesian voyagers
and the pre-Columbian chickens of El Arenal-1, requesting
more details to verify the dates and the likely origin of the
introduction. In this paper we provide an expanded account
regarding the dating of the chicken remains from the site
of El Arenal-1 in order to reaffirm their authenticity. Their
prehistoric age established, we focus attention on a critical
reanalysis of arguments surrounding the source of the first
introductions of chickens to the Americas. These include
historic accounts and hypotheses developed as a result of
comparative morphology. Particular attention is focused on
assessing the utility of evidence from the study of physical
characteristics of both black-boned, black-meat chickens
and the phenotypic traits of the Araucana (Gallus inauris)
breed to support pre-Columbian introductions. As a result,
we reinforce the previous hypothesis that a pre-Columbian
introduction of chickens from Polynesia is the most
parsimonious explanation for the available evidence.
Research Interests:
We present a study of the Montelirio tholos chronology based on 22 radiocarbon dates and their formal modelling through Bayesian statistics. After careful consideration of the limitations and problems inherent to each of the available 14... more
We present a study of the Montelirio tholos chronology based on 22 radiocarbon dates and their formal modelling through Bayesian statistics. After careful consideration of the limitations and problems inherent to each of the available 14 C dates, two alternative models of the temporality of this great megalithic monument are presented. The results suggest that Montelirio was built some time between the end of the 29 th and the end of the 28 th centuries cal BC, and that burial activity inside it may have taken place either as a result of a single event or as the product of various events in close temporal proximity (perhaps through a few decades). The discussion of these results includes references to the results of an extensive study of the chronology of Valencina de la Concepción, currently in press (García Sanjuán et al., In Press) in terms of the temporality of this large Copper Age settlement and the position of Montelirio in it.