Recent/Popular Papers by Peter Hommel
Kratkie Soobshcheniya Institut Arkheologii, 2019
by Dorian Q Fuller, Lisa Janz, Maria Marta Sampietro, Philip I. Buckland, Agustín A Diez Castillo, Ciler Cilingiroglu, Gary Feinman, Peter Hiscock, Peter Hommel, Maureece Levin, Henrik B Lindskoug, Scott Macrae, John M. Marston, Alicia R Ventresca-Miller, Ayushi Nayak, Tanya M Peres, Lucas Proctor, Steve Renette, Gwen Robbins Schug, Peter Schmidt, Oula Seitsonen, Arkadiusz Sołtysiak, Robert Spengler, Sean Ulm, David Wright, and Muhammad Zahir Science, 2019
Environmentally transformative human use of land accelerated with the emergence of 5 agriculture,... more Environmentally transformative human use of land accelerated with the emergence of 5 agriculture, but the extent, trajectory, and implications of these early changes are not well understood. An empirical global assessment of land use from 10,000 BP to 1850 CE reveals a planet largely transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists by 3,000 years ago, significantly earlier than land-use reconstructions commonly used by Earth scientists. Synthesis of knowledge contributed by over 250 archaeologists highlighted gaps in archaeological 10 expertise and data quality, which peaked at 2000 BP and in traditionally studied and wealthier regions. Archaeological reconstruction of global land-use history illuminates the deep roots of Earth's transformation through millennia of increasingly intensive land use, challenging the emerging Anthropocene paradigm that anthropogenic global environmental change is mostly recent. 15 One Sentence Summary: A map of synthesized archaeological knowledge on land use reveals a planet transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists by 3,000 years ago.
Authors not found on Academia:
Torben Rick, Tim Denham, Jonathan Driver, Heather Thakar, Amber L. Johnson, R. Alan Covey, Jason Herrmann, Carrie Hritz, Catherine Kearns, Dan Lawrence, Michael Morrison, Robert J. Speakman, Martina L. Steffen, Keir M. Strickland, M. Cemre Ustunkaya, Jeremy Powell, Alexa Thornton.
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2017
The analysis and interpretation of the chemical composition of copper-alloys is one of the longes... more The analysis and interpretation of the chemical composition of copper-alloys is one of the longest ongoing research projects within archaeological science. Beginning in the late 18th century these data have been consistently used to try and link objects with distinct metal sources. This paper argues the traditional provenance model for copper alloys is fatally flawed. Through pursuing a ‘pure’ source signal, chemical and isotopic datasets have been removed from their context and history. Social engagement with metal through processes such as reuse, recycling, and curation were rarely considered important by analysts. We offer an alternative model that unites the available legacy scientific datasets with process-metallurgy, archaeological and geographical context, and new conceptual approaches. Rather than provenance, we offer an empirical model of metal flow. Here objects are seen as snapshots of a wider metal stream; their final scientific characterisation including echoes of their previous forms and contexts. Through a series of case studies we highlight how the reinterpretation of existing datasets can disentangle the complex life histories of units of copper.
Where did pottery first appear in the Old World? Statistical modelling of radiocarbon dates sugge... more Where did pottery first appear in the Old World? Statistical modelling of radiocarbon dates suggests that ceramic technology had independent origins in two different hunter-gatherer societies. Regression models were used to estimate average rates of spread and geographical dispersal of the new technology. The models confirm independent origins in East Asia (c. 16 000 BP) and North Africa (c. 12 000BP). The North African tradition may have later influenced the emergence of Near Eastern pottery, which then flowed west into Mediterranean Europe as part of a Western Neolithic, closely associated with the uptake of farming.
Izvestiya Laboratorii Drevnykh Tekhnologiy, 2017
This paper presents the initial results of a new phase of absolute dating at Ust'-Karenga. Three ... more This paper presents the initial results of a new phase of absolute dating at Ust'-Karenga. Three Optically-Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dates were obtained on quartz grains extracted from Ust'-Karenga type ceramic sherds from Layers 4, 6 and 7 at Ust'-Karenga XII. These dates are used to test the reliability of the existing radiocarbon sequence and evaluate counter claims that sought to reject early dates for ceramics in the Transbaikal on the basis of a putative carbon cycle anomaly in the Transbaikal region. Our results strongly uphold the excavator's original interpretation of the site and independently confirm both the Late Pleistocene age and the long duration of the Ust'-Karenga pottery phase. The paper demonstrates the value of using independent absolute dating methods to test contested radiocarbon chronologies.
Analytical Chemistry, 2018
The extraction and study of organic residues from ceramics has been a subject of interest for the... more The extraction and study of organic residues from ceramics has been a subject of interest for the last 50 years in archeology and archeological science. Lipids are among the best-preserved organic substances in archeological contexts and can provide information about the diets of ancient populations as well as past environments. Here, we present a method which demonstrates significantly improved extraction of lipids from archeological pots by replacing liquid organic solvents with supercritical fluids. Optimization of the procedure using response surface methodology (RSM) approach showed that, on our system, optimal conditions for supercritical extraction of lipids from synthetic fired clay ceramics could be achieved using carbon dioxide with 16 vol % of cosolvent EtOH−H 2 O (95:5 v/ v) in 90 min at a flow rate of 2.3 mL/min, for a pressure of 30 MPa and a temperature of 50 °C. For all reference and archeological samples included in this study, lipid yields obtained by supercritical fluid extraction under these optimal conditions were systematically higher than by conventional solvent extraction. This study also highlighted a variability of the ratio of unsaturated versus saturated fatty acids depending on the extraction method. This can have important implications in the identification of the residue(s). The increased extraction efficiency provided by supercritical fluids, as well as their minimally destructive nature, enable new and refined approaches to residue analysis and dating of archeological ceramics. A rchaeological investigations of lives and lifestyles of human populations in the past are based, almost exclusively, on studies of material remains such as stone tools, ceramic vessels, glass or metal artifacts, textiles, and other organic substances (i.e., bone, wood, charcoal, seeds). Archaeologists have always relied on scientific methods to enrich their interpretations of these remains, and over the last few decades, techniques to characterize organic substances at a molecular level have improved dramatically. This trend is seen clearly in the ever-expanding application of analytical techniques based on the use of chromatography and mass spectrometry (e.g., high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS)). 1 Although these techniques have many applications in archeological science, the most common relates to the question of ancient diet and the analysis of ancient food residues preserved within the fabric of ceramic containers. 2−4 To exploit this valuable source of information, scientists conventionally pulverize fragments of pottery and apply a combination of liquid organic solvents such as chloroform or dichloromethane and methanol. Other approaches using chemical reagents (e.g. acidified methanol) have also been explored. 5 The extracted residue is then characterized by GC/MS or GC-C-IRMS. 4 This is a time-consuming process which requires toxic solvents and is also destructive as the sherd needs to be crushed to increase the surface interface between ceramic and solvent. Over the last few decades, the field of analytical chemistry has seen substantial transformations such as with the development and application of new instrumentation using supercritical fluids (SFs) for extraction and chromatographic separation (SFE and SFC, respectively). In the field of archeological science, the use of supercritical fluids has not yet been fully
Books and Edited Volumes by Peter Hommel
Art in the Eurasian Iron Age, 2019
Since early discoveries of so-called Celtic Art during the 19th century, archaeologists have muse... more Since early discoveries of so-called Celtic Art during the 19th century, archaeologists have mused on the origins of this major art tradition, which emerged in Europe around 500 BC. Classical influence has often been cited as the main impetus for this new and distinctive way of decorating, but although Classical and Celtic Art share certain motifs, many of the design principles behind the two styles differ fundamentally. Instead, the idea that Celtic Art shares its essential forms and themes of transformation and animism with Iron Age art from across nor thern Eurasia has recently gained currency, partly thanks to a move away from the study of motifs in prehistoric art and towards considerations of the contexts in which they appear. This volume explores Iron Age art at different scales and specifically considers the long-distance connections, mutual influences and shared ' ways of seeing' that link Celtic Art to other art traditions across northern Eurasia. It brings together 13 papers on varied subjects such as animal and human imagery, technologies of production and the design theory behind Iron Age a t, balancing pan-Eurasian scale commentary with regional and site scale studies and detailed analyses of individual objects, as well as introductory and summary papers. This multi-scalar approach allows connections to be made across wide geographical areas, whilst maintaining the detail required to carry out sensitive studies of objects.
ISBN: 9781789253948
Journal Articles by Peter Hommel
Early Iron Age pastoralists of the Eurasian steppes relied heavily on copper for weapons and orna... more Early Iron Age pastoralists of the Eurasian steppes relied heavily on copper for weapons and ornaments, and new analysis of metal composition enables long-distance networks to be identified. Primary circulation from source areas where copper was mined can be distinguished alongside the secondary circulation of alloy types with high proportions of tin-bronze or leaded tin-bronze. The relative presence of trace elements, depleted during recycling events, provides a proxy for the flow of metal between regions. The localised seasonal movements characteristic of these mobile steppe societies underlie some of these patterns, but the evidence also indicates more extensive transfers, including the direct movement of finished objects over considerable distances.
Antiquity, 2017
POLLARD, A.M., P.J. BRAY, P. N. HOMMEL, Y-K. HSU, R. LIU, & J. RAWSON. In press. Bronze Age Metal... more POLLARD, A.M., P.J. BRAY, P. N. HOMMEL, Y-K. HSU, R. LIU, & J. RAWSON. In press. Bronze Age Metal Circulation in China. Antiquity, accepted for publication on 6th Aug 2016.
Archaeological Research in Asia, 2015
In: E. Sibbesson, B. Jervis and S. Coxon (eds.) Insights from Innovation: New Light on Archaeological Ceramics. Papers Presented in Honour of Professor David Peacock's Contributions to Archaeological Ceramic Studies, Highfield Press, 1-18, 2016
Antiquity Project Gallery Issue 349 (February 2016)
Vestnik Mezhdunarodnogo Tsentra Aziatskikh Issledovanii 14, 2008
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Recent/Popular Papers by Peter Hommel
Authors not found on Academia:
Torben Rick, Tim Denham, Jonathan Driver, Heather Thakar, Amber L. Johnson, R. Alan Covey, Jason Herrmann, Carrie Hritz, Catherine Kearns, Dan Lawrence, Michael Morrison, Robert J. Speakman, Martina L. Steffen, Keir M. Strickland, M. Cemre Ustunkaya, Jeremy Powell, Alexa Thornton.
Books and Edited Volumes by Peter Hommel
ISBN: 9781789253948
Journal Articles by Peter Hommel
Authors not found on Academia:
Torben Rick, Tim Denham, Jonathan Driver, Heather Thakar, Amber L. Johnson, R. Alan Covey, Jason Herrmann, Carrie Hritz, Catherine Kearns, Dan Lawrence, Michael Morrison, Robert J. Speakman, Martina L. Steffen, Keir M. Strickland, M. Cemre Ustunkaya, Jeremy Powell, Alexa Thornton.
ISBN: 9781789253948
ISBN: 9781789252019
ISBN: 9781789253948
ISBN: 9781789253948
This session aims to bring together papers focusing on art from later prehistory. It will include both portable and parietal art created on or in a variety of materials. This session will specifically focus on the importance of archaeological context and examine how these can better inform our understandings of the significance of prehistoric art and its functions in society. It will ask what prehistoric art is, what it means, what it does and how it is enfolded into complex social relationships in both the past and present. A key objective of the session will be to showcase and share different interpretive methodologies across regional/disciplinary boundaries.
The main part of the day was aimed at families with young children, with a smaller evening event aimed at adults (young adults (16–21), in particular).
The event was funded by a grant secured from the University of Oxford Public Engagement Seed Fund. However, significant in-kind funding, including copyright permissions for character image rights, was secured through partnerships with Aardman Animations and Studiocanal. Much of the fuel for the smelting event was provided free of charge from sustainable sources by the Oxford Charcoal Company.
The events were based around the production of metal and the significance of recycling—challenging visitors to think differently about presumed relationships between technology, magic, art, science and society.
We created:
• a sensory ‘mine experience’ for young kids, with dark tunnels and underground soundscapes (developed from an original concept trialled in a project led by Dr R. Doonan in Sheffield in 2009).
• handling sessions and experiments (properties of ores and metals) and the history of archaeometallurgy.
• a mini-exhibition: recycling, past and present.
• a full-scale reconstruction of copper production (with talks and activities to tie the event together).
1,603 recorded visitors. Audiences of 20–50 visitors at smelting talks—67% of engaged visitors were family groups, only 3% were young adults outside family groups. 244 children participated in all our activities within the museum (and won one of the prizes donated by Aardman Animations and/or a project pencil!).
Working with the Pitt Rivers Museum (Andrew McLellan and Jozie Kettle) we presented:
• a mini-exhibition to show how different communities sought to represent their world. This provided the backdrop for informal lectures, aimed at older children and adults as well as a drawing workshop to celebrate alternative ways of seeing.
• videos developed to show-case aspects of Dr John Talbot's research on later Iron Age coins.
• handling sessions and drop-in craft workshops on symmetry, asymmetry and reflections.
• interactive demonstration of ‘celtic’ coin and Scythian plaque production (with Dr. A. Loboda) to show how the properties of different materials enabled the reproduction of images.
1,887 recorded visitors. Consistent presence of 2–15 visitors at our interactive demonstrations. 238 coins, were struck with the help of (mostly) young visitors who took them as souvenirs.
The aim of the piece was to consider the early history of facial grooming, a broad chronological sweep from Neolithic razors to Turkic Balbals. We tried to focus on evidence from so-called 'barbarian' societies rather than the usual Greek, Roman and Egyptian suspects!
This is not a traditional academic paper, and needs to be viewed online.