The Große Ofnet Cave near Holheim on the edge of the Nördlinger Ries is well known for the discov... more The Große Ofnet Cave near Holheim on the edge of the Nördlinger Ries is well known for the discovery of two Mesolithic 'skull nests' during Robert Rudolf Schmidt's 1907 and 1908 excavations. Thirty-two years earlier, in 1875, Oscar Friedrich von Fraas excavated the site and discovered flint artefacts, as well as faunal and human skeletal remains. In this study, we reinvestigate hitherto understudied fragments stored in the Osteological Collection at the University of Tübingen (Tübingen Inv. No. 4043) found during Fraas' excavations. Radiocarbon dating places them at approximately 8390-8195 cal BP or 6440-6245 cal BC, confirming their association with the 'skull nests' at Große Ofnet. The precise dating of the skeletal remains brings up the long-standing question of whether the 'skull nests' represent a single event or an enduring mortuary practice. Ongoing research using AMS radiocarbon dating on a larger series of skulls from the site aims to shed further light on this matter. The bone fragments housed in the Osteological Collection at Tübingen therefore contribute substantially to our understanding of the history and significance of the finds at Große Ofnet.
Direct physical evidence for violent interpersonal conflict is seen only sporadically in the arch... more Direct physical evidence for violent interpersonal conflict is seen only sporadically in the archaeological record for prehistoric Britain. Human remains from Charterhouse Warren, southwest England, therefore present a unique opportunity for the study of mass violence in the Early Bronze Age. At least 37 men, women and children were killed and butchered, their disarticulated remains thrown into a 15m-deep natural shaft in what is, most plausibly, interpreted as a single event. The authors examine the physical remains and debate the societal tensions that could motivate a level and scale of violence that is unprecedented in British prehistory.
In this paper we summarise the available human radiocarbon dates and stable carbon (δ13C) and nit... more In this paper we summarise the available human radiocarbon dates and stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data for the Mesolithic of Northern Spain. This reinforces a strong division between inland and coastal locations, with the two separated by a distance of as little as ca. 10 km. There is considerable time depth to this division, which appears to exist from at least the second half of the eighth millennium BC, representing the region’s earliest Holocene human results. We also present new δ13C and δ15N data for terrestrial fauna from the inland site of Los Canes, as well as for a small number of marine and estuarine fish species from coastal sites.
This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer... more This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer review process and editorial aspects up to the point of acceptance.
Abstract: The genetically attested migrations of the third
millennium BC have made the origins an... more Abstract: The genetically attested migrations of the third millennium BC have made the origins and nature of the Yamnaya culture a question of broad relevance across northern Eurasia. But none of the key archaeological sites most important for understanding the evolution of Yamnaya culture is published in western languages. These key sites include the fifth-millennium BC Khvalynsk cemetery in the middle Volga steppes. When the first part of the Eneolithic cemetery (Khvalynsk I) was discovered in 1977–1979, the graves displayed many material and ritual traits that were quickly recognized as similar and probably ancestral to Yamnaya customs, but without the Yamnaya kurgans. With the discovery of a second burial plot (Khvalynsk II) 120 m to the south in 1987–1988, Khvalynsk became the largest excavated Eneolithic cemetery in the Don-Volga-Ural steppes (201 recorded graves), dated about 4500–4300 BCE. It has the largest copper assemblage of the fifth millennium BC in the steppes (373 objects) and the largest assemblage of sacrificed domesticated animals (at least 106 sheep-goat, 29 cattle, and 16 horses); and it produced four polished stone maces from well-documented grave contexts. The human skeletons have been sampled extensively for ancient DNA, the basis for an analysis of family relationships. This report compiles information from the relevant Russian-language publications and from the archaeologists who excavated the site, two of whom are co-authors, about the history of excavations, radiocarbon dates, copper finds, domesticated animal sacrifices, polished stone maces, genetic and skeletal studies, and relationships with other steppe cultures as well as agricultural cultures of the North Caucasus (Svobodnoe-Meshoko) and southeastern Europe (Varna and Cucuteni-Tripol’ye B1). Khvalynsk is described as a coalescent culture, integrating and combining northern and southern elements, a hybrid that can be recognized genetically, in cranio-facial types, in exchanged artifacts, and in social segments within the cemetery. Stone maces symbolized the unification and integration of socially defined segments at Khvalynsk.
Das äneolithische Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk an der Wolga. Mittels genetischer Untersuchungen bestätigte Wanderungen des dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr. zeigen, wie relevant Forschungen zu den Ursprüngen und dem Wesen der Yamnaya-Kultur im nordeurasischen Raum tatsächlich sind. Bislang wurde keine der wichtigsten archäologischen Stätten, die für das Verständnis der Entwicklung der Yamnaya-Kultur von Bedeutung sind, in westlichen Sprachen veröffentlicht. Zu diesen Fundplätzen gehört etwa das in der mittleren Wolga-Steppe gelegene und in das 5. Jahrtausend v. Chr. datierende Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk. Als 1977-1979 der erste Teil des äneolithischen Friedhofs (Khvalynsk I) entdeckt wurde, zeigten die Gräber viele materielle und rituelle Merkmale, die rasch den Yamnaya-Bräuchen zugerechnet wurden, wobei jedoch die ansonsten für die Yamnaya-Kultur typischen Kurgane fehlten. Mit der Entdeckung eines 120 m südlich gelegenen zweiten Gräberfeldes (Khvalynsk II) in den Jahren 1987-1988 wurde Khvalynsk zum größten ergegrabenen äneolithischen Friedhof in der Don-Wolga-Ural-Steppe
The relationship between infant and child feeding practices and early mortality is difficult to a... more The relationship between infant and child feeding practices and early mortality is difficult to address in past societies. Here, stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements of bulk bone and sequential dentine samples of deciduous second and/or permanent first molars of four younger children, one older child, one late adolescent, and two young adults (n = 8) from Moro de Alins cave, north-eastern Iberia, are used to explore the potential impact of early-life nutrition on mortality in the Bronze Age. Isotope results are compatible with generally short exclusive breastfeeding and standard weaning periods compared to other pre-modern populations. However, there are differences in exclusive breastfeeding mean δ13C values and in Δ13C trophic shifts between exclusive breastfeeding and immediate post-weaning isotope values for those individuals who survived into adolescence and adulthood and those who did not. While the former seem to be consistent with trophic distances published for modern mother–infant pairs, the latter are above most of them. This may suggest that individuals who consumed similar foods to their mothers or suffered from less physiological stress during or after weaning had greater chances of survival during early childhood and beyond. Post-weaning seems to have been a particularly stressful period of life, where a number of instances of patterns of opposing isotopic covariance compatible with catabolic changes, often preceding death among non-survivors, are detected. This outcome shows the key role of nutritional and/or physiological status in early-life morbidity and mortality among partially and especially fully weaned children from pre-antibiotic, pre-vaccination, and poor sanitation contexts and proposes that adult survival is rooted in early life experiences, in keeping with the developmental origins of health and disease.
The insufficient attention traditionally paid to the complex mortuary biographies of megalithic g... more The insufficient attention traditionally paid to the complex mortuary biographies of megalithic graves has long obscured a significant amount of synchronic and diachronic information. The Rioja Alavesa region of northcentral Iberia holds a number of megalithic graves with large skeletal assemblages that can generally be ordered by internal stratigraphy and/or relatively fine-grained radiocarbon chronologies, providing a rare opportunity to assess the potential of such information. Here, we undertake stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of 125 human and seven animal bone collagen samples from six late prehistoric megalithic graves (La Cascaja, El Sotillo, San Martín, Alto de la Huesera, Chabola de la Hechicera and Longar) which, together with 107 previously published Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (ca. 3600-2900 BC) bone collagen samples (100 humans and six animals) from the same tombs, are used to explore subsistence trends over time. This approach provides a means to address the socio-economic response of northern Iberian megalithic communities to the cultural and climatic changes occurring in late prehistory. Isotopic data are contextualized using palaeoenvironmental and osteoarchaeological information. The results show a significant shift in diet between the late Middle Neolithic and the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic that coincides with marked changes in burial practices that are likely related to the transition from mainly pastoral to mixed farming economies. There may also be a change in subsistence between the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic and the following periods, suggested by differences in δ15N values between the layers of the Alto de la Huesera megalithic grave, as well as in population and funerary dynamics. By contrast, an apparent continuity in subsistence is seen, at least isotopically, from the Middle Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age, despite clear changes in beliefs and socio-economic practices. These findings support the existence of substantial asynchronous changes in lifeways and ideology among Iberian megalithic groups and challenge the traditional idea of a long and uniform stability in late prehistoric northern Iberia.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2007
The extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) was a large type of cattle that ranged over alm... more The extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) was a large type of cattle that ranged over almost the whole Eurasian continent. The aurochs is the wild progenitor of modern cattle, but it is unclear whether European aurochs contributed to this process. To provide new insights into the demographic history of aurochs and domestic cattle, we have generated high-confidence mitochondrial DNA sequences from 59 archaeological skeletal finds, which were attributed to wild European cattle populations based on their chronological date and/or morphology. All pre-Neolithic aurochs belonged to the previously designated P haplogroup, indicating that this represents the Late Glacial Central European signature. We also report one new and highly divergent haplotype in a Neolithic aurochs sample from Germany, which points to greater variability during the Pleistocene. Furthermore, the Neolithic and Bronze Age samples that were classified with confidence as European aurochs using morphological crit...
Objectives: We report here a stingray spine (Dasyatidae) found embedded in the femur of a male sk... more Objectives: We report here a stingray spine (Dasyatidae) found embedded in the femur of a male skeleton from the archaeological site of Uedomari-5, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan. Materials: A single well-preserved but incomplete human skeleton. Methods: Macroscopic observation and low power magnification, CT imaging, radiocarbon dating and stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen) analysis. Results: The stingray spine is tentatively identified as Bathytoshia brevicaudata. CT imaging shows no healing, indicating that death occurred shortly afterwards. The skeleton has been directly radiocarbon dated to the Okhotsk period (cal AD 429–827), with δ13C (-13.7‰) and δ15N (19.3‰) values indicating a diet focused on marine foods. Conclusions: The absence of healing in what would have been a non-lethal injury strongly suggests that the spine tipped an arrowhead, rather than being the result of an accidental encounter with a living stingray. It is possible that the injury reflects a period of increased conflict coinciding with, or following on from, the expansion of the Okhotsk culture from Sakhalin into northern Hokkaido. Significance: Uedomari-5 provides the first example, to our knowledge, of a stingray spine directly embedded in human bone at an archaeological site. More widely, the finding contributes to our knowledge of conflict in northern hunter-gatherer communities.
Abstract Objectives Recent histotaphonomic studies have focused on the presence of features thoug... more Abstract Objectives Recent histotaphonomic studies have focused on the presence of features thought to be caused either by bacteria (microscopic focal destruction/MFD and cyanobacterial tunnelling) or fungal (Wedl tunnelling types 1 and 2) attack on unburnt bone. Identifying these characteristics on burnt bones could indicate the state of decomposition before burning, with important repercussions for both archaeological and forensic contexts. Materials and Methods Fleshed pig (Sus scrofa, N = 25) tibiae were left exposed on a field, then collected at 14-, 34-, 91-, 180-, 365-day intervals before being burnt in an outdoor fire (≤750 °C). Fresh (fleshed) legs (N = 10) acted as unburnt and burnt controls. Thin sections were examined using transmitted light microscopy and backscattered scanning electron microscopy. Diagenetic traits were quantitatively and systematically assessed by a novel data labelling application developed for this study. Results Features meeting the published characteristics of microbial bioerosion (‘Wedl tunnelling’, ‘lamellate’ and ‘budded MFD’) were significantly correlated with time since deposition on the unburnt bones. Only budded MFD increased significantly over time in the burnt groups. However, the presence features meeting the published characteristics of Wedl 2 tunnelling were present on the fresh burnt bones, indicating that they are an artefact. Discussion The presence of many features seemingly indistinguishable from those caused by bioerosion on the freshly burnt control bones suggests that burning is not only able to conceal features thought to be the result of bioerosion but can produce them as well. Thus, such features are not a reliable indication of bioerosion. Budded MFD may be a viable indicator but more research is required.
Abstract The limestone islands of the Bahamian archipelago provide a challenging environment for ... more Abstract The limestone islands of the Bahamian archipelago provide a challenging environment for human settlement, one that was not taken up until after AD 700. The analysis of human skeletal remains offers new insights into how this challenge was met. A substantial program of AMS 14C dating on pre-Columbian humans (n = 66) provides a robust chronological framework for the period ca. AD 1000–1600, with the latter date suggesting the possible persistence of an indigenous Lucayan presence on the islands for some decades later than previously thought. Associated stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses imply an early focus on near-shore marine resources that seems to have rapidly led to their local over-exploitation, resulting in a shift towards horticulture based mainly on root crops. The Medieval Warm Period is very likely to have been a factor in the initial settlement of the islands; the impact of the Little Ice Age is less clear, with no marked changes in either δ13C or δ15N. Strontium isotope results are consistent with an origin of most individuals within the archipelago, with a limited (but potentially important for maintaining connections) presence of incomers from the Greater Antilles, and perhaps even further afield. Despite the relatively short history of pre-Columbian occupation, Lucayan adaptations to the Bahamian archipelago were dynamic and demonstrate resilience in the face of both human resource depletion and climate change.
The results are presented of a new program of radiocarbon dating undertaken on 88 human skeletons... more The results are presented of a new program of radiocarbon dating undertaken on 88 human skeletons. The individuals derived from Eneolithic to Early Iron Age sites—Afanasievo, Okunevo, Andronovo (Fedorovo), Karasuk, and Tagar cultures—in the Minusinsk Basin of Southern Siberia. All the new dates have been acquired from human bone, which is in contrast to some of the previous dates for this region obtained from wood and thus possibly unreliable due to old-wood effects or re-use of the timber. The new data are compared with the existing 14C chronology for the region, thereby enabling a clearer understanding to be gained concerning the chronology of these cultures and their place within the prehistory of the Eurasian steppes.
Rationale: Embedding resins are commonly used to facilitate high resolution sampling for stable i... more Rationale: Embedding resins are commonly used to facilitate high resolution sampling for stable isotope analysis but anomalous δ 13 C values have been observed in some cases. Here we compare the results of microsampling strategies for hand-drilled versus resin-embedded micromilled samples from the same marine shells to assess whether resin contamination is implicated in δ 13 C spikes. The comparison allows assessment of the relative benefits for spatial resolution, seasonal range for both δ 18 O and δ 13 C, and sample failure rates. Methods: Hand drilled samples were obtained from two bivalve shells (Spisula sachalinensis), corresponding to micromilled samples on the same shells where high δ 13 C spikes were observed. All carbonate powders were analysed using a dual inlet Isoprime mass spectrometer and Multiprep device. Results from both sample sets were compared statistically. Results: No anomalous high δ 13 C values and no failures due to insufficient gas were observed in the hand drilled samples in contrast to the embedded micro-milled sequences. Spatial resolution was reduced (~2.5x) in the former compared to the latter, resulting in a small reduction of the total range observed in the micromilled δ 13 C and δ 18 O values. Reduced sampling resolution between the two datasets was only significant for δ 18 O. Conclusions: For S. sachalinensis (as with other similar bivalves), rapid growth mitigates the reduced sampling resolution of hand drilling and does not significantly impact observed isotopic range and seasonal patterning. Occurrence of anomalous δ 13 C values were eliminated and failure rates due to insufficient sample size greatly reduced in the hand-drilled dataset. We can find no other explanation for the occurrence of δ 13 C spikes than contamination by the embedding agent. We conclude that the logistical and interpretational benefits of careful hand drilling may be preferable to resin embedding for micromilling in marine shells, corals or speleothems where growth rate is rapid and the highest resolution is not required.
Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are commonly used in archeological and forensic studies t... more Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are commonly used in archeological and forensic studies to assess if humans and fauna are local to the place they were found or not. This approach is largely unexplored for wooden artifacts recovered in archeological contexts, as wood-in the rare instances it does survive-is often poorly preserved. One of the most common ways wood is preserved is through the anoxic conditions found in waterlogged contexts. A more unusual form of preservation is through submergence in natural pitch. These depositional media contribute their own strontium values to the in vivo 87 Sr/ 86 Sr wood values, which needs to be removed prior to analysis. Here we test several pre-treatment methods to remove potential strontium contamination from wood samples that were artificially immersed in seawater and pitch from Trinidad's Pitch Lake. Water rinses and acid-leaching tests were carried out with hydrochloric acid and acetic acid to remove exogenous strontium from experimentally waterlogged wood. These tests removed large amounts of strontium from the samples and did not enable the recovery of the endogenous 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signal. For samples artificially immersed in pitch, the pre-treatments tested were based on radiocarbon dating procedures and carried out with and without the aqueous-based acid-base-acid (ABA) step. The use of organic solvents alone (methanol and toluene) removed exogenous strontium originating from the pitch. However, the ABA step eliminates large amounts of in vivo strontium from the samples. These tests show that 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of wood are altered by the presence of pitch and water. With adequate pre-treatment using exclusively organic solvents, it may be possible to remove this contamination for samples immersed in pitch. However, the aqueous-based ABA pre-treatment should be avoided. The removal of contamination from waterlogged samples was unsuccessful with the current pre-treatment protocols and more research is needed. More importantly, and unexpectedly, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values may Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | www.frontiersin.org 1 January 2021 | Volume 8 | Article 589154
A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275-1294) used the Bayesian modelling ... more A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275-1294) used the Bayesian modelling software package FRUITS (Fernandes et al. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(2): e87436) to argue that Neolithic individuals from Carding Mill Bay on the west coast of Scotland obtained up to ca. 21% dietary protein from marine sources. This is in contrast to previous interpretations of the same isotopic (d13C and d15N) data, which concluded that these individuals showed little if any use of marine resources (Schulting and Richards 2002, European Journal of Archaeology 5(2): 147-189). Resolving this discrepancy is important for our understanding of the nature of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition not only on the west coast of Scotland, but along all of Atlantic Europe, since similar isotopic results to those obtained at Carding Mill Bay are widespread throughout the Neolithic and indeed later periods. We suggest that greater caution needs to be excercised in the interpretation of the output of Bayesian palaeodietary modelling, which can be very useful heuristically, but should not always be taken at face value. Given the large number of parameters employed in such models (diet isotopic values and nutrient concentrations, trophic level and tissue fractionations, etc.) and the uncertainty involved in almost all of them, a wide range of outcomes are possible, as we demonstrate in this paper. We reaffirm the overwhelmingly terrestrial nature of diet at Carding Mill Bay both through FRUITS modelling and through the new application of compound-specific d13C analysis of single amino acids of humans and fauna from the site.
Postmortem chemical transformation of bone bioapatite can take place during early diagenesis resu... more Postmortem chemical transformation of bone bioapatite can take place during early diagenesis resulting in a more thermodynamically stable mineral phase. This paper examines the impact of a 1-year postmortem interval on unburnt and burnt bone’s structural and chemical alterations. This question is of importance for the reconstruction of funerary practices involving cremation in the archaeological record, as well as forensic anthropological investigations. Fleshed pig (Sus scrofa) tibiae were left exposed in a field, then collected at 14, 34, 91, 180, 365-day intervals prior to being burnt in an outdoor fire (≤750 °C bone temperature). Fresh (fleshed) tibiae acted as unburnt and burnt controls. Also included in the study were two cremated human bone fragments from Middle/Late Neolithic (ca. 3300–2500 cal BC) Ireland. Samples were analysed for major and trace elements by wavelength dispersive electron microprobe analyser (EMP-WDS) and molecular structures by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Linear regression, PCA, LDA, and MANOVA were performed for statistical analysis. Results indicate that the concentrations of elements associated with extracellular fluid (K, Na, Cl) change with the postmortem interval (PMI) and survive burning. K values under 0.07 ± 0.01 wt% in inner and mid-cortical zones of burnt bones suggest that bones were not burnt immediately after death. Using this criterion, results from the archaeological samples would indicate a PMI of at least weeks to months prior to cremation. Ca, P, Fe, Al, Si, and Sr are not significantly altered with burning, and Fe, Al, Si, Sr are also unaffected by the PMI. In unburnt bones increased crystallinity and carbonate loss are detectable in <1 year, but both are obscured by burning. Structurally, the carbonate to phosphate ratio (C/P), the phosphate high temperature (PHT), and cyanamide to phosphate (CN/P) are the most useful ratios for discriminating between unburnt and burnt bones.
The roles of migration, admixture and acculturation in the European transition to farming have be... more The roles of migration, admixture and acculturation in the European transition to farming have been debated for over 100 years. Genome-wide ancient DNA studies indicate predominantly Aegean ancestry for continental Neolithic farmers, but also variable admixture with local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Neolithic cultures first appear in Britain ca. 4000 BCE, a millennium after they appear in adjacent areas of continental Europe. The pattern and process of this delayed British Neolithic transition remains unclear. We assembled genome-wide data from six Mesolithic and 67 Neolithic individuals found in Britain, dating from 8500-2500 BCE. Our analyses reveal persistent genetic affinities between Mesolithic British and Western European hunter-gatherers. We find overwhelming support for agriculture being introduced to Britain by incoming continental farmers, with small, geographically-structured levels of hunter-gatherer ancestry. Unlike other European Neolithic populations, we detect no resurgence of hunter-gatherer ancestry at any time during the Neolithic in Britain. Genetic affinities with Iberian Neolithic individuals indicate that British Neolithic people were mostly descended from Aegean farmers who followed the Mediterranean route of dispersal. We also infer considerable variation in pigmentation levels in Europe by ca. 6000 BCE.
Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, is one of the largest Early Holocene cemeteri... more Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, is one of the largest Early Holocene cemeteries in northern Eurasia, with 177 burials recovered in excavations in the 1930s; originally, more than 400 graves may have been present. A new radiocarbon dating programme, taking into account a correction for freshwater reservoir effects, suggests that the main use of the cemetery spanned only some 100–300 years, centring on ca. 8250 to 8000 cal bp. This coincides remarkably closely with the 8.2 ka cooling event, the most dramatic climatic downturn in the Holocene in the northern hemisphere, inviting an interpretation in terms of human response to a climate-driven environmental change. Rather than suggesting a simple deterministic relationship, we draw on a body of anthropological and archaeological theory to argue that the burial of the dead at this location served to demarcate and negotiate rights of access to a favoured locality with particularly rich and resilient fish and game stocks during a period of regional resource depression. This resulted in increased social stress in human communities that exceeded and subverted the ‘normal’ commitment of many hunter-gatherers to egalitarianism and widespread resource sharing, and gave rise to greater mortuary complexity. However, this seems to have lasted only for the duration of the climate downturn. Our results have implications for understanding the context of the emergence—and dissolution—of socio-economic inequality and territoriality under conditions of socio-ecological stress.
This paper summarises research on freshwater reservoir effects (FRE) in the Baikal region and the... more This paper summarises research on freshwater reservoir effects (FRE) in the Baikal region and their impact on the radiocarbon dating of human remains. Varying relationships are seen between human δ13C and δ15N values and 14C offsets in paired human-terrestrial mammal radiocarbon dates from the same graves in the different microregions of Cis-Baikal. In the Upper Lena microregion the FRE may also vary through time. These differences can be related in some cases to different isotopic ecologies, and in others to the presence of different old carbon reservoirs. Some areas requiring further research are highlighted, and the use of other proxies (δ2H, δ34S) for assessing the dietary contributions of freshwater resources is considered. A case study from the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II is used to illustrate the marked effects of changes in dietary catchment over an individual’s life history, with bone and tooth dates from the same individual differing by 385 14C yr.
The Große Ofnet Cave near Holheim on the edge of the Nördlinger Ries is well known for the discov... more The Große Ofnet Cave near Holheim on the edge of the Nördlinger Ries is well known for the discovery of two Mesolithic 'skull nests' during Robert Rudolf Schmidt's 1907 and 1908 excavations. Thirty-two years earlier, in 1875, Oscar Friedrich von Fraas excavated the site and discovered flint artefacts, as well as faunal and human skeletal remains. In this study, we reinvestigate hitherto understudied fragments stored in the Osteological Collection at the University of Tübingen (Tübingen Inv. No. 4043) found during Fraas' excavations. Radiocarbon dating places them at approximately 8390-8195 cal BP or 6440-6245 cal BC, confirming their association with the 'skull nests' at Große Ofnet. The precise dating of the skeletal remains brings up the long-standing question of whether the 'skull nests' represent a single event or an enduring mortuary practice. Ongoing research using AMS radiocarbon dating on a larger series of skulls from the site aims to shed further light on this matter. The bone fragments housed in the Osteological Collection at Tübingen therefore contribute substantially to our understanding of the history and significance of the finds at Große Ofnet.
Direct physical evidence for violent interpersonal conflict is seen only sporadically in the arch... more Direct physical evidence for violent interpersonal conflict is seen only sporadically in the archaeological record for prehistoric Britain. Human remains from Charterhouse Warren, southwest England, therefore present a unique opportunity for the study of mass violence in the Early Bronze Age. At least 37 men, women and children were killed and butchered, their disarticulated remains thrown into a 15m-deep natural shaft in what is, most plausibly, interpreted as a single event. The authors examine the physical remains and debate the societal tensions that could motivate a level and scale of violence that is unprecedented in British prehistory.
In this paper we summarise the available human radiocarbon dates and stable carbon (δ13C) and nit... more In this paper we summarise the available human radiocarbon dates and stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data for the Mesolithic of Northern Spain. This reinforces a strong division between inland and coastal locations, with the two separated by a distance of as little as ca. 10 km. There is considerable time depth to this division, which appears to exist from at least the second half of the eighth millennium BC, representing the region’s earliest Holocene human results. We also present new δ13C and δ15N data for terrestrial fauna from the inland site of Los Canes, as well as for a small number of marine and estuarine fish species from coastal sites.
This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer... more This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer review process and editorial aspects up to the point of acceptance.
Abstract: The genetically attested migrations of the third
millennium BC have made the origins an... more Abstract: The genetically attested migrations of the third millennium BC have made the origins and nature of the Yamnaya culture a question of broad relevance across northern Eurasia. But none of the key archaeological sites most important for understanding the evolution of Yamnaya culture is published in western languages. These key sites include the fifth-millennium BC Khvalynsk cemetery in the middle Volga steppes. When the first part of the Eneolithic cemetery (Khvalynsk I) was discovered in 1977–1979, the graves displayed many material and ritual traits that were quickly recognized as similar and probably ancestral to Yamnaya customs, but without the Yamnaya kurgans. With the discovery of a second burial plot (Khvalynsk II) 120 m to the south in 1987–1988, Khvalynsk became the largest excavated Eneolithic cemetery in the Don-Volga-Ural steppes (201 recorded graves), dated about 4500–4300 BCE. It has the largest copper assemblage of the fifth millennium BC in the steppes (373 objects) and the largest assemblage of sacrificed domesticated animals (at least 106 sheep-goat, 29 cattle, and 16 horses); and it produced four polished stone maces from well-documented grave contexts. The human skeletons have been sampled extensively for ancient DNA, the basis for an analysis of family relationships. This report compiles information from the relevant Russian-language publications and from the archaeologists who excavated the site, two of whom are co-authors, about the history of excavations, radiocarbon dates, copper finds, domesticated animal sacrifices, polished stone maces, genetic and skeletal studies, and relationships with other steppe cultures as well as agricultural cultures of the North Caucasus (Svobodnoe-Meshoko) and southeastern Europe (Varna and Cucuteni-Tripol’ye B1). Khvalynsk is described as a coalescent culture, integrating and combining northern and southern elements, a hybrid that can be recognized genetically, in cranio-facial types, in exchanged artifacts, and in social segments within the cemetery. Stone maces symbolized the unification and integration of socially defined segments at Khvalynsk.
Das äneolithische Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk an der Wolga. Mittels genetischer Untersuchungen bestätigte Wanderungen des dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr. zeigen, wie relevant Forschungen zu den Ursprüngen und dem Wesen der Yamnaya-Kultur im nordeurasischen Raum tatsächlich sind. Bislang wurde keine der wichtigsten archäologischen Stätten, die für das Verständnis der Entwicklung der Yamnaya-Kultur von Bedeutung sind, in westlichen Sprachen veröffentlicht. Zu diesen Fundplätzen gehört etwa das in der mittleren Wolga-Steppe gelegene und in das 5. Jahrtausend v. Chr. datierende Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk. Als 1977-1979 der erste Teil des äneolithischen Friedhofs (Khvalynsk I) entdeckt wurde, zeigten die Gräber viele materielle und rituelle Merkmale, die rasch den Yamnaya-Bräuchen zugerechnet wurden, wobei jedoch die ansonsten für die Yamnaya-Kultur typischen Kurgane fehlten. Mit der Entdeckung eines 120 m südlich gelegenen zweiten Gräberfeldes (Khvalynsk II) in den Jahren 1987-1988 wurde Khvalynsk zum größten ergegrabenen äneolithischen Friedhof in der Don-Wolga-Ural-Steppe
The relationship between infant and child feeding practices and early mortality is difficult to a... more The relationship between infant and child feeding practices and early mortality is difficult to address in past societies. Here, stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements of bulk bone and sequential dentine samples of deciduous second and/or permanent first molars of four younger children, one older child, one late adolescent, and two young adults (n = 8) from Moro de Alins cave, north-eastern Iberia, are used to explore the potential impact of early-life nutrition on mortality in the Bronze Age. Isotope results are compatible with generally short exclusive breastfeeding and standard weaning periods compared to other pre-modern populations. However, there are differences in exclusive breastfeeding mean δ13C values and in Δ13C trophic shifts between exclusive breastfeeding and immediate post-weaning isotope values for those individuals who survived into adolescence and adulthood and those who did not. While the former seem to be consistent with trophic distances published for modern mother–infant pairs, the latter are above most of them. This may suggest that individuals who consumed similar foods to their mothers or suffered from less physiological stress during or after weaning had greater chances of survival during early childhood and beyond. Post-weaning seems to have been a particularly stressful period of life, where a number of instances of patterns of opposing isotopic covariance compatible with catabolic changes, often preceding death among non-survivors, are detected. This outcome shows the key role of nutritional and/or physiological status in early-life morbidity and mortality among partially and especially fully weaned children from pre-antibiotic, pre-vaccination, and poor sanitation contexts and proposes that adult survival is rooted in early life experiences, in keeping with the developmental origins of health and disease.
The insufficient attention traditionally paid to the complex mortuary biographies of megalithic g... more The insufficient attention traditionally paid to the complex mortuary biographies of megalithic graves has long obscured a significant amount of synchronic and diachronic information. The Rioja Alavesa region of northcentral Iberia holds a number of megalithic graves with large skeletal assemblages that can generally be ordered by internal stratigraphy and/or relatively fine-grained radiocarbon chronologies, providing a rare opportunity to assess the potential of such information. Here, we undertake stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of 125 human and seven animal bone collagen samples from six late prehistoric megalithic graves (La Cascaja, El Sotillo, San Martín, Alto de la Huesera, Chabola de la Hechicera and Longar) which, together with 107 previously published Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (ca. 3600-2900 BC) bone collagen samples (100 humans and six animals) from the same tombs, are used to explore subsistence trends over time. This approach provides a means to address the socio-economic response of northern Iberian megalithic communities to the cultural and climatic changes occurring in late prehistory. Isotopic data are contextualized using palaeoenvironmental and osteoarchaeological information. The results show a significant shift in diet between the late Middle Neolithic and the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic that coincides with marked changes in burial practices that are likely related to the transition from mainly pastoral to mixed farming economies. There may also be a change in subsistence between the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic and the following periods, suggested by differences in δ15N values between the layers of the Alto de la Huesera megalithic grave, as well as in population and funerary dynamics. By contrast, an apparent continuity in subsistence is seen, at least isotopically, from the Middle Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age, despite clear changes in beliefs and socio-economic practices. These findings support the existence of substantial asynchronous changes in lifeways and ideology among Iberian megalithic groups and challenge the traditional idea of a long and uniform stability in late prehistoric northern Iberia.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2007
The extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) was a large type of cattle that ranged over alm... more The extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) was a large type of cattle that ranged over almost the whole Eurasian continent. The aurochs is the wild progenitor of modern cattle, but it is unclear whether European aurochs contributed to this process. To provide new insights into the demographic history of aurochs and domestic cattle, we have generated high-confidence mitochondrial DNA sequences from 59 archaeological skeletal finds, which were attributed to wild European cattle populations based on their chronological date and/or morphology. All pre-Neolithic aurochs belonged to the previously designated P haplogroup, indicating that this represents the Late Glacial Central European signature. We also report one new and highly divergent haplotype in a Neolithic aurochs sample from Germany, which points to greater variability during the Pleistocene. Furthermore, the Neolithic and Bronze Age samples that were classified with confidence as European aurochs using morphological crit...
Objectives: We report here a stingray spine (Dasyatidae) found embedded in the femur of a male sk... more Objectives: We report here a stingray spine (Dasyatidae) found embedded in the femur of a male skeleton from the archaeological site of Uedomari-5, Rebun Island, Hokkaido, Japan. Materials: A single well-preserved but incomplete human skeleton. Methods: Macroscopic observation and low power magnification, CT imaging, radiocarbon dating and stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen) analysis. Results: The stingray spine is tentatively identified as Bathytoshia brevicaudata. CT imaging shows no healing, indicating that death occurred shortly afterwards. The skeleton has been directly radiocarbon dated to the Okhotsk period (cal AD 429–827), with δ13C (-13.7‰) and δ15N (19.3‰) values indicating a diet focused on marine foods. Conclusions: The absence of healing in what would have been a non-lethal injury strongly suggests that the spine tipped an arrowhead, rather than being the result of an accidental encounter with a living stingray. It is possible that the injury reflects a period of increased conflict coinciding with, or following on from, the expansion of the Okhotsk culture from Sakhalin into northern Hokkaido. Significance: Uedomari-5 provides the first example, to our knowledge, of a stingray spine directly embedded in human bone at an archaeological site. More widely, the finding contributes to our knowledge of conflict in northern hunter-gatherer communities.
Abstract Objectives Recent histotaphonomic studies have focused on the presence of features thoug... more Abstract Objectives Recent histotaphonomic studies have focused on the presence of features thought to be caused either by bacteria (microscopic focal destruction/MFD and cyanobacterial tunnelling) or fungal (Wedl tunnelling types 1 and 2) attack on unburnt bone. Identifying these characteristics on burnt bones could indicate the state of decomposition before burning, with important repercussions for both archaeological and forensic contexts. Materials and Methods Fleshed pig (Sus scrofa, N = 25) tibiae were left exposed on a field, then collected at 14-, 34-, 91-, 180-, 365-day intervals before being burnt in an outdoor fire (≤750 °C). Fresh (fleshed) legs (N = 10) acted as unburnt and burnt controls. Thin sections were examined using transmitted light microscopy and backscattered scanning electron microscopy. Diagenetic traits were quantitatively and systematically assessed by a novel data labelling application developed for this study. Results Features meeting the published characteristics of microbial bioerosion (‘Wedl tunnelling’, ‘lamellate’ and ‘budded MFD’) were significantly correlated with time since deposition on the unburnt bones. Only budded MFD increased significantly over time in the burnt groups. However, the presence features meeting the published characteristics of Wedl 2 tunnelling were present on the fresh burnt bones, indicating that they are an artefact. Discussion The presence of many features seemingly indistinguishable from those caused by bioerosion on the freshly burnt control bones suggests that burning is not only able to conceal features thought to be the result of bioerosion but can produce them as well. Thus, such features are not a reliable indication of bioerosion. Budded MFD may be a viable indicator but more research is required.
Abstract The limestone islands of the Bahamian archipelago provide a challenging environment for ... more Abstract The limestone islands of the Bahamian archipelago provide a challenging environment for human settlement, one that was not taken up until after AD 700. The analysis of human skeletal remains offers new insights into how this challenge was met. A substantial program of AMS 14C dating on pre-Columbian humans (n = 66) provides a robust chronological framework for the period ca. AD 1000–1600, with the latter date suggesting the possible persistence of an indigenous Lucayan presence on the islands for some decades later than previously thought. Associated stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analyses imply an early focus on near-shore marine resources that seems to have rapidly led to their local over-exploitation, resulting in a shift towards horticulture based mainly on root crops. The Medieval Warm Period is very likely to have been a factor in the initial settlement of the islands; the impact of the Little Ice Age is less clear, with no marked changes in either δ13C or δ15N. Strontium isotope results are consistent with an origin of most individuals within the archipelago, with a limited (but potentially important for maintaining connections) presence of incomers from the Greater Antilles, and perhaps even further afield. Despite the relatively short history of pre-Columbian occupation, Lucayan adaptations to the Bahamian archipelago were dynamic and demonstrate resilience in the face of both human resource depletion and climate change.
The results are presented of a new program of radiocarbon dating undertaken on 88 human skeletons... more The results are presented of a new program of radiocarbon dating undertaken on 88 human skeletons. The individuals derived from Eneolithic to Early Iron Age sites—Afanasievo, Okunevo, Andronovo (Fedorovo), Karasuk, and Tagar cultures—in the Minusinsk Basin of Southern Siberia. All the new dates have been acquired from human bone, which is in contrast to some of the previous dates for this region obtained from wood and thus possibly unreliable due to old-wood effects or re-use of the timber. The new data are compared with the existing 14C chronology for the region, thereby enabling a clearer understanding to be gained concerning the chronology of these cultures and their place within the prehistory of the Eurasian steppes.
Rationale: Embedding resins are commonly used to facilitate high resolution sampling for stable i... more Rationale: Embedding resins are commonly used to facilitate high resolution sampling for stable isotope analysis but anomalous δ 13 C values have been observed in some cases. Here we compare the results of microsampling strategies for hand-drilled versus resin-embedded micromilled samples from the same marine shells to assess whether resin contamination is implicated in δ 13 C spikes. The comparison allows assessment of the relative benefits for spatial resolution, seasonal range for both δ 18 O and δ 13 C, and sample failure rates. Methods: Hand drilled samples were obtained from two bivalve shells (Spisula sachalinensis), corresponding to micromilled samples on the same shells where high δ 13 C spikes were observed. All carbonate powders were analysed using a dual inlet Isoprime mass spectrometer and Multiprep device. Results from both sample sets were compared statistically. Results: No anomalous high δ 13 C values and no failures due to insufficient gas were observed in the hand drilled samples in contrast to the embedded micro-milled sequences. Spatial resolution was reduced (~2.5x) in the former compared to the latter, resulting in a small reduction of the total range observed in the micromilled δ 13 C and δ 18 O values. Reduced sampling resolution between the two datasets was only significant for δ 18 O. Conclusions: For S. sachalinensis (as with other similar bivalves), rapid growth mitigates the reduced sampling resolution of hand drilling and does not significantly impact observed isotopic range and seasonal patterning. Occurrence of anomalous δ 13 C values were eliminated and failure rates due to insufficient sample size greatly reduced in the hand-drilled dataset. We can find no other explanation for the occurrence of δ 13 C spikes than contamination by the embedding agent. We conclude that the logistical and interpretational benefits of careful hand drilling may be preferable to resin embedding for micromilling in marine shells, corals or speleothems where growth rate is rapid and the highest resolution is not required.
Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are commonly used in archeological and forensic studies t... more Strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) are commonly used in archeological and forensic studies to assess if humans and fauna are local to the place they were found or not. This approach is largely unexplored for wooden artifacts recovered in archeological contexts, as wood-in the rare instances it does survive-is often poorly preserved. One of the most common ways wood is preserved is through the anoxic conditions found in waterlogged contexts. A more unusual form of preservation is through submergence in natural pitch. These depositional media contribute their own strontium values to the in vivo 87 Sr/ 86 Sr wood values, which needs to be removed prior to analysis. Here we test several pre-treatment methods to remove potential strontium contamination from wood samples that were artificially immersed in seawater and pitch from Trinidad's Pitch Lake. Water rinses and acid-leaching tests were carried out with hydrochloric acid and acetic acid to remove exogenous strontium from experimentally waterlogged wood. These tests removed large amounts of strontium from the samples and did not enable the recovery of the endogenous 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signal. For samples artificially immersed in pitch, the pre-treatments tested were based on radiocarbon dating procedures and carried out with and without the aqueous-based acid-base-acid (ABA) step. The use of organic solvents alone (methanol and toluene) removed exogenous strontium originating from the pitch. However, the ABA step eliminates large amounts of in vivo strontium from the samples. These tests show that 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of wood are altered by the presence of pitch and water. With adequate pre-treatment using exclusively organic solvents, it may be possible to remove this contamination for samples immersed in pitch. However, the aqueous-based ABA pre-treatment should be avoided. The removal of contamination from waterlogged samples was unsuccessful with the current pre-treatment protocols and more research is needed. More importantly, and unexpectedly, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values may Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | www.frontiersin.org 1 January 2021 | Volume 8 | Article 589154
A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275-1294) used the Bayesian modelling ... more A recent paper by Bownes et al. (2017, Radiocarbon 59(5): 1275-1294) used the Bayesian modelling software package FRUITS (Fernandes et al. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(2): e87436) to argue that Neolithic individuals from Carding Mill Bay on the west coast of Scotland obtained up to ca. 21% dietary protein from marine sources. This is in contrast to previous interpretations of the same isotopic (d13C and d15N) data, which concluded that these individuals showed little if any use of marine resources (Schulting and Richards 2002, European Journal of Archaeology 5(2): 147-189). Resolving this discrepancy is important for our understanding of the nature of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition not only on the west coast of Scotland, but along all of Atlantic Europe, since similar isotopic results to those obtained at Carding Mill Bay are widespread throughout the Neolithic and indeed later periods. We suggest that greater caution needs to be excercised in the interpretation of the output of Bayesian palaeodietary modelling, which can be very useful heuristically, but should not always be taken at face value. Given the large number of parameters employed in such models (diet isotopic values and nutrient concentrations, trophic level and tissue fractionations, etc.) and the uncertainty involved in almost all of them, a wide range of outcomes are possible, as we demonstrate in this paper. We reaffirm the overwhelmingly terrestrial nature of diet at Carding Mill Bay both through FRUITS modelling and through the new application of compound-specific d13C analysis of single amino acids of humans and fauna from the site.
Postmortem chemical transformation of bone bioapatite can take place during early diagenesis resu... more Postmortem chemical transformation of bone bioapatite can take place during early diagenesis resulting in a more thermodynamically stable mineral phase. This paper examines the impact of a 1-year postmortem interval on unburnt and burnt bone’s structural and chemical alterations. This question is of importance for the reconstruction of funerary practices involving cremation in the archaeological record, as well as forensic anthropological investigations. Fleshed pig (Sus scrofa) tibiae were left exposed in a field, then collected at 14, 34, 91, 180, 365-day intervals prior to being burnt in an outdoor fire (≤750 °C bone temperature). Fresh (fleshed) tibiae acted as unburnt and burnt controls. Also included in the study were two cremated human bone fragments from Middle/Late Neolithic (ca. 3300–2500 cal BC) Ireland. Samples were analysed for major and trace elements by wavelength dispersive electron microprobe analyser (EMP-WDS) and molecular structures by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Linear regression, PCA, LDA, and MANOVA were performed for statistical analysis. Results indicate that the concentrations of elements associated with extracellular fluid (K, Na, Cl) change with the postmortem interval (PMI) and survive burning. K values under 0.07 ± 0.01 wt% in inner and mid-cortical zones of burnt bones suggest that bones were not burnt immediately after death. Using this criterion, results from the archaeological samples would indicate a PMI of at least weeks to months prior to cremation. Ca, P, Fe, Al, Si, and Sr are not significantly altered with burning, and Fe, Al, Si, Sr are also unaffected by the PMI. In unburnt bones increased crystallinity and carbonate loss are detectable in <1 year, but both are obscured by burning. Structurally, the carbonate to phosphate ratio (C/P), the phosphate high temperature (PHT), and cyanamide to phosphate (CN/P) are the most useful ratios for discriminating between unburnt and burnt bones.
The roles of migration, admixture and acculturation in the European transition to farming have be... more The roles of migration, admixture and acculturation in the European transition to farming have been debated for over 100 years. Genome-wide ancient DNA studies indicate predominantly Aegean ancestry for continental Neolithic farmers, but also variable admixture with local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Neolithic cultures first appear in Britain ca. 4000 BCE, a millennium after they appear in adjacent areas of continental Europe. The pattern and process of this delayed British Neolithic transition remains unclear. We assembled genome-wide data from six Mesolithic and 67 Neolithic individuals found in Britain, dating from 8500-2500 BCE. Our analyses reveal persistent genetic affinities between Mesolithic British and Western European hunter-gatherers. We find overwhelming support for agriculture being introduced to Britain by incoming continental farmers, with small, geographically-structured levels of hunter-gatherer ancestry. Unlike other European Neolithic populations, we detect no resurgence of hunter-gatherer ancestry at any time during the Neolithic in Britain. Genetic affinities with Iberian Neolithic individuals indicate that British Neolithic people were mostly descended from Aegean farmers who followed the Mediterranean route of dispersal. We also infer considerable variation in pigmentation levels in Europe by ca. 6000 BCE.
Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, is one of the largest Early Holocene cemeteri... more Yuzhniy Oleniy Ostrov in Karelia, northwest Russia, is one of the largest Early Holocene cemeteries in northern Eurasia, with 177 burials recovered in excavations in the 1930s; originally, more than 400 graves may have been present. A new radiocarbon dating programme, taking into account a correction for freshwater reservoir effects, suggests that the main use of the cemetery spanned only some 100–300 years, centring on ca. 8250 to 8000 cal bp. This coincides remarkably closely with the 8.2 ka cooling event, the most dramatic climatic downturn in the Holocene in the northern hemisphere, inviting an interpretation in terms of human response to a climate-driven environmental change. Rather than suggesting a simple deterministic relationship, we draw on a body of anthropological and archaeological theory to argue that the burial of the dead at this location served to demarcate and negotiate rights of access to a favoured locality with particularly rich and resilient fish and game stocks during a period of regional resource depression. This resulted in increased social stress in human communities that exceeded and subverted the ‘normal’ commitment of many hunter-gatherers to egalitarianism and widespread resource sharing, and gave rise to greater mortuary complexity. However, this seems to have lasted only for the duration of the climate downturn. Our results have implications for understanding the context of the emergence—and dissolution—of socio-economic inequality and territoriality under conditions of socio-ecological stress.
This paper summarises research on freshwater reservoir effects (FRE) in the Baikal region and the... more This paper summarises research on freshwater reservoir effects (FRE) in the Baikal region and their impact on the radiocarbon dating of human remains. Varying relationships are seen between human δ13C and δ15N values and 14C offsets in paired human-terrestrial mammal radiocarbon dates from the same graves in the different microregions of Cis-Baikal. In the Upper Lena microregion the FRE may also vary through time. These differences can be related in some cases to different isotopic ecologies, and in others to the presence of different old carbon reservoirs. Some areas requiring further research are highlighted, and the use of other proxies (δ2H, δ34S) for assessing the dietary contributions of freshwater resources is considered. A case study from the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II is used to illustrate the marked effects of changes in dietary catchment over an individual’s life history, with bone and tooth dates from the same individual differing by 385 14C yr.
A suite of scientific approaches are applied to four pre-
Columbian wood sculptures from east-cen... more A suite of scientific approaches are applied to four pre- Columbian wood sculptures from east-central Florida, comprising new radiocarbon determinations, wood identification and strontium isotope analysis. The dates for three large zoomorphic carvings recovered from the St. Johns River at Hontoon Island place them between ca. AD 1300 and 1600, suggesting that they belonged to a tradition of erecting largescale pine carvings spanning at least some centuries. Two of the carvings have strontium isotope signals consistent with the immediate vicinity of the site, while the third differs significantly. Baseline data for biologically available strontium from sampled modern trees indicates considerable isotopic variability over short distances, making it difficult to determine the source of the wood used for this third carving. The only anthropomorphic sculpture, recovered from the vicinity of Tomoka State Park, dates to a similar time period, ca. AD 1440-1620. Our study confirms the wood's previous identification as belonging to the genus Peltophorum, a tropical hardwood thought not to be native to Florida. Its strontium isotope value is consistent with its find location, but equally may be found over much of southern Florida, where perhaps the species grew in the past. The results clarify the chronology for a stylistically distinctive carving tradition, as well as raising questions concerning the exchange of organic materials over varying distances.
Highlights • 14C results for four east-central Florida carvings (Hontoon Island; Tomoka State Park) range ca. AD 1300-1600, spanning the proto-historic/historic periods • 87Sr/86Sr results for two of the three Hontoon carvings are consistent with the immediate locale, while the third suggests a different provenance • Pinus sp. was used at Hontoon, while Peltophorum sp., currently not native to Florida, was used at Tomoka
Social inequality before farming? Multidisciplinary approaches to the study of social organization in prehistoric and ethnographic hunter- gatherer-fisher societies, 2020
Conclusions:
One of the main tasks of archaeologists is pattern recognition. In this paper we h... more Conclusions:
One of the main tasks of archaeologists is pattern recognition. In this paper we have focused on one particular case study, the prehistoric hunter-gatherer cemetery of Zvejnieki in northeastern Europe (Henderson et al. in prep.). A very striking and persistent pattern was highlighted, linking the presence or absence of animal tooth pendants in graves with long-term dietary histories, over millennia of use of the site. But recognizing a pattern is relatively straightforward; the real challenge lies in its interpretation, including a full and honest consideration of the possible alternative explanations. We have presented a plausible case for early socioeconomic inequality before farming in prehistoric Europe. It is not definitive, but the implications are nevertheless worth pursuing. One of these is that we are likely seeing only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. This is partly because isotopic studies of prehistoric hunter-gatherers have generally been concerned with characterizing a group’s overall diet, or at most with comparing age and sex (for an exception see Scharlotta et al. 2016). But probably a more important issue is that, even if they exist, many dietary distinctions will not be visible isotopically, since they involve foods with similar isotopic signatures (e.g., different cuts of meat). This makes cases like Zvejnieki all the more important, as it is unlikely that this was a unique situation. There are a number of large cemeteries in the European Mesolithic, with a strong tendency to be situated on the coast, lakes, and major rivers with access to aquatic resources.
Finally, it is worth commenting on the apparent resilience of the social-ecological system at Zvejnieki (cf. Folke 2006). This was maintained (e.g., there is little evidence for high hunting pressure on large game) in a way that suggests that it was very stable, and apparently did not lead to attempts by those of putatively higher status to expand their control, or, if it did, then they were unsuccessful. Exploring the reasons for this falls outside the scope of this paper, but are likely to relate to the ecological restrictions on intensifying hunting, as well as to social levelling mechanisms. Social inequality always implies a tension between competing interests, one that in the case of Zvejnieki seems to have reached a long-lasting, stable balance that did not lead to escalating inequality.
Hunter-Gatherer Resiliency and Adaptation: A Bioarchaeological Perspective, 2018
Conclusions: Identifying resilience in the past is a very challenging prospect. This chapter offe... more Conclusions: Identifying resilience in the past is a very challenging prospect. This chapter offers one potentially fruitful approach based on the use of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data to argue for the persistence of livelihood strategies and identities in south Wales across the 8.2 kya cal BP event, the largest climatic downturn known in the Holocene record of the northern hemisphere. The persistence of this lifestyle was facilitated by a broad-spectrum economy that allowed flexibility during periods of environmental turmoil. That the west coast of Scotland appears, on present evidence, to have been largely depopulated at this time presents an interesting contrast, one that requires explanation. It is possible that these populations abandoned the basin of attraction and experienced complete transformation of the SES due to excessive rigidity. However, few pieces of this complicated puzzle are available, suggesting that this question is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. The second example draws upon the marked changes observed in stable isotope results across the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in northwest Europe, focusing on Denmark and Britain. The previously proposed sharp shift is re-affirmed, and it is argued that this is a potential candidate for the loss of hunter-gatherer resilience and the instigation of a new adaptive cycle focused on mixed farming. The interesting question – possibly one on the verge of being at least partly answered through ancient DNA – is whether this occurred largely within an indigenous context, or whether it was primarily due to a substantial (however defined) incoming population of farmers.
The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Diet, 2018
The nature of the transition to agriculture has been widely debated, particularly in the context ... more The nature of the transition to agriculture has been widely debated, particularly in the context of north-western Europe, where stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data have been argued to indicate a rapid, sharp shift in diet. However, other lines of evidence sometimes suggest a less complete break. This chapter provides a broad overview of this debate, drawing on the large amount of isotope data now available that permits wider regional considerations of trends in coastal and inland contexts across Europe. A clear pattern emerges, with significant differences between Mesolithic and Neolithic isotopic composition, and, by inference, diets. There are a number of notable exceptions—at the individual, site, and regional levels. Some of these can be explained simply through terminology (i.e. ‘Neolithic’ being defined regionally through technology rather than subsistence), while others appear to relate to specific local environmental conditions placing foraging and farming on a more equal footing.
Excavations at Knowth 6: The Passage Tomb Archaeology of the Great Mound at Knowth. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 2017
The 60 AMS 14C determinations on cremated and non-burnt human bone presented here have provided a... more The 60 AMS 14C determinations on cremated and non-burnt human bone presented here have provided a robust chronological framework for the interpretation of the main use phase at Knowth. This large series was seen as necessary to overcome the problem presented by the late fourth-millennium BC calibration plateau. To a large extent this strategy has been successful, but as is usually the case with modelling, there is not necessarily a single, clear-cut answer to questions of chronology, and much still depends on archaeological interpretation. Although the use of individual tombs is more variable, largely because of smaller sample sizes, overall modelling of funerary activity at Knowth consistently places the main phase of use as lasting between 100 and 300 years, maximum, in the period 3200–2900 BC (in a statement that now appears prescient, George Eogan (1991, 112) more than two decades ago suggested a date range of 3200–3000 cal. BC for the main phase of passage tomb construction and use at Knowth).
Mesolithic Burials – Rites, Symbols and Social Organisation of Early Postglacial Communities, 2016
Caves and rockshelters dominate the mortuary record for large parts of Mesolithic Europe, includi... more Caves and rockshelters dominate the mortuary record for large parts of Mesolithic Europe, including southwest Britain and the Meuse Basin of Belgium. There is a striking correspondence in the ebb and flow of use of caves in these two regions, beginning in the Early Holocene (ca. 10,700/10,300 cal BP) but then declining markedly after ca. 10,000 cal BP, only to see a strong resurgence in the Neolithic. The Early Mesolithic floruit may reflect an increased concern with marking group identity and territoriality in the light of rapidly rising sea-levels, leading to a readjustment of hunter-gatherer populations as coastal communities were forced to relocate. In southwest Britain, the ‘re-discovery’ of caves for funerary deposition occurs in the early part of the Neolithic, from just after 6,000 cal BP; it commences a few centuries earlier in Belgium, which experiences a strong peak in the early to mid-fifth millennium BP. There is a clear chronological – and arguably a perceptual – link between the mortuary use of caves and chambered tombs in the British Neolithic, while in Belgium the peak in Neolithic use of caves for collective burial coincides with the construction and use of 'allées couvertes'.
Unité et diversité des processus de néolithisation sur la façade atlantique de l’Europe (7-4ème millénaires avant J.-C.), G. Marchand and A. Tresset (eds.), pp. 163-171. Paris: Mémoire de la Société Préhistorique Française 36., 2005
New AMS dates and stable carbon and nitrogen measurements on human
remains are presented for thre... more New AMS dates and stable carbon and nitrogen measurements on human remains are presented for three middle and late Neolithic sites in Brittany. When compared with previous results from the Mesolithic cemeteries of Teviec and Hoedic, the Neolithic population shows far less use of marine resources. But some small proportion of marine protein can still be detected in the diet for some individuals in the Neolithic. More results for the earliest Neolithic in Brittany are still needed, and are currently being sought. A correction is also presented here for the very late individual from Hoedic, and a new date fits better with previous results from the site. There is still a strong dietary shift between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic, and it is argued that the change in diet relates both to cultural choice and identity, and to more practical matters involved in farming and herding.
Schulting, R.J. 2013. In: S. Colledge, J. Conolly, K. Dobney, K. Manning and S. Shennan (eds.), The Origins and Spread of Stock-Keeping in the Near East and Europe: pp. 313-338. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press.
Schulting, R.J. 2013. War without warriors? The nature of interpersonal conflict before the emergence of formalised warrior élites. In: S. Ralph (ed.), The Archaeology of Violence: Interdisciplinary Approaches: pp. 19-36. Albany: SUNY Press, IEMA Proceedings 2.
This article addresses the nature of hunter-gatherer foodways, drawing on both ethnographic and a... more This article addresses the nature of hunter-gatherer foodways, drawing on both ethnographic and archaeological examples from various parts of the world. There is much variability in how hunter-gatherers exploit and manage their environments in a practical sense; equally important are the ways in which foods are used to define gender relations, status differences, and group identities, and to offer insights into belief systems. Attention is drawn to the increasing potential offered by advances in scientific archaeology in the investigation of past foodways.
While long known as a feature of the Near Eastern Neolithic, there is growing evidence for the sp... more While long known as a feature of the Near Eastern Neolithic, there is growing evidence for the special treatment of the human head in Mesolithic Europe. This takes the form of secondary deposition of crania and mandibles, often in unusual contexts, including as ‘grave goods’ with other burials; cutmarks suggesting decapitation, scalping and defleshing; and the deposition of fleshed heads in pits, as well as, most recently, on stakes in shallow pools. After reviewing this evidence, discussion turns to its interpretation. Possible links with the ‘ancestors’ are explored, and ethnographic support for their importance among hunter-gatherers is reviewed. If accepted, there may be implications for the expression of territoriality in the Mesolithic. The blurring of the lines between revered ancestor and enemy when interpreting the treatment of human heads is emphasised.
Schulting, R.J. 2015. Sweet or salty? Isotopic evidence for the use of aquatic resources in Mesolithic Europe. In: N. Bicho, T.D. Price and E. Cunha (eds.), Muge 150th: the 150th Anniversary of the Discovery of Mesolithic Shellmiddens – Vol. 2: pp. 153-172. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars.
A broad overview of stable carbon and nitrogen measurements of European Mesolithic human bone col... more A broad overview of stable carbon and nitrogen measurements of European Mesolithic human bone collagen demonstrates considerable structure in the dataset. The clearest difference, unsurprisingly, is seen between coastal and inland sites, though this oversimplifies a more complex situtation. With the coastal sample, there is a clear separation between the Baltic and Atlantic sites and those in the Mediterranean, with the latter showing the minimal use of marine foods. The inland sample also shows strong regional patterning, with evidence for a significant exploitation of freshwater aquatic resources clearly seen in some, but not all areas. This large-scale view subsumes some interesting local variations, supporting the view that, rather than being highly mobile, Mesolithic communities were organised within relatively small and stable territories.
Academia, like everything else, has its fashions. At the moment, one trend in both North American... more Academia, like everything else, has its fashions. At the moment, one trend in both North American and European archaeology has been to un-pacify the past. Over the past decade, archaeologists have turned away from a view of the past, dominant through much of the ...
A Bronze Age Landscape in the Russian Steppes: The Samara Valley Project, Jul 10, 2016
Introduction. The Samara Valley is located in what is today the steppe/forest-steppe zone of the ... more Introduction. The Samara Valley is located in what is today the steppe/forest-steppe zone of the middle Volga region of Russia. The region forms an important communication route between the Central Eurasian steppes and Europe, particularly from the Bronze Age onward, when the domestication of the horse greatly increased the effective mobility of the steppe peoples (Anthony 2007; Anthony and Brown 2000; Outram et al. 2009). The later prehistoric subsistence economy of the region, and the Eurasian steppes in general, is widely thought to have emphasized sheep and cattle pastoralism, with some contribution from agriculture (Khazanov 1994; Koryakova and Epimakhov 2006; Levine 1999; Frachetti 2008), although the degree to which spatial and diachronic variability may have featured is not well understood (Chapter 1). Stable isotope analysis is increasingly being used to investigate the diets of Eurasian steppe populations, providing direct insights into the diets of individuals and the communities to which they belonged (Hollund et al. 2010; Murphy et al. 2013; Privat 2004; Shishlina et al. 2007, 2009, 2012; Shishlina 2008; Svyatko 2009; Svyatko et al. 2013; Ventrusca Miller et al. 2014). This chapter presents and discusses stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses on the bone collagen of 58 individuals from the Samara Valley, ranging in date from the Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age, with one outlier from the Iron Age. Evidence for domestic cattle and sheep appears in the Samara Valley in the Eneolithic, from as early as 4700/4500 BC (Anthony 2007:182; Anthony and Brown 2011). Cereals are not documented in the region until the Late Bronze Age and even then are rare, although visibility and recovery biases remain possible (Anthony et al. 2005). Specific research questions addressed in this chapter include whether dietary shifts can be detected isotopically between the Neolithic/Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age (EBA), as well as with the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, when a shift toward greater sedentism is attested archaeologically.
Scholars have speculated about the role of the subsistence economy in defining the ‘Neolithic’. I... more Scholars have speculated about the role of the subsistence economy in defining the ‘Neolithic’. In western and eastern Europe, the Neolithic is defined in different terms. In the former, the Neolithic is typically viewed as the shift to an economy dominated by domesticated plants and animals. In the latter, it involves the appearance of pottery. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis has been used to characterize Neolithic diets and, more recently, to challenge notions of a single Neolithic way of life throughout the continent. This essay explores patterns and variations in stable isotopes and Neolithic subsistence across Europe, focusing on selected areas to highlight similarities and differences. It first looks at the dietary insights offered by carbon and nitrogen isotopes before turning to subsistence practices in regions from the Mediterranean to northern Scandinavia. It then considers the contribution of wild plants and animals, along with variations in food options in communities living near inland lakes and rivers. The article concludes by analysing the significant shift from marine to terrestrial isotopic signatures that seems to coincide with the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition.
ABSTRACT This paper deals with the identification of a textile recovered in an archaeological con... more ABSTRACT This paper deals with the identification of a textile recovered in an archaeological context from the vicinity of Yale, British Columbia (site DkRi-63). While ethnographic and ethnohistoric accounts of the Coast Salish frequently mention a special breed of domestic dog whose hair was extensively utilised in the manufacture of blankets, definite identification of an existing blanket in which dog hair is an important constituent has been elusive. Given the deterioration of the diagnostic cuticle pattern, a different approach is taken in the identification of the fibres in this study. Stable carbon isotope analysis of the blanket reveals that the hairs are those of an animal which gained a considerable amount of its protein from marine sources (X 513C=-15.1%o). Comparison of the 513C values from the blanket fibres to those of the bones of domestic dogs from archaeological sites and to control samples strongly suggests that the specimen is indeed a Salish dog-hair blanket. Some of the implications of this finding are briefly discussed.
RÉSUMÉ Cet article porte sur l'identification d'une pièce de textile trouvée dans un contexte archéologique près de Yale, Colombie Britannique (site DkRi-63). Le spécimen pourrait être un vestige d'une couverture Salish de la Côte. Bien que les données ethnographiques et ethnohistoriques conernant les Salish de la Côte mentionnent fréquemment une espèce de chien domestique dont le poil a été utilisé dans la fabrication de couvertures par les Salish, l'identification ferme d'une couverture comprenant ce poil de chien demeure évasive. L'analyse des isotopes stables de carbone de la couverture révèle que les poils appartiennent à un animal ayant un taux élevé de protéines accumulées à partir de ressources marines (X 13C =15.1%o). La comparasion entre les valeurs I3C des fibres de la couverture avec celles des os de chiens domestiques provenant de sites archéologiques et d'échantillons de contrôle indiquent que le spécimen à l'étude est fort probablement une couverture Salish en poil de chien. Une brève discussion sur les implications de cette découverte est aussi présentée.
The Plateau culture area of northwestern North America fits the criteria of an interaction sphere... more The Plateau culture area of northwestern North America fits the criteria of an interaction sphere. Understanding the general cultural dynamics responsible for the creation of interaction spheres has been poorly developed in archaeological and ethnological theory. Data from the Plateau Interaction Sphere are used to argue that the main factor responsible for the emergence of interaction spheres in transegalitarian societies is the development of an elite class. Elites who seek to maximize their power and wealth at the tribal level do so in part by establishing trading, marriage, ideological, military, and other ties to elites in other communities and regions. They use these ties to monopolize access to desirable regional prestige goods and to enhance their own socioeconomic positions. In conformity with expectations derived from this model, the data from the Plateau demonstrate that interaction sphere goods are predominantly prestige items and that these concentrate in communities that have the greatest potential to produce surplus and to develop socioeconomic inequalities. These same features also seem to characterize well-known interaction spheres elsewhere in the world.
The economic uses of plants are often more accessible to researchers working with actual material... more The economic uses of plants are often more accessible to researchers working with actual material remains from early ethnographic and archaeological sources than are ritual uses. Nevertheless, it is clear from the ethnographic literature of the Northwest of North America that plants also served many important ritual and ceremonial functions. During the examination of two Salish wooden mortuary figures currently housed at the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, a compact, fibrous white mass was observed lodged in the back of the mouth of one of the figures. A sample of the material was identified as Typha latifolia L. This paper discusses the ritual uses of cattail down, particularly with regards to funerary customs, among the Coast and Interior Salish of the Northwest of North America.
This paper presents the first systematic study of pre-Columbian imported stone celts recovered fr... more This paper presents the first systematic study of pre-Columbian imported stone celts recovered from the limestone islands of the Lucayan archipelago, comprising The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands of the northern Caribbean/West Atlantic. The majority derive from antiquarian collections and early archaeological investigations, prior to the destruction of many sites due to guano mining and development; only a handful have been recovered during archaeological investigations since the 1960s. The corpus includes 224 celts, of which 162 are complete and provide the measurements for a comparison with width/length ratios of celts from the proximate source islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. While the Lucayan archipelago shows a slightly higher proportion of wider celts, consistent with more reworking, overall the corpus suggests that exchange networks were sufficient to meet demand. This conclusion is supported by the absence of any clear diminution in size with distance from sources. The majority of stone celts (71.9 %) have been identified as various forms of "jade," supplemented with a range of other materials. Despite the higher value often attributed to jade cross-culturally, we find no clear evidence for its differential treatment, though the archipelago's northern islands do have a lower proportion of jade versus non-jade celts.
We report on strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotope results from 91 modern trees growing on the Bahamas... more We report on strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotope results from 91 modern trees growing on the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. The average 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.709169 ± 0.000010 is consistent with the late Quaternary limestone of the islands and with the modern ocean value. The absence of any detectable influence of 87 Sr-enriched Saharan dust is notable, given the known contribution of this material to both past and recent soils of the Caribbean. Our results indicate that the impact of Saharan dust to the modern biosphere of the Bahamian archipelago is at least an order of magnitude less than modeled in currently available strontium isoscapes for the circum-Caribbean. We suggest that the bioavailability of Sr in Saharan dust may be considerably less than previously thought. Nevertheless, further work could usefully be carried out in the Bahamian archipelago on plants with different rooting depths, growing on different soil types and on limestone of different ages. Our results have particular relevance for the refinement of existing strontium isoscapes and the archaeological provenience of artifacts, animals, and people in the circum-Caribbean.
This paper focuses on the material study (radiocarbon dating, wood identification and strontium i... more This paper focuses on the material study (radiocarbon dating, wood identification and strontium isotope analyses) of four large ‘India occidentali’ clubs, part of the founding collections of the Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford, and originally part of John Tradescant’s ‘Ark’, in Lambeth (1656). During the seventeenth century, the term ‘India occidentali/occidentales’ referred not only to the ‘West Indies’ (its literal translation), but to the Americas as a whole; hence, the Ashmolean clubs and, indeed, the c forty examples of similarly large, decorated clubs known in international museum collections had no firm provenance and lacked even the most basic information. Previous attempts at attribution, based on stylistic comparisons with nineteenth- to twentieth-century Brazilian and Guyanese clubs, have proved inconclusive given the unique features of this club style, raising the intriguing possibility that these may be exceptionally rare examples of ‘Island Carib’ (Kalinago) material culture, particularly as images of such clubs appear in seventeenth-century ethnographic accounts from the Lesser Antilles. This paper provides new data for these poorly known objects from early collections, revealing not only the type of wood from which they were carved (Platymiscium sp. and Brosimum cf guianense) and their probable dates of manufacture (c AD 1300–1640), but also their possible provenance (strontium results are consistent with a possible range from Trinidad south to French Guiana).
We report on the results of a multidisciplinary project (including wood identification, radiocarb... more We report on the results of a multidisciplinary project (including wood identification, radiocarbon dating and strontium isotope analysis) focused on a collection of pre-Columbian wooden carvings and human remains from Pitch Lake, Trinidad. While the lake's unusual conditions are conducive to the survival of organic artefacts, they also present particular challenges for analysis. There is a loss of any contextual association beyond that of the lake, and specific methodologies are required to deal with pitch contamination. A surprising taxonomic range of woods was employed for the various utilitarian and ceremonial items recovered. The 14C results range from ca. 3200 BC to ca. AD 700, and include the earliest known wooden carvings in the entire Caribbean. The strontium isotope results-interpreted with the aid of an isoscape developed for the project, based on extensive samples of modern trees across Trinidad and Tobago-indicate that most carvings are consistent with the site's immediate environs; however, a 'weaving tool' came from a more radiogenic region that is unlikely to be found on Trinidad, suggesting links with the South American mainland.
The Pigorini cemi is an icon of Caribbean colonial history, reflecting early trans-Atlantic cross... more The Pigorini cemi is an icon of Caribbean colonial history, reflecting early trans-Atlantic cross-cultural exchanges. Although well documented, the piece has received surprisingly little systematic study. We present the first structural analysis and radiocarbon dating of the sculpture (modelled at AD 1492-1524), and a brief discussion of the materials from which it is comprised. These include indigenous shell and European glass beads, newly identified feather and hair fibres, and the enigmatic rhinoceros-horn mask carved as a human face. We also address the sculpture's hidden internal wooden base, which is shown to be a non-indigenous display mount made of European willow (Salix sp.).
Chronology and Evolution within the Mesolithic of North-West Europe. Proceedings of an International Meeting, Brussels, May 30th-Jun 1st, 2007. Edited by Phiippe Crombe, Mark van Strydonck, Joris Sergant, Mathieu Boudin and Machteld Bats
Following a detailled description of the NW-European Mesolithic 14C-Database, we demonstrate the ... more Following a detailled description of the NW-European Mesolithic 14C-Database, we demonstrate the existence of quantisation effects (lock-in) due to atmospheric 14C-variations in database cartography.
A robust chronology is essential for the interpretation of patterns found in the archaeological r... more A robust chronology is essential for the interpretation of patterns found in the archaeological record and, by implication, the social processes underlying them. Here, we provide an example focused on the cemetery of Pica 8, one of a group of oasis sites on the edges of the Atacama Desert, northern Chile (Figure 1). The site belongs to the Pica-Tarapacá Cultural Complex of the Late Intermediate Period (LIP), AD 900-1450. Stable carbon (collagen and apatite) and nitrogen isotope data for 30 human skeletons revealed a surprising degree of variability, with some individuals’ diets seeming to include significant amount of marine foods (despite the site’s location ca. 90 km inland), while the diets of other individuals appeared entirely terrestrial (Santana-Sagredo et al. 2015). Moreover, the graves of individuals exhibiting these different diets appeared to be grouped spatially, related to the sectors in which the cemetery was excavated. Sector I contains mainly individuals with very high 15N, while most individuals in Sectors A and G exhibit lower values (Figure 2). It is possible that the observed isotopic variability is related to changing subsistence practices over time. This change could be due to increased contacts with the coast or to intensive manuring of crop staples. The alternative is that the community at Pica 8 comprised a cosmopolitan mix of groups of people with different origins and diets, many of whom maintained their distinct cuisines. A question then arose about the extent to which the observed isotopic-spatial pattern was diachronic or synchronic. Here, we report the results of a radiocarbon dating programme (n = 23) focused on this question.
From prehistory to the present day, evidence for the practical, political, economic, and cosmolog... more From prehistory to the present day, evidence for the practical, political, economic, and cosmological significance of rivers abounds. Rivers flow, so can move people and objects. They are niches, providing food and water for humans, plants, and animals alike. To say that rivers have always been essential to life is an understatement. As both potential corridors and territorial divides, they are entangled with the communities living around them. This session aims to think about the many different roles that rivers have played throughout time and think holistically about rivers as active agents with the capacity to shape human behaviour. With this aim in mind, this session has no chronological or geographical parameters, in order to facilitate an inclusive discussion.
We welcome case studies that investigate any number of topics, including rivers as borders that divide regions; routeways that connect people and promote human and object mobility; and places to conduct specific types of cultural activity. Rivers are particularly diagnostic of and sensitive to physical and anthropogenic forces, so they are ideal archaeological records and can be studied using a variety of methods. We therefore welcome case studies that highlight different proxies that can be used to evaluate human-river interaction and the scientific/archaeological/geological analysis techniques we can employ to inform our understandings. Central to this session is the goal to explore the theory of interpreting the archaeology we find in, on, and around rivers; to move past interpreting human and river interaction as a set of cause-and-effect behaviours and instead consider it as a complex and entangled relationship.
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Papers by Rick Schulting
millennium BC have made the origins and nature of the
Yamnaya culture a question of broad relevance across
northern Eurasia. But none of the key archaeological
sites most important for understanding the evolution of
Yamnaya culture is published in western languages. These
key sites include the fifth-millennium BC Khvalynsk cemetery
in the middle Volga steppes. When the first part of
the Eneolithic cemetery (Khvalynsk I) was discovered in
1977–1979, the graves displayed many material and ritual
traits that were quickly recognized as similar and probably
ancestral to Yamnaya customs, but without the Yamnaya
kurgans. With the discovery of a second burial plot
(Khvalynsk II) 120 m to the south in 1987–1988, Khvalynsk
became the largest excavated Eneolithic cemetery in the
Don-Volga-Ural steppes (201 recorded graves), dated about
4500–4300 BCE. It has the largest copper assemblage of
the fifth millennium BC in the steppes (373 objects) and the
largest assemblage of sacrificed domesticated animals (at
least 106 sheep-goat, 29 cattle, and 16 horses); and it produced
four polished stone maces from well-documented
grave contexts. The human skeletons have been sampled
extensively for ancient DNA, the basis for an analysis of
family relationships. This report compiles information
from the relevant Russian-language publications and from
the archaeologists who excavated the site, two of whom are
co-authors, about the history of excavations, radiocarbon
dates, copper finds, domesticated animal sacrifices, polished
stone maces, genetic and skeletal studies, and relationships
with other steppe cultures as well as agricultural
cultures of the North Caucasus (Svobodnoe-Meshoko) and
southeastern Europe (Varna and Cucuteni-Tripol’ye B1).
Khvalynsk is described as a coalescent culture, integrating
and combining northern and southern elements, a hybrid
that can be recognized genetically, in cranio-facial types,
in exchanged artifacts, and in social segments within the
cemetery. Stone maces symbolized the unification and
integration of socially defined segments at Khvalynsk.
Das äneolithische Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk an der Wolga. Mittels genetischer Untersuchungen bestätigte Wanderungen des dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr. zeigen, wie relevant Forschungen zu den Ursprüngen und dem Wesen der Yamnaya-Kultur im nordeurasischen Raum tatsächlich sind. Bislang wurde keine der wichtigsten archäologischen Stätten, die für das Verständnis der Entwicklung der Yamnaya-Kultur von Bedeutung sind, in westlichen Sprachen veröffentlicht. Zu diesen Fundplätzen gehört etwa das in der mittleren Wolga-Steppe gelegene und in das 5. Jahrtausend v. Chr. datierende Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk. Als 1977-1979 der erste Teil des äneolithischen Friedhofs (Khvalynsk I) entdeckt wurde, zeigten die Gräber viele materielle und rituelle Merkmale, die rasch den Yamnaya-Bräuchen zugerechnet wurden, wobei jedoch die ansonsten für die Yamnaya-Kultur typischen Kurgane fehlten. Mit der Entdeckung eines 120 m südlich gelegenen zweiten Gräberfeldes (Khvalynsk II) in den Jahren 1987-1988 wurde Khvalynsk zum größten ergegrabenen äneolithischen Friedhof in der Don-Wolga-Ural-Steppe
stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements of bulk bone and sequential dentine samples of deciduous
second and/or permanent first molars of four younger children, one older child, one late adolescent, and two young adults
(n = 8) from Moro de Alins cave, north-eastern Iberia, are used to explore the potential impact of early-life nutrition on mortality
in the Bronze Age. Isotope results are compatible with generally short exclusive breastfeeding and standard weaning
periods compared to other pre-modern populations. However, there are differences in exclusive breastfeeding mean δ13C
values and in Δ13C trophic shifts between exclusive breastfeeding and immediate post-weaning isotope values for those
individuals who survived into adolescence and adulthood and those who did not. While the former seem to be consistent
with trophic distances published for modern mother–infant pairs, the latter are above most of them. This may suggest that
individuals who consumed similar foods to their mothers or suffered from less physiological stress during or after weaning
had greater chances of survival during early childhood and beyond. Post-weaning seems to have been a particularly stressful
period of life, where a number of instances of patterns of opposing isotopic covariance compatible with catabolic changes,
often preceding death among non-survivors, are detected. This outcome shows the key role of nutritional and/or physiological
status in early-life morbidity and mortality among partially and especially fully weaned children from pre-antibiotic,
pre-vaccination, and poor sanitation contexts and proposes that adult survival is rooted in early life experiences, in keeping
with the developmental origins of health and disease.
to assess the potential of such information. Here, we undertake stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of 125 human and seven animal bone collagen samples from six late prehistoric megalithic graves (La
Cascaja, El Sotillo, San Martín, Alto de la Huesera, Chabola de la Hechicera and Longar) which, together with 107 previously published Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (ca. 3600-2900 BC) bone collagen samples (100
humans and six animals) from the same tombs, are used to explore subsistence trends over time. This approach provides a means to address the socio-economic response of northern Iberian megalithic communities to the cultural and climatic changes occurring in late prehistory. Isotopic data are contextualized using palaeoenvironmental and osteoarchaeological information. The results show a significant shift in diet between the late
Middle Neolithic and the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic that coincides with marked changes in burial practices that are likely related to the transition from mainly pastoral to mixed farming economies. There may also be
a change in subsistence between the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic and the following periods, suggested by differences in δ15N values between the layers of the Alto de la Huesera megalithic grave, as well as in population
and funerary dynamics. By contrast, an apparent continuity in subsistence is seen, at least isotopically, from the Middle Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age, despite clear changes in beliefs and socio-economic practices. These
findings support the existence of substantial asynchronous changes in lifeways and ideology among Iberian megalithic groups and challenge the traditional idea of a long and uniform stability in late prehistoric northern
Iberia.
Materials: A single well-preserved but incomplete human skeleton.
Methods: Macroscopic observation and low power magnification, CT imaging, radiocarbon dating and stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen) analysis.
Results: The stingray spine is tentatively identified as Bathytoshia brevicaudata. CT imaging shows no healing, indicating that death occurred shortly afterwards. The skeleton has been directly radiocarbon dated to the Okhotsk period (cal AD 429–827), with δ13C (-13.7‰) and δ15N (19.3‰) values indicating a diet focused on marine foods.
Conclusions: The absence of healing in what would have been a non-lethal injury strongly suggests that the spine tipped an arrowhead, rather than being the result of an accidental encounter with a living stingray. It is possible that the injury reflects a period of increased conflict coinciding with, or following on from, the expansion of the Okhotsk culture from Sakhalin into northern Hokkaido.
Significance: Uedomari-5 provides the first example, to our knowledge, of a stingray spine directly embedded in human bone at an archaeological site. More widely, the finding contributes to our knowledge of conflict in northern hunter-gatherer communities.
areas requiring further research are highlighted, and the use of other proxies (δ2H, δ34S) for assessing the dietary contributions of freshwater resources is considered. A case study from the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II is used to illustrate the marked effects of changes in dietary catchment over an individual’s life history, with bone and tooth dates from the same individual differing by 385 14C yr.
millennium BC have made the origins and nature of the
Yamnaya culture a question of broad relevance across
northern Eurasia. But none of the key archaeological
sites most important for understanding the evolution of
Yamnaya culture is published in western languages. These
key sites include the fifth-millennium BC Khvalynsk cemetery
in the middle Volga steppes. When the first part of
the Eneolithic cemetery (Khvalynsk I) was discovered in
1977–1979, the graves displayed many material and ritual
traits that were quickly recognized as similar and probably
ancestral to Yamnaya customs, but without the Yamnaya
kurgans. With the discovery of a second burial plot
(Khvalynsk II) 120 m to the south in 1987–1988, Khvalynsk
became the largest excavated Eneolithic cemetery in the
Don-Volga-Ural steppes (201 recorded graves), dated about
4500–4300 BCE. It has the largest copper assemblage of
the fifth millennium BC in the steppes (373 objects) and the
largest assemblage of sacrificed domesticated animals (at
least 106 sheep-goat, 29 cattle, and 16 horses); and it produced
four polished stone maces from well-documented
grave contexts. The human skeletons have been sampled
extensively for ancient DNA, the basis for an analysis of
family relationships. This report compiles information
from the relevant Russian-language publications and from
the archaeologists who excavated the site, two of whom are
co-authors, about the history of excavations, radiocarbon
dates, copper finds, domesticated animal sacrifices, polished
stone maces, genetic and skeletal studies, and relationships
with other steppe cultures as well as agricultural
cultures of the North Caucasus (Svobodnoe-Meshoko) and
southeastern Europe (Varna and Cucuteni-Tripol’ye B1).
Khvalynsk is described as a coalescent culture, integrating
and combining northern and southern elements, a hybrid
that can be recognized genetically, in cranio-facial types,
in exchanged artifacts, and in social segments within the
cemetery. Stone maces symbolized the unification and
integration of socially defined segments at Khvalynsk.
Das äneolithische Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk an der Wolga. Mittels genetischer Untersuchungen bestätigte Wanderungen des dritten Jahrtausends v. Chr. zeigen, wie relevant Forschungen zu den Ursprüngen und dem Wesen der Yamnaya-Kultur im nordeurasischen Raum tatsächlich sind. Bislang wurde keine der wichtigsten archäologischen Stätten, die für das Verständnis der Entwicklung der Yamnaya-Kultur von Bedeutung sind, in westlichen Sprachen veröffentlicht. Zu diesen Fundplätzen gehört etwa das in der mittleren Wolga-Steppe gelegene und in das 5. Jahrtausend v. Chr. datierende Gräberfeld von Khvalynsk. Als 1977-1979 der erste Teil des äneolithischen Friedhofs (Khvalynsk I) entdeckt wurde, zeigten die Gräber viele materielle und rituelle Merkmale, die rasch den Yamnaya-Bräuchen zugerechnet wurden, wobei jedoch die ansonsten für die Yamnaya-Kultur typischen Kurgane fehlten. Mit der Entdeckung eines 120 m südlich gelegenen zweiten Gräberfeldes (Khvalynsk II) in den Jahren 1987-1988 wurde Khvalynsk zum größten ergegrabenen äneolithischen Friedhof in der Don-Wolga-Ural-Steppe
stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope measurements of bulk bone and sequential dentine samples of deciduous
second and/or permanent first molars of four younger children, one older child, one late adolescent, and two young adults
(n = 8) from Moro de Alins cave, north-eastern Iberia, are used to explore the potential impact of early-life nutrition on mortality
in the Bronze Age. Isotope results are compatible with generally short exclusive breastfeeding and standard weaning
periods compared to other pre-modern populations. However, there are differences in exclusive breastfeeding mean δ13C
values and in Δ13C trophic shifts between exclusive breastfeeding and immediate post-weaning isotope values for those
individuals who survived into adolescence and adulthood and those who did not. While the former seem to be consistent
with trophic distances published for modern mother–infant pairs, the latter are above most of them. This may suggest that
individuals who consumed similar foods to their mothers or suffered from less physiological stress during or after weaning
had greater chances of survival during early childhood and beyond. Post-weaning seems to have been a particularly stressful
period of life, where a number of instances of patterns of opposing isotopic covariance compatible with catabolic changes,
often preceding death among non-survivors, are detected. This outcome shows the key role of nutritional and/or physiological
status in early-life morbidity and mortality among partially and especially fully weaned children from pre-antibiotic,
pre-vaccination, and poor sanitation contexts and proposes that adult survival is rooted in early life experiences, in keeping
with the developmental origins of health and disease.
to assess the potential of such information. Here, we undertake stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of 125 human and seven animal bone collagen samples from six late prehistoric megalithic graves (La
Cascaja, El Sotillo, San Martín, Alto de la Huesera, Chabola de la Hechicera and Longar) which, together with 107 previously published Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic (ca. 3600-2900 BC) bone collagen samples (100
humans and six animals) from the same tombs, are used to explore subsistence trends over time. This approach provides a means to address the socio-economic response of northern Iberian megalithic communities to the cultural and climatic changes occurring in late prehistory. Isotopic data are contextualized using palaeoenvironmental and osteoarchaeological information. The results show a significant shift in diet between the late
Middle Neolithic and the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic that coincides with marked changes in burial practices that are likely related to the transition from mainly pastoral to mixed farming economies. There may also be
a change in subsistence between the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic and the following periods, suggested by differences in δ15N values between the layers of the Alto de la Huesera megalithic grave, as well as in population
and funerary dynamics. By contrast, an apparent continuity in subsistence is seen, at least isotopically, from the Middle Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age, despite clear changes in beliefs and socio-economic practices. These
findings support the existence of substantial asynchronous changes in lifeways and ideology among Iberian megalithic groups and challenge the traditional idea of a long and uniform stability in late prehistoric northern
Iberia.
Materials: A single well-preserved but incomplete human skeleton.
Methods: Macroscopic observation and low power magnification, CT imaging, radiocarbon dating and stable isotope (carbon, nitrogen) analysis.
Results: The stingray spine is tentatively identified as Bathytoshia brevicaudata. CT imaging shows no healing, indicating that death occurred shortly afterwards. The skeleton has been directly radiocarbon dated to the Okhotsk period (cal AD 429–827), with δ13C (-13.7‰) and δ15N (19.3‰) values indicating a diet focused on marine foods.
Conclusions: The absence of healing in what would have been a non-lethal injury strongly suggests that the spine tipped an arrowhead, rather than being the result of an accidental encounter with a living stingray. It is possible that the injury reflects a period of increased conflict coinciding with, or following on from, the expansion of the Okhotsk culture from Sakhalin into northern Hokkaido.
Significance: Uedomari-5 provides the first example, to our knowledge, of a stingray spine directly embedded in human bone at an archaeological site. More widely, the finding contributes to our knowledge of conflict in northern hunter-gatherer communities.
areas requiring further research are highlighted, and the use of other proxies (δ2H, δ34S) for assessing the dietary contributions of freshwater resources is considered. A case study from the Early Neolithic cemetery of Shamanka II is used to illustrate the marked effects of changes in dietary catchment over an individual’s life history, with bone and tooth dates from the same individual differing by 385 14C yr.
Columbian wood sculptures from east-central Florida, comprising new
radiocarbon determinations, wood identification and strontium isotope
analysis. The dates for three large zoomorphic carvings recovered from
the St. Johns River at Hontoon Island place them between ca. AD 1300 and
1600, suggesting that they belonged to a tradition of erecting largescale
pine carvings spanning at least some centuries. Two of the carvings
have strontium isotope signals consistent with the immediate vicinity of
the site, while the third differs significantly. Baseline data for
biologically available strontium from sampled modern trees indicates
considerable isotopic variability over short distances, making it
difficult to determine the source of the wood used for this third
carving. The only anthropomorphic sculpture, recovered from the vicinity
of Tomoka State Park, dates to a similar time period, ca. AD 1440-1620.
Our study confirms the wood's previous identification as belonging to the
genus Peltophorum, a tropical hardwood thought not to be native to
Florida. Its strontium isotope value is consistent with its find
location, but equally may be found over much of southern Florida, where
perhaps the species grew in the past. The results clarify the chronology
for a stylistically distinctive carving tradition, as well as raising
questions concerning the exchange of organic materials over varying
distances.
Highlights
• 14C results for four east-central Florida carvings (Hontoon Island; Tomoka State Park) range ca. AD 1300-1600, spanning the proto-historic/historic periods
• 87Sr/86Sr results for two of the three Hontoon carvings are consistent with the immediate locale, while the third suggests a different provenance
• Pinus sp. was used at Hontoon, while Peltophorum sp., currently not native to Florida, was used at Tomoka
One of the main tasks of archaeologists is pattern recognition. In this paper we have focused on one particular case study, the prehistoric hunter-gatherer cemetery of Zvejnieki in northeastern Europe (Henderson et al. in prep.). A very striking and persistent pattern was highlighted, linking the presence or absence of animal tooth pendants in graves with long-term dietary histories, over millennia of use of the site. But recognizing a pattern is relatively straightforward; the real challenge lies in its interpretation, including a full and honest consideration of the possible alternative explanations. We have presented a plausible case for early socioeconomic inequality before farming in prehistoric Europe. It is not definitive, but the implications are nevertheless worth pursuing. One of these is that we are likely seeing only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. This is partly because isotopic studies of prehistoric hunter-gatherers have generally been concerned with characterizing a group’s overall diet, or at most with comparing age and sex (for an exception see Scharlotta et al. 2016). But probably a more important issue is that, even if they exist, many dietary distinctions will not be visible isotopically, since they involve foods with similar isotopic signatures (e.g., different cuts of meat). This makes cases like Zvejnieki all the more important, as it is unlikely that this was a unique situation. There are a number of large cemeteries in the European Mesolithic, with a strong tendency to be situated on the coast, lakes, and major rivers with access to aquatic resources.
Finally, it is worth commenting on the apparent resilience of the social-ecological system at Zvejnieki (cf. Folke 2006). This was maintained (e.g., there is little evidence for high hunting pressure on large game) in a way that suggests that it was very stable, and apparently did not lead to attempts by those of putatively higher status to expand their control, or, if it did, then they were unsuccessful. Exploring the reasons for this falls outside the scope of this paper, but are likely to relate to the ecological restrictions on intensifying hunting, as well as to social levelling mechanisms. Social inequality always implies a tension between competing interests, one that in the case of Zvejnieki seems to have reached a long-lasting, stable balance that did not lead to escalating inequality.
The paper can also be downloaded at : http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199694013.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199694013-e-35
remains are presented for three middle and late Neolithic sites in Brittany.
When compared with previous results from the Mesolithic cemeteries of
Teviec and Hoedic, the Neolithic population shows far less use of marine
resources. But some small proportion of marine protein can still be detected
in the diet for some individuals in the Neolithic. More results for the earliest
Neolithic in Brittany are still needed, and are currently being sought. A
correction is also presented here for the very late individual from Hoedic,
and a new date fits better with previous results from the site. There is still
a strong dietary shift between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic, and it is
argued that the change in diet relates both to cultural choice and identity,
and to more practical matters involved in farming and herding.
RÉSUMÉ Cet article porte sur l'identification d'une pièce de textile trouvée dans un contexte archéologique près de Yale, Colombie Britannique (site DkRi-63). Le spécimen pourrait être un vestige d'une couverture Salish de la Côte. Bien que les données ethnographiques et ethnohistoriques conernant les Salish de la Côte mentionnent fréquemment une espèce de chien domestique dont le poil a été utilisé dans la fabrication de couvertures par les Salish, l'identification ferme d'une couverture comprenant ce poil de chien demeure évasive. L'analyse des isotopes stables de carbone de la couverture révèle que les poils appartiennent à un animal ayant un taux élevé de protéines accumulées à partir de ressources marines (X 13C =15.1%o). La comparasion entre les valeurs I3C des fibres de la couverture avec celles des os de chiens domestiques provenant de sites archéologiques et d'échantillons de contrôle indiquent que le spécimen à l'étude est fort probablement une couverture Salish en poil de chien. Une brève discussion sur les implications de cette découverte est aussi présentée.
We welcome case studies that investigate any number of topics, including rivers as borders that divide regions; routeways that connect people and promote human and object mobility; and places to conduct specific types of cultural activity. Rivers are particularly diagnostic of and sensitive to physical and anthropogenic forces, so they are ideal archaeological records and can be studied using a variety of methods. We therefore welcome case studies that highlight different proxies that can be used to evaluate human-river interaction and the scientific/archaeological/geological analysis techniques we can employ to inform our understandings. Central to this session is the goal to explore the theory of interpreting the archaeology we find in, on, and around rivers; to move past interpreting human and river interaction as a set of cause-and-effect behaviours and instead consider it as a complex and entangled relationship.