In this paper, the author presents the historical background of the period of functioning of the site of Olbia in the Gothic and Hunnic periods. He presents the most important studies on the Goths and Huns in recent decades, reconstructs the course of the Gothic wars (third to sixth centuries) and analyses selected sagas of Germanic mythology. On the basis of this and using the results of the recent archaeological excavations, he formulates the thesis that Olbia, functioning in the Gothic period from the 3rd/4th centuries to the beginning of the 5th century AD, could have been an important administrative centre of pagan Goths who actively fought against their Christianized brethren. He also hypothesizes that it can be identified with the land of Oium (Olbium) and with the Árheimar á Danparstoeðum, the capital of Reiðgotaland, mentioned in the oldest Germanic sagas.
Ginevra Bellini, Ginevra Bellini, Karin Schrieber
et al.
Pre-adaptation to anthropogenic disturbance is broadly considered key for plant invasion success. Nevertheless, empirical evidence remains scarce and fragmentary, given the multifaceted nature of anthropogenic disturbance itself and the complexity of other evolutionary forces shaping the (epi)-genomes of recent native and invasive plant populations. Here, we review and critically revisit the existing theory and empirical evidence in the field of evolutionary ecology and highlight novel integrative research avenues that work at the interface with archaeology to solve open questions. The approaches suggested so far focus on contemporary plant populations, although their genomes have rapidly changed since their initial introduction in response to numerous selective and stochastic forces. We elaborate that a role of pre-adaptation to anthropogenic disturbance in plant invasion success should thus additionally be validated based on the analyses of archaeobotanical remains. Such materials, in the light of detailed knowledge on past human societies could highlight fine-scale differences in the type and timing of past disturbances. We propose a combination of archaeobotanical, ancient DNA and morphometric analyses of plant macro- and microremains to assess past community composition, and species’ functional traits to unravel the timing of adaptation processes, their drivers and their long-term consequences for invasive species. Although such methodologies have proven to be feasible for numerous crop plants, they have not been yet applied to wild invasive species, which opens a wide array of insights into their evolution.
W artykule prezentowane są wybrane wyniki badań projektu pt. „Początki chrześcijaństwa na pograniczu mazowiecko-ruskim”, realizowanego w latach 2013–2016 w Instytucie Archeologii i Etnologii PAN pod kierownictwem prof. dr. hab. Andrzeja Buko. Przedmiotem tych badań były wczesnośredniowieczne cmentarzyska szkieletowe na Podlasiu. Analizy aDNA wykazały, że ludność pochowana w kurhanach genetycznie różniła się od użytkującej tamtejsze cmentarze płaskie – zarówno te z konstrukcjami kamiennymi, jak i bez nich. Antropologiczna analiza porównawcza populacji z cmentarzysk w Surażu i Czarnej Wielkiej wskazuje także na różnice biostrukturalne pomiędzy użytkownikami obydwu typów nekropoli płaskich. Wyniki badań wspierają koncepcję o obcym pochodzeniu ludności pochowanej na podlaskich cmentarzyskach z grobami w obstawach kamiennych oraz co najmniej częściowo tej użytkującej nekropole płaskie założone przy głównych tamtejszych grodach.
Auxiliary sciences of history, Prehistoric archaeology
The excavations at Hacılar carried out by James Mellaart in Burdur in the second half of the 1950s were a starting point for prehistoric archaeology in the Burdur–Antalya Region (Ancient Pisidia). Almost two decades later excavations took place at Kuruçay Höyük (1978–1988), followed by excavations at the Hacılar necropolis (1985-1986), excavations at Höyücek (1989–1992) and Bademağacı Höyük (1993–2010), and excavations at Hacılar Büyük Höyük that began in 2011 and are still in progress. The first examples of fortified settlements in the region can be traced back to the Early Neolithic Period. The centres mentioned in this article represent very significant stages in both the development of defence architecture in the region and also in our understanding of the process of urbanisation in Anatolia. The earliest defence models were later replaced by more complex systems, such as the casemate and saw-tooth defence system seen in the EBA I settlement at Hacılar Büyük Höyük, and the arrangement of adjacent megarons in a row for the purpose of defence in the EBA II settlement at Bademağacı. The first example of a ‘Gate Building’ model in Anatolia is the Eastern Gate in level 6A at Kuruçay, which consists of a gateway between two casemates/ towers. The development of this type of gate can be seen in the Western Gate and the Southern Gate at Hacılar Büyük Höyük.
He Yu, Alexandra Jamieson, Ardern Hulme-Beaman
et al.
‘Archaeogenetic analysis of black rat remains reveals that this species was introduced into temperate Europe twice, in the Roman and medieval periods. This population turnover was likely associated with multiple historical and environmental factors.’
A unique lead seal-matrix with majuscule legend: LUCIANI PRESBITERI belonging to a priest was found by the Romanesque castle church in Giebło. The name of its owner is mentioned in written sources from the years 1325–1327 as plebanus ecclesie de Kebel. As PRESBITER he probably didn’t enjoy all privileges that the collator usually bestows on a parish priest on his property. Possibly for that reason he had his matrix made in an easy-to-process material, infrequently used for such objects in this part of Europe. The use of this raw material suggests someone who tried avoid the high costs of making the item. Special attention is merited by the composition of a fleur-de-lis crowned with the cross engraved on the seal face that resembles a heraldic device. The repetition of a schematic lily flower on the reverse of the matrix shows the special importance of this sign (identified in medieval time with the Blessed Virgin Mary); this symbol was treated in this way by, for example, Cistercians. By presenting his name in the company of these symbols, Lucianus gave his seal strength and credibility.
Rokiah Suriadi, Hasrizal Shaari, Suhaimi Suratman
et al.
This paper documents a database of fossil foraminiferal occurrences from a core sample (2 m) retrieved from offshore southeastern Peninsular Malaysia, in 1993, with additional data on their modern distribution from published source. Five sub-samples were analysed for foraminiferal studies (0.1 m, 0.4 m, 0.6 m, 1.2 m, and 2.0 m), alongside with their diversity indices values. In addition, we also present the lithological description of the core sediment, together with the radiocarbon age of our sample. These data are potentially be reused in other paleoceanography related research, such as reconstructing paleo environments, and for future research on the Late-Quaternary/Holocene sedimentary and sea-level history of Sunda Shelf.
The text discusses the epistemological problems and dilemmas of the attempts to study religious life in prehistory by archaeological means. Among numerous difficulties, theoretical as well as practical, hindering these attempts, a general problem is discussed here: is archaeology of religion possible and on what grounds? This dilemma raised a series of discussions over the last decades of the 20th century, primarily among the English-speaking archaeologists. However, in the tradition of regional archaeology of Yugoslavian and post-Yugoslavian lands this discussion has not been initiated, and the religious life of the prehistoric communities has not been the subject of particular research interest. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to bring attention to the possibilities and limitations of research into religion in prehistory, referring to the recent discussions in wider archaeological community. Two questions are discussed: firstly, how religion is conceptualized and defined in prehistoric contexts, and secondly, how it is possible to make inferences on religion on the grounds of material remains, if religion is understood in general sense, as belief in supernatural, non-material principles.
The text concludes by the suggestion that the holistic approach, advocating that the religious phenomena should be regarded in structural relationship to all other aspects of social life, is productive if this proposition is taken to imply the scrutiny of numerous correlations between religion and other social domains. However, it is not acceptable to deny heuristic and analytic value of the very concept of religion. The importance of research into religious rituals is stressed, i.e. religious behaviour and practices, that are accessible through archaeological record, as opposed to religious principles, beliefs and dogmas. The orientation of archaeological research towards the field of ritual practices presupposes the effort to discern the purpose of a ritual and its outcomes, i.e. to consider the structural intertwining of ritual behaviour with all other aspects of social life, in accordance with the holistic approach.
Southern Zagros mountainous region which is the country (Yelagh as local name) for Bakhtiari and a few ofQashqayi tribes, is resided during spring and summer due to suitable geographical and climate conditions suchas sufficient water supplies, acceptable pastures and timing for the growth of plants. The mentioned tribes spendtheir winter quarters during fall and winter in some regions in the Khuzestan and the Fars provinces. In the countryregions, the immigrants choose specific places to reside and camp depending on the climate conditions, the levelof security for the people and the herd, protection from wind and raining, access to water supplies, and growth ofplants in the pastures. This study aims to identify the ancient ways of choosing the locations for camping in thecountry regions and show where campsites can be easily located. This will be achieved through the Middle RangeTheory (MRT) by studying and evaluating modern pastoral groups.
Gutiérrez García-M., A. y Rouillard, P. (eds.) (2018): Lapidum natura restat. Canteras antiguas de la Península ibérica en su contexto (cronología, técnicas y organización de la explotación), Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica / Casa de Velázquez, Tarragona / Madrid, Serie Documenta, ISBN 978-84-946298-3-9 / 978-84-9096-170-4.
Prehistoric archaeology, Auxiliary sciences of history
Przemysław Bobrowski, Maciej Jórdeczka, Iwona Sobkowiak-Tabaka
et al.
The locality of Khor Shambat in the Omdurman district of Khartoum was investigated in 2012. The site lies between two gorges draining water to the Nile Valley from the west. Testing established the site stratigraphy, dating the cultural level to the early Neolithic. The source material from this cultural level included vessel-type ceramics, microlithic stone artifacts, macrolithic stone tools and faunal remains. A cemetery containing 13 graves was investigated, the alignment of the burial pits and position of the interments leading to the conclusion that it started as a Neolithic burial ground and continued as a cemetery probably in Meroitic and post-Meroitic times.The archaeological, anthropological and archaeozoological data contributed new information onsettlement on this site and in the broader overview, in central Sudan.
Sonqor Koliyaie is a mountainous plain in central Zagros that has attracted the attention of human societies because of its appropriate environmental characteristics from long ago. Generally, the findings obtained from systematic archaeological surveys show that human settlements have been established in this area from Middle Paleolithic period through contemporary period. Three seasons of survey in this area have shown that among 301 discovered archeological sites, many belonged to Paleolithic, Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age. The present study attempts to study the prevalent prehistoric cultures and traditions of the region since the beginning up to the first millennium BC. The research method is descriptive-analytic and the materials are cultural artifacts such as pottery and stone tools. The obtained results prove that although the number or size of the settlements has decreased during some periods, the common pottery traditions such as Dalma, Seh Gabi, Godin VII, VI, IV, III, and II in West of Iran show the presence of a continuous sequence of cultural settlements from the start of the human settlement in the valleys. Regarding the distribution of the sites, it should be noted that the distribution and size of the discovered settlement patterns have been different indifferent periods and have been influenced by various environmental factors such as height, water access, pasture, and communicative roads.
José Yravedra Sáinz de los Terreros, Pablo López Cisneros
En los últimos años se ha puesto de manifiesto que los neandertales explotaron un rango de especies muy amplio. Diversos animales independientemente de su tamaño o su nicho ecológico fueron explotados, así proboscidios, ungulados de diversas tallas, carnívoros, pequeños mamíferos como los lagomorfos, reptiles, aves y peces presentan evidencias de haber sido aprovechados por estos seres humanos. Esta gran variabilidad de recursos es un ejemplo de la versatilidad neandertal. En este trabajo hemos tratado de reflejar esta adaptabilidad a través de una revisión de las evidencias zooarqueológicas y tafonómicas descritas en los yacimientos musterienses del interior de la Península Ibérica, tomando como referencia aquellos lugares situados en la meseta norte y la meseta sur correspondientes a los estadios isotópicos 5-3.
Neanderthals have recently been found to have exploited a rather wide range of species. Regardless of size or habitat, many animals were consumed, from proboscidians, ungulates of different size and carnivores, to small mammals such as lagomorphs or even reptiles, birds and fish. All these species present evidence of having been intervened by this hominines. This large variety of resources is an example of Neanderthal versatility. This paper discusses this adaptive behavior in a revision of the zooarcheological and taphonomic evidence found in Mousterian sites in inland Iberia, particularly the ones located in the northern and southern plateau for the 5-3 isotopic stages.
Prehistoric archaeology, Auxiliary sciences of history
El esquema constructivo de esta villa responde al modelo típico romano: una serie de estancias distribuidas alrededor de un patio central, que las ilumina y desde el que se accede a ellas mediante los pasillos circundantes, cubiertos con pisos de mosaico, al igual que varias habitaciones (dos de ellas adornadas con mosaicos figurativos). Puente de la Olmilla tenía un pórtico en la fachada, combinación que corresponde a un tipo de construcción poco común en Hispania. Esta villa es un claro testimonio del profundo proceso romanizador sufrido por el medio rural en este territorio. Sin duda, este ámbito de la Meseta Sur tenía para los romanos un carácter estratégico por su privilegiado emplazamiento geográfico dentro de la Península Ibérica y esa fue una de las causas de que lo incluyeran en su red viaria.