The social processes involved in acquiring flint and stone in the Neolithic began to be considered over thirty years ago, promoting a more dynamic view of past extraction processes. Whether by quarrying, mining or surface retrieval, the geographic source locations of raw materials and their resultant archaeological sites have been approached from different methodological and theoretical perspectives. In recent years this has included the exploration of previously undiscovered sites, refined radiocarbon dating, comparative ethnographic analysis and novel analytical approaches to stone tool manufacture and provenancing. The aim of this volume in the Neolithic Studies Group Papers is to explore these new findings on extraction sites and their products. How did the acquisition of raw materials fit into other aspects of Neolithic life and social networks? How did these activities merge in creating material items that underpinned cosmology, status and identity? What are the geographic similarities, constraints and variables between the various raw materials, and how does the practise of stone extraction in the UK relate to wider extractive traditions in northwestern Europe? Eight papers address these questions and act as a useful overview of the current state of research on the topic.

Early Settlers of the Insular Caribbean: Dearchaizing the Archaic offers a comprehensive coverage of the most recent advances in interdisciplinary research on the early human settling of the Caribbean islands. It covers the time span of the so-called Archaic Age and focuses on the Middle to Late Holocene period which – depending on specific case studies discussed in this volume – could range between 6000 BC and AD 1000. A similar approach to the early settlers of the Caribbean islands has never been published in one volume, impeding the realization of a holistic view on indigenous peoples’ settling, subsistence, movements, and interactions in this vast and naturally diversified macroregion. Delivered by a panel of international experts, this book provides recent and new data in the fields of archaeology, collection studies, palaeo­botany, geomorphology, paleoclimate and bioarchaeology that challenge currently existing perspectives on early human settlement patterns, subsistence strategies, migration routes and mobility and exchange. This publication compiles new approaches to ‘old’ data and museum collections, presents the results of starch grain analysis, paleocoring, seascape modelling, and network analysis. Moreover, it features newer published data from the islands such as Margarita and Aruba. All the above-mentioned data compiled in one volume fills the gap in scholarly literature, transforms some of the interpretations in vogue and enables the integration of the first settlers of the insular Caribbean into the larger Pan-American perspective. This book not only provides scholars and students with compelling new and interdisciplinary perspectives on the Early Settlers of the Insular Caribbean. It is also of interest to unspecialized readers as it discusses subjects related to archaeology, anthropology, and – broadly speaking – to the intersections between humanities and social and environmental sciences, which are of great interest to the present-day general public.

This volume explores the relationship between archaeology and contemporary society, especially as it concerns local communities living day-to-day alongside archaeological heritage. The contributors come from a range of disciplines and offer inspiring views emerging from the marriage of archaeology with a number of other fields, such as economics, social anthropology, ethnography, public policy, oral history and tourism studies, to form the discipline of ‘public archaeology’. There is growing interest in investigating the meanings of archaeology assets and archaeological landscapes, and this volume targets these issues with case studies from Greece, Italy, Turkey and elsewhere. The book addresses both general readers and scholars with an interest in how archaeological assets affected by people’s understanding of landscape and identity. It also touches upon the roles played in these interactions by public policy, international conventions, market economies and theoretical frameworks of public archaeology.

Since long, footwear has been neglected, but the Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (AEFP), which started 10 years ago, filled in this gap in the knowledge on day-to-day ancient Egypt by studying the archaeological record as well as the imagery and textual evidence.

Eight sites were excavated along the route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route between Balmedy to Tipperty. The sites are mostly multi-period. One site on the banks of the River Dee, revealed nine phases of activity extending from the Upper Palaeolithic through to the post-Medieval. Extensive specialist analysis has been undertaken on all sites, along with a programme of radiocarbon dating, OSL dating and Bayesian analysis. During the excavations, it was apparent how the specific landscape of each site was key to the activities taking place there, the periods and duration of activity and the extent to which people were passing through or settling. This was chosen as the overarching theme for analysis and publication, and the geological and topographical background is woven through the presentation of each site. Broadly speaking, the landscape ‘units’ identified were the River Dee valley, the Dee-Don uplands, a second upland zone around one specific site, the River Don valley, and the coastal plains. In addition to the individual site- evidence, a concluding chapter expands on three themes highlighted through the work; Mobility (looking at the temporary/permanent nature of interaction), ‘Gaps’ (periods of time or parts of the landscape which seem unexpectedly blank and the reasons for this), and Methodologies (looking at the specific methods used to identify, test and excavate the sites and consider learnings for future linear projects). Full versions of all specialist reports, the original assessment reports and relevant catalogues are provided digitally through ADS and cross-referenced throughout the text.

The book provides insights into the various technical approaches and underlying bodies of knowledge in the different wall painting traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age and sheds light on how these may have been interwoven.

In many societies monuments are associated with dynamic socio-economic and political processes that these societies underwent and/or instrumentalised. Due to the often large human and other resources input involved in their construction and maintenance, such constructions form an useful research target in order to investigate both their associated societies as well as the underlying processes that generated differential construction levels. Monumental constructions may physically remain the same for some time but certainly not forever. The actual meaning, too, that people associate with these may change regularly due to changing contexts in which people perceived, assessed, and interacted with such constructions.These changes of meaning may occur diachronically, geographically but also socially. Realising that such shifts may occur forces us to rethink the meaning and the roles that past technologies may play in constructing, consuming and perceiving something monumental. In fact, it is through investigating the processes, the practices of building and crafting, and selecting the specific locales in which these activities took place, that we can argue convincingly that meaning may already become formulated while the form itself is still being created. As such, meaning-making and -giving may also influence the shaping of the monument in each of its facets: spatially, materially, technologically, socially and diachronically.This volume varies widely in regional and chronological focus and forms a useful manual to studying both the acts of building and the constructions themselves across cultural contexts. A range of theoretical and practical methods are discussed, and papers illustrate that these are applicable to both small or large architectural expressions, making it useful for scholars investigating urban, architectural, landscape and human resources in archaeological and historical contexts. The ultimate goal of this book is to place architectural studies, in which people’s interactions with each other and material resources are key, at the crossing of both landscape studies and material culture studies, where it belongs.

Ancient Textiles Modern, Science II follows the success of the first proceedings, published in 2013, that catalogued the Forum’s formative years. This proceedings highlights the range of subjects and approaches, from improved forms of notation for nålbinding and terminology for non-woven fabric structures, to presentation and practical interpretation of new and unique discoveries from Lengberg Castle and of Roman leather underpants. The significance of unrealised assumptions and unappreciated historic decisions is shown through the discovery of weaving tablets unrecognised during their excavation and the effects of water supply on the outcome of dyeing in Pompeii. Practical investigations of historic resist dyeing, methods to selectively colour early Byzantine embroidery after its completion, and how the choice of metal in dyeing kettles influences dyeing outcomes make up the rest of this volume. The European Textile Forum provides a place where ideas can be exchanged and aims to give a good practical foundation for further research. The end result is an understanding of each aspect of historic textiles that is greater than the sum of its individual parts., The Forum continues to explore textile artefacts, tools, methods of production, recording notation and the historic and contemporary meaning of textiles.

German Abstract:Was die sogenannten „frühen Kelten” tranken, weckt seit über hundert Jahren das Interesse der Wissenschaft und der Öffentlichkeit. Funde mediterraner Importkeramik ließen Forscher_innen schon früh vermuten, dass den „Kelten“ vor allem an einer Nachahmung mediterraner Trinksitten gelegen war.Die in Mitteleuropa gefundene Gelagekeramik griechischen Ursprungs und die mediterranen Transportamphoren sah man bis vor kurzem als Beleg für eben jene Übernahme griechischer Lebensstile auch nördlich der Alpen. An diesem Punkt setzte die Tagung an, deren Basis die Forschungen im Rahmen des vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) geförderten Verbundprojekts BEFIM (www.befim.gwi.uni-muenchen.de) darstellten. Es war das Ziel, innovative Ansätze aus den Geistes- und Naturwissenschaften zu verbinden und auf den archäologischen Befund gewinnbringend zu übertragen.Zu diesem Zweck präsentierten im Rahmen der Konferenz Forscher_innen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Disziplinen ihre Forschungsergebnisse, sei es zur Interkulturalität, zur Keramik der „frühen Kelten“, zu naturwissenschaftlichen Analysen von Nahrungsrückständen oder Weinkonsum auch jenseits der Keltike.Im Zentrum standen Fragen wie diese: Entfaltete der Kontakt mit fremden Trinksitten und -gefäßen ein transformatives Potential auch außerhalb einer vereinfachend als „Elite“ verstandenen Personengruppe? Wie schnell und in welchen Kontexten wurden exotische Getränke wie vor allem Wein angeeignet? Ging dies mit der Verwendung neuer Gefäßformen und damit vermutlich auch anderen Trinkpraktiken einher? Hatte die Akzeptanz ungewohnter Gelagesitten auch jenseits der „frühen Kelten“ kulturellen Wandel zur Folge? Wie können wir die mediterranen Getränke nachweisen? Was wurde zuvor auf welche Weise konsumiert? Was für Nahrungsmittel boten sich an, in (alkoholische) Getränke verwandelt zu werden und welche Herstellungstechniken fassen wir? Zeichnet sich auch der Austausch von Wissen zur Herstellung oder Würzung von Getränken im interkulturellen Dialog ab? Der Band richtet sich mit allgemeinen Einführungen, Überblicksartikeln und speziellen Beiträgen gleichermaßen an ein breites akademisches Publikum an Universitäten, Museen und in der Denkmalpflege wie an Studierende und interessierte Laien.English abstractWhat the so-called “early Celts” used to drink has been a matter of debate amongst scientists and in the wider public for more than a century. Finds of Mediterranean imported pottery were the reason for scholars to suspect already at an early date that the “Celts” had aimed at imitating Mediterranean drinking habits. Until recently, these drinking vessels of Greek origin and Mediterranean transport amphorae were considered proof of exactly this adoption of Greek lifestyle even north of the Alps. This is the point, where our conference came into play, the basis of which is research conducted in the context of the joint research project BEFIM (www.befim.de).We aim at connecting innovative approaches from both arts and sciences and at profitably transferring them to the archaeological evidence. To this purpose, academics from entirely different disciplines presented their research results at the conference – whether it be on interculturality, pottery of the early Celts, scientific analyses of food residues or wine consumption also beyond the Keltiké.In the centre of interest there were questions such as these: Did the contact with foreign drinking customs and the associated vessels unfold transformative potential even beyond the group of persons we simplistically call the “elite”? How quickly and in which contexts were exotic drinks (such as wine in particular) appropriated? Was this accompanied by the use of new vessel types and thus perhaps also by different drinking habits? Did the acceptance of unusual banqueting customs result in cultural change beyond the early Celts? How can we prove the presence of these Mediterranean drinks? What used to be consumed in which way before their arrival? What types of food lent themselves to being transformed into (alcoholic) beverages at all and which techniques for producing drinks are reflected in the archaeological evidence? Is the exchange of knowledge on the production and seasoning of beverages recognisable in the intercultural dialogue?This volume with its general introductions, overview articles, and specialised papers is directed at a broader academic public from universities, museums, and heritage preservation authorities on the one hand as well as students and interested non-specialists on the other hand.

Ce livre est consacré à la recherche sur le développement de la production et des échanges céramiques entre le continent et les îles de Bretagne, du Néolithique à la période gallo-romaine. L’analyse archéométrique de la céramique est utilisée pour explorer le développement des réseaux de communication: la circulation des personnes et des produits entre les îles et le continent. Ces îles produisaient-elles leur propre poterie ou étaient-elles dépendantes de la production continentale? En déterminant si la poterie a été produite ou importée localement, il est possible d’identifier les degrés variables de connexion ou d’isolement avec des réseaux plus larges. Plusieurs méthodes d’analyse ont été utilisées pour examiner 368 tessons de poterie provenant de 25 sites. Des observations macroscopiques ont été effectuées afin de documenter les traitements de surface, ainsi que l’examen microscopique de coupes céramiques minces pour l’identification de la composition minéralogique de l’argile et pour déterminer ses origines géologiques et géographiques. Ces techniques ont été complétées par des analyses chimiques: SEM-EDS, XR-D et P-XRF.Enfin, une nouvelle approche méthodologique a été utilisée pour la provenance des argiles: l’analyse LA-ICP-MS. Cette méthode est basée sur des comparaisons chimiques des inclusions minérales dans les pâtes céramiques avec les mêmes types de minéraux dans les roches mères. Elle permet de déterminer plus précisément les origines des argiles, surtout lorsque les pâtes n’offrent pas d’éléments caractéristiques qui permettent de les distinguer des autres productions.La longue portée chronologique de cette étude nous permet de documenter l’évolution des caractéristiques céramiques et les lieux changeants de l’approvisionnement en argile et de la production de poterie. Les résultats de cette recherche apportent de nouvelles preuves de l’occupation préhistorique des îles bretonnes.English AbstractSea, ceramics and islands in western France: archaeometric approach to paleo-economic relations of island populations from the Neolithic to AntiquityThis book is about research on the development of ceramic production and exchange between the mainland and islands of Brittany from the Neolithic to the Gallo-Roman period. Archaeometric analysis of ceramics is used to explore the development of communication networks: the movement of people and of products between the islands and the mainland.Did these islands produce their own pottery or were they dependent on mainland production? By determining whether pottery was locally produced or imported, it is possible to identify the changing degrees of connection with, or isolation from, wider networks.Several analytical methods have been employed to examine 368 sherds of pottery from 25 sites. Macroscopic observations were made in order to document surface treatments, as well as microscopic examination of ceramic thin sections for the identification of the mineralogical composition of the clay, and to determine its geological and geographic origins. These techniques have been complemented with chemical analyses: SEM-EDS, XR-D and P-XRF. Finally, a new methodological approach has been used to provenance the clays: LA-ICP-MS analysis. This method is based on chemical comparisons of the mineral inclusions in the ceramic pastes with the same mineral types in the parent rocks. It can determine more precisely the origins of clays, especially when the pastes do not offer characteristic elements that allow them to be distinguished from other productions.The long chronological scope of this study allows us to document the evolution of ceramic characteristics and the changing locations of clay supply and pottery production. The results of this research provide new evidence about the prehistoric occupation of the islands of Brittany.

This volume considers how the discovery of Etruscan sites and artefacts has inspired artists, architects, statesmen, collectors, scholars and travellers to Italy from the 16th through to the 20th century, from Ferdinando de' Medici to Piranesi and Federico Fellini. Subjects include the reclaiming of Etruscan identity and its influence on Italian political history, the collecting and reproduction of Etruscan artefacts, as well as new insights into the lives and activities of early British Etruscologists and the pleasures and perils which they encountered on their travels. Other essays look at Etruscan concepts in jewellery, gems and pottery. The extent of Etruscan influence on European culture has often been underestimated, but still less well known till now is how knowledge of certain aspects of Etruscan civilisation spread to the United States of America, as demonstrated, for example, by the tomb of a Civil War officer which was inscribed with an intriguing Etruscan-like inscription. A key theme under consideration is the impact that Etruscan discoveries have had on the public imagination, in particular the Campanari display of reconstructed Etruscan tombs staged in Pall Mall in 1837 - the first archaeological ‘blockbuster’ exhibition of its kind. The British Museum acquired much of this material, and the excavation of Etruscan tombs with their stunning wall-paintings was to have a lasting impression on displays in the major museums of Europe. But before that, Etruscan material was among Sir Hans Sloane’s collection, the founding collection of the British Museum, and it has been on display since the Museum first opened its doors to the public in 1759.

Metals, Minds and Mobility seeks to integrate archaeometallurgical data with archaeological theory to address longstanding questions about mechanisms of exchange, mobility and social complexity in prehistory. The circulation of metal has long been viewed as a catalyst for social, economic and population changes in Europe. New techniques and perspectives derived from archaeological science can shed new light on the understanding of the movement of people, materials and technological knowledge. In recent years these science-based approaches have situated mobility at the forefront of the archaeological debate. Advances in the characterisation of metals and metallurgical residues combined with more sophisticated approaches to data analysis add greater resolution to provenance studies. Though offering better pictures of artefact source, the explanation of artefact distribution across geographic space requires the use of theoretically informed models and solid archaeological evidence to discern differences between the circulation of raw materials, ingots, objects, craftspeople and populations. Bringing together many leading expert contributions address topics that include the invention, innovation and transmission of metallurgical knowledge; archaeometric based models of exchange; characterization and discrimination of different modes of material circulation; and the impact of metals on social complexity. The 13 papers are organised in three main sections dealing with key debates in archaeology: transmission of metallurgical technologies, knowledge and ideas; prestige economies and exchange; and circulation of metal as commodities and concludes with a review current approaches, situating the volume in a broader context and identifying future research directions.

This volume presents the results of diachronic archaeological and palaeoecological research conducted in two study areas: the intermontane Kazanlak Valley along the Upper Tundzha River of central Bulgaria, and the Thracian Plain along the Middle Tundzha River south of the city of Yambol in southeastern Bulgaria. The Tundzha Regional Archaeology Project (TRAP), a cooperative effort including Australian, Bulgarian, and Czech investigators, undertook archaeological survey and environmental sampling between 2009-2011. Major field activities of the project included over 100 sq km of systematic pedestrian survey, legacy data verification and mapping, trial excavations, artefact processing, and environmental sampling in and around the study areas. Through this research, TRAP inventoried over 100 surface artefact concentrations and 800 burial mounds. At the heart of the volume is a geospatial analysis of settlement patterns derived from the survey dataset, which relates the footprint of past human activities to environmental and sociocultural drivers. We also present a range of associated studies conducted between 2009-2015: histories of archaeological research in both study areas, soil erosion and productivity modelling in the Kazanlak Valley, reconstruction of a 30,000-year environmental history based on samples from a wetland in the Thracian Plain north of Yambol, investigation of palaeodiet using isotope analysis of human remains from Bronze Age burials in the Yambol study area, exploration of shifting Roman occupation patterns based on trial excavations in the Yambol area, research into subsistence strategies based on palaeobotanical evidence recovered from one of the Yambol area trial excavations, analysis of trade and exchange based on the transport amphorae fragments recovered during Yambol-area survey, and epigraphic comparison and synthesis of Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman inscriptions from the two study areas. Finally, TRAP has produced a granular digital dataset of surface artefacts and features unparalleled in Bulgaria to promote reinterpretation of our results, encourage secondary studies, and foster comparative research.

At the end of the last Ice Age, sea level around the world was lower, coastal lands stretched further and the continents were bigger, in some cases landmasses were joined by dry land that has now disappeared beneath the waves. The study of the now submerged landscapes that our ancestors knew represents one of the last barriers for archaeology. Only recently have advances in underwater technology reached the stage where a wealth of procedures is available to explore this lost undersea world. This volume considers the processes behind the rising (and falling) of relative sea-levels and then presents the main techniques available for the study and interpretation of the archaeological remains that have survived inundation.Case studies are used to illustrate particular applications. Finally, a review of projects around the world highlights the varying scale and period of sites concerned. Submerged archaeological sites often include the preservation of fragile materials such as decorated timbers, that shed rare detail on the communities of prehistory; in other cases the features of the landscape context into which they are set can be extraordinarily well-preserved. This is not a book about shipwrecks but about landscapes now lost beneath the waves. It is written for all archaeologists, whether they work on land or at sea, and for all who are interested in the past; it illustrates the shape of the world as it once was and explains why we need to understand it. It offers an easily accessible introduction to the exciting realm of underwater archaeology.

Cultural heritage, which includes archaeology, is recognized as serving an increasingly important role in European societal development. But what exactly is the relevance of archaeology to present day citizens? Imprint of Action investigates the sociocultural impact of archaeology through public activities. These activities provide an ideal setting for research, as they represent a structured point of encounter between the public and archaeological heritage; in analysing them, aspects of people’s connections to the past are revealed. As such this research forms an integral part of the NEARCH project (2013-2018). As a basis for analysis, survey data from three large-scale case studies – ‘DOMunder’ (Netherlands), ‘You(R) Archaeology’ (Cross-Europe), and ‘Invisible Monuments’ (Greece) was used. The analysis and interpretation of the case studies is based on a newly created methodological framework which finds its roots in the broader culture and arts sector. Results shows that activities encourage participation and interaction, which engenders sociocultural impacts on participants, most notably in knowledge increase, skill development, social relations, and happiness. Imprint of Action is the first large-scale study focussing entirely on sociocultural impact in archaeology and, as such, is explorative in nature; it provides unique insights into the workings of interaction and participation in archaeological events, and openly shares qualitative and quantitative research data with the expanding field. In doing so, Imprint of Action lies the foundations for further analysis of the societal impact of both large-and small-scale heritage projects and identifies the incontestable values of archaeological heritage to the public.

The prehistoric site of Tell Sabi Abyad lies in the valley of the Balikh River, a tributary of the Euphrates in northern Syria. Between 2001 and 2008 excavations focused on the north-western, western and southwestern slopes of the main mound (Operations III, IV and V). Relentlessly Plain presents the results of detailed investigations into the 7th millennium BC ceramic assemblages recovered from those excavations by an interdisciplinary group of scholars. The 7th millennium BC was an era of profound cultural transformations in the ancient Near East. This began with the sustained adoption of pottery c. 7000 cal BC, followed by the slow advance of the new craft as pottery containers became increasingly common. Important social, economic and ritual activities became increasingly dependent on pottery containers. Over the course of the millennium, prehistoric communities began to cook food and drink, store surpluses, and send symbolic messages via the medium of pottery vessels. Tell Sabi Abyad offers a unique vantage point from which to study these innovations. Supported by a strong program of radiocarbon dating, extensive excavations have revealed a lengthy, continuous sequence of prehistoric occupation from the start of the Late Neolithic into the Early Halaf period. Pottery changed dramatically in the course of this long trajectory. Whereas in the initial stages pottery containers were rare, at the end of the sequence they represented a mass-produced craft. Initially ceramic containers were visually conspicuous, occasionally decorated, but masses of relentlessly plain pottery characterize subsequent stages. The book combines detailed discussion of themes relevant to the study of early ceramics in the ancient Near East with extensive analyses of each of the individual wares currently distinguished at the site. Separate chapters offer perspectives on the archaeometry, the depositional context, early repairs, food residues, provenance and associated human burials.