Search results for "History and Archaeology"
showing 10 items of 716 documents
The role of fire within Neolithic collective burials: Spatial analyses of cremains from the site of La Truie Pendue, France
2016
International audience; The use of collective graves is one of the main features of the western European Late Neolithic. A single gravesite received the successive deposition of dozens or sometimes hundreds of individuals. While cremations or even full-fired inhumation layers are often found within these funerary deposits, the actual role of fire is still poorly understood. Recently discovered within the important archaeological complex of Passy (Yonne, France), the burned collective grave of La Truie-Pendue provides an outstanding case study to examine the use of fire within Neolithic funerary rites. In this study, we develop a new contextual approach to bone alterations in order to recons…
Early Bronze Age painted wares from Tell el-'Abd, Syria: A compositional and technological study
2018
Abstract The ‘Euphrates Monochrome Painted Ware’ (henceforth EMPW) is a ceramic style attested in the Middle Euphrates region in northern Syria at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age, ca. 2900–2700 BCE. This style is not an isolated phenomenon; rather, it must be understood in the context of a general, albeit short-lived, re-introduction of painted ceramics into local assemblages of Greater Mesopotamia. In the present study, we investigate the technology and provenance of the painted pottery from Tell el-'Abd (North Syria) and its relation to contemporary ceramics retrieved at this site. We apply a combination of macroscopic observations, ceramic petrography, and micro X-ray diffraction (…
Planning Punic cities: Geophysical prospection and the built environment at Motya, Sicily
2020
The urban plan of ancient Motya on the Isola di San Pantaleo on the west coast of Sicily and its relationship to developments in Phoenician and Punic societies have been investigated since the early 1960s. Data from geophysical surveys in the north-eastern quadrant of Motya show the regular organisation of urban insulae framed by two broad roads. These results, combined with data from previous nearby excavations, improve the modelling of Motya's layout, and contribute to the wider discussion of Phoenician/Punic and broader Mediterranean urban traditions between the sixth and fourth centuries BC.
Ensuring the Conservative Process: The Roman Walls of Lugo Maintenance Plan
2016
In 2000 the walls of Lugo were added to the World Heritage List. In the Spanish scenario of UNESCO Sites this is the only one provided with a maintenance plan, which properly defines times for inspections and interventions, tools for the collection and management of data, human and financial resources. This plan has begun to ensure a conservation process which guarantees that this ancient artefact is used efficiently and safely over time. The walls are fully accessible and because of the dominant ramparts are used by citizens as a beloved and frequently used city park. This article aims to describe the strategy and the conservation process put in place on the Roman walls to preserve and kee…
Exploring the “Cozy Cabal of Academics, Dealers and Collectors” through the Schøyen Collection
2020
In the wake of the trade in ancient materials, several ethical and political issues arise that merit concern: The decimation of the cultural heritage of war-torn countries, proliferation of corruption, ideological connotations of orientalism, financial support of terrorism, and participation in networks involved in money laundering, weapon sales, human trafficking and drugs. Moreover, trafficking and trading also have a harmful effect on the fabric of academia itself. This study uses open sources to track the history of the private Schø
Documenting carved stones by 3D modelling – Example of Mongolian deer stones
2018
Rock art studies are facing major technical challenges for extensive documentation. Nowadays, recording is essentially obtained from time-consuming tracing and rubbing, techniques that also require a high level of expertise. Recent advances in 3D modelling of natural objects and computational treatment of the modelled surfaces may provide an alternative, and reduce the current documentation bottleneck. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which such treatments can be applied. The case study presented here concerns the famous deer stones erected by ancient Mongolian nomad populations. The 3D acquisition workflow is based on structure-from-motion, a versatile photogrammetric tech…
The production cycle of lime-based plasters in the Late Roman settlement of Scauri, on the island of Pantelleria, Italy
2018
This paper deals with the archaeometric study of lime-based plasters found in the archaeological settlement of Scauri, located in the homonymous bay in the south-western part of Pantelleria Island. Since 1999, archaeological surveys have led to the recovery of the huge remains of a Late Roman settlement dating back to the fourth-fifth century AD. It is well known that the island of Pantelleria is entirely composed of volcanic rocks. Accordingly, the production of quicklime required calcareous rocks to be imported. Also, the selection criteria of the sandy aggregate are relevant and of interest to this study, to evaluate the achieved technological level. Within this context, a mineralogical …
Statistical analysis of engraving traces on a 3D digital model of prehistoric stone stelae
2016
International audience; Studying cultural heritage artefacts, using 3D digital models, is gaining interest. It not only allows applications in documentation and visualisation, but also permits further contact-less examination. In this paper, we are presenting a statistical analysis of stone engravings based on features that were semi-automatically extracted from 3D acquisition data. Our objects of study are two Neolithic stone stelae and a faithful replica that was created in the course of an archaeological study. We use common statistical methods and investigate the populations of depth and diameter of the engraving traces, as well as their correlation. We observe that the erosion of the t…
Levantamiento 3D para el estudio arqueológico y la reconstrucción virtual del Santuario de Isis en la antigua Lilybaeum (Italia)
2020
[EN] In recent years, the use of three-dimensional (3D) models in cultural and archaeological heritage for documentation and dissemination purposes has increased. New geomatics technologies have significantly reduced the time spent on fieldwork surveys and data processing. The archaeological remains can be documented and reconstructed in a digital 3D environment thanks to the new 3D survey technologies. Furthermore, the products generated by modern surveying technologies can be reconstructed in a virtual environment on effective archaeological bases and hypotheses coming from a detailed 3D data analysis. However, the choice of technologies that should be used to get the best results for dif…
Fuel For Lamps: Organic Residues Preserved in Iron Age Lamps Excavated at the Site of Sahab in Jordan
2017
Five Iron Age ceramic lamps from a tomb at the site of Sahab in the south-eastern part of central Jordan were analysed using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The results of this study provide data on the type of fuel used in three of these lamps. The study proposes that animal fat, possibly of ruminant origin, was used in three Early Iron Age II lamps. The material used in the other two Iron Age I lamps could not be determined due to the absence of diagnostic biomarkers. The data obtained from the lamps can be put in conjunction with the archaeological evidence on the availability of domestic animals and, most probably, use of their products at the site of Sahab during the Ir…