Developing International Geoarchaeology Conference 2007

Programme of Presentations

Oral Presentations

All oral and poster presentations will be given in the McCrum Lecture Theatre, on Bene’t Street.

A PC laptop is available for Powerpoint presentations.

Speakers are encouraged to hand in their Powerpoint and poster presentations when they register at the evening reception at the McDonald Institute on Wednesday April 18. Powerpoint presentations should be handed in on CD or USB memory stick, in an envelope labelled with the name of the speaker and the date and time of his/her presentation.

If you are not registering until the morning of Thursday April 19, please put up your poster and/or load your Powerpoint presentation when you arrive to register at the McCrum Theatre. The conference assistants at the registration desk will direct you towards the people who can help you to put up your posters and load your presentations.

All conference assistants will be marked by a red dot on their name badges.

Please note that each speaker has been allotted 20 minutes, including time for questions, and we will have to strictly adhere to this schedule. Speakers may organise their time as they wish, but we would recommend 15 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions.

Thursday April 19
9:00	Welcome announcements
Session 1: Advancements in Methodology Session Chair: Charles French
9:10	Ruth Shahack-Gross, Avner Ayalon, Paul Goldberg, Yuval Goren, Boaz Ofek, Rivka Rabinovich and Erella Hovers	Calcitic sources in Paleolithic cave sites revealed using stable oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses: a case study at Amud Cave, Israel
9:30	Victoria Hamilton	Non-destructive infra-red emission spectroscopy of chert artifacts
9:50	Elizabeth Sonnenburg, Joe Boyce, Jonathan Moore and Ken Watson	Data fusion of bathymetry and side-scan imagery for mapping submerged cultural resources, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Canada
10:10	Paul Goldberg and Richard Macphail	Improving micromorphology and archaeology
10:30	Coffee/tea break
Session 2: Anthropogenic Soils Session Chair: Melissa Goodman Elgar
11:00	Manuel A. Arroyo-Kalin, E. G. Neves, R. Bartone, C. A. Silva, E. P. Lima, C. P. Moraes and C. Rapp-Py Daniel	Mix and grow? Assessing the significance of Terras Pretas in the Central Amazon region
11:20	Scott Hutson, Tim Beach, Bruce Dahlin, Aline Magnoni, Mary Jo Schabel and Richard Terry	Kitchen gardens and kitchen wastes: phosphates in context in an ancient Maya urban centre
11:40	Kirsty Golding, Donald A. Davidson and Ian A. Simpson	Evidence for waste management and disposal in Scottish Royal burghs
12:00	Yannick Devos	Palaeoenvironmental research at the site of the rue the Dinant (Brussels): looking at Dark Earths
12:20	Discussion
12:30	Lunch
Session 3: Site Formation and Preservation Session Chair: Manuel Arroyo-Kalin
13:30	Lee Arco	Geoarchaeological investigation of a Late Archaic earthen mound in the Lower Mississippi Valley, USA: duration and process of construction
13:50	Marisa Coutinho Afonso and Maria Cristina Tenório	The geoarchaeology of shell mounds on the southern and southeastern Brazilian coast
14:10	Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo, Michelle Mayumi Tizuka and Alberto Barioni	Rockshelter geoarchaeology and Paleoindian sites in central Brazil: a view from the tropics
14:30	Melissa Goodman Elgar	Current investigations of contemporary and prehistoric settlement at Kala Uyuni, Bolivia
14:50	Discussion
15:00	Coffee/tea break
Session 3 continued: Site Formation and Preservation Session Chair: Karen Milek
15:30	Susan Mentzer	Sediment chemistry and mineralogy of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits at Obi-Rakhmat Grotto and Paltau Cave, Uzbekistan
15:50	Matthew Canti	Mending Silbury: geoarchaeological studies and remedial measures
16:10	Ingrid Ward and Barry Smith	Mapping the archaeological soil archive of sand and gravel extraction sites in Britain
16:30	Ann-Maria Hart	Gauging organic preservation in archaeological sites: oxidation and iron oxidised in soils and sediments
16:50	Discussion
Friday April 20
Session 4: Landscapes and Land Use Session Chair: Gillian Wallace
9:00	Maria Dergacheva	Paleosols, humic acids and reconstruction of palaeoecological conditions of ancient man’s habitat
9:20	Cynthia Fadem	Neolithic geoarchaeology in central Dalmatia, Croatia
9:40	Jessica Holmes, Gianna Ayala, Mark D. Bateman, Jennifer Heathcote and David Robinson	Unstable landscapes: the archaeology of land-use in the Brecklands, East Anglia , UK
10:00	Charles Frederick, Mark D. Bateman and Claire Boulter	Evaluating the formation processes of sandy archaeological sites by optically stimulated luminescence dating
10:20	Discussion
10:30	Coffee/tea break
Session 4 continued: Landscapes and Land Use Session Chair: Helen Lewis
11:10	Barbara Maria Sageidet	A geoarchaeological study of processes that formed the cultural landscape at Orstad, Jæren, SW Norway
11:30	Magnus Hellqvist	“Young and fresh” – environmental studies of settlements during the last 3000 years in Sweden ’s latest region through land uplift, south-east Sweden
11:50	Chris Hayward	Natural and anthropogenic processes and topographic change at Sikyon, Greece
12:10	Discussion
12:30	Lunch
Session 4 continued: Landscapes and Land Use Session Chair: Miranda Semple
13:30	Mark Bateman, Andrew S. Carr and Peter Holmes	Emergence of modern humans in South Africa and the role of dunes
13:50	Christopher Hill	Stratigraphy and sedimentology of Acheulian and Middle Paleolithic localities at Bir Sahara, southern Egypt
14:10	Ali Al-Mishwat	Ancient water cisterns in the Emhazool area, southwest Kuwait: a new discovery
14:30	Seyed Mohieddin Jafari and Monir Mahdavi Mortazavi (read by Karen Milek)	Geoarchaeology of Iran’s ancient civilization on the north coast of the Persian Gulf: Siraf port
14:50	Discussion
15:00	Coffee/tea break with poster and website presenters available for discussion

Session 4 continued: Landscapes and Land Use Session Chair: Charles French
15:50	David Beresford-Jones and Helen Lewis	Geomorphological survey and data in the context of reconstructing ecological and land-use changes in the Lower Ica Valley, Peru, from the Early Nasca Period to the Middle Horizon
16:10	Tim Beach and Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach	Ancient Maya wetland agriculture: proxies and formation processes
16:30	Brandi Lee MacDonald	Ochre use and distribution at archaeological sites on the central coast of British Columbia
Keynote Paper
16:50	Vance T. Holliday	Geoarchaeology and the search for the first Americans
17:30	Discussion and final announcements

Poster Presentations

All posters will be displayed in the entrance foyer and on the walls of the McCrum Lecture Theatre, on Bene’t Street. Conference assistants will be available to direct you to the appropriate place to put up your poster, and will give you the materials to put it up.

Manuel A. Arroyo-Kalin, C. French, M. San Román, F. Morelo, F. Martin, A. Prieto and P. Cárdenas	Micromorphological investigations in Magallanes, Chile
Rowena Banerjea	Changing rooms? A multi-analytical investigation of the spatial and chronological use of space within an early Roman timber building, Insula IX, Silchester, Hants.
Z. Čižmář, L. Lisá, A. Bajerand P. Pokorný	Geoarchaeological research of the Dobšice – trať Léry locality in South Moravia, Czech Republic
Gavin Gillmore	Irrigation on the Tehran Plain, Iran: Tepe Pardis – the site of a possible Neolithic irrigation feature?
Magnus Hellqvist	Studying samples from Viking age and Medieval houses in Iceland – what can they tell us about the environment inside and outside the houses?
Magnus Hellqvist	“Falun above through Falun under” – reconstructing the early mining town Falun in central Sweden for the first time through mapping, archaeology and environmental studies
Heejin Lee	Soil micromorphology of prehistoric paddy fields in Korea

Susan Mentzer	Applications of an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory to the Fourir Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis of geoarchaeological samples
Karen Milek	Multi-element analysis and the interpretation of activity areas: lessons from a case study in Viking Age Iceland
Nina Nielsen	Land use strategies in the Danish Bronze and Early Iron Age
Ana Polo-Diaz	Stall deposits in rock-shelter contexts during the Neolithic in the North Ebro River Valley. Micromorphology and new interpretations on the socio-economic system in the Basque area: first results
Lisa Shillito	Chemical and microanalytical analysis of midden deposits from Neolithic Catalhoyuk , Turkey
C. Russell Stafford	River bar formation and complex archaeological stratigraphies in the Lower Ohio River Valley, USA
Burcu Tung	Building materials at Çatalhöyük, Turkey
Clare Wilson, D. Davidson, D. Cairns, J. Cowie and M. Blunn	SASSA: a soil analysis support system for archaeologists
Lucy Wilson	The use of fossils as indicators of flint provenance

Developing International Geoarchaeology Conference 2007

Abstracts

Thursday April 19

Session 1: Advancements in Methodology

Calcitic sources in Paleolithic cave sites revealed using stable oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses: a case study at Amud Cave, Israel

Ruth Shahack-Gross², Avner Ayalon³, Paul Goldberg⁴, Yuval Goren⁵, Boaz Ofek¹, Rivka Rabinovich⁶ and Erella Hovers¹

¹ Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.

² The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel and The Kimmel Center for Archaeological Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel

³ Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem 95501, Israel.

⁴ Department of Archaeology, Boston Universit y, 675 Commonwealth Ave., Boston MA 02215, USA

⁵ Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel

⁶  Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel

Archaeological sediments in karstic cave environments may include calcite that is either geogenic and/or anthropogenic. The former is mainly from the cave walls (éboulis sec) and/or speleothems and the latter from calcitic wood ash. Distinguishing between these calcitic sources is not always easy, in the field or in the laboratory, even using micromorphology. Here we present a novel study in which bulk oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses were used in order to unequivocally identify anthropogenic calcite derived from wood ash in the Neanderthal site of Amud Cave (Israel). We demonstrate that the isotopic composition of wood ash is distinctively different from that of geogenic calcite. The linear relationship observed between the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the various sediment types in Amud Cave is interpreted as a mixing line between wood ash and geogenic calcite, which enables us to calculate the relative abundance of ash and geogenic calcite in the sediment samples. This study shows that the mode of formation of cemented sediments in Amud Cave is mostly related to location within the cave. Geogenic cementation is abundant along the cave walls and preserved in situ hearths are located mainly in the central part of the cave. Our study suggests that the relative abundance of validated hearths in the various areas of the cave may be associated with Neanderthal use of space in Amud Cave.

Non-destructive infra-red emission spectroscopy of chert artifacts

Victoria E. Hamilton¹and James M. Bayman²

¹ Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, POST 504, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA

² Department of Anthropology, University of Hawaii, College of Social Sciences, 2424 Maile Way, Saunders Hall 346, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

We will present a feasibility study demonstrating the use of infrared emission spectroscopy for low-cost, relatively rapid, non-destructive discrimination of chert and non-chert artifacts from the Hohokam Marana Platform Mound community near Tucson, AZ (USA).  For geological and archaeological cherts, we can demonstrate causal relationships between chert composition, crystallinity, structure, texture and spectral features that should be applicable to characterization of artifacts, and identifying or excluding candidate source materials.  For non-chert artifacts, we have implemented a quantitative approach to determining their bulk mineralogy from emission spectra. 

            We will be conducting spectral analyses of all arrowpoints collected at this site, as well as debitage and potential source materials from local quarries.  We will estimate the number of unique sources, and evaluate for what fraction of the artifacts local quarry cherts are likely source materials.  If some arrowpoints are not similar to local cherts, they may have been manufactured elsewhere, or their raw materials imported.  In the latter case, the nature of the debitage should help constrain whether the artifacts were made locally; for example, debitage not matching the local quarry cherts, but matching arrowpoints would suggest local manufacture.

            We believe this work is a significant step towards the development of low-cost, non-destructive emission spectroscopy for archaeological chert characterization, and as an archaeometric technique. Ongoing research throughout the Southwest and elsewhere in the Americas is heavily focused on studying the economic organization of ancient societies.  Once the utility of this particular technique is demonstrated in the Southwest, we expect that it can be adopted and applied by archaeometrists and archaeologists who work in other regions of the world.   Eventually, it may also be applied to other lithic materials, or used in situ in the field or in museums in situations where transportation to an analytical facility is undesirable or impossible.

Data fusion of bathymetry and side-scan imagery for mapping submerged cultural resources, Rideau Canal, Ontario, Canada

Elizabeth Sonnenburg¹, Joe Boyce¹, Jonathan Moore² and Ken Watson³

¹  School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada

²  Underwater Archaeology Service, Parks Canada, Ottawa ON, Canada

³  Elgin, Ontario, Canada

The Rideau Canal was constructed between 1826 and 1831 to create a navigable waterway and military supply route linking Ottawa and Kingston. The canal was created through the flooding of numerous small lakes, rivers and wetlands, including the Cataraqui and Whitefish Rivers, submerging landscapes of historical and archaeological interest. In order to understand the pre-canal landscape and its archaeological potential, detailed bathymetric and side-scan sonar surveys were conducted in two areas of the Lower Rideau Canal (Colonel By Lake, Whitefish Lake) to map the pre-canal paleogeography and submerged cultural resources (SCR’s). The survey was acquired using a side-mounted Knudsen 200 kHz single-beam echosounder and dual channel side-scan sonar.

A digital bathymetric model (DBM) was created and overlaid with side-scan mosaics. The data-fused DBM clearly identifies the submerged pre-canal topography, including paleoriver channels, tree stump fields and bedrock uplands defining submerged river valleys. Potential SCR’s were also identified, including two targets in Colonel By Lake, which correspond to colonial settlements shown in an 1828 historical map. In Whitefish Lake, a pre-canal dam, berm and temporary bridge were imaged using the fused data set. These results demonstrate that data-fusion of bathymetry and side-scan data can greatly assist in the identification of potential SCR’s and allow archaeological data to be interpreted within their proper paleogeographic context.

Improving soil micromorphology and archaeology

Paul Goldberg¹ and Richard Macphail²

¹ Department of Archaeology, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA, 02215, USA

² Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY, UK

Soil micromorphology has demonstrated, over the last three decades, its importance in understanding and interpreting natural and archaeological soils and deposits from early Palaeolithic to 18th century historical sites.  Yet, it is still a young discipline, and much can be done to improve its effectiveness and rigor in geoarchaeological research.  In this paper we propose several avenues for improving soil micromorphology and archaeological research, including framing the geoarchaeological/micromorphological agenda and questions, more dynamic interaction between micromorphologist and other specialists (e.g. archaeologist, chemist, chronologist), the increased use of experimental and ethnoarchaeological data, and more sophisticated ways to collect and present data.

Session 2: Anthropogenic Soils

Mix and grow?  Assessing the significance of Terras Pretas in the Central Amazon region

Manuel A. Arroyo-Kalin¹, E.G. Neves², R. Bartone³, C.A. Silva², E.P. Lima², C. P. Moraes², and C. Rapp-Py Daniel²

¹ Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

² Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

³  Farmington Archaeology Research Center. University of Maine, 139 Quebec Street, Farmington, ME 04938, USA

In recent years Amazonian anthropogenic dark earths have attracted significant scholarly attention. This paper presents the results of investigations of dark earths from different archaeological sites in the central Amazon region, Brazil. Discussion focuses on intra- and inter-site variability, interpretations about formation processes, and their ultimate significance as anthropogenic landscape legacies.

Kitchen gardens and kitchen wastes: phosphates in context in an ancient Maya urban center

Scott Hutson¹, Tim Beach², Bruce Dahlin³, Aline Magnoni⁴, Mary Jo Schabel⁵, and Richard Terry⁶

¹ Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, 211Lafferty Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

² Georgetown University, 301 ICC, SFS, 37^th and O Streets, NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA

³ Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Howard University, P.O. Box 987, Washington, DC 20059, USA

⁴ Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 1326 Audubon Street, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA

⁵ Milwaukee Soil Science Lab, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin, 3209 N. Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA

⁶ Department of Plant and Animal Sciences, Brigham Young University, 259 WIDB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

In this paper we present data from soil chemistry, artifacts, spatial contexts and phytolith analysis that suggest the presence of a wide variety of domestic practices in the ancient Maya site of Chunchucmil, Yucatán, Mexico. In particular, we report patterns in quantitative assessments of phosphate from hundreds of systematically placed excavation units covering the full spatial extent of five separate houselots. We attempt to account for these patterns with reference to ancient cultural activities such as gardening and food preparation as well as natural pedology. To further explore the nature of these phosphate signatures and to attempt to confirm that the proposed phosphate enhancement occurred in ancient times, we subjected a subset of these samples (n = 27) to phosphate fractionation, a method that has rarely been used in Mesoamerica and has been used in only one other study (and on a smaller scale) in Yucatán. The phosphate fractionation results varied widely across the site and are unusual in comparison to other studies reported from archaeological sites both in the New and Old World. We therefore discuss potential explanations for the variation in phosphate fractionation values and test one particular explanation by analyzing contemporary samples of sediments and water that result from soaking maize with lime. This soaking process, which adds to maize’s nutritional content and prepares it for grinding into dough that is the cornerstone of ancient Mesoamerican cuisine, has ancient roots. Moreover, it has been demonstrated through previous ethnoarchaeological research to produce deposits rich in phosphates and calcium carbonates. Phosphate fractionation combined with analysis of carbonates may therefore help Maya archaeologists to locate areas where the residues of maize soaking were dumped.

Evidence for waste management and disposal in Scottish Royal Burghs

Kirsty Golding, Donald A. Davidson and Ian A. Simpson

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK

Urban Anthrosols are distinctive owing to their location and the fact that their properties are modified through waste amendments. Much consideration has been given to how these properties reflect current human influence, and recent studies indicate the potential of anthropogenic soils for the reconstruction of past human activities spatially and temporally. Waste disposal practices throughout antiquity have had a profound impact on the nature, properties and formation of urban soils. This is particularly resonant for Scottish Royal Burghs where the extent and complexity of refuse management practises are only just emerging (Davidson et al., 2006; Golding and Davidson 2005).

The aim of this study is to characterise and understand the modes of anthropogenic soil formation in Scottish Royal burghs with specific reference to processes of waste management and disposal in the post-medieval period (1500-1800 AD). Three small Scottish towns were chosen for investigation: Lauder (Borders), Pittenweem (Fife) and Wigtown (Dumfries and Galloway), on account of their geographic and past functional diversity and because they have seen minimal modern urban infill and expansion. Initial results from the investigation of topsoil depth, organic matter content, pH, elemental concentrations and soil micromorphology suggest that certain spatial patterns within and near to post-medieval urban limits are attributable to sustained application of waste materials.

References:

Golding, K.A. and Davidson, D.A. (2005) The effect of waste disposal on soils near to Scottish burghs. SEESOIL: Journal of South East England Soils Discussion Group 16: 28-37.

Davidson, D.A., Dercon, G., Stewart, M. and Watson, F. (2006) The legacy of past urban waste disposal on local soils. Journal of Archaeological Science 33(6): 778-783.

Palaeoenvironmental research on the site of rue the Dinant (Brussels): looking at dark earths

Yannick Devos, A. Degraeve, K. Fechner and L. Vrydaghs

Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP175/01, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

During the excavations in 2004-2005 of the site of rue de Dinant in the historical centre of Brussels, archaeologists excavated the remains of the first city wall dating from the 13^th century. Intra muros they were faced with thick dark layers which predate the first city wall. These dark layers are amongst the oldest occupation traces so far encountered in this part of Brussels.  In order to characterise these dark layers, interdisciplinary research, including archaeopedology, micro-archaeology and archaeobotanical studies, has been undertaken.  The first results of this study permitted us to discriminate different types of dark layers, characterising various activities. Remains of old plough land, pastures or wasteland, loam extraction and waste fill have thus been identified.

Session 3: Site Formation and Preservation

Geoarchaeological investigation of a Late Archaic earthen mound in the Lower Mississippi Valley, U.S.A: duration and processes of construction

Lee Arco

Department of Anthropology, Washington University, Campus Box 1114, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA

Soil core extraction and profile excavation of Mound A at Poverty Point revealed the construction history of the second largest earthwork in North America. Chronometric data combined with stratigraphic and micromorphological analyses indicate rapid, single-stage construction of the monument after ca. 1450 cal B.C. Thin section analysis, microartifact studies, particle-size analysis, and loss-on-ignition assays investigate mound construction methods, as well as midden deposits beneath the eastern section of the Mound. The massive, expeditious, and harmonized nature of the construction project suggests the enterprise was undertaken by a large and highly organized hunter-gatherer society.

The geoarchaeology of shell mounds on the southern and southeastern Brazilian coast

Marisa Coutinho Afonso¹ and Maria Cristina Tenório²

¹ Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia/Universidade de São Paulo,  São Paulo, Brazil

2 Museu Nacional/ Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Brazilian coast has some areas with concentrations of shellmounds (sambaquis). Recent archaeological research conducted on the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast from the states of Rio de Janeiro to Santa Catarina indicate that long-term populations, specialized in exploitation of sea resources (basically fish and shellfish), used shells to build their sites. Geoarchaeological studies aim to identify site distribution in the landscape based on recent geological data on sea-level changes. Another approach is to identify site formation processes, based on stratigraphic and sediment analyses and post-depositional processes. 

Detailed research was carried out at four different places (from north to south):  Arraial do Cabo (Rio de Janeiro), Guaratuba Bay (Paraná State Southern Coast), Babitonga Bay (Santa Catarina State Northern Coast) and Camacho Bay (Santa Catarina State Southern Coast). These areas present very distinctive groups of shell mounds of different sizes, and with different deposits, geographical distributions and site functions. Huge shell mounds, acting as landmarks, occur near smaller ones, other types of coastal sites and even sites with deposits containing small amounts of shells, displaying a very complex occupation pattern established by the mound builders.

At Babitonga bay, paleogeographic studies indicate a possible migration route for the Holocene fisher-hunter-gatherers between the Guaratuba and Babitonga bays; some shell mounds, including one 20 meters high, have recently been discovered along this route. At Arraial do Cabo (Rio de Janeiro), formation processes indicate different site functions including ceremonial sites with burials, hearths, postholes, and sites representing periods with high density populations.

We review archaeological evidence for the formation of shell mounds and their spatial and temporal patterns in different regions. We also present some sites in the four areas as examples of the field methodology applied to shell mounds and data interpretation.

Rockshelter geoarchaeology and Paleoindian sites in central Brazil: a view from the tropics

Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo, Michelle Mayumi Tizuka and Alberto Barioni

Laboratory for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of São Paulo, Rua Castanheira 365, Vargem Grande Paulista,  CEP 06730-000, São Paulo,  Brazil

This communication aims to present data resulting from a long-term project called “Origins and Microevolution of Humans in the Americas: A Paleoanthropological Perspective”, the main focus of which has been the excavation of rockshelters in order to understand the timing of arrival and biological affiliation of the first human inhabitants of South America. Lagoa Santa, the core area for this project, is a carstic area with thousands of rockshelters and caves. Many of them were occupied by humans since the beginning of the Holocene, and there is some evidence of an even older human occupation. Three rockshelters (Lapa das Boleiras, Lapa do Santo and Lapa de Taquaraçu) were intensively excavated in the last six years, and our purpose is to share data, questions, and hopefully some experience gained by working in rockshelters in a tropical environment.

Current investigations of contemporary and prehistoric settlement at Kala Uyuni, Bolivia

Melissa Goodman Elgar

Washington State University, P.O. Box 644910, Pullman, WA, 99164-4910, USA

The Taraco Archaeological Project (Bolivian Andes) has incorporated geoarchaeological investigations since 1996, producing a substantial thin section database.  In 2003, we initiated a new phase of research into the nucleation of occupation in this region. We have focused on Late Formative (ca. 800 B.C.) sites. During 2003-2005, we excavated several domestic structures at the village of Kala Uyuni, a modern residential compound located within the ancient village and a Formative temple complex that overlooks it.  Soil micromorphology and bulk sediment analyses revealed that earthen building materials used for mortar, flooring and walling were all culturally sterile but highly variable in texture and colour between the excavated contexts. Pigmented sediments were used extensively in prehistoric construction and vary not only between sites but also between buildings at the same site. Initial sourcing efforts have not identified the sources of prehistoric pigments used in building, or even in ceramic production, despite the wide availability of pigmented fine sediments in the site environs. In contrast to prehistoric buildings, modern constructions were opportunistic and used local sediment, which contains mixed cultural artefacts. The poorly-consolidated modern mudbricks weathered rapidly and wash from these structures is imperceptible from topsoil.  These results suggest that during the Formative Period building materials were carefully selected for bright colour and durable texture. Their sources may have been spatially limited for cultural reasons not presently understood.

Sediment chemistry and mineralogy of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits at Obi-Rakhmat Grotto and Paltau Cave, Uzbekistan

Susan Mentzer

Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210030, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

Obi-Rakhmat Grotto is a Pleistocene rock shelter located in the Western Tien Shan Mountains of Central Asia.  Paltau Cave is a nearby active karst system that contains artifacts tentatively dated to the late Pleistocene through the late Holocene.  Both contain thick stratigraphic sequences rich in cultural materials and human remains.  The geogenic sediments of Obi-Rakhmat are particularly important in that they provide clues to a paleoenvironment that may have attracted inhabitants to the site.  Project directors initiated a geoarchaeological study in 2003 and 2004 in order to document and describe the processes of formation of the deposits.  One aspect of this study entailed geochemical analyses of the sediments to determine the preservation potential for hominid and faunal remains at Obi-Rakhmat.  Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of sediment samples reveals that the Obi-Rakhmat sequence maintains a favorable environment for bone preservation, while the lower part of the Paltau Cave sequence does not.  The Obi-Rakhmat sediments are composed of clays, and primary and secondary carbonates, with local concentrations of stable apatite.  The Paltau sediments contain, among other minerals, authigenic taranakite, which is indicative of the in situ alteration of clays, carbonates and sometimes bone in the presence of phosphate-rich groundwater.  The difference in mineralogy between the two sites in part reflects site configurations and hominid utilization histories that encouraged or discouraged bat occupation.

Mending Silbury – geoarchaeological studies and remedial measures

Matthew Canti

English Heritage, Fort Cumberland, Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney, PO4 9LD, UK

Silbury Hill is one of the largest artificial mounds in Europe, characterised by uncertain structure and unusual, perhaps unique, burial conditions. The internal collapse of an antiquarian shaft in 2000 led to consideration of the impact on the central turf stack both of the collapse itself and of the different possible repair options. It also provided a fortuitous opportunity to examine material arising from exploratory interventions including the 1960s excavations and the recent coring exercise. Geoarchaeological consideration of site formation processes and taphonomic mechanisms has been pivotal in designing the remedial measures. Work should be progressing by the time of the DIG conference, and is intended to be finished by autumn 2007.

Mapping the archaeological soil archive of sand and gravel extraction sites in Britain

Ingrid Ward¹ and Barry Smith²

¹ English Heritage, Fort Cumberland, Eastney, Portsmouth, PO4 9LD, UK

²  British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK

Soil and closely associated Quaternary environments in Britain play an important role in preserving our cultural heritage, and it is increasingly accepted that an understanding of the extrinsic properties of the soil archive can provide a first-order assessment of the potential risk to any archaeologically sensitive deposits.  However, whilst the mechanisms of preservation are often understood at the site-specific scale, our understanding of spatial variations in the extrinsic properties of soil that control corrosion and dissolution mechanisms at a regional, and national scale, are less well understood.  Developments in digital geological mapping, remote sensing and geochemical survey data undertaken by the BGS have, however, significantly extended capabilities in this respect and can potentially be used to provide a primary assessment of the sensitivity of the present soil archive and the potential risk to cultural material in areas impacted by aggregate extraction.  For example, two of the major factors affecting archaeological preservation are soil acidification and changes in groundwater levels.  These two factors can be mapped or predicted at scales of better than 1:50,000 across increasingly large parts of the country using a combination of regional hydrogeological, geophysical and geochemical data.   In respect of sand and gravel deposits in Britain, the majority of which derive from fluvial and floodplain deposits, additional data from site investigations may be used to further refine regional information in respect of preservation potential as a function of changes in redox potential and acidity.  It is our contention that these data, maps and models can be used to (a) better establish a baseline for archaeological preservation at a regional and national scale and (b) improve our understanding the how the physical and chemical properties of the near surface environment can be managed to sustainably preserve archaeological materials in areas impacted by sand and gravel extraction. 

Gauging organic preservation in archaeological sites: oxidation and iron oxide in soils and sediments

Ann-Maria Hart

Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

Preservation and conservation of archaeological sites is an important and everyday issue for archaeologists in Britain and around the world. Whether the site is waterlogged or dry, exposed or buried, in need of rescue or in situ preservation, issues concerning the quality of preservation of organic material in particular, are at the forefront of many past and current research endeavours. In completely waterlogged, anaerobic environments, we would expect excellent preservation as the lack of oxygen limits biological activity. Likewise, in a highly aerobic but completely dry environment, we would expect excellent preservation as lack of water for biological activity would limit the deterioration of organic remains. Environments that exist outside these ideals have been largely ignored due to the complexity of the preservation environment. While there have been attempts to investigate the effects of oxidation on the preservation of different types of artefacts themselves, the effects of oxidation on the soils and how these changes can affect the preservation environment, with specific reference to an identifiable soil characteristic, have not been explored.

Iron oxide is used here as an indicator of oxidation as it is very sensitive to changes in levels of oxygen within the buried environment. By examining the different types of iron oxide deposition in the soils, it is possible to identify the type of hydrological environment for that site, and hence the level of preservation that can be expected for organic archaeological material. The development of a comparative database (CDB) based on the relative deposition of iron oxide in soils, and how this relates to variations in oxidising conditions, provides a platform for identifying differing hydrological environments within archaeological sites. The results of this project indicate that the deposition of iron oxide, as identified through soil micromorphological analysis, has great potential as a tool for gauging preservation of organic material in archaeological sites throughout Britain. The use of the CDB to improve the understanding of preservation and conservation issues in Britain, and beyond, will be an essential element to any future research in this field.

Friday April 20

Session 4: Landscapes and Land Use

Paleosols, humic acids and reconstruction of paleoecological conditions of ancient man’s habitat

Maria Dergacheva

Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry SB RAS, Sovetskaya St., Novosibirsk, 630099, Russia

The problems of human migrations, primary settlement, the sequence of territory mastering, and the evolution of man as individual, are connected with the paleoenvironment. In our research, we have used paleosols of multilayer archaeology sites and humic acids extracted from these soils to study past environments. Paleosols can be used to reconstruct palaeoecological conditions of ancient human habitats because they are an archive of information about environmental changes. Humic acids can be used for paleoenvironmental reconstruction as they have specific relations to the environment (in their composition, features and structural peculiarities they reflect and encode information about the ecological conditions of their formation) and they preserve information about the main characteristics of diagenesis. At the present time, humic substances are considered to be supramolecular systems. Their composition and main features are stipulated by thermodynamic conditions of the environment in which they formed. Since humic matter is an accumulative component of humus, it can serve as a marker of humus formation processes, which are a system of organic-mineral interactions at every particular “point”, layer or horizon. Knowledge of the principles, rules and information encoded in humic matter allows the reconstruction of environment evolution during the period of formation of a certain thickness of soil.

This presentation is based on field, analytical and experimental data. Environment changes in space and in time during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene in the territory of Gorny Altai, and the reconstruction of the Bronze Age living environment at the Samara Povolzh’e will be considered as examples.

Neolithic geoarchaeology in central Dalmatia, Croatia

Cynthia M. Fadem

Washington University, 1 Brookings Dr., Campus Box 1169, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

Our investigations at the Danilo Bitinj and Pokrovnik sites are part of an interdisciplinary effort toward understanding the origins of agriculture in central Dalmatia. These sites, farmed since ~8 ka, are located in Croatia’s well-developed polje-karst terrain. Polje soils are rich Xerolls fed by variably degraded limestone. We are currently performing the following analyses: measurement of soil biophysical properties and stable isotope geochemistry, GIS modelling of local hydrology and geomorphology, petrography of ceramic artifacts, and measurement of domesticated sheep tooth collagen d¹³C. We aim to apply these data to understanding the paleoenvironment and post-depositional context of these Neolithic settlements.

Unstable landscapes: the archaeology of land-use in the Brecklands, East Anglia, UK

J. E. Holmes¹, G. Ayala¹, M. D. Bateman², J. Heathcote³ and D. Robinson³

¹ Department of Archaeology & Prehistory, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 4ET, UK

² Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

³ English Heritage, 24 Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 2BU, UK

The Brecklands region was once described as ‘…a desert in the heart of England’ due to its widespread dune systems and well-drained sandy soils, which in the past supported extensive heathland, but which are now, in large part, covered by an expanse of managed coniferous woodland. This dryland zone is intersected by four main river systems with fertile terraces and valley floors that have attracted human settlement, leading to a unique and archaeologically rich record of occupation and exploitation within the region. However, the past human occupants have also utilised and manipulated their landscape, effectively altering the natural dynamics, with both beneficial and disastrous consequences. The unconsolidated sands are thought to have been prone to instability through blowing, which forms the basis for this study.

Preliminary results will be presented from an ongoing research project that is reconstructing the environments at Grime’s Graves (the largest prehistoric flint mining site in Britain), at West Stow (a nationally important Anglo-Saxon settlement site that has been preserved by a layer of blown sand) and at Santon Downham (a deserted medieval village). This will include an examination of the phases and extent of local sand blow episodes, using optically stimulated luminescence dating techniques, augmented by techniques such as soil micromorphology, pollen and charcoal analyses, sedimentology, geophysics and keyhole excavation. The results have been mapped, modelled and analysed within a GIS database.

Evaluating the formation processes of sandy archaeological sites by optically stimulated luminescence dating

Charles Frederick¹, Mark D. Bateman², and Claire Boulter²

1 Consulting Geoarchaeologist, Dublin, Texas 
and Dept. of Geography and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
2 Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

Archaeological sites in sandy sediments often present interesting challenges, especially in terms of reconstructing how they were formed.  In particular, determining the burial mechanism, whether normal geological deposition or post-depositional sediment disturbance (pedourbation), is often very difficult using traditional field inspection or analytical methods, yet critical for evaluating site significance which is often tied to the integrity of the archaeological deposits.  In many North American landscapes, archaeological sites in sandy deposits are inferred to be associated with aeolian deposition, but it has long been recognized that there is an issue of equifinality with pedoturbation; both processes can result in buried archaeological sites.

The advent of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has opened up new opportunities to date sandy sediments, and the linkage of the dating mechanism to a physical geomorphic process (the exposure of sand grains to sunlight) makes this dating method particularly useful in terms of evaluating how sandy deposits have  been formed (not just when).  This presentation will examine several case studies of our attempts to use OSL to date geomorphic events in sandy landscapes, and our gradual awakening of the utility of OSL dating, particularly single grain dating, to unraveling complex depositional and/or post-depositional histories of sandy archaeological sites.

A geoarchaeological study of processes that formed the cultural landscape at Orstad, Jæren, southwest Norway

Barbara Maria Sageidet

Archaeology Museum Stavanger, Hortensiasvingen 8, N-4100 Jøpeland, Norway

Orstad in Klepp, southwest Norway, is an Early Bronze Age clearance cairn field in a cultural landscape with traces of land use back to the Neolithic. Soil pollen analysis, soil micromorphology, pF-analysis, and standard soil-analytical methods, were combined to reconstruct the land use history on the site, and to elucidate the potential of soil pollen analysis for this reconstruction. Samples were mainly collected from an 84 m long excavated trench with mainly podsolic soils. Although pollen preservation was poor, it was possible to differentiate five phases in the local vegetation and land-use history. Human impact on the site could be traced back to about 4400-4000 uncalibrated ¹⁴C years BP. Wheat and barley have been cultivated at Orstad during two main periods in prehistory (ca. 3600-3200 uncalibrated ¹⁴C years BP, and 3200 uncalibrated ¹⁴C years BP to the Older Iron Age).

Through time, people used different soil management practices, and the fields were moved presumably in line with the changing fertility and drainage conditions of the soils.

During the first main period of cultivation, the soil seems to have been cleared by fire, prior to each cultivation period. During the second main period of cultivation, new cultivation fields were laid out on higher levels, and seem to have been improved by adding organic materials, mainly turves taken from podsolic top soils and peats from nearby localities.

Observations of pollen in thin sections and estimations of the pore size distribution by the reconstruction of the water retention curve, revealed the existence of pores which may under certain conditions allow the transport of pollen grains by water flow in the lower soil layers at Orstad.

“Young and fresh” – environmental history of settlements during 3000 years in Sweden’s latest region through land uplift, southeast Sweden

Magnus Hellqvist

Physical Geography, Dalarna University, Campus Lugnet, S-791 88 Falun, Sweden

Old Uppsala (“Gamla Uppsala”) is one of the most famous and important prehistoric sites in Sweden. It is supposed to have been a place of power, and it may even have had a pagan temple. The site is especially famous for its three big grave mounds (6^th century) situated on the glaciofluvial esker running through the area. Several archaeological excavations have taken place here and this paper presents an interdisciplinary project designed to investigate the environmental history of the area during prehistoric times. Samples were collected in a small depression in the area that had originally been a small swamp by coring in transects for sediment, insect, pollen and diatom analyses.

The landscape around Old Uppsala is characterised by the processes that occurred during the last glaciation and its melting phase and the processes that occurred during the subsequent land uplift. This southeast region is the youngest in Sweden and was the last area to rise above sea level through land uplift after the end of the last glaciation. The topography of Old Uppsala is characterised by a glaciofluvial esker running through the site. The highest parts of this esker (25 m.a.s.l.) rose above sea level around 2900 years ago, together with small heights of bedrock and till, and the results of this study point to open woodland and probably an early grazing culture in the area. The area was occupied as soon as it was above sea level.

            About 2500 years ago, the sampling site became a small, isolated, water-filled depression because of the land uplift, and gyttja was deposited at the bottom of it. In time it developed into a small alder marsh and the depression was overgrown in the 6^th century. At this time an increasing number of fires (charcoal in the air) in the surroundings, together with human impact and cultivation, show that the human settlement had increased rapidly.

The human impact in the form of cultivation and grazing in the area increases to a maximum until the 6^th century and there are strong indications of grazing on the surrounding esker hills. There are also indications that the depression changed into an open march with probable hay-making. After the maximum there is a decrease in the impact from cultivation and grazing, probably due to changes in land use, where areas that had formerly been cultivated were used for settlement. Through this changing land use, there was increasing land erosion in the area. As a result, almost a meter of clay was deposited on the gyttja in the small depression.

Grazing activity is the most stable aspect of the cultural landscape at Old Uppsala, observed through Roman Iron Age (0-400 A.D.), the Migration Period (400-550 A.D.) and at the beginning of Vendel Period (550-800 A.D.). At the beginning of the Viking Age (c. 800 A.D.) there is an increase in cultivation activity in the area, but there is a lack of evidence from this period. Cores were taken from a small river bank, north of Old Uppsala, in an attempt to find more sediment dating to the Viking Age, but the cores did not reach deposits older than the late Medieval Period.

Natural and anthropogenic processes and topographic change at Sikyon, Greece

Chris Hayward

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK

Ancient Sikyon was located on a triangular plateau of 240 ha in area and in elevation more than 100m above the adjacent land. The plateau comprises thin Pleistocene marine clastic and carbonate sequences that unconformably overly thick Pliocene marls. The thickness of the Pleistocene sediments varies from virtually zero to over 8 m. In areas where these relatively resistant sediments are very thin or are absent, rapid erosion of the marl occurs, resulting in significant topographic changes.

Erosion has severely affected some sections of the plateau edge, with in excess of 10-15 m probable in places since antiquity. Rates of erosion are influenced by a combination of natural and anthropogenic processes: the disposition of the Pleistocene sediments and local fracture networks within them, the quarrying of stone at the plateau edges, the extensive robbing of cut stone from constructions post-antiquity and post-antiquity agriculture and urban development, especially since the early 20th century.

Erosion has been especially rapid along the southern edge of the plateau and virtually no traces of structures that might have formed part of a defensive wall (seen elsewhere) have been recognized. A combination of erosion, and modern agricultural terracing and road construction have altered the topography of the plateau sides, hindering the tracing of the routes of ancient roads.

The current study, part of the ongoing Sikyon Survey Project, has provided new information about topographic changes on and at the edges of the plateau, with implications for the location of defensive structures, construction of monumental buildings, and sources of stone both within and outside the immediate area.

Emergence of modern humans in South Africa and the role of dunes

Mark D. Bateman¹, Andrew S. Carr¹ and Peter Holmes²

¹ Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research, Geography Department, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

² Department of Geography, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa

The archaeological record of the coastline of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, contains key evidence for some of the earliest modern humans and is a critical region in the debate about their origins. A number of cave sites presently found at or near the modern shoreline contain considerable evidence for the changing regularity of habitation and the variable consumption of marine food resources. Aeolian sediments have been identified within coastal cave sequences and the caves themselves have often formed in, or been protected by coastal aeolian deposits. Elsewhere along the coastline multiple generations of spectacular 200+ m high dunes have accrued (Bateman et al. 2004; Carr et al 2007). The occupation of cave sites is therefore thought to be intimately related to past sea-level changes and the substantial and diverse dune sediments of this coastline. New research has been assessing this, through the application of luminescence dating and examination of fossil evidence, to correlate and date the deposition of the coastal sedimentary sequences (particularly those near to and around sites of human occupation). 

New chronologies reveal multiple episodes of dune accumulation along this coastline, with dune building over the last 200,000 years peaking during periods of high sea levels. Human occupation of some caves in this coastline appears to be coincident with some periods of significant dune accumulation. The preserved faunal trackways within the dune sequences that are of a comparable age to some of the cave occupations reveal a wide range of species (e.g. antelope, elephant, rhino and tortoise). This suggests that the environment at the time of dune construction was capable of supporting a diverse ecosystem, and it is not unreasonable to expect that it would also have supported humans.  Thus, there appears to be little evidence that aeolian activity actually prevented occupation, although artefacts do not indicate a sustained occupation, perhaps partly due to the periodic sealing of caves by dunes.

References:

Bateman, M.D., Holmes, P.J., Carr, A.S., Horton, B.P. and Jaiswal, M.K. (2004) Aeolianite and barrier dune construction spanning the last two glacial-interglacial cycles from the southern Cape coast, South Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews 23: 1681-1698.

Carr, M.D., Bateman, M.D. and Holmes, P.J. (in press) Developing a 150 ka luminescence chronology for the barrier dunes of the Western Cape, South Africa. Quaternary Geochronology.

Stratigraphy and sedimentology of Acheulian and Middle Paleolithic localities at Bir Sahara, southern Egypt

Christopher L. Hill

Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, HWSC Room 55, Boise, ID, 83725-1950, USA

Bir Sahara, situated in the Sahara Desert about 400 km west of the Nile Valley, contains Middle and early Late Pleistocene sediments associated with Lower and Middle Paleolithic artifacts and fossils.  Final Acheulian artifacts are found in spring pool or lake deposits at locality BS-14.  They are associated with a wet (“pluvial”) climate episode that was followed by an interval of erosion.

            There are a series of sedimentary remnants north of BS-14 that contain Middle Paleolithic artifacts.  The stratigraphic sequences consist of deposits dominated by coarse siliciclastics (interpreted as sandsheets and beach and shoreline facies of basins) as well as fine siliciclastics and carbonates (interpreted as transgressive phase basin deposits).  A typical climate cycle is reflected by basin-wash sediments deposited after an arid interval characterized by erosion. With an increase in local moisture, hydromorphic (bog, swamp-like) deposits are formed in the basin.  With higher groundwater levels, a variety of sedimentary facies are formed, including basin-margin (coarse clastics) and deeper basin (muds, carbonates) deposits.  Aeolian deposits and evidence of deflation indicate a return to arid conditions.

            The “western sedimentary series” contains localities BS-11, BS-15, and E-88-1.  The sequence contains evidence for three transgressive-regressive (wet-dry) episodes. The “eastern sedimentary series” contains E-88-11, BS-1, and BS-12.  One major pluvial-interpluvial cycle was documented.  There are several localities between these sequences and the Acheulian-age remnants.  These include localities E-88-2, E-88-9, and BS-13, which appear to be associated with a single transgressive-regressive climate episode.

            The Bir Sahara Paleolithic assemblages are associated with hydromorphic deposits developed in basin-wash, basin-margin sediments, trace-fossils zones, and aeolian deposits.  The stratigraphic sequences seem to be relecting changing environmental conditions in the Sahara that may be linked to global climate change associated with glacial-interglacial cycles and north-south migrations of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Ancient water cisterns in the Emhazool area, southwest Kuwait: a new discovery

Ali T. Al-Mishwat

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat, Kuwait 13060

The Emhazool area in the southwest corner of Kuwait displays several anthropogenic heap structures that were recently discovered by the author and which had not been detected or reported previously. Three such heap structures are well preserved, while a fourth one is smaller and less well preserved. They are enclosed within or in close proximity to an ephemeral and seasonal water pond that becomes inundated with rain water during heavy rainy seasons. These heaps are perfectly circular and measure roughly 20 to 30 meters in diameter. They are each constituted of a circular and raised mound that is topped by semi-flat rims. Each mound encloses a central depression which measures approximately 5 to 10 meters in diameter and about 3 meters in depth. The circular mounds stand approximately 3 meters above the flat desert landscape, and are constructed of earth fill material which was obtained from the excavated central cavity and supplemented by material dug out from a circular trench surrounding the perimeter of the mound. The external trenches have since been filled in with wind-deposited sand and are recognized only by their contrasting appearance against the mounds. All material used in the construction of these mounds was derived from pebbly and gravely conglomerates which form the lower part of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Dibdibah Formation in the region.

These anthropogenic mounds are interpreted as ancient water cisterns that were annually filled and stocked with fresh water. The central pits are believed to have been designed as reservoirs for storage of fresh water that was fetched from the pond during its inundation after rainy seasons, for the purpose of utilization of this water during several months after the pond dried out. The mounds surrounding these cisterns and elevated above the local desert plain were built so as to increase the storage capacity of the depression reservoir and to protect it from animals, intruders and contamination. These cisterns functioned as desert watering stations along caravan routes leading to Mekkah from Mesopotamia and Persia and beyond during pilgrimage in Islamic times, and possibly also as earlier routes used by merchant caravans and army expeditions and campaigns. Detailed mapping of these cisterns, as well as prospecting for artifacts and settlement remains in the vicinity, will be carried out in the future to document the significance of these cisterns and to ascertain their occupation history and their geoarchaeological significance and implications.

Geoarchaeology of Iran's ancient civilization in north coasts of Persian Gulf: Siraf port

Seyed Mohieddin Jafari¹, Monir Mahdavi Mortazavi²

¹ Subsurface Geology Department, Exploration Directorate, Yaghma alley, Jomhuri St., Tehran, Iran

² Tehran City Hall Civil Engineering Organization, Hafez St, Tehran, Iran

The ancient port of Siraf is located 240 km southeast of Boushehr port, on the north coast of the Persian Gulf, at what is today the port of Taheri. The origin of the ancient port of Siraf belongs to pre-Islamic history, especially the Ashkanian and Sassanian periods. The ancient Siraf civilization is famous for sailing to China and to the north and east coasts of Africa, and Siraf was one of the most important ports on the Persian Gulf between 875 and 977 CE. Perhaps the most remarkable remains of ancient Siraf are the 5000 manmade features on Siraf Mountain. These have traditionally been interpreted as graves, even though only 11 burials have been found in them; many of them are in fact empty of skeletons. These features are four-sided, and are usually 50-70 cm wide, 2-2.5 m long, and 50-70 cm high. New research on the geology and geoarcheology of the Siraf area indicates that these features were not originally graves, but were small water reservoirs used to catch runoff and rainfall water. The rain gathered by these reservoirs seeped through the permeable beds in which the features were dug, and was stored in more than 50 deep drinking-water wells that were dug into hard bedrock. Only later, after the great earthquakes in 978 and 1008 CE, were some of these features used as graves.

One of the most remarkable discoveries of this geoarchaeological study of Siraf Mountain was that 3 m of semi-permeable claystone appears to have been removed in order to concentrate the small water reservoirs on the more permeable conglomerate of the Agha Jari formation. In the whole of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, these finds are unique, and they suggest that the ancient people of Siraf had some understanding of hydrogeology and the geological sciences.

Geomorphological survey and data in the context of reconstructing ecological and land-use changes in the Lower Ica Valley, Peru, from the Early Nasca Period to the Middle Horizon

David Beresford-Jones¹ and Helen Lewis²

¹ Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

² School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Newman Building, UCD Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

The lower Ica Valley is a riparian oasis crossing the hyperarid desert of the south coast of Peru. It is today depopulated and bereft of cultivation.Yet its extensive archaeological remains attest to substantial prehispanic populations and present a prima facie case for changed ecological and landscape conditions. This presentation describes the work of geomorphological survey conducted in the Samaca Basin of the lower Ica Valley, which forms a fundamental component of an archaeological investigation seeking to understand when and how landscape change occurred and how those changes may be correlated with cultural changes from the beginning of the Early Intermediate Period (c. 0 AD) to the end of the Middle Horizon (c. 1000 AD).

Ancient Maya wetland agriculture: proxies and formation processes

Timothy P. Beach¹ and Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach²

¹ Georgetown University, 301 ICC, SFS, 37^th and O Streets, NW, Washington DC, 20057, USA

² Department of Geography, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, USA

We use water and soil chemistry and ecological evidence to understand human management and geomorphology of ancient Maya wetlands and wetland fields in the Northern Coastal Plain of Belize. Stratigraphic, soils, and dating evidence show these were well drained agricultural fields up to about 2400 BP. After this, the water table rose creating the perennial wetlands that occupy the region today. Aggradation also buried these fields with 1-2 m of sediment by about 1500 BP. Several proximate and ultimate mechanisms caused this aggradation, including accelerated soil erosion, one mega flood at 2170 BP, possible climatic instability, and a rise in a water table saturated with calcium and sulfate ions. This latter mechanism is a rarer geomorphic process and a large scale environmental change that occurred across periods of intensive Maya land use. Evidence for how the ancient Maya adapted to this lies in the stratigraphy of six square km of canalized, wetland fields and ecological proxies like carbon isotopes, pollen, and phytolith data. Canals appear to manage water quality and quantity for crop growth. Pollen evidence also shows evidence of several important cultivars, including Zea mays pollen that amount to 16 percent of all pollen in the Classic Period (1400-1100 BP). These fields persisted through the Classic Period and some through the abandonment associated with the Terminal Classic Maya Drought. 

Ochre use and distribution at archaeological sites on the central coast of British Columbia

Brandi Lee MacDonald

Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4L9, Canada

Preliminary results from high-resolution analysis of ochre from 29 different sites on the central coast of British Columbia reveals insight into patterns of ochre trade and exchange. The use of ochre was an important component of Northwest Coast ceremonial activities, and these ceremonial practices were essential in maintaining socio-political relationships. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is employed to determine the geochemical composition of ochre and to characterize different source groups. These results are used to interpret not only the provenance of the ochres, but also their function at different site types. Through mineralogical and elemental analyses patterns of trade and exchange can be identified, as well as site specific uses that contribute to our broader understanding of the socio-economic importance of ochre.

Keynote Paper

Geoarchaeology and the search for the first Americans

Vance T. Holliday

Departments of Anthropology & Geosciences, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210030, 1009 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0030, USA

Research into the origins and subsequent development of the first American cultures, in particular the timing and place of their arrival, has provoked heated, contentious debates in North American archaeology since the 19^th century. Many of the questions in this archaeological puzzle are fundamentally geological and thus many of the answers have come from the geosciences, including geology, geography, and soil science, and at a wide range of spatial scales. Stratigraphy, perhaps the most basic principle in both archaeology and geology, first established the antiquity and chronology of the earliest artifact assemblages at sites such as Folsom and Clovis in New Mexico by demonstrating clear association of artifacts and Pleistocene fauna. Geologists and paleontologists also provided age estimates of sites in the absence of other forms of numerical age control. Geologists also were prominently involved in developing the radiocarbon method and applying it to Paleoindian sites. Further, many Paleoindian sites yielded not only extinct fauna, but also stratigraphic records with evidence of markedly different depositional environments in the past. These sites were inviting to geologists because many investigators had backgrounds in Pleistocene paleontology. The ancient fauna and the striking contrasts between past and present depositional environments also drew the attention of archaeologists and earth scientists alike, who recognized the paleoenvironmental implications. At regional, subcontinental scales the peopling of the New World has been a question revolving around lowered seas levels and fluctuating glacier margins. Modeling sea-level changes and the paleogeography of the “Bering Land Bridge” and the high-precision dating of ice retreat over Canada is helping to understand the environmental conditions faced by Native American forbears in Beringia and the environment, route(s), and timing of their entry into North America.

DIG 2007 Poster Presentations

Micromorphological investigations in Magallanes, Chile

Manuel A Arroyo-Kalin¹, Charles French¹, Manuel San Román², Flavia Morelo², Fabiana Martin², Alfredo Prieto² and Pedro Cárdenas²

¹ Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

² Centro de Estudios del Hombre Austral,  Instituto de la Patagonia, Universidad de Magallanes and Centro de Estudios del Cuaternario Fuego-Patagonia y Antártica

This poster provides preliminary micromorphological observations on the litho-stratigraphy of Cueva de los Chingues (Magallanes, Chile), an important archaeological site recording evidence for the terminal Pleistocene human colonisation of continental southern Patagonia.

Changing Rooms? A multi-analytical investigation of the spatial and chronological use of space within an Early Roman timber building, Insula IX, Silchester, Hants

Rowena Banerjea

Department of Archaeology, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK

To date Roman archaeology has neglected the interpretation of domestic space and the structuring of activities (Millett 2001: 64; Burnham et al. 2001: 73-74; MOLAS 2002: 34-35; Perring 1987: 147) and scientific research has focused more on the dark earth deposits associated with urban abandonment. This study aims to contribute to existing knowledge of the development of Romano-British urban life by closely examining the use of settlement space through the analysis of microscopic sources of archaeological evidence. This study will focus on the specific activities within an early Roman timber-framed building (ERTB1), dating from 70-150 AD which was situated in Insula IX, Silchester, Hants in order to make an essential contribution to the understanding of the context of industry in Roman Britain, particularly those activities which took place within domestic buildings. This project will take a multi-analytical geoarchaeological approach using soil micromorphology, phytolith extraction, XRF and magnetic susceptibility to the analysis and interpretation of Roman settlement space as this will enable chemical, physical and microscopic residues of human activities to be studied in tandem. This research has identified distinctive geoarchaeological characteristics of mud-plaster and beaten earth floors within ERTB1, which may be more widely applicable in Romano-British archaeology, and has identified the possible activities associated with these floors. The combination of micromorphology and phytolith extraction has enabled a variety of sources of phytoliths to be identified within floors and, this multi-analytical approach has allowed copper alloy, lead and iron working to be explored alongside an investigation of domestic activities. Examination of the phytoliths showed a change in plant-use in the later stages of the building’s history and rush flooring used throughout. There are interesting enhancements of Pb and Zn, particularly associated with an opus signinum floor. These enhancements are not necessarily attributable to metalworking.

References:

Burnham, B, Collis, J., Dobinson, C, Haselgrove, C & Jones, M. (2001) Themes for urban research: 100 BC to AD 200. In James and Millett (eds), Britons and Romans: Advancing the Archaeological Agenda. CBA res rep 125.

Millett, M. (2001) Approaches to urban societies. In James and Millett (eds) Britons and Romans: Advancing the Archaeological Agenda. CBA res rep 125.

MOLAS (2002) A research framework for London archaeology. London: MOLAS

Perring, D. (2002) The Roman House in Britain. London: Routledge.

Geoarchaeological research of the Dobšice – trať Léry locality in south Moravia, Czech Republic

Z. Čižmář ¹, L. Lisá  ^2,3, A. Bajer⁴ and P. Pokorný ⁵

¹ Institute of Archaeological Monument Preservation, Brno, Kaloudova 30, 614 00 Brno, Czech Republic

² Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK

³ Geological Institute AS CR, Rozvojová 135, Prague 6, Czech Republic

⁴ Institute of Geology and Pedology FFWT MAFU v Brně, Zemědělská 3, Brno, Czech Republic

⁵ Archaeological Institute AS ČR, Prague, Letenská 4, 118 01, Praha 1, Czech Republic

An archaeological site named Dobšice- trať Léry in south Moravia, near the Znojmo, Czech Republic, was excavated in 2005 and 2006. Research was started in response to the building of a new road. It was assumed that some relicts of early 19^th century battles would be uncovered, but it soon became clear that the site was richer in much older material dating from the Late Eneolithic Age (Jevišovice culture) through the Upper Bronze Age (Velatice culture) to the Celtic and Younger Roman age. 

The settlement is larger than 300 square meters and it is located in loess dunes of Würmian age. Prehistoric settlement was very much constrained by geomorphological, geological and climatic factors. The presence of the River Dyje as a source of water and a means of access was also an important factor. Fluvial activity has been critical in the development of the settlement. Very fine grained sediments were lain down before first people came to this place, covering a large area around this loess dune. The accumulation of organic sediment within a section of streambed that had become isolated during the Roman period allowed for botanical analysis. The infill of the old riverbed provided evidence of abundance of fir trees and beech trees, hemp and rye. The earliest phases of riverbed infill reflect grassland, replaced in the later phases by vegetation of greater stature.

Occupation of the Dobšice locality ceased during the Younger Roman Ages. River activity increased during the Medieval Period, documented by high river alluvial sediment aggradations which cover the entire Dobšice locality and helped to protect it. Medieval settlements are known within a few kilometres’ radius further from risks of flooding.

Irrigation on the Tehran Plain, Iran: Tepe Pardis - the site of a possible
Neolithic irrigation feature?
 
G. K. Gillmore, R. A. E. Coningham, R. Young, H. Fazeli, R. Donahue, 
 
School of Earth Sciences and Geography, Kingston University, Penrhyn Rd., Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, UK

The history of water management in Iran since the Achaemenid or Persian period (mid 1st millennium BCE) has been the subject of extensive study. While archaeological exploration has shown that irrigation agriculture was utilised during the Ubaid Period in Mesopotamia (c. 5900 - 4200 BCE), far less is known about the early manipulation of water than in the later historic periods. Whilst conducting rescue excavations of Tepe Pardis, a tell site in the Tehran Plain, archaeologists from the Universities of Tehran, Bradford, Durham, Kingston and Leicester have identified a small channel-like feature in an exposed section of a brick quarry.  Stratigraphically linked to Late Neolithic levels in the tell (c. 6th to 7th millennium BCE), this channel was triangular in profile, possessed a very different fill to the surrounding sediments and ran at right angles to a number of other natural channels in the sequence. This poster evaluates the nature and function of this feature and suggests that it may represent one of the earliest examples of artificial water management in Iran.

Samples from Viking age and Medieval houses in Iceland – what can they tell us about the environment inside and outside of the houses?

Magnus Hellqvist

Physical Geography, Dalarna University, Campus Lugnet, S-791 88 Falun, Sweden

From 2000 to 2006 subfossil insect remains were analysed from house floor samples in Iceland from several localities and former settlements, from Viking Age long houses, medieval turf houses and from later historical house remnants.

Few constructions, such as wells, outhouses or other peripheral buildings, which can be used for macrofossil analysis, have been excavated from Icelandic Viking age or medieval settlement sites. This is in contrast to many excavated settlements in Scandinavia. Therefore, a common sampling environment in Iceland is from former house floors. This results in special taphonomic problems and limited use in interpretation due to a risk of redeposition and human interference of the cultural layer caused by human activities inside the house.

One of the aims of this project is to analyse fossil insect remains, primarily beetles, for possible interpretation of the environmental conditions, the relationships between settlements and their surroundings, and the indoor environments of buildings, and also to compare different settlements. The majority of samples from house floors from Iceland are generally poor in fossil insect remains with a domination of beetles originating from the surrounding environment probably used in the building material, reflecting the natural environment and the building phase. However, there is some variation. In house floor samples from the 18^th and 19^th centuries the typical secondary use of abandoned houses as stables is obvious, and in the early medieval settlement at Keldur there was a floor of waste within the medieval house representing a period when part of the house had been used as a smithy or for metalworking.

One of the difficulties with house floor samples is the degree of preservation and the concentration of fossil remains. This is totally dependent on the house history, e.g. its location in the landscape and the material used in its construction, the function of the house or activities in different rooms, and finally the abandonment history of the house. Floor sediment samples usually provide a high degree of preservation and high organic content. From a taphonomic point of view it is also important to identify subfossil insect species that are associated with different parts of the building and building materials, like roof material or the turf used for the walls.

“Falun above through Falun under” – reconstructing the early mining town Falun in central Sweden for the first time through mapping archaeology and environmental studies

Magnus Hellqvist

Physical Geography, Dalarna University, Campus Lugnet, S-791 88 Falun, Sweden

A new project has been initiated in the town Falun, in central Sweden, in order to reconstruct how the site developed into a town from prehistoric times to the post-medieval period. Falun is situated in the large region in south central Sweden called Bergslagen, where there is the largest concentration of mines and mining activities in Sweden. The town Falun is situated at the oldest copper mine in Sweden. The mining activities started over a thousand years ago and ended as late as 1992. In the 17^th century, the copper mine in Falun produced 2/3 of the copper used in the world. Today Falun, along with its mine and surroundings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area around Falun, as well as the whole Bergslagen region, was strongly affected by the large-scale mining activities; for example, large parts of the forest were used for charcoal production and industrial discharge was already noted by Carl von Linneus during a visit to Falun in the 18^th century. Environmental impacts include changes to soils and sediments, and several projects have been carried out to interpret and understand human impacts on the environment and environmental change from prehistoric times to the present. So far, little interest has been focused on the changing settlements and town development.

            Even though the town of Falun was growing to an important position in Sweden, it is in a marginal region and quite little is known about the early development of the Falun site from rural settlement to urban town. The town got its letters patent from the Swedish crown as late as 1641, after around 500 years of mining activities. But the settlements in the present Falun region, being one of the most important sites of the developing Swedish state, had special privileges from an early date and also developed to an advanced town-like community long before it got its town charter.

            The purpose of the new project is to look into this development of the town of Falun based on archaeology and environmental history. The project uses the “Great Yarmouth Archaeological Map” project as a model. By collecting previously known information from archaeological excavations and earlier investigation of sediments in the area, and compiling these together, we will hopefully create a more complete picture of the former development and what needs further investigation. The town of Falun is situated on large fillings of cinder, and together with the copper mines itself, and its piles of slag, this area is one of the largest contributors of heavy metals to the Baltic Sea. Many earlier investigations of the town considered these environmental issues, and consequently there is much information to use, together with earlier archaeological investigations, to create a picture of the town development.

Soil micromorphology of paddy fields in Korea

Heejin Lee

Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

Rice agriculture requires a special form of cultivation due to its preference for a damp habitat. Rice plants have to sit under the water for several months to grow, so field systems are designed to offer artificially waterlogged conditions. However, in conjunction with periodical water fluctuations inside the field system, successive land use and environment effects on soil make it hard to recognize the characteristics of ancient paddy fields and to study archaeological subjects closely linked to rice cultivation. Thus, it is necessary to apply geoarchaeologial methods and perspectives to rice agriculture studies.

Samples were collected from Gulwha, South Korea. This region is well known for the earliest Bronze Age paddy field site, Okhyun. The flat flood plain where these sites are located appears to resemble the natural habitat of rice plants. The Gulwha site is believed to have been cultivated since the Bronze Age, and provides the opportunity to investigate initial rice adaptation and cultivation through a consideration of the trajectory of in situ, evolving soil. In addition, to establish the history of land use over time, the project aims to investigate the change from primitive rice cultivation to advanced agriculture.

Micromorphological analysis is expected to provide an effective tool to understand soil characteristics generated by rice cultivation and post-depositional processes. In this site, it is assumed that both the repeated seasonal flooding of the river Taewha and the intentional waterlogging of the paddy fields will have resulted in soil that was subjected to periodic alluviation. Therefore, micromorphological analysis focuses on identifying archaeologically associated features associated with water control and features associated with post-depositional processes, and will be supplemented by phytolith analysis and soil chemical analyses.

Applications of an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Accessory to the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Analysis of Geoarchaeological Samples

Susan M. Mentzer

Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, 1009 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

Mineralogical analyses of archaeological sediments, particularly those recovered from cave sites, are traditionally accomplished using a variety of techniques, including electron microprobe, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).  FTIR analyses have the advantage over other techniques in that they can be carried out on-site.  The use of a diamond-crystal ATR accessory has several advantages over the traditional potassium bromide (KBr) pellet preparation method, including reduced sample preparation time and elimination of bulky equipment, especially in field conditions.  The primary disadvantage to using this accessory is distortion of spectra resulting from increased sensitivity of the instrument to absorbance in the lower wavenumbers.  This distortion can reduce the accuracy of ATR spectra matches when using a reference spectral library produced using the KBr preparation method.  This poster presents an archaeological materials and authigenic phosphate mineral search and reference library created using the ATR accessory. 

Multi-element analysis and the interpretation of activity areas: lessons from a case study in Viking Age Iceland

Karen Milek

Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ, UK

and Institute of Archaeology, Iceland, Bárugata 3, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

As multi-element analyses such as ICP-AES and ICP-MS become increasingly used for the detection and interpretation of activity areas on archaeological sites, it is essential to consider some of the interpretation challenges inherent in these techniques. Most of the recent archaeological literature on the use of multi-element analysis fails to take account of the fact that individual elements can be derived from a wide range of sources. In addition to the problem of equifinality, the preservation of particular elements will differ from one site to another – and even from one activity area to another – due to a localised chemical environment created either by the original sediment composition or by post-depositional processes. For example, the pH of the sediment, the presence/absence of particular elements, and the presence/absence of organic material or clay in the sediment, will have a profound affect on the solubility of elements such as phosphorus, calcium, iron and manganese. Moreover, because ICP is conducted on disaggregated, homogenised sediment, it is not possible to know whether the elements of interest entered the floor deposit as the result of a single dumping event or as a result of daily practices over a long period of time.

All of these interpretation problems became evident during a project in which floor deposits in Viking Age houses in Iceland were sampled systematically on 0.5-1 m grids and analysed using ICP-AES and a suite of other techniques. In order to illustrate the problem, this poster presents one case study: the tenth century AD house that was excavated at Aðalstræti 14-18, in central Reykjavik, Iceland. When multiple element distributions were compared to context boundaries, pH, magnetic susceptibility and loss-on-ignition distributions, and the thin section micromorphology of the same sediments, it became clear that different types of materials (e.g. dung, hay, and ash) had resulted in elevated levels of similar suites of elements, and that post-depositional leaching had had a dramatic effect on the final concentrations of elements. These results show that it is not feasible to interpret the results of multi-element analysis if it is done in isolation, and that it is essential to integrate this technique with as many other overlapping datasets as possible. At a minimum, it is recommended that pH, organic matter content, and magnetic susceptibility tests be conducted on the same samples. Micromorphological analysis is currently the most powerful tool for interpreting the original composition of floor sediments, and it should be used alongside the bulk analytical techniques wherever possible.

Land Use Strategies in the Danish Bronze and Early Iron Age

Nina Nielsen

Department of Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Aarhus, Denmark

Since the Neolithic agriculture has constituted the basis of prehistoric societies and naturally it is therefore a very important research subject. This is not only because agriculture provided the most basic products for human existence, i.e. food, but also because the strategies that were used within the agricultural system influenced everyday life and the organisation of the agrarian communities.

This poster gives an introduction to a newly launched geoarchaeological Ph.D. project, the primary aim of which is to characterise the land use strategies that have been used in different parts of Denmark during the Bronze and Early Iron Ages. At this point the different strategies are only vaguely indicated, but through geoarchaeological analyses of selected field systems and buried soils it will be possible to, for example, identify the type of manure that was used, the intensity of the prehistoric cultivation and the general land use patterns.

On the basis of these analyses it is my aim to examine the variation of the different strategies, the social consequences of these, and the continuity and differences between the prehistoric and the known historic land use strategies.

Stall deposits in rock-shelter contexts during the Neolithic in the North Ebro River Valley. Micromorphology and new interpretations on the socio-economic system in the Basque area: first results

Ana Polo-Diaz

Geography, Prehistory and Archaeology Department, University of the Basque Country, Francisco Tomás y Valiente, s/n, Apartado 2111, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz (Alava), Spain

This work provides the first results on the micromorphological analysis conducted on Neolithic sediments from the site of Los Husos II in order to characterize the formation processes of the deposit. This study contributes to a new interpretation of the role which activities in rock-shelter contexts play in the socio-economic system of early societies in the North Ebro River Valley area. The traditional view of the socio-economic system developed by Neolithic societies in the Basque area is that they exhibit a dual character, depending mainly on environmental conditions: human groups associated with agricultural practices would be settled in the Mediterranean area whereas pastoral communities would be relegated to the mountainous Cantabrian area.

The deposit of Los Husos II holds a broad Neolithic sequence composed mainly of a succession of thick ashy and fine dark organic layers which resembles those associated with stabling deposits in similar environmental and chronological contexts of the Mediterranean basin. The micromorphological analysis aims to characterize the types of anthropogenic and natural sediments (e.g. dung material, ashes, bone material, dark organic matter, and detrital material of natural origin) in order to define the origin and evolution of the Neolithic record at the site of Los Husos II and to test if the results correspond to those usually associated with animal husbandry.

The microstratigraphic study through micromorphological analysis of the sediments from the Neolithic sequence at the site of LHII enables the identification and definition of the cultural and palaeoenvironmental features of the sequence, and in doing so it supports the characterization of the site as a stabling deposit. Moreover, such characterization makes possible the reinterpretation of the defined socio-economic relationships between early societies and their environments in the North Ebro River area and in the related Basque cultural context.

Integrating micromorphology and chemical microanalysis to investigate midden formation processes and cultural activities at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Lisa-Marie Shillito

Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Whiteknights, RG6 6AH, UK

Micromorphology is becoming increasingly used as a means of investigating site formation processes and cultural activities. The technique is of immense value as it studies deposits in their precise depositional context, allowing us to look at how the material was deposited, as well as looking at the properties of the material itself. Chemical analyses have also become a major focus of archaeological investigation to study properties of deposits and artefacts, including those which are not visible under the microscope. Such studies alone however do not give information on the depositional context of the materials they are analysing. Thus, this research aims to integrate a number of analytical techniques that may enhance and clarify the information that we can get from micromorphology. For example, the use of organic residue analysis to investigate coprolites, one of the major inclusions within the middens at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, can identify the species that produced the faecal material, and can give a much better interpretation of the context and formation of deposits containing this material.

A further aim is the integration of high resolution sub-sampling for phytolith and mineralogical analyses. Phytoliths are an abundant and well preserved component of deposits at Çatalhöyük, but it is often difficult to fully identify phytolith types in thin section. High resolution sampling of individual layers and processing these for phytolith analysis allows a comparison to be made between phytolith assemblage and the depositional context of the layer from which they were extracted. Twenty large thin sections and over 100 phytolith slides have been prepared for microscopic analysis. This poster presentation gives a summary of the results obtained so far from vibrational microspetroscopy and residue analysis in conjunction with analysis of thin sections under the optical microscope. These results will be used to investigate questions of midden formation processes and seasonality of deposition, as well as diet and resource use at this important site.

River bar formation and complex archaeological stratigraphies in the Lower Ohio River Valley, USA

C. Russell Stafford

Geography, Geology, Anthropology Department, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA

Extensive geoarchaeological studies as part of the Caesars Archaeological Project near Louisville, Kentucky in the Ohio River flood plain detailed a complex geomorphic and archaeological Holocene sequence. Landforms and associated alluvial and colluvial deposits contained buried archaeological remains that range from 10K to 2K RCYBP based on more than 80 radiocarbon dates. 

            Sediment units in the project locality encompass a wide range of geomorphic systems, including Ohio River lateral accretion/overbank units, low and higher order tributary stream deposits, and colluvial materials that are inset or commingle in a complex fashion. Soil-geomorphic and sedimentological analyses were used to discriminate these landform sediment assemblages. Early and late Holocene units differ in their textural, bedding, and soil weathering properties.

Archaic (>3000 rcybp) occupations are stratified in these sediment packages to a depth of up to 5 meters. Cultural deposits are differentially affected by various geomorphic and soil processes. Especially in the early Holocene units prehistoric occupations are influenced by processes associated with high energy  tributary stream channels that interdigitate with lower energy lateral accretion and overbank deposits laid down by the Ohio River as it formed a point bar and subsequent levee. At the same time Ohio River bar/levee formation resulted in a complex set of sloping paleotopographic surfaces that Archaic hunter-gatherers occupied.  The stratigraphic distribution of artifacts, features, and radiocarbon ages are a key to identifying and tracing these surfaces and understanding their stratigraphic relationships.

Building materials at Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Burcu Tung

Department of Anthropology, University of California, 232 Kroeber Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

In this poster I report on the analysis I have completed on the construction materials used at Çatalhöyük. Using the building materials as a metaphor of the landscape, I explore the importance of movement. I demonstrate how people were tied to a wide landscape where movement was very important in their daily lives. Movement was the essence in economic and symbolic networks. Movement was practiced through and experienced by individuals that were transformed by and at the same time transforming their structures. In pertaining to movement, I show a different perspective of the past that is not tied to the dominant interpretations of the Neolithic.

SASSA: a soil analysis support system for archaeologists

Clare Wilson¹, Donald Davidson¹, David Cairns², Julie Cowie², and Martin Blunn²

¹ School of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK

² Department of Computing Sciences and Mathematics, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK

SASSA is a NERC funded knowledge-transfer project based at the University of Stirling. This web-based system is being developed to provide field archaeologists and curators with information about the archaeological questions that soil/sediment analyses can be used to address. These questions are linked to information about appropriate soil recording, sampling and laboratory methods. The aim is to encourage and foster communication between archaeologists and geoarchaeologists.

When complete at the end of 2007 SASSA will consist of:

1. A background tutorial on the archaeological questions that soil and sediment analysis can be used to address, soil and sediment processes, and field recording and sampling.
2. A field tool to help archaeologists produce standard soil descriptions and answer common field-based geoarchaeological questions.
3. A summary of different laboratory analyses, their time and cost implications, the questions they can be used to answer, and sampling and sample storage issues.
4. A database of case studies providing examples of archaeological studies using soil and sediment analysis.
5. A forum for interaction between archaeologists and geoarchaeologists.
6. A glossary of earth-science terms.
7. News on geoarchaeological related developments, conferences and meetings.

SASSA uses decision making and Wiki tools to produce an interactive, evolving system that can grow and develop along with the field of geoarchaeology. A version suitable for PDA or phone display is also being developed providing a mobile system that can be taken on site.

This paper presents an introduction to SASSA and the ways in which it might be used. The system itself will be available on laptop and feedback will be sought from participants on the content and functionality of SASSA.

The use of fossils as indicators of flint provenance

Lucy Wilson

Department of Physical Sciences, University of New Brunswick in Saint John, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada

Provenance studies are aimed at determining the sources of lithic raw materials used for archaeological materials.  Flint has been commonly used (where available) for stone tools for millennia. Finding the provenance of flint presents some challenges, however, since it can be at once highly variable (in terms of colour and other macroscopic criteria), even within a single nodule or outcrop, and at the same time highly uniform, all flint being composed essentially of nearly pure microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline silica. This means that geochemical tests can be difficult to use, since the variability of the flint is found in its trace elements, and a tiny inclusion or impurity can cause very different results even for two pieces from the same formation. On the other hand, since any microfossils in the flint are linked to the environment of formation of the flint, which varied across space and through time, they are a very useful, and too often neglected, provenance indicator. This poster will demonstrate different types of preservation of microfossils in flint, ranging from complete fossils with their original mineralogy, through partial to complete replacement by other minerals, to dissolution leaving >ghosts= of the original organism. Some easily identifiable fossils will be illustrated, and their use as environmental and/or chronological indicators (as index fossils or as assemblages) explained.  Such an approach can be used by anyone with a basic knowledge of micropalaeontology, as long as they also have a good knowledge of the characteristics of potential raw materials in their area of study.

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	Last modified 13 April 2007
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