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Archeology

The study of human past through material remains, including excavation methods, artifact analysis, cultural heritage management, and reconstructing ancient societies

4 papers

Papers

ENGRAVED BIOGRAPHIES Rock Art and the Life-Histories of Bronze Age Objects

This paper explores the significance of engraved Bronze Age artifacts depicted in rock art, suggesting that these images represent specific objects with "animated biographies" placed in burials. The author argues that these depictions, often located at maritime nodes or burial sites, reflect a cultural practice of commemorating significant objects and their relationship with the deceased, possibly as a way of remembering them after grave robbery or as a form of "secondary agency."

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Archeology Jul 14, 11:26 AM

Osmium isotope analysis as an innovative tool for provenancing ancient iron: A systematic approach

This study demonstrates that osmium isotope ratios remain consistent throughout the iron production process, from ore to bloom to finished product. This consistency, combined with variations in osmium isotope ratios and concentrations between different ore sources, allows for the provenancing of ancient iron artifacts. Additionally, osmium enrichment/depletion in different byproducts like slag offers further insights into ancient bloomery processes.

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Archeology Jul 14, 11:26 AM

Distinguishing African bovids using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS): New peptide markers and insights into Iron Age economies in Zambia

This study developed the first comprehensive set of peptide markers for wild African bovids and applied ZooMS to fragmented faunal assemblages from six Iron Age sites in Zambia. The results revealed greater taxonomic diversity than traditional morphological analysis, indicating cattle-based pastoralism supplemented by hunting, particularly of duikers, and shedding light on the persistence of wild bovid exploitation during the Iron Age.

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Archeology Jul 14, 11:26 AM

Emergence of monopoly-Copper exchange networks during the Late Bronze Age in the western and central Balkans

This study found that copper from the southern Alps (Trentino region, Italy) was the primary source for bronze objects in the western and central Balkans during the Late Bronze Age (14th-9th c. BC), challenging previous assumptions about local ore usage. This suggests a vast, sustained raw material procurement network from the Alps to the Balkans, despite limited evidence for other cultural exchange during this period.

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Archeology Jul 14, 11:26 AM