1,721,063 research outputs found
Sturgeon fishing in the Middle and Lower Danube region
No full textMigrating sturgeons were the largest fish in the middle and lower Danube region. Most of these species, however, have been brought to the brink of extinction by habitat loss and overfishing. This review is a synthesis of sporadic archaeological evidence, zoological and environmental data as well as ethnohistorical information in two regions: the Iron Gates at the southeast edge of the Carpathian Basin and the Hungarian section of the Danube within the basin. In addition to ichthyological and taphonomic questions, fishing techniques as well as the varying perceptions of these large fish are summarized in an attempt to draft a multidisciplinary interpretive framework for the archaeological evaluation of future finds
Experimental replication of stone, bone and shell beads from Early Neolithic sites in Southeast Europe
Full text linkFlat disk beads made from a wide variety of biominerals, minerals and other stones are widely distributed on Early Neolithic sites throughout the Balkans. Replicative experiments indicate that hardness was a critical factor affecting drilling times and,presumably, the choice of materials for bead production. Using a pump drill and schist grindstone it was found that beads could be manufactured relatively easily from materials of less than 5 on Mohs hardness scale; materials harder than 5.5 either proved very difficult to drill or were not drilled successfully. The experiments suggest that, while some beads and necklaces were evidently specialist products, bead making could have been a normal household activity among early farming communities in Southeast Europe
Dating burial practices and architecture at Lepenski Vir
No full textPrevious attempts to establish a chronology for Lepenski Vir using three different methods (stratigraphy, radiometric 14C dating of bulk charcoal samples, and AMS 14C dating of human bone collagen) produced inconsistent results. Discrepancies between the human bone and charcoal ages were found to result from a reservoir effect in the bones of people who ate significant quantities of Danube fish. When a reservoir ‘correction’ is applied, the human bone 14C dates are consistent with the charcoal dates, and this raises questions about the excavator’s relative and absolute chronology based on stratigraphy and inter-site comparisons. Single-entity dating of surviving archaeological materials offers the best hope of constructing a reliable chronological framework for Lepenski Vir. This paper presents the results of a further programme of AMS 14C dating of human remains. Direct dating of 24 burials confirms that different burial practices characterized the Final Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. Previous attempts to assign burials to Mesolithic or Neolithic phases, based on stratigraphic observations, are shown to be broadly correct but not always accurate in detail. The evidence from radiocarbon dating and stratigraphy is used to calculate ‘minimum’ and/or ‘maximum’ ages for certain of the trapezoidal buildings, which suggest that this architectural form was in use during the Final Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. The implications of the human bone 14C dates and associated stable isotope measurements for the timing of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in the Iron Gates are also discussed
Investigating the submerged prehistory of the eastern Adriatic:progress and prospects
No full textIn this paper we assess the potential for the survival and investigation of submerged prehistoric sites and cultural landscapes in the eastern Adriatic. We review previous underwater prehistoric finds from the region and evaluate their significance. Most of these finds were made in shallow water close inshore and likely date to the Neolithic–Early Bronze Age. We discuss the reasons for this pattern and for the concentration of finds along the Istrian and Dalmatian coasts. The prospects for finding submerged sites belonging to earlier periods of prehistory are discussed, with emphasis on the crucial period between 7000 and 5500 cal BC during which farming and herding supplanted hunting, fishing, and gathering as the dominant modes of subsistence. Against this background, we present a research design for a multidisciplinary study of submerged landscapes around one of the larger islands of the Zadar archipelago. It is suggested that some important questions of the processes and timing of the transition to farming around the Adriatic Basin may only be answered through the investigation of the continental shelf, and that such research can also contribute to a better understanding of Holocene sea-level and coastal change
Dietary trends at the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in North-west Europe
No full textEmpirical and model data are used to re-assess the patterns of dietary change across the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in north-west Europe. A step-shift in bone collagen δ13C values can be observed among coastal populations in Great Britain and parts of southern Scandinavia c. 4000/3900 cal BC, reflecting the rapid introduction of farming. Regional and local variations are evident, and there is a clear geographical trend in the use of marine resources by Neolithic populations across north-west Europe. Our findings suggest that the δ13C value of bone collagen may not accurately reflect the proportion of seafood in a diet where the diet included significant quantities of marine bivalves, such as oysters. This also has implications for calculating the marine reservoir contribution to the 14C ages of human bones
The Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in the Iron Gates, Southeast Europe:Calibration and dietary issues
No full textThis paper discusses an aquatic reservoir effect present in Mesolithic human bone samples from the Iron Gates section of the River Danube. Its magnitude has been calculated from a comparison of the 14C ages of human bones and terrestrial mammal bones from Schela Cladovei, equivalent to 545±70 years for a 100% aquatic diet. From this, using the δ15N value of human bone collagen to estimate the proportion of aquatic food in diet, a correction factor can be applied to the human bone 14C ages. Reservoir correction makes the resultant 14C age less precise but more accurate. The reservoir effect is derived from the inclusion of aquatic resources from the River Danube in the diets of the Mesolithic inhabitants. On the basis that the Black Sea became marine around 7400 cal BC, the possibility that part of the reservoir effect derives from anadromous fish species cannot be discounted. Human remains are abundant in the Iron Gates sites and therefore potentially important for construction of archaeological chronologies. Our ability to correct for the aquatic reservoir affect has important implications for establishing accurate chronologies, especially at the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition, which was marked by a significant change in diet and subsistence
Sourcing obsidian artefacts from Early Neolithic sites in South-Central Romania
Full text linkPortable X‐ ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF) was used to reveal the chemical signatures of 60 obsidian artefacts from two Early Neolithic sites in the Muntenia region of southern Romania – Uliești in Dâmbovița County and Măgura – Buduiasca in Teleorman County. The results show that the Starčevo‐ Criș communities at both sites used obsidian that originated from geological sources in the Carpathians. Obsidian from the C1 and C2 source areas occurs at Măgura, while only C1 obsidian has been documented in the much smaller assemblage from Uliești. We consider the implications of these results for obsidian procurement patterns documented among the earliest farmers of the northern Balkans.Spectrometrul portabil cu raze X (pXRF) a fost utilizat pentru a determina semnătura chimică a 60 de piese din obsidian provenind din două situri neolitice timpurii din Muntenia, sudul României : Uliești din județul Dâmbovița și Măgura – Buduiasca din județul Teleorman. Conform rezultatelor obținute, comunitățile Starčevo‐ Criș din ambele localități au folosit obsidian care provenea din surse geologice carpatice. Obsidianul din zonele sursă C1 și C2 apare la Măgura, în timp ce numai obsidianul de tip C1 a fost documentat în ansamblul litic mult mai redus de la Uliești. Sunt discutate apoi implicațiile acestor rezultate pentru modelele de obținere a obsidianului de către comunitățile neolitice timpurii din zona nord‐ balcanică.Boroneanţ Adina, Mirea Pavel, Ilie Ana, Bonsall Clive. Sourcing obsidian artefacts from Early Neolithic sites in South-Central Romania. In: Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã), N°15 2019. pp. 27-40
Late Bronze Age skeletal populations of Slovenia
Full text linkWithin the field of archaeology, cremation studies have the potential to provide
important information regarding regional demography, pyre technology, burial rituals,
and social rites. The development of recognized value and study of cremated remains
has been stimulated by the establishment of proper methods of analysis and the
increased awareness of the varying characteristics the bones exhibit after having been
exposed to firing. During the Late Bronze Age, cremation was the principal method of
disposing of deceased individuals throughout central and southern Europe. Three
Urnfield Culture sites which had the most preserved material were selected for this
study; from these sites, 169 individuals were selected for osteoarchaeological research.
In addition to a standard osteological examination, cremation-related changes to the
skeleton were studied such as temperature of firing, fracture patterns, element survival,
and overall fragmentation and preservation. Demographics such as age and sex were
established for each individual when possible and any animal bones present were
acknowledged. This research is important because it is the first major osteological study
done on cremated remains from Urnfield Culture sites in Slovenia. It is bringing to light
new information on population demographics, the effectiveness of the cremation
process during the time of the Urnfield Culture, and will supplement current research on
the Late Bronze Age in Slovenia
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