91 research outputs found
Increasing sustainability in palaeoproteomics by optimizing digestion times for large-scale archaeological bone analyses
No full textLe Meillour & Sinet-Mathiot et al. Increasing sustainability in palaeoproteomics by optimizing digestion times for large-scale archaeological bone analyses:
MALDI-ToF MS data (raw data: mzML files, merged spectra: msd files) used for the ZooMS analysis of the bone material from Baishiya Karst Cave (China) and La Draga (Spain), along with the R codes for merging triplicates into one msd file
Increasing sustainability in palaeoproteomics by optimizing digestion times for large-scale archaeological bone analyses
No full text<p><strong>Le Meillour & Sinet-Mathiot <em>et al. 2024</em> Increasing sustainability in palaeoproteomics by optimizing digestion times for large-scale archaeological bone analyses</strong></p>
<p><strong>DOI: </strong><strong><span><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109432" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>10.1016/j.isci.2024.109432</span></a></span></strong></p>
<p>MALDI-ToF MS data (raw data: mzML files, merged spectra: msd files) used for the ZooMS analysis of the bone material from Baishiya Karst Cave (China) and La Draga (Spain), along with the R codes for merging triplicates into one msd file. </p>
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A 41,500 year-old decorated ivory pendant from Stajnia Cave (Poland)
No full textEvidence of mobiliary art and body augmentation are associated with the cultural innovations
introduced by Homo sapiens at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic. Here, we report the discovery
of the oldest known human-modified punctate ornament, a decorated ivory pendant from the
Paleolithic layers at Stajnia Cave in Poland. We describe the features of this unique piece, as well
as the stratigraphic context and the details of its chronometric dating. The Stajnia Cave plate is a
personal ’jewellery’ object that was created 41,500 calendar years ago (directly radiocarbon dated). It
is the oldest known of its kind in Eurasia and it establishes a new starting date for a tradition directly
connected to the spread of modern Homo sapiens in Europe
L'Europe en formation(s)
No full textLe premier ouvrage qui porte sur la sociologie des acteurs de l'Europe politique sous l'angle de leur formation et 'lun des tout premier de la sociologie politique de l'UE. Avec les contributions de Mihchel mangenot, Virginie Schnabel, JeaN-marie pernot et Pierre Mathiot
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Towards a deeper integration of ZooMS and zooarchaeology at Paleolithic sites: current challenges and future directions
No full textAdvances in biomolecular methods, in particular the study of ancient proteins (paleoproteomics), have revolutionized how we can taxonomically identify archaeological bone fragments. Alongside traditional zooarchaeological assignments based on the visual inspection of morphological criteria, variations in collagen type I amino acid sequences can now be used to distinguish which animal a bone fragment belonged to. Using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, this method, known as Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), is now being applied regularly to archaeological faunal assemblages and, often at a large-scale, at Paleolithic sites. However, detailed explorations of how these ZooMS datasets can best be integrated with zooarchaeological and taphonomic data are only in their infancy. To further advance this field, we hosted a workshop at the University of Kent in 2023, bringing together both zooarchaeologists and ZooMS specialists, to showcase and discuss various ways of integrating ZooMS and zoo-archaeological data, especially within Paleolithic contexts. This special issue results from the papers presented at this workshop. In this introductory paper we reflect on the open discussion sessions that formed an essential part of the workshop. First, we discuss a series of methodological challenges; this includes the recording of zooarchaeology and taphonomy on morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments, ZooMS study design and sample selection, pre-screening and sampling, pre-treatment and collagen extraction, and the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of MALDI data. Second, we delve deeper into the interpretive potential, and the wealth of future research directions, of a full contribution of ZooMS to a range of zooarchaeological research topics. In concordance with the seven research papers in this issue, this introduction illustrates how a well-designed study, integrating zooarchaeological and taphonomic observations across both the morphological and ZooMS-identified fractions, cannot only increase the number of identifiable specimens at a site, but also provide novel insights into site formation histories, collection biases, carnivore behavior, environmental conditions, and past human subsistence, including site use, seasonality, carcass transport, prey preference, and butchery practices
The potential affordances of enterprise wikis for creating community in research networks
No full textIn this paper, we describe some of the affordances, (the specific enabling features or characteristics), of an enterprise wiki to meet the needs of a developing community of practice. The Social Innovation Network (SInet) is a nascent research network that spans the social sciences, education and commerce at the University of Wollongong. It will use the enterprise wiki software Confluence to assist in the development of communities of practice across its groups and subgroups. This paper, describes some of the features of the software and how it might be used to perform some of the common activities identified by Wenger (nd) as contributing to the development of community
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Neanderthal subsistence, taphonomy and chronology at Salzgitter‐Lebenstedt (Germany): a multifaceted analysis of morphologically unidentifiable bone
No full textPleistocene faunal assemblages are often highly fragmented, hindering taxonomic identifications and interpretive potentials. In this paper, we apply four different methodologies to morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments from the Neanderthal open‐air site of Salzgitter‐Lebenstedt (Germany). First, we recorded zooarchaeological attributes for all 1362 unidentifiable bones recovered in 1977. Second, we applied zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) to 761 fragments, and calculated glutamine deamidation values. Third, we assessed the collagen preservation of 30 fragments by near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and, finally, we pretreated 10 bones with high predicted collagen values for radiocarbon dating. All returned dates at, or beyond, the limit of radiocarbon dating, indicating an age of older than 51 000 years ago. The ZooMS faunal spectrum confirms a cold environment, dominated by reindeer, alongside mammoth, horse and bison. The low occurrence of carnivore modifications (1%) contrasts with an abundance of human modifications (23%). Cut marks and marrow fractures were observed across reindeer, horse and bison. The mammoth remains are less well preserved and show a lower degree of human modifications, indicating, perhaps, a different taphonomic history. Overall, this study illustrates the importance of retaining, studying and incorporating the unidentifiable bone fraction to optimize interpretations of site formation and subsistence behaviour at Palaeolithic sites
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Combining ZooMS and zooarchaeology to study Late Pleistocene hominin behaviour at Fumane (Italy)
No full textCollagen type I fingerprinting (ZooMS) has recently been used to provide either palaeoenvironmental data or to identify additional hominin specimens in Pleistocene contexts, where faunal assemblages are normally highly fragmented. However, its potential to elucidate hominin subsistence behaviour has been unexplored. Here, ZooMS and zooarchaeology have been employed in a complementary approach to investigate bone assemblages from Final Mousterian and Uluzzian contexts at Fumane cave (Italy). Both approaches produced analogous species composition, but differ significantly in species abundance, particularly highlighted by a six fold-increase in the quantity of Bos/Bison remains in the molecularly identified component. Traditional zooarchaeological methods would therefore underestimate the proportion of Bos/Bison in these levels to a considerable extent. We suggest that this difference is potentially due to percussion-based carcass fragmentation of large Bos/Bison bone diaphyses. Finally, our data demonstrates high variability in species assignment to body size classes based on bone cortical thickness and fragment size. Thus, combining biomolecular and traditional zooarchaeological methods allows us to refine our understanding of bone assemblage composition associated with hominin occupation at Fumane
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The Late Middle Palaeolithic Occupation of Abri du Maras (Layer 1, Neronian, Southeast France): Integrating Lithic Analyses, ZooMS and Radiocarbon Dating to Reconstruct Neanderthal Hunting Behaviour
No full textThe exact strategies and technologies underlying Neanderthal hunting events remain open for debate with lithic points being sparse across the European Middle Palaeolithic. An exception is the Neronian entity in southeast France, defined by ventrally retouched Soyons points. This study contextualises one of the largest Neronian assemblages, layer 1 at Abri du Maras. Our lithic analyses focussed on attributes described as indicative of projectile use or hafting to contextualise the morphometric and technological characteristics of the pointed implements at an assemblage level. We found that retouched points were made on a variety of blank types (including Levallois, laminar and discoidal flaking techniques) and ventral retouch is present across different artefact types (including points, scrapers and denticulates). Next, these lithic data were compared to similar typo-technological data recorded on a sample from the recently excavated and well-contextualised point-rich layer 4.1 of Abri du Maras (MIS-3). Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) was applied to 280 faunal remains from layer 1 and indicated significant proportions of equids, bovids, cervids and reindeer. Carnivore remains and carnivore modifications are absent, while human bone surface modifications are present across a variety of species. Five bones had sufficient collagen for radiocarbon dating but returned dates younger than expected (ca. 41–31 ka cal BP). Finally, we place Abri du Maras layer 1 in its broader regional context and discuss its relation to other Neronian assemblages and more general problematics inherent to studying material from old excavations
Humans as a resource:ZooMS analysis on points from Mesolithic Doggerland
No full textSeveral bone and antler points from Mesolithic Doggerland have been dated and analysed to determine the animal species from which they were made. The points were found on beaches of South-Holland, but their primary depositional site lies in front of the coast in the North Sea. 14C-dates have given an estimated age of 11.000 to 8.000 years old. The decisions made for the production of the points can inform us about the human makers. ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) was used on ten points in order to identify the taxon from which they were made. We’ve obtained fascinating and unexpected results. There seems to be a preference for the use of red deer, but two examples for the usage of human bone were found as well. This is a surprising discovery as human remains are not commonly used to make tools. Moreover, human bones are not the most suitable material to produce a point. Therefore, the use of human bone to manufacture bone points seems to be more related to symbolism and culture. Future research will provide more clarity in the coming years
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