Archaeological Methodology

Even though legislative regulations recognise the importance of archaeological heritage for the Republic of Serbia, practice has shown that it was precisely that heritage that has been exposed, in the last few decades, to devastation and neglect. For the purposes of this paper, we will take into consideration buildings of the Roman and Early Byzantine heritage in the basin of Čačak that enjoy the same degree of protection based on the Law on Cultural Properties, have been partially or fully
researched and are known to the public through professional scientific literature or the media: Roman baths in Čačak, Baths in Beljina and Gradina on Jelica. Although city administrations and tourist organisations nominally recognise the importance of these sites when listing their assets, the circumstances of these sites do not reflect that importance. None of the mentioned sites has defined management, which entails
maintenance problems, lack of plans for further development and promotion. How to proceed and whose responsibility are they? A lack of dialogue between the stakeholders represents one of the key reasons for the poor state of the archaeological heritage. Communication with urban planning centres and municipalities has been reduced to a minimum, and they mostly collaborate by making plans, in which protection measures are added pro forma, and therefore, are often not observed in specific situation. Structure changes on a local level often annul achieved agreements, hence, the dialogue has to be started anew. All these problems and undefined relationships have led to a lack of interest in heritage within the community. By ignoring the small things that can be achieved, official structures are in constant anticipation of grand projects while the heritage, meanwhile, disappears. Properly developed public policies imply a harmony between the identity of a given place and the identities of its inhabitants, ensure a proper development of the settlement and prevent spatial degradation processes. The low visualisation level of Čačak does not show any aspiration of the city administration to initiate such an approach, as reflected in the processed documents. In Serbia, Čačak included, there is a lack of discussion about what the concept of a city represents and what the vision of its future is. The recognition and use of heritage implies the existence of awareness of common goals of all institutions, and of the city as a unique body that has the ability to exploit and create new values from its assets.

Vinča and Starčevo are known to us as the eponymous archaeological sites of significant Neolithic cultures of South-eastern Europe. It is somewhat less well known that traces of life and death from the Late Iron Age were also found during the early excavations at these sites. Miloje Vasić discovered a skeletal La Tène grave during the excavations in 1911, while a La Tène grave at Starčevo was discovered in 1932, when the excavations were headed by the American-Czech archaeologist Vladimir Fewkes. Since the results of these excavations have never been published in full, through the available, surviving archaeological documentation, this paper discusses links between archaeologists, items they discover and oblivion which prays upon archaeological collections, creating “orphan collections”. It explores the ways in which the first items from the Late Iron Age were obtained through “local collectors,” and the manner in which a part of the archaeological collection of the National Museum was formed.
The examples of La Tène graves discovered at Vinča and Starčevo bear witness on the importance of archaeological documentation, and open further possible questions which this paper aims to stimulate rather than answer. One such question would be about the place occupied by the La Tène period in Serbian archaeology during the first half of the 20th century.

The article examines how the Musée d’Archéologie nationale (Saint-Germain-en-Laye) has enriched its Neolithic and Bronze Age collections since 1862, balancing scientific and heritage requirements with public expectations. It recalls that acquisition is a fundamental mission (a “living” collection), but that archaeology demands particular vigilance regarding provenance, legal status, and the risk of looting.
The text details the French framework (Musées de France, inalienability, “national treasure” vs “cultural property,” and the effects of the LCAP law) and its consequences for purchasing and donation practices. It shows that, paradoxically, the MAN receives few allocations from recent excavations (especially preventive archaeology), which are often directed to local museums.
Several modes of enrichment are illustrated (gifts, deposits, private treaty purchases, public auctions, refusals of export licences), together with the validation channels (committees, Conseil artistique). A number of recent case studies structure the argument: the gift of the Freycinel belt (Lozère), the private treaty purchase of the Calvignac jade axe, and the auction acquisition of the so-called Lannilis hoard. Conversely, the article highlights the risks of public auctions through the example of the François Bigot collection in 2021, where a collective investigation led to the withdrawal of many dubious lots. It stresses the need for monitoring, provenance investigations, and a responsive network (regional archaeology services, museums, researchers) in the face of online markets and trafficking.
Conclusion : Paradoxically, for the Musée d’Archéologie nationale, recent acquisitions have relied chiefly on the art market (purchases), creating an imbalance with “field” archaeology; better coordination between the MAN, regional archaeological services, and conservation/research centres is deemed essential for the future.

The contributions brought together in this thematic issue, published in two parts, show that individuals across the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean basin sought to establish contact with superhuman agents through practices designed to meet specific socio-religious needs and contexts. What emerges from these studies is not a worldview in which 'we are here' and 'the superhuman is there', but rather one in which humans and divine beings inhabit the same ontological plane-co-present in the same lived reality, echoing the framework proposed by Marshall Sahlins in The New Science of the Enchanted Universe: An Anthropology of Most of Humanity. 1 These agents, whom the American anthropologist terms 'metahumans' or 'metapersons', were regarded as presences decisively involved in all aspects of human life. Sahlins argues that, prior to the rise of axial civilisations and well beyond them, the world was experienced as a 'zone of immanence' in which 'metahumans' were not merely believed in but were active participants in the social, economic and political spheres. 2 In such cosmologies, what we call 'religion' was not a separate domain but a constitutive condition of action: 'metahuman' beings were invoked as an essential part of any human undertaking, and the divine was 'as necessarily engaged in people's achievements as in their possible failures. ' 3 By viewing 'metapersons' as integral to human life, such cosmologies invert the familiar trope of the social construction of religion. As Sahlins insists, it is rather through religion that society and humanity are constructed.

This review summarises the state-of-the-art of lead-based pigment studies, addressing their production, trade, use and possible alteration. Other issues, such as those related to the investigation and protection of artworks bearing lead-based pigments are also presented. The focus is mineralogical, as both raw materials and degradation products are mineral phases occurring in nature (except for very few cases). The minerals described are abellaite, anglesite, blixite, caledonite, challacolloite, cerussite, cotunnite, crocoite, galena, grootfonteinite, hydrocerussite, laurionite, leadhillite, litharge, macphersonite, massicot, mimetite, minium, palmierite, phosgenite, plattnerite, plumbonacrite, schulténite, scrutinyite, somersetite, susannite, vanadinite and an unnamed phase (PbMg(CO3)2). The pigments discussed are lead white, red lead, litharge, massicot, lead-tin yellow, lead-tin-antimony yellow, lead-chromate yellow and Naples yellow. An attempt is made to describe the history, t...

Sex determination from bones is an essential stage in the analysis of ancient human remains, and its reliability determines the value of the interpretations, particularly social ones, that are based on it. However, not only is this determination not always possible, but there is always a degree of uncertainty associated with its results, varying according to the methods used.
Among these methods, the most reliable is the palaeogenomic one based on the alignment of sequences to the sex chromosomes (earlier PCR-based approaches, by contrast, carried significant risks of error). Recently developed anthropological methods based on the coxal bone are also highly effective, but are limited to adults and older adolescents. Results obtained from the skull are much less reliable, and approaches based on other bones should be dismissed. Finally, the new proteomic methods do not offer sufficient hindsight to be able to really judge their reliability, and some of their results are open to question.
In all cases, it is essential to be able to take a critical look when sex determination forms the basis of a new interpretation.

El núcleo central del presente aporte lo constituye la narración crítica, a través de su experimentación práctica en casos del Noroeste argentino, de un flujo de trabajo orientado a la documentación integral e integrada de excavaciones arqueológicas, donde destaca la combinación de UAV y software de código abierto, así como su adaptabilidad a contextos operacionales diversos. Más allá de incidir en sus fortalezas y debilidades, e incluso de defender su eficacia última, esta propuesta metodológica va a permitir articular una reflexión que reivindica la profundidad del oficio arqueológico en un momento de transición hacia prácticas cada vez más digitales y automatizadas. Se plantea, por tanto, la innovación tecnológica sobre la base del conocimiento acumulado tradicionalmente y como respuesta a sus problemáticas específicas, evitando diluir lo esencial de la Arqueología: el estudio del tiempo y la materia que solidifican la historia humana.

Secondary architectural structures on the Giza Plateau-such as causeways, mortuary temples, vertical shafts, and hypogeal systems-are extensively documented in the archaeological literature, yet they are rarely examined within a dedicated analytical framework that prioritizes architectural constraints and functional coherence as evidenced through discontinuities over symbolic or textual interpretation. As a result, these structures are often treated as ancillary or residual elements, rather than as integral components of complex architectural systems. This paper proposes an archaeology-centered, non-invasive, and exclusion-based methodological framework for the analysis of secondary architectural structures in Old Kingdom contexts. The approach emphasizes direct macroscopic observation, spatial and structural analysis, and the systematic exclusion of functional models that are incompatible with the observed architectural evidence. Two contexts from the Giza Plateau are used to illustrate the applicability of the proposed framework: the Khafre Mortuary Temple, located on the eastern façade of the pyramid and upstream of the causeway system, and the hypogeal complex commonly referred to as the Osiris Shaft. Rather than advancing definitive functional interpretations, these contexts are employed to demonstrate how architectural constraints, discontinuities, and unresolved spatial relationships can be analytically framed without recourse to speculative reconstruction. By formalizing an exclusion-based analytical approach, this study aims to provide a transferable methodological tool for the study of non-monumental architectural systems in large-scale funerary complexes, contributing to a more rigorous and internally coherent reading of secondary architecture within the Giza Plateau.

The University of Siena has conducted archaeological research in the Byzantine District of the Pythion (GQB) in Gortyn since 2001. Starting in 2021, the project adopted a FOSS GIS, which serves as a repository for legacy data from the excavation CAD and Wiki. This paper aims at describing the methodological framework and practical needs that led to the ideation, set-up and on-field adoption of the GQB intra-site GIS. The archaeological process within the GQB follows a reflexive and multivocal approach. The paper describes how in recent campaigns it has been supported by the GIS, which has proven valuable for aiding interpretation, allowing researchers to query data quickly. Additionally, innovative research methodologies have been experimented with within the GIS, as it enables fast and precise enrichment of the dataset. One notable area of study concerns micro-economic activities based on the spatial distribution of finds. Furthermore, the spatiality of household archaeology in the district has been examined through contextual analysis of finds. Together with the Wiki, the GIS forms the knowledge management infrastructure of the GQB, fostering the development of ideas aimed at the archaeological interpretation of the site.

This article presents a revised and expanded examination of the Egyptian Short Cubit as a metrological problem rather than as a fixed unit of linear measurement. While the Royal Cubit has been extensively studied and is relatively well defined in architectural and administrative contexts, the Short Cubit remains conceptually ambiguous and inconsistently represented in the archaeological record.

By reviewing archaeological evidence, historiography, and the cultural context of Egyptian measurement practices, the study critically reassesses traditional anthropometric interpretations and highlights their methodological limitations. It argues that persistent variability and functional asymmetry between the Short Cubit and the Royal Cubit cannot be fully explained within a purely linear framework.

The paper proposes a methodological reframing in which the Short Cubit is interpreted as a functional measuring instrument whose original purpose may not have been strictly linear, and whose later use as a linear unit reflects historical adaptation within evolving metrological systems. Rather than offering a definitive reconstruction, the study aims to clarify unresolved assumptions and to provide a testable interpretative framework for future research on ancient Egyptian metrology.

El presente trabajo persigue alzarse como un modelo de referencia para la actuación sobre pintura mural romana que, sobre la base de la metodología que se ha ido estableciendo a lo largo de los años en la arqueología española, sirva de guía para el análisis de este material en ámbito peninsular partiendo del estudio de caso de la domus de la Rua de Burgos de Évora. Este es resultado de los trabajos llevados a cabo en el marco del proyecto Circulación de talleres y sistemas decorativos en la Lusitania portuguesa: estudio arqueológico-arqueométrico de la pintura romana de Évora y su entorno, financiado por el Ministerio de Cultura de España en el marco del programa de actuaciones arqueológicas en el extranjero. Este proyecto tiene como objetivo el incremento del conocimiento sobre la decoración pictórica, desde un punto de vista compositivo pero también artesanal, en la Lusitania, sirviendo de nexo entre los estudios desarrollados en España y Portugal y permitiendo comenzar a aunar por primera vez los resultados de una misma realidad arqueológica hispana desde un punto de vista integral. De este modo, a través de una edición bilingüe, se estandarizan en un mismo volumen los procedimientos técnicos desde la excavación hasta el estudio, la publicación y divulgación, contando así con un modelo unificado para el territorio peninsular que permita un correcto tratamiento para arqueólogos, investigadores, conservadores y restauradores.

This paper presents the technical, methodological, and preliminary archaeological results of the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) lidar experiments at the archaeological landscape of ancient Halos. The main elements of this landscape consist of various archaeological remains related to human burial, habitation, fortification, and related infrastructure, from the Neolithic onwards, with a current research focus on the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age up to the Classical/Hellenistic period. The dimensions, preservation, diversity, richness, and connectedness of archaeological features in the area render UAS remote sensing an important complement to more traditional fieldwork methods such as survey and excavation for studying the archaeological landscape. In this context, various Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)-based data collection campaigns have been organized, both using more traditional methods and sensors as well as doing experimental research with less established technologies, such as beyond-visible-light spectrometry. This paper focuses on the collection of lidar data from various parts of the area. We critically evaluate the relatively low-budget approach in terms of its efficiency, approaches to data acquisition, comparison with other methods, and data processing workflow. In addition, we share and discuss several preliminary observations and their impact on the archaeological-historical understanding of the area. The results show that the utilization of UAS lidar in the archaeological landscape of ancient Halos has demonstrated significant utility for both technical and methodological investigations, as well as for the generation of valuable archaeological insights. Nonetheless, it is apparent that considerable opportunities remain for further refinement of the data acquisition, processing, and analytical workflows, as well as the development of further comparative frameworks that incorporate various UAS lidar configurations, alongside lidar datasets obtained from alternative platforms, such as aircraft. In this context, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and sharing data—including the publication of findings and the archiving of both raw and metadata—are crucial for advancing the field.

Questo documento presenta una versione rivista e ampliata di un articolo precedentemente pubblicato su Academia.edu dal titolo "GP1 e Acqua Teorie senza fondamento".

Il lavoro propone una rivalutazione archeologico-architettonica delle ipotesi che attribuiscono alla Grande Piramide di Giza una funzione legata alla circolazione o all’impiego di acqua all’interno del monumento. Attraverso l’analisi dei principali sistemi di chiusura e isolamento interni — inclusi il Condotto Discendente, il Condotto Ascendente, la Tromba del Pozzo e i falsi pavimenti della Grande Galleria — lo studio evidenzia una serie di vincoli strutturali incompatibili con modelli funzionali di tipo idraulico.

L’approccio adottato è volutamente conservativo e osservazionale, fondato sul confronto tra evidenze architettoniche e fonti egittologiche classiche, senza proporre interpretazioni funzionali alternative. Il contributo si configura come un esercizio di esclusione metodologica volto a delimitare il campo delle interpretazioni compatibili con l’assetto architettonico interno della Grande Piramide.

El presente volumen refleja la fuerte inercia que existe actualmente entre los jóvenes arqueólogos y arqueólogas de la Región de Murcia hacia cuestiones centrales de la Prehistoria Reciente y Protohistoria, etapas en las que nuestra comunidad ha jugado un papel fundamental para definir y comprender dinámicas de alcance mayor que afectaron a otras áreas de la Península Ibérica y el Mar Mediterráneo. Esta obra continúa así un camino iniciado en 2015, apostando por la publicación de estos investigadores emergentes y cuyas propuestas son de interés para la arqueología del Sureste ibérico.

This dataset offers a comprehensive digital catalogue of 483 archaeological settlement sites in western Anatolia dating to the Middle and Late Bronze Age (c. 2000-1200 BCE). Compiled over a decade, it brings together evidence from excavation reports, systematic surveys, historical sources, and remote sensing. Each site is georeferenced and described through a standardized set of metadata, including chronological attribution, site function, material culture, bibliographic references, and associated ancient mineral resources. The dataset is published on Zenodo as a collection of openly accessible files, structured with consistent keys that ensure integration across records. To enhance semantic interoperability, settlement entries are linked to external reference datasets such as open knowledge bases, enabling opportunities for comparative, geospatial, and interdisciplinary research spanning archaeology, digital humanities, and historical geography. By combining standardized metadata with semantic linking, the resource facilitates reuse within broader digital infrastructures. It thereby provides a transparent, openly licensed foundation for analyzing regional settlement systems and encourages more comprehensive approaches to the study of Bronze Age Anatolia.

Il paesaggio gode oggi di una grande attenzione non solo sotto il profilo scientifico ma anche dal punto di vista politico e culturale, tanto da renderlo protagonista delle più recenti politiche territoriali. Con il presente lavoro si intende analizzare il contributo che la cartografia topografica può fornire per la redazione degli strumenti di pianificazione e gestione del territorio tenendo conto dell'esigenza di conservare, valorizzare e recuperare i paesaggi, proponendo alcune riflessioni, basate sulla redazione di piani a valenza paesaggistica, maturate in Sardegna.

El programa de la Especialidad en Museografía de la Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía, tiene como objetivo general promover que los estudiantes desarrollen proyectos para las instituciones con que se establecen acuerdos de cooperación. Por ello, la generación 2014-2015 de la Especialidad en Museografía desarrolló un proyecto para el Museo de Sitio de Castillo de Teayo.
El Museo de sitio Castillo de Teayo está esencialmente dirigido hacia el público local integrado por habitantes de la comunidad y de los municipios circundantes, —principalmente estudiantes de educación primaria y secundaria— y, en menor medida, a visitantes nacionales y extranjeros para quienes por la cercanía a la zona arqueológica de Tajín, podrían tener como alternativa cultural y turística la visita a Castillo de Teayo.

Este documento es testimonio del proyecto realizado por los estudiantes de la Especialidad en Museografía (generación 2014-2015), en el cual se aplicaron los conocimientos adquiridos. De este modo, se desglosa la información de un diagnóstico y análisis del museo actual: el inmueble, sus colecciones, público y sus recursos materiales y humanos, de manera que su diseño y operación se vincularon con las condiciones reales del museo, al tiempo que responde a los objetivos y propuestas del proyecto curatorial.

Tras las sucesivas alternativas surgidas a lo largo de los años con objeto de solucionar los problemas desencadenados en la ciudad con motivo de la revolución industrial, a principios del siglo XX Geddes y Mumford subrayaron la importancia de considerar el territorio circundante a la misma como recurso para la solución, y propusieron la planificación integrada de la ciudad y el territorio como método para acabar con los problemas. A partir de este momento se generó la necesidad de establecer modelos de ordenación territorial para el correcto desarrollo urbanístico de los municipios. Sin embargo, la definición de estos modelos no fue realmente novedosa para ningún territorio, pues casi todos fueron acuñados a partir de las experiencias territoriales previas desarrolladas en los mismos. Este artículo tiene como propósito profundizar en el conocimiento de los modelos territoriales acotados desarrollados previamente al diseño del modelo de ordenación territorial propuesto para la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía, España, con el objeto de demostrar que fueron los pilares fundamentales sobre los que se diseñó la propuesta de ordenación del territorio Andaluz.

In 2016, during systematic pedestrian surveys around Delgerkhaan Uul highlands in southeastern Mongolia's Gobi Desert, archaeologists with the Dornod Mongol Survey encountered, among > 9000 medieval ceramic sherds, two blue-green glazed sherds at two artifact surface scatters that reflect small seasonal camps of the local nomadic people. Based on appearance, these two sherds were provisionally identified as Early Islamic glazeware, dating to the Abbasid (ca. 750–1258 CE) dynasty, given that their associated sherds were typical of the medieval Kitan-Liao and Mongol Empires (ca. 10th–14th centuries CE). Their small sizes, however, precluded traditional diagnostic methods, so the geographic origins had to be tested by scientific means. Our approach focused on technological aspects of the glazes, not sourcing sensu stricto, using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). The composition of the glazes, specifically the presence of key fluxing agents, is consistent with Persian, including Abbasid, technologies. Our comparative analysis with hundreds of Persian and Chinese ceramics, spanning several centuries, emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of their glazes, supporting their origins in the Middle East. Given the associated medieval Kitan-Liao and Mongol sherds, we contend that the two blue-green glazed sherds also date to this period, consistent with the appearance of exotic materials and novel trade goods at other sites throughout the region. This result suggests that rare ceramic artifacts, like Persian glazeware, reached – at least occasionally – even the remote nomadic communities along the Gobi Desert's edges, attesting to a web of interactions and exchanges that spanned vast regions of Asia. Such an outcome also highlights the project's objectives of exploring the intertwined growth of political communities and long-distance trade within the region.

Borrowing from the title of Bill Gammage's 2011 epic, 'The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines made Australia', this presentation discusses how First Australians created and lived in a relatively stable political, religious and cultural environment for at least 51,000 years, which could be labelled as a 'golden age'. Stanner said of First Australians, "[they] do not fight over land. There are no wars or invasions to seize territory. They do not enslave each other. There is no master-servant relation. There is no class division. There is no property or income inequality. The result is a homeostasis, far-reaching and stable ..." Colonised Australia is a foreign hegemonic concept, one that introduced military conquest, genocide, capitalism, and Eurocentric notions of social arrogance and racial superiority. It replaced an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander polity estimated to contain 250 nations, each separated by custom, law, language, biodiversity and intimate knowledge and responsibility for specific tracts of country. This discussion will explore some of the factors that influenced and maintained homeostasis, including patterns of religious, moral and societal governance, and the view that each nation persisted within a unique transcendent space, producing an outcome which avoided regime overthrows, catastrophic war and the development of weapons of mass destruction. Instead, Indigenous Australians successfully conducted national trade networks, widespread relational affinities and alliances, and embraced emissaries, politicians and ambassadors, having had them in place, as the Yindjibarndi would say, since Ngurra Nyjunggamu (when the world was soft) ...

Prediction and detection of archaeological features have long been central topics in archaeological science. In recent years, artificial intelligence and machine learning have increasingly complemented (and in some cases replaced) traditional statistical approaches. This paper examines two distinct yet related subfields: automatic archaeological structure detection and archaeological predictive modelling. We reviewed 84 articles addressing these two topics using a rapid systematic protocol, published from 2005 to 2024, and highlighted a sharp rise in publications after 2021, particularly for structure detection studies. Our results reveal the growing predominance of deep learning methods in this area. At the same time, we explore the similarities between the two approaches, notably their reliance on similar theoretical backgrounds and remote sensing imagery as input data. We also identify key differences: predictive models often involve more complex theoretical frameworks and a broader variety of data types, while structure detection is dominated by convolutional neural network models. Finally, we outline potential future directions for both fields based on the trends observed in the reviewed literature.

In the area surrounding the former Nazi Reich capital Berlin, in the modern-day state of Brandenburg, its 20th century history of war and displacement is represented by two concentration camps (Sachsenhausen and Ravensbrück), three large prisoner of war camps, several hundred satellite camps and even more “civilian” forced labour camps. Additionally, the Soviet Red Army had camps in the woods for their soldiers and repatriates. Today, the sites of these former camps are under the protection of state monument preservation. Finds at these often-forgotten sites present the legacies of both victims and perpetrators, and are increasingly essential to the remembrance of a dying generation of contemporary witnesses. This book presents a thorough contemporary archaeological investigation of these sites, including a comprehensive catalogue of sites in Brandenburg, discussion of the history of these camps, their locations and layout, objects from camps, life at the camps, and their commemoration.

El presente documento pretende presentar de forma práctica, los trabajos de análisis, manufactura y decoración desde un enfoque simbólico y de producción sobre el como entender el estatus de las máscaras funerarias Sicán del Templo Mausoleo Huaca Las Ventanas. Dichos resultados brindaran un mejor entendimiento de la importancia de las máscaras funerarias como un indicador de estatus mediante elementos de manufactura y decoración que son elementos pocos estudiados y que merecen un análisis adecuado.

Početkom marta 2003. godine, bager za uklanjanje jalovine na površinskom kopu uglja "Drmno" na lokalitetu Stig, presekao je antičke zidove. 1 Arheološka ekipa koja je izvršila primarno rekognosciranje terena, utvrdila je da se radi o gravitacionom kanalu rimskog akvedukta. Obustavljen je rad mehanizacije i preduzeti su hitni zaštitni radovi u zoni gde su locirani ostaci. 2 Pošto je prostor koji je ugrožen radom kopa tokom 2003. godine površine preko 20 hektara, preduzeta su obimna i sistematska geofi zička snimanja terena da bi se otkrili arheološki objekti. Na taj način

Andrášik, R. – Martínek, J. – Bíl, M. 2018: Identification of Relicts of Sunken Roads Using a Local Anomalies Algorithm. In: Martínek, J. (ed.), Research of Historical Roads in an Interdisciplinary Context 2018, Vlastivědný věstník moravský, Supplementum 3, Brno, pp. 93–98.

Forager societies in southwest Texas and northern Mexico painted polychromatic Pecos River style murals in limestone rock shelters containing well-preserved archaeological assemblages. To establish the temporal context of the murals, we obtained 57 direct radiocarbon dates and 25 indirect oxalate dates for pictographs across 12 sites using plasma oxidation and accelerator mass spectrometry. Bayesian modeling estimates that Pecos River style began between 5760 and 5385 calibrated years before the present (cal B.P.) and probably ended in 1370 to 1035 cal B.P. Painting spanned a duration of 4095 to 4780 years (68.3%). Stratigraphic and iconographic analyses revealed that eight of the murals were created as compositions adhering to a set of rules and an established iconographic vocabulary. Results suggest consistent messaging throughout a period marked by changes in material culture, land use, and climate. We propose that Pecos River style paintings, embedded in a cultural keystone landscape, faithfully transmitted a sophisticated metaphysics that later informed the beliefs and symbolic expression of Mesoamerican agriculturalists.

As part of the Hearthstone Project, Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center has obtained three new radiocarbon dates for pictographs at Eagle Cave in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands of southwest Texas. A key component is multidisciplinary research involving formal art analyses, examining mural stratigraphy with a digital field microscope, and building a Harris matrix to identify the extent of the composition. Radiocarbon dating of organic binders/vehicles in the paint was accomplished using plasma oxidation followed by accelerator mass spectrometry isotope measurement. Results for the paintings at Eagle Cave are statistically indistinguishable, with a weighted average of 3286±40 RCYBP calibrated to 1670-1445 cal BC (3620-3395 cal BP) at 95.4% probability. Radiocarbon dates and the stratigraphic analysis confirm that the mural is a single composition. E agle Cave is one of the most important archaeological sites in Texas, and perhaps in North America. This massive rockshelter is 65 meters wide and 23 meters deep, with an impressive 950 m 2 of floor space and a ceiling extending >18 meters overhead (Figure 1). Contained within its 5 meters of cultural deposits is an unrivaled and a virtually unbroken archaeological record of hunter-gatherer lifeways in the Lower Pecos canyons of southwest Texas and northern Mexico (Koenig et al. 2024). The rockshelter is in Eagle Nest Canyon, a deep box canyon near the small ranching community of Langtry, Texas. Eagle Cave is 400 meters downstream from the famous Bonfire Shelter, the southernmost bison jump in North America.

As part of the final stage of the research project “Technological Features and Cultural Practices in Prehistoric Pottery Traditions in Croatia” (UIP-2020-02-3637), the first integrated archaeological–geological database in the Republic of Croatia has been developed. The database encompasses a physical and digital collection of archaeological and geological samples — including ceramics, raw materials, clays, rocks, and experimental reference materials — and serves as a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on the technology and provenance of archaeological artefacts.
To ensure the structured and sustainable development of this research infrastructure, the Laboratory for the Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics and Raw Materials (LaKeS) was established at the Institute of Archaeology. The laboratory focuses on integrating macroscopic and microscopic analyses, developing new methodological approaches, and fostering collaborations with national and international institutions.
This presentation will outline the conceptual framework, structure, and methodology of data collection and classification within the Study Collection and its associated database. Particular attention will be given to the ways in which the database supports analytical and interpretive research on pottery technology and chaînes opératoires, as well as its potential to facilitate open-access scientific data sharing.
Finally, the role of LaKeS will be discussed in relation to data quality assurance and the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration among archaeologists, geologists, and natural scientists — positioning this initiative as a significant step toward strengthening archaeometric and archaeological science in Croatia.

The Brijuni archipelago located in southwestern Istria is known for its rich history, having been inhabited since at least the Middle Neolithic. Better known are the Roman villae rusticae and maritimae scattered across the island as well as churches from Late Antiquity and Austro-Hungarian fortresses. Due to its long history of habitation, Veli Brijun island had a great need for stone material which was extracted heavily on the island itself. The surface deposits are characterised by Lower Cretaceous limestone of Barremian, Aptian and Albian age, with Quaternary sediments of bone breccias, red-brown soil on carbonate, lake sediments, sea beach and anthropogenic deposits. Quarries on Veli Brijun have been mentioned in bibliography before, however none of them have been satisfactorily documented and sampled. We will present the current state of research into quarrying on Veli Brijun island as well as describe the lithotypes extracted. Samples taken from the island were classified according to Dunham (with additions of Embry and Klovan) and Folk, with microfacies analysis done according to Flügel.

Este estudio aborda la incorporación de metodologías activas y herramientas digitales, en particular el uso de hojas de cálculo, en la enseñanza de la Arqueología. La multidisciplinariedad resulta fundamental en el ámbito de las Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades. El manejo y el análisis de datos constituye una competencia clave para abordar problemas de investigación. No obstante, se observa un déficit generalizado en estas habilidades entre el alumnado de titulaciones humanísticas, lo que suele generar reticencias frente a metodologías no tradicionales. En el marco del proyecto MULTI-METARQ de la Universitat de València, se ha desarrollado una actividad docente con el objetivo de familiarizar al alumnado con herramientas multidisciplinares aplicadas al análisis de datos, fomentando su interés en el uso de hojas de cálculo, y mejorar la competencia técnica, así como evaluar el impacto de la gamificación en el aprendizaje y en el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico y competencias transversales. Los resultados evidencian un conocimiento inicial limitado en el uso de estas herramientas, que mejora notablemente mediante dinámicas de juego, especialmente cuando se acompañan de una base teórica adecuada. También se constata una actitud positiva hacia el trabajo en grupo y una valoración positiva de la experiencia, aunque persiste la percepción entre el alumnado de estas herramientas como complementarias en su formación.

[This study explores the integration of active methodologies and digital tools, particularly the use of spreadsheets, in the teaching of Archaeology. Multidisciplinarity is a key component in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities, just as data management and analysis are essential skills for addressing research problems. However, a widespread lack of these skills is observed among students in humanities-related degrees, often resulting in resistance to non-traditional methodologies. Within the framework of the University of Valencia MULTIMETARQ project, a teaching activity has been developed aiming to familiarize students with multidisciplinary data analysis tools, enhancing their interest in using spreadsheets, and improve their technical competence. It also seeks to evaluate the impact of gamification on learning, critical thinking, and the development of transversal skills. The results show an initially limited knowledge of these tools, which improves significantly through the implemented teaching activity, especially when supported by an adequate theoretical foundation. A positive attitude toward group work and a favorable assessment of the experience were also observed, although students still tend to view these tools as complementary rather than essential in their academic training.]

In this article the social and technological dynamics detected in the transition from hand-made pottery to wheel-thrown ware in a modern context is considered. The many different sources supplemented by fieldwork provide a long-term perspective and a depiction of its present consequences. It is specifically explained, how an indigenous, hand-made, domestic and female pottery-production system has turned into an essentially male, wheel-thrown and workshop activity. After a series of significant events, the Indian village of Pomaire gained a reputation as a potter’s village. The several changes underwent by its population as regards to pottery production makes it an interesting example to analyse the origin and development of a process of technological change which ended up with the displacement of women from pottery-making and the introduction of the means for mechanised production during the 1980s. Thus, the social and technical transformations which have taken place since colonial ...

This study presents a multi-analytical investigation of ceramic materials from the multi-period site of Biranj (Eastern Adriatic coast, Croatia), alongside clayey samples collected in the surrounding area. The research aims to characterise ceramic pastes, identify potential raw material sources, and assess diachronic changes in pottery production, with particular focus on paste recipes. Petrographic analysis (OM) and portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) were applied to both ceramic and clayey samples to compare pottery compositions with local raw materials, whereas X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and laser granulometry (LG) were conducted exclusively on the clayey samples to provide a detailed characterisation of the collected deposits. Results indicate that pottery manufacture was primarily based on locally available, non-calcareous clays, despite the region's geological scarcity of clay resources. Raw material selection and tempering practices varied across historical periods, reflecting changes in technological traditions and possibly shifting cultural or economic influences. From the Neolithic to Late Antiquity, potters adapted to environmental constraints by consistently exploiting the most accessible materials. The repeated use of crushed calcite and grog as tempers indicates awareness of their functional properties, particularly in improving vessel performance. A clear deviation from local production is observed in some Late Antique wares, whose mineralogical signatures suggest non-local origins and possible integration into broader Mediterranean trade networks. In contrast, everyday domestic pottery continued to be produced using local materials. Overall, the findings highlight the interplay between geological setting, resource availability, and technological decision-making. The ceramic assemblage from Biranj illustrates how potters operating in a resource-limited karstic landscape developed long-term, pragmatic strategies for material procurement and ceramic production.

Циљ овог рада био је свеобухватан преглед развоја кранијалне морфологије у праисторијској Европи, који обухвата период од горњег палеолита до генетских промена повезаних са индоевропским миграцијама из источноевропских степа (~2000. године пре нове ере). Укупно 103 праисторијска узорка са >3900 мушких лобања подељена су у шест периода и статистички упоређена коришћењем 22 кранијалне вредности (11 сирових краниометријских мерења и 11 индекса). Ова анализа показује да су периоди горњег палеолита и мезолита карактерисани превлашћу робусне, широколике морфологије која се мењала само споро током времена. Чак и након почетка неолита (6000. године пре нове ере) морфолошка разноликост се повећавала у облику грацилнијих, усколиких кранија анадолских пољопривредника. Оштар контраст између ова два морфотипа опстао је током целог неолита и енеолита (6000-3000. године пре нове ере), када су аутохтоне европске популације постепено потискиване у периферне регионе Северне и Источне Европе. Најзначајније промене у европском облику лобање догодиле су се између 3000-2000.године пре нове ере, када су источноевропски степски сточари који потичу из Јамнаја културе генетски надвладали пољопривредне групе у остатку континента. Као резултат накнадног мешања и снажних оснивачких догађаја, појавиле су се две веома различите, морфолошки антагонистичке популације: ултрадолихокефална повезана са културом линеарне керамике и брахикефална повезана са културом звонастих пехара. Генерално, древне европске морфологије које претходе 2000.године пре нове ере само се делимично преклапају са новијим популацијама Европе и разноврсније су, што указује на недостатак континуитета.

Der Aufsatz setzt sich mit Verbreitungskarten zu spätrepublikanischen Bronzegefässen auseinander. An den Beispielen der beiden Fundorte Monte Iato (Westsizilien) und Morgantina (Zentralsizilien) wird gezeigt, dass Verbreitungskarten von Material, das für die Chronologie der späten Eisenzeit und frühen römischen Kaiserzeit nordwärts der Alpen grosse Bedeutung besitzt, den Süden Italiens und weite Bereiche des mediterranen Raumes weitgehend ausblenden. Ursache für die verzerrten Verbreitungsbilder sind im Falle der spätrepublikanischen Bronzegefässe offenbar unterschiedliche nationale und fachspezifische Forschungstraditionen, auf deren Geschichte am Beginn eingegangen wird.