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Neolithic Site (neolithic + site)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Earth and Environmental Science62%
Humanities and Social Sciences37%

Selected Abstracts

Characterizing anthropic sediments in north European Neolithic settlements: An assessment from Skara Brae, Orkney

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006
Ian A. Simpson
The creation of anthropic sediments, traditionally referred to under the blanket term midden, through the utilization of settlement waste materials in domestic settlement construction was first recognized during early excavations at the Orcadian Neolithic site of Skara Brae (V.G. Childe, 1931a; 1931b). Prior to the present study there has been no systematic attempt to identify the nature of these sediments at Skara Brae, whose likely occupation dates between ,3100 and 2500 B.C., or to assess whether different materials were incorporated into construction or varied with different phases of site formation. The opportunity to begin addressing these issues arose with the location of undisturbed sediment samples held in storage since the last site excavations of 1972,1973 (D.V. Clarke, 1976). Ten thin sections were manufactured from these samples, representing earlier and later phases of Neolithic settlement at Skara Brae. Observations using thin-section micromorphology, supported by total phosphorus and particle-size distribution analyses, suggest that both earlier and later settlement phases show accumulation of household waste dominated by fuel residues. These wastes may have been used to help stabilize wind-blown sand deposits during the later settlement phases. In addition, the use of clay material tempered with household waste is associated with wall construction. Animal manures are only evident in anthropic deposits on the edge of the main settlement site where composting may have been taking place, and there is no evidence for their use in site construction. The authors conclude by drawing attention to possible diverse uses of anthropic sediments in settlement construction at other Neolithic settlements in Orkney. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Micromorphology and plant macrofossil analysis of cattle dung from the Neolithic lake shore settlement of Arbon Bleiche 3

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 6 2001
Örni Akeret
At the excavation of the Neolithic site of Arbon Bleiche 3, Switzerland (3384,3370 B.C., dated using dendrochronology), objects were found that strongly resembled cow pats. Both micromorphological characteristics and plant macrofossil content confirmed this. Although a detailed micromorphological description was possible, macrofossil analysis turned out to be more difficult than expected because of contamination along fissures. The contents of two of the four coprolites analyzed had conspicuously high amounts of leaves and wood of silver fir (Abies alba). This animal feed may have come in large quantities as a byproduct of house construction. In addition, mistletoe (Viscum album), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus s.l.), and ferns could be identified as animal fodder. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source]

SHA,AR HAGOLAN AND NEW INSIGHTS ON NEAR EASTERN PROTO-HISTORIC URBAN CONCEPTS

OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
DAVID BEN-SHLOMO
Summary. The new results from the Pottery Neolithic site of Sha,ar Hagolan in Israel, dated to 6400,6000 BC (calibrated), reveal advanced notions of settlement planning, including the introduction of courtyard houses, a street system and infrastructure such as the construction of a water well. It is suggested, on the basis of the Near Eastern archaeological evidence from the eighth to sixth millennia BC, that early signs of urban concepts may be found at this stage. These signs show the development of ,functionally hierarchical' concepts reflected in domestic architecture and settlement planning. At least from the cognitive point of view, these concepts may be on the direct trajectory towards the full-blown urban centres of the fourth and third millennia BC in the Near East. [source]

A geochemical study of bituminous mixtures from Failaka and Umm an-Namel (Kuwait), from the Early Dilmun to the Early Islamic period

ARABIAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND EPIGRAPHY, Issue 2 2007
Jacques Connan
This paper is the last in a series presenting geochemical analyses of fragments of bituminous mixtures excavated from archaeological sites in Kuwait. The first was devoted to bituminous boat remains from the Ubaid-related Neolithic site of H3, As-Sabiyah, while the second dealt with bituminous amalgams from the Partho-Sasanian site of cAkkaz, a former island now joined to the south side of Kuwait Bay. This, the third, refers to bitumen-bearing samples from two other islands, Failaka and Umm an-Namel, and covers a time span including the Early Dilmun period, the Kassite period and the Hellenistic to Early Islamic periods. The composition of the bituminous amalgams was studied in detail. The proportions of soluble and insoluble organic matter as well as vegetal organic matter were evaluated. Mineralogical composition by X-Ray diffraction and thin-section analysis was used to estimate the mineral input in the bituminous mixtures. It can be confirmed that the recipes used in the preparation of these bituminous amalgams comply with those traditionally used in antiquity, as seen at many sites in Mesopotamia and the Gulf. Analysis of the soluble organic matter, and especially its ,,saturates'' fraction, provided sterane and terpane distributions and the measurement of diagnostic molecular ratios. These data, complemented by the isotopic composition of asphaltenes, allowed the identification of the sources of the bitumen, by calibration with numerous references from Iran and northern Iraq (oil seeps, bitumen from archaeological sites). It was established that the bitumen from Failaka and Umm an-Namel was mainly imported from central Iraq (Hit-Abu Jir) and northern Iraq (around Mosul). One sample of oil-stained sand, dating to the Early Dilmun period, originated from Burgan and thus documents small-scale imports from inland Kuwait. These results, and those of previous analyses, agree with the geopolitical context of the Early Dilmun, Kassite and Hellenistic periods, and the maritime trade routes that linked Mesopotamia to the settlements of the Gulf and beyond. The paper concludes with an overview of recent bitumen provenance analyses, and discerns chronological patterns in the distribution of Iraqi and Iranian bitumen in the Gulf and Indian Ocean, from the Neolithic to the Islamic periods. [source]

Geomorphology, site distribution, and Paleolithic settlement dynamics of the Ma'aloula region, Damascus Province, Syria

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 6 2007
Andrey E. Dodonov
This survey of the geology, geomorphology, and Paleolithic archaeology of a 300 km2 area in Damascus Province, Syria, focused around the villages of Ma'aloula and Jaba'deen. The study resulted in the definition of seven geomorphological zones that trend northeast,southwest, parallel to the prevailing geological features of the region. The zones span a broad range of elevations, from a dry lake bed in the Jeiroud Basin (ca. 800 m) to the peaks of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains (ca. 2350 m). The research focused on assessing the geological and paleoenvironmental history of the region as a backdrop for 500,000 years of Paleolithic settlement. Among the 618 archaeological sites documented thus far, all major archaeological periods from the Lower Paleolithic through the Epipaleolithic are represented. Most abundant are occurrences of the Levalloisian Middle Paleolithic, with 255 new sites documented. Nine Neolithic sites were also included in the survey. The distribution of sites varies during the Paleolithic and reflects the availability of resources, especially of flint and water, as well as the spatial patterns of erosion and deposition on the ancient land surfaces. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Preliminary Provenance Research on Chinese Neolithic Pottery: Huating (Xinyi County) and Three Yellow River Valley Sites

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2001
Anwu Xu
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was applied to sherds from the important site of Huating and, for comparison, several Neolithic sites in the valley of the Yellow River. We hoped to compare the compositions of two stylistically different ceramics found at Huating, and to evaluate the degree of compositional clustering and inter-site resolution that could be expected in an area that is noted for its extensive, and possibly very homogeneous, loess deposits. In addition, pottery sherds from Huating have been examined by microscopic petrography. All of these results will provide needed input in the planning of research towards the formation of a Neolithic/Shang Dynasty ceramic database for future use in archaeological research in China. [source]

Electrical and magnetic response of archaeological features at the early neolithic site of Movila lui Deciov, western Romania

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 4 2004
J. M. Maillol
Abstract An archaeological geophysics survey was conducted on the early neolithic site of Movila lui Deciov, in the Province of Banat, Romania. Magnetometry and electromagnetic terrain conductivity were used for the main prospection effort, and a test of electrical resistivity imaging was conducted on a selected profile. In addition, magnetic susceptibility measurements were obtained from excavation pit samples. The magnetic survey was successful in determining the extent of the site, in delimiting zones rich in structures and artefacts, and in confirming the presence of a ditched enclosure that could be the earliest known in the region. The electromagnetic survey was limited by a lack of resolution of electrical property contrast. Detailed joint modelling of the magnetic and electrical response of the subsurface was used to confirm that electrical resistivity imaging can provide depth information to complement magnetic mapping. One of very few reported in Romania, this survey paves the way for an increased use of geophysical techniques in the cultural heritage management of this country. From a methodological viewpoint, this work further demonstrates the potential of electrical resistivity imaging in archaeology Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]