			Home About us Contact

Archaeological Background (archaeological + background)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

THE CROW DOWN HOARD, LAMBOURN, WEST BERKSHIRE

OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
GILLIAN VARNDELL
Summary. The discovery of a hoard of five middle Bronze Age gold objects during a metal-detecting rally on the Lambourn Downs in 2004 precipitated an archaeological investigation into their character, provenance and context. This article describes the objects themselves, their composition, how they were made and their archaeological background. It also reports the result of forensic archaeological work undertaken on them. The parallels for the objects and the social context of their deposition are discussed. [source]

Complementary integrated geophysical investigation around Al-Zayyan temple, Kharga oasis, Al-Wadi Al-Jadeed (New Valley), Egypt

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 3 2005
M. A. Atya
Abstract Qasr Al-Zayyan or Al-Zayyan temple in Al-Kharga oasis is documented as a node in the fortress chain that was built by the Romans to secure Darb Al-Arbain; the slaver's trade caravan route between Asyuit and Sudan. The historical and archaeological background of the temple is very scarce; it has been ascribed to Amenebis and was restored during the reign of Emperor Antoninus AD 138,161. In March 2001, an integrated ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetic survey to the west of the temple showed the possibility of an existing structural complex intersecting the present temple at about 45°. It was interpreted as a multigate structure or a tomb complex. In March 2002, the relative topographic elevations were measured and the surface archaeological features were marked on a map. Also a complementary integrated geophysical survey including electromagnetic, geomagnetic and GPR was conducted along northern and western extensions of, and partially covering, the formerly prospected structure in the survey of 2001. It was designed to verify the structure, to define its extent on both the northern and western sides, and to decide about a possible excavation. The results verified the formerly prospected structure of 2001; some of its particular features have been detected. The structure therefore has been mapped over the surveyed area at the northern and western parts of the 2001 structure and it might extend wider than the surveyed area. The former proposition of a multigate structure becomes stronger because of its general appearance, and the idea of a tomb complex still exists owing to the presence of some depressions thought to be graves. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

CHEMICAL COMPARISON OF RARE CHINESE WHITE POTTERY FROM FOUR SITES OF THE ERLITOU STATE: RESULTS AND ARCHAEOMETRICAL IMPLICATIONS

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 5 2010
BAO-PING LI
White pottery is among the most significant finds from China's earliest state, Erlitou (c. 1900,1500 bc). Samples were primarily discovered in small numbers from elite tombs of a few sites, leading to the hypothesis that they were made at only a few locations and then circulated regionally as prestige items. To facilitate determining provenances, we compare the ICP,MS trace elements and TIMS Sr isotopes of whiteware with two soil samples from Nanwa, a possible manufacturing site, and with shards found at three other sites: Erlitou, Huizui and Nanzhai. The Nanwa shards demonstrate special elemental and Sr isotopic features. Considering the chemical observation and archaeological background together, we propose that Nanwa was a centre for whiteware production, although the two soil samples we collected there were probably not the exact materials used. Some whiteware pieces from Erlitou, Huizui and Nanzhai fall in the chemical field defined by Nanwa samples, indicating that they were possibly made at Nanwa. Many other samples from these three sites plot outside the Nanwa field, implying they were probably not Nanwa products. This study demonstrates that while chemical sourcing is very useful, firm archaeological context must remain the cornerstone of such research. [source]

COOKING WARES IN ANCIENT SYRIA (FIRST TO 10TH CENTURIES ad): RECONSTRUCTING THE PRODUCTION CONTEXTS FROM THE CONSUMPTION SITES

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2010
A. VOKAER
This paper deals with Brittle Ware, a cooking ware product that appears to have been highly standardized and widely distributed in Syria during the Roman and the Byzantine periods. The study intends to determine the distribution of Brittle Ware through time and space, by combining typology and a thorough examination of the fabrics in the field, using binocular microscopy (n = 2807 diagnostic fragments). Based on the fabric groupings, petrological and chemical analyses were then undertaken. Resting on an archaeological background and several analytical methods, this paper aims at going beyond a limited provenance study, by characterizing the Brittle Ware production system and thus providing some insights into the economy of ancient Syria. [source]