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Its focus on dependencies and patterns in relational data makes network science a promising addition to the analytic toolbox in archaeology. Despite its tradition in a number of other fields, however, the methodology of network science is only in development and its scope and proper usage are subject to debate. We argue that the historical linkage with graph theory and limitations in commonly available software form an obstacle to leveraging the full potential of network methods. This is illustrated via replication of a study of Maya obsidian (Golitko et al. Antiquity, 2012), in which it seemed necessary to discard detailed information in order to represent data in networks suitable for further processing. We propose means to avoid such information loss by using methods capable of handling valued rather than binarized data. The resulting representations corroborate previous conclusions but are more reliable and thus justify a more detailed interpretation of shifting supply routes as an underlying process contributing to the collapse of Maya urban centers. Some general conclusions for the use of network science in archaeology are offered. published

Une série de photos récemment redécouvertes, illustrant les sépultures de treize individus ensevelis dans les amas coquilliers mésolithiques de Poças de S. Bento et d'Arapouco fouillés en 1960 et en 1962 dans la vallée du Sado au Portugal, démontre le potentiel d'une réévaluation d'anciennes archives avec de nouvelles méthodes. L'examen des clichés, dans une perspective archéothanatologique et étayés par des recherches expérimentales en taphonomie, a révélé certains détails concernant le traitement des cadavres et offert de nouvelles perspectives sur des lieux de sépulture. Certains cadavres auraient été momifiés, un phénomène que les auteurs associent à la mise en valeur et au transport des défunts et qui souligne l'importance du corps et du lieu de sépulture pendant le Mésolithique dans le sud du Portugal. Translation by Madeleine Hummler Letztlich wiederentdeckte Fotos von dreizehn Individuen, welche in den mesolithischen Muschelhäufen von Poças de S. Bento and Arapouco im portugiesischen Sadotal in den Jahren 1960 und 1962 ausgegraben wurden, zeigen das Potenzial einer Neubewertung von Archivalien mit neuen Methoden. Die Auswertung der Bilder, aus einer archäothanatologischen Perspektive gesehen und von experimentellen taphonomischen Untersuchungen unterstützt, hat Aspekte der Behandlung der Leichen bestätigt und neue Einblicke in die Benutzung von Begräbnisstätten geliefert. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf eine mögliche Mumifizierung der Leichen, was vielleicht mit deren Erhaltung und Transport verbunden ist und die Bedeutung des physischen Körpers der Toten sowie der Bestattungsstätten im südportugiesischen Mesolithikum betont. Translation by Madeleine Hummler Recently rediscovered photographs of the remains of thirteen individuals buried in the Sado Valley Mesolithic shell middens of Poças de S. Bento and Arapouco, excavated in 1960 and 1962, show the potential of revisiting excavation archives with new methods. The analysis, which applies the principles of archaeothanatology and is enriched by experimental taphonomic research, confirmed details concerning the treatment of the dead body and provided new insights into the use of burial spaces. Some bodies may have been mummified prior to burial, a phenomenon possibly linked to their curation and transport, highlighting the significance of both the body and the burial place in Mesolithic south-western Portugal.

Supplemental material, Suppl._Info._Table_S1 for Columbus’ environmental impact in the New World: Land use change in the Yaque River valley, Dominican Republic by Henry Hooghiemstra, Thomas Olijhoek, Menno Hoogland, Maarten Prins, Bas van Geel, Timme Donders, William Gosling and Corinne Hofman in The Holocene

Abstract There have been a number of similarity measures developed in a variety of research domains. Generally, these measures are developed for a specific context and later reused in other contexts and applications, depending on their ease of use and perceived applicability. While there might be statistical reasons to use a particular similarity index, the results of other measures should be taken into account as well, as various similarity measures do not necessarily have similar contextual meaning. Two entities can be similar with respect to a certain similarity criterion but may be distinct in terms of another. Thus, an understanding of the mathematical logic behind a method is crucial to the interpretation of the resulting network of similarities. We review a number of methods from the literature, for constructing similarity networks among disparate entities, regarding their applicability on data from archaeological sites. Formally, given an N X p matrix of N entities with p distinct classes of attributes, how are the entities comparable to each other with respect to the kinds of attributes they share? We distinguish three qualitatively different families of similarity measures for deducing relationships among entities that may meaningfully map onto various distinct social phenomena, such as migration, material acquisition, and movement of goods and skills, among others. Entities can be compared based on: (a) non{uniform weighting of attributes, (b) asymmetric dominance relationships, and (c) rank correlations. We ground the significance and distinction of these classes of measures by giving comparative and contextual examples of selected methods on a case study of archaeological collections pertaining to 1200–1500 CE from the US Southwest region. We attempt to elucidate the differences in outcomes and their meanings when choosing various similarity methods for comparing disparate entities.

People from different areas of the insular Caribbean and the coastal zone of mainland South America moved in and out of the Lesser Antilles throughout the archipelago's history before the European invasion. Successive migrations, the development of networks of human mobility, and the exchange of goods and ideas, as well as constantly shifting inter-insular alliances, created diverse ethnic and cultural communities in these small islands. We argue that these processes of alliance-building and ethnicity can be best understood through the concept of creolization. We examine this idea first in terms of the cultural interactions reflected in the pottery traditions that emerged among the Windward Islands before colonization, and second by analyzing the historiographical and emerging archaeological information available on the formation of the Indigenous Kalinago/Kalipuna and Garifuna identities from the late fifteenth to the early seventeenth centuries. Finally, we discuss the colonial and contemporary Afro-Caribbean pottery traditions on these islands, in particular Grenada and Saint Lucia. The embedding of this study in a deep historical framework serves to underscore the divergent origins and developmental trajectories of the region. including the disruption of the Indigenous cultures and the impact of European colonization, the African diaspora, and the emergence of today's cosmopolitan Caribbean cultural tradition.

ispartof: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY vol:25 issue:2 pages:423-447 status: published