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Skeletal remains of two equid species, Equus caballus (horse) and Equus asinus (donkey), have been found in archaeological contexts throughout Iberia since the Palaeolithic and Chalcolithic periods, respectively. These two species play different economic and cultural roles, and therefore it is important to be able to distinguish between the two species to better understand their relative importance in the past human societies. The most reliable morphological features for distinguishing between the two domesticated equids are based on cranial measure-ments and tooth enamel folds, leading to only a small percentage of archaeological remains that can be identified to species. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be used to reliably distinguish the two equids, but it can be cost prohibitive to apply to large assemblages, and aDNA preservation of non-cranial elements is often low. Collagen peptide mass fingerprinting by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, also known as zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), is a minimally destructive and cost-effective alternative to aDNA analysis for taxonomic determination. However, current ZooMS markers lack resolution below the genus level Equus. In this paper, we report a novel ZooMS peptide marker that reliably distinguishes between horses and donkeys using the enzyme chymotrypsin. We apply this peptide marker to taxonomically identify bones from the Iberian Peninsula ranging from the Iron Age to the Late Modern Period. The peptide biomarker has the potential to facilitate the collection of morphological data for zooarchaeological studies of equids in Iberia and throughout Eurasia and Africa. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The funerary Bronze Age culture in the Belgian part of the Meuse valley is poorly understood due to the challenging nature of cremation deposits that dominate the archaeological record. Only a few sites were analysed in that region, limiting the possibilities to reconstruct the development of Bronze Age populations in Belgium. Due to its good preservation and detailed excavation reports, the site of Herstal (Belgium) offers a unique opportunity to finally gain new insights into the life and death of those buried in the Meuse Valley during the Late Bronze Age. A total of 21 graves were analysed using a multi-proxy approach, combining grave typology, osteoarchaeology, strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr), and radiocarbon dating. The 87Sr/86Sr results show that the individuals of Herstal most likely used a variety of local food supplies while having interactions with other populations in and beyond the Meuse Valley, as demonstrated by the bronze artefacts and ceramics displaying clear influences from Germany, Southern Netherlands, and North-West France. The cemetery most likely shows a local burial style with the presence of two (or even three) individuals in several cremation deposits containing a number of privileged individuals who had access to bronze trading networks. info:eu-repo/semantics/published SCOPUS: ar.j

Abstract The addition of temper in the pottery manufacturing process is attested since Prehistoric Times and is still a production choice adopted in the ceramic industry. When the temper is composed of minerals and rocks which outcrop in regions distant from each other, new questions about the production technology arise. Such situations can be explained by considering the recycling of imported rocks, including those used for architectonic elements or sculptures, mainly coming from contemporary or earlier buildings, a practice that was widely diffused during the Roman and successive periods. This study presents evidence of the deliberate addition of recycled white marbles and sparry calcite (probably from calcareous sinters/calcite alabasters) within the long-lived production (between the 4th and 14th century CE) of coarse and cooking ware in north-eastern Italy. The petrographic analysis of about 200 potsherds attested the use of marble as unusual kind of temper, in addition to fragments of sparry calcite, in about half of the repertoire. The occurrence of different types of marbles, associated with rocks and minerals typical of the alluvial deposits of the eastern Po plain as well as locally available rocks (Euganean Hills trachyte), clearly pointed to the intentional addition of recycled marble fragments from ancient spolia, excluding the hypothesis that the pottery was imported from other regions. Detailed petrographic and microstructural analysis, including maximum grain size (MGS), accessory minerals (when observed) and grain boundary shapes allowed us to limit the provenance of these marbles to the most important Mediterranean classical source regions. These conclusions have been confirmed by the oxygen and carbon stable isotope data derived from marbles and calcite fragments mechanically separated from the ceramic paste. Some fragments of sparry calcite were characterised by very negative δ13C values, significantly different from known marble varieties, and typical of calcite crystallised in superficial geological environments, consistent with calcareous sinters, such as calcite alabasters. Moreover, a series of firing experiments were carried out in the temperature interval between 450 °C and 800 °C, both reproducing oxidising and reducing conditions, on clay pastes tempered with Carrara marble, and fired, to evaluate whether these anomalous δ13C values observed in the ancient ceramic inclusions could also be related to the firing process.

Faunal remains from archaeological sites allow for the identification of animal species that enables the better understanding of the relationships between humans and animals, not only from their morphological information, but also from the ancient biomolecules (lipids, proteins, and DNA) preserved in these remains for thousands and even millions of years. However, due to the costs and efforts required for ancient biomolecular analysis, there has been considerable research into development of accurate and efficient screening approaches for archaeological remains. FTIR spectroscopy is one such approach that has been considered for screening of proteins, but its widespread use has been hindered by the fact that its predictive accuracy can vary widely depending on the extent of sample preservation and the instrument used. Further, screening methods for ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis are scarce. Here we present a new approach to vastly improve upon FTIR-based screening methods prior to ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) and aDNA analysis through the use of random forest-based machine learning. To do so, we use ATR-FTIR to examine three sets of archaeological bone assemblages and analyse them by ZooMS (for taxonomic identification). Two of these are from Palaeolithic contexts, dominated by terrestrial fauna and include specimens with a variety of preservational conditions. The third set consists of Holocene faunal remains, with variable levels of preservation and is dominated by cetaceans. Using the Holocene faunal remains, we were able to more consistently evaluate ATR-FTIR-based screening for mtDNA as well as ZooMS success. We report on the potential of machine learning in ATR-FTIR-based screening for ancient mtDNA analysis, and our machine learning models conclusively improve the accuracy prior to usage of ATR-FTIR-based screening for ZooMS by 20–40%. The results also suggest this approach potentially allows for a universal screening system, applicable across multiple sites and largely independent of the spectrometers used. acceptedVersion

Abstract Recent excavations of the Via dei Sepolcri ceramic workshop in Pompeii provide an exceptional window into ancient Roman material culture. The remarkable ceramic objects found here, and importantly, the raw geological materials used in their production, afford a unique opportunity to gather information about each aspect of the organisation of the workshop and the ceramics production cycle, including those which are normally erased by the firing process. The exceptional nature of this site provides interesting insights into the system of raw material procurement, a facet poorly explored thus far due to the lack of ancient historical sources. The study is based on the investigation of 40 samples including pottery fragments, unfired, fired and overfired sherds and their source materials by means of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy; in addition, Sr–Nd isotopic and paleontological analyses completed the raw material characterisation. The workshop experienced two different periods of activity starting from the beginning of 1st century CE; in a first phase they produced a variegated repertoire of Thin Walled pottery using local alluvial sediments and clays imported from Ischia island. In a second phase (probably from 62 to 63 CE to 79 CE), the workshop became larger and more specialised, the Thin Walled types drastically decreased and the artisans exclusively utilized clayey sediments from outcrops near Mt. Picentini in the Salerno province. As complementary materials, the ceramic production also utilized local volcanic sands for tempering and decorative purposes along with a presumed imported red earth pigment for decorative finishing. Firing conditions, as inferred from mineral assemblages in the pottery, were not strictly controlled in either production phase as estimated firing temperatures vary widely from approximately 800 to 1000 °C. Likewise, atmospheric conditions in the kiln, as inferred from the variable occurrence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ oxides, were not carefully controlled in either production phase. When compared with data from the larger framework of coeval regional and extra-regional pottery productions, the data obtained suggest that the existing paradigm of the Exploitable Threshold Model, which implies a maximum distance of 7–8 km between the source of raw materials and their usage in production centres, may need to be revised by at least an order of magnitude where sea routes and ports were readily available, as was the case in Pompeii and the surrounding Bay of Naples.

Plant resins, tars and organic fossil substances provide valuable insights into the ecological, environmental and cultural contexts of ancient societies. Their study offers evidence of past know-how, production systems, socio-economic networks and mobility. In this paper, we present new data from 16 sites located in the North-West Mediterranean that provide new insights into the exploitation of these substances for their adhesive and hydrophobic properties throughout the Neolithic (6000-2500 cal BCE). The substances investigated are discussed in the light of their molecular composition, their uses and manufacturing processes. Spatial analyses were also performed to elucidate raw material procurement strategies. This study considerably increases the body of data available from the Mediterranean and tells a diachronic story of adhesive production and use throughout the Neolithic, highlighting the variability and complexity of production systems and supply networks at different spatial scales. While most adhesive and hydrophobic substances were probably collected locally, birch bark tar was very likely transported across long distances to reach Mediterranean coastal sites. Birch bark tar exploitation intensified in South-Eastern France during the Middle Neolithic, while the Late Neolithic is characterised by a diversification of the substances employed and their range of uses: bitumen, birch bark tar (pure or mixed with Pinaceae resin, beeswax and possibly fat/oil) were important materials that were used for a variety of purposes. Pure Pinaceae exudates were exclusively employed for waterproofing pottery. We also highlight the standardisation of birch bark tar production for adhesive manufacture observed in Provence during the first part of the 4th millennium cal. BCE. The authors thank the French National Research Agency (ANR) for the funding of the project Exsudarch (2010-2014, M. Regert dir.) which allowed extensive diachronic interdisciplinary investigations on plant exudates and tars as well as researching the biogeography of plant raw materials. We are also grateful to the Academy 5 of the IDEXJEDI from UCA (Université Côte d’Azur), to the MSHS sud-est, to the CNRS-INEE and to the CEPAM for funding the research project ARCHEOPLANTES (2018-2020, M. Regert dir.). The results presented here were obtained during the PhD of Maxime Rageot, funded by the PACA Region, the CNRS and the Université Côte d’Azur; may they find here the expression of our sincere thanks. We are grateful to Nolan Ferar for proofreading the article. Finally, we would like to thank the two reviewers for their constructive suggestions which helped to improve the quality of this article. Peer reviewed