Archaeometry SAS-blog

Weizmann Institute and Max Planck Society Establish a Joint Center for Archaeology and Anthropology

2012-01-12T06:54:00.006-05:00

From PhysORG:

"When did modern humans arrive in Europe and Asia? At what rate have cultural changes spread from one region to another throughout history? How did Neanderthal teeth and bones differ from ours? These are examples of topics to be investigated at the new Max Planck – Weizmann Institute of Science Center in the Field of Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology.

Serving as the Center's Directors will be Prof. Stephen Weiner of the Weizmann Institute and Prof. Jean-Jacques Hublin of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

The group at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot will mainly follow the research track entitled 'The Timing of Cultural Change.' Its goal: to shed new light on such fascinating aspects of human history as the spread of ideas, the changes in lifestyles, the different rates of development in various parts of the world and the migration of people from one geographical area to another. Traditionally, these questions have been explored by relative dating – that is, comparing changes in tools or pottery in different regions. However, absolute dating – determining the actual age of objects and strata – is needed in order to establish when a particular change occurred and how fast it spread throughout the region. To document the distribution of cultural changes in the last 50,000 years, the scientists will conduct much of the work in the field, performing a scientific analysis of findings at the archaeological site itself, to be followed up by laboratory studies. They will use high-resolution radiocarbon dating, which makes it possible to date specimens with a precision of 20 to 40 years, taking advantage of such advanced techniques as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS—see below) analysis of radiocarbon content.

The group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig will mainly conduct research along the track entitled 'Physical Anthropology through Bone and Tooth Structure-Function Studies.' Scientists in this group will investigate issues in recent human evolution, particularly those relating to the co-occurrence of Neanderthal and early modern human populations in the Levantine region, at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia. The study of fossil remains of these two populations has been traditionally based on the shapes of bones and teeth, examined more recently with the help of 3D computer reconstructions. Scientists in this track will make use of high-resolution computer tomography both at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig and at the Weizmann Institute, a technology that makes it possible to perform such reconstructions down to the level of micron-sized details. The scientists will examine the relationship between structure and function in bones and teeth, which is essential for understanding evolutionary changes. Since this relationship is difficult to establish using fossils alone, the focus of the studies in the new Center will be on modern bones and teeth."

More in the press release here, including the details of the partnership, the main scientists involved and the new accelerator facility.

2012 International Association for Obsidian Studies PXRF Shootout

2011-12-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

Society for American Archaeology Meeting, Memphis, TN

April 18, 2012 from 8:00–6:00 (exact location TBD)

Organizers:
Jeff Speakman,
Center for Applied Isotope Studies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
M. Steven Shackley,
Archaeological XRF Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM
Michael D. Glascock,
Archaeometry Laboratory, University of Missouri Research Reactor, Columbia, MO
Arlen Heginbotham,
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA

Over the past 10 years, widespread availability in portable XRF instrumentation has resulted in a major paradigmatic shift in how obsidian source studies are conducted. This has resulted in concerns by some about the potential misuse of this emerging technology as well as a host of questions regarding accuracy, precision, and reproducibility. Following Shackley’s recent essay in the SAA Archaeological Record (see Nov 2010 pdf article ), we will hold a PXRF “shootout” at the 2012 SAA Meeting in Memphis. The purpose of this round robin exercise will be to evaluate the current state of inter-laboratory reproducibility when conducting quantitative portable XRF analyses of obsidian.

The round robin will occur from 8:00–6:00 on Wednesday April 18, 2012. Participants will be asked to analyze 10-12 obsidian samples (and optionally 4 ceramics) using their portable instrument and preferred calibration routine. Upon completion of the measurement, participants will complete a worksheet that describes their experimental setup, calibration routine, and values they determined from the analyses. Participants will receive 2–3 pieces of obsidian (and ceramics) that were included in the round robin to take with them. Results from this study will be tabulated and published in an appropriate venue.

If you own a portable XRF instrument and have analyzed or are contemplating the analysis of obsidian, this is something you will not want to miss!

Preregistration for this event is required and participation is limited.
Contact Jeff Speakman archsci@uga.edu to reserve your spot.

Virtual Repositories for a Global Archaeological Science

2011-11-30T22:22:00.003-05:00

Idaho State University will be hosting workshop entitled "Virtual Repositories for a Global Archaeological Science" from November 30-December 2 2011. This workshop focuses on the virtualization of museum collections, allowing researchers from all over the world to study them remotely, and also focuses on the virtualization of cultural materials. The international workshop is coordinated by Herbert Maschner, director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History, Corey Schou, ISU director of the Informatics Research Institute (IRI), and Matt Betts, curator, Canadian Museum of Civilization, and is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Open Access Archaeology

2011-11-07T01:15:00.004-05:00

A recent blog keeps a running list of reviews of Open Access Archaeology Journals here. The blog is maintained by Doug Rocks-Macqueen from the UK. He also created a search engine for open access archaeology here.

International Symposium on Archaeometry, Belgium, 28 May - 1 June, 2012

2011-10-28T16:42:00.004-04:00

39th International Symposium on Archaeometry: “50 years of ISA”, Leuven, 2012"

Scope of the conference
The aim of the Symposium is to promote the development and use of scientific techniques in order to extract archaeological and historical information from the cultural heritage and the paleoenvironment. It involves all Natural Sciences and all types of objects and materials related with human activity.

On the town of Leuven
Leuven is very proud of both its past and its heritage. There is so much to see and to do in and around Leuven that one visit is simply not enough. From the 11th-12th century onwards, Leuven began to develop as an important trading centre. It is now a well-equipped, modern town with a thriving economy and with a good balance of old and new with a rich tradition. Amid all the leisure and student activities, it seems surprising that Leuven finds any time to work. When brewing became a nation-wide industry in the 19th century, Leuven became world famous for its beers, and today it is still proud to be known as the beer capital of Belgium, and possibly even the world.

On the University of Leuven
Situated at the heart of Western Europe, the K.U.Leuven has been a centre of learning for almost six centuries. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, K.U.Leuven bears the honour of being the oldest Catholic university in the world still in existence and the oldest university in the Low Countries.

On archaeometry at the K.U. Leuven
In the recent past, at the K.U.Leuven, there have been many examples of co-operation between archaeological projects and different disciplines from the natural and applied sciences. In 2003 this co-operation was formalized in the Centre for Archaeological Sciences. It acts as a focal point for advanced interdisciplinary research made available to all archaeologists from Leuven, Belgium and the international community in general. The organization of the International Symposium on Archaeometry in 2012 is an extra incentive for the further development of archaeometrical research at the university and in Belgium.

On the symposium
The symposium will be organised in the (medieval) centre of Leuven, in one of the main auditoria with sufficient capacity and fully equipped with all necessary IT and audio-visual material. Also the necessary room for poster sessions and coffee breaks is nearby. The date of the symposium is 28 May to 1 June 2012. The official language of the symposium will be English.

The fee for the organisation of the symposium in Leuven is 280 Euro (students 125 Euro). This includes the conference fee and book of abstracts, a welcoming reception and a “50 years ISA” reception, all lunches and all coffee breaks.

Travel to Leuven
Leuven is situated at the very heart of Europe. The town of Leuven is situated at the junction of two major European motorways. Paris, London and Köln are only about two hours away by train. To come to Leuven by air, Brussels airport is situated about 20 km from Leuven and is easily accessible by public transport. Brussels South Charleroi Airport is located at 46 km from Brussels Centre. There are frequent international flights to almost any part of the world.

On the accommodation
Possibilities for hotel and other accommodation in Leuven (see also www.leuven.be) are plenty, ranging in price category from 20 Euro per night (youth hostel) to 180 Euro per night (5-star accommodation).

Liability and Insurance
The organizers of the ISA 2012 meeting do not accept any responsibility for personal injuries, material losses, or damages occurring during or in association with this symposium. It will be the responsibility of the participants to obtain adequate medical, travel or personal insurance for their participation in this event.

Heritage Threats

2011-10-04T21:37:00.003-04:00

A recent editorial in Nature (477, 510, 29 September) outlines some of the threats to preservation and scientific study of our worldwide heritage. Rather than focusing on environmental or human effects physically altering heritage, this opinion piece focuses on the threats due to a lack of long term funding and lack of recognition. The authors point to the fact that the research is accomplished across disciplines without a home discipline. In addition, they suggest that the valuable research does not get the media attention and recognition that it deserves.

The article also refers to a recent European website (Heritage Portal) that is a portal to many aspects of heritage and science, brought together from most European countries into one location. It will be interesting to see how this develops and if there are other similar websites for other locations worldwide. If you know of one, please post to the blog!

However, is our discipline's multidisciplinary nature a strength or a weakness in terms of publicity and funding? Do we get enough recognition from our respective governments and funding bodies?

How Stable is your Rock Art Rock?

2011-09-07T18:05:00.008-04:00

I was recently invited on a short weekend field trip to participate and observe data collection using the RASI - Rock Art Stability Index at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. As explained on the RASI project website:

The Rock Art Stability Index is a tool that allows for the rapid assessment of the condition of a rock art site. It has been designed for use by college students, rock art volunteers and archaeologists, and only requires a minimum amount of training to conduct. Its purpose is to provide a replicable system to rank order various aspects of the observable physical condition of rock art sites, and to thereby score a site in terms of its current vulnerability.

This interdisciplinary team continues to test and revise the recording system that documents the conditions of the rocks and assessment for the potential loss of rock art due to weathering and erosion processes. The application of the RASI metrics has already proven to be significant for developing conservation and preservation strategies for archaeological resources in the Southwest. There is considerable potential for applying these metrics to other parks in the US, and other parts of the world with rock art.

The RASI component is part of a comprehensive program of rock art research developed by multi-institutional collaborators and tested in the American Southwest. Additional parts of the study include VML dating techniques and new geovisualization techniques of the rock art and RASI factors used to assess decay of panels.

Thanks to Dr. Nicole Cerveny and Dr. Casey Allen for inviting me along on their latest adventure.

Computers in Archaeology

2011-08-01T00:24:00.004-04:00

The most recent issue of Computer (July 2011, Volume 44 number 7, ISBN 0018-9162,published by IEEE Computer Society) has several articles on computational archaeology and the use of computers in archaeology:

Using Computation to Decode the First Known Computer

Michael Edmunds, Cardiff University

Tony Freeth, Antikythera Mechanism Research Project

pp. 32-39

From Sites to Landscapes: How Computing Technology Is Shaping Archaeological Practice

Eugene Ch'ng, Univeristy of Birmingham, UK

Henry Chapman, Univeristy of Birmingham, UK

Vincent Gaffney, University of Birmingham, UK

Phil Murgatroyd, University of Birmingham, UK

Chris Gaffney, University of Bradford, UK

Wolfgang Neubauer, University of Vienna

pp. 40-46

3D Models for Cultural Heritage: Beyond Plain Visualization

Roberto Scopigno, ISTI-CNR

Marco Callieri, ISTI-CNR

Paolo Cignoni, ISTI-CNR

Massimiliano Corsini, ISTI-CNR

Matteo Dellepiane, ISTI-CNR

Federico Ponchio, ISTI-CNR

Guido Ranzuglia, ISTI-CNR

pp. 48-55

Dealing with Archaeology's Data Avalanche

Vid Petrovic, University of California, San Diego

Aaron Gidding, University of California, San Diego

Tom Wypych, University of California, San Diego

Falko Kuester, University of California, San Diego

Thomas A. DeFanti, University of California, San Diego

Thomas E. Levy, University of California, San Diego

pp. 56-60

Computer-Assisted Archaeological Line Drawing

Renju Li, Peking University

Tao Luo, Peking University

Hongbin Zha, Peking University

Wei Lu, Longmen Grottoes Academy, China

pp. 62-65

Some of these are free access and some are paid-access only.

New Book- Biomolecular Archaeology

2011-07-25T02:51:00.006-04:00

Biomolecular Archaeology: An Introduction

Terry Brown and Keri Brown

John Wiley and Sons

ISBN: 978-1-4051-7960-7

2011, 336 pages

From the website:

Illustrated thoroughly, Biomolecular Archaeology is the first book to clearly guide students through the study of ancient DNA: how to analyze biomolecular evidence (DNA, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) to address important archaeological questions.

The first book to address the scope and methods of this new cross-disciplinary area of research for archaeologists
Offers a completely up-to-date overview of the latest research in this innovative subject
Guides students who wish to become biomolecular archaeologists through the complexities of both the scientific methods and archaeological goals.
Provides an essential component to undergraduate and graduate archaeological research

ArchaeoLandscapes Europe website

2011-06-09T13:32:00.001-04:00

The ArchaeoLandscapes Europe project website has been launched at http://www.archaeolandscapes.eu.

The target of the ArchaeoLandscapes project is to address existing imbalances in the use of modern surveying and remote sensing techniques and to create conditions for the regular use of these strikingly successful techniques across Europe as a whole. It aims to create a self-sustaining network to support the use throughout the Continent of aerial survey and ‘remote sensing’ to promote understanding, conservation and public enjoyment of the shared landscape and archaeological heritage of the countries of the European Union.

There will soon be an opportunity to subscribe to the ArcLand newsletter. In the meantime, one can subscribe to a public calendar which will provide information on upcoming activities of ArchaeoLandscapes Europe and on other related events.

From:
Dr. Axel G. Posluschny M.A.
Project Manager
ArchaeoLandscapes Europe
Roman-Germanic Commission of the
German Archaeological Institute
Palmengartenstr. 10-12
D-60325 Frankfurt/Main
Germany
Email: posluschny@rgk.dainst.de
Url: http://www.archaeolandscapes.eu

2011 Fryxell Award to R. Lee Lyman

2011-06-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

From the SAA Archaeological Record:

http://coas.missouri.edu/news/2011/lyman.shtml

No single person has brought such strong taphonomic and paleontological rigor to the discipline of zooarchaeology as R. Lee Lyman. His work has been instrumental in convincing Quaternary scientists and conservation biologists on the value of archaeological records to understanding past ecosystems. Early in his career, Lyman initiated leading-edge research by devising rigorous methods for measuring animal bone density, which greatly increased our ability to assess the role that human and nonhuman forces play in creating faunal assemblages. His research on cervids was immediately embraced by the archaeological community, and later expanded to include numerous taxa from diverse geographic locations and temporal periods. His problem-oriented research revolutionized the study of marine mammals with regional-scale analysis of butchery, prey demography, biogeography, and modern conservation. His publication record by any measure is extraordinary. Lyman's meticulous, quantitative methods have become the gold standard to which his students and peers are always striving to achieve. It is for these reasons and more that we honor R. Lee Lyman with this award.

The 2012 Award (from SAA):
The Fryxell Award is presented in recognition for interdisciplinary excellence of a scientist who need not be an archaeologist, but whose research has contributed significantly to American archaeology. The award is made possible through the generosity of the family of the late Roald Fryxell, a geologist whose career exemplified the crucial role of multidisciplinary cooperation in archaeology. Nominees are evaluated on the breadth and depth of their research and its impact on American archaeology, the nominee’s role in increasing awareness of interdisciplinary studies in archaeology, and the nominee’s public and professional service to the community. The award cycles through zoological sciences, botanical sciences, earth sciences, physical sciences, and general interdisciplinary studies. The 2012 Fryxell Award will be in the area of botanical sciences. The award will be given at the SAA’s 77th Annual Meeting, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee. The award consists of an engraved medal, a certificate, an award citation read by the SAA president during the annual business meeting, and a half-day symposium at the Annual Meeting held in honor of the awardee.

New geoarchaeology book by GSA

2011-05-18T15:42:00.000-04:00

Geoarchaeology, Climate Change, and Sustainability

Edited by Antony G. Brown, Laura S. Basell, and Karl W. Butzer
2011, 174 pp.

"This volume provides a broad survey of recent advances in geoarchaeology with particular attention to environmental change. The fourteen chapters include methodologically innovative research, case studies valuable for teaching, and the use of geological techniques to answer archaeological questions from lower Paleolithic hunting to the location of Homer’s Ithaca. Geoarchaeology, Climate Change, and Sustainability also includes a major position paper and, unusually, two papers on the management of the geoarchaeological resource. Both the geographical and chronological coverage are broad ranging from the Lower Paleolithic (lower Pleistocene) to the Iron Age (late Holocene), and from rural Iran to urban Manhattan. The research presented here clearly demonstrates the value and practical application of geoarchaeological techniques from sediment-based dating to geographic information systems."

JAAS Issue on Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology

2011-05-11T21:55:00.000-04:00

JAAS (Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy) recently released a special issue on synchrotron radiation in art and archaeometry. This issue is the proceedings of the 2010 conference of the same name. The cover articles on X-ray investigations of paintings are available for free through the end of May.

SAS Bulletins all online!

2011-04-15T11:55:00.005-04:00

Online Archive of SAS Bulletins from 1996-2010

At the recent SAS Business Meeting at the SAA in Sacramento, the membership voted to provide instant online access to the SAS Bulletins upon publication. Previously we did not post the print issue until a year after publication. After a spirited debate on the merits of this change, we have implemented a plan to provide online access to all the current issues. The print edition is still in the mail to paid membership for those of you that enjoy turning the page rather than scrolling on your screen!

So take some time to check out past editions of the the SAS Bulletin. Every issue is packed with book reviews, meeting announcements, highlights of recent research and meeting presentations, and reports by scholars in various specializations of archaeological science.

Annual NPS archaeological geophysics workshop

2011-04-07T10:54:00.001-04:00

MIDWEST ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER
Current Archeological Prospection Advances for Non-destructive Investigations in the 21st Century
May 23-27, 2011
LOCATION: Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park,
Cameron County, Texas

DESCRIPTION: This workshop is designed to provide a practical application of geophysical equipment and aerial photographic techniques available for the identification, evaluation, and ultimately, the conservation and protection of cultural resources. The field exercises associated with the course will concentrate on the application of these techniques to archeological investigations. Instruction will be given in the use, processing, and interpretation of data from magnetometers, conductivity meters, resistivity meters, ground penetrating radar, metal detectors, and magnetic susceptibility instruments and their applications to non-destructive subsurface investigations. The major emphasis of the training will be on the field use of the equipment. Instruction will also be offered in the use of and interpretation of aerial photographic techniques, and in the use of low altitude large scale aerial reconnaissance.

For more information and application form: http://www.nps.gov/history/mwac/

What I like about the SAA

2011-04-02T10:18:00.001-04:00

In all fairness, I should provide the obverse to my previous post:

1. I'm surprised, a a geoscientist and as only a moderately social person, how many people I know at this meeting. I could feel the warmth of a career's worth of professional and personal associations at this meeting. I saw people I have known for 25 years, and a student I had in my class just two years ago. 2. There have been interesting talks and posters! The Clovis session yesterday had some controversy, different approaches, presented by veterans as well as newcomers. 3. The observation that the SAS, the main reason I am here, is still on solid ground. We have changed with the times, and grown in may ways. 4. Books. The exhibition hall was fun to wander through. I bought a book in archaeological theory, andfound out I was anthologized in an SAA book on chronometric methods (and got a free copy of that one). 5. Sacramento is a very pleasant city. The grounds of the capitol are lovely. I have been in Old Sacramento, and found a decent used book store (Time Tested Books). 6. I have been able to stay and spend some time with an old and dear friend. So, it's been a pretty good couple of days!

What I don't like about the SAA

2011-04-01T14:20:00.004-04:00

It is interesting as a geoscientist to see how different disciplines run heir meetings.

Here is what I don't like abut the Society for American Archaeology meeting:

1. Introductions to speakers are absent to inadequate.

2. Almost all presenters literally read their papers, sometimes making no eye contact with the people who in theory are their audience

3. There are no questions of speakers after their presentations. (Summarizing 1-3, while some things are enjoyable to do alone, I thought conference presentations were supposed to involve exchanges of ideas.)

4. Too many sessions are incestuous, with all papers coming from one academic or CRM group. And this is possible because sessions are arranged by the organizers, who invites speakers of their choosing. At geoscience meetings, all sessions are publicly announced, and anyone can submit a paper. The incestuous sessions often contain work that is, shall we say, a bit on the light side.

5. Poor scheduling by the SAA. Business meetings of groups with very similar interests are scheduled at the same time, and the SAS business meeting was scheduled at the same time as two different session that SAS sponsored.

6. No wireless in the convention center.

7. I repeat, no wireless in the convention center. Or terminals.

California Dreamin' - SAS annual business meeting

2011-03-26T10:08:00.001-04:00

The annual SAS business meeting will be held at the SAA meeting in Sacramento, California, this coming week.

Meeting time and location:
Thursday, 31 March
5:00 pm–6:30 pm
Bataglieri (S)
Society for Archaeological Sciences
Business Meeting

Tentative agenda items:
SAS student travel research award
Wiley Encyclopedia
Membership
Officers' reports
Budget
Meeting site for 2012 (ISA, Belgium)
American venue for ISA 2014

Archaeometry at the MTAA Conference

2011-03-18T01:25:00.004-04:00

I have been attending (and presenting at) the Modern Trends in Activation Analysis conference in College Station, Texas this week. There was a special session on Archaeometry organized and chaired by Mike Glascock. There were several interesting papers and posters on the archaeometry applications and methods development for NAA in archaeological science. Here are the papers and posters presented:

EVALUATION OF RELATIVE COMPARATOR AND k0-NAA FOR CHARACTERIZATION OF ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN OCHRE,Rachel S. Popelka-Filcoff, Claire E. Lenehan, Michael D. Glascock, John W. Bennett, Attila Stopic, Jamie Quinton, Allan Pring and Keryn Walshe, Flinders University, Australia

RAISING THE TEMPER - μ-SPOT ANALYSIS OF TEMPER INCLUSIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL CERAMICS, Johannes H. Sterba,Frans Munnik and Nick J. G. Pearce, Atominstitut, Vienna University of Technology, Austria

MODELING CLINAL VARIATION IN CLAY GEOCHEMISTRY FOR CERAMIC PROVENANCE DETERMINATION IN THE VALLEY OF OAXACA, Leah D. Minc, Oregon State University, USA

COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF PREHISTORIC SHELL FROM EASTERN NORTH AMERICA, Matthew T. Boulanger, University of Missouri, USA

PAST AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF ARCHAEOMETRY AT TAMU’S CENTER FOR CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANALYSIS, Suzanne L. Eckert, Texas A&M University, USA

ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF FINE-GRAINED BASALT ARTIFACTS FROM SAMOA: AN INVESTIGATION OF PROCUREMENT,PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSUMPTION DURING THE TRADITIONAL SAMOAN PERIOD (1700-300BP) ON TUTUILA ISLAND, Phillip R. Johnson, Texas A&M University, USA

REVITALIZING ARCHAEOMETRY IN AUSTRALIA WITH THE 20 MW OPAL RESEARCH REACTOR, John W. Bennett, Attila Stopic, Peter Grave, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Australia

NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS USING THE CONVENTIONAL RELATIVE METHOD: A REALISTIC APPROACH FOR ANALYSIS OF LARGE SAMPLES, Patricia Bedregal Pablo Mendoza, Isaac Marcos Cohen, Eduardo Montoya, Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear, Perú

THE FENN CLOVIS CACHE: NEW ANALYSES OF ARTIFACT FORM AND FUNCTION, Ted Goebel, Jim Wiederhold,Heather Smith, and Michael R. Waters, Texas A&M University, USA

TRACKING INTRA-ISLAND MOVEMENT OF TOOL-STONE: CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION ON LITHIC TOOLS FROM AGANOA VILLAGE, TUTUILA ISLAND, AMERICAN SAMOA, Christopher T. Crews, Texas A&M University, USA

INAA AND DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF CLASSIC MIMBRES BLACK-ON-WHITE VESSELS DURING THE CLASSIC PERIOD, Eleanor S. Dahlin, Texas A&M University, USA

INAA OF PRE-CONTACT BASALT QUARRIES ON THE SAMOAN ISLAND OF TUTUILA: A PRELIMINARY BASELINE FOR AN ARTIFACT-CENTERED PROVENANCE STUDY, Phillip R. Johnson, Texas A&M University, USA

FINDING A SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUE TO DETERMINE THE PRODUCTION PROVENANCE OF 13TH AND 14TH CENTURY SANTA FE B/W POTTERY MADE FROM IGNEOUS CLAYS, Suzanne L. Eckert, Texas A&M University, USA

COMPARISON OF INAA ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION DATA BETWEEN LAGO GRANDE AND OSVALDO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE CENTRAL AMAZON: A FIRST PERSPECTIVE, Roberto Hazenfratz, Guilherme Mongeló, Casimiro S. Munita, Eduardo G.Neves, University of São Paulo, Brazil

PROVENANCE STUDIES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS FROM BUDDHIST SITES OF INDIA BY INTERNAL MONOSTANDARD NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS, N. Lakshmana Das, K.B. Dasari, R. Acharya, A.V.R. Reddy, GITAM University, India

Steven Shackley to receive SAA Award for Excellence in Archaeological Analysis

2011-03-15T13:30:00.002-04:00

One of the awards to be presented at the SAA meeting in Sacramento in two weeks:

Steven Shackley has earned the SAA’s Award for Excellence in Archaeological Analysis for his analytical and technical contributions using raw material sourcing in the interpretation of the social relations underlying lithic assemblage patterning. Dr. Shackley’s achievements combine outstanding scholarship in XRF analysis, geoarchaeology, archaeometry, flintknapping, and lithic technology with an anthropological perspective on a diversity of cultural processes and interactions, including quarrying, long-distance trade and exchange, ethnicity, migration, style and group identity, and gender interaction. His published work on these topics spans both cultural resource management and academic projects, and focuses on regions as diverse as the North American Southwest, Mexico, South and Central America, Ethiopia, the Middle East, and the Russian Far East, as well as temporal periods from the Middle Stone Age to Paleoamericans to the Neolithic to the ethnographic present. This award recognizes Steven Shackley’s significant role in advancing archaeological research in the field of lithic analysis.

Steve Shackley, Josh Feinberg, Rob Sternberg at the American Geophysical Union meeting, Dec. 2010

Fellowship in Provenance of Cypriot Pottery

2011-02-17T07:49:00.003-05:00

Another fellowship opportunity under the NARNIA scheme (information from job posting):

A 3-year Early Stage Research Fellowship (ESR06) in the framework of NARNIA Marie Curie ITN. The successful applicant will enrol as a PhD student at the Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium to conduct “Provenance research on Cypriot pottery classes circulating in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze and early Iron Age".

Title of Research Project

“Provenance research on Cypriot pottery classes circulating in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze and early Iron Age”

Fellowship Description

The main scope of the research project is a contribution to the understanding of the long-distance exchange in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze and early Iron Age. More specifically, the project aims at elucidating the provenance of Cypriot pottery classes circulating in the Eastern Mediterranean during this particular time span, by determining the regional isotopic fingerprint of Cyprus. This builds upon current research at the VUB that investigates the use of isotopic tracers (lead and strontium) in pottery provenance research. Next to isotopic analyses, the fellow will apply other techniques such as thin section petrography and chemical analyses to compare and standardise the data. The fellow will carry out fieldwork in Cyprus and follow training courses offered in the NARNIA network.

The successful candidate will have the competence to combine archaeological and scientific information within an integrated programme of research.

More information can be found here.

Annual geoarchaeology lecture at Franklin & Marshall College

2011-02-15T11:38:00.001-05:00

Archaeologist Mary Ann Levine and I have organized an annual geoarchaeology lecture (very loosely defined) here at Franklin & Marshall College. This Friday is our 13th annual lecture, featuring the work of Jeff Hurst from Hershey Foods. If you are perchance nearby, you are welcome to join us.

Position in NARNIA

2011-02-15T07:47:00.002-05:00

NARNIA

New Archaeological Research Network for Integrating Approaches
to ancient material studies
A Marie Curie Initial Training Network

Early Stage Researcher Fellowship Announcement

Fellowship Title and ID code

Marie Curie Early Stage Research Fellowship (ESR08) at G.M EuroCy Innovations LTD (Nicosia, Cyprus), in cooperation with the KIOS Research Center for Intelligent Systems and Networks and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Cyprus.

Title of Research Project

“Application and development of computational intelligence methodologies in analyzing archaeological data”

Fellowship Description

The main scope of the research project is to investigate, design, implement and use intelligent algorithms to facilitate archaeological research and archaeometry, in analyzing, classifying and making sense out of large quantities of structured and semi-structured data. The Fellow (PhD student) is expected to undertake research in the broad area of computational intelligence (pattern recognition, neural networks, statistical and adaptive learning, optimization etc.) and collaborate with the academic and industrial partners in the NARNIA network and beyond, to exploit the research outcomes.

http://www.ucy.ac.cy/data/archreun/narnia%20information.pdf

Call for Applications - 2011 R.E. Taylor Student Poster Competition

2011-02-14T19:20:00.001-05:00

R.E. TAYLOR STUDENT POSTER AWARDCOMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT

R.E. Taylor Student Poster Award Competition at the SAA 2011.

Deadline for submissions: March 21, 2011

As a result of a collaborative effort with the Society for American Archaeology, the Society for Archaeological Sciences will acknowledge an outstanding student poster for its innovative contribution in the use of scientific technologies to archaeological research by granting the R. E. Taylor Award, consisting of 100 US dollars and a one-year subscription to the SAS Bulletin. Financial support for the Taylor Award derives from the membership royalties of those who have joined us in our quest of making of archaeological sciences relevant to the study of humankind by using the tools of tomorrow.

This prestigious award is named in honor of Professor Emeritus R. Ervin Taylor of the University of California at Riverside for his outstanding contributions in the development and application of radiocarbon dating in archaeological research and dedication to the founding of the Society for Archaeological Sciences, for his leading role as President (1980) and General Secretary (1981-2002) and his committed service as editor of the SAS Bulletin. In 2004, the SAA recognized his invaluable contributions with the granting of the 2004 Fryxell Award for Interdisciplinary Research.

For more than a decade, receiving the Taylor R. E. award has enhanced the career of those who are now prominent young scholars and professionals. For 2011, SAS will offer the R. E. Taylor Award at the SAA's 76th Anniversary Meeting in Sacramento, CA. Entries will be judged on the significance of the archaeological problem, appropriateness of the methods used, soundness of conclusions, quality of the poster display, and oral presentation of the poster by the student, who should be the first author in order to compete.

To be considered for this award, students must submit an application via email to Destiny Crider (destiny.crider@asu.edu) by March 21, 2011. Applications in form of an email message must include the title and abstract of the poster, proof that you have registered for the SAA meetings in Sacramento (email from the SAA), and proof of your status as an undergraduate or graduate student (usually appears on your SAA registration).

Students will also submit a .pdf version of their poster on or before March 21, 2011.

An email confirmation that your application has been received will be sent to you. Please keep this email confirmation. This will give the judges adequate time to evaluate your posters. Judges will be present at the SAA meeting and will ask questions to the student about their proposed research.

Prizes will be awarded at the SAA meeting, following the end of the last poster session (final program is pending).

Good luck to everyone!

Sandra L. Lopez Varela, Ph.D., RPA

President Society for Archaeological Sciences

http://www.socarchsci.org/

The International Archaeological Community is following with great concern the events unfolding in Egypt

2011-02-05T16:55:00.004-05:00

Esteemed members of the Society for Archaeological Sciences,

Consternated by the unfolding events taking place in Egypt, that continue to impact its invaluable heritage, the group of presidents representing the following archaeological and international societies have worked intensively in an unprecedented effort to release this joint statement that will reach world organizations, heritage institutions, and heads of states.

Committed to the scientific stewardship of the past, as President of the Society for Archaeological Sciences, I solemnly plead for a prompt and peaceful resolution.

Sandra L. López Varela, Ph.D., RPA
_________________________________
February 4th, 2011
The International Archaeological Community is following with great concern the events unfolding in Egypt.

In these past few days, the world has seen the desires of Egyptians to exercise their basic civil rights and has received news of the destruction and looting of a significant part of Egypt's invaluable and irreplaceable archaeological history. Any damage to museum collections is an irreversible loss to Egypt's history, which has long engaged the world, as well as its own citizens, with key sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. Archaeological sites and artifacts, historic monuments and documents, and artistic expressions, are just a few examples of Egypt's cultural heritage. The richness of this heritage is integral to the country's economic well-being, particularly in terms of heritage tourism. In addition, the Egyptian people have distinguished themselves for deeply caring about their heritage and the engagement of Egyptian scholars to study their rich past and make their knowledge available to their own people is well recognized in our profession. We urge you, in full awareness of the existence of other priorities in this political situation, to state that the history of Egypt is a priority area and that Egypt's cultural heritage must be protected.

Based on experience with other zones of conflict, we are deeply concerned about the potential looting and subsequent illegal trade of Egypt's antiquities, and the dispersal and destruction of its tangible and intangible heritage. We urge you to consider, among your concerns in this conflict, strategies to secure this threatened heritage from potential looters and illegal export, and to assist professionals and scholars to carry out their stewardship duties. We call on international law enforcement agencies to adopt immediate plans to be vigilant against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods under existing legislations and to follow the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970), the Cultural Property Implementation Act, and the UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995). We encourage international agencies to be alert over the next several months for the possible appearance of looted Egyptian antiquities at their borders and to assist in the recovery of this cultural heritage.

Egypt will require funding for the reconstruction of its heritage and to strengthen its institutional and professional capacity to ensure effective heritage management. To the extent that you are able, we hope you will assist in the reconstruction of Egypt's invaluable history and assure that the appropriate committees work closely with Egyptian scholars and authorities. Finally, we offer the expertise of our organizations in assisting you in anyway possible to safeguard the richness of Egypt's history.

President Dr. Virginia R. Dominguez
American Anthropological Association
http://www.aaanet.org/

President Dr. Lucy Wayne
American Cultural Resources Association
http://www.acra-crm.org/

President Dr. Ben A. Nelson
Archaeology Division-American Anthropological Association
www.aaanet.org/sections/ad/index.html

President Dr. Elizabeth Bartman
Archaeological Institute of America-AIA
http://www.archaeological.org/

President Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn
Canadian Archaeological Association
http://www.canadianarchaeology.com/

President Dr. Friedrich Lüth
European Association of Archaeologists-EAA
www.e-a-a.org/

Secretary General Prof. Ian Lilley
Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association
http://arts.anu.edu.au/arcworld/ippa/ippa.htm

Co-Presidents Dr. Douglas C. Comer and Prof. dr. Willem J.H. Willems
International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management-ICAHM
http://www.icomos.org/icahm

Secretary-General Dr. Luiz Oosterbeek
International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences- UISPP
www.uispp.pt.vu/

President Dr. Benjamin Smith
Pan African Archaeological Association for Prehistory and Related Studies
http://www.panafprehistory.org/

President Prof.Dr.Dr.h.c.mult. Hermann Parzinger
Präsidium der Deutschen Verbände für Altertumsforschung
parzinger@hv.spk-berlin.de

President Dr. Margaret W. Conkey
Society for American Archaeology-SAA
http://www.saa.org/

President Prof. Dr. Sandra L. López Varela
Society for Archaeological Sciences-SAS
http://www.socarchsci.org/

President Dr. William B. Lees
Society for Historical Archaeology-SHA
http://www.sha.org/

President Dr. Chapurukha Kusimba
Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA)
http://www.safa.rice.edu/

President Dr. Lyn Green
The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities/Société pour l’Étude de l’Égypte Ancienne
http://www.thessea.org/

President Dr. Leslie C. Aiello
Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research
http://www.wennergren.org/

President Dr. Claire Smith
World Archaeological Congress-WAC
http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/

Chair Dr. Kathleen Nicoll
Archaeological Geology Division, Geological Society of America
http://rock.geosociety.org/arch/

Techniques in Archaeological Geology

2011-01-27T06:54:00.004-05:00

Springer has been quite prolific in archaeological science texts recently. Another new publication is "Techniques in Archaeological Geology", by Ervan Garrison, as part of the "Natural Science in Archaeology Series". This text puts archaeology in terms of its geological origins, from sites to sources.

Chapter titles include:

-Survey and Mapping the Geomorphological and Geological Context

-Geophysical Techniques for Archaeology

-Field Sampling Techniques for Archaeological Sediments and Soils

-Analytical Techniques for Archaeological Sediments

-Petrography for Archaeological Geology

-Instrumental Analytical Techniques for Archaeological Geology

-Statistics in Archaeological Geology

From the Springer website:

"The archaeological geology of the Quaternary or the geological epoch during which humankind evolved is a scientific endeavor with much to offer in the fields of archaeology and palaeoanthropology. Earth science techniques offer diverse ways of characterizing the elements of past landscapes and archaeological facies. This book is a survey of techniques used in archaeological geology for the study of soils, sediments, rocks and minerals. The techniques presented represent those most commonly used today. They are discussed in detail and examples are provided, in many cases, to demonstrate their usefulness to archaeologists."

At least from the preview this one is going in my research library, and I am looking forward to reading and reviewing it in full.

ISBN: 978-3-540-43822-9

Archaeometry at the SAA, Sunday 3 April 2011

2011-01-25T22:42:00.001-05:00

And, some final archaeometry for those who make it to the last day of the conference:

Sponsored Forum: Anthropogenic sediments as archaeological objects: a discussion forum (Sponsored by Geoarchaeology Interest Group)

General Session: Isotope Research: Insights and Contributions

Hmmm, not too much. Maybe I should shoot for brunch with Governor Brown.

Archaeometry at the SAA, Saturday 2 April 2011

2011-01-24T18:36:00.000-05:00

Some archaeometrically oriented symposia on the 3rd day of the conference (SAS-sponsored symposia are in bold):

Poster Session: Faunal Analysis and Taphonomy

Sponsored Symposium: 1st International SAA Symposium for Recent, International Advances in the Use of pXRF and other Portable, Field Technologies for Archaeochemical Studies of Sites in the Americas
(Sponsored by Wondjina Research Institute, Country Chemist; Co-Sponsored by The Society For Archaeological Science, the pXRF Users Group, OLYMPUS INNOV-X )

Symposium: Bioarchaeological and Archaeological Perspectives on Migration, Diet and Health in Prehistoric Central California

Sponsored Symposium: Archaeometry in Fiber and Perishables Research (Sponsored by Fiber & Perishables Interest Group)

Electronic Symposium: Constructing a database of late Pleistocene/early Holocene archaeological C14 dates for South and Central America

Sponsored Forum: The Future of Bioarchaeology: A Forum in Honor of Jane E. Buikstra, the 2010 Fryxell Award Winner (Sponsored by Fryxell Award Committee)

Sponsored Symposium: From the Field to the Synchrotron Ring: Discovering Ancient Worlds Through Modern Technologies (Sponsored by The Society for Archaeological Sciences)

Poster Session: Bioarchaeology of the Americas

Archaeometry at the SAA, Friday 1 April 2011

2011-01-23T09:24:00.001-05:00

riday

Electronic Symposium: Current methods in paleoethnobotany

General Session: Archaeological Applications of GIS, GPR, and Remote Sensing

Symposium Fryxell Symposium: Papers in Honor of R. Lee Lyman

General Session: Paleoethnobotanical Studies in the Americas

General Session: Paleoecology and Paleoenvironments of Africa and Eurasia

General Session: Advances in and Applications of XRF and LA- ICP- MS

Sponsored Symposium: Clovis - Current Perspectives on Technology, Chronology, and Adaptations (Parts I and II)

General Session: Paleoethnobotanical Studies: Global Perspectives

Archaeometry at the SAA, Th 31 March 2011

2011-01-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

The preliminary program is available for the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology in Sacramento.

I'll put up some of the sessions which look to me as if they contain significant amounts of archaeometry/geoarchaeology, by meeting date.

By the way, I hate the way SAA organizes its sessions, with organizers being able to cherry pick contributors without an open process of submission.

For Thursday 31 March ( a good day for SAS-sponsored symposia):

General Session: Pleistocene Landscapes,Technologies, and Lifeways in the Old World

Poster Session: Global Perspectives on Ceramic Analysis

Sponsored Symposium Chemical Residue Analysis in Archaeology: Method Development and Residue Diagenesis (Sponsored by The Society for Archaeological Sciences)

Poster Session: Paleoethnobotanical Studies

General Session: Paleoecology and Paleoenvironments of the Near East

Forum: Multiple data and access: Effective means of integrating archaeobotanical data in broader archaeological research projects

Poster Session Weird Science: The State of the Art of Experimental Archaeology

Poster Sessions: Advances and Applications of XRF and LA- ICP- MS- Parts 1 and 2

Poster Session: Archaeological Applications of GIS, GPR, and Remote Sensing

Poster Session: Integrating Geophysical Surveys into Archaeological Investigations

Sponsored Poster Session: The Scientists behind the Archaeologists: Indiana Jones’ Geeky Siblings

Sponsored Symposium: Beyond Descriptive Analysis: Recent Advances in the Studies of Lime Plasters (Sponsored by Society for Archaeological Sciences)

Sponsored Symposium: The Cutting Edge: The State of Play in World Obsidian Studies (Sponsored by Society for Archaeological Science & International Association for Obsidian Studies)

Symposium: Tree- Rings, Climate and Behavior: The Legacy of Jeffrey S. Dean

Symposium: Studying Beads around the Indian Ocean: New approaches, methodologies, and insights from an overlooked artifact

Fall of Rome Recorded in Trees

2011-01-19T13:33:00.002-05:00

A new report published this month in Science, 2500 Years of European Climate Variability and Human Susceptibility, suggests that climatic variability coincided with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

Abstract
Climate variations have influenced the agricultural productivity, health risk, and conflict level of preindustrial societies. Discrimination between environmental and anthropogenic impacts on past civilizations, however, remains difficult because of the paucity of high-resolution palaeoclimatic evidence. Here, we present tree ring–based reconstructions of Central European summer precipitation and temperature variability over the past 2500 years. Recent warming is unprecedented, but modern hydroclimatic variations may have at times been exceeded in magnitude and duration. Wet and warm summers occurred during periods of Roman and medieval prosperity. Increased climate variability from ~AD 250 to 600 coincided with the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the turmoil of the Migration Period. Historical circumstances may challenge recent political and fiscal reluctance to mitigate projected climate change.

Science Now provides the following discussion of the implications of this study in the article Fall of Rome Recorded in Trees -- with the interesting observation that "By counting wood samples, the analysis also created a rough measure of human activity. In eras of prosperity, more trees were cut down for building and fuel, yielding more samples in the archaeological record. At other times, like the years after the Black Death and the so-called Migration Period between 300 C.E. and 600 C.E. when the Roman Empire was overwhelmed by tribes pushing in from the east, the number of wood samples dwindles to nearly nothing. "It's an interesting proxy of demographic trends and really the most provocative part of the study," says Stahle."

Ancient Winemaking in Armenia

2011-01-12T00:59:00.004-05:00

The recent edition of Journal of Archaeological Science and some mainstream media report on the earliest known winemaking site to date, found in Armenia. The cave site reveals a complex of wine-making vessels and bio-molecular evidence and wine residues that imply not only wine drinking, but wine-making as well. The authors cite the presence of malvidin in potsherd residues, as determined by reverse-phase SPE combined with a quadrupole mass spectrometer, as evidence for wine production. Let's raise our glasses to that!

Barnard, H., et al., Chemical evidence for wine production around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern highlands, Journal of Archaeological Science (2010), doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.11.012

Neanderthals and DNA in the news

2011-01-10T18:27:00.000-05:00

As part of its end of the year 2010 in the news series, NPR had a review (text and audio) on Neanderthal and DNA stories.

Read about the 40,000 year-old finger (Neanderthal) and the 4,000 year-old bald guy (not Neanderthal), the Neanderthal genome, and the Neanderthal in us.

(You will not read about the Geico Neandertal in the photo.)

Review of ISA 2010, Tampa

2011-01-08T17:22:00.001-05:00

Here is a review of the recent ISA, Tampa, published in Papers of the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, by Ruth Fillery-Travis, UCL Institute of Archaeology. It's a good and fair summary, and also expresses some concern that the ISA is not sufficiently addressing Dunnel's critique of archaeometric studies.

Ruth also has her own blog, Finds and Features, on archaeometallurgy.

Picture of Ruth from the PIA:

JONAS - Journal of Nordic Archaeological Science

2011-01-02T21:47:00.001-05:00

The Journal of Nordic Archaeological Science (JONAS) publishes original theoretical and applied papers by experienced and younger researchers within the field of archaeological science, a cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary branch of archaeology. The aim is to solve archaeological problems by integrating scientific and technical methods and employing a wide range of disciplines, e.g. soil chemistry, bone chemistry/DNA, palaeopathology, archaeobotany, diet, metallurgy, textiles, structure analyses of various materials, prospecting, preservation of objects etc. Authors from the Nordic–Baltic area are especially welcome. Articles are peer-reviewed by competent editors and renowned experts.

The current issue for April 2010 and the list of back issues suggest that publication has been resumed after a hiatus of several years.

Keep it up, JONAS!

Scientific Examination of Art: Modern Techniques in Conservation and Analysis

2010-12-28T16:23:00.001-05:00

There seems to be a plethora of book announcements recently apropos to archaeometry.

Here is an online book from the National Academy of Sciences, from 2005, 252 pages. The description:

In March 2003, the National Academy of Sciences Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia presented the Scientific Examination of Art: Modern Techniques in Conservation and Analysis at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. Featuring senior investigators of specific methods and materials, the papers in this book examine the application of scientific methods to the study and conservation of art and cultural properties.

The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines and attracting up to 250 leading researchers in the field. These colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

For more information about the Sackler Colloquia, visit www.nasonline.org/sackler

CONTENTS

THE STATE OF THE FIELD
	Overview John Winter	3
	Material Innovation and Artistic Invention: New Materials and New Colors in Renaissance Venetian Paintings Barbara H. Berrie and Louisa C. Matthew	12
	The Scientific Examination of Works of Art on Paper Paul M. Whitmore	27
	Changing Approaches in Art Conservation: 1925 to the Present Joyce Hill Stoner	40
	An Overview of Current Scientific Research on Stone Sculpture Richard Newman	58
	Biodeterioration of Stone Thomas D. Perry IV, Christopher J. McNamara, and Ralph Mitchell	72

TECHNIQUES AND APPLICATIONS
	Analytical Capabilities of Infrared Reflectography: An Art Historian’s Perspective Molly Faries	87
	Color-Accurate Image Archives Using Spectral Imaging Roy S. Berns	105
	Multi-Spectral Imaging of Paintings in the Infrared to Detect and Map Blue Pigments John K. Delaney, Elizabeth Walmsley, Barbara H. Berrie, and Colin F. Fletcher	120
	Modern Paints Tom Learner	137
	Material and Method in Modern Art: A Collaborative Challenge Carol Mancusi-Ungaro	152
	Raman Microscopy in the Identification of Pigments on Manuscripts and Other Artwork Robin J. H. Clark	162
	Paint Media Analysis Michael R. Schilling	186
	A Review of Some Recent Research on Early Chinese Jades Janet G. Douglas	206

Ancient Earthquakes book

2010-12-27T19:52:00.000-05:00

This post qualifies for both my blogs, socarchsci.blogspot.com on archaeometry, and my other one, shakingearth.blogspot.com on earthquakes.

The Geological Society of America has come out with a volume on Ancient Earthquakes, edited by Manuel Sintubin, Iain S. Stewart, Tina M. Niemi, and Erhan Altunel, 2010, 280 p., $85.

Ancient earthquakes are pre-instrumental earthquakes that can only be identified through indirect evidence in the archaeological (archaeoseismology) and geological (palaeoseismology) record. Special Paper 471 includes a selection of cases convincingly illustrating the different ways the archaeological record is used in earthquake studies. The first series of papers focuses on the relationship between human prehistory and tectonically active environments, and on the wide range of societal responses to historically known earthquakes. The bulk of papers concerns archaeoseismology, showing the diversity of approaches, the wide range of disciplines involved, and its potential to contribute to a better understanding of earthquake history. Ancient Earthquakes will be of interest to the broad community of earth scientists, seismologists, historians, and archaeologists active in and around archaeological sites in the many regions around the world threatened by seismic hazards. This Special Paper frames in the International Geoscience Programme IGCP 567 “Earthquake Archaeology: Archaeoseismology along the Alpine-Himalayan Seismic Zone.”

Archaeological science in the Israel Journal of Earth Sciences

2010-12-25T14:56:00.001-05:00

This being Christmas (although not part of my particular religious persuasion), I thought I would post something about archaeological science in the modern day country where some of the events pertaining to that holiday supposedly took place.

Israel Journal of Earth Sciences
Volume 56, Number 2 - 4 / 2007

Special Issue: Archaeological Science in Israel

Guest Editor(s): Elisabetta Boaretto, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Sariel Shalev, Steve Weiner, Ehud Weiss

Foreword by the Guest Editors; pp. i – ii; Elisabetta Boaretto, Ruth Shahack-Gross, Sariel Shalev, Steve Weiner, Ehud Weiss. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.i

Archaeology, archaeological science, and integrative archaeology ; pp. 57 – 61; Steve Weiner. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.57

Micromorphology of sediments: Deciphering archaeological context; pp. 63 – 71; Panagiotis Karkanas and Paul Goldberg. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.63

Approaches to understanding formation of archaeological sites in Israel: Materials and processes; pp. 73 – 86; Ruth Shahack-Gross. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.73

Reading the field: Geoarchaeological codes in the Israeli landscape; pp. 87 – 106. Oren Ackermann. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.87

Assessing Paleolithic pyrotechnology and associated hominin behavior in Israel; pp. 107 – 121; Francesco Berna and Paul Goldberg. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.107

Four decades of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis and its contribution to the archaeology of the ancient land of Israel; pp. 123 – 132; Joseph Yellin and Aren M. Maeir. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.123

A brief outline summary of nonferrous archaeometallurgy in Israel; pp. 133 – 138; Sariel Shalev. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.133

Wood remains from archaeological excavations: A review with a Near Eastern perspective; pp. 139 – 162; Simcha Lev-Yadun. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.139

Plant remains as a tool for reconstruction of the past environment, economy, and society: Archaeobotany in Israel; pp. 163 – 173; Ehud Weiss and Mordechai E. Kislev. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.163

Fire in prehistory: An experimental approach to combustion processes and phytolith remains; pp. 175 – 189; Rosa María Albert and Dan Cabanes. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.175

Archaeomalacological research in Israel: The current state of research; pp. 191 – 206; Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.191

Determining the chronology of an archaeological site using radiocarbon: Minimizing uncertainty; pp. 207 – 216; Elisabetta Boaretto. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.207

Molecular archaeology: People, animals, and plants of the Holy Land; pp. 217 – 229; Marina Faerman, Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Israel Hershkovitz, Mark Spigelman, Charles L. Greenblatt. DOI: 10.1560/IJES.56.2-4.217

Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries of 2010

2010-12-21T21:53:00.004-05:00

Archaeology Magazine has compiled the top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2010. As you might expect, most of them are fascinating archaeological sites from around the world. However, two discoveries are more technical: the technique of non-destructive carbon-dating, developed by Marvin Rowe and colleagues at Texas A&M. Additionally, scientists in Germany were commended for decoding the Neanderthal genome. Congratulations to both groups, and looking forward to more fantastic analytical methodologies in 2011 and beyond!

ISA 2012 in Belgium

2010-12-20T15:57:00.000-05:00

The improved ISA web site is already lists the next International Symposium on Archaeometry in Belgium in 2012. Put it on your calendar.

What will be the venue of the next American ISA for 2014?

Anthropogy as science? Anthropology vs. science?

2010-12-10T11:33:00.001-05:00

From: "Anthropology a Science? Statement Deepens a Rift," by Nicholas Wade, Published: December 9, 2010, NY Times

Anthropologists have been thrown into turmoil about the nature and future of their profession after a decision by the American Anthropological Association at its recent annual meeting to strip the word “science” from a statement of its long-range plan.

The decision has reopened a long-simmering tension between researchers in science-based anthropological disciplines — including archaeologists, physical anthropologists and some cultural anthropologists — and members of the profession who study race, ethnicity and gender and see themselves as advocates for native peoples or human rights.

Until now, the association’s long-range plan was “to advance anthropology as the science that studies humankind in all its aspects.” The executive board revised this last month to say, “The purposes of the association shall be to advance public understanding of humankind in all its aspects.”

See the full article for more.

From Savage Chickens:

Portable xrf used to provenance clay tablets

2010-12-05T11:12:00.003-05:00

From AAAS Eureka Alert:

By adapting an off-the-shelf portable x-ray lab tool that analyzes the composition of chemicals, Prof. Yuval Goren of Tel Aviv University's Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations can reveal hidden information about a [clay] tablet's composition without damaging the precious ancient find itself. These x-rays reveal the soil and clay composition of a tablet or artefact, to help determine its precise origin.

Over the years, he has collected extensive data through physical "destructive" sampling of artefacts. By comparing this data to readouts produced by the XRF device, he's built a table of results so that he can now scan a tablet –– touching the surface of it gently with the machine ― and immediately assess its clay type and the geographical origin of its minerals.

The tool, he says, can also be applied to coins, ancient plasters, and glass, and can be used on site or in a lab. He plans to make this information widely available to other archaeological researchers.

This sounds like a great combination of portable xrf, as calibrated by lab-based methods

Springer book on xrf in archaeology

2010-12-04T09:14:00.006-05:00

Springer seems to be on a roll with archaeometry books! Here is another one edited by a veteran member and officer of the SAS, Steve Shackley.

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry in Twenty-First Century Archaeology
M. Steven Shackley
2011, doi 10.1007/978-1-4419-6886-9_1
Springer
link to web site

Chapters in book:
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry in Twenty-First Century Archaeology; M. Steven Shackley

An Introduction to X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analysis in Archaeology; M. Steven Shackley

Factors Affecting the Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Analysis of Archaeological Obsidian; M. Kathleen Davis, Thomas L. Jackson, M. Steven Shackley, Timothy Teague and Joachim H. Hampel

Non-destructive EDXRF Analyses of Archaeological Basalts; Steven P. Lundblad, Peter R. Mills, Arian Drake-Raue and Scott Kekuewa Kikiloi

Non-destructive Applications of Wavelength XRF in Obsidian Studies; Annamaria De Francesco, M. Bocci and G. M. Crisci

Portable XRF of Archaeological Artifacts: Current Research, Potentials and Limitations; Ioannis Liritzis and Nikolaos Zacharias

Elemental Analysis of Fine-Grained Basalt Sources from the Samoan Island of Tutuila: Applications of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) Toward an Intra-Island Provenance Study; Phillip R. Johnson

Comparison and Contrast Between XRF and NAA: Used for Characterization Of Obsidian Sources in Central Mexico; Michael D. Glascock

Is There a Future for XRF in Twenty-First Century Archaeology?; Rosemary A. Joyce

Open Journal of Archaeometry

2010-12-02T17:50:00.001-05:00

A new online archaeometry journal will also host the proceedings from the Insternational Symposium on Archaeomtry recently held in Tampa. Do we need another archaeometry journal? What are the pros and cons of having one online?

Editor-in-chief Ingmar Unkel writes the following on the journal home page:

"We cannot yet offer you a journal with a long history and reputation, but we can guarantee fast and high quality services for authors and publication online within 3 weeks of the acceptance date. To ensure publication precedence for authors, and to provide a lasting record of scientific discussion, the articles are permanently archived and fully citable. With respect to the goals of the Budapest Open Access Initiative, Open Access to scientific and scholarly literature means to us "its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited". The more, we believe that articles that are available by Open Access are likely to be read and cited more often than those not Open Access. Publicly-funded research should be made available to be read and used without access barriers. It is beneficial for the general public to have access to published scientific articles."

Consumer's Guide to Archaeological Science

2010-12-01T19:37:00.005-05:00

Since we are on the theme of new books in archaeological science (thanks Rob), here is another one to add to the list:

A Consumer's Guide to Archaeological Science: Analytical Techniques

Mary E. Malainey

Charles E Orser, Editor

Michael B. Schiffer, Editor

2011, 603 pages

ISBN 978-1-4419-5703-0

Link to Springer

This volume is also available online as PDFs for purchase.

From the Preface:

"The information presented should enable an archaeologist to understand and critically evaluate:

-the suitability of various analytical techniques to address particular archaeological questions;

-the data generated through the application of these techniques

-the validity of the archaeological interpretations made on the basis of the data."

German book on archaeometry

2010-11-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

Archäometrie: Methoden und Anwendungsbeispiele naturwissenschaftlicher Verfahren in der Archäologie

[Archeometry: physical and chemical methods for solving archeological problems. Examples and methods]

Editors: Andreas Hauptmann; Volker Pingel

2008. 264 pages, 138 figures, 7 tables, 16 plates

Language: Geman

ISBN 978-3-510-65232-7, price: 49.80 €

E. Schweizerbart Science Publishers

I'm too lazy to translate the following, so try your German:

Die moderne Archäologie hat sich in ihrem methodischen Ansatz rasant weiterentwickelt und bedient sich heute in zunehmendem Maße naturwissenschaftlicher Methoden, um kulturhistorische Fragestellungen und Probleme zu lösen. Es gibt heute kaum noch archäologische Grabungen, an denen keine Naturwissenschaftler anderer Disziplinen mitarbeiten.

In 13 Beiträgen beschreiben Fachleute der verschiedensten naturwissenschaftlichen Fachrichtungen, auf welche Weise Methoden und Konzepte (z.B. der Anthropologie, Biologie, Chemie, der Geowissenschaften und der Physik) Beiträge zur Beantwortung archäologischer und historischer Fragen leisten können. Es werden Verfahren zur Untersuchung archäologischer Funde organischer und anorganischer Zusammensetzung vorgestellt. Antiken Landschaftsveränderungen durch den Menschen wird z.B. mit Methoden der Geoarchäologie nachgespürt.

Mehrere Beiträge befassen sich mit der Bedeutung und Anwendung radiometrischer Datierungsverfahren in der Altertumsforschung. Auch Prospektionsmethoden, die in der Archäologie besondere Bedeutung erlangt haben, werden besprochen. Anwendungsbeispiele, u.a. aus der Luftbildarchäologie und der Geophysik illustrieren den praktischen Einsatz der vorgestellten Methoden.

Dieses Buch soll Forschern und Studierenden sowie allen an der archäologischen Forschung Interessierten die notwendigen Grundlagen der Archäometrie nahe bringen.

New book on archaeological chemistry

2010-11-28T19:36:00.000-05:00

An Introduction to Archaeological Chemistry

Price, T. Douglas, Burton, James H. (both former SAS presidents!)

1st Edition., 2011, XXXII, 311 p. 47 illus., 27 in color., Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4419-6375-8
$169

From the Springer web site:

"Archaeological chemistry is a subject of great importance to the study and methodology of archaeology. This comprehensive text covers the subject with a full range of case studies, materials, and research methods. With twenty years of experience teaching the subject, the authors offer straightforward coverage of archaeological chemistry, a subject that can be intimidating for many archaeologists who do not already have a background in the hard sciences. With clear explanations and informative illustrations, the authors have created a highly approachable text, which will help readers overcome that intimidation. Topics covered included: Materials (rock, pottery, bone, charcoal, soils, metals, and others), Instruments (microscopes, NAA, spectrometers, mass spectrometers, GC/MS, XRF & XRD, Case Studies (Provinience, Sediments, Diet Reconstruction, Past Human Movement, Organic Residues). The detailed coverage and clear language will make this useful as an introduction to the study of archaeological chemistry, as well as a useful resource for years after that introduction."

Nice work, colleagues.

Geoarchaeological Research in Egypt and the Nile Valley

2010-11-23T21:42:00.002-05:00

There is a new Virtual Special Issue on the Geoarchaeology web pages entitled: Geoarchaeological Research in Egypt and the Nile Valley. All the papers are available as free downloads so it should be a valuable resource for both teaching and research.

From the web page:

The Nile Valley and desert landscapes of Egypt and Sudan have been key areas of geoarchaeological research for many decades. Geoscientists have worked alongside archaeologists in a wide range of contexts including Palaeolithic sites in desert oases and the magnificent urban centres of Pharaonic Egypt. This interaction has yielded a very rich body of work and has led to the development of new geoarchaeological methods and important theoretical advances. Since its launch in 1986, this journal has regularly published papers on geoarchaeological research in Egypt and the Nile Valley. The 17 papers presented here (and available below as free downloads) were published in Geoarchaeology between 1988 and 2008. They exemplify a range of approaches, settings and timescales whilst highlighting the value of interdisciplinary research in the study of the human past. This special issue includes classic work by some of the most influential archaeologists and geoarchaeologists to have worked in the region. While there is some overlap in approach and themes, the papers are grouped under the following headings:

1. Palaeoclimates, human settlement, and geochronology
2. Contexts, site formation and the analysis of cultural materials
3. Long-term river channel and flood dynamics

This collection was launched to coincide with a major international symposium on Landscape Archaeology, Egypt and the Mediterranean World held in Cairo from September 19th to 21st 2010 under the auspices of the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale (IFAO). It will be of particular interest to all who are concerned with long-term human-environment interactions in the Nile Valley and the desert landscapes of the Eastern Sahara.

Jamie Woodward
Professor of Physical Geography
The University of Manchester
Email: jamie.woodward@manchester.ac.uk

Archaeological photogrammetry group

2010-11-23T18:24:00.000-05:00

The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society is the United Kingdom’s leading society for remote sensing and photogrammetry and their application to education, science, research, industry, commerce and the public service. As a charity, its remit is to inform and educate its members and the public. It supports networking between the university, business and government sectors. An international society, RSPSoc is also active in Europe and on the world stage.

It includes the Archaeology SIG (special interest group), which aims to encourage the exchange of research and methodology between remote sensing scientists and archaeologists, especially those concerned with methods of site prospection and novel applications. Meetings concentrate on a mixture of case studies and developing methodology and include ground-based methods, photogrammetry, LIDAR, laser scanning, and geophysical prospection, as well as aerial photography and thermal imaging.

You can download the SIG publications and special reports.

Award for best Archaeometry dissertations

2010-11-23T15:23:00.001-05:00

Groupe des Méthodes Pluridisciplinaires Contribuant à l´Archéologie (GMPCA)
Best Archaeometry Ph.D. Award
2011 G.M.P.C.A. PhD Award - Call for Applications

The Groupe des Méthodes Pluridisciplinaires Contribuant à l´Archéologie (GMPCA) awards two prizes of EUR1000 maximum (*) every two years to the best PhD theses written in French or in English relating to original work in archaeometry, in any of the different scientific fields contributing to archaeology. These prizes (*) are usually given to the winner(s) at the time of the GMPCA´s biennial conference. The Archéométrie 2011 meeting will take place in Liège (Belgium) from 11 to 15 April 2011, organized by the Centre Européen d´Archéométrie of Liège University.

This prize is open to all researchers under 40 years of age who do not hold a full time academic position or a permanent contract. The applicants for the GMPCA prize must have written and defended a thesis in French or in English in a university within the European Union and have been awarded a doctorate between January 1st 2009 and December 31th 2010. Candidates cannot apply twice. The candidate´s file must be comprised of :

1. a printed copy of the thesis,
2. a 3-page (max.) précis of the PhD project´s methodology, results and future implications and applications
3. an appendix indicating the title of the PhD, the date and the university, and the composition of the jury,
4. postal and electronic addresses,
5. abstract and/or full text consultation web addresses, if available.

The prize winner(s) is (are) committed to submitting an article within an reasonable delay to the journal ArcheoSciences.

We expressly invite candidates to declare themselves by email with available documents enclosed. Definitive applications must be sent by post to the secretary of the association, or to one of the members of the board.

Applications must be received no later than January 8th 2011.

S. Dubernet
GMPCA Secretary
Stephan.Dubernet@u-bordeaux3.fr

SCIART

2010-11-14T06:07:00.002-05:00

The NSF recently announced awards for a new program: Chemistry and Materials Research at the Interface between Science and Art or SCIART.

This program is co-sponsored with the Andrew W. Mellon foundation to “to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between conservation scientists and chemists and materials scientists to address grand challenges in the field of science of cultural heritage.”

The original call for proposals focused on four areas:

a) develop new and improved analytical techniques and instruments with high sensitivity and spatial resolution (large and small scale) for restricted volume and/or standoff detection of component materials, degradation products and deterioration markers and which are suitable for non-destructive analysis of cultural heritage objects; b) study dynamic changes leading to degradation of cultural heritage objects; c) design new multi-functional treatment materials for cultural heritage objects; d) develop new theoretical models to predict dynamic processes in cultural heritage objects that lead to their degradation while taking into account their molecular and materials properties and their surface and bulk interactions with environmental perimeters.

While many of these topics may focus on conservation, several of these directions will also aid in many regions of archaeological science, specifically in chemical analysis and materials science. I am particularly interested to see the results of new instrumentation and understanding dynamic changes in materials. The complete list of the awards is listed here.

New book from Oxford University Press

2010-11-09T21:13:00.002-05:00

Scientific Methods and Cultural Heritage

An introduction to the application of materials science to archaeometry and conservation science

Gilberto Artioli

ISBN13: 9780199548262

ISBN10: 0199548269

Hardback, 368 pages

Aug 2010, In Stock

$117.00 (06)

From the web site, where more details are also available:

Description

Scientific techniques developed in materials science offer invaluable information to archaeology, art history, and conservation. A rapidly growing number of innovative methods, as well as many established techniques, are constantly being improved and optimized for the analysis of cultural heritage materials. The result is that on the one hand more complex problems and questions can be confronted, but on the other hand the required level of technical competence is widening the existing cultural gap between scientists and end users, such as archaeologists, museum curators, art historians, and many managers of cultural heritage who have a purely humanistic background.

The book is intended as an entry-level introduction to the methods and rationales of scientific investigation of cultural heritage materials, with emphasis placed on the analytical strategies, modes of operation, and resulting information rather than on technicalities. The extensive and updated reference list should be a useful starting point for further reading. Students and researchers from the humanities approaching scientific investigations should find it useful, as well as scientists applying familiar techniques and methods to unfamiliar problems related to cultural heritage.

Features

Comprehensive approach to cultural heritage problems, bridging sciences and humanities
Pedagogical, cross-disciplinary presentation, merging different strands of background information
Easy to follow, suitable for undergraduate and graduate level teaching
Emphasizes analytical strategies and resulting information rather than technicalties
Richly illustrated
Extensive and up-to-date reference list

Product Details

368 pages; 200 b/w line and halftone figures, 8pp color plates; 9.7 x 7.4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-954826-2ISBN10: 0-19-954826-9

iPads in Pompeii

2010-10-01T02:31:00.002-04:00

A recent story on Apple Computer’s website reports on the use of iPads and related software in the University of Cincinnati's excavations of Pompeii. Not only do the hand-held devices help with recording data and artifacts into a master database, but also help with GPS/GIS locations, drawings, photographs and other aspects of recording an active excavation. The researchers cite the iPad's ease of use and ability to take the harsh conditions of the field.

iPads and other handheld devices have also found their way into excavations and analytical studies. Most excavations now use GPS devices regularly. Many types of portable instrumentation also now use PDAs as an integrated part of the hand held device, such as in the Bruker Tracer III-V PXRF. What other changes to archaeological science come from hand-held technologies? Would 4 iPads in Pompeii be ivPads?

Thanks to the OzArch listserv for this recent news story and lots of comments on the merits and downsides of technology in archaeological excavations.

Archaeology (and Archaeological Sciences?) and the Global Economic Crisis

2010-09-20T00:22:00.003-04:00

Recently, Nathan Schlanger and Kenneth Atichison edited a report of the effects of the global economic crisis on archaeology, published by ACE Project and Culture Lab Editions. While this report mainly focuses on the US and specific countries in Europe, does it reflect worldwide trends in economics and archaeology? Is the field of archaeology suffering major declines due to the economic climate? If so, are these changes permanent or transitory? How can we quantify anecdotal or media evidence? Are the changes destructive or constructive? As archaeologists, we should be aware of how these events have a way of being cyclical.

The report does not specifically address archaeological sciences or archaeometry, but I imagine funding and personnel changes have also affected many of us regardless of employer or institution.

The editors are collecting information on the effects of the global crisis on archaeology for a future publication, so are interested in hearing from the community.

Article of Interest: "Why Trust a Reporter?"

2010-09-13T11:17:00.009-04:00

A useful article in the recent issue of TheScientist.com (Volume 24 Issue 9 Page 40 Date: 2010-09-01) features helpful tips to scientists when giving an interview on research. The author, Edyta Zielinska, covers the basics about how to slow down, make your research clear, and avoid "press pitfalls."

The following disclaimer is provided alongside the various defnitions and helpful strategies: "While the following represent widely held definitions in the field, not every reporter will interpret the rules in the same way. Your best bet is to either not say anything you don’t want to see in print or have an explicit conversation with the reporter about how your words will be used before the interview begins. "

Read more: Why Trust A Reporter? - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences http://www.the-scientist.com/2010/9/1/40/1/#ixzz0zQNEkvwm

A lively, and at times cynical, response section highlights concerns of the scientific community in responding to requests for interviews. This subject addresses the issue of how to control your message to the public. Science communication extends to the broader goal of promoting science in the community and not just to teaching students how to do it. What are the best examples of public outreach and news media for archaeological sciences, especially by SAS membership? To get things started, here is a post to a recent link from the SAS Blog -

Archaeometry SAS-blog: Video interview with SAS President Sandra López Varela

A MEGA Database of Middle Eastern Antiquities

2010-08-25T01:43:00.002-04:00

Following up on other recent posts on mapping and archaeology (NASA, July 19, and LIDAR, May 12), high-tech mapping and databases are being used to document and preserve archaeological sites and artifacts in the Middle East. The New York Times reports on a Getty Conservation Institute initiative to create a web-based database to document archaeological sites in Jordan (MEGA: Middle Eastern Geodatabase for Antiquities). In addition to documenting entire ancient cities such as Jerash, the database also lists individual features and finds. Individual data points can be located via Google Earth satellite images.

The concept behind this is to put field reports and critical information about possibly endangered sites in the hands of officials, allowing them easier and more efficient access to information on overwhelming numbers of sites and artifacts. Eventually the project hopes to expand to neighboring Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, all rich with archaeological heritage. Conceptually, this project could translate to anywhere in the world, given time, money and resources.

Of course more information on the web means more accessibility and knowledge. What further ramifications does this have for the archaeology and archaeometry communities?

Photo From Getty MEGA Website

Rock Art and Megafauna?

2010-08-17T01:51:00.003-04:00

Researchers from Monash University reported recently that rock art in Australia’s Northern Territory represents Genyornis, an ancient megafaunal bird similar to an emu. This is the first reported artistry of a species that went extinct 40,000 years ago, and calls the timeline of humans in Australia into question. Further studies include excavation and dating of the site. This project and its future directions are an excellent example of archaeological sciences at their best- an archaeological team, a paleontologist, and perhaps some dating specialists will investigate this apparent chronological mystery.

Photo provided by Ben Gunn

CHARISMA program - proposals due 15 Spet. 2010

2010-08-10T12:06:00.003-04:00

CHARISMA (Cultural Heritage Advanced Research Infrastructures: Synergy for a Multidisciplinary Approach to Conservation/Restoration) is an EU-funded integrating activity project carried out in the FP7 Capacities Specific Programme "Research Infrastructures".

The project provides transnational access to most advanced scientific instrumentations and knowledge allowing scientists, conservators-restorers and curators to enhance their research at the field forefront. Specialists from arts and sciences, design and set-up new instrumentations and methodologies developing the most promising technological applications and sustainable solutions to improve diagnostics and monitoring. New extended cooperation among European infrastructures, paves the way towards expanding the harmonisation of best practices in studies and conservation.

The CHARISMA transnational access (TA) programs offer European scientists a to carry out their experiments utilizing 3 different and complementary groups of facilities (ARCHLAB, MOLAB and FIXLAB) through a service embedded in a multidisciplinary environment involving material science and artwork conservation/restoration.

* FIXLAB provides access to large and medium scale European installations, including the beamlines of one synchrotron radiation, one neutron source and two ion-beam analytical facilities;
* MOLAB offers access to a portable set of advanced analytical equipment, for in-situ non-invasive measurements on artworks, without any movement of the artefacts from their location and any contact with the surface;
* ARCHLAB permits the access to the structured scientific information and analytical data, stored in the archives of the most prestigious European museums and conservation institutions.

In a program that covers joint research, transnational access and networking, the planned challenging activities require a combined effort and commitment of an high-level partnership of twenty-one organizations to provide access to advanced facilities and develop research and applications on artwork materials finalised to the conservation of cultural heritage and favoring the opening of larger perspective to the heritage conservation activities in Europe.

The access activities are supported by 3 outreach programs as networking (NA) cooperation activities, with the intent to achieve a permanent interoperability among the European institutions of the CHARISMA consortium and those external to it. The activity fosters the culture of international cooperation, providing harmonisation of methodologies, sharing knowledge and best practices on conservation projects, adopting progressive standard compatibility, and providing education, training, users' awareness events, technology transfer and dissemination of project results.

3 Joint Research activities (JRA), intend to exploit advanced technologies and techniques as well as most promising applications and integrated solutions, to complement the project scheme providing innovative instrumentations and methodologies tailored to the user's needs.

Timberhenge at Stonehenge

2010-08-08T12:01:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite tourist destinations ever has been Stonehenge. I was fortunate enough to visit there twice. The second time my wife and I walked in from several kilometers away, which made a special impression of Stonehenge as part of the landscape.

Archaeometric studies have played an important part of Stonehenge-based research, including chronometric dating and the provenance of the megaliths. Some of this work is reported upon in the book Science and Stonehenge.

Recently,an outer circular ditch around Stonehenge was located using ground penetrating radar. The ditch, which had once been filled with poles, has been named timberhenge. One of the investigators was Wolfgang Neubauer from the University of Vienna. I had the pleasure to hear him give a public lecture this past Spring during my sabbatical stay in Munich. His well-illustrated and engaging talk, in a schoolhouse in a small town, drew about 300 people, which amazed me. How nice to see people interested in their cultural heritage.

NASA's Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences

2010-07-19T14:23:00.006-04:00

The Caracol LIDAR Project (SAS Blog Post on May12, 2010) has recently been reported at professional conferences and news articles like this one from the New York Times. This project has highlighted the application of new technologies to archaeology. In addition, the success of the Caracol program has also widened awareness of the NASA Space Archaeology program which has the scientific objective to use the vantage point of space to improve our understanding of past human settlement patterns.

The NASA Space Archaeology program solicits proposals that incorporate the use of remote sensing data for the exploration of regional landscape analysis and modeling of human and enivronmental interactions as well as the protection and preservation of cultural heritage sites and sustainable development of cultural resources.

A newly awarded NASA grant, Climate Change and Human Impact on Ancient and Modern Settlements: Identification and Condition Assessment of Archaeologucal Sites in the Northern Levant from Landsat, ASTER and CORONA Imagery utilizes existing satellite imagery from the last thirty years. In full disclosure, this award has gone to my colleagues located just down the hall at The Geo-Archaeological Information Applications (GAIA) Lab, at the Archaeological Research Institute, in the School of Human Evolution & Culture Change at Arizona State University.

The initial pilot study and grant proposal are available online (link above) and outlines the goals of the project. In addition to exploring archaeological questions of urban collapse, this project seeks to identify areas of potential damage to existing cultural heritage materials in the Levant region of the Middle East. For archaeologists, the refinement and development of techniques to make use of Lansat TM, ASTER and CORONA imagery is beneficial. The corrected images and newly acquired site information will be made available on the Digital Archaeological Atlas of the Holy Land for public and professional use.

Archaeological Sciences Education Down Under

2010-07-12T02:45:00.002-04:00

The Australian National University in Canberra recently started a Masters of Archaeological Science Program. The program includes several themes, including Environmental Archaeology, Archaeological Site Science, and Archaeology, Climate Change and Natural Hazards, among others. The program philosophy touches on some interesting ideas, including how archaeological science can shape policy and shape landscapes.

Just recently the first graduate of the program was awarded his degree. I hope that we can see development of more archaeological science programs and departments here in Australia and around the world.

Call for Papers, Australian Archaeological Association Conference 2010

2010-07-11T23:26:00.003-04:00

CALL FOR PAPERS - AUSTRALIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE 2010

The Australian National University is pleased to be hosting the 2010 Australian Archaeological Association conference.

We would now welcome proposals for individual papers in line with our conference sessions. A full list of these sessions can be viewed at: http://arts.anu.edu.au/AandA/archaeology/aaaconference/aaasessions.asp 

Please contact the appropriate session organiser/s before 1 October to submit your abstract.

Promoting Archaeological Science to Kids (With Jello?)

2010-06-28T05:47:00.005-04:00

A colleague of mine recently published an article on how to inspire kids to enjoy and learn about microfluidics (his research area). He was able to translate complex physics and engineering concepts through the use of dyed water and Jello, and a well thought-out lesson plan for two different groups of students. Although his research is not directly related to archaeological science per se, this article speaks to the to the value of hands-on experiments in education. Many science educators talk about “hands-on science”, and Lagally and his colleagues summarize this concept very well in the introduction of the article:

“Most of us, being educators or researchers in science and technology, remember a deﬁning moment in our adolescent years that sparked a life-long interest and passion in this ﬁeld. It may have been performing an oxidation-reduction reaction; it may have been building an electronic circuit; or it may have been watching cells divide under a microscope. Regardless of the subject matter, one thing these pivotal moments have in common is that they are all examples of hands-on education.”

(Cheng Wei T. Yang, Eric Ouellet, Eric T. Lagally. Using Inexpensive Jell-O Chips for Hands-On Microfluidics Education. Analytical Chemistry, 2010) (Photo Credit American Chemical Society)

I would ask the blog readers out there- what was your defining moment that sparked your interest in archaeological science? And, how do you translate that to young scientists? What are some of your favorite household materials to use to teach archaeological science and to make it accessible to students and teachers?

I have volunteered in schools in several districts in several places in the US and Australia and presented to elementary school and high school groups and in-between, with different hands-on activities. What sort of hands-on activities have you used successfully to teach and promote archaeological science to kids? I am curious to see other responses.

GeoRaman 2010

2010-06-18T03:31:00.002-04:00

GeoRaman 2010 is coming up in a couple of weeks, from 28th June- 2nd July, at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia. While the conference covers the application of Raman spectroscopy in the Earth Sciences, one whole day (Tuesday, 29th June) is devoted to the applications of Raman to archaeology.

The website and program have the details, but here are some highlights:

Archeology Chairperson: Peter Vandenabeele

9:00 - 9:40 Plenary Howell Edwards Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Archaeological Artefacts: The

Illumination of Ancient Mysteries.

9:40 - 10:00 Contributed Linda Prinsloo Recreating a Stone Age artist's"paint box"

10:00 - 10:20 Contributed Annelien Deneckere Raman spectroscopy, supplemented with two other techniques, as tool

to gather information about the mediaeval manuscript 'Liber Floridus'.

10:20 - 10:40 Contributed Nicoleta Vornicu Raman Spectrometry in Cultural Heritage

Glasses Chairperson: Jean Dubessy

13:30 - 14:10 Plenary Ludovic Bellot-Gurlet Si-O glasses and Fe-O nano-structured phases in cultural heritage materials: insight from Raman procedures

14:10 - 14:30 Contributed Elizabeth Carter Raman Spectroscopy of Fulgurites

14:30 - 14:50 Contributed Sarah Kelloway Raman Mapping of Australian Colonial Glazes

There are also some posters in the Archaeology section, so check out those titles as well!

Robin Hood's caves?

2010-05-28T18:03:00.002-04:00

The latest in a long sequence of Robin Hood movies is out. I used to watch the tv show (the old one from the 50s with that memorable theme song, not the recent British series) when I was a kid, but I can't really say I am an afficionado of the movie genre. (Although, I am sympathetic with taking from the rich and giving to the poor.)

The Nottingham Caves Survey is the first part of the Caves of Nottingham Regeneration Project (CoNoRP). This is a two-and-a-half year project funded by the Greater Nottingham Partnership, East Midlands Development Agency, English Heritage, the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council. The project intends to take a fresh look at Nottingham’s caves and encourage the City and its visitors to appreciate the caves for the unique historical resource they are. The Nottingham Caves Survey will build on the work of British Geological Survey in the 1980s. The BGS Register of Caves documented all known caves in Nottingham. We will revisit all caves listed in the Register and update the information about those caves. All caves that can be physically accessed will be surveyed with a 3D laser scanner, producing a full measured record of the caves in three dimensions. This ‘point cloud’ of millions of individual survey points can be cut and sliced into plans and sections, ‘flown through’ in short videos, and examined in great detail either on the web through the TruView Internet Explorer plug-in or on a fixed PC with suitable software.

The graphics are really nice. Here is an example:

Maybe the Hood was hiding in there somewhere?

New journal offer for SAS members

2010-05-19T07:44:00.000-04:00

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, a new journal from Springer, covers the full spectrum of natural scientific methods with an emphasis on the archaeological contexts and the questions being studied. It bridges the gap between archaeologists and natural scientists providing a forum to encourage the continued integration of scientific methodologies in archaeological research.

This jounral is now available to SAS members for an annual discounted rate of $40 US. You can pay using PayPal through the SAS website. An email will shortly be sent to members with instructions how to pay by check. This payment will only be recorded if you are already an SAS member, or pay the $20 membership at the same time.

Coverage in the journal includes: archaeology, geology/geophysical prospection, geoarchaeology, geochronology, palaeoanthropology, archaeozoology and archaeobotany, genetics and other biomolecules, material analysis and conservation science.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences is also endorsed by the German Society of Natural Scientific Archaeology and Archaeometry (GNAA), the Hellenic Society for Archaeometry (HSC) and the Association of Italian Archaeometrists (AIAr).

Caracol Lidar survey

2010-05-12T08:23:00.001-04:00

The paper that has excited me the most at the International Symposium on Archaeometry this week in Tampa is:

The application of airborne LiDAR to an ancient Maya landscape
Chase, Arlen F.; Chase, Diane; Weishampel, John
University of Central Florida

This technology has been around, but this application hit me over the head as a stunning application to archaeology.

This (coincidentally) was in the session I co-organized on Field Methods, which used to contain many archaeological geophysics papers, but now has more of a mix, as the geophysics papers seem to be going to other venues.

The work of the Chases and colleagues at Caracol (source of photo) was nicely described this week in a New York Times article. I'd like to think the story was picked up from the ISA.

Taylor poster award winners at the SAA

2010-05-09T06:23:00.006-04:00

R.E. (Erv) Taylor is emeritus Professor of Anthropology, University of California at Riverside. He was a co-founder SAS, SAS Newsletter editor, SAS President, and SAS General Secretary from 1981-2002. He was the winner of the 2004 Fryxell Award for Interdisciplinary Research of the Society for American Archaeology, in recognition of the outstanding contributions in the development and application of radiocarbon dating to archaeological research.

SAS president Lopez Varella is pleased to announce and to congratulate the winners of the R. E. Taylor Poster Award at the SAA 75th Anniversary Meeting in St Louis, MO.:

Elizabeth Sonnenburg, Joseph Boyce, Eduard Reinhardt and Aubrey Cannon. "Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction and Water-Level Fluctuations: Implications for Understanding of Paleoindian and Archaic Archaeology in Southern Ontario".

Dana Rosenstein and James Feathers. "Luminescence Dating of Samples from Recent Contexts in South Africa".

Both students will receive a free subscription to our SAS Bulletin and a $100 US bonus.

For more than a decade, receiving the Taylor Award has enhanced the career of those who are now prominent young scholars and professionals.

Notes from SAS get-together during SAA

2010-05-07T05:00:00.005-04:00

Minutes from the SAS General Meeting

75 SAA Annual Meeting (April 14-18, 2010, St. Louis, MO)

Sandra L. López Varela

First, I would like to acknowledge that we had a full room of attendees. During our meeting, I indicated that we have reached a point in which a decision needs to be made, whether SAS should become a formal professional association and leave behind its voluntary status, given the series of events taking place in our surroundings and the trajectory these are shaping for SAS. It was recommended that we should position ourselves as a professional association but structural and organizational changes need to take place that need to be discussed.

Taylor Poster Award 2010

I am pleased to announce that Elizabeth Sonnenburg and Dana Rosenstein have both been awarded the R. E. Taylor Poster Award at the SAA 75th Anniversary Meeting in St Louis, MO.

Membership Development

As of April 15^th, Dr. Michael Gregg has officially become our new Vice President for Membership Development. For the SAA meeting, Michael prepared a flyer that he was able to place at different editorial booths, including SRI (the applied sector), inviting colleagues to join SAS by specifying the strengths of our society and the value of becoming a member. Together, we distributed this flyer during key sessions such as the student poster sessions and the well-attended forum he organized, Quiet Crisis in American Archaeology, having Paul Goldberg and David Killick as chairs. During the meeting, Michael circulated the new logo for SAS and it was very welcomed by all attendees.

The blog and wiki are prominent markers of SAS. Lisa Sonnenburg (one of the Taylor Award Winners this year) is willing to cooperate with Rob.

Still, we are not increasing our membership. Michael and I learned that people in New Zealand and Australia would like to receive information about us. Building our Membership has to be a priority, so we should evaluate how to bring in those members that dropped out and how are we going to reach those that are unaware of us.

Future Plans for SAS

First, it is necessary to recognize that archaeological sciences have never been more present at the SAA than at this meeting. Their scope was discussed by various symposiums and their uses widely applied in numerous papers, forums and posters. Since we are a society representing archaeological sciences, this trend has made us visible, even if we have lost members. Since I took office as President of SAS, I have been invited to attend the Presidents’ Breakfast, hosted by the on-going president of the SAA. It is indeed a petit committee sharing major concerns surrounding archaeology, our own specific goals, and the making of new initiatives to improve the professional and educational aspects of our discipline.

Ethics committee

At first sight, as I shared during our meeting, it sounds exciting. However, the way SAS is organized right now prevents us from acting when a joint initiative is put together. If I am not wrong, SAS has never had an active role in defending heritage issues. Last year, during the Christie’s auction affair, I realized other societies had an ethics committee with whom to discuss the joining of an initiative to stop the selling, except SAS. I supported the letter on the Board’s behalf as this needed a quick response. But, this was not the only uncomfortable situation. Possibly we would have been called in as experts to determine authenticity, leaving us with a series of rules that we would have had to have follow regarding Native American human remains that not everyone is aware of. Luckily, the letter was enough in this case.

The recent interviews I gave for the MiniGeology blog dealt with ethical issues, as these are part of our bylaws. The position we are in calls for the integration of such committee and this was an idea that was very welcomed by all those present. An ethics committee and guidelines are needed. It was recommended to send this idea for approval to our business meeting and if approved the President would write a proposal.

An SAS conference

I also shared that Patrick Degryse and I have envisioned having a conference exclusively for SAS through a Humboldt Kolleg. In briefly explaining what a Kolleg is the idea was also welcomed, specially, since it has the potential to take place in different parts of the world and support both scholars and students.

An SAS scholarship

I communicated that Patrick Degryse’s future goals, as President of SAS, includes the establishment of a scholarship that could promote a research stay for students. The idea was more than welcome by those present. I took the liberty to share Patrick’s goals at the Presidents’ Meeting as an excellent research opportunity that was welcomed by everyone, especially by RPA and the European Association of Archaeologists.

The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences Project with Wiley-Blackwell

At the meeting, I was approached by Rosalie M. Robertson, Senior Editor of Anthropology and Archaeology, who asked if I had some interest in collaborating with them to coordinate an Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences. The idea that we worked over breakfast is for her to take the proposal we designed to Wiley, send it to us so I can present it to you all. I suggested SAS to endorse the Encyclopedia project that at this stage could include a printed book (covering the basics of archaeological sciences) that could serve as a teaching resource, linked to an A-Z specialized reference source (the Encyclopedia) that will be printed and can be updated on line, and an online resource of basic exercises or experiments. I am working as an international advisor for the Global Archaeology Encyclopedia by Elsevier, with Claire Smith as editor-in-chief, and for which Rob Tykot is responsible for the archaeological sciences sections, so I am aware of the challenges of this project. Rosalie promised to send the proposal in time for the ISA meeting. Again, this also depends on Wiley approving it, but in the mean time, I think this project could address many of the issues raised during the symposium organized by Michael Gregg.

My Concluding Remarks

Although our presence in the field is growing, it appears that our voluntary work is not always enough to meet effectively all the needed tasks. If we really want to see SAS thrive, we need to revise our organization chart, our channels of communication, and our internal procedures. We cannot continue centralizing activities in one person. This has proved to be problematic when this person is absent, is in the field, or goes through an emergency. We simply are unable to act or do the needed tasks. We need to clarify who can make decisions in such cases. If SAS is to become a more visible organization, we need to change it in order to more effectively address these concerns.

SAS business meeting at ISA

2010-05-05T05:37:00.000-04:00

Thursday, May 13, 18:15 - 19:15

Open meeting of the Society for Archaeological Sciences

Room MSC 2706

At International Symposium on Archaeometry, Tampa

Video interview with SAS President Sandra López Varela

2010-05-05T05:18:00.000-04:00

A note from Sandra:

"I was interviewed by Daniel Minisini [for his miniGeology video blog] and he quickly set up the videos into his webpage and set up a link to our webpage, through a short profile. He liked so much what we were doing, he decided to run two video-interviews instead of one. I didn't know that my answers had to be on the "clip side" and on the "simple message" and the whole interview had to be a 5 minutes one, until we finished recording.

"I had a chance to talk to him as I assume most of us didn't know about his work. He works with tsunamis and sea structure"

Translated book on Peruvian archaeometallurgy

2010-04-22T03:24:00.001-04:00

Available from the GSA Bookstore:

Mining and Metallurgy in Ancient Perú
by Georg Petersen

Translated by William E. Brooks
2010, 90 p,
$40

In 2009, Perú was the world’s leading producer of silver, the world’s second leading producer of copper, and the leading producer of gold in Latin America. However, Perú’s role as a producer of metals extends for centuries into the past. Mining and Metallurgy in Ancient Perú documents the use of minerals, metals, and mineral resources in ancient Perú for pigments, industrial stone, and the aesthetic and artistic use of gold, silver, copper, and platinum. The tools and methods used for mining, as well as ancient mining sites in the extensive Andean region, are described here, as are metallurgical techniques and fabrication procedures. The volume also provides forward-thinking analytical data on metals, artifacts, and alloys. A detailed pyrite mirror, featured on the cover of the book, symbolizes the spectacular workmanship and blending of utilitarian craft and mineral resources in ancient Perú

Happy 25th anniversary, Geoarchaeology

2010-04-13T15:34:00.003-04:00

As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, the virtual special issue (25 Papers from 25 Years) is now live on the Geoarchaeology web page.

25 Papers from 25 Years: A Special Virtual Issue of Geoarchaeology, April 2010
Edited by Jamie Woodward, Gary Huckleberry, Paul Goldberg and Rolfe Mandel

This collection of downloadable pdf files has been compiled to mark the publication of the 25th volume of Geoarchaeology. The broad aim was to produce a Virtual Special Issue of 25 papers to showcase some of the most important and influential papers that have been published in the journal over the last 25 years. At the same time, a key objective was to ensure that, as far as possible, the collection covered all areas of geoarchaeology and was broadly representative of the journal's history. We have combined qualitative and quantitative data to assemble this Virtual Issue by canvassing all of the journal's Associate Editors (inviting them to identify the most influential papers in their respective fields), and by using citation data (as one measure of impact in the wider academy) to fine tune the list. The selected papers are listed in chronological order and present a diversity of theories, models, approaches, and empirical datasets derived from research across six continents. We anticipate that this Virtual Issue will be of use to both students and researchers, and we hope it will generate debate. It is a fitting way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Geoarchaeology: An International Journal.

Contents
Late Quaternary environmental history of the southern Levant
Paul Goldberg

Rates of fluvial sedimentation: Implications for archaeological variability
C. Reid Ferring

Paleorivers and geoarchaeology in the southern Egyptian Sahara
William P. McHugh, John F. McCauley, C. Vance Haynes, Carol S. Breed, Gerald G. Schaber

A "marginality" model to explain major spatial and temporal gaps in the old and new world Pleistocene settlement records
Karl W. Butzer

Impact of hydro-isostatic Holocene sea-level change on the geologic context of Island archaeological sites, Northern Ha'apai group, Kingdom of Tonga
William R. Dickinson, David V. Burley, Richard Shutler Jr.

Geochronology of paleoenvironmental change, clovis type site, Blackwater Draw, New Mexico
C. Vance Haynes Jr.

Short-term, post-burial change in a humic rendzina soil, Overton Down Experimental Earthwork, Wiltshire, England
J. Crowther, R. I. Macphail, G. M. Cruise

Solving archaeological problems using techniques of soil magnetism
Rinita A. Dalan, Subir K. Banerjee

Evaluating artifact burial by Eolian versus Bioturbation processes, South Carolina sandhills, USA
David S. Leigh

Soil constraints on Northwest Yucatán, Mexico: Pedoarchaeology and Maya Subsistence at Chunchucmil
Timothy Beach

The Loess/Paleosol record and the nature of the Younger Dryas climate in central China
David B. Madsen, Li Jingzen, Robert G. Elston, Xu Cheng, Robert L. Bettinger, Geng Kan, P. Jeff Brantingham, Zhong Kan

A reinterpretation of the Great Pit at Hofstaoir, Iceland using sediment thin section micromorphology
Ian A. Simpson, Karen B. Milek, Garðar Guðmundsson

The evolution of Paleoindian geochronology and typology on the Great Plains
Vance T. Holliday

Prehistoric shepherds and caves in the Trieste Karst (Northeastern Italy)
Giovanni Boschian, Emanuela Montagnari-Kokelj

Geochronology and climate change of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Darb el Arba'in Desert, Eastern Sahara
C. Vance Haynes Jr.

The sedimentary records in Mediterranean rockshelters and caves: Archives of environmental change
Jamie C. Woodward, Paul Goldberg

The microstratigraphic record of abrupt climate changes in cave sediments of the Western Mediterranean
Marie-Agnès Courty, Josep Vallverduc

Darwin would be proud: Bioturbation, dynamic denudation, and the power of theory in science
D. L. Johnson

The effects of temporal and spatial patterns of Holocene erosion and alluviation on the archaeological record of the Central and Eastern Great Plains, U.S.A.
E. Arthur Bettis III, Rolfe D. Mandel

Dynamic landscapes, artifact taphonomy, and landuse modeling in the western Mediterranean
C. Michael Barton, Joan Bernabeu, J. Emili Aura, Oreto Garcia, Neus La Roca

Geoarchaeology of the Kostenki-Borshchevo sites, Don River Valley, Russia
Vance T. Holliday, John F. Hoffecker, Paul Goldberg, Richard I. Macphail, Steven L. Forman, Mikhail Anikovich, Andrei Sinitsyn

Biogeochemical studies of a Native American runoff agroecosystem
Jonathan A. Sandor, Jay B. Norton, Jeffrey A. Homburg, Deborah A. Muenchrath, Carleton S. White, Stephen E. Williams, Celeste I. Havener, Peter D. Stahl

Identification of lime plaster in prehistory using petrographic methods: A review and reconsideration of the data on the basis of experimental and case studies
Panagiotis Karkanas

The surface archaeological record in arid Australia: Geomorphic controls on preservation, exposure, and visibility
Patricia C. Fanning, Simon J. Holdaway, Ed J. Rhodes, Tessa G. Bryant

Mid-Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes
Marie Jackson, Daniel Deocampo, Fabrizio Marra, Barry Scheetz

SAS meeting at the SAA

2010-04-10T06:33:00.000-04:00

The official business meeting of the SAS will be at the International Sympoisum on Archaeometry in Tampa.

But there will be a meeting of the SAS at the SAA to discuss issues.

Society for Archaeological Sciences Meeting

at the SAA 75th Anniversary Meeting St. Louis, Missouri April 15, 2010

Renaissance Grand St. Louis, Landmark Ballroom (6 R)

Members of the Society for Archaeological Sciences are cordially invited to attend a meeting during the SAA in St. Louis, on Thursday April 15th, between 5-6 PM at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis (R), Landmark Ballroom (6 R), Level 1.

The agenda will include a discussion of future plans for the society and welcoming of Dr. Michael Gregg as our new Vice President for Membership Development.

The SAS is sponsoring an all day symposium on April 15th, on:
The Taphonomy of Archaeological Residues (Part I) and
Current Applications of Residue Analysis to Archaeological Questions (Part II),
organized by Maria Raviele, having Hanneke Hoekman-Sites as Chair. Room: 232 (AC) Time: 8:00 AM–9:45 AM and 1:00 PM–4:00 PM.

On April 16th, SAS is supporting:

Archaeological Science 2010: PART I and II,

a poster session running all day, organized by Christopher Wolff, Javier Iñañez and Jeff Speakman, having Andrew Boehm as Chair, Exhibit Hall 1 (AC), 9:00 AM–11:00 AM and 3:00 PM–5:00 PM.

SAS will acknowledge an outstanding student poster for its innovative contribution in the use of scientific technologies to archaeological research by granting the R. E. Taylor Award, consisting of 100 US dollars and a one-year subscription to the SAS Bulletin.

Image from Science.

Archaeometry at SAA 75 - Sunday, April 18

2010-04-09T02:13:00.001-04:00

The annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology will be in St. Louis, April 14-18.

Here are some sessions on Sunday that appear to emphasize archaeometry or geoarchaeology.

Sunday Morning April 18, 2010

[240] SYMPOSIUM   SEARCHING FOR STRUCTURE IN CERAMIC ANALYSIS: APPLYING MULTI-SCALAR FRAMEWORKS AND TECHNIQUES TO THE INVESTIGATION OF POTTERY
PRODUCTION
   Room: 106 (AC)
   Time: 8:00 AM–9:45 AM
   Organizers: Alan Greene and Charles Hartley
   Chairs: Charles Hartley and Alan Greene
Participants:
8:00 Alan Greene and Charles Hartley—The Structure of Ceramic Analysis: Multiple Scales and Instruments in the Analysis of Production
8:15 Erin Hegberg—X-Ray Fluoroscopy in your own Backyard: A Method for Analyzing Ceramic Formation Techniques
8:30 Maryfran Heinsch—Wheel-Finished versus Wheel-Formed: Inferences and Implications from Radiographic Evidence of Ceramic Forming Techniques at Velikent
8:45 Andrew Duff—Producing Structure: The Role of Ceramic Production in Understanding Chaco-period Communities in the American Southwest
9:00 Charles Hartley and Alan Greene—From Structure to Composition and Back: Digital Radiography and Computed Tomography; Some Cases for Anthropological Contemplation
9:15 Katie MacFarland—Laterality and Directionality in Pottery Painting and Coiling
9:30 Pamela Vandiver—Discussant

[245] SYMPOSIUM   RECENT ADVANCES IN THE ZOOARCHAEOLOGY OF THE LAKE TITICACA BASIN
   Room: 104 (AC)
   Time: 8:00 AM–10:30 AM
   Organizers and Chairs: Kristen Gardella and Katharine Davis
Participants:
8:00 Mark Aldenderfer—Animal utilization during the Late Archaic-Early Formative Transition: The Evidence from Jiskairumoko
8:15 Matthew Warwick—Zooarchaeology of the Rio Pukara Valley: New data from the northern Lake Titicaca basin Formative
8:30 José Capriles, Melanie Miller and Christine Hastorf—Stable Isotope Analysis of Fish Remains from Lake Titicaca
8:45 Randi Gladwell—The Role of Camelids in Ritual Contexts at Khonkho Wankane (Bolivia) during the Formative Period
9:00 Katharine Davis—Heterarchy and Whole Camelid Butchering among Urban Residential Populations in the Classic Tiwanaku Period, Muru Ut Pata, Bolivia
9:15 Claudine Vallieres—Living with Garbage and Ancestors: The Case-study of Mollo Kontu in Tiwanaku, Bolivia
9:30 Elizabeth Arratia—The Economic Role of Fish in Mollo Kontu, Tiwanaku, Bolivia (600-1100 AD)
9:45 Kristen Gardella—Inka Feasting and the Past: Spaces of Celebration, Integration and Memory Construction at Tiwanaku, Bolivia
10:00 Katherine Moore—Discussant
10:15 Susan deFrance—Discussant

[250] SYMPOSIUM   COASTAL SEASONALITY: METHODOLOGIES AND SUBSTANTIVE
APPLICATIONS
   Room: 102 (AC)
   Time: 8:00 AM–10:45 AM
   Organizers: Elizabeth Reitz, David Thomas and Irvy Quitmyer
   Chair: Elizabeth Reitz
Participants:
8:00 David Thomas—Seasonality and Mobility on the Georgia Bight: Why We Should Care
8:15 Elizabeth J. Reitz, Bruce M. Saul, Jason W. Moak and G. Denise Carroll—Interpreting Seasonality from Modern and Archaeology Fishes on the Georgia Coast
8:30 Margaret Scarry—What can Plants and Plant Data tell us about Seasonality?
8:45 Irvy R. Quitmyer and Douglas S. Jones—Annual Incremental Shell Growth Patterns in Hard Clams (Mercenaria spp.) from St. Catherines Island, Georgia: A Record of Seasonal and Anthropogenic Impact on Zooarchaeological Resources
9:00 Douglas S. Jones, Irvy R. Quitmyer and Chester Depratter—Oxygen Isotope Validation of Annual Macroscopic Shell Growth Increments in Modern and Zooarchaeological Hard Clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) from the Litchfield Beach Estuary, South Carolina
9:15 Nicole Cannarozzi—Evaluating the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) as a Proxy for Season of Zooarchaeological Collection
9:30 Carol Colaninno—Evidence for Year-Round Occupation at Late Archaic Shell Rings of the Georgia Coast: Data from Oxygen Isotopic Profiles and Seasonally Sensitive Vertebrate Fauna
9:45 Sarah Bergh—Intra-site Variability in Seasonal Occupation at Back Creek St. Catherines Island, Georgia
10:00 Deborah Keene and C. Fred T. Andrus—An Integrated Approach for Asses Sedentism in the Georgia Bight
10:15 Douglas Kennett and Brendan Culleton—Testing Behavioral Ecological Models with Isotope Seasonality Studies in Coastal Settings
10:30 Gregory Waselkov—Making a Case for Coastal Subsistence Seasonality

[251] SYMPOSIUM   CURRENT RESEARCH ON THE POVERTY POINT CULTURE
   Room: 227 (AC)
   Time: 8:00 AM–10:45 AM
   Organizers and Chairs: Christopher Hays and Diana Greenlee
Participants:
8:00 Michael Hargrave, R. Berle Clay, Rinita Dalan and Lewis Somers—Recent Magnetic Gradient, Susceptibility, and Resistance Surveys at Poverty Point
8:15 Berle Clay, Michael Hargrave and Rinita Dalan—Geophysical Survey at Poverty Point: Raising Issues for Future Research
8:30 Diana Greenlee, Evan Peacock, Michael Hargrave, Berle Clay and Rinita Dalan—Preliminary Results from Excavations in the Plaza at Poverty Point
8:45 Lee Arco and Anthony Ortmann—Jaketown’s Buried Landscape: Recent Research at a Poverty Point Settlement in the Yazoo Basin, Mississippi
9:00 Anthony Ortmann—Comparative Analysis of Chipped Stone Assemblages from the Poverty Point and Jaketown Sites
9:15 Robert Connolly—Using the Material Record to Interpret the Poverty Point Site
9:30 Tim Hunt and Carl Lipo—Technological and Formal Analyses of Stone Plummets from Poverty Point, Louisiana
9:45 Mark Hill, Diana Greenlee and Hector Neff—Sourcing Poverty Point Copper: Testing the Lake Superior Hypothesis using LA-ICPMS Analysis
10:00 Christopher Hays, James Stoltman, Robert Tykot and Richard Weinstein—Investigating the Exchange of Poverty Point Objects and Pottery in the Poverty Point Culture Using X-Ray Fluorescence and Petrographic Thin Sectioning
10:15 Sarah Spivey and Tristram Kidder—The Origins of Poverty Point
10:30 Rebecca Saunders—Discussant

[259] SYMPOSIUM   GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
   (Sponsored by Geoarchaeology Interest Group)
   Room: 105 (AC)
   Time: 8:00 AM–11:45 AM
   Organizer and Chair: Jennifer Smith
Participants:
8:00 Manuel Arroyo-Kalin, Yannick Devos and Cristiano Nicosia—The Geoarchaeological Study of Anthropogenic Dark Earths
8:15 Donald Thieme and Dennis Blanton—Landscape Changes and the Early Spanish Presence in Middle Georgia, USA
8:30 Kristen Arntzen and Julieann Van Nest—A Case Study of Mid-Holocene Landscape Evolution and Archaic Lifeways in the Midwestern Uplands: The Allscheid Rockshelter in Monroe County, Illinois
8:45 Andrew S. Gottsfield and Rolfe D. Mandel—Modeling the Geologic Potential for Cultural Resources in the Upper Neosho River Basin, East-Central Kansas
9:00 Nicholas Kessler and Rolfe Mandel—Late-Quaternary Landscape Evolution and Environmental Change in the Red Hills of South-Central Kansas: Implications for Archaeological Research
9:15 Rolfe Mandel, Jack Hofman and Steven Holen—Geoarchaeology of Stratified Early Paleoindian Cultural Deposits at the Kanorado Locality, Northwestern Kansas
9:30 Louis Fortin—Depositional Sequences at Cox Ranch Pueblo, New Mexico: A Geoarchaeological Perspective
9:45 Kara Rothenberg and E. Christian Wells—Using Soil Chemical Residue Analysis to Prospect for Ancient Activity Loci at the Prehispanic Site of Palmarejo, Northwest Honduras
10:00 Nichole Bettencourt and Melissa Goodman-Elgar—All Fired Up: The
Geoarchaeological Investigation of Adobes from Chiripa, Bolivia
10:15 Christopher Lockwood and Britton Shepardson—Assessing Kohala Field System
Land Use through Geochemistry
10:30 Bonnie Blackwell, Aislinn E. Deely, Thomas M. Truongchau, Christopher Hill and Anne R. Skinner—ESR Dating Pluvial Events at Paleolithic Sites in the Egyptian High Desert Oases
10:45 Katherine A. Adelsberger, Danielle S. Fatkin, Benjamin W. Porter and Bruce Routledge—Geoarchaeology at Dhiban: Research Potentials of a Multiperiod Site in Central Jordan
11:00 Susan Mentzer, Mihriban Özbasaran and Mary Stiner—Micromorphological Investigations of Anthropogenic Features at the Aceramic Neolithic site of Asikli Höyük, Turkey
11:15 Tico Wolff—Living Spaces and the Micromorphological Perspective: Recent Examples from the South Italian Bronze Age
11:30 Scott Worman and James L. Boone—People, a Plague on the Planet? A Landscape Geoarchaeology Study of Islamic Portugal