In case you are already fed up with the cold winter, here's a beam of sunshine for you. We've got another testimony of the Archaeological Science Summer School in Cyprus from Danial Fuks.
When did hominins’ toolmaking skills surpass those of other apes? How might you identify a milk jug of an obscure ancient culture? By what methods could non-diagnostic pottery sherds be used for dating and non-diagnostic bone fragments used for species identification?
These are just some of the questions which participants in the STARC archaeological sciences summer school learned the answers to during the week of July 21st-27th 2019 in Kissonerga, Cyprus. Offering an introduction to a variety of archaeological science fields, cutting-edge research and trend-setting researchers, the STARC summer school was a serious educational experience that felt like a holiday.
The fun began with a Monday-morning tour of the nearby archaeological site of Skalia, by excavator Dr Lindy Crewe. Shortly after, the lectures kicked off with Prof Matthew Collins whose clear and accessible talk progressed from an introduction to biomolecular archaeology, through the techniques and latest research of ancient protein analysis. This lucidity was not lost when addressing the complex, innovative methods of target protein sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) applied to archaeological detection of dairy diets, medieval parchment identification or non-diagnostic bone fragments.
Day 2 was lithics day with Dr Giullio Lucarini and Diego Capra. Giullio introduced the methods and theory of lithics analysis and outlined the evolution of stone tools from their earliest hominin makers. Giullio also addressed starch analysis on ground stone tools and ended with some of his own interdisciplinary lithics research, including ‘show and tell’ of actual stone tools. Diego helped us understand the material and cultural context of ground stone tools with his fascinating ongoing ethnoarchaeological study in Ethiopia.
Copper production was the order of Day 3 – a topic in which Cyprus has much to contribute to archaeology worldwide. Prof Vasiliki (Lina) Kassianidou offered a particularly coherent introduction to pyrotechnology, metallurgy and the history of copper production in Cyprus until modern times. Prof Thilo Rehren continued the theme of copper production with a thought-provoking discussion relating it to the general problem of bias and representativeness in archaeology. The conversation was spiced up with Prof Cyprian Broodbank’s engaging participation as a member of the audience. Beginning with the physical properties of metals, Thilo encouraged participants to delineate the reasons why people might start smelting metal, how they might have first discovered how to do so, and the ways in which metallurgy developed since.
On the morning of Day 4, Prof Broodbank introduced himself as a Mediterranean archaeologist interested in deep Mediterranean history and a long-term end-user of archaeological science. Having delved into methods and latest research in archaeological science during each of the previous days, it was time for some meta-reflection on the field as a whole. Cyprian noted that in the Mediterranean, we have lots of great data and lots of fancy machines for processing that data, but we need, most of all, meaningful, globally interesting questions. The challenge, then, is to develop ways of thinking that achieve mastery of archaeological science and are deeply imbedded in archaeological, sociological and historical questions. It must be said that all the programme’s lectures exemplified this approach, which was probably the most fundamental take-home message.
Following these meditations, Cyprian continued with a lecture on the Mediterranean as a context for archaeological science, sharing some of the themes and big questions of Mediterranean history. These included the geographical characteristics which present a variety of challenges and opportunities for human activity (including archaeology and history themselves), and the topics of connectivity, mobility and the technologies thereof. The second half of Day 4 was devoted to pottery, mediated by Cyprian, Raphael Laouari and Lindy Crewe. Cyprian began with the questions, “what is a ware?” and “what can pottery teach us?” before illustrating how he applies different pottery analyses to his archaeological survey work in the Kythera Island Project. The day ended with a hands-on workshop on pottery types from the Skalia excavations.
On Day 5, Dr Efthymia Nikita continued the motif of mobility with a lecture on the evidence to be gained from human skeletal remains. Nikita’s superbly clear lecture related both to mobility in archaeological theory and to the latest archaeogenetic and stable isotope applications. This was showcased in her own osteoarchaeological research on southern Aegean connectivity in the 3rd millennium BCE.
Programme organizer Dr Evi Margaritis’ absorbing lecture discussed the ways in which archaeobotanical evidence for plant processing, particularly of grapes and olives, can be used to reconstruct technological change and landscape transformation. Importantly, she also addressed methodological issues related to the archaeological visibility of use and processing. Evi’s talk ended with an introduction to the excavations at Keros, in which archaeobotany and most of the aforementioned archaeological sciences play a significant part.
The final lecture of the programme was a systematic and refreshing introduction to archaeozoology in general, and Cypriot archaeology in particular, by Dr Anna Spyrou. In addition to ethnozoology, taphonomy, sampling procedures and the types of reconstructions possible through archaeozoology, Anna introduced us to the mystery of Neolithic cattle withdrawal in Cyprus. Her new postdoctoral project on cattle in ancient Cyprus may provide answers to this unsolved mystery, so stay tuned.
While all lectures were fascinating and well-delivered, they were not the only STARC venue for learning and fun. Summer school participants were all friendly and hailed from diverse backgrounds. Countries of origin included Egypt, Israel, Greece, Italy, Canada and Australia, and participants ranged from first-degree students to PhD candidates. Meals and breaks were seasoned with convivial conversation, while Evi made sure to facilitate the bonding by taking us out to dinner and drinks at local tavernes on more than one occasion. The comfortable hotel with a beautiful swimming pool provided an ideal setting for this Aegean symposium.
The programme ended with an excursion to Lemba Lakkous where we climbed on and sat in Chalcolithic-style roundhouses typical of the site, fastidiously reconstructed by Dr Paul Croft, who led the tour. After a brief walk through the modern village of Lemba, it was back to the hotel for final swims and goodbyes.
You can find out more about the Summer School 2020 in the following link:
https://promisedtwinning.cyi.ac.cy/training/summer-school-2020
You can find out more about the Summer School 2020 in the following link:
https://promisedtwinning.cyi.ac.cy/training/summer-school-2020
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