scholarly journals Late North-African sigillata lamps: curatorship of museum collections and archaeological research

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 446-460
Author(s):  
Maria Isabel D’Agostino Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
North African ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
Curatorial Studies

The Late African North African lamps of Terra Sigillata (African Red Slip Ware-ARS) are a category of objects which, alongside tableware, have acquired particular importance, not only for the volume of their production, but for their economic and commercial, iconographic and historical-religious implications. This article aims to present the development of fundamental research for the knowledge about the production and circulation of the ARS and in particular the lamps, taking as examples rich dialogues between the curatorial studies of museological collections and archaeological research that point the limits of the classical models of study of African ceramics and perform accurate reviews of dates, origins and contents of vessels, especially with archaeometric methods.

Current Research and Recent Radiocarbon Dates from Northern Africa, III

1988 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela E. Close
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Good Evidence ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
North African ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Plant Foods ◽  
Khartoum Mesolithic ◽  
Subsistence Activities ◽  
First Time

This article reports on developments in archaeological research in North Africa during the last four years, as these are reflected in the 350, or thereabouts, radiocarbon (and thermoluminescence) dates that have appeared since the last review. The number of new dates, and new data, becoming available indicate that North African archaeology is flourishing, although, in contrast to the earlier decades of this century, the focus seems now to be moving toward the eastern part of the region, and toward matters of adaptation rather than of simple classification, as exemplified by the new interpretations of the Dhar Tichitt Neolithic in Mauritania.The lower Nile Valley has yielded evidence for an intensification of subsistence activities in the Late Palaeolithic in two areas, Makhadma and Kubbaniya, both involving fish-harvesting and the latter also witnessing the use of plant-foods on a scale hitherto undocumented for this period.At the beginning of the Holocene, there is now good evidence for an eighth millennium bc Neolithic in northern Niger, complete with sophisticated ceramics, which complements the evidence already known for similar phenomena further east in the Sahara. There is even a possibility that the Khartoum Mesolithic of the central Nile Valley might be equally old. Our understanding of the Sudanese Neolithic has greatly increased. For the first time, there appears to be a development from the Khartoum Mesolithic into the Khartoum Neolithic, albeit located outside the Valley. The Khartoum Neolithic is more or less confined to the fourth millennium bc, but did give rise to the later Kadada Neolithic. After Kadada, the focus of settlement seems to have shifted outside the Valley until Meroitic times.In the protohistoric and historic periods, we have a better understanding of the chronology of the Egyptian Predynastic, although not yet of its development; what models exist will be radically modified if the pyramids are indeed as old as the dates on them now indicate. Finally, far from the Nile Valley in northern Niger, there comes detailed evidence of the development of a precocious metallurgical tradition within a Neolithic context.

scholarly journals Asentamientos fortificados en el Rif Oriental (siglos VIII-XV). Nuevos datos sobre Ghassasa y Tazouda (Nador, Marruecos)

X ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bilal Sarr ◽  
Luca Mattei ◽  
Yaiza Hernández Casas
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
North African ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Trade Routes ◽  
New Information ◽  
Medieval Pottery ◽  
Written Sources

Fortified settlements in Eastern Rif (eighth-fifteenth centuries): new data on Ghassasa and Tazouda (Nador, Morocco)The present paper attempts to aproximate to the archaeological research of two of the most relevants fortified settlements of the Medieval Rif (north of Morocco), Ghassasa and Tazouda. Reviewing the written sources –Ibn Ḥawqal, al-Bakrī, al-Idrīsī, Ibn Ḥayyān, al-Bādisī, etc.– and comparing the data they offer with the archaeological records of surface, we report here the recent hypothesis deduced from the analysis of their emerging structures and pottery, trying to trace some new information of the fortification process in the Rif since Early Medieval centuries  to the fifteenth century and to detect the development of the interrelations and influences by the commercial exchanges between twice Mediterranean coasts: North African and al-Andalus. So, we offer the planimetry of both settlements, Ghassasa and Tazouda, which haven´t been documented before, and also some typologies of Magrib’s medieval pottery founded there, contributing with an original research to the study of medieval urbanism in Magrib al-Aqṣā and the role that they take on the trade routes existing between Bilād al-Sūdān, to Siŷilmāsa, and al-Andalus.

A Guide to the Use of Museum Collections for Archaeological Research

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammy Stone
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Research Engagement ◽  
Archaeological Collections ◽  
Anthropological Research ◽  
The Difference ◽  
First Time ◽  
Basic Level ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Gain Access

ABSTRACTFrom a perusal of archaeological and museum journals it is apparent that there is a rich literature dealing with topics such as the place of museums and repositories in anthropological research, engagement with indigenous/descendant populations by archaeologists working in a variety of settings (including collections-based research), and research centered on the study of existing archaeological collections. Despite this rich literature, however, the archaeological researcher who wishes to use collections in archives, museums, or repositories for the first time is often perplexed by how to gain access to collections, how to communicate with archive/museum/repository professionals, the constraints that archive/museum/repository professionals work under, and—at an even more basic level—what the difference between an archive, a museum, and a repository actually is. This article addresses some of these questions and provides a practical guide to opening up the vast research opportunities presented by existing collections.

scholarly journals The Archaeology of Rock Art in Northern Africa

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savino di Lernia
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
North African ◽  
Chronological Order ◽  
Educational Value ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Environmental Setting

The first reports on the rock art of north Africa were written in the mid-nineteenth century. Since then, rock art has become a key area of African archaeological research. Commencing with a short background on the environmental setting, this chapter reviews past research and major theoretical perspectives through to the present, highlighting contributions to wider debates. The main geographical, temporal, and archaeological frameworks of north African rock art are summarized in broad chronological order, beginning with late Pleistocene engravings up to ‘Camel art’ of more recent, historical age. Despite current hurdles faced in today’s research environment, rock art studies are of great importance in north Africa, especially when undertaken by African scholars. This precious, irreplaceable, nonrenewable cultural resource is of great educational value, and its preservation, teaching, and dissemination may contribute to a renewed awareness of the cultural value of rock art for future generations.

scholarly journals Tomsk School of Archaeological Thought: the Formation Period

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Ganenok V. ◽  
◽  
Kitova L. ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Modern Period ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
The Creation ◽  
University Museum ◽  
The University

The article analyzes the formation period of the Tomsk school of archaeological though. The authors indicate that from the very beginning of its existence Tomsk University (TSU) had an organizational basis for archaeological research, that is the university museum of Archaeology and Ethnography. In the early 1940s, first prerequisites for the formation of an archaeological school emerged. They included the restoration of the History Faculty at TSU, the activity of K.E. Grinevich and A.P. Dulzon, the establishment of a students’ archaeological circle, the Basandayka (1944–1946) and Chulym (1946–1951) expeditions. V.I. Matyushchenko created the Tomsk School of Archaeological Thought by the mid-1970s. He was one of the first Siberian scientists to defend his Candidate’s Thesis in Archaeology (1960). It is under his leadership that TSU archaeologists implemented a unified plan for the study of ancient and medieval sites in the Middle Ob region and adjacent areas, created the Fundamental Research Laboratory for Archaeology and Ethnology of Siberia (FRLAES) and regular West Siberian archaeological and later archaeological and ethnographic meetings were first held. Concentration of archaeologists, ethnographers and anthropologists within the framework of FRLAES at TSU made it possible to bring interdisciplinary research to a new level, led to the creation and development of a unified program for studying cultures and peoples of the Middle Ob region from prehistory to the modern period, which in general still determines the peculiarity of the Tomsk School of Archaeological thought. The concepts proposed by the TSU archaeologists were recognized by their colleagues: in the first half of the 1970s V.I. Matyushchenko defended his Doctoral thesis, and some of his students – their candidates’ theses.

THE UPPER PALAEOLITHIC OF CHURCHFIELDS, FISHERTON: 160 YEARS IN THE MAKING

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Phil Harding ◽  
R N E Barton
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Upper Palaeolithic ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Last Glaciation ◽  
The City ◽  
Significant Data

Researchers of museum collections owe a great debt of gratitude to those responsible for curating the collections; however, staff may frequently remain innocently unaware of significant contents within the accessions. Such is a group of flint artefacts in Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire, which were found in 1860 on the outskirts of the city. The collection was rediscovered during unrelated archaeological research and comprises a series of blades, which include refitting components, demonstrating that the artefacts came from undisturbed prehistoric contexts. The blade blanks had been removed from opposed platform cores, using careful core preparation and soft hammer percussion. These characteristics can be most closely paralleled by Upper Palaeolithic Federmesser industries in Europe, which date from the end of the Last Glaciation. The existence of the Upper Palaeolithic was unrecognised at the time the artefacts were found, since when two other contemporary sites have been identified in the River Avon valley as well as others across the country. The newly recognised addition extends the distribution of Upper Palaeolithic activity further up the River Avon valley to Salisbury, where five rivers congregate, providing a convenient point for further dispersal. The finding also mirrors patterns of occupation on well-drained terrace bluffs overlooking the floodplain. Research results have yielded significant data, 160 years after the collection’s discovery, expanding current knowledge of the Upper Palaeolithic in the River Avon valley and demonstrating the continued value and potential of collections in our museums.

The archaeology of Samnite settlement in Molise

Antiquity ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 51 (201) ◽  
pp. 20-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Barker
Keyword(s):  
Roman Period ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Historical Evidence ◽  
Stone Artifacts ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
Historical Tradition

The province (or regione) of Molise is roughly the size of Lincolnshire or Devon, and stretches from the Apennine mountains to the Adriatic coast (FIG. I). In the Roman period Molise was occupied by the Samnite peoples and by related tribes such as the Frentani (Salmon, 1967, 25, map I). The historical tradition describes the Samnites as a rustic and warlike people, whom the Romans subdued only after the long series of savage wars in the last three centuries BC. Despite this historical evidence, however, the lack of previous archaeological research in Molise until the recent past meant that the archaeological record for this period in the province prior to 1974 was essentially confined to two major town sites of the Roman period (Boiano and Sepino), and two Samnite and Roman religious sanctuaries. For the same reason practically nothing was known about earlier prehistoric settlement. In the rest of Italy the evidence for early man built up by survey and excavation usually goes back at least as far as the Middle Palaeolithic, up to some 100,000 years ago. For Molise, however, there were in 1974 only chance finds of prehistoric flint and stone artifacts in local and national museum collections, most with little or no exact information about provenance. Molise was therefore virtually a blank area on the archaeological map of Italy.

scholarly journals Open-back Shoes from the Southern Crypt in Piaseczno, Pomerania Province

2020 ◽  
pp. 137-149
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Kulesz ◽  
Małgorzata Grupa
Keyword(s):  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The Right ◽  
Modern Era ◽  
The Church

A discussion on modern shoes is limited on account of the scarcity of sources provided by archaeological research. This gap is to a certain extent filled by museum collections and iconography. This is why it is so important to publish new finds as one can only initiate discussion on isolated artefacts of open-back shoes based on such publications. Such a pair was found in the southern crypt of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Piaseczno. These are unique objects as it is possible to identify all their elements and to determine the quality of leather, which was rather thick. Their general state of preservation is good. The condition of the leather on the soles, heels, and uppers indicates that the shoes were intensively used when their owner was alive. There is no difference in cut between the left and the right shoe, however, deformations resulting from wearing allow to say which shoe was worn on which foot. The pair of shoes found in Piaseczno and described above represents a valuable contribution to the discussion on open-back shoes. When interpreting such finds, the basic difficulty is the determination of their function. In specific circumstances, functions of overshoes and home shoes could to a certain extent overlap. However, it seems that in the modern era separate pairs of shoes were made to serve these different purposes. Unfortunately, the only evidence that would allow to lean towards one of the options involves the categories of massiveness and size of the shoes, and the diversity of the materials used. The paper uses a number of names for open-back shoes (pattens, mules, chopines, slippers, pantables) to reflect the linguistic richness. There is no doubt that different designs used to have individual names, however, the scarcity of accounts makes it very difficult to reconstruct the linguistic reality of old.

scholarly journals Archaeology of Lviv: provenances, traditions, researchers

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 325-336
Author(s):  
Taras Mylian
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Research Process ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Ancient History ◽  
Museum Exhibitions ◽  
History Of ◽  
The City

Archaeological research in Lviv has a long tradition and dates back about two hundred years. During this time, information about the ancient history of Lviv from many sections of the city was obtained. The beginnings of the archaeological study of the ancient history of the city date back to the first half of the nineteenth century. Thanks to Pauli, attention was drawn to ancient artifacts from the territory of Lviv. Some of the findings begin to form the collections of the first museum collections. In the second half of the XIX century, the formation of archaeological institutions in Lviv began. Government agencies appear to monitor the storage of monuments. As a result of joint action, rescue excavations during the construction of the railway were made. Archaeologists from Lviv are beginning to form hypotheses about the founding and development of the city. Archaeological sources have updated information about the pre-developmental stage of the development and gave new evidence about the stages of development of the annalistic city. This state of affairs remains until the middle of the twentieth century. However, sometimes archaeological research was influenced by ideological factors. With another change of social order in the second half of XX century managed to preserve the main trends of formation and structure of the archaeological branch of the city. The institutions in which the teams of researchers form are decisive. There is an organ function to preserve and study archaeology monuments. From this period, the intensification of the research process begins. Planned works covered both the Vysokyj Zamok (High Castle) and the city centre. Since Ukrainian independence, research has increased exponentially. They are occupied by large squares and give significant advantages in the formation and development of the urban space of Lviv in ancient times. The discovered artifacts are on display during museum exhibitions. Key words: archaeological research, Lviv, museum collections, Vysokyj Zamok (High Castle), city centre.

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