Magnetometer surveys in archaeological research in Papua New Guinea: Keveoki 1, Gulf Province

A magnetometer survey was conducted on the abandoned village site of Keveoki 1, near the Vailala River, Gulf Province, PNG. The survey, using a single sensor proton precession magnetometer, was successful in locating and defining the boundaries of areas confirmed by excavation to contain dense assemblages of pottery. The combination of geophysical and excavation results allowed a broader understanding of the spatial distribution of human occupation at Keveoki 1 than would have been possible based on excavation or visual field walking alone. We suggest this technique should be applied more regularly. Archaeological geophysical prospection techniques have not previously been applied as part of archaeological investigations in Papua New Guinea (PNG), despite an extensive history of archaeological research in this area (e.g. Bulmer 1978; Frankel and Vanderwal 1985; White and O'Connell 1982). In part, this deficiency may be explained by the perceived high cost of geophysical survey as well as the difficulties associated with operating and transporting electronic equipment to the often remote, extremely rugged, wet tropical and inaccessible archaeological sites of the region. Nevertheless geophysical techniques have a demonstrated history of making an important contribution to archaeological investigations world-wide (e.g. Witten 2006; Conyers 2004; Gaffney and Gater 2003) and have the potential to answer important archaeological questions in PNG also. In particular, they have the potential to extend site information beyond the limited spatial extent usually obtained through excavation, and thus promise to enable understandings of village sites as spatially extensive landscapes rather than more restricted spatial nodes (Kvamme 2003). This is particularly apt for PNG where thick vegetation and swampy conditions can make site discovery through more conventional field walking very difficult.The archaeological record in many coastal parts of PNG is particularly amenable to geophysical investigations because here can be found extensive sites with dense ceramic deposits as well as numerous sub-surface structural features such as postholes, human burials and earth ovens. Since electromagnetic induction (EMI) and magnetic susceptibility in particular can directly detect pottery (Clark 1990) as well as the remnants of burning (Linford and Canti 2001) and anthropogenically-induced microbial activity (Linford 2004), geophysical prospecting evidently has great potential in such archaeological contexts. Other techniques, such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) (Conyers 2004) and direct current resistivity (Witten (2006) may find less regular application in this area, but could contribute where favourable site conditions exist.

Incised stone artefact in the context of Middle Holocene burials at Cappalombo 1, South Sulawesi, Indonesia | Artefak batu bergores dalam konteks penguburan Holosen Tengah di Situs Cappalombo 1, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia

Since the recent discovery of Late Pleistocene rock art in Island Southeast Asia was announced, evidence for symbolic behaviour in the region has become a focus of international archaeological interest. South Sulawesi is one region that hold much evidence for this important human activity. In addition to the cave paintings, several engraved stone artefacts have also been recovered in the same area, nearly all of which date back to the Late Pleistocene. However, while cave use by ‘hunter-gatherer’ societies continued into the Holocene period, archaeological evidence for symbolic expression during this Toalean period is extremely rare. Here, we report for the first time on engraved stone artefacts from the Middle Holocene period, associated with six human burials. Of ten incised artefacts recovered, eight are stone flakes and two are stone plaquettes, all made of hematite material. Our study suggests that unlike comparative Pleistocene engraved stones, the incisions on the Cappalombo artefacts are more likely the result of use-wear that occurs from producing red pigment powder than portable artworks. As no Toalean-age cave art has yet been identified, it is suspected that pigment powder was applied to the corpses as part of a burial practice or perhaps smeared on the body of the person/s performing the ceremony itself as part of a symbolic ritualistic activity. Sejak penemuan gambar cadas Pleistosen Akhir terbaru diumumkan di Pulau Asia Tenggara, bukti perilaku simbolis di wilayah tersebut telah menjadi fokus kajian arkeologis internasional. Sulawesi Selatan adalah salah satu wilayah yang menyimpan banyak bukti aktivitas manusia yang penting ini. Selain lukisan gua, beberapa artefak batu berukir juga telah ditemukan di daerah yang sama, hampir semuanya berasal dari Pleistosen Akhir. Namun, ketika penggunaan gua oleh masyarakat 'pemburu-pengumpul' berlanjut hingga periode Holosen, bukti arkeologis untuk ekspresi simbolis selama periode Toalean ini sangat langka. Di sini, kami melaporkan untuk pertama kalinya tentang artefak batu berukir dari periode Holosen Tengah, yang terkait dengan enam penguburan manusia. Dari sepuluh artefak gores yang ditemukan, delapan berupa serpihan batu dan dua berupa plakat batu, semuanya terbuat dari bahan hematit. Studi kami menunjukkan bahwa tidak seperti batu terukir Pleistosen, sayatan pada artefak Cappalombo lebih mungkin hasil dari penggunaan yang terjadi dari memproduksi bubuk pigmen merah daripada karya seni portabel. Karena seni gua periode Toalean belum dapat diidentifikasi, diduga bubuk pigmen dioleskan pada mayat sebagai bagian dari praktik penguburan atau mungkin dioleskan pada tubuh orang yang melakukan upacara itu sendiri sebagai bagian dari aktifitas ritual simbolis.

Patterns of Disease and Culture in Ancient Panama

Cerro Juan Díaz (LS-3) is a large archaeological site located in the coastal lowlands of central Pacific Panama that comprised a pre-Columbian village (200 B.C.–A.D. 1520). A multiyear field campaign (1992–2001) uncovered numerous human burials of diverse antiquity, integrity, complexity, and mortuary goods. This paper considers several aspects of the demography, diet, health, and cultural practices of the earliest mortuary population yet found at LS-3 (A.D. 30–650) through the analysis of human skeletal remains found in the excavation of Operation 3, Features 1, 2, 16, and 94. This research has led to revised interpretations of these important mortuary contexts. Many of the personal adornments traditionally placed at the apex of regional value systems were found with the remains of children, giving support to the notion that, during this time period, age was the primary determinant of the kinds of ornaments that accompanied the dead. Oral pathologies present signal the importance of cariogenic foods, such as maize, in the diet, while lingual surface attrition of the maxillary anterior teeth points to a habitual cultural practice of using the teeth as tools—perhaps to peel manioc tubers prior to cooking. Head shaping appears to have been an important identity marker in the population, with high frequencies of obelionic-type artificial cranial modification. Participation in a male-dominated habitual aquatic activity is revealed by external auditory exostoses in several individuals. Finally, a systemic infection consistent with Treponema pallidum was prevalent in the population, as evidenced by characteristic osseous lesions. Cerro Juan Díaz (LS-3) es un sitio arqueológico en la llanura costera del Pacífico central de Panamá que fungió como aldea precolombina desde 200 a.C. hasta 1520 d.C. Durante campañas de campo que se extendieron por diez años (1992–2001), se descubrió numerosos entierros humanos cuya antigüedad, integridad y complejidad, así como sus ajuares mortuorios, eran disimiles entre sí. El presente artículo adopta un enfoque bioarqueológico con el fin de dilucidar varios aspectos de la demografía, la dieta, la salud y las prácticas culturales de la población mortuoria más antigua que se haya encontrado hasta la fecha en el asentamiento (30–650 d.C.). Nos concentramos en el análisis de los restos humanos correspondientes a las sepulturas más antiguas excavadas en el sitio: Rasgos 1, 2, 16 y 94 de la Operación 3. Dicho estudio conllevó a revisar interpretaciones anteriores de estos importantes contextos mortuorios. Algunos adornos personales que suelen colocarse en el ápice del sistema de valores a nivel regional se encuentran con niños y dan apoyo a propuestas anteriores de que, en esta época, la edad de un difunto era el principal determinante de los bienes que lo acompañaban en la muerte. Las patologías orales presentes incluso en niños pequeños en el sitio señalan la importancia de alimentos cariogénicos como el maíz en la dieta, mientras que el desgaste de la superficie lingual de los dientes anteriores superiores (“LSAMAT,” por sus siglas en inglés) en muchos individuos apunta a la práctica cultural habitual de utilizar los dientes como herramienta, tal vez para pelar tubérculos como la yuca antes de cocinarlos. En esta población, la forma de la cabeza parece haber sido un importante marcador de identidad, de acuerdo con las altas frecuencias de modificación craneal artificial de tipo obeliónico, las que se observaron entre los cráneos hallados en estos entierros. Por otro lado, una consuetudinaria actividad acuática es indicada por la presencia de exostosis auditiva externa en varios individuos, mayormente masculinos. Finalmente, destaca en esta población una infección sistémica compatible con Treponema pallidum, tal y como lo evidencian las características lesiones óseas.

Early evidence for beer drinking in a 9000-year-old platform mound in southern China

Alcoholic beverages played an essential role in rituals in ancient societies. Here we report the first evidence for beer drinking in the context of burial ritual in early Holocene southern China. Recent archaeological investigations at Qiaotou (9,000–8,700 cal. BP) have revealed a platform mound containing human burials and high concentrations of painted pottery, encircled by a human-made ditch. By applying microfossil (starch, phytolith, and fungi) residue analysis on the pottery vessels, we found that some of the pots held beer made of rice (Oryza sp.), Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), and USOs. We also discovered the earliest evidence for using mold saccharification-fermentation starter in beer making, predating written records by 8,000 years. The beer at Qiaotou was likely served in rituals to commemorate the burial of the dead. Ritualized drinking probably played an integrative role in maintaining social relationships, paving the way for the rise of complex farming societies four millennia later.

Applying Canine Detection in Support of Collaborative Archaeology

This article explores the use of specially trained canines to detect the location of human burials in nonmodern archaeological contexts. It discusses the history of the discipline, training and field methods, the importance of developing a working relationship with descendant communities, project examples, an assessment of canine detection effectiveness, and ways to select a canine detection team. The article highlights how the application of canine detection training and protocols to the archaeological record makes it possible to locate potential precontact Native American burial areas without ground disturbance. In some cases, probable burial areas located by canines can be confidentially mapped to ensure avoidance during upcoming construction projects. For a variety of reasons, many Native American communities have been wary of embracing this new method to locate ancestral burials. Today, however, canine detection is widely accepted by many tribal groups in California to locate ancestral burials that might be impacted by construction. Although additional controlled studies and rigorous field laboratory experiments are needed to understand the range of variation in efficacy fully, available results in both North America and Europe demonstrate that specially trained canines can often accurately locate human burials that are more than a thousand years old to within a few meters.

Anthropomorphic Images at the Padjelanta Site, Northern Sweden: Rock Engravings in the Context of Sámi Myth and Ritual

The paper discusses three phases of scratched images from the Padjelanta site of Sámi rock art in Laponia, northern Sweden. Pre-dating the middle phase of Viking Age/Medieval period sailing boats is a set of stylised anthopomorphs. These early images resemble certain petroglyphs from Alta, goddess motifs on Sami drums, and the Earth Mother figure in the Manrlajsmyths. Possible ritual contexts for the Padjelanta images are discussed, including autumn reindeer hunting, human burials, and smallscale quarrying for asbestos and soapstone. As a tentative hypothesis, a link between the early anthropomorphs and the Sami goddess Máttaráhkká is proposed.

REVENIA-KORINOS: ONE OF THE EARLIEST NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENTS IN NORTH GREECE AS EVIDENCED BY RADIOCARBON DATING

ABSTRACT Radiocarbon (14C) dating was applied to the Neolithic open-air, flat-extended settlement at Revenia-Korinos in Pieria, North Greece. The samples came from the earlier habitation period of the settlement, characterized by more than 100 pits that vary significantly in shape and dimensions, some of them being identified as subterranean or semi-subterranean pit dwellings. It is suggested that the fills of the pits were the result of secondary, structured refuse deposition, except for pits that preserve their habitational use, according to stratigraphic data. The 14C results confirm that Revenia is among the earliest Neolithic settlements in North Greece and the Aegean in general. The initial phase of habitation is dated at around 6600/6550 BC comparable only to two other EN sites in North Greece. Habitation intensified at around 6460/6430 BC, accompanied by a shift in pottery style. This phase lasts until 6200/6100 BC when the pit habitation mode is followed by above-ground, rectangular post-framed structures. The dates of the human burials from Revenia also identify them as among the earliest Neolithic burials in Greece. Finally, the radiocarbon dates proved very useful for sequencing the chronological use of the pits and the excavated area in general.

Human burials and funeral rite of the Linear Pottery Culture from Poland area

Human burials of the Linear Pottery culture in Poland are not common. The recent discovery in Modlniczka of the first – and thus far the only – LBK cemetery in Poland was therefore a significant one. Presently, there are only 17 other known sites with burials. Thirteen sites are in south-eastern Poland, four in Kuyavia, and one in the Odra River valley. In comparison with other burial sites in Central and Western Europe, the graves of the LBK in Poland do not provide many clues about the funerary customs of this culture. Their small number and the very limited proportion of preserved human remains make it impossible to perform many types of analyses. However, despite the small amount of evidence, we can observe general patterns, which are typical of the entire European LBK – in terms of both settlements and burials.