Archaeology has gone digital for some time now! Topics such as GIS databases, 3D models, drone photography, meta- and para-data, semantic mapping, text mining, simulation, and social network... Show moreArchaeology has gone digital for some time now! Topics such as GIS databases, 3D models, drone photography, meta- and para-data, semantic mapping, text mining, simulation, and social network analysis have become commonplace in archaeological discourse and practice. Digital and technological advancements seemingly offer limitless promises for data recording, analysis and dissemination. Yet, after several decades of innovation, we must ask ourselves which of these promises are actually fulfilled, and which persistent impasses are present. Today, some reflexive questions are more important than ever. In particular, when, how and why do our innovative archaeology tools fail? Do we approach our archaeological projects with a digital wand and (implicitly or explicitly) expect a magical solution? And when there is indeed a digital solution, at what expense does it come?In this volume, scholars and practitioners in the field discuss the state of the art, as well as the promises and impasses that digital approaches to archaeology entail. The authors discuss the current state of teaching digital archaeology, the societal impact of digital innovations, current issues in archaeological data management, promises and limitations of isotopic research and remote sensing techniques, and why subfields such as agent-based modelling and serious gaming struggle to keep momentum. Show less
Ecologically and politically peripheral areas, such as mountains, deserts and marshes have often been seen as zones of resistance against the encroaching state. At first sight, the mountainous... Show moreEcologically and politically peripheral areas, such as mountains, deserts and marshes have often been seen as zones of resistance against the encroaching state. At first sight, the mountainous uplands and the desert fringe of North Africa seem to be such an area of resistance: in the Late Roman and Byzantine period, the Atlas Mountains and the Tripolitanian Sahara were epicentres of indigenous revolt against the Roman state, particularly during the Moorish Wars c. 533-548 AD. The question is whether the physical geography truly determined a cultural antagonism between inland zones and the Mediterranean coast. Using evidence from survey archaeology, epigraphy and literary sources, this paper tests models on connectivity and resistance, disputing the simple opposition between an inland, indigenous world on the one hand, and a cosmopolitan , Mediterranean and Roman world on the other. Instead, evidence shows that the relationship between "Roman" and "native" was much more complex, entangled and ambivalent, despite the peripheral nature of the inland landscapes. The cultural landscape was determined as much by historical factors as environmental. Show less
Neolithic societies in the Dutch wetlands are characterised as “extended broad-spectrum hunter-gatherers”. They adopted agricultural elements only gradually and wild resources continue to play an... Show moreNeolithic societies in the Dutch wetlands are characterised as “extended broad-spectrum hunter-gatherers”. They adopted agricultural elements only gradually and wild resources continue to play an important role in subsistence. However, the exact duration of the process of neolithisation in the Dutch wetlands is debated. We analyse the taxonomic diversity of faunal assemblages from the late Mesolithic and Neolithic in the Netherlands. We demonstrate that the diversity of exploited faunal resources remains remarkably constant throughout the Neolithic. We interpret this to show that the reliance on an extended broad-spectrum economy was not a transitional phase, but was a viable economic system in its own right. Show less
The collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) by Neandertals in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of these blocks exhibiting evidence of... Show moreThe collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) by Neandertals in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of these blocks exhibiting evidence of having been abraded to produce powder. This has generally been interpreted as the production of black pigment that may have been applied to the body as a form of symbolic expression. However, Heyes and colleagues (2016) demonstrate that MnO2 can reduce the auto-ignition temperature of wood by upwards of 100°C and suggest that this special pyrotechnic property of powdered MnO2 may have been appreciated by Neandertals. Specifically, they suggest that the addition of MnO2 to tinder materials may have aided in fire-making. The purpose of the pilot study described here is to test the utility of MnO2 as a tinder enhancer during actualistic fire-making experiments. The flint-and-pyrite fire-making method was employed to produce sparks that were directed onto fluffed tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) with and without added MnO2 to determine if and the degree to which this material improves the ability of the tinder to capture and propagate sparks into a glowing ember. The results of this pilot study lend support to the hypothesis of Heyes and colleagues by demonstrating that MnO2 improves the spark capturing efficiency of tinder material over untreated tinder, thereby reducing the time and energy required to produce fire using the percussive fire-making method. However, it was also observed that the incorporation of pyrite (FeS2 ) dust into the untreated tinder over the course of the experiments appeared to improve its ability to capture sparks, lending to the idea that pyrite powder added to tinder prior to making fire could also expedite the process and largely negates the need for collecting MnO2 for this purpose. Show less
Funck, J.; Kolfschoten, M. van; Plicht, J. van der 2015
