Archaeology Research Collection
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- PublicationArchaeological excavations at Killuragh Cave, Co. Limerick: a persistent place in the landscape from the Early Mesolithic to the Late Bronze Age(Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland, 2017)
; ; ; ; Archaeological excavations at Killuragh Cave, Co. Limerick, in 1993 and 1996 followed from the discovery of prehistoric material in the 1990s by the landowner, Mr Benny O’Neill. Though a small and relatively inconspicuous site, Killuragh Cave has a long history of animal and human usage, potentially stretching back 11,000 years and continuing intermittently until the nineteenth century. The assemblage of 10,615 animal bones, 229 human bones and 209 artefacts of Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, post-medieval and modern date indicate that this was a persistent place in the landscape. The prehistoric material largely suggests that the cave was associated with ritual and funerary activities, hinting that it may have been remembered and its significance transmitted from generation to generation over several millennia.435 - PublicationArchaeological investigations in northern Laos : new contributions to Southeast Asian prehistory(Antiquity Publications, 2009-03)
; ; ; ; 840 - PublicationThe archaeology and palaeobiological record of Pasimbahan-Magsanib site, northern Palawan, PhilippinesRecent excavations in northern Palawan, Philippines provide zooarchaeological and macrobotanical evidence documenting human occupation and changes in faunal composition and subsistence strategies. Here we present the archaeobiological record of Pasimbahan-Magsanib site dating from c. 10,500 yr. BP to the subrecent. The terrestrial vertebrate record provides for a more robust Palawan biostratigraphy and chronicles Late Quaternary changes in mammalian composition and human responses to the changing abundance of large mammal communities. Well-stratified shell layers and middens contain a wide variety of taxa derived from freshwater, estuarine and marine environments that also provide insights on varying subsistence strategies and the local ecology. Macrobotanical evidence provides further evidence for both foraging and possible plant management strategies in the Holocene.
1305 - PublicationCave sites in Northeastern Luzon, Philippines : a preliminary soil micromorphological studySoil micromorphology was among the approaches used to explore site formation in two cave sites in northern Luzon: Eme and Dalan Serkot Caves. Interplay of biogenic, sedimentary, and anthropogenic processes worked and reworked the archaeological sediments at both sites. Eme Cave was found to be highly bioturbated by faunal activities and shrink-swell processes, and caution is needed in interpreting its archaeological contexts. However, thin section study revealed wood ash and possible burnt soil fragments, along with charcoal, attesting to later prehistoric burning activity at the site at some time. In Dalan Serkot Cave, along with standard cave sediments a volcanic ash deposit was identified, apparently deposited before 6200 b.p., that must have affected local communities, and that could be used as a stratigraphic marker for future research in the area.
1472 - PublicationClimate change and hunter gatherers in Ireland: problems, potentials and pressing research questionsThis paper reviews evidence for the potential impact of climate change on the earliest human settlement of Ireland, primarily within the Mesolithic period. Three key areas are examined: the broad correlation between climate change and the timing of the settlement of Ireland; the impact of climatically driven sea level change; and, finally the influence of key Holocene climate ‘events’ such as the 8.2 cal BP Event. Ireland should be well-placed to contribute to debates about the impact of climate change on prehistoric hunter-gatherers, but much of our data is insufficiently precise to understand this in detail.
Scopus© Citations 5 364 - PublicationThe conservation of a 19th Century giant deer display skeleton for public exhibitionFollowing a mishap, a 19th Century mounted giant deer was subjected to a detailed osteological assessment and conservation treatment which required both structura repair and the extensive modeling of broken and missing skeletal components. The historic mounting system and plinth were largely intact and structurally safe for the skeleton and so these could be retained along with any historic restorations deemed sound and non-damaging. The original skull suffered irreparable damage and both antlers were detached from the specimen. A replacement skull was acquired but it was necessary to attach the original antlers to the new skull in a manner both structurally sound and aesthetically accurate enough for the deer to be placed backon open display. After testing commonly used conservation-grade filler materials suitable for fabricating missing skeletal components, losses to the vertebra and the ribcage were re-built using epoxy resin bulked to putty consistency with phenolicmicroballoons and applied over barrier layers of Paraloid B72 and Japanese tissue. All losses were in-painted with earth pigments in Paraloid B72 before rearticulation. The unique role of this specimen determined the conservation approaches adopted and included a balanced consideration of conservation ethical concerns, client expectations, future structural stability, aesthetic impact and the limitations of the future display location.
308 - PublicationA cross-population analysis of the growth of long bones and the os coxae of three Early Medieval Austrian populationsInter-population variability in long-bone and pelvic-bone growth during the Early Medieval period is examined. The materials comprise four archaeological populations: two Slavonic (Gars–Thunau, Zwentendorf, Austria, 10th-century ad), one Avar (Zwölfaxing, Austria, 8th-century ad), and one Anglo-Saxon (Raunds, England, 10th-century ad). Bone measurements are analyzed against dental age estimates in order to assess inter-population differences in growth rates for long-bone and os coxae bone dimensions. Growth curves of the upper and lower extremities of additional archaeological populations and a modern North-American population are also assessed. The expectation was that the greatest differences in growth patterns would be found between the Anglo-Saxon and the Austrian samples, due to their distinct genetic and biocultural background. Minimal differences were expected between the two Slavonic populations, as these were approximately contemporaneous, recovered from geographically close locations, and shared relatively similar archaeological contexts. Growth curves were estimated for each bone dimension by fitting least-squares fourth-order polynomials (which allowed testing of population differences by analysis of covariance), and iteratively estimating Gompertz growth curves. The results showed differences between bones in the extent of inter-population variability, with diaphyseal long-bone growth showing equivalent patterns across the four populations, but significant differences between populations in the growth patterns of distal diaphyseal dimensions of the femur and humerus and the dimensions of the ilium. Varying growth patterns are therefore associated with inter-population differences in absolute dimensions in relation to age as well as variations in growth velocities. Inter-population variability in growth curves in the case of femoral and humeral dimensions were most pronounced during infancy (0–2 years). The most consistent differences in bone growth and related dimensions are between Zwölfaxing and the other samples. No significant differences in growth were detected between the Anglo-Saxon and the Austrian populations.
417Scopus© Citations 24 - PublicationDama Dentition: A New Tooth Eruption and Wear Method for Assessing the Age of Fallow Deer (Dama dama)Reliable ageing techniques for wild animals are notoriously challenging to develop because of the scarcity of sizeable collections of known-age specimens. Without such techniques it is difficult to reconstruct hunting patterns, which is a significant problem for the examination of assemblages from pre-farming cultures. This paper presents a new method, based on mandibular tooth eruption and wear, for assessing the age of fallow deer. The method was developed from a large collection (n = 156) of known-age Dama dama specimens, has been blind tested by members of the zooarchaeological community and represents a user-friendly system with the potential to generate large compatible datasets through which the dynamics of human–Dama relationships can be examined. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Scopus© Citations 16 348 - PublicationA decorated megalith from Knowlton Henges, Dorset, England(The Prehistoric Society. University College London. Institute of Archaeology., 2000-07)
; ; 338 - PublicationThe discovery of Phocaean Red Slip Ware (PRSW) Form 3 and Bii ware (LR1 amphorae) on sites in Ireland - an analysis within a broader framework'Phocaean Red Slip Ware' and Bii amphorae sherds have been identifi ed, by the present author, at the site of Collierstown 1, Co. Meath. One of the advantages of discovering Phocaean Red Slip Ware Form 3 on sites in Ireland is that it is instantly datable—to the late fi fth and early sixth century AD—a valuable asset in an early medieval context; however, the main benefi t in identifying this ware in Ireland is that its manufacture can be accurately and exclusively attributed to a centre in Asia Minor (modern Turkey); a provenance that has major implications for long-distance connectivity in the early medieval period. Similarly, the Bii amphorae discovered in Ireland, manufactured in the wider Cyprio–Syrian catchment area, have never been published as a group before and the present study attempts to redress this in presenting sixteen fi nd-spots of Bii amphorae in Ireland; a marked increase on the two sites included in Thomas’ 1959 catalogue refl ective of Ireland’s recent intensive road building schemes. This paper addresses the complexity of the trade network between north-western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean (and, more locally, between Ireland, Britain and France) in the early medieval period, thereby presenting hypothetical intermeshing trading models.
965Scopus© Citations 9 - Publication‘Figures in 3D’: Digital Perspectives on Cretan Bronze Age Figurines(De Gruyter, 2018-03-15)
; ; ; The largest corpus of clay figurines from the Cretan Bronze Age comes from ritual mountain sites known as peak sanctuaries. In this paper, we explore how the ‛Figures in 3D’ project contributes to our understanding of these figurines, aiding in the study of the technologies of figurine construction and the typological analysis of distinctive styles. We discuss how the project has, more unexpectedly, begun to create new dialogues and opportunities for moving between the material and the digital by taking a multifaceted approach that combines the data from 3D models and 3D prints with experimental work in clay.613Scopus© Citations 9 - PublicationFour millennia of dairy surplus and deposition revealed through compound-specific stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of Irish bog buttersBog butters are large white or yellow waxy deposits regularly discovered within the peat bogs of Ireland and Scotland. They represent an extraordinary survival of prehistoric and later agricultural products, comprising the largest deposits of fat found anywhere in nature. Often found in wooden containers or wrapped in animal bladders, they are considered to have been buried intentionally by past farming communities. While previous analysis has determined that Irish bog butters derive from animal fat, their precise characterisation could not be achieved due to diagenetic compositional alterations during burial. Via compound‐specific stable isotope analysis, we provide the first conclusive evidence of a dairy fat origin for the Irish bog butter tradition, which differs from bog butter traditions observed elsewhere. Our research also reveals a remarkably long‐lived tradition of deposition and possible curation spanning at least 3500 years, from the Early Bronze Age (c. 1700 BC) to the 17th century AD. This is conclusively established via an extensive suite of both bulk and compound‐specific radiocarbon dates.
360 - PublicationGenome-Wide DNA from Degraded Petrous Bones and the Assessment of Sex and Probable Geographic Origins of Forensic Cases(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019-06-03)
; ; ; ; ; ; The acquisition of biological information and assessment of the most probable geographic origin of unidentified individuals for obtaining positive identification is central in forensic sciences. Identification based on forensic DNA, however, varies greatly in relation to degradation of DNA. Our primary aim is to assess the applicability of a petrous bone sampling method in combination with Next Generation Sequencing to evaluate the quality and quantity of DNA in taphonomically degraded petrous bones from forensic and cemetery cases. A related aim is to analyse the genomic data to obtain the molecular sex of each individual, and their most probable geographic origin. Six of seven subjects were previously identified and used for comparison with the results. To analyse their probable geographic origin, samples were genotyped for the 627.719 SNP positions. Results show that the inner ear cochlear region of the petrous bone provides good percentages of endogenous DNA (14.61–66.89%), even in the case of burnt bodies. All comparisons between forensic records and genetic results agree (sex) and are compatible (geographic origin). The application of the proposed methodology may be a powerful tool for use in forensic scenarios, ranging from missing persons to unidentified migrants who perish when crossing borders.Scopus© Citations 28 390 - PublicationGeo-archaeological and environmental survey. In Durham, B., Briscoe, R. & McKewan, C. 'The Binsey Boat: a post-medieval story of the Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford'(Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society, 2006-12)
; ; ; This report describes a small scale rescue of part of a boat subject to river erosion, with quite unexpected implications for three areas of enquiry: the evolution of the Oxford Thames from commercial waterway to leisure activities; the challenge of reconstructing a possibly unique river craft from small areas of its inner hull; and reflections on the geomorphology of one of the most closely studies flood plains in England. The story started in 2003 when cabling works on the east bank f the Thames at Medley exposed a boat eroding from the bank, notified to Oxford City Council's archaeologist. The boat was of clench bolt construction and its exposed remains presented a risk to bathers, stock and navigation. In the context of Port Meadow's protected status and the uncertain age of the vessel it was clear that any investigation would have to be carefully designed so as not to compromise the vessel or its surroundings. With the aid of the English Heritage Maritime Team and students of the OUDCE MSc in Landscape Archaeology course, the boat was investigated in early June 2004 along with a topographical, geophysical and environmental survey of the surrounding area. The boat was tentatively established as a punt-like vessel approximately 20.6m. long by 2m. wide. Its hull construction had similarities to a canal narrow boat, but the exposed end, whether bow or stern, was squared. No tree0ring date could be recovered from the fast-grown timbers, but the historical evidence would support a late 18th or 19th-century date for its abandonment. Auger survey of the river bank suggests it was abandoned in riverside reed beds rather than in a separate channel. Its form is such that is may have been used for transporting loose, heavy cargo, such as sand or gravel along the Thames and would have been robust enough to navigate flash locks like the one that functioned at Medley from 1790 to 1926. This report draws on archaeological, historical and ecological research to better understand the remains of the boat in context of the protected meadow, and so promotes a strategy for its conservation and any further investigation.433 - PublicationGiuseppe Gerola's Strange Cretan BagniIn his seminal work I Monumenti Veneti Dell'Isola di Creta (parte IV Opere Idrauliche), Giuseppe Gerola supplied a two-page report on five structures he considered being possible bagni. La Rosa and Portale's more recent work on an Early Byzantine bath near the church of Aghios Pavlos, on the outskirts of the village of Aghios Ioannis, near Phaestos confirmed the existence of one of Gerola's bagni (which he had located «presso la chiesa di S. Paulo a S. Giovanni Priotissa»), thereby lending credence and weight to Gerola's overall report. On the basis of these findings I decided to locate, and photograph, the remaining structures mentioned by Gerola and was granted kind permission to do so through the auspices of the 13th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, conducting fieldwork in June 2013. While all four sites (which have not been cited by any scholar since Gerola) were recorded in the field and are presented here, the compact Early Byzantine bath at Aghios Giorgios Koulourida at Phournopharango proved to be of particular importance with standing elevations surviving in the field to a height of 2m.
248 - PublicationHaunted by the ghost of the Beaker folk?A recent Europe-wide study of ancient DNA (aDNA) has exploded some of the preconceptions regarding a long-standing archaeological problem, otherwise known as the Beaker phenomenon. The study's results seemed to indicate that large numbers of people had migrated from continental Europe into Britain around 2500 BCE. In the course of this migration, the newcomers brought their belongings, including Beaker pottery, with them and replaced the pre-existing population and their ways of life. Or at least, this was how the research was presented in the media, e.g., ‘Ancient-genome study finds Bronze Age ‘Beaker culture’ invaded Britain’ or ‘Did Dutch hordes kill off the early Britons who started Stonehenge?’. While the study's conclusions were actually more complex than the headlines suggested, its findings surprised many archaeologists; but had genetics actually solved the Beaker problem?
Scopus© Citations 4 297 - PublicationHow can we understand researchers' perceptions of key research developments? A case study focusing on the adoption of agriculture in IrelandUnderstanding how researchers perceive key research developments in their fields is not straightforward. This paper reports on a project focusing on perceptions of key developments in the adoption of agriculture (Mesolithic-Neolithic transition) in Ireland. The project involved over 60 interviews with active researchers, generating qualitative data that provide overview of these perceptions. Despite much diversity, several areas emerge as having been particularly important: including methodologies and wider developments in archaeological practice. Variation between Ireland and other areas of north-west Europe is suggested by some aspects of the data.
Scopus© Citations 1 728 - PublicationIdentification of archaeological charred wood from Ille site, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines(Association of the Systematic Biologists of the Philippines, 2018-09-10)
; ; ; ; Seven charred wood fragments from the archaeological site of Ille in El Nido, Palawan were identified as an undetermined monocot and representatives of the families Caesalpiniaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, and Araucariaceae/Podocarpaceae. Though very few pieces were determined, the results gave a glimpse of the types of woody plants most likely present in the vicinity of Ille, 14,000 to around 4,000 years ago. This report also aims to provide taxonomic identification based on the available literature to serve as baseline information for future use.328 - PublicationInteractions of Care and Control: Human–animal Relationships in Hunter-gatherer Communities in Near-contemporary Eastern Siberia and the Mesolithic of Northwest EuropeThis contribution explores modes of human–animal interactions in hunter-gatherer communities in near-contemporary eastern Siberia and the Mesolithic of northwest Europe. By discussing notions of care and control and drawing on syntheses of Russian-language ethnographic data from eastern Siberia, this paper explores the diversity and nuances of hunter-gatherers’ interactions with animals. While some contexts may reveal respectful yet diverse treatments of the hunted animals, others suggest that hunter-gatherers also might have interacted with animals kept as pets, captives or companions, thus implicating relations in which notions of care and control seem to be tightly bound.
435 - PublicationIreland's fallow deer: Their historical, archaeological and biomolecular recordsThe Anglo-Normans first introduced fallow deer (Dama dama) to Ireland in the thirteenth century, however no biomolecular research has previously been undertaken to examine the timing, circumstances and impact of the arrival of this species. This study combines historical, zooarchaeological, genetic and isotopic data from both medieval and post-medieval samples to address this lack of research. The paper identifies a peak in the presence of fallow deer in Ireland between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with a corresponding peak in documentary evidence for their presence in the thirteenth century. The deer are predominantly male, and from castle sites, supporting the historical evidence for their link with elite hunting. The English origin of the source populations shows correspondence between the documentary evidence, suggesting a western bias-and genetic evidence-with a similarity to southern and western England. Furthermore a stable isotope study identifies two possible first-generation imports, one dating from the medieval period and one from the post-medieval period.
290Scopus© Citations 5