Micromorphology

X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans were conducted on impregnated sediment blocks from the early Holocene rockshelter site of Lapa do Santo, East-Central Brazil. The analysis was designed to investigate the presence of termite mound fragments in the archaeological sediments and test the value of complementary techniques in micromorphological studies. Soil feeding termites have been common in the tropical soils of Central Brazil since the Paleogene/Neogene and exist in high concentrations in the surroundings of Lapa do Santo. The micro-CT scans revealed a distinctive spongy microstructure inside some of the clay aggregates in the sediments that are not visible in thin section, matching the spongy microstructure inside termite mound fragments. The microstructure consists of a mix of clay and organic material (feces, saliva and other body fluids) produced by termites to cement the mounds' matrix. The cements are undistinguishable from the matrix under the microscope, but clearly visible in the micro-CT scans given the low attenuation coefficient of organo-mineral matter. The termite mound fragments appear dispersed within the ashy matrix (made of intact and reworked combustion features), suggesting their possible use in earth ovens. The combination of combustion features and reworked earth ovens attests to the complex input of anthropogenic sediments in the formation of Lapa do Santo. This study demonstrates that micro-CT can potentially disclose materials not visible in thin section and can be utilized as a complementary technique to micromorphology.

The ancient hills are the human’s close and far activities sense. These places may be the transit camp survivors or ruins towns or villages. This paper studies the archaeology of the ancient hill of Meymanabad using micromorphology methods. This hill situated in Robat Kareem_in South-East village called Meymantabad. The result has showed that before the establishment of the site occupations there have been a warm and wetter conditions througout the region.  According to the cubic microscopic structure that is the region natural examples index, a period lack of establishment from point E to point D has occurred.  The point C is the latest cultural point and after this there are no cultural effects. In fact, what makes this civilization wiped out was the river flooding of Shadchay River resulted in the destruction of the site and caused the peoples to abandon their settlement areas.

The aim of our study was to describe succession related changes in humus profiles on moderate slopes of a tropical inselberg (Nouragues, French Guiana). Nine humus profiles were collected in a stratified manner under two main communities on well-drained sites: carpets of Pitcairnia geyskesii (Bromeliaceae) and shrub thickets of Clusia minor (Clusiaceae), the latter including two stages of its dynamic development. The 53 sampled layers were analysed by an optical method, the volume ratio of 109 classes of litter/humus components being quantified by a count point method. Correspondence analysis (CA) revealed marked differences among humus forms. Pitcairnia carpets were characterized by the dominance of cyanobacteria which formed crusts with low faunal activity, except when they were colonized by enchytraeid worms. With advancing succession, we observed that leaf litter did not accumulate but rather was incorporated into organo-mineral excrements of macro-invertebrates under C minor. T...

A B S T R A C T Neolithic tells are traditionally considered synonymous to prolonged and persistent human activity. In this paper, micro-contextual examination of dung-related evidence at the Neolithic tell of Koutroulou Magoula, central Greece challenges this anthropocentric view. Thin section analysis demonstrates the abundance of dung indicators – including faecal spherulites, phytoliths, phosphatic impregnative features, and microlaminated fabrics – within a range of deposits and contexts across the site; such evidence was observed in built and unbuilt spaces, and enabled identification of possible penning areas and documentation of the use of dung as fuel source. Targeted archaeobotanical and phytolith analyses of dung-rich deposits point to diverse animal feeding practices and joint human-animal engagement with a range of ecological resources. Based on this integrated evidence which illustrates the significance of animals in co-creating and sharing living environments with humans at Koutroulou Magoula, we argue for the value of a multi-species perspective in Neolithic research.

Archaeological research of the area around Lake Pfäffikon is closely linked to the Zurich Oberland farmer Jakob Messikommer (1828–1917). The son of ordinary farming folk, he was brought up in Wetzikon and showed a keen interest in history and the natural sciences from an early age. His discovery of an important wetland settlement in the peat bog at Robenhausen (1858) laid the foundation for an unequalled career in research, which culminated in Messikommer being awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Zurich in 1893. His archaeological and research historical legacy is in many respects a treasure trove, which is second to none. Firstly, the old documents contain innumerable details about his excavations and, secondly, the research historical environment of the ‘pile-dwelling researcher’ and ‘antiquary’ can be reconstructed in extraordinary detail. Both of these facts make Jakob Messikommer’s estate one of the most important in terms of its scientific value.

Wetzikon-Robenhausen

The core of this publication is the analysis of the excavation records and finds from the wetland settlements at Wetzikon-Robenhausen. These were explored by Messikommer in a series of excavations spanning almost sixty years and presented to a worldwide audience in numerous publications. Not only did he tirelessly monitor the alterations to the course of the River Aa, thus preserving a multitude of important finds for posterity, but he also made a significant contribution towards the establishment of the neighbouring disciplines archaeozoology and archaeobotany by consistently recovering biological remains.
Numerous written documents provide a unique opportunity to reconstruct Messikommer’s excavations in Robenhausen. In so doing, we were able to associate many outstanding finds with particular excavation campaigns and thus with certain locations so that old finds have regained a certain degree of archaeological context, which was thought to have been lost. Messikommer’s commercial activities with all aspects of conserving and networking could also be reconstructed in an extraordinarily detailed manner. This means that the finds which were sold to museums here and abroad in order to fund the excavations can be viewed in a different light today. The finds from the 19th century excavations now play a completely different role as carriers of research historical and conservational information.
Thanks to the various data collected in the context of a site inventory compiled in the 1990s, it was possible to compare some of Messikommer’s findings with newly gathered field data. This comparison revealed that his records were very reliable and are indeed suitable as starting points for future research endeavours. This compatibility between the old and the new excavation data is all the more surprising, given the great complexity of the stratigraphy in Robenhausen due to the outstanding state of preservation of the organic components within the layers. We were able to reconstruct a rough image of the settlement sequence based on the old excavation records, the data and the old finds. The earliest deposits dated from the Early Pfyn Culture. These were followed by settlement remains from the Middle and Late Pfyn Cultures, the Horgen Culture, the Corded Ware period and finally the Early and Late Bronze Ages. This settlement sequence is partially supported by radiocarbon and dendrochronological dates.
An assemblage of loom weights recorded in situ is particularly worth noting. It was found in 1999 in a burnt layer associated with almost 30 textile fragments. It is quite likely that this was a Pfyn-period weaving frame, which had been destroyed during a conflagration and had collapsed on top of a multitude of finished and half-finished textile products. Various archaeological and archaeobotanical features indicated that a surplus of textiles may have possibly been produced in the Pfyn Culture. Several separate accumulations of wild animal bones (aurochs, European bison, badger, marten, hedgehog, deer) point to a hitherto rarely documented kind of waste disposal in the Pfyn Culture. Particularly noteworthy were two features with aurochs and European bison bones, as they were found in association with human skull remains.
The rich assemblage of finds represented the entire known range of organic and inorganic remains usually found in Northern Alpine wetland settlements. Outstanding finds were Pfyn-period crucibles, numerous perforated axes made of rock, axes made of antler as well as wooden artefacts, including several unique implements. A large number of textile finds from the earlier excavations were also of immense importance.

Wetzikon-Himmerich

This wetland settlement on the southern shore of Lake Pfäffikon was discovered by Jakob Messikommer in the late 1850s and has become known in research circles thanks to a small assemblage of Middle Neolithic potsherds. Apart from these, hardly any relevant information about the site has been presented up to now. Gathered up in the 19th and 20th centuries, many of the finds are not easily accessible, which means that they can only be presented in a summarising overview. The assemblage includes artefacts from the Middle Neolithic Grossgartach group, the Cortaillod and Horgen Cultures as well as from the Late Bronze Age. Some rather undiagnostic shards may point to a Pfyn-period settlement. In addition, a small number of Roman finds represent the use of the locality in late antiquity.

The area around Lake Pfäffikon

Besides finds from the wetland settlements of Wetzikon-Robenhausen and Wetzikon-Himmerich, individual finds from other areas around Lake Pfäffikon have been presented and put side by side for the first time. In so doing, questions regarding the structure and organisation of the settlement landscape were raised and put into context with the body of information currently available.