Roderick B . Salisbury | Comenius University in Bratislava (original) (raw)

Books, Edited Books, and Edited Journal Sections by Roderick B . Salisbury

by Barbara Horejs, Christoph Schwall, Katharina Rebay-Salisbury, Roderick B . Salisbury, Roman Gundacker, Felix Höflmayer, Bettina Bader, Vera Müller, Teresa Bürge, Laura Burkhardt, Reinhard Jung, Elina Kardamaki, Birgitta Eder, Mario Gavranovic, Benedikt Biederer, Michael brandl, Clare Burke, and Holger Kockelmann

OREA Annual Report 2018, 2019

Research results and reports from the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology of the Aust... more Research results and reports from the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences of the year 2018 including outreach activities, excavations, surveys, analyses, material studies and current publications from all research groups and labs working in 17 countries.

The 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (ICAANE) was held in ... more The 10th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (ICAANE) was held in Vienna in April 2016, organized by the Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology (OREA), the Austrian Academy of Sciences with the support of the University of Vienna, a generous welcome by the City of Vienna, and the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. More than 800 participants from 38 countries presented their latest research in 8 parallel sections and 28 workshops (to be published in separate volumes). Additionally, a poster section with more than 80 posters was organized – a number of them integrated here in the chapters relevant to the corresponding topics.
The two-volume proceedings contain numerous contributions presented during the 10th ICAANE, giving an overview of current research, excavations and activities in Near Eastern archaeology. The first volume includes the "Statement about the Threat to Cultural Heritage in the Near East and North Africa", signed in the course of the 10th ICAANE, as well as papers of the sections Transformation & Migration, Archaeology of Religion & Ritual, Images in Context and Islamic Archaeology. The second volume is dedicated to the main topics Prehistoric and Historical Landscapes & Settlement Patterns and Economy & Society, and is completed with Excavation Reports & Summaries.

The places around us are an integral part of our social life. Daily activities are associated wit... more The places around us are an integral part of our social life. Daily activities are associated with specific living and working areas, and these associations create patterns that reflect the way people behave within defined spaces. Cooking, storage, craftwork, waste disposal, and other daily tasks take place in culturally accepted spaces. These everyday activities leave chemical and geophysical traces in the soil, creating cultural soilscapes. In this book, the author uses the soilscapes from small Late Neolithic and Early Copper Age settlements in the Körös Region of the Great Hungarian Plain to explore the relationship between spatial distributions and community organization during the major social and economic transformations that occurred at the turn of the Neolithic and Copper Age. Focusing on soil, rather than on artifact distributions or architecture, reveals patterns of continuity in spatial organization at small settlements. This contrasts with the spatial organization at large, nucleated Late Neolithic settlements, which differs considerably. The proposed model of household clusters and activity zones provides a framework for understanding shifts in spatial structure as they relate to social organization, and will prove useful in other regions and periods of cultural transformation.

Published by Archaeolingua, Budapest
Prehistoric Research in the Körös Region, Vol. 3
ISBN 978-963-9911-79-6

Reimagining Regional Analysis explores the interplay between different methodological and theoret... more Reimagining Regional Analysis explores the interplay between different methodological and theoretical approaches to regional analysis in archaeology. The past decades have seen significant advances in methods and instrumental techniques, including geographic information systems, the new availability of aerial and satellite images, and greater emphasis on non-traditional data, such as pollen, soil chemistry and botanical remains. At the same time, there are new insights into human impacts on ancient environments and increased recognition of the importance of micro-scale changes in human society. These factors combine to compel a reimagining of regional archaeology.

The authors in this volume focus on understanding individual trajectories and the historically contingent relationships between the social, the economic, the political and the sacred as reflected regionally. Among topics considered are the social construction of landscape; use of spatial patterning to interpret social variability; paleoenvironmental reconstruction and human impacts; and social memory and social practice. This book opens a discourse around the spatial patterning of the contingent, recursive relationships between people, their social activities and the environment.

This book discusses the cultural, social and archaeological aspects of space and the impact of sp... more This book discusses the cultural, social and archaeological aspects of space and the impact of spatial concepts in practical archaeological case studies. It summarizes recent developments and looks to the future, exploring some of the cutting-edge ideas in spatial method and theory. The past decade has seen significant advances in the tools available for spatial analysis in archaeology, and theory and method regarding the spatial character of archaeology must keep pace with these advances. Geomorphological and geochemical techniques, geographic information systems, remotely sensed data, virtual reality and electronic survey technology provide new opportunities, but also require new ideas. This book gives us insight into the ways that people have used space to subsist, to recreate their culture in their ‘homelands’ or in new areas, or impose their culture on others. Contributors address the way archaeological notions of space and deep time can add to society’s understanding of landscape, social relationships, past environment and cultural heritage. The contributions from Europe and North America demonstrate intercontinental connections and explore ways of using dynamic models of spatial patterning to assess human activity within natural and cultural landscapes.

Journal Articles and Book Chapters by Roderick B . Salisbury

Rondels revisited: Recent research on Neolithic circular enclosures in Central Europe 5000-4500 cal. BC, 2023

In archaeology, stratigraphic units are characterised by their shape, location, and physical comp... more In archaeology, stratigraphic units are characterised by their shape, location, and physical composition. In analysing these components, archaeological research aims to reconstruct the processes of deposition and formation. Interpretations of material analyses are typically biased by this stratigraphic information as revealed through excavation. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether different processes are distinguishable only based on material analysis. In recent years, portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) systems have been tested for on-site or even in situ measurements of archaeological samples. pXRF has the potential to provide fast and effective monitoring of material characteristics on-site. In this respect, if and to what degree the results represent the archaeological record should be a major concern. The challenge is not to increase the precision and accuracy of the instrumentation used, but rather whether a qualitative analysis of the relative distribution of different elements and material properties is possible based on on-site measurements. A possible workflow for recording basic soil parameters during excavation was tested and improved at a Neolithic ring ditch enclosure at Hornsburg, Austria. Based on this work, we suggest a methodology for leveraging the speed and portability of modern pXRF technology to characterize sediments and stratigraphic units in situ. We further propose that the on-site use of pXRF allows the discernment of different processes by observing basic variations of elements.

PLoS ONE, Aug 30, 2023

Burial rites of archaeological populations are frequently interpreted based on cremated remains o... more Burial rites of archaeological populations are frequently interpreted based on cremated remains of the human body and the urn they were deposited in. In comparison to inhumations, information about the deceased is much more limited and dependent on fragmentation, selection of body regions, taphonomic processes, and excavation techniques. So far, little attention has been paid to the context in which urns are buried. In this study, we combined archaeological techniques with anthropology, computed tomography, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, geochemistry and isotopic approaches and conducted a detailed analysis on a case study of two Late Bronze Age urns from St. Pö lten, Austria (c. 1430 and 1260 cal. BCE). The urns were recovered en-bloc and CT-scanned before the micro-excavation. Osteological and strontium isotope analysis revealed that the cremated remains comprised a young adult female and a child that died at the age of 10-12 years. Both individuals had been subject to physiological stress and were likely local. Animal bones burnt at different temperatures suggested different depositional pathways into the urn and pit as part of the pyre, food offerings, and unintentional settlement debris. Eight wild plant and five crop plant species appeared as part of the local landscape, as food offerings and fire accelerants. Sediment chemistry suggests that pyre remains were deposited around the urns during burial. Multi-element geochemistry, archaeobotany, and zooarchaeology provide insights into the Late Bronze Age environment, the process of cremation, the gathering of bones and final funerary deposition.

Advances in On- and Offshore Archaeological Prospection: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection, 2023

To link prehistoric settlement activities with a modern mapping of existing monuments on the site... more To link prehistoric settlement activities with a modern mapping of existing monuments on the site, non-invasive aerial and terrestrial prospection methods are used. The LiDAR data catches the course of the presumed prehistoric rampart. The geomagnetic measurements display, among other things, the course of a 250 m long prehistoric ditch. Furthermore, ERT measurements reveal the rampart’s inner construction

Lithic Technology, 2023

Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations ... more Eighty-one complete chipped stone drills and 115 drill fragments were recovered from excavations at the Eaton site in western New York. The major occupation was an Iroquoian village dating to the mid-sixteenth century. The number of drills far exceeds the number of drilled objects from the same site. Use wear on nineteen specimens indicates their use on soft to medium resistance materials which were not preserved at the site. Consideration of chipped stone drills with long drill bits suggests that they were not used on hard materials as they would have a tendency to break. Iroquois sites to the east that are slightly later in time than the Iroquoian component at Eaton have hundreds of drilled shell beads but few chipped stone drills. We conclude that European metal drills/awls replaced chipped stone drills early in the Contact Period.

Archaeologia Austriaca, 2022

Sediments serve as an archive of human and animal activity and environmental conditions through t... more Sediments serve as an archive of human and animal activity and environmental conditions through their physical and chemical properties as well as captured biological traces. Archaeologists have been
extracting information from archaeological soils and sediments for
decades, but recent technological developments, such as the analysis
of lipid biomarkers, proteins, and ancient DNA from soil and the diversification of approaches necessitate a re-examination of standard
field practice and a renewed emphasis on soil and sediments as archaeological materials. This review paper brings together a range of
specialists to introduce cutting-edge approaches to analysing soils and
sediments. From the large to the small scale, pioneering methods can
complement established soil analytical methods to address issues of
soil formation and erosion processes, heritage preservation, mobility,
domestication, land use, human-environmental interactions, cultural
and biological complexity, and ecosystem legacies. Soil analyses are
poised to enable archaeologists to ask new questions and generate innovative hypotheses in an interdisciplinary research framework.

Környezettörténet: Tanulmányok Sümegi Pál professor 60 éves syületésnapi kösyöntésére (Environmental history: Studies for the 60th anniversary of the birth of Professor Pál Sümegi), 2020

The Archaeology of Nucleation in the Old World: Spatiality, Community, and Identity, 2022

Spatial relationships are among the most important sources of archaeological evidence, and among ... more Spatial relationships are among the most important sources of archaeological evidence, and among the most important aspects of social organization. Reconstructing spatial structure, including the locations of task areas and activity zones, is crucial for understanding craft specialization, cross-craft interactions, power structures, inclusion/exclusion, and a host of other social behaviors. In part, this is because spatial structure can be used to regulate interpersonal interactions. Along with multiscalar and diachronic approaches, comparative spatial analyses are therefore essential for understanding how spatial organization functioned to facilitate or impede the success of early settlement nucleation. Drawing on ethnographic and archaeological comparisons from Europe and North America, this contribution examines different use of space in different types of sites during the Late Neolithic on the Great Hungarian Plain. Different types of sites, even if the difference is sometimes very subtle, show different spatial patterning of houses and activity zones. Furthermore, by increasing the social significance of identity while exposing people to a greater number of communities, these differences were instrumental in facilitating the sociopolitical changes that accompanied settlement and population aggregation.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020

The identification of sex-specific peptides in human tooth enamel by nanoflow liquid chromatograp... more The identification of sex-specific peptides in human tooth enamel by nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
(nanoLC-MS/MS) represents a quantum leap for the study of childhood and social relations more generally. Determining sex-related differences in prehistoric child rearing and mortality has been hampered by the insufficient accuracy in determining the biological sex of juveniles. We conducted mass spectrometric analysis to identify sex-specific peptides in the dental enamel of a child from a settlement pit of the Early Bronze Age settlement of Schleinbach, Austria (c. 1950–1850 BC). Four perimortal impression fractures on the skull of a 5–6-year-old child indicate an intentional killing, with a co-buried loom weight as possible
murder weapon. Proteomic analysis, conducted for the first time on prehistoric teeth in Austria, determined the child’s sex as male. While we cannot conclusively determine whether the child was the victim of conflicts between village groups or was slain by members of his own community, we suggest that contextual evidence points to the latter. A possible trigger of violence was the follow-on effects of an uncontrolled middle ear infection revealed by an osteological analysis. The boy from Schleinbach highlights the potential for further investigation of gender-biased violence, infanticide and child murder based on the recently
developed method of proteomic sex identification.

The Vienna Orme and Pesa Valley Project: Proceedings of the International Workshop Held at Vienna, June 22–23, 2018, 2020

Within the framework of the Vienna Orme and Pesa Valley Project, geoarchaeological investigations... more Within the framework of the Vienna Orme and Pesa Valley Project, geoarchaeological investigations were conducted to situate the sites in the wider landscape and provide context for the main project objectives, including the nature of rural land use and the cultural processes affecting it, issues of site definition and site classification, and differing patterns of material culture. Reconnaissance geoarchaeological survey, coring systematic, and soil sampling was carried out between 2015 and 2016 to characterize sediments, collect samples for geochemical analyses, and place sites and artifacts in an environmental and geological context.

Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica: Natural Sciences in Archaeology, 2020

Analytical technologies for the evaluation of archaeological soils have developed rapid... more Analytical technologies for the evaluation of archaeological soils have developed rapidly in recent decades, and now support a range of innovative research and interpretations of archaeological sites and landscapes. Established methods, including phosphates and multi-element ICP-MS/OES, have provided interpretations of the use of space within settlements and houses, and the function of specific archaeological features. Recently, portable X-Ray Fluorescence has been introduced to archaeological soil science, but published results have generated knowledge gaps. The correspondence between archaeological geochemical anomalies and specific human activities is partly dependent on geology (including sediment type and relative acidity and permeability of the soil), topography, and formation processes, as well as influence of human activities. At the same time, which elements, and fractions of elements, are measured is largely dependent on instrument parameters and extraction methods. This paper provides an overview of archaeological soil chemistry in Central Europe, and the current state-of-the-art, followed by an assessment of future developments in archaeological soil chemistry, molecular biogeochemistry, and the significance of geoarchaeology in multi-disciplinary research.

Nature, Oct 10, 2019

The study of childhood diet, including breastfeeding and weaning, has important implications for ... more The study of childhood diet, including breastfeeding and weaning, has important implications for our understanding of infant mortality and fertility in past societies. Stable isotope analyses of nitrogen from bone collagen and dentine samples of infants have provided information on the timing of weaning; however, little is known about which foods were consumed by infants in prehistory. The earliest known clay vessels that were possibly used for feeding infants appear in Neolithic Europe, and become more common throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. However, these vessels—which include a spout through which liquid could be poured—have also been suggested to be feeding vessels for the sick or infirm. Here we report evidence for the foods that were contained in such vessels, based on analyses of the lipid ‘fingerprints’ and the compound-specific δ13C and Δ13C values of the major fatty acids of residues from three small, spouted vessels that were found in Bronze and Iron Age graves of infants in Bavaria. The results suggest that the vessels were used to feed infants with milk products derived from ruminants. This evidence of the foodstuffs that were used to either feed or wean prehistoric infants confirms the importance of milk from domesticated animals for these early communities, and provides information on the infant-feeding behaviours that were practised by prehistoric human groups.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2018

Understanding patterns of artifact mends within a site has the potential to provide insights into... more Understanding patterns of artifact mends within a site has the potential to provide insights into human behavior. In this study, we map the distribution of projectile point mends at a mid-sixteenth century Iroquoian village in western New York. It is assumed that these point fragments were once embedded in meat and were discarded when the meat was consumed. As a result, the distribution of most point mends can be explained through waste stream analysis. However, those mends that occur over long distances or between different longhouses require another explanation. We propose that in these cases meat sharing between domestic groups occurred, as one mechanism used to cement interpersonal relationships. Long distance mends between potsherds and smoking pipes require additional explanations.

OREA Annual Report 2018, 2019

Published by Archaeolingua, Budapest
Prehistoric Research in the Körös Region, Vol. 3
ISBN 978-963-9911-79-6

Rondels revisited: Recent research on Neolithic circular enclosures in Central Europe 5000-4500 cal. BC, 2023

PLoS ONE, Aug 30, 2023

Advances in On- and Offshore Archaeological Prospection: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Archaeological Prospection, 2023

Lithic Technology, 2023

Archaeologia Austriaca, 2022

The Archaeology of Nucleation in the Old World: Spatiality, Community, and Identity, 2022

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020

The Vienna Orme and Pesa Valley Project: Proceedings of the International Workshop Held at Vienna, June 22–23, 2018, 2020

Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica: Natural Sciences in Archaeology, 2020

Nature, Oct 10, 2019

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2018

Material chains in late prehistoric Europe and the Mediterranean: time, space, and technologies of production, 2017

Evidence for the location and intensity of craft production often derives from architecture and t... more Evidence for the location and intensity of craft production often derives from architecture and the presence of tools and non-perishable waste. That evidence of this sort is emphasized is neither surprising nor incorrect. Several scholars, however, have remarked on the problems inherent in such an approach 1 , in particular with regard to prehistoric treatment of waste material and post-depositional processes. Furthermore, direct archaeological evidence for manufacturing locations, in the form of fixed production facilities and permanent features, is rarely found. In this paper, I set out an alternative approach based on archaeological soil chemistry, which can be used in conjunction with geophysics (for prospection) or micro-refuse analysis (during excavation). This methodology focuses on micro-scale analysis of cultural soilscapes to recover archaeological materials (sediments and micro-refuse) that are least likely to move from their place of primary deposition.

Material chains in late prehistoric Europe and the Mediterranean: time, space, and technologies of production, Sep 15, 2017

Bevezetés A 2014-ben életre hívott ISzAP (Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project) elnevezésû nemze... more Bevezetés A 2014-ben életre hívott ISzAP (Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project) elnevezésû nemzetközi kutatási program fókuszában az Ipoly völgyében elterülõ szécsényi meden-ce (1. ábra) és az itt elsõként megtelepedõ földmûves közösségek kulturális és kereske-delmi kapcsolatai állnak. 1 A vizsgált terület az ország északi részén, az Ipoly középsõ fo-lyásvidékén található és egyben az Ipoly-medence déli részét alkotja. A folyó Rárosmulyadnál (Mul'a) a Losonci-medencébõl a miocén vulkáni üledékeket áttörve ér-kezik meg az Ipoly-medencébe, ahol alapvetõen észak-déli folyásirányt követ. A Korponai-fennsíkról érkezõ patakoknak köszönhetõen vízgyûjtõ területe bõvül és im-már folyó méretet ölt. Nógrádszakál–Ráróstól délre már széles teraszok és kiterjedt árte-rek övezik. 2 A Cserhát északi elõterében, Szécsény határában az addig jellemzõen észak-déli folyásirány megváltozik és innen nyugatra veszi irányát. Itt, a folyó széles ka-nyarulatának keleti felében több, a Cserhátból induló, sugaras irányban elhelyezkedõ pa-tak torkol az Ipolyba: délrõl a Hollókõi-és Nagylóci-patak, keletrõl a Ménes-, ill. Nógrád-megyeri-patak. A patakok a Cserhát szûk völgyeibõl érkeznek meg a Szécsény környé-kén elterülõ, mintegy 80 km 2 kiterjedésû, nagyjából hasonló geomorfológiával jellemez-hetõ területre (Szécsényi-öblözet 3 , szécsényi medence). Az egyik ilyen déli irányba nyí-ló völgy bejáratánál találjuk a kutatásunk szempontjából kulcsfontosságú, középsõ neo-litikum idõszakában lakott Szécsény–Ültetés települést. A lelõhelyen Soós Virág vezeté-sével 1979 és 1985 között több évadban folyt feltárás, 4 amely során kiemelkedõ jelentõ-189

The ISzAP (Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project) international research program was launched in ... more The ISzAP (Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project) international research program
was launched in 2014, and focuses on the cultural and trade connections of the first agricultural communities that settled the Szécsény basin in the Ipoly Valley. A principal aim of the project is to locate Middle Neolithic settlements; to map the cultural, economic, and ideological interconnections between these settlements; and to determine the direction of the connections.
However, we have also the opportunity to study a broader time span, because
all prehistoric and historic periods are identified through our surface survey, and the
results will be utilised for long-term comparative analyses

Magyar Régészet Online Magazin, Tavasz 2016, May 2016

Új kutatási projekt indult útjára Észak-Magyarország interregionális cserekereskedelmi kapcsolata... more Új kutatási projekt indult útjára Észak-Magyarország interregionális cserekereskedelmi kapcsolatainak és kulturális
változásainak vizsgálatára. Az Ipoly-Szécsény Régészeti Projekt (ISzAP) Szécsény-Ültetés középső
újkőkori lelőhelyére és a környező Szécsényi-dombság, illetve a Cserhát északi előterében húzódó Ipoly-völgy,
valamint a Nógrádi-medence kutatására összpontosít. A csekély rendelkezésre álló információ ellenére feltehető,
hogy az Ipoly és Zagyva folyók több régészeti korszakban is fontos szállítási útvonalak lehettek. A
kerámia- és kőeszköz-leletanyag elemzése alapján intenzív kapcsolatok hálója bontakozik ki a környező keleti,
nyugati, déli, közeli és távolabbi újkőkori közösségek (a bükki, szakálháti, valamint a Vinča-kultúra, a közép-európai
vonaldíszes kerámia kultúrája, illetve az alföldi vonaldíszes kerámia kultúrája) között. Célunk az eddig
csak kevéssé kutatott, de annál nagyobb jelentőséggel bíró észak-magyarországi terület cserekapcsolatainak
feltérképezése, és az ehhez kapcsolódó társadalmi interakciók minél pontosabb megismerése.

Hungarian Archaeology E-Journal, Spring 2016, May 2016

A new research project has been launched to examine interregional trade networks and cultural cha... more A new research project has been launched to examine interregional trade networks and cultural change
in northern Hungary. The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project focuses on the Szécsény-Ültetés archaeological
site and its surrounding area of the Szécsény Hills in the Nógrád Basin at the northern part of
Cserhát Mountain and Ipoly Valley. Although there has been relatively little archaeological research in
this area, the Ipoly and Zagyva Rivers appear to have served as important transportation routes during the
Neolithic. Ceramic and lithic material from Szécsény-Ültetés and the few other sites examined in the region
indicates exchange with groups to the east, west and south, including Bükk, Notenkopf, Vinča, Szakálhát,
and both eastern and western variants of the Linearbandkeramik. Our goal is to fill in the empty spaces
in our archaeological maps of the region, and to gain a better understanding of trade and related social
interactions.

The Ecse-halom is a burial mound (kurgan) in the Hortobágy region of Hungary. Built in the Late C... more The Ecse-halom is a burial mound (kurgan) in the Hortobágy region of Hungary. Built in the Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age by nomadic people from the east, it now stands on the border between two modern settlements. A road of medieval origin runs along this border and cuts deeply into the body of the mound. The southern half of the mound was plowed and used as a rice field, and later a military observation tower was built on top of it. Despite this disturbance, the surface of the mound is in decent condition and provides a home for regionally significant, species-rich loess steppe vegetation. The mound comprises two construction layers as indicated by magnetic susceptibility and thin-section micro-morphological
analysis. Examination of organic compounds and carbonate content at various levels showed different values, which suggest a variety of natural and anthropogenic stratigraphic layers. Mid-sized siltstone fraction is dominant in the section. The layers originate from the immediate vicinity of the mound, but have different characteristics than present-day soils. These mounds contain a valuable record of cultural and environmental conditions occurring at the time of their construction, and also serve as a refuge for ancient loess vegetation; therefore their conservation is highly recommended.

Neolithic and Copper Age between the Carpathians and the Aegean Sea. Chronologies and Technologies from the 6th to the 4th Millennium BCE. International Workshop Budapest 2012. Archäologie in Eurasien 31, 2015

SAGA Workshop 1, 2019

Geophysical prospection is now standard for most regional scale archaeological projects. When wor... more Geophysical prospection is now standard for most regional scale archaeological projects. When working at the scale of regions or landscapes, geophysical methods can be employed over several geological, cultural and topographic contexts. For example, a survey might move from low-lying alluvium over colluvium to better drained surfaces, while also moving from pasturage to plowed fields, over an area containing several cultural periods or components. Geoarchaeological methods, including coring, soil chemistry and soil analyses can aid interpretations of geophysical anomalies and subsurface variability within these settings. The main part of this presentation will focus primarily on several projects, periods and sites within the Körös Region of eastern Hungary. This region, with a complex geography of paleochannels, former wetlands, low-lying meadows, and slightly elevated ridges, was intensively occupied from the earliest Neolithic onwards. Archaeologically, the landscape is somewhat unique for its excellent preservation of prehistoric settlements and burials and the density of prehistoric remains. The projects employ the same methodology as much as possible, including magnetometry over whole sites and targeted GPR, as well as intensive surface collections. Coring and soil chemistry are employed both as a prospection method to augment other datasets, and to check interpretations of magnetic and radar anomalies. Moreover, these combined methods contribute strongly to archaeological interpretations, by providing evidence for differences between cultural components and preservation of subsurface material. The integration of different prospection data into one overall interpretation involves the translation of data between disciplines and the transitions between multiple analytical scales. The results are being used in small-scale excavations intended to target intact occupation surfaces to collect short-lived datable material and diagnostic ceramics. Results also are used to justify proposed excavations and research.

Researching motherhood in prehistory relies heavily on analyses of human bones and teeth. Methods... more Researching motherhood in prehistory relies heavily on analyses of human bones and teeth. Methods now available for these analyses require an interdisciplinary approach encompassing prehistoric archaeology, physical anthropology, forensics, molecular biology and chemistry. This represents a significant change from past multi-disciplinary examinations of the human body.

The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a research project examining interregional t... more The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a research project examining interregional trade networks, cultural change, and human-environmental interactions in the Northern Carpathian Basin and its surroundings. Interpreting social structures, social interactions, and human-environmental interactions from archaeological data is essential both for understanding the past and informing the present. The research area is located in Northern Hungary and Southern Slovakia, in the Middle Ipoly Valley, and covers the southern part of the Ipoly Basin.
A regional survey began in 2015, including surface collections, coring and soil phosphate survey, and development of a regional GIS database. Our goal is to fill in the empty spaces in our archaeological maps of the region, and to gain a better understanding of trade and related social interactions. A principal aim of the project is to locate Middle Neolithic settlements; to map the cultural, economic, and ideological interconnections between these settlements; and to determine the direction of the connections. In our surveys, emphasis is put on additional non-destructive approaches (e.g., predictive modeling, geophysical survey and 3D terrain modelling). In addition, soil chemistry survey and geological drilling will extend the information we gathered about settlements and the environment, respectively. The considerable areas covered by woodland and pasture, which are inaccessible to field surveying, require alternative prospection methods.

Archaeologists frequently talk about grave contexts without clearly defining what context refers ... more Archaeologists frequently talk about grave contexts without clearly defining what context refers to. This paper intends to clarify how we get from the archaeological context that we study to the systemic context we are interested in, via the interpretational context that includes our research agendas, biases and philosophical standpoints. Ideas about what a ‘standard burial’ entails, as well as what we expect or want to find, shape what we uncover in graves. But can we do better? In this paper, we will use several examples from our ‘Motherhood in Prehistory’ project, which investigates grave contexts from the early Bronze Age to the late Iron Age, to illustrate how thinking about the temporal, environmental and seasonal context of burials may give us additional insights into the past. Our aim is to develop an interpretational framework for thinking about context that aids future research in burial archaeology.

The rise of Processual and Analytical archaeologies in the 1960s was an enlivening and stimulatin... more The rise of Processual and Analytical archaeologies in the 1960s was an enlivening and stimulating time, leading to several complimentary research frameworks. Among these was a call for Contextual Archaeology by Karl Butzer in the late 1970s. In Butzer’s program, archaeological discoveries would be placed in their physical (environmental) and cultural context through the application of five core subjects (space, scale, interaction, complexity, and stability) that are measurable and replicable. His approach effectively shifts the perspective from describing a static environment to analyzing a dynamic environment, and is compatible with traditional approaches to settlement archaeology and spatial patterning. This culminated in the 1982 book Archaeology as Human Ecology: Method and Theory for a Contextual Approach. While this idea gained some traction in North America, it came at a time of increasing frustration with the struggles of processualism to live up to its own expectations, and the rise of post-modernist critique, particularly in British archaeology. This in turn led to an incomplete and relatively short-lived rejection of environmental and ecological accounts for cultural developments. Unfortunately, this led to the coherent framework that Butzer developed, leaning heavily on geoarchaeology and including the concepts of affordances and landscape perception, being largely ignored by an entire generation of archaeologists, now heading into a second generation. As the case study presented here will show, however, this framework provides a powerful methodology for reconstructing the “four-dimensional, spatial-temporal matrix that comprises both a cultural and non-cultural environment, and that can apply to a single artifact or to a constellation of sites” (Butzer 1980: 418).

Spatial relationships are among the most important sources of archaeological evidence, and one of... more Spatial relationships are among the most important sources of archaeological evidence, and one of the most important aspects of social organization. Spatial structure, including the locations of task areas and activity zones, is an essential aspect for understanding craft specialization, cross-craft interactions, power structures, inclusion/exclusion, and a host of other social relationships. Along with multiscalar and diachronic approaches, comparative spatial analyses are an essential tool in understanding the influence of nucleation on the processes of everyday life. Drawing on ethnographic and archaeological comparisons from the Near East, Europe and eastern North America, this contribution examines different use of space in different types of sites during the Late Neolithic on the Great Hungarian Plain. I argue that different types of sites, even if the difference is sometimes very subtle, show different spatial patterning of houses and activity zones. Furthermore, by increasing the social significance of identity while exposing people to a greater number of communities, these differences were instrumental in facilitating the socio-political changes that accompanied settlement and population aggregation.

The Ecse-halom kurgan is a burial mound in the Hortobágy region of Hungary, built in the Late Cop... more The Ecse-halom kurgan is a burial mound in the Hortobágy region of Hungary, built in the Late Copper Age/Early Bronze Age by nomadic Yamnaya culture people from the east. The kurgan has been damaged over the past centuries: a Medieval road over it, plowing and use as a rice field, and construction of a military observation tower on top of it. Despite this disturbance, the mound sediments preserve an important record of cultural and environmental conditions at the time of construction. The mound comprises two construction layers as indicated by geoarchaeological analysis. The layers originate from the immediate vicinity of the mound, but have different characteristics than present-day soils. Examination of organic compounds, carbonate content and grain size distribution at various levels showed changing values over time. Data from within the kurgan provides data on Copper Age paleoecology, which can be compared to other regional data to document changing environmental conditions over the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

This paper presents the scientific methods and recent results of an approach combining geoarchaeo... more This paper presents the scientific methods and recent results of an approach combining geoarchaeology and archaeological survey to reconstruct the life history of a Neolithic settlement in a lacustrine environment. The site dates to the Neolithic Tisza culture that occupied the Hungarian Plain ca. 5000 BC. It is one of several sites located in a micro-region set along paleomeanders of the Körös River in Békés County, Hungary that are being investigated as part of the Neolithic Archaeology and Soilscapes Körös Area (NASKA) project.

During the course of the Neolithic, this region saw complex development in social and settlement organization, including the nucleation of populations in large settlements and the continued reoccupation of living space, changes in house structure and environmental impacts. By employing a suite of methods from archaeological science, including soil chemistry, sedimentology, geophysics, palynology and archaeobotany, we are gaining a better understandings of the early phase of settlement nucleation during the middle-to-late Neolithic transition, the relationships between changing groundwater levels and cultural developments, and human impacts on the environment during later prehistory in the Körös region. Fieldwork in 2014 and 2015 show a structured distribution of houses along an oxbow lake, and artifact distributions associated with these houses. New soil phosphate and macrobotanical data will also be introduced, as we grapple with variability in settlement organization and human-environmental interactions.

This paper sets out a theoretical framework for understanding soil as material culture, as a prod... more This paper sets out a theoretical framework for understanding soil as material culture, as a product of human behavior. As part of a theoretically informed geoarchaeology, this approach is grounded on the fact that archaeological soils and sediments are underutilized archives of human behavior. When sediment is treated as a category of archaeological material, informative and interesting in and of itself, we gain new perspectives on prehistoric life. Behavioral archaeology adds insight into the chains of behaviors that involve soil in everyday activities, and that contribute to the formation of cultural soilscapes.

A behavioral approach focuses on the interactions of people, artifacts and the environment in all times and all places, and builds on the work of Michael Schiffer. Although best known for site formation processes, behavioral archaeology is also widely used for studying life histories and technological change. A further behavioral insight is consideration of the performance characteristics of soil and the role that these characteristics play in both the technological and social functions of soil and soilscapes. Anthropogenic soils and soilscapes are the result of human activity, and as such are important archaeological materials. Cultural beliefs and traditions about soil inform behavior, and have the potential to influence the formation of cultural soilscapes. Using a behavioral archaeology approach, we begin to be more aware of human-soil interactions and of the potential significance of soil itself – soil as material culture.

A macro-regional comparative approach to LBK settlement organization suggests that sites in south... more A macro-regional comparative approach to LBK settlement organization suggests that sites in southeastern Europe, which saw the initial development of the LBK, tend to be more densely occupied, with more spatial coherence, than sites well outside the Carpathian Basin to the north and west. Settlements falling spatially and culturally between these areas are less well known. The Neolithic settlement of Szécsény-Ültetés lies in the northern part of the Carpathian Basin, at the boundary between the western, or Transdanubian LBK and the eastern, or Alfold, LBK variant, and at the northern edge of the LBK “heartland”. The site has been identified as Zseliz (late LBK), based on ceramics from surface collections and earlier excavations, but with ceramics diagnostic of the Transdanubian LBK, the Alfold LBK, Notenkopf, Vinča, Szakálhát and Bükk. As such, it played an important role in connecting north and south, east and west. For these reasons, the site seems ideal for examining both interregional interactions and the differences between settlement organization in the southern "core area" and areas to the north and west. In this paper, we describe and compare the settlement pattern, chronology, environmental setting and evidence for interregional interaction at Szécsény-Ültetés, as an introduction to new research on these questions.

The disposal of the dead is a multi-step process often involving a number of people and places ov... more The disposal of the dead is a multi-step process often involving a number of people and places over time. Washing and viewing corpse, burning the body on a pyre, placing the skeletal remains in containers in the ground, and eating with the bereaved are potentially all important components of the funerary process and often leave a mark on the archaeological record. Although remote sensing techniques, surface collection, and soil chemistry are increasingly used in characterizing the organization of settlements, they are infrequently used to describe mortuary spaces. This paper addresses the shortfall by using several classes of minimally intrusive data collection to describe activity areas at a Middle Bronze Age (2000-1500 BCE) cemetery in Eastern Hungary. While prehistoric features and activity areas are difficult to identify using a single line of evidence, we find that the combination of several datasets in a GIS permits both well-targeted excavations and more realistic models of prehistoric activity across mortuary spaces.

Recent theoretical developments in North American and British archaeology include reflections on ... more Recent theoretical developments in North American and British archaeology include reflections on colonial traditions, hierarchical power relations, and the ownership of cultural heritage. Diffusion of power and assertions of cultural patrimony play out differently in different regions of the world: in Hungary, at least, professional collaborations often expand to become true and long-lasting partnerships. This paper presents some of the results—and some of the knowledge exchange—from the collaborative Hungarian-American NASKA project. The project was born while we were working together, first on the Körös Regional Archaeological Project and later on fieldwork for a Ph.D. dissertation. We discovered common methodological interests and shared questions about prehistory. The shared methodological interest is geoarchaeology, and the questions focus around intra- and intersite settlement patterns and human-environmental interactions. However, our intellectual backgrounds are quite different; the challenges and benefits resulting from these differences help explain the way our project, and our personal friendship, has developed. Initial results from our fieldwork is also presented: better understandings of the early phase of settlement nucleation during the middle to late Neolithic transition, the relationships between changing groundwater levels and human settlement choices, and human impacts on the environment during later prehistory in the Körös region.

Abstract: Throughout prehistory, we find evidence for human adaptation of the environment. This i... more Abstract: Throughout prehistory, we find evidence for human adaptation of the environment. This includes using technology to modify the environment to meet human needs and desires, as well as adjusting technologies and cultural traditions to accommodate new or changing environments. Furthermore, changes to the environment include both deliberate alterations, for example building dams, levees or irrigation channels to control water, and unintended alterations, such as increasing erosion and loss of soil fertility. Due to the temporal nature of these adaptations, we take an historical ecology approach to explore cultural transitions during the Central European Neolithic. Our combine archaeological and environmental findings from the central Körös area of eastern Hungary indicate changing environmental conditions, including changes in groundwater levels and complex shifts in both arboreal and herbaceous pollen concentrations. These changes played a role in decisions regarding the location, size and internal spatial organization of settlements, all of which changed during periods of cultural transition. Furthermore, we have documented anthropogenic changes to the local ecosystem that transformed the landscape and consequently resource availability. These factors may also be implicated in changes to subsistence economy, which are most obvious in the Early to Middle Neolithic transition.

"Neolithic populations in Central Europe lived in a world of dynamic climate change. Human ecolog... more "Neolithic populations in Central Europe lived in a world of dynamic climate change. Human ecology and the related concept of resiliency provide a conceptual approach to understanding the ways that human societies and the environment affect each other. This paper explores human-environmental interactions in light of local environmental changes linked to small-scale climate change. Case studies come from the 2011-12 investigations at two small early Late Neolithic settlements (c. 5000 BC) set along palaeomeanders of the Körös River in Békés County, Hungary. During the course of the Neolithic, this region saw complex development in social and settlement organization, including the nucleation of populations in large settlements and the continued reoccupation of living space. Utilizing archaeological and environmental data, we tackle the question of why these communities chose different lifeways, and how these choices reflect efforts to mitigate environmental change.

Our project develops a new comparative methodology for examining the dialogue between small communities, cultural traditions and environmental change. We use geochemical and geophysical prospection of settlements, traditional surface survey and environmental analyses to examine cultural resiliency. By cultural resiliency, we mean the ability of a society to maintain and develop identity, knowledge and ways of making a living, despite challenges and disturbances, by resisting damage and recovering quickly. In this case, we are looking for ways that Neolithic populations on the Great Hungarian Plain handled environmental change."

European Journal of Archaeology 17: 549-553, 2014

Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2011.06.35, 2011

European Journal of Archaeology, 14(1-2): 316-319, 2011

This dissertation develops a conceptual and methodological model for studying the spatial organiz... more This dissertation develops a conceptual and methodological model for studying the spatial organization of small agrarian settlements during the Late Neolithic and Early Copper Age (c. 5000-4500 BC) in the Berettyó-Körös basin of eastern Hungary. Methodologically, I examined and compared Late Neolithic and Early Copper Age settlements at two scales: at intra-site level I used geochemistry and the textural and
visual qualities of sediments to characterize use of space at seven farmsteads. The patterning of chemicals and other soil characteristics show clear evidence of activity areas. At the regional scale I examined the distribution of these settlements in relation to palaeohydrology, soil characteristics and other settlements. I interpreted these combined data sets in light of how landscape both structured and is constructed by human society, developing the concept of soil as material culture as a way to understand how changes in soils brought about through habitation and agriculture – that is the development of cultural soilscapes – could influence people’s perceptions of their place in the world. The concepts of practice, relationism and soil as material culture allowed me to develop understandings of how Neolithic people engaged in a dialogue with the materiality of soil in the formation of communities.
The model enables the identification of three general areas within a household cluster or hamlet; open spaces, intensively used pits and activity areas, and household and/or communal refuse locations. Results indicate that people maintained traditions of activity and house location within small farmsteads during both the Late Neolithic and
Early Copper Age, as seen through patterns of chemical enrichment and sediments in household clusters. These patterns also indicate that small farmsteads from both periods share a different spatial organisation from large, nucleated Late Neolithic villages. I argue that this continuity in one aspect of life reflects deep-running beliefs about community and place, beliefs that are related to intimate connection with the soil and are not necessarily reflected in ceramic decorations. Through these, the relations between different scales of communities and variability in regional settlement patterns, exchange and mortuary customs can be seen as variability partially enabled through the continuity afforded by cultural soilscapes.

Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica – Natural Sciences in Archaeology , 2018

TEA - The European Archaeologist, 2018

TEA - The European Archaeologist , 2017

The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a new research project examining interregion... more The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a new research project examining interregional trade networks, cultural change, and human-environmental interactions in the northern Carpathian Basin and its surroundings. 2015 saw the beginning of new phase of regional survey, including surface collections, coring and soil phosphate survey, and development of a regional GIS database. Fieldwork in 2015-2016 is funded by a NKA (Hungarian National Cultural Fund) Grant 3234/00276 " Szécsény-Ültetés középső neolitikus lelőhely complex régészeti felmérése – Complex archaeological survey of the Middle Neolithic site at Szécsény-Ültetés. The ISzAP project area centers on the Szécsény-Ültetés archaeological site and includes its surrounding area in the Nógrád Basin at the northern part of Cserhát Mountain and Ipoly Valley (Fig. 1). The relatively little archaeological research that has been conducted in this area suggests that the Ipoly and Zagyva Rivers served as important transportation routes during the Neolithic. Ceramics and lithics from Szécsény-Ültetés and the few other examined sites show cultural affiliation with groups to the east, west, and south, including both eastern and western variants of the Linearbandkeramik, Bükk, Notenkopf, Szakálhát, and Vinča. Previous research on the Neolithic of the Nógrád basin and Ipoly valley is very limited. Excavations were carried out at Szécsény-Ültetés and another local site, Karancsság-Alsó-rétek. Results of the Szécsény excavations were published in 1982 (Soós 1982) and formed the foundation of a thesis (Fábián 2002, 2010), while Karancsság provided the basis for a doctoral dissertation by Bácsmegi (2015). These projects revealed that the earliest farming occupation of the region was likely during the Notenkopf and Zseliz periods of the LBK, and that subsequent Lengyel settlements were likely to be found as well. Aside from these excavations, information about Neolithic inhabitation of the region is limited to a few stray field finds given to local museums, and a few limited excavations (Fábián et al. 2016). No systematic programs of surface collection or archaeological survey have been carried out here. However, the results we do have indicate extensive exchange networks extending east west across the northern edge of the Carpathian Basin, and down the Danube and Tisza rivers. The new campaign seeks to address several questions that arose from this earlier research, including: (1) what is the regional settlement pattern, including the distribution of sites in the region, changes in settlement location over time, pattern of sites in relation to valleys and natural " gateways " ? Is Szécsény-Ültetés a gateway site? (2) What was the significance and extent of interregional cultural interactions, and what role did this region play in prehistory? (3) How did human activity change the local landscape, and how does the changing environment affect settlement locations and subsistence choices? Our goal is to fill in the empty spaces in our archaeological database of the region, and to gain a better understanding of trade and related social interactions. To address these questions, ISzAP co-directors Szilvia Fábián (Hungarian National Museum) and Roderick Salisbury (University of Vienna) have begun to investigate the regional settlement patterns, distribution of potential imported materials, and environmental variables. The new campaigns thus far have involved geophysical prospection, intensive and controlled surface collection, coring, and soil chemistry, in addition to spatial analysis and predictive modeling in GIS. Geophysical survey in 2014 saw the first magnetometer survey conducted at Szécsény-Ültetés (directed by Máté Stibrányi, former National Heritage Protection Centre of the Hungarian National Museum, now Gyula Forster National Centre for Cultural Heritage Management, Hungary). Surface survey is being done by systematic, spaced transects, with finds recorded by GPS within pre-plotted sectors (Fig. 2). After GIS modeling, in which we took into consideration the geographic situation of known sites, we chose several areas at various elevations and geographic settings to survey in the Szécsény basin and at the entrance of the Ménes and Nógrádmegyer creek valleys. Although the primary focus of our research is the late Middle Neolithic period, our recent surveys have identified three previously unidentified LBK settlements, four new Bronze Age settlements,

SAA Current Research Online, Mar 16, 2013

The School Bulletin. School of Archaeology and Ancient History, Issue 35, Dec 2012

Anthropologie LI/2 • pp. 131–142 • 2013, 2013

In this paper, we examine human interactions within both the so-called natural environment and th... more In this paper, we examine human interactions within both the so-called natural environment and the so-called built, or architectural, environment. People exist in the world both as physical beings and as members of societies,and as such, they have sophisticated structures of behavior, many ways of thinking, and various cultural traditions and roles. Because people interact with and experience their world through these structures, roles and traditions, their interactions with the environment occur in diverse complicated ways. These interactions, with people, animals, plants,communities, climatic conditions, accessible resources, hydrology, etc., create what we call "built environments". Althoughincreasingly sophisticated methods in the natural and formal sciences are opening new opportunities for archaeological research of these built environments, we still need to address the problem of methodological applications not being informed by social and humanistic sciences, and theory not being informed by data or the scientists who compile the data. In Central European archaeology specifically, stopping at the stage of methodology and working without an explicit theoretical agenda, as if interpretation refers only to describing or reorganizing data, remains aproblem. We therefore strive toincorporate social theory in human-environmental research, and offer scientific methods and social theories that complement each other. By reconstructing complete palaeo-landscapes and considering how people may have experienced,altered and (re)experienced their built environments, we believe amore complete and inclusive archaeology is possible.

Borders and borderlands has become an interdisciplinary focus, particularly in geopolitical discu... more Borders and borderlands has become an interdisciplinary focus, particularly in geopolitical discussions. Archaeology too has traditionally been interested in how and when materials, people, ideas, and artifact and architectural styles moved between regions, as well as on the socio-political impact of these movements. This focus on how things spread from one space to another led to the creation of discrete archaeological regions separated by borders. Recent theoretical approaches have reimagined these borders as permeable, discarded "pots=people" explanations, and developed concepts of mobility. However, the communities that lived within borderlands remain under-explored, as do communication and movement within these areas. Moreover, some spaces, especially those peripheral to large, urban centers, or outside the boundaries of infrastructure and development projects, are marginalized by unintentional biases built into archaeological research. The motion or fluidity of borders themselves needs development from archaeological perspectives, so that archaeologists can contribute to larger geopolitical debates by allowing heritage to reflect potential futures.

This session explores the role of border areas as interaction zones, comprising communities with their own traditions and structures. Can we identify "crossroads communities"? Can we see the movement of borders over time, or communities shifting from being at crossroads to being within cores? What were the long-term effects of movements of people, materials, and ideas on communities within the borderlands? How many peripheral areas were also borderlands, and how has the "marginal area" label muddled our understanding of social, political, and economic developments?

Recent years have seen an increasing integration of natural science approaches in archaeology, so... more Recent years have seen an increasing integration of natural science approaches in archaeology, so much that one could argue that the nature of the discipline is shifting from a historical-philosophical subject towards a natural science one. This brings with it a change in the discipline’s epistemology – in which ways knowledge is generated.
This conference aims to explore where archology stands as a discipline. Do we waver uneasily between subject groups, or are we integrating different kinds of knowledge? Archaeology is inherently cross-disciplinary, borrowing from art history, computer science, geography, biology and other subjects. Many projects today are multi-disciplinary, bringing in experts from different fields. Working in this way has become standard practice in archaeology, but how is this actually done? In what ways do the paradigms of different disciplines influence the questions explored and the knowledge generated? Is it appropriate to talk about inter-disciplinarity? How are multiple disciplines integrated within actual research? These questions provide the framework for understanding Disciplinarity in Archaeology.

TH1-34 What If We Build This Here? Spatial Patterns, Community Organization, and Identity at Nucl... more TH1-34 What If We Build This Here? Spatial Patterns, Community Organization, and Identity at Nucleated Settlements. Please submit your paper abstract by 15th February 2016 http://eaavilnius2016.lt/

In recent years, traditional archaeological approaches to regional analysis have been newly imagi... more In recent years, traditional archaeological approaches to regional analysis have been newly imagined and redefined to include consideration of the indigenous meaning of past spaces and places and the role of practice and memory in the shaping of social dynamics. Symposium participants mix these perspectives with recent advances in spatial analysis and the
measurement of human impacts on ancient environments in order to examine the spatial patterning of the contingent, recursive relationships between sociopolitical, ritual, and
economic activities.

The aim of ISzAP Project The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a new research proj... more The aim of ISzAP Project The Ipoly-Szécsény Archaeological Project (ISzAP) is a new research project examining interregional trade networks, cultural change, and human-environmental interactions in the northern Carpathian Basin and its surroundings. Interpreting social structures, social interactions, and human-environmental interactions from archaeological data is essential both for understanding the past and informing the present. The ISzAP project area centres on the Szécsény–Ültetés archaeological site and includes its surrounding area in the Nógrád Basin at the northern part of Cserhát Mountain and Ipoly Valley. Previous research on the Neolithic of the Nógrád basin and Ipoly valley is very limited. Excavations at Szécsény–Ültetés and another local site, Karancsság–Alsó-rétek, indicate that the earliest farming occupation of the region was likely during the Notenkopf and Zseliz periods of the LBK, and suggest that the Ipoly and Zagyva Rivers served as important transportation routes during the Neolithic. The Middle Neolithic settlement Szécsény–Ültetés appears to have played a pivotal role in processes of interaction and exchange, as ceramics and lithics from Ültetés, and the few other examined sites indicate extensive exchange networks extending east west across the northern edge of the Carpathian Basin, and down the Danube and Tisza rivers, including both eastern and western LBK variants, Bükk, Notenkopf, Szakálhát, and Vinča. A principal aim of the project is to locate Middle Neolithic settlements through systematic filed survey; to map the cultural, economic, and ideological interconnections between these settlements; and to determine the direction of the connections. However, we have also the opportunity to study a broader time span, because all prehistoric and historic periods are identified through our surface survey, and the results will be utilized for long-term comparative analyses.

The goal of this research is to identify how settlements were internally organized during the tra... more The goal of this research is to identify how settlements were internally organized during the transition from the Late Neolithic to Early Copper Age, circa 4800-4500 BC. This period in southeast Europe is known for substantial change in settlement patterns, exchange networks and mortuary practices. The focus of most research to date has been on large settlement mounds. The function and characteristics of small Late Neolithic sites, and how they relate to the Late Neolithic regional settlement pattern, is not known. The analysis will focus on this issue, providing geochemical and stratigraphic data needed to resolve the missing intra-site characterization of small Late Neolithic flat sites.

This article utilises skeletal evidence (n = 57) from settlement features and graves at Unterhaut... more This article utilises skeletal evidence (n = 57) from settlement features and graves at Unterhautzenthal, Lower Austria, to outline our methodological approach to researching motherhood in prehistory. Unterhautzenthal includes the grave of a pregnant teenager, a triple burial of a woman with two children and a family grave of a man, woman and baby; additional women’s graves include remains of neonates and young children. Comparing archaeological context information with osteobiographical data allows us to draw inferences about the social status of women and the ways Bronze Age motherhood was conceptualised. The archaeological approach includes a gender and age analysis of material culture and Social Index calculations. The osteological analyses include age at death, sex, body height, health indicators, and pathologies, with an emphasis on pelvic changes. Physical traces that may relate to strain through pregnancy and childbirth were explored in detail. In addition to morphological a...

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Rebay-Salisbury, K., D. Pany-Kucera, M. Spannagl-Steiner, F. Kanz, P. Galeta, M. Teschler-Nicola,... more Rebay-Salisbury, K., D. Pany-Kucera, M. Spannagl-Steiner, F. Kanz, P. Galeta, M. Teschler-Nicola, and R. B. Salisbury. 2018. 'Motherhood at early Bronze Age Unterhautzenthal, Lower Austria'. Archaeologia Austriaca 102: xxx-xxx. This article utilises skeletal evidence (n = 57) from settlement features and graves at Unterhautzenthal, Lower Austria, to outline our methodological approach to researching motherhood in prehistory. Unterhautzenthal includes the grave of a pregnant teenager, a triple burial of a woman with two children and a family grave of a man, woman and baby; additional women’s graves include remains of neonates and young children. Comparing archaeological context information with osteobiographical data allows us to draw inferences about the social status of women and the ways Bronze Age motherhood was conceptualised. The archaeological approach includes a gender and age analysis of material culture and Social Index calculations. The osteological analyses includ...

ABSTRACT "Reimagining Regional Analysis explores the interplay between different methodo... more ABSTRACT "Reimagining Regional Analysis explores the interplay between different methodological and theoretical approaches to regional analysis in archaeology. The past decades have seen significant advances in methods and instrumental techniques, including geographic information systems, the new availability of aerial and satellite images, and greater emphasis on non-traditional data, such as pollen, soil chemistry and botanical remains. At the same time, there are new insights into human impacts on ancient environments and increased recognition of the importance of micro-scale changes in human society. These factors combine to compel a reimagining of regional archaeology. The authors in this volume focus on understanding individual trajectories and the historically contingent relationships between the social, the economic, the political and the sacred as reflected regionally. Among topics considered are the social construction of landscape; use of spatial patterning to interpret social variability; paleoenvironmental reconstruction and human impacts; and social memory and social practice. This book opens a discourse around the spatial patterning of the contingent, recursive relationships between people, their social activities and the environment."

Two aspects of the artifact assemblage at the Eaton Site in Western New York are examined. First,... more Two aspects of the artifact assemblage at the Eaton Site in Western New York are examined. First, in what way and to what extent did extensive plowing affect the integrity of the site context? The data suggest that some important inferences can be made. This allows for the second discussion, regarding behavioral patterns. Distribution maps of ceramic and lithic cross-mends, along with post mold maps are used to study waste streams at Eaton, with several distinct lines of refuse disposal identified. The emphasis of the waste stream analysis is on discovering a pattern in the discard practices for the two artifact types.

Abstract: The Late Neolithic in the Eastern Carpathian Basin was a period of settlement nucleatio... more Abstract: The Late Neolithic in the Eastern Carpathian Basin was a period of settlement nucleation which saw the climax of Neolithic “tell” construction, as well as immense horizontal settlements. The succeeding Early Copper Age was a period of settlement disaggregation, with smaller sites dispersed more widely across the landscape.

by Kata Furholt (Szilágyi), Szilvia Fábián, Roderick B . Salisbury, Cserpák Ferenc, Norbert Faragó, Attila Péntek, Krisztian Zandler, Tóth Zoltán Henrik, Zsuzsanna Tóth, Mónika Gutay, and Sándor Béres

Rebay-Salisbury, K., Bortel, P., Janker, L., Bas, M., Pany-Kucera, D., Salisbury, R. B., Gerner, ... more Rebay-Salisbury, K., Bortel, P., Janker, L., Bas, M., Pany-Kucera, D., Salisbury, R. B., Gerner, C., and Kanz, F. 2022. Gendered burial practices of early Bronze Age children align with peptide-based sex identification: A case study from Franzhausen I, Austria. Journal of Archaeological Science 139: 105549.