Αdamantios Sampson - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Αdamantios Sampson

Annals of Archaeology, Dec 31, 2019

The Sarakenos Cave at Akraefnion, Boeotia, Greece, vol IV, 2023

As the excavator of the Sarakenos Cave (1994-2018) in the vol. IV I describe the stratigraphy of... more As the excavator of the Sarakenos Cave (1994-2018) in the vol. IV I describe the stratigraphy of the eight trenches of the cave from the deepest layer (Middle Palaeolithic) to the latest (Mycenean period).

This is a summary of the twenty four years excavations and surveys in Sarakenos Cave and Kopais B... more This is a summary of the twenty four years excavations and surveys in Sarakenos Cave and Kopais Basin with the cooperation of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004-2010)

Annals of Archaeology, 2023

Two sets of vessels of the Early Cycladic period were found in 1996 and 1997 at the Rivari site o... more Two sets of vessels of the Early Cycladic period were found in 1996 and 1997 at the Rivari site of Melos Island. These sets of vessels which belong mainly to EC III (Kastri phase) are dated to the second half of the 3rd millennium (2500-2200 BC). 18 undecorated shallow bowls from these bear graved symbols that are commonly called "potter's marks". These symbols are somewhat similar to the Greek capitals Λ, M, Π, N, T, X, O, but after an epigraphic study presented in this paper, based on the similarity, they can be identified with Linear A by 50% and by 50% with Cretan Hieroglyphic writing. The result of this study point to a common use of Cretan writing symbols since 2500 ΒC..

Scientific Reports

The aim of the study is to investigate mitochondrial diversity in Neolithic Greece and its relati... more The aim of the study is to investigate mitochondrial diversity in Neolithic Greece and its relation to hunter-gatherers and farmers who populated the Danubian Neolithic expansion axis. We sequenced 42 mitochondrial palaeogenomes from Greece and analysed them together with European set of 328 mtDNA sequences dating from the Early to the Final Neolithic and 319 modern sequences. To test for population continuity through time in Greece, we use an original structured population continuity test that simulates DNA from different periods by explicitly considering the spatial and temporal dynamics of populations. We explore specific scenarios of the mode and tempo of the European Neolithic expansion along the Danubian axis applying spatially explicit simulations coupled with Approximate Bayesian Computation. We observe a striking genetic homogeneity for the maternal line throughout the Neolithic in Greece whereas population continuity is rejected between the Neolithic and present-day Greeks...

Over the last two decades of excavations and surveys, a Mesolithic cultural stage was discovered ... more Over the last two decades of excavations and surveys, a Mesolithic cultural stage was discovered for the first time in the Aegean which until then had appeared in a few places in mainland Greece. The first Mesolithic site appeared at the Cyclops Cave in Youra of Northern Sporades in 1992 and then the Mesolithic settlement of Maroulas in Kythnos was excavated (1996-2005). The following excavation of the Mesolithic site of Kerame in Ikaria (2007-2008) showed that the Mesolithic culture of the Aegean extended to the eastern side of the Aegean too. The next few years, surveys in the central and southern Aegean yielded new Mesolithic sites such as the sites of Roos in Naxos and Areta in Chalki. So far, nearly all the sites are located next to the sea and seem to have been related to sea movements from island to island. Apparently, the obsidian sources of Melos must have been the main reference center for this period while secondary were the obsidian sources of Yali in Dodecanese. The site Roos in Naxos is particularly important because, besides presenting all the features of a typical Mesolithic site, it expands to an area of dozens of acres, much greater than those of Maroulas in Kythnos and Kerame in Ikaria. The stone industry includes Melian obsidian and flint from Stelida quarry of Naxos. The typology of artifacts refers to stone tools that have also been found in Ikaria, Kythnos, Chalki and the earliest layer X of Knossos. Some types of implements probably indicate that the site of Roos could be dated to a later Mesolithic stage than those of Kythnos and Ikaria.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in human mobility patterns in Holocene Southwest Asia and the ... more Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in human mobility patterns in Holocene Southwest Asia and the East Mediterranean Highlights d Genetic diversity in Southwest Asia increased continuously through the Holocene d Regional populations admixed among themselves with the Neolithic d After the Bronze Age, populations diverged from each other via distant gene flow d Male-to-female bias increased over time in interregional human movements

Two crucibles with copper adhering (and one lead rivet) have been found on Yali (Nissyros) dating... more Two crucibles with copper adhering (and one lead rivet) have been found on Yali (Nissyros) dating to the Final Neolithic, mid-4th millennium BCE. This is important and rare evidence for the earliest phase of Aegean metallurgy, now recognized as emerging in circumstances of high mobility and variable technological preference and practice. The finds are presented here through a study of their context, typology and chemical and lead isotope analysis. The results show that the crucibles come from the main settlement on the island; they were locally made, using a clay recipe deliberately tailored to the needs of metalworking. The copper was pure, with low levels of naturally occurring arsenic. The copper and lead came from the same source which, on current evidence, appears to be to Kythnos. The community on Yali was in contact with a broader Aegean where multiple metallurgical technologies are known. The presence of tin ore, or its product, might be indicated. Though small in scale, the...

Quaternary International

The Sarakenos Cave in Greece, which preserves a series of cultural phases from the Middle Paleoli... more The Sarakenos Cave in Greece, which preserves a series of cultural phases from the Middle Paleolithic to the Middle Helladic (approximately 1600 BCE), provides an ideal site for studying transitions among prehistoric phases. We analyzed the strontium isotopes of various materials unearthed from the site, providing results that fill gaps in relevant data about the Boeotia area within the Sub-Pelagonian zone on the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr signature map of the Aegean region. The results show that the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of the human teeth from different phases generally fall within with the local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr range; thus, no migrants were identified at any period, indicating the people were either all locally born or moved from a region without evident geological variations compared to the study site. The results also imply that the foraging patterns of the equids and bovines were obviously different. The 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values of the equids tended to be more "nonlocal" than those of most bovines. The intratooth variation reflected by equid individuals generally follows three main patterns, with a tendency of premortal adaption to the local dietary conditions, and some equids probably foraged somewhere outside the distribution of Karst predominant in Kopais Basin. This study also suggests that the shells were most likely collected from Kopais Lake, which possibly had a slightly lower 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value than the present local value.

Highlights d Bronze Age (BA) Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan genomes from the Aegean were sequence... more Highlights d Bronze Age (BA) Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan genomes from the Aegean were sequenced d 3,000 BCE Aegeans are homogeneous and derive ancestry mainly from Neolithic farmers d Neolithic Caucasus-like and BA Pontic-Caspian Steppe-like gene flow shaped the Aegean d Present-day Greeks are genetically similar to 2,000 BCE Aegeans from Northern Greece

Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-180-7 Digital Edition:

The recovery and analysis of ancient DNA and protein from archaeological bone is time-consuming a... more The recovery and analysis of ancient DNA and protein from archaeological bone is time-consuming and expensive to carry out, while it involves the partial or complete destruction of valuable or rare specimens. The fields of palaeogenetic and palaeoproteomic research would benefit greatly from techniques that can assess the molecular quality prior to sampling. To be relevant, such screening methods should be effective, minimally-destructive, and rapid. This study reports results based on spectroscopic (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance [FTIR-ATR]; n = 266), palaeoproteomic (collagen content; n = 226), and palaeogenetic (endogenous DNA content; n = 88) techniques. We establish thresholds for three different FTIR indices, a) the infrared splitting factor [IRSF] that assesses relative changes in bioapatite crystals' size and homogeneity; b) the carbonate-tophosphate [C/P] ratio as a relative measure of carbonate content in bioapatite crystals; and c) the amide-to-phosphate ratio [Am/P] for assessing the relative organic content preserved in bone. These thresholds are both extremely reliable and easy to apply for the successful and rapid distinction between well-and poorly-preserved specimens. This is a milestone for choosing appropriate samples prior to genomic and collagen analyses, with important implications for biomolecular archaeology and palaeontology. Figures Citation: Kontopoulos I, Penkman K, Mullin VE, Winkelbach L, Unterländer M, Scheu A, et al. (2020) Screening archaeological bone for palaeogenetic and palaeoproteomic studies. PLoS ONE 15(6): e0235146. https://doi.

A (PPNA) site marked by the locals as Wadi Sharara. It is a hilltop that rises above a steep turn... more A (PPNA) site marked by the locals as Wadi Sharara. It is a hilltop that rises above a steep turn of the Wadi al-Hasa Gorge. The excavation of the Aegean University at the site took place in two periods in 2011 and 2012 and revealed seven loci at the top of a hill (Fig. 2), while two other constructions remained unclear, one of which was located far from the others in a strongly downhill area. The undisturbed layers yielded lithic and ground stone tools, human burials under the floors and archaeobotanical remains. Archaeological finds allow comparisons to be made with neighboring sites of the same period as el-Hemmeh, Drha' and ZAD 2, as well as with the sites of Jordan Valley. New radiocarbon dates from the site help complete the chronological framework in the southern Levant and in an area such as Jordan where PPNA sites are currently scarce.

Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, Bos taurus, remains reveals regional vari... more Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, Bos taurus, remains reveals regional variation that has since been obscured by admixture in modern populations. Comparisons of genomes of early domestic cattle to their aurochs progenitors identify diverse origins with separate introgressions of wild stock. A later region-wide Bronze Age shift indicates rapid and widespread introgression of zebu, Bos indicus, from the Indus Valley. This process was likely stimulated at the onset of the current geological age, ~4.2 thousand years ago, by a widespread multicentury drought. In contrast to genome-wide admixture, mitochondrial DNA stasis supports that this introgression was male-driven, suggesting that selection of arid-adapted zebu bulls enhanced herd survival. This human-mediated migration of zebu-derived genetics has continued through millennia, altering tropical herding on each continent.