G. BOSCHIAN, E. ROVA, Geoarchaeology and Soil Micromorphology of Early Bronze Age Anthropic Features from Natsargora Settlement (Southern Caucasus, Georgia). ...., in P. Bieliński et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 8th ICAANE, Vol. 2,Wiesbaden 2014, 383-400. (original) (raw)
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At the Kura-Araxes site of Natsargora in Georgia, soil micromorphological study was carried out in 2011 on a sequence of prepared external surfaces and on two different combustion features (a typical clay hearth with inner projections, and a shallow cuvette of sub-rectangular shape). Prepared floors were intentionally fashioned by repeatedly laying down layers of yellowish local marine sediment of variable thickness, while the thin dark horizons included between them represent residues of activities carried out on the floors, e.g. of processing of cereals and occasional animal parking. The first analysed installation turned out to be the result of the superimposition of two successive combustion features of the same type, while the second one was probably associated with cereal processing.
Social Science Research Network, 2023
This paper focuses on the first results of a micromorphological study on the Neolithic architecture from Mentesh Tepe (Azerbaijan), a settlement in the Southern Caucasus occupied during the first half of the 6th-millennium cal. BC. While earthen architecture has already been studied on a macroscopic scale, the use of micromorphology represents an original approach. This research highlights six different assemblages of Mentesh Tepe earthen material preparations, showing a diversity in the manufacturing processes (i.e. the way of preparing the earth, the building techniques, the way of using the earth during the construction) and in the care for the architecture. The well-prepared materials show intense mixing at a wet state with temper added to the composition, while less prepared elements are poorly mixed in a dry state with heterogeneous material. We have identified microscopic features of moulded mudbrick and a unique use of gypsum material for one specific building. From these results based upon the building techniques and material uses we discuss the possible function or status of the structures and the life-cycle of the buildings through time. These results question possible social differences within the Neolithic groups at a site scale. This corpus, while rather small, is the first in the area for Neolithic architecture, and our results only pretend to give a preliminary overview and some ongoing reflection on architectural questions about the first sedentary communities of the Southern Caucasus.
The soil micromorphology of enigmatic Early Neolithic pit-features at Măgura,
The site of Măgura-Buduiasca on the left bank of the River Teleorman in southern Romania is composed of pit complexes dating to the Early and Middle Neolithic Period (Starčevo-Criş, Dudeşti and Vădastra cultures, the 6th millennium BC). An integrated archaeological and palaeo-environmental study was carried out. Local soils are Mollisols formed in middle-upper Pleistocene loess that is present over similarly dated freshwater marls. A detailed soil micromorphology investigation of twenty-six thin sections (including microprobe analysis) was carried out in order to attempt to understand these pit complexes in terms of their exact origins, function and abandonment history. The combined study found that pits were dug through the loess into the underlying marl, and that fire was employed as a landscape management tool. Human activities included the processing of monocotyledonous plants, including probable wetland plants, the ashed waste of which became part of the pit fills; burned daub, unburned daub, melted phytoliths, aggregates of possible burned dung origin, bone, coprolites and strongly burned soil, all became incorporated into the fills. Pits were re-excavated and back-filled, rather than simply becoming mixed by biological processes, which implies re-visiting and re-use of the pit-complexes. The exact original function and suggested re-use of these pit complexes (pit houses, quarry/storage pits) remains enigmatic, however.
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The investigation of fires and burning within the archaeological record has a long history, and the applied methods are diverse. There have been several investigations of prehistoric archaeological sites, but Middle Bronze Age contexts (2000–1450 BC) of the Carpathian Basin have not been widely studied beyond studies of ritual burning or warfare. In this paper, we aimed to add further details to this topic in the household context via thin-section soil micromorphology and related phytolith and charred plant matter analysis. The combination of these techniques has been proven to be advantageous due to their high-resolution quality, but phytolith analysis of soil/sediment via thin sections (i.e., in fixed environment) has not been largely explored yet. In this study, these methods were used to investigate various burning events that affected a Middle Bronze Age Vatya house within the tell site of Százhalombatta-Földvár, Hungary. Three types of fire/burning events were investigated. On...
West & East, 2020
The paper discusses the malacological remains recovered at Khashuri Natsargora and Aradetis Orgora, two Bronze Age/Iron Age sites located in the Kura River basin of the Shida Kartli province of Georgia (Southern Caucasus). The corpus consists of over 500 items, which include both land and (especially for Aradetis Orgora) freshwater species, while marine species represent an extremely marginal portion of the total. The record, obtained through direct collection during the excavation, included only the species with the largest and most resistant shell (therefore better recognisable with the naked eye), and represents only a part of the malacological assemblages relevant to the investigated stratigraphic sequences. Despite these objective limits, it was considered appropriate to present the collected data and the results of their analysis, as they allowed to obtain some paleoecological and paleoeconomic information that is not totally devoid of interest. The analysis on the available remains shows a clear dominance of species connected with open and xeric environments, in substantial agreement both with the present local environment and with the few available palaeoenvironmental data. The very weak diachronic variability of the assemblages seems to suggest a substantial ecological stability for both biotopes. The abundance of freshwater molluscs at Aradetis Orgora can be explained with the proximinity of the site to the Prone and Kura rivers, biotopes from which they may have been intentionally collected for use as food, as some parallels from other Bronze Age societies may suggest.
Geoarchaeological research at Baaz Rockshelter focuses on reconstructing geogenic and anthropogenic formation processes at the site and examining post-depositional alterations of the archaeological record. Baaz is set in a rockshelter at the base of a limestone cliff and its archaeological sequence includes seven layers documenting the repeated use of the site during the Upper Paleolithic and Late Natufian, including a Late Natufian house, as well as several phases of Neolithic occupation. Based on lithic, faunal, and botanical analysis, Upper Paleolithic people used the site sporadically and centered their activities on hunting. During the Late Natufian and Neolithic, occupations were also short term, but more intense. Here, we present results of a geoarchaeological investigation of the deposits and the first systematic micromorphological study of a constructed, Late Natufian floor. Throughout the sequence, the main formation process is the weathering of limestone, in addition to minor but regular ae-olian input of silt-sized quartz grains and mica. Post-depositional processes are rare and include minor secondary gypsum formation in all horizons and bioturbation that is most pronounced in the upper two layers. Anthropo-genic processes vary in type and intensity. The Upper Paleolithic deposits contain mostly geogenic components with rare, microscopic anthropogenic components, supporting the argument for sporadic site use during this time. The Late Natufian deposits contain the remains of a house that exhibits some characteristics typical of structures from this time period, including an artificially lowered surface, a wall, the round shape of the house and a constructed floor. The floor is composed of silty clay and shows microscopic structural alterations resulting from intensive use. The house also shows unconventional features for the Late Natufian, such as a built-in mortar, built-in hearth, and a possible ash dump. The uppermost deposits with Late Natufian and Neolithic occupation have a mixed appearance and contain pits and lenses of herbivore dung.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2009
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2014
The study of settlement sites is usually based on the analysis of architectural or cultural phases. The sediments that constitute the excavated deposits inside or outside houses are rarely studied. This work presents micromorphological analysis of sediments at the prehistoric site of Mitrou, a small tidal islet in central Greece. Unusually long archaeological sequences have been excavated ranging from the Early Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (ca. 2400e900 BCE). The occupational deposits in the Early and Middle Bronze Age are characterized by meticulous maintenance practices with multiple replastered floor sequences. These include surfaces made of debris produced inside houses by day-to-day activities. In this way an impressive thick sequence of overlapping worn-out floors and occupational deposits is produced with a characteristic finely layered macroscopic appearance. There is no clear association of a building phase with a single floor level but rather with a thick sequence of floor build-up. This practice ends in the Late Bronze Age, and from then on, floors are not frequently repaired and their construction technique is more standardized. Usually, a relative thin sequence of one or two floors is associated with a new architectural phase. The observed change is broadly correlated with the rise of a prepalatial political elite at Mitrou. The contrasting maintenance techniques also are relevant to discussions about differences between tells and ’flat’ settlements. Until the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, Mitrou’s indoor surfaces are those of a tell site whereas after that its surfaces resemble those of a ‘flat’ settlement. In Mitrou it appears that this change is related to a different perception of construction and maintenance of floors that in turn should be traced to the pattern of reconstruction of entire houses. These changes have a social significance that may reflect differences in household processes and use of space.
The study of settlement sites is usually based on the analysis of architectural or cultural phases. The sediments that constitute the excavated deposits inside or outside houses are rarely studied. This work presents micromorphological analysis of sediments at the prehistoric site of Mitrou, a small tidal islet in central Greece. Unusually long archaeological sequences have been excavated ranging from the Early Helladic IIB to Late Protogeometric phase (ca. 2400-900 BCE). The occupational deposits from the Early Helladic until the Late Helladic I phases are characterized by meticulous maintenance practices with multiple replastered floor sequences. These include surfaces made of debris produced inside houses by day-to-day activities. In this way an impressive thick sequence of overlapping worn-out floors and occupational deposits is produced with a characteristic finely layered macroscopic appearance. There is no clear association of a building phase with a single floor level but rather with a thick sequence of floor build-up. This practice ends sometime in the LH I phase, and from then on, floors are not frequently repaired and their construction technique is more standardized. Usually, a relative thin sequence of one or two floors is associated with a new architectural phase. The observed change is broadly correlated with the rise of a prepalatial political elite at Mitrou. The contrasting maintenance techniques also are relevant to discussions about differences between tells and 'flat' settlements. Until the beginning of the LH I phase, Mitrou's surfaces are those of a tell site whereas after that its surfaces resemble those of a 'flat' settlement. In Mitrou it appears that this change is related to a different perception of construction and maintenance of floors that in turn should be traced to the pattern of reconstruction of entire houses. These changes have a social significance that may reflect differences in household processes and use of space.