Although the study of innovation within the field of archaeology has been explored in the past, it has repeatedly been highlighted that there is a dire need for the accumulation of case studies in order to explore the incentives driving innovation. These incentives, which are contextspecific, are therefore explored in Crete and Cyprus during the early periods of wheel potting. The selective acquisition of new potting skills is demonstrated chronologically through an experimental study of rotative potting techniques. In this way, the technological transition is highlighted as more complex than a binary switch from hand-building to rotative potting. By first using this information to understand the process of innovation (from an a posteriori perspective), it is possible to use more generalised archaeological data from each context to shed light on the incentives driving the innovation (taking an a priori perspective). There is broad applicability in this approach; existing frameworks for understanding innovation, which originate from a number of disciplines, are critically evaluated in light of their utility for archaeological applications, with particular regard for the case studies. This critical evaluation is employed to generate an archaeologically-specific framework which explicitly considers how innovations affect, and are affected by, individuals, intra-community relationships and intercommunity relationships. It is demonstrated that a framework of this kind is essential in overcoming the variable nature of archaeological evidence if more generalised approaches to innovation are to remain relevant to the field of archaeology. Maintaining this relevance is crucial, for archaeological evidence is representative of the long view of human material culture. This long view is the best resource for exploring innovation incentives, which remains a high priority within the broader field of innovation studies.

Lime plasters are mixtures of burnt lime, aggregates and other materials that are employed in masonry architecture. Lime plasters were widely used by the ancient Maya in public monumental buildings and constitute important elements of ancient Maya material culture. This research analyses archaeological samples of lime plasters from three different lowland Maya sites: Palenque, Calakmul and Lamanai. The thesis examines how these building materials changed through time, and includes samples from ca. 400 BC to the 16th century AD. In addition to the analysis of archaeological samples, the research also reviews various sources of information, including ethnographic and ethnohistorical descriptions, for the understanding of ancient Maya lime plaster production. The results demonstrate that plasters from the three sites have different characteristics that are due to different access to raw materials and different building traditions at each of the sites. Some of the changes seem to be related to changing economic and political conditions, which is very clear in the use of clays instead of lime for the manufacture of architectural plasters during the Terminal Classic periods at Calakmul and Palenque. Other observations include the use of local meteoritic deposits in the lime mixtures of Palenque, the use of non-local volcanic materials in the late plasters from Lamanai, and the likely use of volcanic ash at Calakmul for the production of hydraulic plasters. In addition to the technological analyses of ancient plasters, the research also provides suggestions for future research and recommends those analytical methods that are most suitable for the examination of Maya lime plasters.

This research focuses on the study of amphorae from Cyprus in order to reconstruct aspects of trade and the Roman economy in the eastern Mediterranean region, from the 2nd c. BC to the 7th c. AD. The amphorae, as the primary containers used in commercial activities, enable an insight into trading patterns and socio-economic processes. Trade was fundamental to the Roman empire for the accomplishment of the political strategy of economic exploitation of its territories. However, it is only fairly recently that research focused on the study of amphorae for the reconstruction of trade and the examination of the economy. Still, the bias towards the western part of the empire resulted in the obscurity of the eastern exchange networks, and the lack of sufficient knowledge concerning the broader mechanisms underlying trade. Despite the growing work currently undertaken in the eastern Mediterranean, trading activities in the eastern part of the empire remain largely unknown. Thus, by analysing data from a number of sites on this strategic island and combining them with existing evidence, the aim is to provide with this thesis an original contribution to the understanding of the complex economic activities of the island and the eastern Mediterranean region, and between the two parts of the Mediterranean. The main concern is the development and application of a solid theoretical and methodological framework for the investigation of production, trade and exchange, and consumption, as well as the associated social and ideological implications, and the diachronic changes.

Human remains are one of the most popular aspects of archaeology for the public in the United Kingdom, yet they are also one of the most sensitive and debated. Changes in attitudes and guidance in the UK in recent years means that it has become increasingly important for archaeologists to engage and communicate with the public. The mass media such as newspapers provide an important, yet complex and often mistrusted interface through which this communication can happen. To date little research exists in this area, and this research project starts to address this gap by exploring newspaper coverage of the archaeological excavation, retention, and reburial of human remains in the UK between 1989 and 2009. An analysis of 413 newspaper articles, 59 surveys of osteoarchaeologists, six interviews with senior archaeologists in the North East of England and surveys from 100 members of the public allows the newspaper coverage of the archaeological excavation, retention, and reburial of human remains to be explored from a number of perspectives. When data sets are compared, it can be seen that there are different expectations and understandings of newspaper coverage. Survey data from osteoarchaeologists show that newspaper coverage is expected to be a clear, detailed account which explains the process and reasons behind excavation, and reburial of human remains, and contributes to the public knowledge. However, content analysis of newspaper articles demonstrates that the reality is different. The newspaper article is a social construct, influenced by a number of external and internal factors including the news values of elites, negativity, and unexpectedness; the ability to time and coordinate the flow of information from archaeology to the newspapers; available word count; and presentations of archaeology in the wider mass media. Concern about newspaper coverage from osteoarchaeologists was common and was found to lie in the perceptions of the negative effects that a newspaper article may have, such as the potential for poor public image and loss of support for the subject. This research project suggests that in reality the negative impact from newspaper coverage was minimal, and its key role was in creating an overview and interest in the ii subject. Issues of the public’s trust in newspapers, low level of recall of newspaper article details, and the interconnected nature of the different mass media mean that the impact from newspapers on the public is more complex than is often assumed.

Amongst the dating methods that can contribute to building archaeology, it is the technique of stimulated luminescence applied to ceramic building materials (CBM) that is the focus of this study. The research reported in this thesis concerns the re-evaluation of an archaeological assumption surrounding the origin of CBM used in 9th, 10th and 11th century religious buildings of Normandy, Pays de Loire in France and Kent and Essex in England. Are the bricks used in the masonry structures Roman spolia or a novo productions? Dating techniques were scrutinized through a process of intercomparison work between two luminescence laboratories. This study highlighted the importance of knowing precise details of the sample’s original environment and the need for close examination of the mineral species used in the dating process. Results from thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating performed on 53 CBM samples from 12 churches of north-west France and south-east England showed that the practice of reusing Roman brick was commonplace in small parish churches, but also that brick/tile-making was not a totally unknown skill of the early medieval craftsmen as has long been supposed. Most importantly, by identifying that the building material is contemporary to the church, a defined chronology emerges resulting in a new and extremely useful reference point in the history of early medieval architecture.

This is a thematic study of dress accessories of late medieval to early post-medieval date from two regions of mainland Britain. It is an investigation of everyday objects which aims to re-engage the material world with past individuals. An interdisciplinary approach is used to understand how dress accessories were often more than ornaments, and how they intersected with and were integral to social, political and religious life. Accessories recovered from a range of excavated archaeological sites, chance finds and data recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), have been catalogued and investigated. Documentary evidence, paintings and tomb effigies are sources of evidence drawn upon throughout to supplement the archaeological evidence, to enhance the interpretations and to place the accessories into a wider social context. The accessories have been analysed using object biographies in thematic discussions based on aspects of daily life. The results demonstrate the overall homogenous nature of dress accessories used in the two border regions and there is little evidence to suggest that they were consciously used by later medieval and early-post medieval people to display a border identity. Chance finds and PAS results have extended our knowledge of the types of adornments worn and revealed types not frequently found in excavations. Some variation between and within regions is identified, such as an unusual distribution of dress hooks, the possible presence of ‘Hanseatic’ material in the northeast of England, and purposeful deposits of accessories of monetary value in the north-east of England. Long-term biographies are also identified where a number of accessory types had different meanings depending on their context of use. The themes of memory, heirlooms, and gift giving feature throughout the thematic discussions of the accessories. By viewing archaeological artefacts as things, this thesis endeavours to expand our knowledge of medieval dress accessories and past lives.

The Korean Bronze Age is regarded as a time of great economic and social transformation, witnessing the emergence of social complexity in the peninsula. The dolmen burials of the region have been used to investigate, and indeed represent, this social change. This thesis looks beyond the typology and grave goods of the Korean dolmens to emphasise the actual practises of burial construction and use which were structured by the emergent material conditions of the dolmen architecture. The dolmen burials from seven Bronze Age cemeteries located in the Yongdam complex of Jinan, southern Korea, are analysed. The changing nature of burial practices is examined in order to consider the ways in which these dolmen burials actively contributed to the reproduction of life in the changing social and economic conditions of the late Early Bronze Age to Middle Bronze Age. It is proposed that, through these practices, a commitment to the `settlement community' was maintained in the late EBA, a `Songuggni way of life' was reproduced in the early MBA, and social differentiation was expressed and performed in the late MBA. This thesis presents an alternative interpretative approach which addresses the issue of how societies are maintained and recognises the crucial role of material culture in this process of social reproduction. It also further develops the notion that the `meaning' of the archaeological record should be found in the possibilities of practice and experience, as structured by the physical conditions of the archaeological material.

No description available.

Rivers and their associated wetlands and lakes form a major component in the landscape and yet discussions concerning their usage in early prehistory are rarely undertaken in Britain and Ireland. Exceptions to this have included the work on the Severn, the Shannon and the Humber estuaries. The Thames forms one of the biggest river systems within England and yet modern writers have undervalued it as a resource of early communities. The work within the Thames basin had been somewhat piecemeal with, until recently, attention being focussed primarily on the non-tidal parts of the river system. A consideration of the Mesolithic period had also not been undertaken. The relationship between hunter-gatherers and early farming communities and freshwater resources is examined within two major themes. The first is that of an economic nature (provider of sustenance and raw materials, communication, transport, choice of settlement site) and the second, experiential/symbolic (ritual deposition, sacred and burial sites, rock art). The two themes are not mutually exclusive and the points of overlap are also considered. Understanding of the archaeological record within the Thames basin is approached by the use of ethnographic analogy and archaeological comparison within a number of world regions. The ethnographic material is drawn from communities based on rivers in Australia, the Amazon basin and a number of locations in North America. The archaeological information is primarily from Europe (Britain and Ireland, the North European Plain and the Central European Uplands). Two other areas are briefly examined, namely Old World rivers (the Euphrates, the Jordan and the Nile) and a number of New World sites in North America. Attributes of the themes are drawn out from both the ethnographical and archaeological material. The Thames material is outlined and conclusions drawn in light of these attributes.

Benzotriazole (BTA) is a corrosion inhibitor extensively used for the stabilisation of active corrosion of archaeological copper and copper alloys. However, BTA often fails to effectively retard corrosion when applied on heavily corroded artefacts. Although there are numerous studies about its mode of action on clean copper, there is no comprehensive understanding about the way it is bonded to corroded copper. This thesis aimed to understand and compare BTA and its mode of action on clean and corroded copper by examining possible factors that could affect efficiency including concentration, solvent, period of immersion and pH. BTA efficiency could be improved by making use not only of these results but also of the synergism that is observed between BTA and other inhibitive compounds. The combination of inhibitors and the use of the synergistic effect between compounds is common in industry but has never been tested before for use in conservation. The synergistic effect could be beneficial for use on corroded copper alloys suffering with active corrosion. The six compounds selected were 5-Amino-2-Mercapto-l, 3, 4- Thiadiazole (AMT), Benzylamine (BZA), Ethanolamine (ET), l-Phenyl-5-Mercapto- Tetrazole (PMT), Potassium Ethyl Xanthate (KEX) and Potassium Iodide (KJ). These were tested on their own and in combination with BTA. Accelerated corrosion tests were carried out on artificially corroded copper coupons. Analysis using SEM-EDS, XPS, and FT-IR allowed a better understanding of the way different factors affect the formation of the copper-BTA complex formed and subsequently the BTA efficiency. The addition of other compounds into the BTA solutions significantly affected the complex formed and the film properties. Copper(I)-inhibitor complexes were proven to be more protective than copper(II) complexes. The results also showed that there is a synergistic effect between BTA and AMT which results in improved inhibitive efficiency of both inhibitors. The composition of the film formed was mainly dependent on the concentration of the solution, however, it was found to be effective in very low concentrations as well as aqueous solutions. Finally, field trials of some of the more effective solutions of compounds were performed on archaeological objects from Turkey and Greece and these results confirmed those of the laboratory experiments. All of the experiments and fields trials were designed and analysed statistically.