In this study, two sample sets from Zeugma Archaeological Area had been examined. The sample Set I includes 7 sediment, 18 stone, 4 brick/roof tile, 9 mortar, 4 plaster samples and the sample Set II consists of 24 mural painting samples. Samples were examined to get their raw material characteristics, mineralogical and chemical compositions, and microstructural properties using various analytical techniques such as Optical Microscopy, XRD, FTIR, PED-XRF, SEM-EDX and Raman Spectroscopy. In addition, mikroclimatic monitorings for temperature and relative humidity were also performed in that area. Sediments were calcereous soils of Eocene. Rock types of stones were mainly limestone which had 3 subgroups: micritic, biomicritic and recrytallised micritic limestones. The source of the limestones should be from the local formation. The firing temperature of brick/roof tile samples were estimated as 800-850&deg / C. Binder of mortar samples were mainly lime. Aggregate materials of brick/roof tiles, mortars, plasters and mural paintings may come from the river deposites of Euphrates. Mural painting samples have one intonaco layer, and single or double arriccio layers. The mural painting technique was fresco technique. Calcite was common mineral identified for all pigments. The sources of white, black and green coloured pigments were found as vaterite, graphite and malachite respectively. The sources of yellow coloured pigments were identified as ankerite, siderite and goethite. The red colours were identified as hematite, jasper and red earth/ochre. Jasper and vaterite, jasper and calcite, red earth/ochre and calcite, and hematite were the colour forming minerals of pink coloured pigments.

A dietary reconstruction was performed in order to understand changing prehistoric subsistence patterns in the Central Andean geographical area of the Argentine Cuyo that includes the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza. Archaeologically, the Cuyo is also known as a boundary between Andean agriculturalists and the foragers of Patagonia. One hypothesis being tested is whether this area was one of the last South American cultural groups to convert to maize cultivation, probably around 2000 BP. The process of stable isotope analysis is used to reconstruct the diets of individuals, as it reveals the relative proportions of C3 and C4 plants and the contribution of aquatic resources to otherwise terrestrial diets, as well as variations in trophic level of the foods consumed. In this study the bones, teeth, hair, and flesh from 45 individuals were tested to address specifically total and protein diets, as well as seasonal variation and changes between childhood and adulthood. This process, when used in combination with previous analyses, such as midden or faunal analysis, allows researchers to evaluate the results of those previous studies, and thus compose a more thorough reconstruction of the lifestyles of a prehistoric culture. Information garnered from this study indicates that the times of dietary transition were variable, with seasonal patterns becoming more stable over long periods. Furthermore, some members of the study population demonstrate the existence of nutritional stress indicators, such as dental caries, that can be viewed in relation to the dietary shifts that may have been a cultural adaptation to the environment of the Cuyo. Overall, this study shows the early adoption of maize agriculture in central western Argentina and recommends future studies that analyze the relationships between agriculture, diet, and nutrition in the New World.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2008 Jul 28.

The Caucasus is a land corridor between the Black and Caspian seas, linking Africa to Northern Eurasia, and is considered a migratory route for Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH). Numerous cave sites in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and southwestern Russia indicate that Neanderthals and AMH occupied the region, but poor chronological control meant that the precise timing of the occupations was unknown. This work involved identifying and geochemically characterising volcanic ash layers (tephra) in archaeological cave and open air sites spanning approximately 125 ka to 30 ka to generate a tephrostratigraphic framework. This framework was used to correlate the sites and assess the synchronicity of Neanderthal and AMH occupation across the region. Tephra investigations were also carried out on a core (M72/5-25-GC1) from the southeast Black Sea (that spans the last ~ 60 ka), with the aim of linking the archaeological sites to this palaeoenvironmental archive, to investigate the impact changes in climate had on the archaeology in the region. Eleven of the archaeological sites investigated (Gubs rock shelter and Weasel Cave in Russia; Ortvale Klde, Ortvale Cave, Sakajia and Undo Cave in Georgia; Aghitue 3, Lusakert 1, Fantan and Kagasi in Armenia; and Azokh Cave in Azerbaijan) had tephra, 30 cryptotephras and 8 visible layers, preserved. Twenty-two tephra layers were identified in the Black Sea core, with distinct periods of frequent volcanic activity separated by long periods, up to 9 ka, of seemingly volcanic quiescence in the region. The glass chemistry of the tephra found in the archaeological sites and the core, determined using a wavelength-dispersive electron microprobe, was used to characterise and correlate the units between the sedimentary sequences. Although some widespread tephra from the major Mediterranean sources (3.6 ka Minoan eruption from Santorini, Greece and the ~39 ka Campanian Ignimbrite super eruption from Campi Flegrei, Italy) were identified in the Black Sea core, none of the archaeological sites contained Mediterranean tephra. Most of the tephra layers in the archaeological sites investigated and the Black Sea core are from sources in the Caucasus and Turkey. The limited information on the volcanic history and compositional data of these sources in the region does not allow most of the units to be correlated to particular eruptions or volcanoes. However, some of the cryptotephra units have been correlated to eruptions from Nemrut, Acigöl and Erciyes Dagi volcanoes in Turkey. Unfortunately, there are no tephra layers that are common to the Black Sea core and any of the archaeological sites, prohibiting direct correlation of the sites to this detailed palaeoenvironmental record. However, the ~30 ka Nemrut Formation (NF) eruption from Nemrut volcano, Turkey, is found in the Lake Van palaeoenvironmental record and in two of the archaeological sites. This allows the archaeological sites to be correlated to each other and palaeoclimate information can also be imported into these sites. More detailed characterisation of the proximal deposits may allow more units to be correlated to eruptions and will enable these distal records to be used to further constrain the tempo of explosive volcanic activity in the region. A few compositionally distinct tephra layers were found and a suite of new radiocarbon dates were obtained at various sites, allowing archaeological occupations to be dated and the synchronicity between sites to be assessed. A distinct rhyolitic tephra correlates a layer with an Upper Palaeolithic stone technology, associated with AMH, in Azokh Cave (Azerbaijan) to a layer in Sakajia cave (Georgia) that contains Neanderthal remains. This is clear evidence that AMH and Neanderthals were in the region (within 600 km) at the same time. Other sites have also been correlated with tephra. A dacitic tephra correlates a unit with an Upper Palaeolithic lithic and bone tool techno-complex in Ortvale Klde (Georgia) to a unit with a Middle Palaeolithic lithic assemblage in Lusakert 1 (Armenia). The Middle Paleolithic tool assemblage in Lusakert 1 is clearly different from the Upper Paleolithic assemblage that is clearly associated with AMH in Ortvale Klde, but it is not clear whether the other assemblage is associated with Neanderthals, archaic modern humans or AMH. This correlation between different lithic assemblages clearly indicates that there were different groups, with different technologies, occupying the region at the same time. The NF tephra is also found shallower in the sequences at both Lusakert 1 and Ortvale Klde. This time marker shows that the Middle Paleolithic assemblage is still being used in Lusakert 1 at ~30 ka, indicating that a less diverse stone techno-complex was used for a prolonged period of time in central Armenia. There does not appear to be any direct relationship between occupation in the region and the climate at the time, implying that this had little effect on the archaeological story in the region. A new radiocarbon based age model that combines new dates with published data for the sites within the Caucasus shows temporal overlap between AMH and Neanderthals in the region. This confirms the tephra correlations and clearly indicates both species co-existed in the Caucasus. The new radiocarbon data also suggest that AMH arrived in the region earlier than previously thought, at ~50-44 ka cal BP. The arrival of AMH in the Caucasus is now temporally similar to other early AMH sites in northern Eurasia.

Ce travail de thèse a pour objectif d’étudier l’emploi des motifs géométriques, végétaux ou empruntés à l’architecture, dans le décor peint des monuments funéraires de Macédoine antique. Il s’agit d’une approche intégrale qui est effectuée à travers la documentation et l’analyse stylistique, technique et physico-chimique des motifs tels qu’ils apparaissent dans un riche corpus de soixante-huit monuments datés de l’époque hellénistique et le début de l’époque romaine. La thèse est organisée en trois parties. La première partie présente la documentation des motifs rencontrés, leur occurrence dans les monuments avec des observations sur le rendu, les combinaisons chromatiques et les pigments employés. Cette partie comprend une étude comparative des motifs dans l’art de l’antiquité en Grèce et ailleurs, et des commentaires sur l’origine et le symbolisme des motifs et leur transposition de la réalité ou de l’architecture dans la peinture.La deuxième partie concerne l’étude archéométrique des matériaux picturaux employés. Des prélèvements ponctuels ont été effectués sur le décor de vingt tombes et analysés au moyen de méthodes photographiques et physico-chimiques, in situ et en laboratoire. La présentation de la méthodologie et les résultats obtenus au cours de cette étude se fait de façon analytique et systématique. La troisième partie présente un catalogue illustré des tombes peintes de Macédoine classé selon leur type architectural, comprenant les données de fouille, la description du décor peint des surfaces pariétales et de l’aménagement intérieur et des informations concernant l’architecture et les matériaux picturaux. Les différents types de motifs ornementaux rencontrés et les types de moulures sur lesquelles ils sont réalisés sont présentés dans un lexique illustré. / The objective of this thesis is the study of the architectural, geometric and vegetal motifs that decorate the funerary monuments of Macedonia. An integral approach has been applied, combining detailed documentation with the stylistic, technical and physicochemical analysis of the motifs, as they appear in a rich corpus of sixty-eight monuments that date in the Hellenistic and early Roman period. The thesis is organised in three parts. The first part provides the documentation of the motifs, their occurrence in the monuments, along with observations on their design, the chromatic combinations and the pigments employed. This part includes a comparative study of the motifs in the art of ancient Greece and elsewhere, as well as commentaries on their origin and symbolism or the transformation from real objects or architectural elements into painted motifs. The second part concerns the archaeometrical study of the painting materials used. Samples from twenty tombs have been collected and analysed by means of photographical and physicochemical methods, both in situ and in the laboratory. The methodology and the results obtained during this study are presented systematically and in detail. The third part consists of an illustrated catalogue of the painted tombs of Macedonia, according to their architectural structure, which comprises the excavation data, the description of the painted decoration on the walls surface and on the funerary pieces of furniture as well as information on the architecture and the painting materials. The different ornamental motifs and types of moulding on which they are painted, are presented in an illustrated glossary of terms.

Varias técnicas de física nuclear tem sido aplicadas no estudo de artefatos arqueológicos e de arte contribuindo para seu restauro e preservação. A aplicação destas técnicas são indicadas por não serem destrutivas, preservando o material a ser analisado. Neste trabalho, propomos um procedimento para a investigação indireta da dureza de espadas antigas, por meio de técnicas não destrutivas. Com este proposito as técnicas PIXE, NRA, XRD e RBS se adequam ao nosso estudo de espadas antigas, especificamente uma espada Indiana (Damascena) e outra Japonesa (Wakizashi). Com a técnica PIXE esperávamos identificar os elementos presentes nas laminas das espadas e em suas empunhaduras. Na espada Indiana os elementos identificados foram: Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn e As. Para a espada Japonesa somente o elemento Fe foi identificado, mas com o auxílio da técnica RBS identificamos também, um filme fino de carbono na superfície da lamina, medindo 0; 75 _m de espessura. Nas empunhaduras foram identificados os elementos Cr, Fe, Cu e Au para a espada Indiana; Fe, Cu, As e Ag na peca Habaki e S, Cl, K, CA, Fe, As e Au na peca Fuchi, estas duas pecas fazem parte da empunhadura da espada Japonesa. A técnica XRD foi usada para verificarmos as estruturas cristalinas que se formam na superfície das laminas durante o processo de forja (variação de 6 temperatura e deformações plástica). Estas informações possibilitam inferir sobre a temperatura de forja e consequências da deformação plásticas. A fase cristalina da superfície das laminas foi identificada como ferro na forma cristalina cubica de corpo centrado. Nesta estrutura, ha a formação de pequenos cristais orientados (cristalitos), que apresentaram tamanho médio da ordem de 200 _A. Foi verificado que ha também uma fase amorfa do ferro na espada Japonesa, sugerindo que o processo de forja alcançou temperaturas menores quando comparada com a espada Indiana. A espada Damascena _e muito famosa pela dureza e ductibilidade apresentada por sua lamina. Um elemento que pode contribuir para estas caraterísticas e o nitrogênio, que pode ser identificado usando a técnica NRA, mais especificamente a reação 15N(p; _)12C. O nitrogênio poderia ser introduzido na lamina durante o processo de endurecimento da região de corte. Neste processo a lamina era resfriada em urina animal, composta principalmente por acido úrico (C5H4N4O3) e ureia (NH2)2CO. Não foi possível identificarmos a presença de nitrogênio dentro do nosso limite de detecção (acima de 0; 263(4)% em massa de nitrogênio, valor referenciado para a amostra padrão CRM-298). / A set of physical techniques have been applied to characterize archaeological and art artifacts and contribute to its preservation and restoration. The application of these techniques are indicated because they are non invasive methods, preserving the material to be analyzed. In this work, we propose a procedure to investigate indirectly the hardness of ancient swords, by nondestructive techniques. With this aim, we decided to apply the techniques PIXE, NRA, XRD and RBS in the study of ancient swords, specially Indian (Damascus blade) and a Japanese (Wakizashi) swords. With PIXE we identified the major compounds in the blades and in their grips. In the Indian blade were identified the following elements: Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn e As. In the Japanese only iron was identified, although, with RBS we could identified a thin _lm of carbon on its surface. The grips were also analyzed and the results indicated to Indian were: Cr, Fe, Cu and Au; and to Japanese: Fe, Cu, As e Ag in the peace Habaki, and S, Cl, K, CA, Fe, As e Au in the peace Fuchi, those pieces are part of the grip. The XRD technique was applied to verify the crystalline structure which were formed during the forging process (hammering and quenching). These information can help to understand more about the quenching and hammering process. The crystalline phase in the surface of the blade was identified as iron. The surface is composed by crystallites oriented with grain size in order to 200_A, oriented as the result of hammering process. Also there is an amorphous phase in the Japanese blade, suggesting that in the forje process the temperature achieved was lower when compared with the Indian sword. The Damascus blade is famous due its hardness and ductility. An element that can improve these characteristics is the nitrogen. Its determination is possible using NRA technique, more specially the reaction 15N(p; _)12C. The nitrogen could been insert in the blade during the edge hardness process (in this process the blade was quenched into animal urine that its main compound are uric acid (C5H4N4O3) and urea (NH2)2CO, or in a brine). It was not possible to identify the presence of nitrogen within our limit of quantification.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-18T17:02:33Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissALCS.pdf: 4351696 bytes, checksum: d3ab158b6c41f3904ec4d1ac454232f2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:02:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissALCS.pdf: 4351696 bytes, checksum: d3ab158b6c41f3904ec4d1ac454232f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / Intervenções realizadas no Sítio Arqueológico Pedra do Alexandre resultaram na exumação de vestígios ósseos pertencentes a pelo menos 36 indivíduos humanos. Datações radiocarbônicas de carvões vegetais associados forneceram dados para o estabelecimento de uma cronologia de ocupação do sítio entre 9400 e 2620 anos antes do presente, ainda que possivelmente não contínua. No entanto, tentativas de se datar diretamente os indivíduos mostraram-se infrutíferas devido às perdas de colágeno provocadas por processos diagenéticos. A partir desta constatação deu-se início à investigação para saber o que ocasionou tais processos ao mesmo tempo em que foi experimentada a datação direta de um dos indivíduos mediante emprego da espectroscopia de RPE. Com a realização de espectroscopias no infravermelho e difrações de raio-x em amostras ósseas dos indivíduos foi possível constatar que todas apresentavam extensa perda de colágeno. Medições do pH de sedimentos associados levaram a concluir que o principal causador destas perdas teria sido uma intensa atividade microbiana no sedimento e não a ocorrência de hidrólises ácidas, como era pensado inicialmente. O experimento de datação foi realizado com dificuldade devido à pequena dose de radiação na amostra, o que indicaria a pouca idade da mesma, provavelmente posicionada na metade mais recente do intervalo cronológico já estabelecido para a ocupação do Sítio. A partir destas análises amostrais é possível concluir que todo o conjunto de vestígios ósseos do referido sítio deve ter sido diageneticamente alterado. A espectroscopia de RPE por sua vez mostra-se capaz de datar plenamente dentes provenientes dos indivíduos exumados / Archaeological interventions conducted in the Pedra do Alexandre Archaeological Site resulted in the exhumation of skeletal remains of at least 36 human individuals. Radiocarbon dating of associated charcoals provided data for the establishment of a site occupation chronology between 9400 and 2620 years before present, although possibly not continuous. However, attempts to direct date the individuals proved fruitless due to the loss of collagen caused by diagenetic processes. From that finding, this research was initiated to know what caused these processes at the same time that was tried the direct dating of one individual using EPR spectroscopy. Infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction conducted on bone samples from the individual made it possible to calculate determined diagenetic indices that showed extensive loss of collagen in all the samples. pH measurements in associated sediments indicated the conclusion that the main cause of these losses would have been an intense microbial activity in these sediments, and not the acidic hydrolysis as initially thought. The dating experiment was carried out with difficulty due to the small dose of radiation in the sample, which would indicate the recent age of the tooth, probably posiotioned in the most recent half of the chronological range already established for the occupation of the site. From these sample analysis we conclude that the entire set of skeletal remains of the said site must have been diagenetically altered. The EPR spectroscopy in turn proves to be able to fully date teeth from the exhumed individuals.

Existe um amplo debate sobre as influências culturais remotas nos Andes e o surgimento da cerâmica nesses contextos. Nosso estudo não pretende retroceder aos períodos Formativo ou Cerâmico Inicial, mas apenas situar a coleção de cerâmica chimu do MAE/USP em relação ao debate atual sobre as relações de continuidade ou descontinuidade na costa norte peruana, através do estudo da tecnologia de produção cerâmica. O sistema tecnológico que caracteriza essa produção geralmente aparece na bibliografia com ênfase nas características de moldagem de seus artefatos e a vasta produção cerâmica desse período raramente é estudada a partir de sua variabilidade tecnológica. Este estudo busca enxergar possíveis diferenças tecnológicas que possam existir por trás dessa mensagem de unicidade e homogeneidade, explícita na cerâmica chimu, e investigar a respeito do significado das escolhas tecnológicas que caracterizam esse processo. A escolha de uma coleção de peças inteiras, de um estilo cerâmico monocromático, coletadas provavelmente aleatoriamente e carente de informação contextual impôs a necessidade de pensarmos numa metodologia diferenciada para a investigação das escolhas tecnológicas. A combinação da análise macroscópica de aspectos morfológicos e iconográficos, com a investigação sistemática através de técnicas físico-químicas não destrutivas permitiu o aprofundamento no conhecimento da tecnologia e especificidades do processo de produção dos artefatos, ao fornecer dados que foram fundamentais para inferências dos aspectos culturais das escolhas tecnológicas associadas a essa coleção. / There is a wide debate on the remote Andes cultural influences and the appearance of ceramics in these contexts. Our study does not intend to go back to Formative periods, but only to retrieve the collection of Chimu pottery MAE / USP with respect to the current debate regarding the relative continuity or discontinuity in Peru\'s northern coast, through the study of ceramic production technology. The technological system that characterizes this production usually appears in the literature with emphasis on the characteristics of molding and the vast production and ceramic artifacts from this period is rarely studied from its technological variability. This study aims to see the future technological differences that may exist behind this message of unity and homogeneity, explicit in Chimu ceramics, and inquiring into the meaning of technology choices that characterize this process. The choice of a collection of whole pieces of a ceramic style monochrome, probably collected at random and lacking in contextual information imposed the need to devise a methodology for the investigation of different technology choices. The combination of macroscopic analysis of morphological and iconographic, with the systematic investigation by physico-chemical techniques non destructive has allowed the depth knowledge of technology and the particularities of the production of the artifacts, to provide data that were fundamental to infer cultural aspects of technology choices associated with this collection.

The Corsican Bronze Age is characterized by the erection of massive stone towers, the torre, and of stone enclosures, the casteddi. While the role of these structures is still debated, they have generally been interpreted as the sign of a hierarchical society, pervaded by martial values and fragmented into competing antagonistic groups. After several centuries of stability, a sharp demographic decline occurred at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. ca. 1350 and 1200 BC. In contrast, the Final Bronze Age, between 1200 and 950 BC, is a period of continuous expansion, characterized by the appearance of new forms of cultural expression, which included the erection of armed menhirs, the development of open villages, and the manufacture of a new type of ceramic production, manifestly inspired by foreign models. The aim of this work is to improve our understanding of the social dynamics at work during the Final Bronze Age through the study of the mobility of the ceramics within a systemic theoretical framework. Another goal is to further our understanding of the function of the fine ware during this period. A portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) was used on 321 ceramic artifacts from six different sites to assess the extent of the exchanges taking place between six sites, located both on the inner plateaus and the coastal plains. Ceramics made from non-local clay material are present at five out of six sites, which shows that economic exchanges regularly took place between different communities. Except for one site, there is no association between a specific clay material and a type of ware. These results suggest that Final Bronze Age Corsican society should be considered as largely open to external influences.

Nul autre vase en céramique n'aura mieux que le dolium rendu compte de la démesure romaine. C'est par ces mots que débute la présente synthèse qui porte sur le dolium en Gaule Narbonnaise à l'époque romaine.D'abord importée par les Grecs en Italie dans le courant du VIIIe s. av. J.-C., cette grande jarre de stockage en terre cuite va peu à peu conquérir l'ensemble de la Méditerranée nord-occidentale. Parce qu'il constitue un conteneur parfaitement adapté au climat chaud du pourtour méditerranéen, il devient dans le courant du IIe s. av. J.-C. le symbole de la viticulture et de l'oléiculture intensive, et ce au moins jusqu'au IIIe s. ap. J.-C.L'archéologie a longtemps délaissé ce matériel lourd et souvent informe qui jonche pourtant le sol des anciens chais et celliers à dolia des exploitations agricoles antiques. À travers le cas particulier de la Gaule Narbonnaise, le présent travail se propose de réévaluer la place qu'a pu jouer ce conteneur dans le développement économique de cette province, entre le Ier s. av. J.-C. et le IIIe s. ap. J.-C. Utilisant les méthodes de l'archéologie classique, cette étude s'inscrit aussi dans une perspective pluridisciplinaire destinée à mettre en synergie les données archéologiques, archéométriques, épigraphiques et anthropologiques.L'ensemble de la documentation rassemblée constitue une synthèse inédite des connaissances sur le thème du dolium, depuis sa fabrication jusqu'à son utilisation, qui vise à mettre en évidence les modalités du déploiement de ce formidable outil au service du développement économique impérial. / The dolium as no other pottery represents the roman excessiveness. By these words begins the present synthesis that deals with dolium in Gallia Narbonensis.First introduced by Greeks in Italy during the VIIIth s. B.C., this large jar in terracotta will gradually conquer all northwest Mediterranean. As it is perfectly adapted to warm climate of Mediterranean periphery, it became during the IIth s. B.C. the wine and oil intensive production's symbol, at least until the IIIth s. A.D.Archaeology has for a long time neglected this heavy materiel whereas it strews the floor of antics cave and cellar. Through the example of Gallia Narbonnensis, this study aims at reassessing the position of this container in the economic expansion of this province between the Ith s. B.C. and the IIIth s. A.D. Using classical archaeological method, this research includes also a multidisciplinary viewpoint intended to synergise archaeological, archaeometrical, epigraphical and anthropological data.All this documentation constitutes an unprecedented synthesis on dolium, from its manufacturing to its use. The final goal is to bring out the model of deployment of this great instrument, which is assigned to the imperial economic development.