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The prehistoric communities in Iberia have never been investigated before using a cutting-edge and multidisciplinary approach. In this research, the latest techniques are applied in order to allow a reconstruction of prehistoric social structure and social organization. Specifically, this investigation uses bioarchaeological methods, such as osteological, paleopathological and biochemical approaches (stable isotopes), in combination with funerary context to reconstruct the mortality, morbidity, dietary and mobility patterns of two human skeletal populations from the Copper Age (c. 3300-2100 cal BC). The main objective was to test whether social differences were already present during the 3rd millennium BC in southern Iberia. For this purpose, two main Copper Age sites, Valencina de la Concepción (Seville) and La Pijotilla (Badajoz), were analysed and then compared to many other contemporary sites from the same geographical location. In sum, the results of this research demonstrate the complexity of the funerary patterns in the Iberian Copper Age, providing evidence for social inequality and differentiation.

Il II millennio a.C. in Mesopotamia è caratterizzato da un incremento delle raffigurazioni astrali, le quali assumono un ruolo importante come rappresentazione non antropomorfa di divinità e specchio di osservazioni del cielo. Il presente volume presenta un'analisi dei simboli con valore astrale nella glittica mitannica, cassita e medio-assira. Partendo da un'analisi degli elementi simbolici presenti su un corpus di 1090 sigilli e impronte di sigillo, sono stati individuati e singolarmente analizzati, contestualmente alla loro posizione nella scena, i simboli con valore astrale. Inoltre, lo studio delle relazioni fra i simboli - astrali e non astrali - ha permesso l'identificazione di alcune associazioni ricorrenti. La loro comparazione con fonti testuali (es. omina e compendi astronomici) e con la ricostruzione del cielo mesopotamico del Bronzo Tardo, ha permesso la comprensione della percezione mitannica, cassita e medio-assira della volta celeste e del suo legame con il sentire religioso e la pratica divinatoria.In Mesopotamia of the 2nd millennium BC, astral representations spread throughout art, assuming an important role as the symbolic representation of deities and the mirror of real celestial observations. The present book focuses on astral symbols as they are represented on Mitannian, Cassite and Middle Assyrian seals and seal impressions. Starting from an analysis of the symbols on a corpus of 1090 seals and seal impressions, those with astral significance have been identified and individually analyzed, as has their position in the scene. Furthermore, a study of the relationship between the symbols - both astral and non-astral - allows for the identification of some recurring patterns. The comparison of the representations with textual sources (e.g. astral omina and astronomical compendia) and the reconstruction of the Mesopotamian sky in the Late Bronze Age Period yields an understanding of the Mitannian, Cassite and Middle Assyrian perception of the heavens and of its link with religious behaviour and divination.

The studies in this book investigate various elements relating to the Roman rural economy and its development, as well as changes in its structure arising from the establishment of Roman rule in the territory of modern Serbia. Of particular importance is the complexity of economic relations, as well as agriculture as a fundamental economic activity (along with mining) in the territory of the Balkan region, developed after the arrival of the Roman legions, and the creation of new forms of organisation, in which the indigenous population were gradually included.

The present work catalogues and analyses the so-called 'bronze belts' - thin metal plaques, decorated or not - that represent one of the main features of the material culture of the native peoples of the Caucasus area during the Iron Age. Given the amount of material examined, the research has been divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to the study of the belts themselves, their art and style. The second part offers a summary of the archaeological contexts of their recovery. Each site is described by its overall features, followed by a more detailed analysis of the context of provenance of each indivdual belt, represented in most cases by funerary evidence. For each of these burials the set of objects associated with the deceased is laid out in full detail. From the preface by John Curtis'In this pioneering study Manuel Castelluccia has collected together about 350 sheet bronze belts that were found mostly in graves in the South Caucasus region or Transcaucasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and South Ossetia)...This work is particularly valuable in that nearly all the belts are now in museums in the former Soviet Union or are known only through publications in Russian, Georgian and Armenian, so for the ¿rst time this large body of material is made available to western scholars...This exemplary catalogue will be compulsory reading and a standard work of reference for all scholars interested in the archaeology of Transcaucasia.'Preface by John Curtis

This book investigates the production technology and inter-site circulation of a large and diverse Late Neolithic ceramic assemblage from the flat-extended settlement of Makrygialos (Phase II), in northern Greece. Comparative samples from Dimini, in Thessaly, and Agrosykia A and Giannitsa B, in western Macedonia, are also incorporated. It draws conclusions from the use of macroscopic and petrographic analysis of a large number of samples in an integrated project.The new evidence offers a better understanding of the role of technological choice in ceramic production. Locally produced and imported ceramic categories are found to co-exist. They signify manufacture by different groups or individuals with varying degrees of technological knowledge and skill, probably producing in different places, and within distinct ceramic traditions. More importantly, petrographic analysis provides positive evidence of the long-distance exchange of pots, challenging previously established ideas on the circulation of pottery for this period and geographical area. The emerging picture strongly supports the idea of a dynamic Neolithic society characterised by mobilities, interaction and social competition between people, as revealed through their material culture.

Because of their significance in everyday life in ancient Egypt, this works provides a specific lexicography of terms with textual and bibliographical references to cattle, sheep and goats. In ancient Egypt there were many words to indicate cattle, sheep and goats, and the same term can often represent different meanings. These variations depend on the genre and the dating of the texts and where the term appears. To classify and analyse the different writings and the etymology of the words for these domesticated animals, the author of this research examines Egyptian documents from the Old Kingdom to the Greek-Roman Period and then considers the specific and derived meanings. The work concludes with a general synthesis of current studies on cattle, sheep and goats.

Proceedings of the 2nd REEA Conference Ritual Americas: Configurations and Recombining of the Ritual Devices and Behaviors in the New World, in Historical and Contemporary Societies Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) April 2-5, 2008.

Long-distance trade of obsidian in the Maya realm has been documented as early as the Middle Formative Period (1000-400 BC). Obsidian exchange continued in each succeeding period, through the Post-Classic (AD 900-1525), varying in both intensity and source of origin. It is the temporal variations in source utilisation that have formed the basis for obsidian research in the Maya area. By focusing on the origin of the obsidian and the temporal context these studies provide valuable information in documenting shifts in source utilisation. This work focuses on the distribution and consumption of obsidian on an intra-site scale with an intent to determine if variation in source utilisation can be attributed directly or indirectly to contextual variations. For the purposes of this study three types of context were identified, functional, archaeological and social. Information regarding obsidian consumption was compiled from ten sites and two survey areas spanning four geographic regions across Northern Belize and North-eastern Peten.

This study was conceived of some years ago as a sequel to the metallographic examination of Early Bronze Age axes from the north alpine region of central Europe. The original impetus was to provide a long-term perspective on the development of methods of casting and forging by extending the data base to Eneolithic/Copper Age material. In addition, by a shift east to the Carpathian Basin an attempt was made to allow for the existence of different traditions of early metalworking and compare regional trajectories into the metal ages. The approach may be termed cognitive since metallographic data, that is the examination of a metal object's microstructure, is used to reconstruct chaînes opératoires in the production of early metal objects and to compare the knowledge Eneolithic/Copper Age and Bronze Age metalworkers had gained of the different types of copper and copper-based alloys they were working. In the first instance therefore this work represents is an archaeometallurgical study in the early phases of metallurgy in parts of central and south-eastern Europe. Metallographic data from a large series of Eneolithic/Copper Age shaft-hole axes and flat axes is first published here in detail. The findings from this examination are discussed and both groups of implements are compared in terms of variation in their production parameters. This variation is related to both the technological change that came about during the Eneolithic/Copper Age and to a shift in emphasis placed on the production of shaft-hole implements and more mundane flat axes respectively. The conclusions drawn relate to genuinely archaeological questions. At least, the author hopes that they are of wider archaeological relevance and they are framed in such terms as to arise the interest of an archaeological audience beyond the sub-discipline of archaeometallurgy. There is also new data on Bronze Age material contained in this study, but most discussions related to that period draw on previously published data as well and try to integrate both data sets into a more comprehensive picture than was previously available.

This study examines Roman sculpture across the provinces extending from the Rhine to the Pyrenees and Britain to understand better both regional similarities and local peculiarities, to contextualize them historically, culturally, and geographically, and to set them within wider patterns across the Empire.

This report concentrates on the hitherto unpublished 1936-39 and 1964 excavations at Pevensey (southern England) with re-assessments of some of the findings from earlier work there.

The Chalcolithic Period of the Levant constitutes an important and complex phase in the evolution of prehistoric societies. Certain 'prehistoric' traditions such as the production and use of lithic tools, continued as new technical advancements were developed in stone tool production and, metallurgy. For this author, Byblos (40 km north of Beirut on the Lebanese coast) was an obvious choice for revisiting the Levantine Chalcolithic. Besides being the largest and most thoroughly excavated site (almost 70 % of the site has been excavated), the settlement features a variety of architecture comprising dwellings, houses, silos and paved roads, and an exceptionally rich and varied corpus of burials and grave artefacts (2097 tombs in total including 2059 jar burials with 3652 objects). Despite the remarkable quality of the eneolithic material, the necropolis remains relatively unknown. Statistical, qualitative, and spatial analyses of the data are modest, making past interpretations and syntheses either too general or too incomplete to be of any value to the archaeological community. To undertake an exhaustive study of the fourth millennium layers of Byblos, it was vital to examine the archives from the original excavations, including all the unpublished data. In this way, the mass of information from the past was critically re-evaluated when necessary. At the same time, the different terminologies were also standardised. This re-evaluation allowed for the confirmation or reconsideration of past hypotheses, andwhen appropriate, the creation of new ones. The main sections of this study include: Research methodology; Site sectorization and organization; Funerary practices; Grave finds and analyses; Socio-economic organization and development.

This study characterises deposition practices in the Middle Thames Valley (England) from the late Mesolithic to early Bronze Age. All available in situ contexts of deposition are considered, such as pits, tree-throw holes, middens, rivers and various monument forms. The study highlights variations in the formality of deposition within contemporary contexts and considers how this relates to ritual activity. Developments in deposition practices are also considered through time from the late Mesolithic to early Bronze Age and processes of ritualisation are explored. This contextual analysis is used as a basis to explore several pertinent issues in Neolithic studies. Deposition practices are used to explore chronological changes in the temporal rhythms of occupation and economy and also variation and developments in funerary and mortuary activity. The use and perception of landscapes in the Middle Thames Valley during the Neolithic are also considered and distinct conceptual changes in relation to these landscapes are highlighted. Deposition practices in the Middle Thames Valley are contrasted with surrounding regions to demonstrate distinct regional patterns. It is argued that differences in deposition practices reflect how aspects of the environment were perceived and the role they held in achieving social reproduction.

In 1933, R. G. Collingwood forwarded a four-headed approach for the advancement of knowledge of Cumbrian prehistory; office work, fieldwork, excavation and publication. The office work included three main tasks. The first task, the cataloguing and classification of sites and finds. This present study draws on Collingwood's ideas in a number of ways, not least in that in order to interpret Cumbria's prehistoric record at a regional scale, it has been necessary to analyse and interpret many disparate strands of evidence. Only through setting out and discussing previously available evidence and adding to it through new fieldwork and excavation is it possible to construct, then forward an holistic and integrated regional sequence in line with contemporary academic schema. The analyses undertaken for this study have included the examination of environmental data, the collection and characterisation of lithic scatters, interpretation of the distributions, settings and architecture of monuments and the analysis of burial and depositional practices. Chapter one provides an introduction to Cumbrian landscapes and demonstrates the need for a regional approach towards the county's prehistoric record. Drawing on the use of theoretically informed landscape perspectives in the interpretation of prehistoric occupation, chapter two sets out the methodological and interpretative frameworks forming the basis of this study. Chapter three outlines the character and distribution of environmental and lithic data and develops a model of the likely nature of land use and occupation these represent. Chapter four introduces the monument record and outlines methodological approaches to particular monument types. Chapter five discusses the classification and interpretation of stone circles and chapter six interprets the character and distribution of all Neolithic and Early Bronze Age monuments. Analysis of the landscape settings of monuments (chapter seven) and evidence for burial and deposition (chapter eight) illustrate the social and geographical scales at which communities operated over the Neolithic and Bronze Age and how they drew on and appropriated aspects of the natural world. Demonstrating the articulation of themes discussed in earlier chapters, chapter nine takes the form of an integrated case study of occupation, monument use and depositional practice across the Furness Peninsula. The final chapter discusses the nature and identification of regional traditions, forwards an integrated regional narrative and concludes with suggestions for further work.

The Isles of Scilly are located 48km south-west of Lands End (Cornwall) England, and comprise a small archipelago of granite islands. The interpretation of the islands' archaeology has received no recent detailed consideration and has therefore not been studied within a contemporary archaeological framework. This research seeks to redress this by considering the prehistory of Scilly from the earliest evidence for a human presence on the islands until the end of the 1st century BC (Mesolithic until Iron Age). It will draw upon recent approaches to the study of landscapes, seascapes and islands and from within archaeology and anthropology, as well as other approaches developed within the broader social sciences. The study provides the first detailed chronological framework for Scillonian prehistory and reconsiders evidence for the prehistoric environmental background of the islands. The analysis of the archaeological record of the islands are based upon data collected through fieldwork and from published and unpublished sources. The archaeology is examined through a detailed study of the distribution and configuration of prehistoric settlements, monuments and material culture and their significance within the island landscape. Exploring changes and continuities within the archaeological record of the islands the study will provide insights into how prehistoric societies may have transformed and sustained their use and perception of the island landscape.

This study takes an anthropological approach to define the term 'selpulture de catastrophe', contrasting features of mass burials due to plague, genocide and battlefield casualties. French text.

Since archaeology is an ongoing process, archaeological discoveries must repeatedly be reassessed in terms of a constantly developing historical context. This study attempts to do that, and, particularly, to reconcile the up-to-date archaeological record with existing documentary sources. The Prologue shows how traditional and contemporary approaches to the study of Roman military history in Britain have shaped accounts of the Flavian period (AD 69-96). It summarises fact and fiction regarding the achievements of Agricola's seven-year governorship (AD 77-83), and demonstrates how recent discoveries are now beginning to present a new picture of first-century campaigning in northern Britain. It also introduces the documentary sources, especially the place-names and tribal areas on 'Ptolemy's Map', the place-names in the British section of the Ravenna Cosmography, and the text of Tacitus' Life of Agricola, which are used to examine the military zone (north of a line roughly from Bristol to Lincoln). Part I deals with the political and geographical structure of Britain - as far as possible from the native standpoint. Chapter 2 presents and discusses identifications for each place-name in the Ravenna list and advocates an accurate, 'regional' distribution of names. Chapter 3 builds upon this, by using the place-names, together with the information from Ptolemy's map and other classical sources, to determine the tribal areas, which are vital for understanding the situation that the Romans encountered. Part II superimposes the historical narrative; it shows how Tacitus' account does indeed fit well with the geopolitical infrastructure of Britain, highlights the remarkably close correspondence between documentary sources and archaeological discoveries, and produces a greatly enhanced understanding of the Roman campaigns within northern Britain during the first century. However, the original Ravenna document was compiled no earlier than the second century, because it includes place-names associated with both Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall. The Epilogue looks at the dating issue, suggests a date c.142-3, and shows how the place-names can be used to explain the reasons behind the reorganisation of northern Britain and the renewed advance into Scotland as far as the Tay, which took place in the early years of the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138-61).

Over the course of the years 2000 to 2004, a series of archaeological investigations were undertaken by Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit, BUFAU (now Birmingham Archaeology) in advance of quarrying at Whitemoor Haye Quarry, Alrewas, Staffordshire. Investigations followed earlier work at the quarry also undertaken by BUFAU, between 1997 and 1999. The most recent campaign of excavation provided evidence of the Late Neolithic/ Early Bronze Age funerary landscape toward the north of the concession, alongside a predominantly Iron Age and Romano-British agrarian landscape towards the south. In several ways, the archaeological findings reiterate those recorded previously, however, key discoveries have also greatly expanded our knowledge and understanding of this significant landscape. Significantly, during this series of excavations, discoveries were made of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age funerary monuments and cremations. These have reinforced the contention that the northernmost region of what is now the quarry concession, situated nearer the confluence of the Rivers Tame, Trent and Mease, was a focus of great symbolic and cultural importance during these periods. Whilst the recovered archaeobotanical material from the site proved to be limited, the assemblage remains one of the earliest recovered in Staffordshire and provides valuable information on possible funerary practices associated with the cremations. Just a few kilometres to the north, the site of the Catholme Ceremonial Complex may well have acted as a central place in this ritual landscape, with the henge monument in the vicinity of the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas located between the two areas. It is possible that the northernmost part of Whitemoor Haye provided the southern boundary of the ritual landscape at this significant river confluence. This volume is the second in Birmingham Archaeology's new Monograph Series.

This volume is intended as a Gedenkschrift to celebrate the work and legacy of Dr Brian Dobson. The papers are provided by members of the Hadrianic Society, which Brian was instrumental in setting up over 40 years ago, and represent a range of Roman scholarship by current and former university professors, museum and post-excavation professionals, field archaeologists and non-professionals. The range of papers is indicative of the range of interests held within the Hadrianic Society and those of Brian himself, but focus on the Roman army and Roman frontiers, particularly Hadrian's Wall.

This study presents a synthetic approach to the study of architectural form and function of annexes to early Christian basilicas on the Greek mainland and Crete (4th - 6th centuries AD). The introductory section is in two parts: the first deals with the state of the research on sacristies (described as diaconica in Greek literature) and baptisteries. The second part presents the liturgical and ecclesiastical sources from the early Christian period that illuminate (or obscure) the liturgical functions of certain parts of the church. The main part of the study comprises a catalogue of the monuments, which are registered in the five different dioceses of the Helladic area. Finally, the third part presents summarized conclusions, among which is the existence of eight individual types of annexes: 1) Baptisteries, 2) Sacristies, 3) Chapels, 4) Episcopal complexes, 5) Porches, 6) Rooms with domestic/agricultural function, 7) Towers/Staircases, 8) Funerary annexes.

The term khan can refer to urban and rural hostelries, relay stations of the Mamluk royal mail, fortresses, farmhouses, warehouses, and others. This multiplicity of meanings naturally complicates a study that aims at analysing only one of these functions - in this case the rural hostelries. The first comprehensive study on Near Eastern inns (Die Karawanserai im vorderen Orient) was published by K. Müller in 1920. Since then relatively few works have been dedicated to the subject of en route architecture in the Islamic lands and the road inns in particular. This study focuses mainly on an integrated survey of historical and archaeological evidence, presented in three sections, dealing respectively with issues of terminology, patronage, and architecture. These discussions relate to the gazetteer of surveyed buildings, presented in chapter 5. The danger lies in the inclusion of invalid samples in the research environment. Chapter 2 aims to avoid taking misinterpreted structures into consideration by establishing clear parameters before commencing a proper classification of the structures. Chapter 3 deals with the period and region under discussion. Against the background of patronage, this chapter treats the probable reasons, as well as patterns, for a relative boom in the construction of such monuments. Chapter 4 summarises the main architectural issues of the khans of Syria, both in the course of the archaeological survey undertaken between 1998 and 2002. The Gazetteer in chapter 5 approaches the same issues, i.e., architecture, history and patronage, but treats each site separately. It combines field, library and archival work, and aims at a comprehensive corpus of Mamluk khans in the southwest of Greater Syria. This work is intended to be part of a long-term study of the inns of Greater Syria, encompassing sites dating from early Islamic to Ottoman times and dealing, among others, with their architectural and functional transformations.

Authors: Joshua Pollard, Ray Howell, Adrian Chadwick and Anne Leaver.Contributions by Michael Hamilton, Philip Macdonald, Lesley McFadyen, Elaine Morris, Rick Peterson, Neil Phillips, Ruth Young, Tim Young and Daryl Williams.This volume describes work on the Iron Age hillfort of Lodge Hill Camp, in Gwent, south-east Wales. Situated adjacent to the later Roman legionary fortress at Caerleon, the hillfort has, until recently, received little archaeological attention. Excavation was undertaken during the summer of 2000 within the interior of the hillfort, at its western entrance, and across the inner bank and ditch of the defences. An extended discussion is offered of Lodge Hill's position within the regional Iron Age sequence, and of Roman and early Medieval reuse of hillforts in south Wales. The results of geophysical and earthwork survey at the hillfort of Llanmelin, near Chepstow, are also reported on.

This work is a catalogue of the Roman military equipment held in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. Included are an historical survey of the collections of the Museum relevant to this study; a brief account of the Roman Army in Wales; and an explanation of the structure of the catalogue. The catalogue is followed by a gazetteer which gives an outline description of the sites from which the material comes and a listing of the objects by site, with cross-reference to the catalogue proper. There is also a discussion which gives a brief overview of the collection as a whole.

The conference 'Debating Late Antiquity in Britain AD300-700' (held at the University of York in June 2003) had three principal areas of interest - What was the fate of Roman Britain? To what extent did Anglo-Saxon material, so well known in the cemeteries of eastern England, reflect a ?violent immigration from the continent on a large scale? What was the fate of the 'British' population in the West? The 13 papers published from the conference discuss these questions.

A visit to the Samian Heraion can be a disappointment as the remains of what was one of the most important sanctuaries in antiquity are scanty. The buildings have been plundered down to their foundations and, after excavation, a large part of the remainshad to be covered up again in order to protect them from being destroyed by vegetation. Thus, a lot is left to the visitors' imagination. Since the Heraion is rarely referred to in ancient texts, our knowledge of it almost exclusively derives from the analysis of archaeological evidence. On the basis of the study of its architecture, it is possible to visually reconstruct the sanctuary, but what about the reconstruction of its cult? The significance of votive offerings as a source that provides insight into cult characteristics has often been underestimated. In this study, significant votive finds from various periods from six Hera sanctuaries are examined to find out both their specific and shared cult aspects. In the Peloponnese, the Heraia at Perachora, Argos and Tiryns are explored, and the Samian Heraion provides an insight into Hera's cult in Ionia; the analysis of the Heraia at Poseidonia - Paestum affords a study of two Hera sanctuaries belonging to the same polis. To shed light on the nature of the cults, the Heraia are considered on the basis of five fundamental cult aspects - pregnancy, childbirth, and growing up; marriage; home and family; agriculture and vegetation; and military aspects. The final chapter compares the evidence to try and define the individual, polis, and pan-Hellenic characteristics of the six sanctuaries under consideration.

With contributions by Alistair Barclay, Lynne Bevan, Marina Ciaraldi, Rowena Gale, James Greig, Annette Hancocks, Kay Hartley, John Hovey, Gwilym Hughes, Rob Ixer, Erica Macey, Elaine L. Morris, David Smith, Steven Willis and Ann Woodward.This book describes the results of the excavation of seven areas at Whitemoor Haye Quarry, in the River Tame valley. The periods most strongly represented are the Iron Age and Romano-British, although finds from other periods have also been recorded.

Teleilat Ghassul (a few kilometres north east of the Dead Sea) is important in the archaeology of the southern Levant, offering as it does a possibility to draw together data from a number of sites that provide primary evidence for the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods (c. 5000 - c. 3500 BC). The Australian excavations at the site in 1967-77 (J.B. Hennessy) and 1994-97 form the basis of this study and provide an opportunity not only for a thorough reappraisal of the data, but also its interpretation in the light of present knowledge of the period elsewhere, and up-to-date research strategies. The stratigraphic and ceramic sequences are structured and assessed, and the site set in its contemporary cultural and social contexts. The monograph concludes with a reappraisal of the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in the southern Levant.

The excavations undertaken at Chiltington in East Sussex revealed two Roman pottery kilns, as well as remains from prehistory and from medieval period.The kilns are well documented, and all the finds were examined and catalogued. Three phases were identified. The pottery produced on the site indicate a strong New Forest influence.

This study of pre-1850 church monuments from Norfolk, aims to marry together the understanding of material artefacts developed in archaeology, with the detailed topographical, social and economic knowledge of a particular region, built up through landscape studies and local history, in a study of church monuments. As such, it stands out from the vast bulk of work on the subject, which is carried out within the discipline of art history.