Biomolecular archaeology has significantly advanced our understanding of ancient foodways. However, the inevitable methodological biases of those novel methods might give deviating, even contradictory results. This paper highlights the major challenges of, but also potential solutions for, combining and comparing multiproxy dietary data. A rich dataset covering human skeletal remains, pottery, and zooarchaeological records from habitation and burial contexts from the Late Iron Age (650–1300 CE, LIA) Pada archaeological complex, NE Estonia, was subject to stable isotope, organic residue, and microfossil analysis, further complemented by local zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical records. All those dietary records were combined and compared through statistical modelling approaches to (a) exemplify the limitations and biases of different analytical approaches and (b) build a more cohesive and nuanced understanding of local foodways and their social variations. Our results show that LIA Eastern Baltic communities relied heavily on terrestrial, particularly plant based C3 diets with relatively low proportions of animal-based foods, although animal products were preferred in burial ritual context. Interestingly, no dietary variations were detected across different age and sex categories, proving equal access to main food sources for all community members in Pada. The latter contradicts with previously reported datasets from the same region and emphasises the utmost importance of multilevel dietary analysis not only in terms of dietary proxies, but also for different consumption contexts.

Abstract The article presents a new methodological approach to understanding (post-dicting) the location of ancient roads based on an inductive topographic analysis of existing road remains. The research is focused on the analysis of a spatially highly precise dataset of Roman roads in the Near East, using selected topographic variables (maximum slope, topographic position index, vector ruggedness measure). The identified limits of the topographic variables are used to create an isotropic (direction-independent) model of ‘natural corridors of movement’ using an adapted ‘from everywhere to everywhere’ (FETE) method. The modelled movement corridors are then overlaid by the known Roman road network in the Near East, and their overlap is calculated. The overlap between the modelled corridors and Roman roads is around ~ 25%, suggesting that the selected topographic variables and slope categories have limited explanatory power in understanding the layout of the Roman road network as a whole. The performance of the isotropic model is compared to four selected slope-based anisotropic functions (Tobler, Naismith, Herzog, Llobera-Sluckin). It is shown that the isotropic model incorporating a limited number of topographic variables better explains the location of Roman roads than the selected functions. It is argued that these results suggest that additional anthropic, cultural variables have a stronger influence on the layout of the Roman road network, and an alternative approach on how to incorporate topographic and anthropic variables is proposed.

Abstract Buffer zones, areas unoccupied due to conflict between social collectives, have been theorized to indicate the existence of population pressure as a motivator for conflict in small-scale subsistence economies. Using a database of ethnographic and historical buffer zones, we show that buffer zone width is primarily influenced by population density and not by ecology or subsistence mode, suggesting that security concerns primarily account for buffer zone dynamics. Buffer zones may still contribute to resource imbalances, however. Buffer zones appear to be most effective in the context of inter-community raiding but may also be used more deliberately by states to monitor the movement of people or defend against internal or other non-state actors. Archaeologists should therefore expect them to exist under certain conditions of ancient conflict. However, identifying buffer zones in the archaeological record is challenging. We review a variety of approaches to examining ancient buffer zones, including using population estimates to model the plausible size of ancient buffer zones.

Abstract Several syn and post-depositional processes are responsible for different degrees of site and assemblage formation and disturbance. Understanding the processes that lead to archaeological site formation is essential for interpreting past human activities, settlement patterns, and occupation dynamics. Among these processes, water flow is commonly recognized as a major factor influencing site and assemblage formation and integrity. Lithic taphonomy can add valuable information to the understanding of these natural processes. To better evaluate how different flint types react to both mechanical and chemical stresses, we carried out controlled and sequential experiments on knapped flint artifact replicas. These were realized on two different flint varieties, recognized in the archaeological assemblage of a Middle Stone Age open-air site located at Wadi Lazalim (Southern Tunisia). Our methodological framework is based on a sequential tumbling experiment that simulates the remobilization of artifacts by water. The resulting post-depositional surface modifications (PDSM) were observed and recorded. In addition, a sample of flint replicas underwent chemical alteration in a controlled environment, allowing us to document and measure both patina formation and changes in surface roughness. These experimental results were then compared with a sample of archaeological materials, providing the basis for a preliminary and exploratory hypothesis concerning the taphonomic processes at the site. Here, we observed that most of the alterations appear to be linked to patina formation, whose variable degree and kind are more strongly correlated with differences in raw material texture rather than to the co-occurrence of artefacts from different chronological spans.

Abstract Sinkholes contributed to persistent human inhabitation of the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico for more than two millennia. Building on previous work on the use of sinkholes central to the town of Tahcabo and elsewhere in the Maya area, this study presents pollen, soil carbon isotope, radiocarbon, and artifactual evidence from four geomorphic features. They include the perennially wet cenote situated in the town center and three dry sinkholes ( rejolladas ) located in the commonly held lands ( ejido ) of the town. These features demonstrate striking variability in multispecies engagements with and within sinkholes, especially over the past 500 years, amid colonialism and more recent political contexts. Climate and political dynamics are implicated in the observed variability in agricultural practices. Community-engaged research often embraces a focus on persistent places, which can inspire contemporary people to reconnect with the past and with ancestors in ways that promote action to address challenges, such as adaptation to climate and other environmental change. Our research addresses long histories of sinkhole use to demonstrate the outcomes of variable cultivation strategies, such as increased biodiversity within towns and places of refuge, or conversely, production intensity and accelerated soil erosion into and mixing of sinkhole sediments.

Abstract During historical times, Europeans noted the ubiquitous use of poisoned arrows throughout the Afrotropics. Today, we know that this is one of the regions where Homo sapiens evolved. We also know that the archaeological records of some Afrotropic bioregions show rapid, cumulative innovation and cognitively modern behaviours since ~ 100 ka. We may therefore ask when bowhunting with poisoned arrows became part of the Afrotropic arsenal, and where we should look for early evidence of this techno-behaviour. This contribution provides an introduction to the Afrotropics and its 269 historically known bowhunting groups, 168 of whom are also known to use poisoned arrows. The article is meant as a starting point for contemplating the origins and/or radiation of this hunting strategy in each of the six sub-realms in a co-evolutionary context. I also provide a database for known Afrotropic arrow-poison plant species as a resource for future chemical testing of residues obtained from archaeological artefacts. It is widely accepted that bone points and microlithic insets were used for tipping poisoned arrows throughout the Afrotropic Holocene, but providing evidence of the techno-behaviour for the Pleistocene remains difficult and contested. There is, however, an increasing body of work that points to bowhunting — perhaps also with poisoned arrows — in the Southern Afrotropic during MIS 4 (71–57 ka). The broader context for the MIS 4 bowhunting hypothesis shows how it fits with a climate-mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) framework for its northward dispersal after ~ 70 ka. Lastly, I predict that when it is found, bio-chemical traces of arrow poisons on artefacts ballistically suited for such use have the potential to provide decisive confirmation of the MIS 4 bowhunting hypothesis.

Abstract We have applied predictive modeling to archaeological sites, datable to the Arsacid period (ca. 3rd c. BCE–3rd c. CE), in the southern side of the Araxes River valley, in modern day Iran. Araxes River valley is a contested borderland between Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Systematic fieldwork has been historically limited by geopolitical tensions. The only systematic survey in the region and two salvage surveys have yielded a large number of sites that could belong to the Arsacid period—with varying levels of certainty—a period often undermined by scholarly attention to the subsequent Sasanian period (ca. 3rd–7th c. CE). We use this data as a training dataset to specify areas with high probability of finding more Arsacid period sites for future targeted surveys. Our paper follows previous research which has emphasized using machine learning approaches for archaeological predictive modeling. Acknowledging the inevitable oversight of social factors involved in settlement distribution, our statistical models produce probability of finding Arsacid period sites while also offering some insight into the physical attributes of settlement positioning in the Arsacid period. We tested several common machine learning (ML) models and suggested the suitability of Random Forest models for archaeological predictive modeling. We have applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to ensure component independence in modeling. Finally, we have investigated various theories regarding working with a subselection of principal components (PCs). Our study recommends using all PCAs, especially when the number of predictors does not create computational challenges. We support the argument made by Kvamme (2023) that lower PCs are particularly relevant for archaeological predictive modeling, but, we disagree with using them without other PCs.

This paper presents novel insights into the long-term chronological patterns related to the distribution and consumption of amphora-borne foodstuffs in Italy. The study specifically focuses on the consumption of wine, olive oil and fish sauces, which exhibit diverse provenances. Notably, it contributes significantly to our understanding of the Roman economy by utilising an open dataset and a replicable research method. The analysis reveals a pronounced growth pattern during the late Republican to early Imperial period. Importantly, quantitative evidence demonstrates that the diverse consumption pattern observed in the capital city of Rome is less exceptional than previously believed. The study draws upon a substantial dataset comprising 28,851 diagnostic amphora fragments excavated and documented from 28 different urban and rural settlements in the North Adriatic and Central Italy, spanning the period from the 4th c. BCE to the 7th c. CE. The analytical approach employs a probabilistic aoristic method, evenly distributing amphora frequencies across relevant date ranges.