Shellfish Feeders, Carrion Eaters, and the Archaeology of Aquatic Adaptations

2001 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon M. Erlandson ◽  
Madonna L. Moss
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Human Origin ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Aquatic Animals ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Aquatic Fauna ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Archaeological Materials

Numerous taphonomic studies show that archaeologists should carefully evaluate the origins of faunal remains found in archaeological sites. Although extensive research has been done on natural sources of terrestrial faunal remains in archaeological sites, much less has been devoted to potential sources of aquatic fauna. Hundreds of animal species feed on shellfish, fish, and other aquatic fauna, and many transport food to terrestrial landforms where they may be mixed or confused with faunal remains left by humans. In this paper, we illustrate the problem by summarizing the habits of a number of animals known to feed on and transport shellfish and other aquatic animals. We also discuss examples where the remains of aquatic animals of non-human origin may have been confused with archaeological materials. Such biological imprints may be most pronounced on early sites, where questions about the antiquity of aquatic adaptations are paramount.

scholarly journals Notes on distribution and relative abundances of some animal species, and on climate in the Kruger National Park during prehistoric times

Koedoe ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Plug
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Animal Population ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
The Past ◽  
Relative Abundances ◽  
Insight Into

Faunal remains obtained from archaeological sites in the Kruger National Park, provide valuable information on the distributions of animal species in the past. The relative abundances of some species are compared with animal population statistics of the present. The study of the faunal samples, which date from nearly 7 000 years before present until the nineteenth century, also provides insight into climatic conditions during prehistoric times.

Nutraceuticals from Marine Bionetworks

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-344
Author(s):  
Abhitav Tiwari ◽  
Shambhawi Pritam ◽  
Keerti Mishra ◽  
Mehshara Khan ◽  
Neeraj Upmanyu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Nutraceutical Compounds ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Immense Potential ◽  
Potential Use

“Nutrition” and “Pharmaceutical” together build up the perception of “Nutraceuticals” that refer to the food or dietary supplements that help to incorporate additional health benefits to the fundamental sustenance accomplished on daily basis. Each nutraceutical contains one or more bioactive molecules that are usually obtained by chemical and/ or biotechnological synthesis or by extraction from natural sources. Among the natural sources, marine bionetwork possess immense potential for the presence of bioactive compounds. Some of these bioactive compounds as isolated from marine sources, have potential use as nutraceuticals. This mini review provides a brief overview of nutraceutical compounds from marine sources that are currently under research and/or have been commercialized. A detailed discussion on the biochemical categories of compounds and the marine organisms that play as potential sources of these bioactive nutraceutical compounds have been included.

scholarly journals Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Friggens ◽  
Rachel A. Loehman ◽  
Connie I. Constan ◽  
Rebekah R. Kneifel
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Jemez Mountains ◽  
Archaeological Materials

Abstract Background Wildfires of uncharacteristic severity, a consequence of climate changes and accumulated fuels, can cause amplified or novel impacts to archaeological resources. The archaeological record includes physical features associated with human activity; these exist within ecological landscapes and provide a unique long-term perspective on human–environment interactions. The potential for fire-caused damage to archaeological materials is of major concern because these resources are irreplaceable and non-renewable, have social or religious significance for living peoples, and are protected by an extensive body of legislation. Although previous studies have modeled ecological burn severity as a function of environmental setting and climate, the fidelity of these variables as predictors of archaeological fire effects has not been evaluated. This study, focused on prehistoric archaeological sites in a fire-prone and archaeologically rich landscape in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, USA, identified the environmental and climate variables that best predict observed fire severity and fire effects to archaeological features and artifacts. Results Machine learning models (Random Forest) indicate that topography and variables related to pre-fire weather and fuel condition are important predictors of fire effects and severity at archaeological sites. Fire effects were more likely to be present when fire-season weather was warmer and drier than average and within sites located in sloped, treed settings. Topographic predictors were highly important for distinguishing unburned, moderate, and high site burn severity as classified in post-fire archaeological assessments. High-severity impacts were more likely at archaeological sites with southern orientation or on warmer, steeper, slopes with less accumulated surface moisture, likely associated with lower fuel moistures and high potential for spreading fire. Conclusions Models for predicting where and when fires may negatively affect the archaeological record can be used to prioritize fuel treatments, inform fire management plans, and guide post-fire rehabilitation efforts, thus aiding in cultural resource preservation.

Human and Dog Consumption of Fish on the Lower Ob River of Siberia: Evidence for a Major Freshwater Reservoir Effect at the Ust’-Polui Site

Radiocarbon ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J Losey ◽  
Lacey S Fleming ◽  
Tatiana Nomokonova ◽  
Andrei V Gusev ◽  
Natalia V Fedorova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Fish Bone ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Freshwater Reservoir ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

AbstractUst’-Polui is one of the most extensively studied archaeological sites in the western Siberian Arctic. New radiocarbon (14C) dates for charcoal, faunal remains, bark, hide, and human bone from this site are presented. When modeled, the charcoal dates span from ~260 BC to 140 AD, overlapping with the dendrochronology dates from the site. These dates also overlap with the expected age of the site based on artefact typology. 14C dates on reindeer bone have a slightly younger modeled age range, from ~110 BC to 350 AD. In contrast, dates on the site’s numerous dog remains, and on human and fish bone, all predate these modeled age ranges by over 500 years, despite being from the same deposits. Several sets of paired dates demonstrate significant age differences. Bone dates with lower δ13C values tend to be over 500 years older than those with higher δ13C values. Stable isotope data for the humans, dogs, and other faunal remains are also presented. These data suggest the dogs and the humans were regularly consuming freshwater fish. The dogs were probably fed fish by their human counterparts. Overall, the dog and human dietary patterns at Ust’-Polui created 14C dates biased with major freshwater reservoir effects.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
Shibani Bose
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Rock Paintings ◽  
Ecological Importance

This chapter sets the stage for the narrative which ensues by delineating the ecological importance of megafauna, and underlining the importance of the period chosen for study. It is also a historiographical sketch of the ways in which studies on animals have been approached. This is followed by an elucidation of the sources used by the study to reconstruct the histories of these mega mammals. These include multiple prisms ranging from faunal remains retrieved from archaeological sites, visual depictions in the form of rock paintings, seals, and terracottas to the formidable corpus of Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and classical Western accounts.

scholarly journals Potential of the Radiocarbon Method for Dating Known Historical Events: The Case of Yaroslavl, Russia

Radiocarbon ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 615-624
Author(s):  
A V Engovatova ◽  
G I Zaitseva ◽  
M V Dobrovolskaya ◽  
N D Burova
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Historical Events ◽  
Methodological Question ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Central Russia ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Dating Method ◽  
Academy Of Sciences ◽  
The City

We address here the methodological question of potentially using the radiocarbon method for dating historical events. The archaeological investigations in Yaroslavl (central Russia) provide an example. The Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IARAS) has been conducting excavations at the site for many years, and many archaeological complexes dating to different times have come to light. The most interesting of these are connected with the founding of the city by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in AD 1010 (the first fortifications) and with the devastation of the city by the Tatar Mongols in 1238 (evidenced by sanitary mass burials of Yaroslavl's inhabitants). We have conducted a certain experiment, a “reverse” investigation of the chronology of the events. The dates of the events are known from chronicles, archaeological materials, and dendrochronological data for several assemblages. We have taken a large series of 14C samples from the same assemblages, dated them in 2 different laboratories, and compared the data. The accuracy of the 14C dates proved to be compatible with dates found via the archaeological material. The article shows the potential for 14C dating of archaeological assemblages connected with known historical events. The results of the research conducted by the authors serve as an additional argument for the broader use of the 14C dating method in studies of archaeological sites related to the Middle Ages in Russia.

Bison Procurement in the Far West: A 2,100-Year-Old Kill Site on the Columbia Plateau

1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Chatters ◽  
Sarah K. Campbell ◽  
Grant D. Smith ◽  
Phillip E. Minthorn
Keyword(s):  
Channel Wall ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Columbia Plateau ◽  
Stone Artifacts ◽  
Local Topography ◽  
Evidence Analysis ◽  
Kill Site ◽  
Game Hunting

Bison bones are found in Columbia Plateau archaeological sites from throughout the Holocene, yet no information on people's tactics for procuring them has yet been reported. The discovery of the Tsulim Site, a 2,100-year-old bison kill near the Columbia River in central Washington, has provided the opportunity to investigate those tactics. Despite the deteriorated state of the evidence, analysis of stone artifacts, faunal remains, and site geology revealed that at least eight animals were killed in the apex of a parabolic dune during the early to mid-winter by hunters using both atlatl and bow. Local topography and meteorology make it most likely that the herd was encountered in a low paleochannel, driven northward between the limbs of the dune, up the steep channel wall, and into the kill area, a sort of inverted buffalo jump. Results not only illuminate the large-game hunting practices of the Plateau peoples, but also point out how much can be learned from disturbed, low-density scatters of debris that are often dismissed as insignificant.

Ethics, the antiquities trade, and archaeology

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Ede
Keyword(s):  
Historical Review ◽  
Black Market ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Antiquities Trade ◽  
The Many

This article presents the perspective of a long-time dealer in ancient art and antiquities on the many attacks on the antiquities trade. After a brief historical review of collecting and the different national approaches to control of export of archaeological materials, the author presents an analysis of why the more draconian of the legal systems defeat their intended purposes and are themselves unethical in that they promote the destruction of archaeological sites and the black market in antiquities.

Bird Bones, Burials, and Bundles in Plains Archaeology

1975 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 444-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas H. Ubelaker ◽  
Waldo R. Wedel
Keyword(s):  
Missouri River ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Archaeological Remains ◽  
Time Perspectives ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Plains Archaeology ◽  
Minor Portion ◽  
Important Time ◽  
Indian Medicine

Plains archaeologists have usually devoted little attention to the bird remains that normally comprise a relatively minor portion of the yield from their excavations. Bird bones from several archaeological sites on the Missouri River are shown to have been purposefully and selectively modified by man. They exhibit a remarkable similarity to prepared bird skins and other ceremonial objects found in Omaha, Osage, Arikara, and other Plains Indian medicine bundles in various museum collections. The ethnographic specimens are believed to identify the archaeological remains as to function; conversely, the archaeological materials add important time perspectives to native use of the ritual items in museum collections and in the documentary record.

scholarly journals Archaeology of Semirechye at the End of the 19th Century (Based on the Materials of the Expedition Led by Ch.-E. Ujfalvy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 44-51
Author(s):  
Alisa Yu. Borisenko
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Aral Sea ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
The North ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
French Author ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Illustrative Material ◽  
Archaeological Objects

Purpose. This article analyzes the archaeological materials gathered by French explorer of Hungarian descent Charles-Eugène Ujfalvy in the course of his expedition into Semirechye (Jetysu). In 1879 his work “French scientific expedition to Russia, Siberia and Turkestan” (“Expédition scientifique française en Russe, en Sibérie et dans le Turkestan”) was published in Paris, where the author expounded extensive and diverse materials on the history, demography, natural economic and cultural specificities of Central Asia. Results. Activities of the European explorers, French in particular, in the territory of Central Asia not once have been the subject of attention and research by specialists. However, only a few mentions in scientific literature can be found about the work of Ch.-E. Ujfalvy in the territory of Jetysu. They are particularly small in number and contain either mentions about the fact of that journey or general descriptions of the expedition. Analysis of archaeological materials gathered by scientists has not been carried out before. The expeditionary route passed through territories that the French author called the Russian Turkestan, by limiting it to Semey in the north, Zarafshan in the south, Fergana Valley in the east and Aral Sea in the west. Ch.-E. Ujfalvy was one of those whose work was distinguished by a great variety and volume of collected material on the history, geography, and traditional culture of the peoples living in the studied territories. Conclusion. Ch.-E. Ujfalvy’s monograph includes not only texts, but also illustrative material. He also outlined the archaeological sites and findings among the landscaping and natural attractions described by the explorer. He has covered some of them in text and some are simply sketched and attached as illustrations to the monograph. The scientist highlights several types of archaeological objects. The article provides a data review about archaeological antiquities of the Jetysu region, gathered by Ch.-E. Ujfalvy in the course of his expedition.

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