Helen Lewis

University College Dublin | UCD · School of Archaeology

Excavations at a cave site on the island of Palawan in the Philippines show occupation from c. 11000 BP. A fine assemblage of tools and faunal remains shows the reliance of hunter-foragers switching from deer to pig. In 9500-9000 BP, a human cremation burial in a container was emplaced, the earliest yet known in the region.

Excavations at the Ille site in north Palawan have produced a large Terminal Pleistocene to Late Holocene faunal assemblage. Derived both from the natural deaths of small mammals and the human hunting of large and intermediate game, the bone assemblage provides important new information about changes in the composition and structure of the mammal c...

Recent research in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia suggests that we can no longer assume a direct and exclusive link between anatomically modern humans and behavioral modernity (the 'human revolution'), and assume that the presence of either one implies the presence of the other: discussions of the emergence of cultural complexity have to procee...

Satellite remote sensing has become a valuable tool in archaeology, allowing the monitoring of existing and discovery of new sites, and to study their surroundings. In an attempt to identify unknown Late Bronze Age (LBA) archaeological sites in the Serbian Banat region (southern Carpathian Basin), remote sensing techniques for site detection were a...

Satellite remote sensing has become a valuable tool in archaeology, allowing the monitoring of existing and discovery of new sites, and to study their surroundings. In an attempt to identify unknown Late Bronze Age (LBA) archaeological sites in the Serbian Banat region (southern Carpathian Basin), remote sensing techniques for site detection were a...

Soils and sediments are fundamental components of the archaeological record, comprising most contexts that together form an archaeological site. Soil micromorphology was developed in pedology. It has been used in archaeological studies since the 1950s, focusing on landscape and environmental change, the ancient use of space and land‐use practices,...

Geoarchaeological research captures dimensions of the past at an unprecedented level of detail and multiple spatial and temporal scales. The record of the past held by soils and sediments is an archive for past environments, climate change, resource use, settlement lifeways, and societal development and resilience over time. When the McDonald Insti...

Geoarchaeological research captures dimensions of the past at an unprecedented level of detail and multiple spatial and temporal scales. The record of the past held by soils and sediments is an archive for past environments, climate change, resource use, settlement lifeways, and societal development and resilience over time. When the McDonald Insti...

Geoarchaeological research captures dimensions of the past at an unprecedented level of detail and multiple spatial and temporal scales. The record of the past held by soils and sediments is an archive for past environments, climate change, resource use, settlement lifeways, and societal development and resilience over time. When the McDonald Insti...

Geoarchaeological research captures dimensions of the past at an unprecedented level of detail and multiple spatial and temporal scales. The record of the past held by soils and sediments is an archive for past environments, climate change, resource use, settlement lifeways, and societal development and resilience over time. When the McDonald Insti...

Geoarchaeological research captures dimensions of the past at an unprecedented level of detail and multiple spatial and temporal scales. The record of the past held by soils and sediments is an archive for past environments, climate change, resource use, settlement lifeways, and societal development and resilience over time. When the McDonald Insti...

The abandonment of LBA settlements in Serbian Banat between 1250 and 1150 BC raises important questions regarding the factors that may have contributed to that process. New LBA settlements continue to be discovered through satellite images and surveys, and material culture from sites indicates that they were connected in a dense network. These sett...

EurASEAA14 Volume I: Ancient and Living Traditions; Volume II: Material Culture and Heritage. Editors: Lewis H . 2: vi-viii. Archaeopress, Oxford 24 Jul 202

EurASEAA14: Material Culture and Heritage (ed: Helen Lewis) is the second of two volumes comprising papers originally presented at the EurASEAA14 (European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists) conference in 2012, updated for publication. The aim of the EurASEAA is to facilitate communication between different disciplines, to present curre...

EurASEAA14: Ancient and Living Traditions (editor: Helen Lewis) is the first of two volumes comprising papers originally presented at the EurASEAA14 (European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists) conference in 2012, updated for publication. The aim of the EurASEAA is to facilitate communication between different disciplines, to present cu...

Seven charred wood fragments from the archaeological site of Ille in El Nido, Palawan were identified as an undetermined monocot and representatives of the families Caesalpiniaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, and Araucariaceae/Podocarpaceae. Though very few pieces were determined, the results gave a glimpse of the types of woody plants most likely present i...

Archaeology is the study of the human past from its material remains, most of which are made of or found within soils and sediments. Past human actions impact the soil record, as seen through relics of changes in soil characteristics and qualities, changes to sedimentation, and the presence of archaeological features and artefacts preserved within...

This chapter summarizes existing knowledge about possible micromorphological traces of vegetation clearance and tillage, and their effects on soil formation processes, and highlights the current strategies that can be employed to resolve controversial interpretations. Implements are used to disturb the soil for various reasons, such as the creation...

One of the more persistent gaps in our knowledge of prehistoric human adaptation to tropical environments is the lack of developed models of early forager mobility and site function in Southeast Asia. This situation has been perpetuated, partly by the practical constraints that working in the humid tropics places of identifying and excavating new a...

Copyright 2015; online publication 19 Dec 2014 Abstract Palaeogeographic reconstructions of Palawan Island using Geographic Information Systems based on present-day bathymetry show extensive changes in land area with respect to sea-level fluctuations during the Late Quaternary. Our analysis shows that a lowering of at least 135 meters from present-...

Recent excavations in northern Palawan, Philippines provide zooarchaeological and macrobotanical evidence documenting human occupation and changes in faunal composition and subsistence strategies. Here we present the archaeobiological record of Pasimbahan-Magsanib site dating from c. 10,500 yr. BP to the subrecent. The terrestrial vertebrate record...

The paper describes the initial results from renewed investigations at Niah Cave in Sarawak on the island of Borneo, famous for the discovery in 1958 of the c. 40,000-year old ‘Deep Skull’. The archaeological sequences from the West Mouth and the other entrances of the cave complex investigated by Tom and Barbara Harrisson and other researchers hav...

ragments of a single human skeleton recovered from a discrete archaeological context and dating to the Early Holocene from Ille Site, Palawan, Philippines, provided a unique opportunity to utilise anthropogenic bone modi fi cations to reconstruct the postmortem history of a body prior to its deposition. Aside from being burnt, the remains were foun...

In the 2010 excavation season the area opened for excavation and geoarchaeological assessment was much the same as in 2008, exposing a large area of a longhouse discovered previously, and a later additional house added on to it. Of particular interest in this season was an identified metalworking area located outside of and adjacent to the later ad...

This report describes the results of preliminary assessment of faunal remains archives held in the National Museum of Ireland from early Irish cave excavations. This project set out to reassess these archives from cave sites previously identified as having preserved sediments available for potential future stratigraphic and morphological study, wit...

The last decade has seen advances in models of Holocene river flooding founded on meta-analysis of fluvial 14C databases allied to new multivariate environmental correlatives. This investigation presents application of these generic meta-analysis techniques to 33 stratigraphically significant ‘change after’ dates in a new fluvial 14C database for I...

Interpretation of digital elevation models (DEMs) is rapidly becoming a valuable extension to field-based geomorphic mapping. High-resolution LiDAR data (Light Detection and Ranging; point spacing 1m, vertical accuracy 0.1m) is ideally-suited for mapping areas of complex and subtle geomorphology, such as fluvial landscapes. This poster outlines how...

The lower Ica Valley on the hyperarid south coast of Peru is today largely depopulated and bereft of cultivation. Yet its extensive archaeological remains attest to substantial pre-Hispanic populations. We provide a case-study of Pre-Hispanic culturally induced environmental change through combining field archaeological and geomorphological survey...

Soil micromorphology was among the approaches used to explore site formation in two cave sites in northern Luzon: Eme and Dalan Serkot Caves. Interplay of biogenic, sedimentary, and anthropogenic processes worked and reworked the archaeological sediments at both sites. Eme Cave was found to be highly bioturbated by faunal activities and shrink-swel...

This report presents a preliminary soil micromorphology assessment of three thin sections from the site of Samaca H-13, Río Ica, Peru. The sampled profile, 1/030 West, is described as showing aeolian sands overlying a 'midden' level and a buried loamy soil horizon, and originates from the edge of a dune formation separated from the modern Río Ica b...

A preliminary study was carried out on the survival of in situ sediments from old cave excavations in Ireland, with the aim of assessing potential for soil micromorphological study of ancient use of caves and palaeoenvironmental history. The investigation comprised the development of a database of published excavated sites, the desk-based assessmen...

The upland of Dartmoor, southwest England, is one of the flagship prehistoric landscapes within Britain owing to the excellent survival of extensive prehistoric coaxial field systems. Archaeological surveys and rescue excavations during the 1970s and 1980s did much to further the understanding of this landscape; however, much remains to be explored...

The tiger Panthera tigris (L.) has a fragmented modern biogeographic range, much contracted by recent extinctions, covering continental Asia from India, Nepal and Bhutan east through China and south to Peninsular Malaysia and the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. In Southeast Asia, the historic range of tiger included Java and Bali, and archaeozoolog...

During the Last Glacial Period (LGP), reduced global sea level exposed the continental shelf south of Thailand to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo to form the contiguous continent of Sundaland. However, the type and extent of vegetation that existed on much of this exposed landmass during the LGP remains speculative. Extensive bird and bat guano deposits...

Preliminary soil micromorphology study of cultural sediments at Tabon Cave, Philippines, supports interpretations of sporadic occupation in the Paleolithic. The presence in some deposits of authigenic minerals potentially related to altered cultural materials, such as ash, needs further investigation. Later in the sequence there is a marked change...

A brief visit was carried out for geoarchaeological assessment and continued soil micromorphology sampling of deposits revealed during University of Oxford excavations at Snusgar and the Bay of Skaill, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. Several additional samples were taken from Trenches 5 and 7 on the South-east mound at Snusgar, and an auger assessment...

A pilot study of targeted soil micromorphology samples from Lake Luokesas in Lithuania suggests that at least one of the lake's prehistoric pile dwelling settlements was initially constructed over open water in lake marl, indicating a raised structure. Following this, a sequence of peat layers found between, within and over later cultural deposits...

Recent years have witnessed an increased interest within archaeology in the non-visual senses, and particularly sound. To date, however, most studies have focused on the evidence for musical instruments and the acoustic properties of special structures and spaces, like monuments and caves. This study reports on further evidence for special musical...

The site of Lincent is located between Liège and Brussels, in an old valley infilled with loessic colluvium, apparently mostly dating to historic times, although major episodes of Roman period and possibly earlier colluvium have also been identified. The site was excavated as part of a contract following the new TGV line between Köln and Brussels (...

We present the first record of Holocene and Pleistocene environmental change derived from the chemical and stable-isotope composition of a tropical cave guano sequence from Makangit Cave in northern Palawan (Philippines). The 180 cm sequence of guano, derived predominantly from insectivorous bats and birds, consists of two distinct units. An upper...

The results of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological investigations in the Upper Allen Valley, Cranborne Chase, Dorset 1998-2003 led by Charles French (Cambridge) and Helen Lewis (Dublin) challenge some long-standing assumptions about the palaeoecology of the chalk, questioning the ubiquity of climax woodland and brown forest soils associated with...

Geoarchaeological study in the 2006 season was limited, although certain interesting deposits were examined and sampled for future investigation in comparison to previously sampled deposits. Further excavations on Trench 5 showed a number of interesting observations. A thick layer of blown sand within the structure appears to correlate with a relat...

Seven thin section samples from two soil and sediment profiles were assessed through soil micromorphology for information on site formation, landscape history and prehistoric land use practices from Site A at the Buckinghamshire/Bedfordshire border along the route of the A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass, for Network Archaeology. Thes...

Geoarchaeological investigations at the Castle of Snusgar, Birsay, Orkney in 2005 aimed at further exploring the potential survival of buried soils underneath the Snusgar mound. This entailed excavating a deep trench into the side of the mound, which was successful in revealing buried organic soil layers. A preliminary auger survey was carried out...

A field assessment of a deep soil profile at Guiting Manor Farm, Guiting Power in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds (site code 27918), aimed to explore the origin, meaning and potential of the profile, and to recommend future action.

Lake Luokesas in Lithuania has become the centre of attention in northern European wetland archaeological research after the discovery of two Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pile dwellings. Their unique location, chronology and building techniques have the potential to revolutionise our understanding of important aspects of wetland communities in la...

Excavations in the photic zones of caves have provided cornerstone archaeological sequences in many parts of the world. Before the appearance of modern dating techniques, cave deposits provided clear evidence for the antiquity, relative ages and co-occurrence of ancient human remains, material culture and fauna. Earlier generations of archaeologist...

Eight soil micromorphology samples representing a profile of modern and ancient cultivation horizons from the site of Gulli 8/1 reveal both probable and possible traction tillage features in the 'culture layers', suggesting several episodes of cultivation and/or digging. High charcoal concentrations are seen in places; these vary in character throu...

A combination of on- and off-site paleoenvironmental and archaeological investigations of the upper Allen valley of Dorset, conducted from 1998–2002, has begun to indicate a different model of prehistoric landscape development to those previously put forward for this part of the southern English chalk downlands. Woodland growth in the earlier Holoc...

As part of doctoral research on the characterisation of ancient cultivation using a soil micromorphological approach (Lewis 1998), buried soil profiles were sampled from Bjerre Site 7. This site was chosen for inclusion in the study of experimental and archaeological cultivated soils because of its well-preserved ard marks and buried cultivation ho...

The development of coaxial field systems has been seen in a framework of changing landscape perspectives in the British Bronze Age, one which connects ancient land tenure, settlement patterns and land use practices. The specific aim of the research described here is to assess the potential for understanding the meaning and role of ancient land use...

A combination of on- and off-site palaeo-environmental and archaeological investigations of the upper Allen valley of Dorset conducted in 1998-2000 has begun to reveal a different model of landscape development than those previously put forward. A combination of off-site geoarchaeological and aerial photographic survey and palynological analyses of...

Soil micromorphology and geoarchaeology at Parknabinnia Court Tomb (Clare Megalith 153) 2 Summary This report describes soil micromorphological and field characteristics of profiles from the Parknabinnia Neolithic court tomb, County Clare, Ireland, and discusses how they relate to the history of the monument, its locality and the region. The tomb i...

Excavations at Hengistbury Head Site 6 (Dragonfly Ponds) in 1984-5 uncovered a rare sequence of cultivation features, with pre-Late Iron Age to Romano-British period spade marks and an associated cultivation soil underlying proposed Romano-British furrows and another cultivation soil (Chadburn & Gardiner 1985; Chadburn 1987). Keyhole excavations fo...

There has been considerable uncertainty about the nature of Pleistocene environments colonised by the first modern humans in Island SE Asia, and about the vegetation of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the region. Here, the palynology from a series of exposures in the Great Cave of Niah, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, spanning a period from ca. 52,000...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Cambridge, 1998. In 2 vols.