No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
The necessity of sample quality assessment in 14C AMS dating: The case of Cova des Pas (Menorca - Spain)
Abstract
The Cova des Pas cave is a karstic cave in the cliffs of the Barranc (canyon) de Trebalúger. It is a small cave only 6.5 m deep, 4.5 m wide and 1.7 m high. Yet more than 70 burials, in foetal position, from the Early Iron Age were found in this small cave. The conservation of the archaeological remains was very unusual. Not only wood, ropes and other plant material was found, but also remains of body tissue, hair and leather. In spite of the remarkable preservation of the bodies and artefacts, the state of conservation of the bone material was very bad. The bones contained little and heavily deteriorated collagen and the organic plant material was very fragile. The special environmental conditions of the cave are the cause of these unusual preservation conditions. Although the cave is situated in a limestone cliff, the soil of the cave is very acid. Unexpectedly bad sample quality seemed to be the major drawback for AMS radiocarbon dating on hair, wood, ropes and bone collagen, as well as on bio-apatite.
... Of these, 23 individuals were males, 24 were females and 19 remained indeterminate in terms of gender (Armentano et al. 2010;Armentano et al. 2012). Radiocarbon dates show that the main period of the burial activity was between 900 and 800 BC (van Strydonck et al. 2010), indicating that the cave was probably in use by a small community for a short time during the Late Bronze Age. Palaeo-demographic data and the absence of traumatic perimortem lesions suggest attritional deaths for the studied individuals ( Armentano et al. 2012). ...
... The weight of the analysed samples varied between 1-3g of dry sediment. Table 3.1 Main features of the studied individuals, including gender, age and radiocarbon dating (after Armentano et al. 2012 andvan Strydonck et al. 2010), and brief description of the microcontexts of samples. spore tablets were added to calculate pollen concentration per gram of dry sediment (Stockmarr 1971) and a minimum count of 350 pollen grains per sample was reached. ...
... Poaceae concentrations decrease to 96,000 grains/g while Cerealia type disappears from this level. nb dates have been rounded out to 10 years as per international convention Table 3.1 Main features of the studied individuals, including gender, age and radiocarbon dating (after Armentano et al. 2012 andvan Strydonck et al. 2010), and brief description of the microcontexts of samples. (Continued) Figure ...
... Of these, 23 individuals were males, 24 were females and 19 remained indeterminate in terms of gender (Armentano et al. 2010;Armentano et al. 2012). Radiocarbon dates show that the main period of the burial activity was between 900 and 800 BC (van Strydonck et al. 2010), indicating that the cave was probably in use by a small community for a short time during the Late Bronze Age. Palaeo-demographic data and the absence of traumatic perimortem lesions suggest attritional deaths for the studied individuals (Armentano et al. 2012). ...
... 1 Main features of the studied individuals, including gender, age and radiocarbon dating (afterArmentano et al. 2012 andvan Strydonck et al. 2010), and brief description of the microcontexts of samples. ...
... 1 Main features of the studied individuals, including gender, age and radiocarbon dating (afterArmentano et al. 2012 andvan Strydonck et al. 2010), and brief description of the microcontexts of samples.(Continued) ...
Introduction
Pollen analyses started to be more commonly applied to the study of funerary sites from the 60s onwards (Girard 1968; Roux 1967). The first such studies dealt mainly with collective prehistoric burials with the aim to identify pollen assemblages contained in sediments covering the corpses, with both palaeoenvironmental and cultural objectives (Girard 2006). Gradually, however, more emphasis was being placed on the cultural dimension of pollen assemblages when interpreting the use of plants in funerary practices (e.g. Bertolani et al. 1983; Bui Thi Mai and Girard 2003, 2010). This interest in the cultural dimension of plants lead to the application of pollen studies to individual burials in order to better characterise which plants were used as offerings and for corpse treatments. Consequently, a strategy based on higher spatial sampling resolution of sites and corpses became more frequent in these approaches (e.g. Clarke 1999; Tipping 1994; Whittington 1993).
During the last couple of decades, the interest in corpse treatment lead to the use of pollen analyses more commonly for non-buried corpses from closed contexts, such as sarcophagi (e.g. Girard and Maley 1999). Such studies were carried out on mummified and embalmed corpses (e.g. Ciuffarella 1998; Girad and Maley 1987), where approaches and sampling methods from forensic palynology were largely employed (e.g. Fornaciari et al. 2008; Giuffra et al. 2011a, 2011b; Marchesini and Marvelli 2009). The role of plants in funerary rituals has often been studied using multi-proxy approaches, including both plant macroremains (e.g. Corbineau 2014; Hadjouis et al. 2011; Vermeeren and van Haaster 2002) and microremains, such as pollen, phytoliths (Cabanes and Albert 2011; Kvavadze et al. 2015) and more recently, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP), mainly fungal spores. The latter although very rarely applied to the study of burials, they have furnished valuable information on the presence of clothes and vegetal materials, such as at Bronze Age graves from Scotland (Clarke 1999) and Georgia (Kvavadze et al. 2015).
The present study of corpses buried in Cova des Pas combines approaches and techniques from archaeopalynology, the study of pollen assemblages contained in sediments from archaeological contexts, objects and stratigraphies, and forensic palynology, which refers to the study of pollen signatures at scene crimes in legal contexts (Wiltshire 2006a). Taking into account that both subdisciplines share objectives, approaches, materials and methods (Mercuri et al. 2009) they can be applied to the study of funerary archaeological sites (Wiltshire 2006a, 2006b). Employing this combined approach, this study endeavours to reconstruct the ritualisation of the dead, considering that corpses constitute the main material evidence of burial practices. In addition, it aims to trace the practices involving plants in Cova des Pas in order to achieve a better understanding of the social relationships between plants and this Bronze Age community.
... In this context, Cova des Pas in Ferreries (Menorca), dated 1100-800 cal BC (Van Strydonck et al. 2010), constitutes one of the most exceptional sites for studying cordage production and their uses due to the extraordinary preservation of organic material. This preservation of organic materials, also attested in other burial caves in the south of the island of Minorca, has allowed the recovery of human hair and tissues, vegetal ropes, wooden containers for human hair, wooden stretchers and coprolites in Cova des Pas. ...
... The internal space of the cave is small and was used for a collective burial at the end of the Late Bronze Age (1100-800 cal BC) with the consecutive deposition of a minimum of 66 human bodies (most of the burials occurring between 900 and 800 cal BC; Van Strydonck et al. 2010). The corpses were deposited in fetal position, tied with the use of cords of vegetal matter. ...
The study of plant-fibre remains in the Mediterranean is limited due to the scarce archaeological sites where this organic material has been preserved. However, the Late Bronze Age burial site of Cova des Pas in Minorca (1100–800 cal BC) has provided an extraordinary assemblage of well-preserved organic materials, including an important number of cordage remains. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the study of more than 600 cordage remains and to provide new insights into the production and use of cords in this period in Balearic Islands prehistory. Firstly, we have characterised the production process by analyzing the morphological and technical characteristics of the whole assemblage. According to the results, plant resource management, past environments, and cordage production in Balearic Bronze Age societies are discussed. Finally, the function of these cords is considered, according to the technology of production and the archaeological context. Despite the homogeneity of the sample, some variations regarding size, direction of twist and type of cords have been documented. Cords were used to tie the leather shrouds wrapping the dead bodies and to fix these mortuary packages to the wooden biers used to transport them to the burial cave.
... Corresponden a un número mínimo de 66 individuos: infantiles, juveniles y adultos, sin perinatales, ni seniles (Armentano et al. 2010). Su utilización como necrópolis abarca unos 100 años de las últimas etapas de la Prehistoria de la isla de Menorca (900-800 cal a. C., Van Strydonck et al. 2010). ...
... Es una eficiencia moderada en la recuperación del ADN con grados de éxito dependientes del protocolo de extracción utilizado (Simón et al. 2012). Estos resultados concuerdan con el bajo grado de conservación bioquímica y molecular de los restos esqueléticos demostrado en los análisis de C 14 e isótopos estables (Van Strydonck et al. 2010), que contrasta con la excelente conservación de los tejidos blandos (Prats-Muñoz et al. 2013). La conservación pasó por cierto grado de sapofinicación, posiblemente responsable de la conservación estructural y la escasa preservación molecular. ...
En el presente artículo se estudian las características genéticas de la población del yacimiento talayótico de la Cova des Pas, que revelan una importante endogamia a nivel de ADN mitocondrial. La comparación con otras series contemporáneas de las Islas Baleares permite hipotetizar la existencia de grupos cerrados, con limitados linajes femeninos y necrópolis de difícil acceso, como esta. Tales comunidades contrastarían con otras más abiertas con un mayor intercambio de linajes femeninos situados en las zonas llanas centrales de Menorca.
... Of these, 23 individuals were males, 24 were females and 19 remained indeterminate in terms of gender (Armentano et al. 2010;Armentano et al. 2012). Radiocarbon dates show that the main period of the burial activity was between 900 and 800 BC (van Strydonck et al. 2010), indicating that the cave was probably in use by a small community for a short time during the Late Bronze Age. Palaeo-demographic data and the absence of traumatic perimortem lesions suggest attritional deaths for the studied individuals (Armentano et al. 2012). ...
... 1 Main features of the studied individuals, including gender, age and radiocarbon dating (afterArmentano et al. 2012 andvan Strydonck et al. 2010), and brief description of the microcontexts of samples. ...
... Radiometric dating has been performed on a total of 15 samples of several materials (collagen and bio-apatite from human bones, wood, plant fibres, twigs and human hair) associated with five individuals buried in the cave. Although, the cave was used from 1100 BC to 800 BC, most of the burials occurred between 900 and 800 BC (Van Strydonck et al. 2010). The wood of one of the biers has been dated and fitted into this chronology (Bier A, KIA-36929, 2∂ 895– 795 BC, Van Strydonck et al. 2010). ...
... This bier was found with most of its elements in their original positions, and it is associated with individual 37, a 2-year-old male lying on his right side (Armentano et al. 2010, 2012). This individual was lying on bier A. The date of this bier is 895–795 BC (Van Strydonck et al. 2010), so it was deposited in an intermediate moment of the sequence of burials. Two rails, one through rung and two rungs, had been preserved. ...
This paper aims to introduce the wooden biers recovered at the Cova des Pas (Minorca, Balearic Island) Late Bronze Age site (1100–800 BC). At least four biers were associated with 66 individuals buried individually and consecutively, most of them during the last 100 years of use (900–800 BC). Technological methodologies complemented by experimental reproduction were used to understand the woodworking process and the functional design purpose in the construction. Our results show that the biers were manufactured from several species using specific woodworking techniques generally related to efficiency and expeditious reasons. On the basis of technological analysis, we took in consideration the particularities of the context to discuss the implications in the collective funerary practices of such apparently functional objects and its symbolic and ritual significance.
... Se calcula que el fenómeno de las ocultaciones o depósitos votivos en las Baleares tendría lugar entre el 1200 y el 850 a. C. (Calvo et al. 2013;Javaloyas et al. 2015;Lull et al 1999) 2 . Los materiales de Cova des Pas cuentan con buenas dataciones que se mueven en torno al 900-800 cal AC (Van Strydonck et al. 2010). ...
El Bronce Final en el archipiélago balear es un momento de gran dinamismo y enormes cambios a muchos niveles. En este trabajo se aportan evidencias relacionadas con la identificación del uso de la cera perdida y el vaciado adicional como novedades tecnológicas en el contexto insular de estas cronologías. La introducción de estos nuevos conocimientos viene pareja en el tiempo con la aparición de nuevos tipos formales, sin referentes locales previos y sin paralelos foráneos. Todo ello permite reflexionar sobre el papel de las comunidades locales insulares en el contexto del Mediterráneo occidental y sobre cómo se produciría la transmisión de este conocimiento tecnológico. Sugerimos una interpretación que relaciona este fenómeno con procesos de hibridación y enredo material derivados de contactos con artesanos foráneos, probablemente vinculados a ambientes de gran conectividad y movilidad del Estrecho y la fachada atlántica.
... The possibility to study each individual as a whole allowed performing a variety of different diet studies, such as dental or boning analysis, and comparing between them. Furthermore, all the paleoanthropological information available from previous studies (Fullola et al. 2008;Armentano et al. 2010;Van Strydonck et al. 2010;Malgosa et al. 2011;Cañas Cortés 2012;Simón et al. 2016) permits a better approach and comparative analysis of the samples of the site and witnesses its uniqueness. ...
Current paleodietary studies about the Naviform and Talayotic groups that took place in Minorca (Balearic Islands) during the Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age (ca.1600–850/800 BC) have suggested a mixed and variable diet, largely depending on terrestrial sources of vegetables and meat. This study explores the nutritional pattern of the individuals buried in the Cova des Pas site (Minorca Island, Spain), a cave used as a collective sepulcher and the most exceptional and major human assemblage found in the Balearic Islands during this period. Carbon (δ ¹³ C) and nitrogen (δ ¹⁵ N) stable isotopic signatures were measured on extracted bone collagen from 49 individuals. Further, faunal remains from the Son Mercer de Baix site, the closest contemporaneous village to the collective sepulcher, were also analyzed to provide a baseline corpus of data to interpret human isotopic data. The results indicate a human diet based mainly on C 3 plants with an important consumption of animal protein. The δ ¹⁵ N values of infants up to 4 years were high, indicating the enriched isotopic signature of breast milk, and weaning is assumed to occur around this age. Differences between sexes and the age subcategories were not statistically significant, assuming that the different groups of society had the same access to food. The data obtained in this isotopic study provides insight into the palaeodietary pattern of the human groups dated to the Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age ages in the island of Minorca, contributing to the present debate on the emergence and development of complex societies on the Balearic archipelago.
... This is also the case for metals recovered from the necropolis at Cova des Pas in Ferreries (Llull et al. 2019), corresponding to an even later era (c. 900-800 cal BC) (Van Strydonck et al. 2010). ...
This study presents a new isotope and element-composition database of copper ores from Mallorca and Menorca. The main goal of this paper is to characterize copper resources from the Balearic Islands and demonstrate how this database can contribute to furthering studies on the origins of archaeological materials from the Western Mediterranean. Using our isotope database in conjunction with supporting geological and archaeological background information, we present analyses of six archaeological metals from Mallorca’s Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods as case studies. Our results suggest that copper metal arriving to Mallorca during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age was mainly sourced from the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Languedoc, and the neighboring island of Menorca. These findings show that despite the difficulties posed by these regions’ overlapping isotopic fields, such a database is still a useful tool for provenance studies in the Western Mediterranean.
... At first (c. 1200-850 cal BC), the differences seen at collective burial sites were related to funerary practices i.e. tonsure and hair treatment were practiced only on some individuals, as seen at the Cova del Carritx (Lull et al. 1999) and Cova del Pas (Riera et al. 2018;Van Strydonck et al. 2010) sites, and some burial navetes have been found in Menorca island (Gornés 2016). However, after c. 850 cal BC, we can find other methods of individualisation, namely in the material nature of the funerary containers to accentuate certain individuals in the interred group. ...
Iron Age archaeology in Europe and the Mediterranean often faces significant difficulties to establish precise chronological frameworks by means of radiocarbon dating due to the so-called Hallstatt Plateau. This problem worsens in those archaeological sites excavated decades ago with a lack of stratigraphic control of the objects recovered. The archaeological studies carried out in Iron Age funerary contexts from Mallorca (Balearic Islands) are greatly affected by these two distorting factors. Therefore, it has been difficult to establish an accurate chronology for the origin and abandonment of certain individualization practices, such as the use of wooden coffins in collective necropolises. The goal of this paper is to overcome these limitations and to define the most reliable chronological framework for this funerary phenomenon by applying a multi-proxy approach. Thus, the chronological information provided by the detailed typological study of the material culture associated with the wooden coffins was connected to the results obtained from an extensive series of new radiocarbon dating of the wooden coffins. In addition, a wiggle-matching analysis (different 14 C dates for the same wooden object corresponding to individual tree-rings) was also conducted in some wooden coffins in order to enhance the precision of the radiocarbon dates. Accordingly, the direct and indirect chronological information show that the use of wooden coffins in Mallorca started around 800-750 cal BC and was abandoned at c. 350-300 cal BC.
... Según el estudio realizado sobre ocho dataciones radiocarbónicas, la necrópolis se utilizó entre el 900 y el 800 cal. AC con un 95,4 % de probabilidad (Van Strydonck et al. 2010). La cronología coincide con el tipo de rito documentado y con los materiales hallados. ...
This paper presents the analysis of metal objects found in Cova des Pas (900-800 cal BC), a necropolis located in the Trebaluger ravine (Ferreries, Menorca). The cave was excavated in 2005 and 2006 by a joint team from the University of the Balearic Islands and the University of Barcelona. The finds not only comprise bronze objects but also small rings made of tin—an element not native to the Balearic Islands. The metal objects are described in their respective archaeological contexts, emphasising the technological aspects that provide information to characterise metal production from this timeline in Menorca. Based on the chemical composition and lead isotope analysis results, the link to mineral deposits in Menorca is presented for most of the bronzes. Nevertheless, by comparing these data to currently published information, we deduce that two bronze pieces show similarity to copper minerals in Sardinia and three to minerals from Linares (Jaén).
... Of these, 23 individuals were males, 24 were females and 19 remained indeterminate in terms of gender ( Armentano et al. 2010;Armentano et al. 2012). Radiocarbon dates show that the main period of the burial activity was between 900 and 800 BC (van Strydonck et al. 2010), indicating that the cave was probably in use by a small community for a short time during the Late Bronze Age. Palaeo-demographic data and the absence of traumatic perimortem lesions suggest attritional deaths for the studied individuals ( Armentano et al. 2012). ...
... Les datacions radiocarbòniques situen aquests enterraments en un període màxim d'aproximadament un segle, entre 900 i 800 cal BC. Això ha fet plantejar la hipòtesi que aquests enterraments responguin a algun episodi de mortalitat extraordinària (VAN STRyDONCK et al., 2010 ). Però la major part de la informació d'aquest jaciment es troba encara inèdita. ...
A synthesis of the archaeological research in the caves of the Balearic Islands is presented, focused mainly in the work made during the last two decades. The cave occupation during the Early Bronze is ex-plained, with special mention to the results obtained at Coval Simó and Cova des Riuets. The topic of cop-per mining in the beginning of the Mallorcan prehistory is commented, based on the evidence found in rock shelters of the Serra de Tramuntana. The new excavations and studies on Early and Mid Bronze funerary caves are explained, being the main features Cova de Can Martorellet among the natural caves and the monuments of Biniai Nou regarding the hypogea. The excavation of Cova des Mussol and Cova des Càrritx let establish for the first time the ritual or ceremonial use of some Menorcan caves in the mid 2nd millen-nium cal BC. With this reference, the same functional interpretation has been given to some caves in East Mallorca which show an entrance with cyclopean architectonic structures. Otherwise, the mentioned Cova des Càrritx and Cova des Mussol, together with Cova des Càrritx, have allowed improving significantly the knowledge about the Late Bronze necropolis in cave. About the Iron Age funerary caves, leaving aside the reuse of some earlier structures, maybe the most significant new case is the excavation of a new hypogeum at Cales Coves. In Ibiza, the punic world is characterized by the use of hipogea as tombs and the establish-ment of rock sanctuaries. Finally, in historic times it is highlighted the use of the caves for water supply and the Muslim refuges during the Christian conquest in the XIIIth century.
... d 13 C measurements on bone samples from laboratory experiments were executed without pretreatment, but the archaeological samples were pretreated. Because sample pretreatment with acetic acid can influence the isotopic fractionation (Lee- Thorp & van der Merwe, 1991;Metcalfe et al., 2009;Yoder & Bartelink, 2010), the data are compared with a set of published (Van Strydonck et al., 2010b) and unpublished data from the inhumation burials at the 'Cova des Pas' cave in Menorca, Spain, pretreated in the same way. Twelve measurements on inhumation graves containing no collagen gave an average value of d 13 C = À14.10 ...
Traditionally, the Balearic so-called ‘quicklime burials’ of the Iron Age have been considered to be inhumations in quicklime. The general appearance of the bones, however, resembles more closely that of cremated bones. Laboratory tests reveal that the observed features of the bones from these burials, including cracks, thumbnail fractures and warping, cannot be explained by an inhumation in quicklime. The δ 13C value, Fourier transform infrared spectra, SF values and the low carbon content of the apatite moreover indicate a thermal manipulation of the bones. The 14C content is depleted with regard to the accepted archaeological age of the sample, which can best be explained by carbon exchange between bio-apatite and fossil CO2 released during the heating of limestone. This implies that the Balearic ‘quicklime burials’ must be interpreted as an elaborate cremation practice in presence of limestone. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
... It is easy to imagine that the leather piece was used for a long time before it was finally cut into stripes and attached to the peg-leg. Available publications reporting radiocarbon dates of leather samples from western Eurasia (van der Plicht et al., 2004;Hall et al., 2007;Pinhasi et al., 2010;Strydonck et al., 2010) do not indicate any technical difficulties with dating ancient leathers and recommend quite simple chemical pretreatment of such samples. Whether the 14 C date from the M2 tomb could be altered due to the technologically different leather-making process used in ancient China remains an issue for further research. ...
This paper presents an archaeological–palaeopathological case study from Turfan (western China). Although this area is located outside of the two focus regions of the special issue (Baikal and Hokkaido), it once belonged to the same cultural sphere and experienced intensive contacts and exchanges with the neighbouring regions. The case study presented here combines detailed palaeopathological analysis of human skeletal remains with precise age determination and archaeological and regional contexts, demonstrating the high potential of such studies in arid and semi-arid China. The current paper also presents an unusual early case of prosthetic leg use from western China. The skeleton of a 50–65-year-old man and his wooden leg prosthesis discovered in a tomb in Shengjindian graveyard (Turfan, China) have been examined. Macroscopic lesions observed on ribs two to eleven, between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebra, and on the left knee joint are probably due to tuberculosis infection. The inflammatory process led to osseous ankylosis of the knee, fixing it at 135° flexion and 11° internal rotation, making walking impossible. The lost mobility of the disabled shank was regained by using an externally fitted wooden prosthesis which consists of thigh stabilizer, peg, leather straps, sheep/goat horn reinforcement of the peg tip, and horse/Asiatic ass hoof as sink resistance. Heavy traces of wear and absence of muscle atrophy indicate long-term use of the prosthesis. Ten radiocarbon dates on the prosthesis, human bones and wood pieces from the same grave suggest the most probable age of the burial is about 300–200 BC (68% confidence interval), thus introducing the oldest functional leg prosthesis known to date. The results provide some support for a DNA-based hypothesis that the spread of tuberculosis in Asia was related to intensified inter-regional contacts and higher residential mobility during the first millennium BC.
... This was clearly a funerary site. The first burials were deposited around 1100 BC, at the end of the Bronze Age, although the largest number of inhumations took place between 900 and 800 BC (Van Strydonck et al., 2010), during the first Iron Age, known locally as the Talaiotic culture. ...
FTIR and phytolith analyses have been used to understand the exceptional preservation of the organic remains at the burial cave of Cova des Pas (Minorca), and to obtain high-resolution data of the plant remains present in the sediments. The presence of sodium nitrate and gypsum suggests a relatively dry environment that has enabled the preservation of the organic material, and contributed to the natural mummification. The dry conditions also favored phytolith preservation. Grass inflorescence phytoliths are abundant all over the site suggesting that phytolith accumulations might have an anthropogenic origin and are related to the burial ritual.
... Some of the substances found in the environment of each particular site can act as inhibitors for the DNA amplification. In the case of La Cova des Pas, in spite of the remarkable external preservation of the bodies and artefacts, the state of conservation of the bone material was very deficient as it contained little and heavily deteriorated collagen (Van Strydonck et al., 2010). When the routine protocol, the phenolechloroform method (Malgosa et al., 2005) was applied, the results were disappointing, and an inhibition of the amplification of the samples seemed to be a real possibility. ...
The site from La Cova des Pas, located in Menorca, is a funerary cave with a collective burial dating from the Late Bronze Age. This cave presents a good conservation of the remains of both humans and other organic elements. In spite of the good preservation, the first DNA amplification tests showed a low amplification success rate, probably owing to the presence of substances from the process of decomposition of the bodies and substances of the soil present in the samples. To overcome this problem, 41 samples were processed by means of two different extraction methods, following sterility criteria used in ancient DNA research. Two fragments of different sizes of mitochondrial DNA were amplified in order to evaluate the success rate of both methods. The results did not show a statistically significant better recovery of DNA from either teeth or bones. For the length of the retrieved DNA, the recovery was significantly better with the QIAamp kit procedure than with the phenol–chloroform method.
... Besides human remnants, different artifacts were recorded, including stretchers, floral blankets and bull-hide containers with hair inside. 14 C analyses of different samples estimated that burial activity took place during a short period in the late Bronze Age, from 900 to 800 BC [1] , which corresponded to the talaiotic culture ('talayots' are stone table-shaped funerary and defensive constructions typical of this culture). Sixty-six individuals were finally identified at different levels, including 27 infants , 5 juveniles and 34 adults of both sexes. ...
Mummified nervous tissue is very rarely found in ancient remains and usually corresponds to corpses which were frozen or preserved in bogs, conditions which limit tissue autolysis and bacterial degradation. Here, we show the unusual finding of spontaneously mummified brain tissue from several individuals from the little known megalithic talaiotic culture of the island of Minorca, dating approximately 3,000 years before present and corresponding to the late Mediterranean Bronze Age.
These individuals were part of an intact burial site containing 66 subjects. Intracraneal samples were carefully rehydrated with Sandison's solution. We used classical histochemical as well as 2D and 3D (scanning) electron-microscopic techniques.
We provide evidence of the nervous nature of the samples as well as a detailed description of the morphological features of these ancient tissues. The intracranial material consisted of well-preserved eosinophilic reticular tissue and, although mostly absent, some exceptional pigment-containing neurons were identified.
We present a detailed morphological analysis which can provide valuable information and guidelines for the interpretation of this scarce type of mummified samples and provide explanations for this surprising preservation.
... A traditional method of hair sample preparation for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating is the well-established acid-alkali-acid (AAA) method (Van Strydonck et al. 2010), similar to that used for non-bone or non-carbonate materials (Brock et al. 2010;Richardin et al. 2010a, b). After a series of acidic and basic washes to eliminate the external pollution, samples undergo a complete combustion, and the resulting carbon dioxide is converted into graphite for measurement. ...
The protocol of preparation of keratinized samples (e.g. hair, furs …) for radiocarbon dating that we have developed is based
on the selective extraction of keratin from the bulk part of the shaft (cortex). The aim of this method is to eliminate the
cuticle which could contain exogenous carbon from external contaminations. The total treatment takes place as follows: a washing/dry
cleaning, a soft treatment with diluted acidic and basic solutions (acid/alkali/acid method) similar to the protocol used
for vegetal samples, extraction of keratin by reduction using dithiothreitol and precipitation with sodium deoxycholate and
trichloroacetic acid. This method was applied on a hair sample from an Andean mummy, conserved in the collections of the Anthropology
Laboratory of the National Museum of Natural History (Musée de l’Homme) in Paris, France. The results of two runs reveal that
the mummy is dated to a period between the eleventh century and the first half of the twelfth century. It therefore belongs
to the Late Intermediate period (900–1450 ad). The combination of historical research, the study of the body by computed tomography and the analysis of mineral deposits
on the surface of the body provides clues to identify the geographical origin of the mummy. These investigations led to determine
that the mummy comes from the region of Tarapacá in Chile and belongs to the cultural complex Pica-Tarapacá.
KeywordsAMS–Radiocarbon dating–Hair–Chilean mummy–Keratin extraction–Dithiothreitol reduction
... It can be considered an exceptional archeological discovery in the prehistoric Balearic and western Mediterranean region as it presents superb preservation and conservation of archeological and anthropologic records. The cave was of natural origin and was used as a necropolis by a pre-Talayotic culture community, in the late Bronze Age (900Y800 cal yr BC) (7). Located in an inaccessible location of the wall of a ravine, had been used to bury a minimum of 66 persons, representing both sexes and all age groups. ...
Diseases of the ear region have been known since way back in history but few human remains have been recognized. The case presented here corresponds to an ear lesion from a prehistoric skeleton found in the archaeological site of La Cova des Pas (900-800 cal yr BC), located on Menorca island, in the western Mediterranean. The remains belong to an elderly female who had a large cavity on the tympanic cavity as a result of the complete erosion of the outer wall of the attic and large increase in the diameter of the outer ear canal. The cavity extends posteriorly to the mastoid. The diagnosis suggests a probable cholesteatoma and is one of the oldest cases of this in Europe.
Llistat de la Bibliografia Naturalística de les Balears, S-Z
One apatite contains a small amount of carbon that—in principle—is suitable for radiocarbon dating. Unfortunately, due to exchange mechanisms, the carbon in the apatite can be replaced by carbon with a different age. Incineration changes the crystallinity of the bone resulting in a protection against this exchange mechanism. In this way, it makes bones suitable for radiocarbon dating.
An important exchange in carbon however occurs during incineration.
During incineration, the apatite not only loses carbon but will also exchange carbon with the carbon dioxide in the pyre's atmosphere. In most cases, this will not result in an erroneous age, but exceptions do occur. Due to this process, the carbon stable isotope signal in cremated bones is not suitable anymore for dietary reconstruction.
To avoid wrong radiocarbon dates, the bones must be pretreated in an adequate way to remove all possible contamination.
Recent comparative studies have proven the validity of radiocarbon dates of cremated bones. The issue of sample contamination has, however, been overlooked in most studies. Analyses of cremated bone samples has shown that in some cases, cremated bones are contaminated. This contamination is more distinct near the surface of the bones and depends on the compactness of the cremated bone as well as on the site conditions. δ13C is not a good estimator to discriminate between contaminated and uncontaminated bones. An acetic acid pretreatment is the most appropriate method to clean samples, but it is better to remove the surface and to avoid cremated bones that are not entirely white (cremation temp. <725 °C). © 2009 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona.
Until late antique times, murex shells were used for the production of true purple. Murex production sites are found all around the Mediterranean. In this paper are studied four sites from the Balearic Islands. Radiocarbon dates from animal bones and charcoal supposed to be synchronic with the murex dye production, are compared to direct dating of the murex shells. In all but one case the terrestrial samples were inconsistent. The murex shells on the other hand yielded coherent results. The charcoal and the animal bones were without any doubt intrusive. Consequently the ideal radiocarbon sampling strategy should exhibit a good equilibrium between sample quality and sample integrity.
Despite many reports concerning processing of ancient soft tissues, scant attention has been paid to optimizing procedures for processing soft tissues that have been altered by taphonomic processes. To determine the best procedures, we investigated the rehydration solution, time of exposure to the solutions, fixative solution and exposure to heat. Processes were evaluated based on the minimum section thickness, degree of tissue fragmentation, definition of tissue architecture and penetration of stains. We found that in desiccated samples, tissue architecture was optimized by using Ruffer's solution for rehydration and Schaffer's solution as fixative, because these tissues require water restoration within the tissues due to their compacted character. Heating enhanced penetration of dyes in these specimens, which improved diagnosis. Saponified tissues that had suffered extensive decomposition were more labile and required slow water uptake. The best histological sections were obtained using Sandison's solution followed by fixation with formaldehyde and avoiding heat. To obtain the best results with paleohistological specimens, the procedure must be determined by the condition of the sample and by accounting for the nature of its damage.
The Cova des Pas (Ferreries, Menorca) is a cave that was used as a collective sepulcher during the late Bronze Age (1100-800 BC). Apart from the archaeological and paleoanthropological attractiveness of the site, it stands out for its excellent preservation of organic remains.
In this paper we study the micromorphology of the human and organic remains in order to assess the preservation conditions and in particular to elucidate the presence of gypsum, found mainly on human remains, plant fibers and shrouds. In order to do this, a detailed description of the geological and geomorphological environment of the cave is provided.
Gypsum is present as microcrystalline gypsum resulting from diagenetic process in this cave. Due to the lack of any other gypsum source, and based on its location and morphology, the gypsum is interpreted to be a consequence of the oxidation of organic sulphur from the buried bodies which later precipitated with the calcium present in the substrate.
The location, morphology and lithology of the deposit have contributed to the arid environmental conditions, thus avoiding the leaching of gypsum and favouring the preservation of the remains and materials of organic origin, which is rare in archaeological contexts.
To analyze the bone lesions of the ear region from a late Bronze Age individual to establish the most probable diagnosis.
There has been evidence of diseases of the ear region since way back in history, but few human remains have been recognized. The case presented here corresponds to an ear lesion from a prehistoric skeleton found in the archeological site of La Cova des Pas (900-800 cal yr BC), located on Minorca island, in the western Mediterranean.
Macroscopic and radiologic (iCT) analysis had been performed.
The remains belong to an elderly female subject who had a large cavity on the tympanic cavity as a result of the complete erosion of the outer wall of the attic and a large increase in the diameter of the outer ear canal. The cavity extends posterior to the mastoid.
The diagnosis suggests a probable cholesteatoma, being one of the oldest cases in Europe.
The present research proposes a new way of reconstructing the taphonomic history of the human
remains recovered at Cova des Pas (Minorca, Balearic Islands, Spain). The cave was used as a collective
burial site during the later stages of the prehistory of the island and contains a minimum of 66 individuals in a strongly flexed position. Environmental conditions in the cave enabled the preservation of
organic remains associated with the skeletal remains, unusual in archaeological contexts, such as hair or
shrouds. A new taphonomic reconstruction of Cova des Pas is proposed, based on the analysis of cortical
surfaces, fractures, and disturbance of human bones. This study shows that the observable taphonomic
damage is the result of body modification due to the interrelationship between the perimortem treatment of corpses, burial space and taphonomic agents and processes.
�
En este artículo se hace una reflexión sobre la evolución de los esquemas de racionalidad espacial de las comunidades prehistóricas de Mallorca y su reflejo sobre el territorio. La ocupación humana estable de las islas Baleares se inicia con una presencia sutil de las comunidades calcolíticas, pasando, con la llegada de la Edad del Bronce (Cultura Naviforme),1 a una semantización arquitectónica del territorio, con una concepción aún abierta, para finalizar, con el desarrollo de la Cultura Talayótica (Edad del Hierro), con una fuerte implantación arquitectónica y una concepción cerrada del espacio.
Since our first report on the performance of the Kiel accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system and our early work on sample preparation, systems have been built to improve the sample quality and throughput of the laboratory. Minor modifications were also made on the AMS system, mainly in order to reduce the amount of work and time needed to maintain the system in optimal condition. The design and performance of a 20-port reduction system, a pneumatic target press, and a remote alarm unit for the AMS system are discussed, along with an overview of the results obtained during the last year and the procedure used to obtain them. Statistical analysis shows that the contribution of the AMS system to the measuring uncertainty at our current level (0.3% for a modern sample) is negligible.
The importance of chronology is reasserted as a means to achieving history and a sense of temporality. A range of current methods for estimating the dates and durations of archaeological processes and events are considered, including visual inspection of graphs and tables of calibrated dates and the summing of the probability distributions of calibrated dates. These approaches are found wanting. The Bayesian statistical framework is introduced, and a worked example presents simulated radiocarbon dates as a demonstration of the explicit, quantified, probabilistic estimates now possible on a routine basis. Using this example, the reliability of the chronologies presented for the five long barrows considered in this series of papers is explored. It is essential that the ‘informative’ prior beliefs in a chronological model are correct. If they are not, the dating suggested by the model will be incorrect. In contrast, the ‘uninformative’ prior beliefs have to be grossly incorrect before the outputs of the model are importantly wrong. It is also vital that the radiocarbon ages included in a model are accurate, and that their errors are correctly estimated. If they are not, the dating suggested by a model may also be importantly wrong. Strenuous effort and rigorous attention to archaeological and scientific detail are inescapable if reliable chronologies are to be built. The dates presented in the following papers are based on models. ‘All models are wrong, some models are useful’ (Box 1979, 202). We hope readers will find them useful, and will employ ‘worry selectivity’ to determine whether and how each model may be importantly wrong. The questions demand the timetable, and our prehistories deserve both.
If radiocarbon measurements are to be used at all for chronological purposes, we have to use statistical meth-ods for calibration. The most widely used method of calibration can be seen as a simple application of Bayesian statistics, which uses both the information from the new measurement and information from the 14 C calibration curve. In most dating applications, however, we have larger numbers of 14 C measurements and we wish to relate those to events in the past. Baye-sian statistics provides a coherent framework in which such analysis can be performed and is becoming a core element in many 14 C dating projects. This article gives an overview of the main model components used in chronological analysis, their mathematical formulation, and examples of how such analyses can be performed using the latest version of the OxCal soft-ware (v4). Many such models can be put together, in a modular fashion, from simple elements, with defined constraints and groupings. In other cases, the commonly used "uniform phase" models might not be appropriate, and ramped, exponential, or normal distributions of events might be more useful. When considering analyses of these kinds, it is useful to be able run sim-ulations on synthetic data. Methods for performing such tests are discussed here along with other methods of diagnosing pos-sible problems with statistical models of this kind.
People usually study the chronologies of archaeological sites and geological sequences using many different kinds of evidence, taking into account calibrated radiocarbon dates, other dating methods and stratigraphic information. Many individual case studies demonstrate the value of using statistical methods to combine these different types of information. I have developed a computer program, OxCal, running under Windows 3.1 (for IBM PCs), that will perform both C-14 calibration and calculate what extra information can be gained from stratigraphic evidence. The program can perform automatic wiggle matches and calculate probability distributions for samples in sequences and phases. The program is written in C++ and uses Bayesian statistics and Gibbs sampling for the calculations. The program is very easy to use, both for simple calibration and complex site analysis, and will produce graphical output from virtually any printer.
It is now almost 10 yr since radiocarbon dating of cremated bone was first developed using the small carbonate component contained within the hydroxyapatite-based inorganic fraction. Currently, a significant number of 14C laboratories date cremated bone as part of their routine dating service. As a general investigation of cremated bone dating since this initial development, a small, cremated bone intercomparison study took place in 2005, involving 6 laboratories. Six cremated bone samples (including 2 sets of duplicates), with ages spanning approximately 1500–2800 BP, were sent to the laboratories. The results, which showed relatively good agreement amongst the laboratories and between the duplicate samples, are discussed in detail.
This article furnishes an overview of behavioral archaeology's basic principles and applications. Behavioral archaeology is a theoretical program for understanding, from both historical and scientific viewpoints, the interactions of people and artifacts at all times and all places. Originating at University of Arizona during the early 1970s, the program's first contributions were the life-history framework, models of inference, principles for studying the formation processes of the archaeological record, and expansions of nomothetic research in experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology. These successes have been followed in recent years by diverse studies, including technological change, human communication, ritual, and landscapes.
For the millennium before the late 12th century AD arable upland mesas, productive lowland basins, and sheltered canyons of the northern American Southwest were repeatedly colonized and abandoned in coordinated patterns that suggest a delicate interplay between simple prehistoric agricultural methods and uncontrollable environmental processes. These landscapes are the persistent places of Anasazi settlement systems. This chapter explores the archaeology of one such landscape and examines the nature of the persistent places established there by the prehistoric Anasazi of southwestern Colorado. I use the most accessible source of information on the use of the landscape - the archaeological materials present on the modern ground surface of the study area. This discussion returns at several points to the question of how well surface materials reflect the postresidential occupation and to the larger question of how to use surface materials to study long-term land use. I use temporally sensitive ceramic artifacts to establish both a general time frame and to identify multicomponent assemblages that result from the reuse or long-term use of certain places. I use projectile points, a tool type with a relatively umambiguous functional interpretation and a common component of the Anasazi toolkit, as a means of discussing shifts in the function of places, their associated facilities, and their associated artifact assemblages. -from Author
Evidence for the early Postglacial use of upland environments in the Mesolithic in various parts Britain has been known for a long time. However, until relatively recently such evidence had been remarkably absent from upland south Wales, which includes some of the highest mountain ranges in southern Britain. In this paper we report on new work at the upland location of Waun Fignen Felen which consists of discrete Early and later Mesolithic artefact scatters on the edge of a former lake basin. In describing this example, we focus on the timing of Mesolithic movements into the interior uplands and examine the relationship between humans and the landscape, particularly in respect to the long distance transport of materials and factors likely to have influenced the choice of site location. Some comparative observations are made on the use and perception of landscapes by ethnographic hunter-gatherers.
A recent and significant improvement in radiocarbon dating has been the increased ability of the radiocarbon laboratories to provide results combining precision with accuracy. This improvement has been accompanied by increasing recognition that the information must be expressed on the calendar, rather than on the radiocarbon, time-scale. Despite the attempts of Ottaway (1987) and Pearson (1987), archaeologists are not sufficiently aware of the statistical problems involved in the transformation from one scale to the other: ‘Some of the trouble lies in the ignorance of radiocarbon consumers; the many attempts to educate them can have only limited success when radiocarbon study depends on statistical concepts and methods far beyond the average archaeologist’s innumerate grasp’ (Chippindale 1990: 203).
Radiocarbon dating has undergone a number of ‘revolutions’ in the past 50 years. This is in part because it is a field in continuous development, but perhaps more because of its profound impact on archaeology and the nature of interdisciplinary research. In order to understand the use of radiocarbon as a dating tool, it is necessary to understand the life cycle of radiocarbon, from its production in the upper atmosphere, through its sequestration in reservoirs and samples and its final decay. Different elements in this life cycle lead to complications, or subtleties that need to be understood if we wish to develop high-resolution chronologies. Most of the changes that have influenced radiocarbon dating are revolutions in understanding of the natural world in disparate academic disciplines. More than ever, it is necessary for users of radiocarbon to understand and engage with the science that underlies the method.
DATING by the radiocarbon method is of primary importance for archaeological studies and on many sites bones are the only samples which can be dated1. The losses arising from the destruction of bones for dating purposes is not very important, whereas it is a pity to destroy clothes or wooden items associated with the civilization being studied. It is also more logical to use bones for dating an archaeological level than to use wood or artefacts, for example, which are not necessarily contemporary with the site occupation2. There are, however, frequent and often important errors in 14C bone measurements which arise chiefly because of the difficulty of eliminating completely the numerous pollutants during chemical treatment.
Edificio Ramon Llull, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7
- Arqueouib Group
ArqueoUIB Research Group, University of the Balearic Islands, Edificio Ramon Llull, Ctra. Valldemossa km 7.5 s/n, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
Patrimonio arqueológico de época postalayótica
- D Albero
- M Calderón
- M Trías
- E Gloaguen
Albero D, Calderón M, Trías M, Gloaguen E. 2011. Patrimonio arqueológico de época postalayótica. In:
Calvo M, Aguareles A, coordinators. Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià.
p 351–70.
La cultura Postalayótica In: Calvo M, Aguareles A, coordinators. Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià
- M Calvo
- V Guerrero
Calvo M, Guerrero V. 2011. La cultura Postalayótica. In:
Calvo M, Aguareles A, coordinators. Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià.
p 113–46.
Estudio de las producciones anfóricas del Túmulo de Son Ferrer
- C Quintana
Quintana C. 2010. Estudio de las producciones anfóricas
del Túmulo de Son Ferrer. Palma de Mallorca: University of Balearic Islands.
Estudi del material antropológic del Turriforme de Son Ferrer
- A Alesan
Alesan A. 2008. Estudi del material antropológic del
Turriforme de Son Ferrer. Palma de Mallorca: University of Balearic Islands.
Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià
- D Albero
- M Calderón
- M Trías
- E Gloaguen
Albero D, Calderón M, Trías M, Gloaguen E. 2011. Patrimonio arqueológico de época postalayótica. In:
Calvo M, Aguareles A, coordinators. Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià.
p 351-70.
- A Alesan
- A Malgosa
Alesan A, Malgosa A. 2005. Les inhumacions perinatals
del túmul de Son Ferrer (Calvià, Mallorca): un estudi antropológic. Mayurqa 30:511-22.
Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià
- M Calvo
- V Guerrero
Calvo M, Guerrero V. 2011. La cultura Postalayótica. In:
Calvo M, Aguareles A, coordinators. Calvià Patrimonio Cultural. Mallorca: Ajuntament de Calvià.
p 113-46.
La Cova des Càrritx y la Cova des Mussol - Ideología y sociedad en la prehistoria de Menorca
- V Lull
- R Micó