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Heritage
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Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World
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Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408). This special issue belongs to the section "Archaeological Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 9448

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maja Krzewińska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Centre for Palaeogentics, Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: ancient DNA; molecular archeology; human population genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent years have witnessed rapid technological advancements in the sensitivity of diagnostic tools, a significant drop in analytical costs, increased robustness of data processing and the emergence of novel investigative methods which are invaluable in archaeological and anthropological studies. In particular, ancient DNA, proteomics and isotope analyses are ubiquitous and are no longer restricted to specialist publications, becoming instead a part of standardized analytical toolkit which can be applied to specific questions and hypotheses testing. This interdisciplinary alliance results partially form breakthroughs within the respective fields themselves, such as the advances in DNA sequencing, computer modelling or ancient pathogen detection, and partially from moving towards utilisation of novel sources of information, such as, e.g., sediment cores. With the overarching aim of addressing archaeological questions the researchers step beyond conventional investigation of osteological material towards the study of associated contexts applying methodologies transgressing traditional division between fields of anthropology, chemistry, geology, climatology, zoology, computational sciences and more. 
Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to assemble original research publications as well as review and opinion articles illustrating the wide range of novel techniques or innovative implementation venues of established tools with practical applications in the fields of archaeology and anthropology.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Maja Krzewińska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anthropology
  • ancient DNA
  • sediment DNA
  • ancient pathogens
  • ancient proteomics
  • isotope analyses

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

35 pages, 58259 KiB  
Article
New Perceptions of Ancient Commerce Driven by Underwater Ancient Site Investigations: A Case Study of Xinfeng River Basin
by Song Zhang, Ming He, Guoliang Dong and Xianying Wang
Heritage 2024, 7(5), 2313-2347; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7050110 (registering DOI) - 30 Apr 2024
Abstract
In the 1950s and 1960s, to address the flooding issues and power shortage that hindered national construction, the Xinfeng River hydropower plant was planned and built to prevent floods, store water, and generate electricity. Consequently, many ancient ruins in the study area were [...] Read more.
In the 1950s and 1960s, to address the flooding issues and power shortage that hindered national construction, the Xinfeng River hydropower plant was planned and built to prevent floods, store water, and generate electricity. Consequently, many ancient ruins in the study area were drowned, including ancient post roads, channels, villages, towns, bridges, and other relic sites. By checking historical data and adopting integrated underwater acoustic detection, we conducted a comprehensive cultural-relics survey on the flooded area under Wanlv Lake in the Xinfeng River Basin. A side-scan sonar detection of the underwater relics within the flooded area confirmed the spatial distribution of cultural relics in the Xinfeng River Basin. It portrayed ancient people’s production and life scenarios, outlined the migration and trade history within the region and beyond, and contributed to the enrichment of the literature and understanding of ancient shipping and trade in the basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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23 pages, 20380 KiB  
Article
Prehistoric and Early Roman Period Goldwork from Northwestern Iberia: An Analytical Study of Artefacts from the Archaeological and Historical Museum of A Coruña
by Óscar García-Vuelta and Xosé-Lois Armada
Heritage 2024, 7(4), 2138-2160; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7040101 - 06 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1075
Abstract
This article presents the results of a topographical and analytical study using hh-XRF of 22 gold and gilded objects from the Archaeological and Historical Museum of A Coruña (Galicia, Spain). They are highly representative of the northwestern Iberian goldwork from the Chalcolithic (third [...] Read more.
This article presents the results of a topographical and analytical study using hh-XRF of 22 gold and gilded objects from the Archaeological and Historical Museum of A Coruña (Galicia, Spain). They are highly representative of the northwestern Iberian goldwork from the Chalcolithic (third millennium BC) to the early Roman period (first century AD). This study contributes to our knowledge of the production techniques used in those periods, as well as their evolution over time. The collection includes some of the most representative types in this area, such as Early Bronze Age “sheet collars” and torcs from the Second Iron Age. In the case of torcs, new data are provided on one of the formally best-documented types (the Artabrian type) and on those known as “Baroque torcs” that are characteristic of the final moments of this goldsmith tradition. While pieces from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age were made with alluvial gold, the torcs from the Late Iron Age contain variable amounts of silver and copper. Also detected is the frequent use of cores made of less precious metals, which were subsequently given a golden appearance using gilding techniques. The new data are discussed in light of our current knowledge of NW Iberian goldwork, one of the most representative of this craft tradition in Western Europe for those periods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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9 pages, 2277 KiB  
Communication
Related in Death? Further Insights on the Curious Case of Bishop Peder Winstrup and His Grandchild’s Burial
by Maja Krzewińska, Ricardo Rodríguez-Varela, Reyhan Yaka, Mário Vicente, Göran Runfeldt, Michael Sager, Caroline Ahlström Arcini, Torbjörn Ahlström, Niklas Hertzman, Jan Storå and Anders Götherström
Heritage 2024, 7(2), 576-584; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7020027 - 25 Jan 2024
Viewed by 3008
Abstract
In 2021, we published the results of genomic analyses carried out on the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, and the mummified remains of a 5–6-month-old fetus discovered in the same burial. We concluded that the two individuals were second-degree relatives and explored [...] Read more.
In 2021, we published the results of genomic analyses carried out on the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, and the mummified remains of a 5–6-month-old fetus discovered in the same burial. We concluded that the two individuals were second-degree relatives and explored the genealogy of Peder Winstrup to further understand the possible relation between them. Through this analysis, we found that the boy was most probably Winstrup’s grandson and that the two were equally likely related either through Winstrup’s son, Peder, or his daughter, Anna Maria von Böhnen. To further resolve the specific kinship relation, we generated more genomic data from both Winstrup and the boy and implemented more recently published analytical tools in detailed Y chromosome- and X chromosome-based kinship analyses to distinguish between the competing hypotheses regarding maternal and paternal relatedness. We found that the individuals’ Y chromosome lineages belonged to different sub-lineages and that the X-chromosomal kinship coefficient calculated between the two individuals were elevated, suggesting a grandparent–grandchild relation through a female, i.e., Anna Maria von Böhnen. Finally, we also performed metagenomic analyses, which did not identify any pathogens that could be unambiguously associated with the fatalities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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13 pages, 4686 KiB  
Article
Diachronic Comparison of Three Historical Skeletal Series from Croatia with Regard to Mandibular Bone Quality
by Ivana Savić Pavičin, Anita Adamić Hadžić, Tadej Čivljak, Jelena Dumančić, Mario Šlaus, Tomislav Lauc and Ajla Zymber Çeshko
Heritage 2024, 7(1), 162-174; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7010008 - 31 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1390
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the quality of mandibular bone using CBCT images in archeological populations that inhabited Croatia from the medieval to the Early Modern Period. A total of 88 human skulls (45 male and 43 female) from three [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the quality of mandibular bone using CBCT images in archeological populations that inhabited Croatia from the medieval to the Early Modern Period. A total of 88 human skulls (45 male and 43 female) from three samples (pre-Ottoman (N = 27), Ottoman (N = 32), and Vlach (N = 29)) were analyzed by using CBCT. The mental index, gonion index, antegonion index, panoramic mandibular index, degree of resorption of the alveolar ridge, and cortical index of the mandible were evaluated using the OnDemand3DApp. The results showed an expected higher value of cortex thickness in males when compared to females. Females in the younger groups had higher values of cortical thickness than those in the older age group. The Ottoman sample had significantly lower values of mandibular indices than the other two samples. There were no age-related differences in bone thickness in males, suggesting that hormonal changes have a stronger influence in females. Lower values of mandibular indices in the Ottoman sample may be an indicator of specific factors that influenced this population. Our study of bone changes in archeological populations with different living conditions may contribute to a better understanding of impact of biocultural factors on physiological and pathological processes, which are extremely complex in bone tissue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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23 pages, 5912 KiB  
Article
Rediscovering Cova de la Sarsa (València, Spain): A Multidisciplinary Approach to One of the Key Early Neolithic Sites in the Western Mediterranean
by Domingo C. Salazar-García, Pablo García-Borja, Sahra Talamo and Michael P. Richards
Heritage 2023, 6(10), 6547-6569; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6100342 - 25 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1968
Abstract
Cova de la Sarsa (València, Spain) is one of the most important Neolithic impressed ware culture archaeological sites in the Western Mediterranean. It has been widely referenced since it was excavated in the 1920s, due partly to the relatively early excavation and publication [...] Read more.
Cova de la Sarsa (València, Spain) is one of the most important Neolithic impressed ware culture archaeological sites in the Western Mediterranean. It has been widely referenced since it was excavated in the 1920s, due partly to the relatively early excavation and publication of the site, and partly to the qualitative and quantitative importance of its archaeological remains. Unfortunately, as it was an older excavation and lacked present-day rigorous methodological approaches, this important site has been somewhat relegated to the background in the reviews about the Neolithic at the end of the 20th century. However, during the last few years, both the site itself and its archaeological remains have been the object of new studies that hopefully will return the site to the forefront of discussions about the Mediterranean Neolithic. We here present the most relevant results of the research carried out by our group (i.e., pottery study, radiocarbon dating, and isotope analysis), and contextualize them within the dense research history of the cave and the studies carried out by other colleagues with the purpose of revisiting its materials and increasing the knowledge available from the site. Radiocarbon dates on human remains show that the cave was used during prehistoric times as a funerary space longer than expected, and also sporadically afterwards. The characterization of the pottery assemblage concludes that most materials belong to the Early Neolithic. Isotopic analysis portrays an overall similar diet based on terrestrial C3 resources throughout prehistoric times, with a possible varied dietary protein input between individuals during the Early Neolithic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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18 pages, 4674 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Bone Quality in Middle Ages and Late Modern Period Human Skeletons from Latvia
by Ksenija Šerstņova, Edgars Edelmers, Maksims Zolovs and Māra Pilmane
Heritage 2023, 6(7), 5329-5346; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6070281 - 14 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1168
Abstract
The analysis of bone microstructure and histological examination currently provides valuable insights into various facets of bone biology, ancient human existence, and bone-related diseases. This study aims to scrutinize the microstructure of historic Latvian bones, with three bone element groups selected (humerus, radius, [...] Read more.
The analysis of bone microstructure and histological examination currently provides valuable insights into various facets of bone biology, ancient human existence, and bone-related diseases. This study aims to scrutinize the microstructure of historic Latvian bones, with three bone element groups selected (humerus, radius, and ulna) from a skeletal collection spanning from the Middle Ages to the Late Modern Period, procured through an archaeological excavation at St. George’s Church in Riga. To evaluate the changes in bone samples over time, two methods are utilized: (i) micro-computed tomography, used for measuring and calculating bone volume/trabecular volume (BV/TV), cortical bone and trabecular thickness, and trabecular pore diameter; (ii) immunohistochemistry (IHC) is employed to detect the presence of Runx2, OPG, OC, MMP2, TIMP2, BFGF, IL-1, IL-10, OPN, defensin-2, BMP 2/4, TGFβ factor in bone cells—specifically osteocytes. Archaeological human bone remains from the Middle Ages period in Latvia display a decline in the average bone volume to trabecular volume ratio when compared with the Late Modern Period, indicating a potential reduction in bone quality in the skeletons, potentially associated with a lower living standard during the earlier era. Comparing factors between the periods reveals a higher value of TIMP2 (p = 0.047) in samples from the Late Modern Period group, while IL-1 is higher (p = 0.036) in the Middle Ages group, which may suggest the presence of disease and diminished bone quality in the skeletons from the Middle Ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Archaeology and Anthropology of the Ancient World)
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