The InterArchive Project is a multi-disciplinary study into the hidden archive of archaeological human interment. The aim of the project, being run jointly by the Universities of York and Stirling, is to use the complimentary analysis of... more
The InterArchive Project is a multi-disciplinary study into the hidden archive of archaeological human interment. The aim of the project, being run jointly by the Universities of York and Stirling, is to use the complimentary analysis of soil micromorphology, inorganic geochemistry and trace organic chemical analysis in the aim of unlocking and retrieving the maximum amount of archaeological and historical information from within the grave. The project will allow us to understand the role of soil in the preservation of residues, in particular: hair, funerary goods and clothes, on a micro-scale, where visible macro remains can no longer be recorded. The valuable undiscovered archive of archaeological and forensic information, both physical remains and chemical signatures, will aid in cultural reconstruction, while giving a greater understanding of the burial environment. The information collated for the InterArchive project is expected be developed into a searchable online database that can be used in integrated sampling techniques.
- by Carol Lang and +1
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The InterArchive Project is a multi-disciplinary investigation into the hidden archive of archaeological human interment. The aim of the project is to assess the nature of the archaeological and historical burial record preserved at the... more
The InterArchive Project is a multi-disciplinary investigation into the hidden archive of archaeological human interment. The aim of the project is to assess the nature of the archaeological and historical burial record preserved at the micro-scale within grave soils, particularly where physical remains can no longer be recognised visually. The methodology will also assess the effects of taphonomic processes in burials from different environments. This will be achieved by developing a sampling and analytical protocol to maximise the retrieval of this cultural archive, integrating the complimentary techniques of soil micromorphology, inorganic geochemistry and trace organic analyses. The purpose is to unlock both the physical and chemical archive of archaeological and forensic information, which can then be used to aid in cultural reconstruction. The study will investigate a wide range of soil types and inhumations from prehistory through to the early ninetieth century and thus will improve our understanding of the role of the burial environment in the preservation and movement of grave residues such as hair, funerary goods and textiles.
This poster focuses on Ridgeway Hill, in Weymouth, Dorset, which is the site of a mass grave currently being assessed through the interdisciplinary InterArchive methods. This site was excavated in 2009, by Oxford Archaeology, and contains around 51 decapitated skeletons, dating from AD 890-AD 1030. A lack of clothing associated finds suggests that the bodies were naked when buried. The InterArchive project, therefore intends to examine the Ridgeway Hill grave soils for unseen archaeological evidence.
This poster focuses on Ridgeway Hill, in Weymouth, Dorset, which is the site of a mass grave currently being assessed through the interdisciplinary InterArchive methods. This site was excavated in 2009, by Oxford Archaeology, and contains around 51 decapitated skeletons, dating from AD 890-AD 1030. A lack of clothing associated finds suggests that the bodies were naked when buried. The InterArchive project, therefore intends to examine the Ridgeway Hill grave soils for unseen archaeological evidence.
- by Carol Lang
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This presentation further explores the aims of InterArChive, an ERC-funded multidisciplinary research project, aiming at retrieving historical information from archaeological burial soils by employing soil micromorphology and inorganic... more
This presentation further explores the aims of InterArChive, an ERC-funded multidisciplinary research project, aiming at retrieving historical information from archaeological burial soils by employing soil micromorphology and inorganic chemistry.
This work describes an investigation carried out on several mass grave sites in Ridgeway (Dorset) England and Fromelle (Pas de Calais) France. Soils and sediments containing remains of mass human inhumations from the two sites were analysed employing soil micromorphology and SEM-EDS in order to aid the understanding of pedogenic processes and the elemental composition of the materials incorporating the burial remains. The analysis provides a comprehensive inventory of information regarding the mass archaeological inhumations within the burial soil through the identification of a preferential spatial distribution of soil features in relation to different body regions.
Significant differences were initially observed between the two sites, with homogeneity of elemental composition, soil texture and mineralogy displayed at Ridgeway in comparison with elevated levels of amorphous organic matter and infrequent coarse mineral material observed at Fromelle. Different phases of pedogenesis were identified at the Ridgeway site by well defined ped morphology, observed in all thin sections, with sub-angular blocky peds separated by inter-pedal and partially accommodated channel voids. However, pedality of the soil from the skull region, where granular peds were displayed, was significantly different from that of most other samples. The presences of excremental pedofeatures indicated post-burial bioturbation, whilst non-laminated typic dusty clay coatings, which were observed in high frequency surrounding peds and lining channel voids, suggested a singular surface disturbance event.
Dissimilar soil development occurred at Fromelle, where angular peds and accommodated channel voids in the burials samples were significantly different from those in the grave controls, which in turn, presented patterns of pedogenesis similar to those seen at Ridgeway. Evidence of bioturbation could not be detected in the grave samples, whilst some channels were characterised by the formation of typic dusty clay coatings. The presence of tabular shaped gypsum-like crystals situated within the fine material and in channels voids, particularly in the foot region, was initially identified through the micromorphological observations. Initial interpretation of the crystallitic features suggested that they could have been part of the pre-burial process.
SEM-EDS provided elemental mapping of the degradation products emanating from the burials and migrating into the fine material surrounding them. Phosphorus was detected in elevated levels in the fine material incorporating the burials across both sites, particularly in soils from the skull and pelvic regions. Such patterns, when compared with the phosphorus levels in the controls, suggested derivation from human decay. Confirmation of the elemental composition of the gypsum-like crystals was also obtained through SEM-EDS elemental analysis, providing information on the pre-burial treatment.
The results to date suggest that the micromorphological analysis of soil thin sections from contexts of mass archaeological human inhumation, can aid the detection of degradation products from the burial and identify artefacts derived from pre-burial treatment, some of which are no longer visible to the naked eye.
Acknowledgements: European Communities Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no 230193
This work describes an investigation carried out on several mass grave sites in Ridgeway (Dorset) England and Fromelle (Pas de Calais) France. Soils and sediments containing remains of mass human inhumations from the two sites were analysed employing soil micromorphology and SEM-EDS in order to aid the understanding of pedogenic processes and the elemental composition of the materials incorporating the burial remains. The analysis provides a comprehensive inventory of information regarding the mass archaeological inhumations within the burial soil through the identification of a preferential spatial distribution of soil features in relation to different body regions.
Significant differences were initially observed between the two sites, with homogeneity of elemental composition, soil texture and mineralogy displayed at Ridgeway in comparison with elevated levels of amorphous organic matter and infrequent coarse mineral material observed at Fromelle. Different phases of pedogenesis were identified at the Ridgeway site by well defined ped morphology, observed in all thin sections, with sub-angular blocky peds separated by inter-pedal and partially accommodated channel voids. However, pedality of the soil from the skull region, where granular peds were displayed, was significantly different from that of most other samples. The presences of excremental pedofeatures indicated post-burial bioturbation, whilst non-laminated typic dusty clay coatings, which were observed in high frequency surrounding peds and lining channel voids, suggested a singular surface disturbance event.
Dissimilar soil development occurred at Fromelle, where angular peds and accommodated channel voids in the burials samples were significantly different from those in the grave controls, which in turn, presented patterns of pedogenesis similar to those seen at Ridgeway. Evidence of bioturbation could not be detected in the grave samples, whilst some channels were characterised by the formation of typic dusty clay coatings. The presence of tabular shaped gypsum-like crystals situated within the fine material and in channels voids, particularly in the foot region, was initially identified through the micromorphological observations. Initial interpretation of the crystallitic features suggested that they could have been part of the pre-burial process.
SEM-EDS provided elemental mapping of the degradation products emanating from the burials and migrating into the fine material surrounding them. Phosphorus was detected in elevated levels in the fine material incorporating the burials across both sites, particularly in soils from the skull and pelvic regions. Such patterns, when compared with the phosphorus levels in the controls, suggested derivation from human decay. Confirmation of the elemental composition of the gypsum-like crystals was also obtained through SEM-EDS elemental analysis, providing information on the pre-burial treatment.
The results to date suggest that the micromorphological analysis of soil thin sections from contexts of mass archaeological human inhumation, can aid the detection of degradation products from the burial and identify artefacts derived from pre-burial treatment, some of which are no longer visible to the naked eye.
Acknowledgements: European Communities Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no 230193
- by Carol Lang and +1
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The AAREA project (Archaeology of Agricultural Resilience in Eastern Africa) is a multi-disciplinary research project that brings together complimentary analytical techniques to retrieve the maximum amount of information from two historic... more
The AAREA project (Archaeology of Agricultural Resilience in Eastern Africa) is a multi-disciplinary research project that brings together complimentary analytical techniques to retrieve the maximum amount of information from two historic terraced and irrigated landscapes: Engaruka in north west Tanzania and Konso in south east Ethiopia. The earliest occupation of Engaruka has been radiocarbon dated to the 14thcenturyand was abandoned prior to the first European accounts of the area in the late 19th. In contrast, genealogical evidence from Konso suggests that irrigation and terraces have been used in this area for over 500 years, leading some to regard it the system highly sustainable.
The overarching aim of the project is to answer one key question: ‘can archaeological investigations contribute to assessments of long-term sustainability, thereby informing future policies that can be applied to agricultural systems of the future?’ The research will allow us to understand adaptations that had occurred through increasing agricultural intensification, whilst gathering an extensive archaeological archive that will enable us to comprehend the resilience of the historic agronomic systems. The data obtained from the archaeological information may provide a resource base of environmental evidence that could be employed by development programmes and policies maker at a scale they require.
This presentation aims to focus on the highly visible agricultural archaeology of stone circles, habitations platforms, terraces, fields and irrigation systems at the abandoned site of Engaruka, Tanzania. It will explore the hypothesis that soils and sediments associated with past habitation and cultivation, across the site, can provide a record of past land utilisation, manipulation of alluvial deposits and soil amendment processes that were occurring during its period of occupation. Soil micromorphological investigation techniques were employed to analyse strategically collected undisturbed soil samples, from across a small area of the 2000 hectare site, to aid the understanding of the pedogenic processes and elemental composition associated with intensive agricultural.
The samples collected in 2010 and 2014 were from various locations that encompassed visible stone structures, alluvial deposition and gullies. Significant uniformity of soil texture and mineralogy was observed in the post-abandonment aeolian sediments from across the site. In contrast, fragments of burned bone were discovered in the upper archaeological context of a stone circle (one of approximately 50 such features interpreted by some researchers as former cattle enclosures), whilst there was a clear differentiation in the soil development between stratigraphic layers, suggesting there had been differential factors affecting the deposition and development of the sediment; the lower, older sediments displaying a high frequency of organic matter inclusions compared with the younger, overlying soil/sediments and, further up the stratigraphy, the abandonment layer.
Calcitic pendant hypo-coatings, observed in the samples collected from behind the revetment walls were in preferential positions and might relate to irrigation processes. The variation in the soil texture between the stratigraphic contexts may in addition indicate differences in the methods of alluviation and ultimately the irrigation processes employed. The micromorphological analysis provided a comprehensive inventory of information and confirms the delineation of land use, whilst providing a spatial analysis of diagnostic soil features.
These results and the data generated, through the utilisation of soil micromorphology, may potentially provide a wider understanding of the measures taken to attain long-term agricultural resilience and will provide information on the construction methods, maintenance, landscape utilisation and later abandonment of Engaruka, thus informing future decisions concerning sustainable agricultural policy.
The overarching aim of the project is to answer one key question: ‘can archaeological investigations contribute to assessments of long-term sustainability, thereby informing future policies that can be applied to agricultural systems of the future?’ The research will allow us to understand adaptations that had occurred through increasing agricultural intensification, whilst gathering an extensive archaeological archive that will enable us to comprehend the resilience of the historic agronomic systems. The data obtained from the archaeological information may provide a resource base of environmental evidence that could be employed by development programmes and policies maker at a scale they require.
This presentation aims to focus on the highly visible agricultural archaeology of stone circles, habitations platforms, terraces, fields and irrigation systems at the abandoned site of Engaruka, Tanzania. It will explore the hypothesis that soils and sediments associated with past habitation and cultivation, across the site, can provide a record of past land utilisation, manipulation of alluvial deposits and soil amendment processes that were occurring during its period of occupation. Soil micromorphological investigation techniques were employed to analyse strategically collected undisturbed soil samples, from across a small area of the 2000 hectare site, to aid the understanding of the pedogenic processes and elemental composition associated with intensive agricultural.
The samples collected in 2010 and 2014 were from various locations that encompassed visible stone structures, alluvial deposition and gullies. Significant uniformity of soil texture and mineralogy was observed in the post-abandonment aeolian sediments from across the site. In contrast, fragments of burned bone were discovered in the upper archaeological context of a stone circle (one of approximately 50 such features interpreted by some researchers as former cattle enclosures), whilst there was a clear differentiation in the soil development between stratigraphic layers, suggesting there had been differential factors affecting the deposition and development of the sediment; the lower, older sediments displaying a high frequency of organic matter inclusions compared with the younger, overlying soil/sediments and, further up the stratigraphy, the abandonment layer.
Calcitic pendant hypo-coatings, observed in the samples collected from behind the revetment walls were in preferential positions and might relate to irrigation processes. The variation in the soil texture between the stratigraphic contexts may in addition indicate differences in the methods of alluviation and ultimately the irrigation processes employed. The micromorphological analysis provided a comprehensive inventory of information and confirms the delineation of land use, whilst providing a spatial analysis of diagnostic soil features.
These results and the data generated, through the utilisation of soil micromorphology, may potentially provide a wider understanding of the measures taken to attain long-term agricultural resilience and will provide information on the construction methods, maintenance, landscape utilisation and later abandonment of Engaruka, thus informing future decisions concerning sustainable agricultural policy.
Since the pioneering work of Hamo Sassoon (e.g. 1967) and John Sutton (e.g. 1978Sutton (e.g. , 1998 is has been clear that the 2000 hectares of visible archaeological remains at Engaruka, northeast Tanzania, represent an extensive... more
Since the pioneering work of Hamo Sassoon (e.g. 1967) and John Sutton (e.g. 1978Sutton (e.g. , 1998 is has been clear that the 2000 hectares of visible archaeological remains at Engaruka, northeast Tanzania, represent an extensive irrigated field system overlooked by a series of habitation sites, the latter comprising stone-revetted platforms covering an area of some 37 hectares (Laulumaa 2006). Given the size and complexity of the irrigation system and a modern average annual rainfall of c.400mm per year, it has long been concluded that the channelling of river water onto cultivation areas was necessitated by a lack of rainwater, and perhaps by a need to carefully ration and conserve the limited water flowing from the adjacent highlands. Previous investigations have nevertheless demonstrated that river levels were considerably higher during at least some of the site's occupation between approximately the late 14th and late 18th centuries AD, as is demonstrated by irrigation offtakes from what are now entirely dry channel beds (Sutton 1998), and by the construction of terraced fields to the north of the Engaruka river that involved the capture of sediments entrained within what are now infilled palaeochannels (Stump 2006). Excavations during 2014 by the AAREA project, however, have demonstrated that a large stonebuilt dam to the south of the Olemelepo River enabled the controlled accumulation of mineralogically fertile silty clays to a depth of up to 2.7m, with the only feasible process of deposition being considerable flows of water. These sediments were then planted, irrigated and subsequently buried by further controlled deposition. There are therefore whole areas of earlier field systems buried beneath the remains visible at surface level. Geoarchaeological work is ongoing to characterise and date these sediments, with GIS and agent-based modelling being employed to understand their rate of deposition and the hydrological regime that produced them, whilst archaeobotanical research from samples within both the field and habitation areas aims to define the range of crops grown within this complex agricultural system.
Over the past three years the AAREA project (Archaeology of Agricultural Resilience in Eastern Africa) has focused its attention on the two historic terraced and irrigated landscapes: the abandoned site of Engaruka, NW Tanzania and the... more
Over the past three years the AAREA project (Archaeology of Agricultural Resilience in Eastern Africa) has focused its attention on the two historic terraced and irrigated landscapes: the abandoned site of Engaruka, NW Tanzania and the extant site at Konso, SE Ethiopia. This paper does not focus on the typical idea of a terraced and irrigated landscape that is employed to mitigate water runoff and prevent soil erosion in mountainous areas. Rather the terraced and irrigation landscapes in question capture soils/sediments that have eroded from upper valley slopes and are carried downstream by localised alluvial systems and are subsequently captured behind stone revetments in large sediment-trap fields; in some instances more than 2m deep. Through the application of geoarchaeological techniques, new evidence on the sustainability of both agricultural systems has been brought to light that challenges the assumptions that Engaruka's abandonment stems from climatic change and ecological/economic failure, while Konso displays similar sediment capture techniques and is celebrated as a model of agricultural resilience. It is evident from both macro-and micro-analysis of the sediments at both sites that innovative soil and water management was employed, and in the case of Konso still is, and had been undertaken to sustain agricultural resilience at both Konso and Engaruka.
Before the invention of modern, large-scale engineering projects, terrace systems were rarely built in single phases of construction, but instead developed gradually, and could even be said to have evolved. Understanding this process of... more
Before the invention of modern, large-scale engineering projects, terrace systems were rarely built in single phases of construction, but instead developed gradually, and could even be said to have evolved. Understanding this process of landscape change is therefore important in order to fully appreciate how terrace systems were built and functioned, and is also pivotal to understand how the communities that farmed these systems responded to changes; whether these are changes to the landscape brought about by the farming practices themselves, or changes to social, economic or climatic conditions. Combining archaeological stratigraphy, soil micromorphology and geochemistry, this paper presents a case-study from the historic and extensive terraced landscape at Konso, southwest Ethiopia, and demonstrates – in one important river valley at least – that the original topsoil and much of the subsoil was lost prior to the construction of hillside terraces. Moreover, the study shows that alluvial sediment traps that were built adjacent to rivers relied on widespread hillside soil erosion for their construction, and strongly suggests that these irrigated riverside fields were formerly a higher economic priority than the hillside terraces themselves; a possibility that was not recognised by numerous observational studies of farming in this landscape. Research that takes into account how terrace systems change through time can thus provide important details of whether the function of the system has changed, and can help assess how the legacies of former practices impact current or future cultivation.
The Iron Age settlements of northern Cameroon were dispersed across the landscape, taking advantage of different eco-climatic zones to exploit a variety of natural resources. Situated at the interface of the upper and lower terraces of... more
The Iron Age settlements of northern Cameroon were dispersed across the landscape, taking advantage of different eco-climatic zones to exploit a variety of natural resources. Situated at the interface of the upper and lower terraces of the Benue River, mound sites in the area around Garoua have occupation histories spanning multiple centuries. The site of Langui-Tchéboua displays evidence for rapid accumulation of sediments approximately 700 years ago, which may have been a deliberate construction strategy that would have allowed the site’s inhabitants to exploit resources in both floodplain and dryland contexts. The combined use of multiple dating methods and micromorphology provide novel insights into both the mechanisms of anthropogenic landscape change and possible motivations governing those choices.
Agricultural landscapes are human-manipulated landscapes, most obviously in areas modified by terracing and/or irrigation. Examples from temperate, arid, and desert environments worldwide have attracted the attention of many disciplines,... more
Agricultural landscapes are human-manipulated landscapes, most obviously in areas modified by terracing and/or irrigation. Examples from temperate, arid, and desert environments worldwide have attracted the attention of many disciplines, from archaeologists, palaeoecologists, and geomorphologists researching landscape histories to economists, agronomists, ecologists, and development planners studying sustainable resource management. This article combines these interdisciplinary interests by exploring the role archaeology can play in assessing sustainability. Our case study is Engaruka, Tanzania, archaeologically famous as the largest abandoned irrigated and terraced landscape in East Africa. The site has been cited as an example of economic and/or ecological collapse, and it has long been assumed to have been irrigated out of necessity because agriculture was presumed to be nearly impossible without irrigation in what is now a semiarid environment. Geoarchaeological research refutes this assumption, however, demonstrating that parts of the site flooded with sufficient regularity to allow the construction of more than 1000 ha of alluvial sediment traps, in places greater than 2 m deep. Soil micromorphology and geochemistry also record changes in irrigation, with some fields inundated to create paddylike soils. Geoarchaeological techniques can be applied to both extant and abandoned agricultural systems, thereby contributing to an understanding of their history, function, and sustainability.
Agricultural landscapes are human-manipulated landscapes, most obviously in areas modified by terracing and/or irrigation. Examples from temperate, arid, and desert environments worldwide have attracted the attention of many disciplines,... more
Agricultural landscapes are human-manipulated landscapes, most obviously in areas modified by terracing and/or irrigation. Examples from temperate, arid, and desert environments worldwide have attracted the attention of many disciplines, from archaeologists, palaeoecologists, and geomorphologists researching landscape histories to economists, agronomists, ecologists, and development planners studying sustainable resource management. This article combines these interdisciplinary interests by exploring the role archaeology can play in assessing sustainability. Our case study is Engaruka, Tanzania, archaeologically famous as the largest abandoned irrigated and terraced landscape in East Africa. The site has been cited as an example of economic and/or ecological collapse, and it has long been assumed to have been irrigated out of necessity because agriculture was presumed to be nearly impossible without irrigation in what is now a semiarid environment. Geoarchaeological research refutes this assumption, however, demonstrating that parts of the site flooded with sufficient regularity to allow the construction of more than 1000 ha of alluvial sediment traps, in places greater than 2 m deep. Soil micromorphology and geochemistry also record changes in irrigation, with some fields inundated to create paddylike soils. Geoarchaeological techniques can be applied to both extant and abandoned agricultural systems, thereby contributing to an understanding of their history, function, and sustainability.
Archaeology, archaeometallurgy and geoarchaeology are combined in this research to examine the chronology and development of iron metallurgy and its environmental repercussions in North Pare, Tanzania. Pare was a prominent centre for iron... more
Archaeology, archaeometallurgy and geoarchaeology are combined in this research to examine the chronology and development of iron metallurgy and its environmental repercussions in North Pare, Tanzania. Pare was a prominent centre for iron production from at least the second half of the first millennium AD, and it has been assumed that this technology-with its demand for wood charcoal-had a significant and detrimental effect on local forest cover. This research sought to examine this claim by exploring the spatial, chronological and technological characteristics of iron p r o d u c t i o n i n P a r e i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h geoarchaeological evidence. Contrary to older assumptions, our results demonstrate that erosion processes bien que la production de fer ait pu contribuer à la déforestation et à l'érosion à Pare, il est. peu probable qu'elle soit le seul facteur causal.
a series of geophysical surveys and a stratigraphic excavation were undertaken on the site of The Knock-an Iron Age vitrified hill fort in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The geophysical survey indicated that the summit of The Knock was... more
a series of geophysical surveys and a stratigraphic excavation were undertaken on the site of The Knock-an Iron Age vitrified hill fort in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The geophysical survey indicated that the summit of The Knock was comprised of a ringed structure that followed the contours of the topography on the summit of the hill along with numerous outcrops of igneous rock. The excavation of what is believed to be an Iron Age vitrified hill fort provided evidence of an outer facing rampart wall with rubble infilling. Burning could be identified at the site and subsequent collapse of the rampart had occurred. Vitrification of the hill fort, although previously indicated in the 1940's and 19 th century, has been dismissed across the southern ramparts as no vitrified remains were identified, however vitrification of the northern ramparts cannot be totally ruled out as excavation was not undertaken here. The bedrock that is comprised of weathered basalt could have been mistaken for vitrified material.