The use of pottery in the Early Neolithic communities of Western Mediterranean has begun to be addressed by recent studies concerning the residues of dietary commodities in potsherds. In order to contribute to a broader perspective on the...
moreThe use of pottery in the Early Neolithic communities of Western Mediterranean has begun to be addressed by recent studies concerning the residues of dietary commodities in potsherds. In order to contribute to a broader perspective on the issue of pottery function, we investigate pottery assemblages through an integrated methodology, combining the study of vessel morphology and morphometry, use-wear analysis, biomolecular and compound-specific carbon isotopic analysis of residues. We focus on the use of pottery containers by advanced Middle Neolithic societies of Sardinia (Italy, 4500-4000 cal BC), protagonists of significant technical, economic and cultural changes in the completion of Neolithisation in this island. The aims are to elucidate the role of whole pottery assemblages in technical and socioeconomic systems of Middle Neolithic communities and to provide data on the exploitation of animal and plant resources during this phase.
Based on the integrated combination of data, six categories of vessel use are identified. The results reveal a differential integration of vessels in activities related to the exploitation of distinct kinds of resources (ruminant adipose/dairy fats and plant foods vs. non-ruminant and aquatic products) and highlight specific behaviours of Middle Neolithic societies in selecting pottery morphotypes for different uses, notably in processing products with heating.
In the last fifty years obsidian provenance studies have become important in archaeology. Most of the time, an analytical characterisation is required to determine the origin of raw material. Recent advances in instrumentation offer a...
moreIn the last fifty years obsidian provenance studies have become important in archaeology. Most of the time, an analytical characterisation is required to determine the origin of raw material. Recent advances in instrumentation offer a more flexible and rapid implementation of analyses. New challenges therefore arise for archaeometrists, archaeologists, lithicist, to integrate strategies for studying obsidian chaînes opératoires and analytical characterisation. Based on recent studies, this paper presents some statements on the current evolutions of research around the archaeometry of obsidian and the associated methodological challenges.
The provenance of twelve un-worked blocks and one part-knapped block recovered from the surface of five Middle Neolithic sites in the vicinity of Porto Vecchio, southeastern Corsica (western Mediterranean), was determined by ion beam...
moreThe provenance of twelve un-worked blocks and one part-knapped block recovered from the surface of five Middle Neolithic sites in the vicinity of Porto Vecchio, southeastern Corsica (western Mediterranean), was determined by ion beam analysis (PIXE). This is the first such discovery on Corsica of actual raw blocks of this exotic material. Twelve of these samples come from sources associated with the Monte Arci volcanic complex of Central-West Sardinia, with six each of the SA and SC chemical types. The only possible origin for the remaining block is Lipari, a raw material previously only attested by three artifacts from a Neolithic site of NW Corsica. This piece is aberrant for its unusual facies and its poor quality, making it quite unsuitable for knapping, and by extent distinct from the high quality glassy obsidian from Lipari that was used regularly by Neolithic peoples. This raises the question of the archaeological significance of this surface find.
Technologic analyses of Neolithic obsidian assemblages are quite rare in Sardinia, like in the wider Western Mediterranean. Such an approach is presented here in conjunction with a visual/instrumental provenance study for the Rio Saboccu...
moreTechnologic analyses of Neolithic obsidian assemblages are quite rare in Sardinia, like in the wider Western Mediterranean. Such an approach is presented here in conjunction with a visual/instrumental provenance study for the Rio Saboccu Early Neolithic (EN) site, which yielded more than 1000 obsidian artefacts. It is shown that this mostly expedient industry was realized from a non-opportunistic exploitation of the four obsidian types of the nearby Monte Arci (Sardinia) volcanic massif. The choice of the raw materials was chiefly guided by their intrinsic knapping qualities and in function of the maximum size of the expected final products; hence some selection in the (primary and/or secondary) sources exploited. The obsidian industries of EN sites from the northern Tyrrhenian area present clearly some affinities with that of Rio Saboccu and of other EN Sardinian sites, mainly those located in its vicinity. This suggests a regional influence of the EN communities settled in the proximity of the Monte Arci.
The contents of Na, Al, Si, K, Ca and Fe of 99 obsidians from the western Mediterranean islands of Lipari, Palmarola, Pantelleria and Sardinia were determined with the energy-dispersive spectrometer of a scanning electron microscope...
moreThe contents of Na, Al, Si, K, Ca and Fe of 99 obsidians from the western Mediterranean islands of Lipari, Palmarola, Pantelleria and Sardinia were determined with the energy-dispersive spectrometer of a scanning electron microscope (SEM–EDS). The Na and in a lesser way other elements contents characterize any obsidian source-island. In Sardinia (80 samples), the four Monte Arci obsidian geochemical types can be discriminated from binary diagrams of element contents or by a discriminant analysis based on the six elements measured. It is concluded that SEM–EDS offers a new option for Neolithic obsidian provenance studies in this region.
Four types of obsidians from the Monte Arci volcanic complex (Sardinia) were used by Neolithic men in the North Tyrrhenian area of the western Mediterranean. A map of their occurrences from primary sources (mother rocks) to distant...
moreFour types of obsidians from the Monte Arci volcanic complex (Sardinia) were used by Neolithic men in the North Tyrrhenian area of the western Mediterranean. A map of their occurrences from primary sources (mother rocks) to distant secondary deposits in the surrounding plains is presented. Some 1457 specimens were macroscopically characterized and in addition ~15% of them fingerprinted from their elemental compositions as determined by electron microprobe, neutron activation analysis or ion beam analysis. The results show that secondary sources, up to now largely neglected in provenance studies of ‘archaeological’ obsidians will have from now to be taken into account.
The site of Renaghju has the largest excavated area of any Neolithic site on the island of Corsica (Western Mediterranean). Its lowest layer, exposed over a few hundred meters square contained a rich Early Neolithic Cardial ceramic and...
moreThe site of Renaghju has the largest excavated area of any Neolithic site on the island of Corsica (Western Mediterranean). Its lowest layer, exposed over a few hundred meters square contained a rich Early Neolithic Cardial ceramic and lithic industry dated by 14C to the second half of the 6th millennium BC. Obsidian, a raw material exogenous to the island, comprises ca. 15 % of the chipped stone industry. The provenance of 622 obsidian artefacts (84 % of the total assemblage) was determined through a combination of visual characterization, together with noninvasive particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) and energy dispersion spectrometer of a scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS) on millimeter-sized polished fragments. This is, by far, the largest sample of obsidian artefacts analyzed from a Corsican Neolithic site. All but one of the artefacts was found to be made of obsidian from sources associated with the volcanic complex of Monte Arci on the nearby island of Sardinia. Obsidian from each of the three major Monte Arci sources exploited during the Neolithic were identified, with a predominance of obsidians of the SA and SB2 types over the SC type. Only one artefact was shown to be made of obsidian from another source, namely, that on the island of Palmarola, in the Pontine Archipelago. The Monte Arci obsidian were procured in the form of small nodules that were then reduced on site, the knappers primarily producing flakes using an expedient and intensive technology. This tradition involved the production of very few types of formal implements, including geometrics and carving/boring tools, forms that are typical of the Tyrrhenian Cardial Early Neolithic. This is the earliest Neolithic culture on Corsica, whose appearance coincides with a major colonization of both Corsica and Sardinia. The significant presence of Sardinian obsidians in the southwestern Corsican site of Renaghju attests to early contacts between groups inhabiting these islands from the 6th millennium BC, while the Palmarola obsidian indicates occasional contacts with groups living on the Italian Peninsula. Alternatively, this “exotic” raw material’s presence at Renaghju might be viewed as the result of frequent and intensive movements of the first colonists in the Tyrrhenian area.
All the obsidians from the undisturbed Early Neolithic (Cardial ware phase I) layer of the Su Carroppu rock-shelter (Sardinia island) were studied. Their elemental composition and that of obsidians from the Monte Arci (Sardinia) volcanic...
moreAll the obsidians from the undisturbed Early Neolithic (Cardial ware phase I) layer of the Su Carroppu rock-shelter (Sardinia island) were studied. Their elemental composition and that of obsidians from the Monte Arci (Sardinia) volcanic complex was determined by ion beam analysis (PIXE). A comparison between the composition of Su Carroppu artefacts, analysed non-destructively, and that of Western Mediterranean analysed in the same conditions shows that the archaeological material belongs to the SA, SB2 and SC Monte Arci-types, to the exclusion of the SB1 type. The typological/technological study of this industry allowed us to reconstruct two chaînes opératoires, for the production of blades (using predominantly SC obsidians) and of flakes (based exclusively on SA and SB2 obsidians), respectively, but on the whole, assemblage blade/bladelet production was performed somewhat preferably with SA and SB2 types. Thus, in the earliest EN culture known on the island, ancient man had, for the making of its obsidian toolkit, a highly adaptive behaviour applied to the reduction of different useful obsidian sources.
This paper presents an overview of the work conducted by our research group in the Mediterranean area. Initiated in the 1990s by the late Gérard Poupeau, our research relies on international and multidisciplinary collaborations to...
moreThis paper presents an overview of the work conducted by our research group in the Mediterranean area. Initiated in the 1990s by the late Gérard Poupeau, our research relies on international and multidisciplinary collaborations to endeavour archaeological and anthropological issues linked to the diffusion and consumption of the obsidian raw material during the Neolithic period. Our line of action is to develop flexibly unique analytical strategies, tailored to each obsidian assemblage considered for a sourcing study. Drawing its strength from the complementarity of the methods available within our group, _i.e._ visual characterisation, SEM-EDS, ED-XRF, pXRF, PIXE, and LA-ICP-MS, this approach allows for the exhaustive and non-destructive analysis of those assemblages, thus optimising the potential of sourcing studies. Working hand in hand with archaeologists, the results are closely integrated to the information brought by the typological and technological characteristics of the artefacts, in the aim to reconstruct an overview of the obsidian economy at site level, but also to replace it in a broader — regional and supra-regional — context.
We bring new geochemical data on Monte Arci (Sardinia) obsidians from elemental analyses by electron microprobe (EMP) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Obsidians from the geochemical groups SA, SB1, SB2 and SC can be sorted out...
moreWe bring new geochemical data on Monte Arci (Sardinia) obsidians from elemental analyses by electron microprobe (EMP) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Obsidians from the geochemical groups SA, SB1, SB2 and SC can be sorted out from their major element contents by EMP and from their trace element contents by PIXE. While EMP analysis requires for analysis a few milligrams polished fragment, PIXE is strictly non-destructive. Forty samples were part of a program aimed at the geochemical characterization of Monte Arci secondary sources.
We bring new geochemical data on Monte Arci (Sardinia) obsidians from elemental analyses by electron microprobe (EMP) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Obsidians from the geochemical groups SA, SB1, SB2 and SC can be sorted out...
moreWe bring new geochemical data on Monte Arci (Sardinia) obsidians from elemental analyses by electron microprobe (EMP) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Obsidians from the geochemical groups SA, SB1, SB2 and SC can be sorted out from their major element contents by EMP and from their trace element contents by PIXE. While EMP analysis requires for analysis a few milligrams polished fragment, PIXE is strictly non-destructive. Forty samples were part of a program aimed at the geochemical characterization of Monte Arci secondary sources.
In Sardinia, polished stone axes appear in early Neolithic communities (VI millennium B.C.) and are found up to the beginning of the Copper Age. Classification of polished axes from western central Sardinia has been redefined...
moreIn Sardinia, polished stone axes appear in early Neolithic communities (VI millennium B.C.) and are found up to the beginning of the Copper Age. Classification of polished axes from western central Sardinia has been redefined archaeometrically in a preliminary sampling of specimens found in open-air settlements. In the studied Neolithic sites, «nephrites» make up 95% of all examined lithologies. Two main groups may be distinguished, characterised respectively by the presence or absence of epidote. «Nephrites» are made up of actinolite or tremolite, chlorite, ±epidote, and Fe-oxide. The other stone axes are composed of glaucophane schist, metadiabase, andalusite hornfels, and phonolite. The extensive occurrence of lithotypes from outside Sardinia, mainly «nephrite», which was commonly used to produce the mainland axes, chiefly in the Neolithic villages of northern Italy, is confirmed. Axes made of jadeitite or eclogite seem to be absent or very rare. Conversely, semi-finished samples...
ABSTRACT Pourtant considérée comme un véritable carrefour sur la route des premières vagues de migration des sociétés néolithiques, la Sardaigne n'a jusqu'à aujourd'hui livré que peu de données quant à ces...
moreABSTRACT Pourtant considérée comme un véritable carrefour sur la route des premières vagues de migration des sociétés néolithiques, la Sardaigne n'a jusqu'à aujourd'hui livré que peu de données quant à ces processus de colonisation. Situé dans le golfe d'Oristano, sur la façade littorale ouest de l'île, le locus néolithique moyen du site de Cuccuru is Arrius constitue donc un document précieux pour mieux saisir les modalités d'occupation des îles Thyrréniennes. Cet article s'est plus particulièrement attaché à rendre compte des spécificités économiques de ces premières occupations de Sardaigne, à partir des témoins archéozoologiques. Although considered a real crossroads on the route of the first waves of migration of Neolithic societies, until now Sardinia has delivered very little data about these colonisation processes. Situated in the Gulf of Oristano, on the western coast of the island, the Middle Neolithic locus of the site of Cuccuru is Arrius thus constitutes a precious archaeological record for a better understanding of settlement modes in the Thyrrenian Islands. This paper more particularly attempts to report economic characteristics of these first occupations of Sardinia, based on archaeozoological remains.
During the past 20 years, an unusual production of deeply engraved pebbles has been reported from a few open-air sites in central-western Sardinia. Such engravings normally appear to replicate the same patterns. In the lack of reliable...
moreDuring the past 20 years, an unusual production of deeply engraved pebbles has been reported from a few open-air sites in central-western Sardinia. Such engravings normally appear to replicate the same patterns. In the lack of reliable stratigraphic associations to this kind of artefacts, preliminary analyses of the respective archaeological contexts have led to ascribe their production to the Early Neolithic. In order to ensure an interpretation to the complex, iterated technical gestures made to the purpose of carving these signs, we applied an integrated experimental procedure combining a traceological investigation with a newly-applied micro-GIS analysis. In the first place, this study aimed at identifying the articulated gestural sequences that lie behind each group of carvings. Secondly, we sought the possible presence of operational constants correlated with any functional repetitiveness of the patterns. The general goal of this research is to provide an interpretive hypothes...
This paper deals with the technological and provenance study of Early Neolithic obsidian artefacts from the cardial ware levels of Su Carroppu rock-shelter. Provenance determinations have been done non-destructively by PIXE; this method...
moreThis paper deals with the technological and provenance study of Early Neolithic obsidian artefacts from the cardial ware levels of Su Carroppu rock-shelter. Provenance determinations have been done non-destructively by PIXE; this method can fingerprint all four archaeologically relevant Monte Arci obsidian types (SA, SB1, SB2, SC).
Obsidians of the four Monte Arci geochemical groups relevant to Neolithic provenance studies were characterized by Mössbauer (MS) and infrared (IRS) spectroscopies, Raman microspectroscopy (RMS), magnetic properties (MP), electron spin...
moreObsidians of the four Monte Arci geochemical groups relevant to Neolithic provenance studies were characterized by Mössbauer (MS) and infrared (IRS) spectroscopies, Raman microspectroscopy (RMS), magnetic properties (MP), electron spin resonance (ESR) and particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). We show that these methods can discriminate, in addition to obsidians from other Western Mediterranean islands, the SA, SB and SC Sardinian groups (MS, MP, IRS) and eventually the SB1 and SB2 subgroups (MRS, ESR, PIXE).
Underwater research recently carried out in the middle of the modern harbor of Cagliari (South Sardinia) led to the discovery of the load belonging to a late Roman-republican (II cent. BC) shipwreck covered by silty-organogenic deposits....
moreUnderwater research recently carried out in the middle of the modern harbor of Cagliari (South Sardinia) led to the discovery of the load belonging to a late Roman-republican (II cent. BC) shipwreck covered by silty-organogenic deposits. The whole accumulation of finds was lying undisturbed on the old seabed. Among the artifacts, whose greatest part are wine amphoras and dinner services, it is very interesting the presence of 40 obsidian blocks. At a first sight the homogeneous visual characteristics of the blocks are quite different from the known obsidian qualities of Monte Arci obsidians in Sardinia, giving us evidence of their non local origin. Sourcing from EMP-WDS on some blocks confirm the supposed provenance from Lipari. We show here the features of the archaeological context and suggest a possible interpretation of the obsidians.
The relative capability of EMP-WDS, SEM-EDS and PIXE for the distinction by their elemental compositions of the four Monte Arci obsidian types to be considered in provenance studies is examined. It is shown that this distinction can be...
moreThe relative capability of EMP-WDS, SEM-EDS and PIXE for the distinction by their elemental compositions of the four Monte Arci obsidian types to be considered in provenance studies is examined. It is shown that this distinction can be reached by EMP-WDS (10 major and minor elements contents determined) and SEM-EDS (six major elements) especially when multivariate analyses are used. With PIXE (fifteen elements) this goal can be reached only from trace elements contents, especially Zn, Sr and Zr, and without the need of a multivariate analysis. The interest of these approaches is illustrated by the results obtained on more than 300 Neolithic artifacts from southeastern France, Corsica and Sardinia. While PIXE measurements were made on a non-destructive mode, EMP-WDS data were obtained from polished sections. Although SEM-EDS analyses can be performed non-destructively, they were also made from polished sections in order to eliminate any possible influence of superficial obsidian alte...
ABSTRACT Les études de provenance de l'obsidienne se développent en archéologie depuis cinquante ans. Celles-ci nécessitent la plupart du temps le recours à une caractérisation analytique des artefacts pour en déterminer...
moreABSTRACT Les études de provenance de l'obsidienne se développent en archéologie depuis cinquante ans. Celles-ci nécessitent la plupart du temps le recours à une caractérisation analytique des artefacts pour en déterminer l'origine. Les progrès récents des instruments permettent une mise en œuvre plus souple et rapide des analyses. De nouveaux enjeux surgissent donc pour les archéomètres, archéologues, lithiciens, pour intégrer les stratégies d'étude des chaînes opératoires de l'obsidienne et les caractérisations analytiques. Sur la base d'études récentes, cet article présente quelques réflexions sur les évolutions actuelles des recherches autour de l'archéométrie de l'obsidienne et les enjeux méthodologiques à relever.
... C. Luglie, FX Le Bourdonnec2 and G. Poupeau 1 Methods and Aims With few exceptions linked to locally available options, obsidian is almost the unique lithic resource used for the ... The archaeological obsidian sourcing was realized...
more... C. Luglie, FX Le Bourdonnec2 and G. Poupeau 1 Methods and Aims With few exceptions linked to locally available options, obsidian is almost the unique lithic resource used for the ... The archaeological obsidian sourcing was realized by a non-destructive association of ...
ABSTRACT The site of Renaghju has the largest excavated area of any Neolithic site on the island of Corsica (Western Mediterranean). Its lowest layer, exposed over a few hundred meters square contained a rich Early Neolithic Cardial...
moreABSTRACT The site of Renaghju has the largest excavated area of any Neolithic site on the island of Corsica (Western Mediterranean). Its lowest layer, exposed over a few hundred meters square contained a rich Early Neolithic Cardial ceramic and lithic industry dated by 14C to the second half of the 6th millennium BC. Obsidian, a raw material exogenous to the island, comprises ca. 15 % of the chipped stone industry. The provenance of 622 obsidian artefacts (84 % of the total assemblage) was determined through a combination of visual characterization, together with noninvasive particle-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) and energy dispersion spectrometer of a scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS) on millimeter-sized polished fragments. This is, by far, the largest sample of obsidian artefacts analyzed from a Corsican Neolithic site. All but one of the artefacts was found to be made of obsidian from sources associated with the volcanic complex of Monte Arci on the nearby island of Sardinia. Obsidian from each of the three major Monte Arci sources exploited during the Neolithic were identified, with a predominance of obsidians of the SA and SB2 types over the SC type. Only one artefact was shown to be made of obsidian from another source, namely, that on the island of Palmarola, in the Pontine Archipelago. The Monte Arci obsidian were procured in the form of small nodules that were then reduced on site, the knappers primarily producing flakes using an expedient and intensive technology. This tradition involved the production of very few types of formal implements, including geometrics and carving/boring tools, forms that are typical of the Tyrrhenian Cardial Early Neolithic. This is the earliest Neolithic culture on Corsica, whose appearance coincides with a major colonization of both Corsica and Sardinia. The significant presence of Sardinian obsidians in the southwestern Corsican site of Renaghju attests to early contacts between groups inhabiting these islands from the 6th millennium BC, while the Palmarola obsidian indicates occasional contacts with groups living on the Italian Peninsula. Alternatively, this “exotic” raw material’s presence at Renaghju might be viewed as the result of frequent and intensive movements of the first colonists in the Tyrrhenian area.
This paper presents an overview of the work conducted by our research group in the Mediterranean area. Initiated in the 1990s by the late Gérard Poupeau, our research relies on international and multidisciplinary collaborations to...
moreThis paper presents an overview of the work conducted by our research group in the Mediterranean area. Initiated in the 1990s by the late Gérard Poupeau, our research relies on international and multidisciplinary collaborations to endeavour archaeological and anthropological issues linked to the diffusion and consumption of the obsidian raw material during the Neolithic period. Our line of action is to develop flexibly unique analytical strategies, tailored to each obsidian assemblage considered for a sourcing study. Drawing its strength from the complementarity of the methods available within our group, i.e. visual characterisation, SEM-EDS, ED-XRF, pXRF, PIXE, and LA-ICP-MS, this approach allows for the exhaustive and non-destructive analysis of those assemblages, thus optimising the potential of sourcing studies. Working hand in hand with archaeologists, the results are closely integrated to the information brought by the typological and technological characteristics of the artefacts, in the aim to reconstruct an overview of the obsidian economy at site level, but also to replace it in a broader — regional and supra-regional — context.
... role in stone tool production of an island poor in local rocks of good knapping qualities ([Bressy et al., 2003], [Bressy et al., 2007], [Bressy et al., 2008] and [Marini et al., 2007]), with local resources largely limited to...
more... role in stone tool production of an island poor in local rocks of good knapping qualities ([Bressy et al., 2003], [Bressy et al., 2007], [Bressy et al., 2008] and [Marini et al., 2007]), with local resources largely limited to rhyolites ([Ameziane-Federzoni, 2007a], [Ameziane-Federzoni ...
Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société.
... Le titane n'est qu'occasionnellement dosé dans le matériel de Pantelleria (source de Balata dei Turchi) et les obsidiennes SC ... Actuellement, la seule méthode strictement non destructive pour les études de...
more... Le titane n'est qu'occasionnellement dosé dans le matériel de Pantelleria (source de Balata dei Turchi) et les obsidiennes SC ... Actuellement, la seule méthode strictement non destructive pour les études de provenance de l'obsidienne employée pour cette région utilise le PIXE ...
