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1. Virtual cultural landscapes: Geospatial visualizations of past environments

   https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1830  

   Monteleone, Kelly; Thompson, Amy E.; Prufer, Keith M. (May 2021, Archaeological Prospection)

   Abstract Recent advances in spatial and remote sensing technology have led to new methods in archaeological site identification and reconstruction, allowing archaeologists to investigate landscapes and sites on multiple scales. These remotely conducted surveys create virtual cultural landscapes and seascapes that archaeologists and the public interact with and experience, often better than traditional maps. Our study examines landscape reconstruction and archaeological site classifications from a phenomenological and human behavioural ecology (HBE) perspective. HBE aims to reconstruct how humans interacted with these places as part of their active and passive decision making. Through temporal reconstructions, archaeologists and others can experience and interpret past landscapes and subtle changes in cultural land‐ and seascapes. Here, we evaluate the use of remotely sensed data (lidar, satellite imagery, sonar, radar, etc.) for developing virtual cultural landscapes while also incorporating Indigenous perspectives. Our study compares two vastly different landscapes and perspectives: a seascape in coastal Alaska, USA, and a neotropical jungle in Belize, Central America. By incorporating ethnographic accounts, oral histories, Indigenous traditional knowledge and community engagement, archaeologists can develop new tools to understand decisions made in the past, especially pertaining to settlement selection and resource procurement. These virtual reconstructions become cognitive images of a possible place that the observer experiences. Virtual cultural landscapes allow archaeologists to reproduce landscapes that may otherwise be invisible and present them to different publics. These processes elucidate how landscapes changed over time based on human behaviours while simultaneously allowing archaeologists to engage with Indigenous communities and the public in the protection of prehistoric and historic sites and sacred spaces through cultural heritage management. 

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2. Embedding the remote sensing monitoring of archaeological site damage at the local level: Results from the “Archaeological practice and heritage protection in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq” project

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269796  

   Laugier, Elise Jakoby; Abdullatif, Nawzad; Glatz, Claudia (June 2022, PLOS ONE)

   Asouti, Eleni (Ed.)

   Today, the satellite-based monitoring of archaeological sites and site damage is a widespread practice, especially in conflict-affected regions. However, the vast majority of these remote sensing cultural heritage monitoring efforts have been led and conducted by remote researchers, and there remains an urgent need to embed this work within existing, in-country institutions at local and regional levels. Here, we present the archaeological site monitoring approach and results from the project Archaeological Practice and Heritage Protection in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq , a collaborative project between the Sirwan Regional Project and Kurdish Iraqi archaeologists aimed at generating a fully functional and sustainable programme of archaeological site management co-created with, and managed by, Kurdish Iraqi archaeologists and antiquities officials. Between August 2018 and February 2020, 376 archaeological sites in the Sirwan/Upper Diyala River Valley region, located in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, were assessed for damage by Kurdish Iraqi archaeologists in collaboration with the Sirwan Regional Project. This work represents the first large-scale, systematic dataset of archaeological site conditions and longer-term damage in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Our results show that 86.7% of the assessed archaeological sites and 38.6% of the site surface area in this region were affected by damage between 1951–2018, and demonstrate the great urgency with which action must be taken to develop appropriate safeguarding measures for the KRI’s archaeological heritage. On the basis of these results, we outline relevant recommendations for the immediate protection of archaeological sites in Garmian and the greater Kurdistan Region. 

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3. Nova Istraživanja Paleolitskog Nalazišta Crvena Stijena, Istorijski Kontekst. New Research at the Paleolithic Site of Crvena Stijena, Nikšic Municipality, Montenegro Within Its Historical Context

   Monnier, Gilliane; Tostevin, Gilbert; Pajović, Goran; Borovonić, Nikola; Baković, Mile (January 2020, Istorijski zapisi)

   null (Ed.)

   The rockshelter of Crvena Stijena (Nikšić municipality, Montenegro) is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in southeastern Europe. Its 20-meter deep sequence of archaeological deposits spans the Middle Paleolithic through the Bronze Age. The Middle Paleolithic deposits themselves, which cover an astonishing 12 meters in depth, contain one of the longest records of Neanderthal occupation in the region. Since its discovery in 1954, the site has been the subject of two major research projects; the data they have produced have helped make it a critical type-site for the Paleolithic in the Balkans. In this paper, our goal is to introduce the aims and methodologies of the new research collaboration at Crvena Stijena that we established in 2016. We first present the site within the context of the Middle Paleolithic of the western Balkans. We then describe the history of research at Crvena Stijena, and summarize the results of the last project, which were recently published. Finally, we describe the research questions that are guiding our new investigations, and the methods we are applying in order to answer these questions while preserving as much of the site as possible for future generations of archaeologists. 

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4. A New Era in Spatial Data Recording: Low-Cost GNSS

   https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2018.50  

   Hill, A.C.; J. Casana, M. Williamson (January 2019, Advances in archaeological practice)

   Archaeologists have long recognized that precise three-dimensional coordinates are critical for recording objects and features across sites and landscapes. Traditionally, for relatively small areas, an optical transit or, more recently, an electronic distance measurement device (EDM) has been used to acquire these three-dimensional points. While effective, such systems have significant limitations in that they require a clear line of site. Real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS/GNSS systems (Global Positioning System/Global Navigation Satellite Systems) have been available for well over a decade, and can provide quick and accurate point measurements over a wide area without many of the limitation of older technologies. The cost of such systems, however, has generally been prohibitive for archaeologists, and so their use has been rare. Recently, a new generation of low-cost systems has become available, making this technology more accessible to a wider user base. This article describes the use, accuracy, and limitations of one such low-cost system, the Emlid Reach RS, to show why this is an important tool for archaeological fieldwork. 

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5. The Effects of Heating on δ18O and δ13C in Mytilus californianus Shell Carbonate: Implications for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction and Season of Harvest

   Jazwa, Christopher S.; Jantz, Samuel (December 2019, Journal of California and Great Basin anthropology)

   The use of stable oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic ratios of marine shell carbonate is a powerful tool for reconstructing past sea surface temperatures (SST) and estimating season of harvest for shells from coastal archaeological sites. While methods for sampling shells and analyzing the resulting data are established, less is known about the effects of anthropogenic activity on the geochemistry of the shells. Through an experimental study in which we heat carbonate powder from Mytilus californianus shells, we show that mussels cooked by boiling or steaming were unlikely to have their isotopic composition altered by the process. Shells heated over coals, however, show evidence of both visible and structural changes and in some cases are depleted in δ13C and/or δ18O. This indicates that archaeologists should use caution in interpreting past SST or site seasonality from burned shells and should instead test intact, unburned shells. 

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