A mace is a butt weapon that is composed of a metal head that is mounted on a wooden haft. The paper deals with the origins of medieval mace heads that were discovered in Polish lands; these have been a subject of debate since they were first discovered there. In previous research, only form and decoration were used to determine the provenance of these artefacts. A technological analysis (ED-XRF, SEM) and provenance analysis of the raw material using lead isotope ratio analysis (MC-ICP-MS) of 5 artefacts from Poland allowed us to draw a preliminary correlation between the type of raw material that was used to make the objects and its availability. A mace head that was discovered along the well-known trade route from the British Isles along the Oder line in the early Middle Ages was made from raw material whose lead isotope signature is consistent with ores from the British Isles, while another example that was discovered to the east of this route were copper alloys with added lead with isotope ratios compatible with ores from Upper Silesia-Krakow Upland region. In juxtaposition with the stylistic forms, the obtained results showed that a formal analysis alone was not sufficient to determine the place of manufacture (and could even be misleading at times).
Les milieux forestiers présentent un fort potentiel archéologique en raison du bon état de conservation des vestiges qui s’y trouvent. La recherche y est toutefois limitée par une série de contraintes. Afin de dater et caractériser le site archéologique des Rothenstauden à Vœllerdingen (Bas-Rhin), actuellement recouvert en large partie par la forêt, et comprendre ses relations avec son espace environnant, trois méthodes d’exploration ont été utilisées et adaptées afin de contourner ces contraintes : sondages et fouille archéologique, prospections géomagnétiques et LiDAR. Le croisement et la complémentarité de ces trois sources de données ont permis une importante avancée dans la connaissance de ce site et de son environnement. Elles ont en effet permis de voir qu’il renferme une villa, occupée au moins entre le iie et le iiie s., qui s’intègre dans un espace organisé par un système parcellaire rationalisé.
Four charred, bread-like objects were discovered in both domestic and funerary contexts at several sites: Saint-Vulbas (Ain, 01), L’Hospitalet-du-Larzac - La Vayssière (Aveyron, 12), Les Martres d'Artière - Les Quaires (Puy-de-Dôme, 63), and Onnaing – Toyota (Nord, 59), all dating back to the Gallo-Roman era. These objects were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to characterize and identify their components, such as pericarp, awn remains, glumes, and fibers. Additionally, micro-CT techniques were employed to examine the three-dimensional structure of the bread, allowing for a detailed investigation of local porosity. This study aims to improve our understanding and classification of these fermented substances and to propose a standardized data acquisition form.
In this study, we experimentally reconstructed a medieval synthesis of red lead based on recipes from Theophilus’s 12th-century treatise. Controlled transformation rate thermal analysis (CRTA) combined with high temperature diffraction provided insights into the phase transitions occurring during this preparation. Our results indicate that the pigment referred to as “minium” in historical sources does not always correspond to pure Pb₃O₄, but may involve mixtures of PbCO₃, PbCO₃·2PbO, α-PbO, and β-PbO, depending on the thermal and atmospheric conditions. This variability reflects both the metastability of Pb₃O₄ and the technological diversity of historical lead-based pigments. By bridging experimental archaeology, historical reconstruction, and advanced materials characterization, this work contributes to a better understanding of medieval pigment production and its underlying chemical mechanisms. It highlights how archaeometry approaches can illuminate the interplay between craft knowledge and material science in the Middle Ages.
The villa du Gleyzia d’Augreilh, located in Saint-Sever (Landes, France), is associated with a large aristocratic Gallo-Roman villa from the late Roman Empire, which yielded over a ton of marble in a highly fragmented state (more than 2500 fragments). Around 12% of these fragments correspond to white or gray-white, primarily used in the architectural decoration of the villa’s various parts. Fifteen of these fragments were subjected to archaeometric analysis: petrography, cathodoluminescence, carbon and oxygen isotopes, elemental analysis, and NMR. The results were compared with those of marbles from the Pyrenees to determine their origin. Two valleys supplied marbles exploited since antiquity: the Ossau Valley and the Saint-Béat region. The analyses identified two distinct origins: six samples were clearly identified as coming from the Ossau Valley, while the others likely originated from the same unidentified location, but with characteristics similar to those of the Ossau Valley marbles. These two distinct origins reflect the two phases of the villa’s occupation: one from the Late Antiquity and the other from the 5th century pC.
Among the 267 manuscripts currently preserved from the library of the Monastery of the Grande Chartreuse, no fewer than 137 date from the 12th Century, forming one of the richest collections of illuminated works from this period. However, this ensemble has long remained unstudied. Few works based on codicological analyses, have shown the profusion of the production and its artistic richness. They question how a very small community of monks, a priori subjected to strict conditions of silence and solitude, could have produced such a large number of manuscripts. With a cross-disciplinary approach, this study aims to clarify the Cartusian organization around the activity of copying manuscripts. Based on the physico-chemical analysis of inks and pigments, we seek to determine recipes and know-hows, making it possible to reconstitute the material, intellectual and human modalities which presided over the origin of this collection. Three volumes of one of the main Bibles (the so-called Notre-Dame de Casalibus) were investigated with hyperspectral imaging and portable X-ray fluorescence and powder diffraction. Because of the geometric constraints of diffraction in reflection mode and the fragility of the bookbinding, we have developed a specific support for the analysis of large books. The first results have helped to identify the pigments of the decorators' palette. According to codicological studies, five decorators have contributed to this manuscript, the complementarity of the non-invasive techniques used allowed to highlight the differences and similarities between them. Among the five colors used, the blue stands out and results from a mixture of azurite and lazurite that varies significantly between the decorators. Moreover, the study of the inks revealed the use of a pure iron gall ink for the copyists against a contaminated one for the decorators (containing As, Cu) and seems to confirm their distinct intervention.
L’imagerie microscopique par spectroscopie de plasma induit par laser ou µ-LIBS permet une caractérisation rapide et globale des mortiers et céramiques en combinant analyse élémentaire et microscopie quantitative. Cette technique fournit des cartographies chimiques détaillées avec un minimum de préparation (section polie), adaptées à l’étude des matériaux hétérogènes. Grâce à sa haute résolution spatiale, la µ-LIBS permet aisément de caractériser la matrice et d’identifier les inclusions minérales par famille. Le traitement des images permet également d’intégrer des données de microscopie quantitative, telles que le pourcentage de grains, leur granulométrie ou morphométrie. Cette approche facilite les comparaisons entre échantillons pour l’identification de groupes techniques cohérents (groupes de pâtes céramiques, mortiers de recette identique) et la détermination de leur contexte géologique. La nouvelle méthodologie de caractérisation proposée est appliquée sur trois échantillons, un enduit de chaux d’un mur d’église médiévale, une lèvre d’amphore romaine à pâte calcaire ainsi qu’une brique de thermes romains, déjà étudiés par d’autres méthodes, afin de montrer les apports en données comparatives.
En 1901, une très grosse masse de fer a été mise au jour sur le sanctuaire romain dédié à Mercure, au sommet du volcan du puy de Dôme. Ses dimensions et sa masse imposantes (470 kg) ont immédiatement posé la question de son interprétation. S'agit-il d'un agglomérat de produits ferreux soudés à la suite d'un incendie ou, d'une météorite ? Récemment, cet objet a été soumis à une analyse multi-échelle afin de déterminer sa nature. L'analyse chimique des éléments majeurs de la matrice métallique a permis d'écarter l'hypothèse d’un fer météoritique. La microscopie optique a révélé la structure et la composition du métal, caractéristiques d’une obtention dans un bas fourneau. Plusieurs datations au radiocarbone ont été effectuées (sur du charbon de bois et à partir du carbone présent dans la matrice métallique). L'ensemble de ces résultats permet d’interpréter cet objet comme une masse de métal brut produite dans un bas fourneau, durant l'Antiquité. Cet exemple est-il un unicum ou de telles masses de métal pouvaient-elles être produites régulièrement durant cette période ? Une synthèse de la documentation, prenant en compte l'architecture des bas fourneaux contemporains et les techniques de forgeage utilisées pour la fabrication d’objets très massifs, permet de proposer une nouvelle appréhension des savoir-faire et de la capacité exceptionnelle de production du fer durant l'Antiquité.
This paper examines the application of biogeochemical methods for reconstructing populations in the context of ancient societies. Human societies of the past have left their mark on the environments they inhabited, and biogeochemical analyses provide a valuable window to explore these buried remnants. We explore biogeochemical techniques, including fecal stanol analysis, to reconstruct population densities, migrations, and activities of ancient societies. The biogeochemical approach offers significant advantages, including the ability to extract information directly from archaeological and environmental material, often without significant alteration of the samples. We discuss methodological challenges and analytical considerations associated with these techniques, as well as their potential to shed light on aspects of life in ancient societies. By illustrating the applications and limitations of these methods, this study demonstrates how biogeochemical analysis can significantly contribute to the understanding of past population size and changes in the context of environmental change. This information not only broadens our knowledge of ancient civilizations but also has important implications for research in archaeology, anthropology, and environmental sciences.
Manor houses, gardens, and parks are studied via geophysical and historical data, GPR visualized a uniquely well-preserved baroque garden layout in Sweden.
geophysical survey on 20 fortified settlements, ERT and GPR documented different construction materials, magnetic prospection helped to define the built-up areas
summarises results and conclusions from a series of multimethod geophysical surveys, carried out within the context of a long running landscape archaeological project, documents the hidden protohistoric settlement system of northern Calabria (Italy)
Reviews the work of the Community Archaeology Geophysics Group over the last 12 years.Highlights the contribution of community geophysics to archeologyDiscusses the strengths and weaknesses of the approach.
Understanding the interactions of GPR, ERT and the soils of South Australia, Comparison of methods in detecting unmarked burials
Multiple ponds replace the idea of a large lake in Late Pleistocene Lieth Moor. Red sediments probably played a key role in Late Palaeolithic settlement patterns.
Technological advancements have expanded remote sensing for archaeology, Increased availability of high-resolution remote sensing data, Enhanced computational power and analytical methods for data processing
City wall made of raw brick, Layout of Larsa's 5km-long ramparts confirmed by geophysics.
RTK-GNSS with high-resolution GPR enabled prospection in forested environment, Significant Archaeological features detected at the site of Gryet, Spring-time survey led to useful RTK-GNSS accuracy
A GPR survey has been carried out over a Gallo-Roman urban area with a sanctuary; 3D interpretations are plotted; Archaeological feedback highlights interpretation errors.
Demining –purposed UAV magnetometry reveals archaeological objects; Communication between deminers and heritage preservation authorities needed.
