This dataset has been set up during two pluridisciplinary research projects, the EU-FEDER project 'L'industrie du FER dans le MAssif des PYR & eacute;n & eacute;es (FERMAPYR)' and the FR-PCR project 'Le FER en Ari & egrave;ge et dans les Pyr & eacute;n & eacute;es-Orientales (FERAPO)'. It is composed of chemical data collected from archaeological material related to ancient ironmaking activities mainly located in the eastern part of the French Pyrenees and in surrounding metallurgical areas (Andorra, Montagne Noire). Material comprises smelting slag and iron ore samples collected thanks to extensive surveys involving dozens of contributors. Most measurements have been made using induced coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. After curation, data has been uploaded into the CHIPS database, granting enhanced findability and standardised documentation. This dataset will be used especially to assess the technical choices made for smelting iron ore in the area of study and to track the metallic products at different (from regional to continental) scales.
This paper provides the underlying data for a comprehensive meta-study investigating the transformative late Classical and early Hellenistic periods in Apulia through an in-depth analysis of residential and funerary contexts. An extensive qualitative and quantitative dataset of 379 funerary features from Monte Sannace and Vaste is contextualized within their settlements and surroundings by examining a comprehensive set of related papers. This meticulous digital data collection sheds light on the social dynamics of the period and is stored in a structured format to facilitate future access, reuse, and extension by researchers. The potential for reuse is substantial, as it could inform a broad spectrum of archaeological studies.
The paper presents a dataset from the Late Antique cemetery Lajh in Kranj (Slovenia), one of the largest burial grounds of the period in the wider region. The dataset combines archaeological, archival, and museum data generated over more than a century of excavations conducted under highly variable methodological conditions. A thorough revision of field documentation, publications, inventory books, photographs, maps, preserved artefacts and osteological material enabled the reconstruction and critical assessment of grave assemblages and associated finds. The resulting dataset provides a standardised basis for further quantitative, comparative and interdisciplinary research into Late Antique and Early Medieval burial practices.
This work provides the geochemical characterization data of Maiolica Fm chert from central Italy. The dataset presented here is part of the SiliROck Lithotheque (Sapienza, University of Rome) and includes 97 chert samples collected from the Umbria-Marche succession. The samples have been previously examined using solely non-destructive techniques: petrographic analysis using a stereomicroscope, and geochemical analysis through portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF). In this study, we report a comprehensive set of data of chert samples originated in the Maiolica Fm. The geochemical dataset and the photo archive are open and reusable to researchers to gain a detailed overview of Maiolica chert for provenance analysis.
This paper reports, in two Comma-Separated Values (.CSV) spreadsheets, the primary archaeobotanical (carpological) dataset resulting from two consecutive development-led excavation campaigns (2019 and 2020), conducted by the Regional History Museum of Sofia at the grounds of 35 Ekzarh Yosif Str., Sofia, Bulgaria. The plant material was recovered from sedimentary flotation samples of the ancient town of Serdica and is dated to the Late Roman and Late Antiquity periods. The samples originate from both inner and outer areas of the town. All specimens in each sample were identified following established protocols and are stored in the premises of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The dataset can be reused by archaeologists, archaeobotanists and environmental archaeologists, specialising in the periods and regions of interest and beyond. Notably, it adds to the corpus of the very scarce archaeobotanical data currently available from the area and period and contributes to the ongoing research on past plant subsistence and economic strategies of South-east Europe.
The present dataset is the result of a research project concerning plaster production in southwestern Cyprus (Paphos region) over an extensive period of time, spanning from the Late Bronze to the Roman age. This dataset includes results obtained from a multianalyticalapproach to material analysis, including methods such as petrography, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, x-ray diffractometry, Raman and infra-red spectroscopy, and proteomics. The aim of this publication is to create a reliable database for future researchers interested in the same topic, in order to create similar classifications and uniform terminology.
This paper presents an open-access dataset of 194 Roman stone monuments documented in southeastern Slovenia. The dataset includes funerary stelae, votive altars, inscription plaques, milestones, and architectural elements dated primarily between the first and fourth centuries CE. Each record contains typologicalclassification, spatial coordinates (WGS84), monument dimensions, epigraphic information, bibliographic references, and macroscopic lithologicalattribution. The data were compiled through systematic review of published corpora, museum documentation, and field verification, and are provided in CSV format with an accompanying interactive GIS interface. The dataset supports spatial analysis, material provenance research, comparative monument studies, and digital heritage applications.
This dataset presents Palmyra’s public inscriptions from the first four centuries CE, a period of time during which the city flourished. The Palmyrene elite used inscriptions to advertise their contributions to public and private building projects, and commemorate the dead. These stone carved inscriptions were written in all the major languages of the region: Palmyrene Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. A total of 1134 public inscriptions have been compiled and digitized by researchers, thus constituting the most comprehensive dataset of the public inscriptions from Palmyra to date. As such, it is a unique source of information about building activities, elite patronage, and the evolution of Palmyrene social structures.
This paper introduces the ochre paintings from Kokentau, an open-access archaeologicaldataset documenting one of the earliest known and most extensive pigment-based rock art assemblages in Kazakhstan. The dataset contains comprehensive photographic documentation and descriptive metadata for 34 outcrops with 75 rock shelters, comprising a total of 702 pictorial figures and abstract signs. These pictographs were created with ochre and other iron-based pigments, and are tentatively attributed to the Early Bronze Age, although their precise chronology remains under discussion. The collection includes high-resolution photographs, DStretch-enhanced images, and orthophotos of pictorial panels, complemented by an attribute table with geographic coordinates and figure classifications. By providing standardized, openly accessible data, the Kokentau dataset supports comparative studies of Eurasian rock art, pigment use, and early symbolic behaviour, and is designed for interdisciplinary reuse within archaeology, digital heritage, GIS, art history, and computer-vision research.
This dataset compiles radiocarbon dates data from Hanseong the first capital of Baekje. The data were collected from archaeological excavation reports published since the 1980s, and reliability was secured through a process of standardization and four-step verification. Each case consists of uncalibrated dates, LabID, sample material, and archaeological context. This dataset provides a temporal framework for understanding the formation and development of Hanseong Baekje and supports integrated research on the early formation and development of Baekje through spatiotemporal and GIS-based analysis.
The dataset presents the physical and spatial features of the megalithic complex at Dantari Hill, Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh, India. It records funerary monuments (n = 482), microliths (n = 303), rock paintings (n = 119), and habitation sites (n = 3) identified through field surveys and GIS analysis. Physical attributes include monument types, dimensions, and preservation status, while spatial variables cover elevation, slope, density, proximity to water, and visibility. The dataset is available in Microsoft Excel, KML, chart, and GIS map formats. It offers significant reuse potential for comparative and interpretive studies of South Asian megalithic cultures.
Southern Africa possesses a deep archaeological record, spanning more than a million years, which has attracted over a century of research. As a result, it offers one of the densest and most detailed pictures of Stone Age occupation history in Africa. However, certain time periods and regions have featured more prominently in research, particularly the later Middle Stone Age of the coastal and mountain zones. Moreover, the modern emphasis on absolute dating and well-resolved chronologies often excludes open-air and surface sites from reviews and syntheses, meaning that environments lacking deep, stratified rock shelters remain underrepresented. To address this, the Southern African Stone Age Site Index (SASSI) provides a centralised, openly accessible resource for archaeological research, featuring 492 reported Earlier, Middle and Later Stone Age sites from South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Namibia. It includes both dated and undated sites, and encompasses diverse contexts. The database integrates spatial, chronological, cultural and contextual information, following FAIR data principles. While previous synthetic datasets have emphasised chronology and systematics, SASSI instead prioritises spatial coverage, offering a foundation for new perspectives on demography, settlement patterns, and landscape use in southern Africa's past.
The dataset described in this paper represents the repository of the archaeological sites (n = 796) for the Eastern Anatolian Highlands, from the known earliest settlements of the Chalcolithic Age (ca. 5000 BC) to the end of the Iron Age (ca. 200 BC). The data were collected from various publications, the results of archaeological excavations and surveys conducted in Eastern Anatolia over the past 100 years. The dataset is stored at the Zenodo repository under an open-access license. This dataset is also part of the Ph. D. project of Alper Aslan called Long-term Population dynamics and Human-Environment Interactions in Eastern Anatolia from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age.
This study addresses the challenge of locating forge hearths, which are often archaeologically invisible. Specifically, we examine this issue in the Early Iron Age smithy (Building 24) at Pungrt Hillfort (central Slovenia). To tackle this problem, we analysed charred archaeobotanical remains and sediment samples from the smithy’s floor. Our findings indicate that magnetic susceptibility measurements are insufficient for identifying the hearth’s location in contexts characterised by magnetic debris and above-ground fire installations. Instead, the distribution of charred archaeobotanical remains provides the most reliable evidence. In Building 24, these remains successfully revealed the locations of both the forge and charcoal storage. When combined with geochemical data, they also provided insights into the structured use of space within the building. The results further suggest that the low archaeological visibility of forge hearths may be due to their elevation above ground level. Additionally, this study demonstrates that charred archaeobotanical remains are primarily linked to combustion and hearth-cleaning activities, which may skew interpretations of plant use in past societies. However, with systematic sampling of primary contexts, aspects of daily plant-related activities can be discerned. In Building 24, these included hazelnut roasting, potential legume roasting, and cereal dehusking—standard domestic practices suggesting that the blacksmith’s workshop was situated within a domestic building. The evidence indicating flatbread baking is of particular significance, marking one of the earliest documented examples of this type of bread preparation in Early Iron Age Slovenia. This discovery underscores that the smithing hearth was not exclusively used for specialised metalworking but also supported household food production.
This database compiles representations of aquatic animals and fishing scenes from prehistoric and protohistoric Japan, spanning the J & omacr;mon (ca. 14,500-1000 BCE), Yayoi (1000 BCE-250 CE) and Kofun (250-710 CE) periods, as well as the Epi-J & omacr;mon (340 BCE-CE 700), Satsumon (600-1200 CE) and Okhotsk periods (500-1000 CE) in Hokkaido. The corpus includes 120 representations: 108 depictions of aquatic animals and 12 of fishing activities. These images are on a diverse range of media, including clay pots, swords, d & omacr;taku (bronze bells), haniwa (clay figurines), other clay objects, wooden boards, stone fragments, beads, bones, teeth, petroglyphs, bronze mirrors, and tomb wall decorations. Data were extracted from excavation reports, museum collections and academic publications. The database includes only those examples for which visual documentation was available. Entries are classified following identifications proposed in the existing literature. This database offers considerable potential for future expansion and use in comparative iconographic studies, validation of archaeologicalinterpretations, and interdisciplinary research exploring maritime cultures and fishing practices in early Japan. Furthermore, its value extends to studies of related themes in other regions and periods, facilitating cross-culturalcomparisons and contributing to a deeper understanding of human interactions with the aquatic environment.
This paper introduces the Mainz Cuneiform Benchmark Dataset (MaiCuBeDa) and the Mainz Cuneiform Benchmark Dataset for the Haft Tappeh Collection (MaiCuBeDa HT), two datasets of cuneiform sign annotations on renderings of 3D models of cuneiform tablets. The first dataset includes annotations of the Frau Professor Hilprecht Collection, a collection of cuneiform tablets from different time periods. The second dataset comprises the first publications of cuneiform sign annotations from the Middle Elamite period, as excavated at the city of Haft Tappeh, Iran. Both datasets are prepared for use in machine learning tasks, such as cuneiform sign recognition, and, due to their rich metadata, also for, e.g., time period classifications of cuneiform tablets. At the same time, they might be used for paleographic studies in Assyriology of their specific time periods. All annotations are also available through a web interface, allowing experts to suggest corrections for further dataset iterations.
This study employs a predictive modeling approach using the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) algorithm to estimate the potential distribution of prehistoric archaeological sites across the karst landscape of the southeastern arm of Sulawesi Island. This region, which includes the karst zones of Matarombeo, Mekongga, Tangkelemboke, and Sombori, possesses high archaeological potential yet remains largely unexplored. By integrating presence data from 64 previously recorded archaeological sites with six environmental variables; namely elevation, slope, aspect, hydrology, and geology, the MaxEnt model produced an indicative map of potential site locations. The model’s output was validated through a field survey conducted in North Kolaka Regency in December 2024, which successfully identified several new sites across various predicted probability classes. The resulting data and maps offer significant value for cultural heritage preservation, spatial planning, and further research in similar karst environments.
The dataset consists of microwear analysis and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) datafiles of ten iconic Viking-Age anthropomorphic artefacts (c. 750-1050 CE) from the collections of the Swedish Historical Museum in Stockholm. The objects, anthropomorphic silver and bronze miniatures, were recorded in September 2023 as part of the ERC Starting Grant BODY-POLITICS. The key objective was to empirically interrogate the engagements the objects elicited, i.e. traces of attachment, use, handling, and manipulation [1, 2]. The data consist of data from microwear analysis in a .csv file, 29 micrographs taken with a Dino-Lite, 16 RTI files, and a contextualizing word document, all stored in the EU Open Research Repository on the open-access repository Zenodo. The data are the first of their kind for these types of objects and have value for research targeting microwear and digital imaging analyses on metal, engagement with anthropomorphic imagery, and interpreted religious/ritual objects. The aim of this paper is thus to describe the formation of the datasets and outline possible reuse of the data. The following articles are linked with the dataset: Eriksen, MH, B. Marshall, E. Aslesen and C. Tsoraki 2025 Viking body-making: new evidence for intra-action with iconic Viking anthropomorphic 'art'. Antiquity. Published online 2025:1-19. doi:10.15184/aqy.2025.10230 Eriksen, MH, K.M. Olley, E. Tollefsen and B. Marshall 2025 Womb Politics: The pregnant body and archaeologies of absence. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 35(3), 522-535. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774325000125
