Books published by BAR Publishing

A unique study of 26 rare wooden mosques from Samsun, in the Central Black Sea Region, and as much a travel account of the author's personal ambition to record these vanishing structures as it is a detailed study of these charming monuments themselves. "I began this study with travelling and finished it in the same way. During the journeys I took along the Istanbul-Samsun, Istanbul-Melbourne and Istanbul-Amasya routes, my heavy bag filled up with an ever increasing number of documents that took up the most important corner of the places where I stayed. Even during the times I was not able to work for a number of weeks due to health problems and other reasons, they were always on my mind and before my eyes." (from the author's Foreword)

Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology 75During 1992/3 nine Later Stone Age (LSA) coastal midden sites ranging in age from 6960 BP to 290 BP, and representing 28 depositional units were excavated in the Blombosfontein Nature Reserve and in the directly adjacent Blombos Estates, situated 20 km to the west of Still Bay, southern Cape, South Africa. This monograph is based on the results derived from the author's research of these sites, including more recent data. In this monograph the term Blombosfontein is used to cover both the Blombosfontein Nature Reserve and the Blombos Estates. The original excavations of 1992 revealed Middle Stone Age deposits but excavation in these levels was limited and the age of the deposits could not be determined. Subsequent excavations of the MSA levels show that the BBC deposits range in age from over 140 000 years to less than 300 years. Excavation of these MSA levels is continuing . The primary objectives of the initial research at Blombosfontein were to examine the economic and cultural diversity present within and across these nine coastal middens. The core of the project revolved around the excavation of the 9 sites and the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the recovered data.

In the Middle Ages, Great Yarmouth was a town of considerable economic and strategic significance; in 1334, it ranked fourth in English provincial towns in its wealth. This work examines in detail the construction and, more especially, material composition of the Great Yarmouth town walls.

Ptolemy's second century geography is the main source traditionally used when dividing pre-Roman Britain into tribal areas. In it he describes the Durotriges as inhabiting Dorset and parts of Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Translated from Russian by N.S. Makhortykh

Hypogean Archaeology No 1Written by Roberto Basilico, Luigi Bavagnoli, Stefano Del Lungo, Gianluca Padovan and Klaus Peter WilkeTranslation by Ivana Micheli

This monograph set out to reveal what an essentially geological analysis could tell about the churches and Nonconformist chapels that appeared so abundantly in the county of Berkshire, England, between the late eighteenth century and the First World War. In an attempt to understand the geological evidence, however, the work inevitably strays into other fields.

The prevailing opinion regarding Gallo-Roman religion is that it was a fusion between the two religions. Scholars who dissent from this view can be divided into two different groups. On the one hand, scholars contend that, during a formative period of Gallo-Roman civilisation, there was a partial abandonment of the Gallic rites, that Roman religion came to be understood to be better as well as different, and that Gallo-Roman religion offered more spiritually as well as materially. On the other hand, other researchers hold that the Gallic deities continued to be worshipped, some under a Roman guise, others in their original pre-Roman form; however, they accept aniconism, atectonism and the reports that the Romans stopped human sacrifice and headhunting. This volume argues not only that the worship of Gallic deities continued, but also that Gallic religion already used man-made sanctuaries and anthropomorphic images before the Roman Conquest, that the disappearance of human sacrifice was wrongly attributed to the Romans and that the Romans never suppressed headhunting. In chapter one some conceptual problems, including those regarding terminology, presuppositions and errors are looked at. In the second chapter the archaeological and literary sources of information about Gallic religion and their reliability are examined. Using these sources, in the third chapter, Gallic deities are identified and the enigma of the pantheon set out by Caesar is decoded. In the fourth chapter the use of formal structures of worship and ritual by the Gauls is confirmed and the essential elements of such structures are analysed, with the argument being supported by a comparison of pre-Roman Celtic sanctuaries from both inside and outside the Roman Empire. In the fifth chapter the concept of sacrifice is examined from an anthropological perspective and this approach is applied to all Gallic sacrifices; the Gallic rituals of divination and circumambulation are also examined. The basis for the magico-religious significance and popularity of headhunting is established in the sixth chapter. Finally, in the seventh chapter, the Celtic belief in an Afterlife is defined and its attraction is demonstrated. In each chapter, the number of these Gallic beliefs and customs, which continued after the Roman Conquest, is examined and it is demonstrated that Gallic religion was not abandoned, that the Celtic sanctuary design was the basis for Gallo-Roman temple design and that Gallo-Roman religion continued to be Gallic as well as Roman.

Intrigued by this mundane, ubiquitous vessel, the author of this study began to collect data from amphora related burials with the intention of drawing parallels between Roman lifestyles and changing funerary practices in Gaul. As the data collection grew, it became apparent that not all of the burial contexts that contained amphorae qualified as élite burials. Some contained sherds rather than complete amphorae, together with potsherds and fragmentary goods. Convinced that sherd burials hinted at a localised tradition, details were added to the growing database of evidence. This study therefore aims to understand this relationship through interrogation of the reasons for the selection of amphorae and their treatment in the light of mortuary practice. While amphorae are still the key to this study, it is recognised that the significance of the vessels must be relative to cultural and social contexts; therefore the focus of this study widens from being a study of amphora in burials to a study of funerary behaviour and attitudes in which amphorae are incidental. The work is divided into three parts. The first section explores the development of feasting rituals in Iron Age Europe using the evidence of mythic literature, classical texts and iconography. Chapters 2 and 3 identify, describe, differentiate and analyse the feasting customs of Greek and Roman societies in order to lay a foundation for a comparative interpretation of Celtic or Gallic feasting ritual in Chapter 4. Chapter 4, as well as reviewing the classical observation of authors such as Tacitus and Strabo who describe the Gauls through Roman eyes, also introduces the corroboration of later Irish mythic in which 'Celtic' feasting plays a part. In Chapter 5 the textual sources are supported by the artefactual evidence of feasting vessels, furnishings and accommodation which were particular to feasting. Chapter 6 comments on the rise of powerful individuals and the social changes which may have culminated in a series of Gallic burials containing wine-related vessels. In part II three chapters are concerned with the disposal of both human and non-human material. Chapter 7 lists 265 Late Iron Age burials of Gallic Europe which contain amphorae, either in complete or sherd form. Though the initial recording of interments may have been included in a cemetery record, in this instance each burial is treated as a unique ceremony and is accorded an individual account. The amphora burials of the Champagne region are considered in full detail in Chapter 8. A body of evidence presenting similar ideology to that of amphorae burials is that of 'funerary' pits, which contain artefactual deposits associated with wine. These are considered in Chapter 9. Part III, the concluding Chapter 10, provides an interpretation of the assembled evidence, and attempts to justify conclusions.

Report of the 1995 and 1996 excavations at the site of Lao Pako, situated c. 40 km from Vientiane at the bank of Nâm Ngum River in Laos. The artefacts and other material give evidence of many different kinds of activities going on about 1600 years ago. The importance of the site in manufacturing of or trading with pottery is indicated by the 45 complete buried jars and 270 kilos of pottery sherds. Further finds include slag, iron artefacts etc. The inhabitants belonged to the same large cultural group as those occupying sites such as Ban Na Di, Ban Chiang and Ban Chiang Han. This culture is distinctively different to groups living at the same time in southern China.

Society for South Asian Studies Monograph No 2

South Asian Archaeology Series No. 9Edited by Alok K. Kanungo

This book, constructed around a central theme rather than a specific time period or region, aims to show how different researchers working on different topics address the issues around the inter-relationships between groups in pre- and protohistoric periods, through the analysis of certain raw materials. This diachronic perspective allows the reader to obtain a broader view of some of the lines of research that are being followed in different areas of the Mediterranean. The editors intend for this monograph to open its doors to researchers who work over a broad chronological period, rather than focusing on a specific moment, as some congresses or collective monographs do. It is hoped that it presents avenues for future research, which can help other researchers to understand some of the lines that are currently being followed and the methodologies that are being used to analyse and determine the origin of raw materials used in the preparation of ornaments, ceramic vessels, lithic instruments, and other objects.

The present volume on the site of Mas Gusó presents in detail the results obtained during fourteen excavation campaigns, focusing, this time, on the Roman settlement. This complex was built in the late second century BC over an old Iberian settlement, which in turn occupied the space on which an Early Iron Age community had previously settled, following a previous Bronze Age settlement. The Roman complex of Mas Gusó had a military-public function, as a praesidium intended to control the hinterland territories of Emporion and to take part in military actions within the province of Hispania Citerior, beginning with the Late Republic, c. 135 BC, and continuing for several centuries until its disappearance around 280 AD. During the first decades of the Common Era, the complex was probably transformed into a statio, directly linked to the local road network, although it did not lose its military function. The building presents a classical structure, showing a clear Italic influence that is observed repeatedly and with little variation throughout the Empire.En el presente volumen sobre Mas Gusó se exponen extensamente los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de catorce campañas de excavaciones, referidos, en esta ocasión, al establecimiento de época romana. Un complejo levantado hacia finales del siglo II a.C. sobre un antiguo asentamiento ibérico, el cual, a su vez, ocupó el mismo espacio en el que anteriormente se estableció una comunidad de la primera Edad del Hierro, sucesora de otra de la Edad del Bronce. El conjunto romano de Mas Gusó tuvo un carácter público-militar, un praesidium relacionado con el control del hinterland ampuritano y con las operaciones militares en la Hispania Citerior, desde la Baja República, hacia el 135 a.C., prolongándose su existencia a lo largo de los siglos, hasta desaparecer alrededor del año 280. A partir de las primeras décadas de nuestra era, probablemente fue transformado en una statio, vinculada directamente a la red viaria local, sin perder su función militar. Adopta una estructura clásica, de clara filiación itálica, que se repite con pocas variaciones a lo largo de todo el Imperio.

L'Architettura Rupestre è una particolare forma di architettura che presenta caratteristiche "costruttive" e morfologiche diverse da quelle tradizionali. Il volume propone una revisione delle procedure di acquisizione 3D, elaborazione e rappresentazione inerenti l'Architettura Rupestre attraverso uno studio metodologico sulle diverse fasi del processo e la sistematizzazione dei criteri operativi. Lo studio è stato attuato attraverso l'integrazione di differenti metodi di rilevamento e, allo stesso tempo, attraverso la comparazione di strumenti software per la gestione ed elaborazione dei dati, in funzione della rappresentazione e della comunicazione finale. L'approfondimento della ricerca metodologica è stato condotto su un caso di studio nazionale, rappresentato dal Monastero Benedettino di Subiaco, esempio di integrazione tra architettura e cavità naturali che ha permesso di trovare soluzioni alternative su aspetti fondamentali della ricerca.Rupestrian Architecture is a particular form of architecture that presents 'constructive' and morphological characteristics different from the traditional ones. This volume proposes a general revision of procedures for the 3D acquisition, elaboration and representation of Rupestrian Architecture through a methodological study on the different phases of the process and a systematization of the operational criteria. The study was implemented by integrating different survey methods and, at the same time, by comparing software tools for data management and processing, focusing on the final representation and communication of the data. The methodological research was conducted as a national case study, represented by the Benedictine Monastery of Subiaco, an example of the integration of architecture and natural cavities that has allowed the author to find alternative solutions in fundamental aspects of the research.

Megalithic tombs in Orkney have yielded some of the largest volumes of human remains in Neolithic Britain. However, discrete skeletons are lacking; the researcher is often presented with formidable volumes of disarticulated and comingled remains. Themes of transformation, fragmentation and manipulation of the body permeate the literature, conferring on the megalithic structures significance as places of transition. Previously, the inherent complexity of the remains has made them an unattractive proposition for detailed study. However, advances in taphonomic analysis mean that techniques now exist for approaching such complex assemblages. A study has now been successfully carried out on the Orcadian remains, uncovering the wealth of new data presented in this volume. This data draws attention to subtle variations in funerary ritual between and within the tombs, and pushes for a dramatic reconsideration of our current understanding of the practices and cosmologies associated with these enigmatic structures.

This study sets forth a typological classification of hitherto undocumented ceramic artefacts from the Hulbuk excavation site (south east of Tadjikistan, Kuliob district). This material from the ninth to the mid-eleventh century, collected from 1953 to 1978 by the Russian-Tadjik campaigns, mainly comes from the citadel, some wells located in the lower part of the city and from one or two kilns. Concentrating on this site - the capital of Khuttal - the author focuses on the material culture of the Turkish-Iranian dynasty. Previous research in this area has not been on the same scale as that undertaken in mediaeval Central Asia (West to East Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirghizstan and South Kazakhstan). The chronological period in question is rich in technical innovations and decorative creations. The ninth century saw the beginning of the development of glazed pottery. Under the Abbasids, considerable advances were made in science, in particular chemistry, and this led to the emergence of techniques, such as glaze, which modified the ceramic craft. In Part 1, the author examines specific aspects of the geography and history of Central Asia at the beginning of medieval period (the eighth to the eleventh century) to shed light on the extent to which this vast central-Asian area was physically and ideologically conquered. Regarding the Arab-Islamic conquest of this area, the study shows as far as is possible how a new culture and religion penetrated these countries, presenting also the influence of Near-East dynasties and the gradual lack of control of the caliph on local dynasties. Contacts and political tensions with China and tribal Turks are also taken into consideration. For the ceramic study (Part 2), the author puts in place a typology according to: fabric and shape for glazed and unglazed pottery; the nature of the glaze and decoration; and additives in the glaze-ware. This research offers an important ceramics corpus in a new typo-morphology, of interest to historians and archaeologists working on central-Asian Islamic pottery. Part 3 deals with the technical particularities of this geographical area, presenting a typology of ceramics produced in Hulbuk, and highlighted specific elements required for the manufacture of pottery (moulds), including placing and firing the pottery in the kiln. Part 4 deals briefly with the distribution of glazed and unglazed types of mains ceramics and commercial paths according to the historical sources.

Society for Arabian Studies Monographs No. 7

Artefacts are meaningless until viewed in their chronological, spatial and functional context. Archaeological interpretation relies unequivocally on the integrity of these affiliations. The archaeological record, however, is not static. It is part of a dynamic natural system that is constantly being changed and reworked. The importance of this fact is that these natural systems can affect the inferences that archaeologists make. Natural site formation processes must be understood before using the archaeological record for interpretations. There are many natural processes that can affect the record, including biological factors and physical agencies. The potential processes available for study are vast and as a result, within this work a selected set of site formation processes are considered in detail. Of the extensive array of natural processes at work in site formation, a predominant part of the equation is the action of sedimentation. Various past studies in site formation are based on sedimentation in a fluvial environment and have dealt with lake margins only in a cursory manner. It is this geomorphological process in a near shore environment that will be examined for its effect upon archaeological sites and the material artefact record. The archaeological remains examined in this work are possibly Plio-Pleistocene occurrences from East and Central Africa. Chapter One sets out to describe the importance of understanding lake margin processes as well as to describe the scope of this work. Chapter Two includes a discussion of the methodology and background for this research. It will provide the necessary information for an understanding of some of the pertinent geomorphological processes at work at a lake margin. Chapter Three is a presentation of the methodology and results of each site formation experiment conducted. It includes a description of each experiment, summary and descriptive statistics, a discussion of the findings and a summary of results as indicators of archaeological site transformation. Since a single model analogue used exclusively in taphonomic and site formation analysis may be a simplistic approach to a complex situation, actualistic studies outlining alternative models are examined in Chapter Four. It is a comparative study of the effects of a lacustrine incursion with all other known agencies that have potential for transforming an archaeological site. Chapter Five is an application of the results to Naiyena Engol from Lake Turkana, Kenya and Senga 5A from Zaire, the first being a Plio-Pleistocene archaeological site and the second being an occurrence that has variously been interpreted as Pliocene to Holocene in age. Chapter Six is a conclusion and summary of the findings.

Paris Monographs in American Archaeology 13The site of Caseta in the Sayula Basin (Jalisco, Mexico) was discovered in 1992 and immediately became the focus for a rescue project because of its archaeological importance. Over the following seasons, the funerary assemblages took on an increased significance, representing as they did, finds from the Usmajac phase (300/400 BC) to the Amacueca (1100-1500 AD), and by way of their differences from the usual characteristic features of the vicinity. Analysis of this funerary material revealed socio-cultural as well as archaeo-biological insights into the populations over a relatively long period before the hispanicisation of the Sayula Basin. Chapters 1 & 2 are devoted to a general overview of the region and the site. Chapters 3-5 detail the finds. The cultural and biological nature of the finds are discussed in Chapters 6 & 7, while Chapters 8 & 9 concentrate on comparative studies and synthesis.

Zum Problem der Wertung von Waffen in Gräbern des 3. und frühen 2. Jahrtausends v. Chr. in Mesopotamien und Syrien

Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology 51The Kintampo Complex is the first settled, sub-Sahelian complex in West Africa, and central to our understanding of West African prehistory. Kintampo appeared in Ghana around 4000 years ago, just after the onset of the last arid phase in the Sahara. This volume is based on research undertaken on the Gambaga Escarpment in Northern Ghana and expands knowledge in three ways: it provides the first description of the area; it places the northern manifestation of Kintampo within the context of what is known about the Kintampo complex; it explores the question of a framing base for Kintampo subsistence and embeds it in the current discussions on the origins of agriculture.

This volume, edited by John Bintliff and Hanna Stöger, consists of 24 papers and an introduction covering recent developments in the Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology of Greece. These are revised and updated articles from a conference organized at the University of Corfu. The contributions are grouped under the following themes: Landscape Studies, Individual Site Studies, Medieval and Ottoman Mytilene, Vernacular Architecture, Ceramics and Material Culture, Early Modern Ethnoarchaeology and Heritage and Perception. The collection provides an excellent introduction into current research in till-recently neglected eras of Aegean Archaeology.

This publication is based on new fieldwork carried out on the island of Huahine, French Polynesia, in the years 2001-2004. The aim of the project was to establish a chronological framework of the marae structures mainly on the island of Huahine in the Leeward Society Islands. However dates were also conducted on earlier collected charcoal from excavated marae structures on the Windward Islands to control the wider context of our local results. Other questions of interest to this study were how the marae structures were located on the landscape, as well as, aspects of their extended uses and modern changes.

This study examines faunal assemblages from late Neolithic sites in Provence for what they can add to our picture of late Neolithic animal husbandry and what the strategies employed indicate as regards social complexity. French text.

This volume discusses the role of organic residue analysis in identifying economic activities and subsistence practices associated with the first uses of pottery in the Middle East, and presents the results of analysis of 280 potsherds recovered from 22 Neolithic and early Chalcolithic settlements dating between 7300 and 4300 cal BC.

South American Archaeology Series No.9

This is the publication of the late Avner Raban's wide-ranging work on the harbour of Sebastos (Caesarea Maritima), completed and edited by his colleagues under the aegis of Michal Artzy.Edited by M. Artzy, B. Goodman and Z. Gal

This study aims to reconsider current reconstructions of the Iron Age Northern Levant and the role that ceramics studies have played in these interpretations. The author presents a regional ceramic typology for the Iron Age (including the Persian period) and undertakes an analysis of the distribution patterns of this typology across the Northern Levant. An alternative interpretation of the ceramic data is offered, before being compared with the conventional historical model. This alternative reconstruction focuses on theories of practice, and foodways, whilst appreciating the dynamic manner by which material culture is used to constantly negotiate and consolidate social structures. In the end, the study offers one perspective on the compatibility of archaeological data and the historical text, and makes some final recommendations for their correlation.