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| Archaeological excavations at the early imperial cemetery site of Vagnari, southern Italy. Courtesy Prof. Tracy Prowse, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. |
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Investigations of a Roman cemetery near Vagnari, southern Italy, have yielded information that provides new evidence for population movements 2000 years ago, as well as the ethnic diversity of the Empire when Rome was at the apogee of its imperial might.
The cemetery was first discovered in 2002 by Prof. Alistair Small, Edinburgh University, and from 2003 research at the site has been led by Prof. Tracy Prowse, McMaster University, with research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The cemetery was part of a large imperial estate owned by the emperor. Many, if not all, of the 75 skeletons that have so far been excavated at the site were probably workers employed in agricultural and industrial activities carried out on the Vagnari estate. Fragments of roofing tiles found at the site stamped Gratus Caesaris – ‘Slave of the Emperor’ – also indicate that many of the workers buried in the cemetery were probably servile labourers.
Research undertaken by the Canadian team has focused on analysing stable oxygen isotopes found in the teeth of the excavated skeletons. As Prof. Prowse has noted: ‘Teeth retain the signal acquired during their formation (ie childhood), so this can provide some indication of place of birth.’ The isotopic evidence clearly indicates that while the majority of those buried at Vagnari were locally born, and appear to have spent their entire lives in the region, about 20 percent of those found in the cemetery were foreigners who had been born and spent their childhood in other regions ruled by Rome, or even originated from beyond the Empire’s borders. Grave goods laid alongside many of the bodies, date the cemetery to 1st-3rd century AD, a time when Rome’s wars of imperial expansion certainly led to the acquisition of large numbers of slaves from defeated enemies.
In addition to the oxygen isotope research, two other McMaster researchers, Dr Jodi Barta and Dr Tanya von Hunnis, also extracted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the teeth of some of the bodies in an attempt to discover the maternal ancestry of some of the cemetery’s occupants. It was this line of inquiry that yielded the most surprising of results when one of the skeletons, that dated to the 1st-2nd century, returned mtDNA results that placed him firmly into what scientists refer to as haplogroup D – a genetic group that is of East Asian origin. Unfortunately the scientific technique provides no clue to the skeleton’s paternal DNA. It is also unknown if the individual had travelled all the way from the Far East, or whether one of his maternal ancestors had made the journey. ‘How this particular individual ended up down in Vagnari is an intriguing story and that’s what makes this find very exciting’, said Dr Jodi Barta. Despite raising as many questions as answers, the research has provided new and exciting insights into the great genetic diversity of Graeco-Roman populations, something that has previously been undetectable in the archaeological record.
The genetic origins of the man also raise new questions concerning the links that existed between the Roman Empire and the civilizations of East Asia, especially that of the Han Chinese. Literary records suggest Graeco-Roman writers knew virtually nothing of the states and empires that lay on the far side of the Eurasian landmass. However, the scientific evidence from Vagnari indicates that even if direct diplomatic and economic relations between the Mediterranean world and East Asia were absent, there was nevertheless population movement from one region to the other. It may be the case that there was greater awareness of far-distant regions than is generally considered to be the case. It is to be hoped that future investigations of ancient DNA from elsewhere in the Graeco-Roman world will slowly provide a clearer picture of population movements 2000 years ago.
The results from the research carried out on the Vagnari skeletons is due to be published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology, and will also be presented at the Roman Archaeology Conference, to be held in Oxford between 25-28 March. |
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| The remoteness and very dry environment of Yuma County has allowed the survival of thousands of prehistoric petroglyphs. Photos courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, Yuma. |
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According to the Arizona Bureau of Land Management (BLM), near the end of last year a number of prehistoric features at Sears Point Archaeological Site, Yuma County, were found to have been badly vandalised.
Sears Point has a plethora of archaeological sites including rock alignments, cleared areas, and aboriginal foot trails. Most famous are the thousands of petroglyphs cut into the basalt cliffs and rock faces of the region. These are some of the most important Native American petroglyphs surviving from the prehistoric south-west, carved by peoples from the Desert Archaic, Patayan, and Hohokam cultures that inhabited the region from 10,000 BC through to the arrival of Europeans in the mid 16th century.
The importance of the Sears Point site, and the fragility of the archaeology that it contains, had led to the area being designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Arizona BLM. Despite this protected status, last year’s damage included rolled boulders and fractured petroglyphs. While the BLM does not normally offer rewards, this incident has led authorities to offer $1500 for information leading to the identification and prosecution of those responsible. According to Lori Cook, spokesperson for the Yuma office of the BLM: ‘This site is a very important part of our history and because of this vandalism, a part of history has vanished and we can never get it back. We take vandalism of archaeological sites very seriously. Normally, the Bureau of Land Management does not offer rewards, however, we thought this vandalism warranted the reward. This is a serious crime which is punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and/or imprisonment for up to five years for each offense.’ |
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| Obverse side of an Elamite text, written in nonalphabetic cuneiform script, at Persepolis, c. 500 BC. The tablet is a part of the Persepolis Fortification Archive. On loan from the Iranian government to the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. |
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A new online archive of ancient inscriptions from the ancient Near East and Mediterranean aims to offer a scholarly resource through an online database of images. These written records, which are housed in an array of international museums and libraries, would otherwise be difficult for most people to access.
The site brings these artefacts together on a global network so that they can be viewed by scholars as well as the interested public. Texts displayed include the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia and Canaan, papyri from Egypt, inscriptions carved on stones from Jordan, and many more.
The site offers access to high-resolution images of inscriptions, together with a magnification facility. It also provides a multitude of photographic forms, including the use of infrared lighting to capture and highlight otherwise unseen information. The catalogue also contains old and new images of the same artefact, allowing scholars to compare previous studies in order to delve deeper into the understanding of each text.
Participating academic institutes include the West Semitic Research Project at the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois, and the Ugaritic Texts Digital Edition Project. These leaders in the application of photographic techniques to capture and analyse data of ancient texts are actively involved in research to develop the understanding and appreciation of these documents. After compiling images of over 700 Aramaic tablets found at Persepolis, dating back to 500 BC, scholars at the West Semitic Research Project and the Oriental Institute at Southern California University are joining forces in analysing one of the Middle East’s oldest continuously spoken and written languages. This study opens up access to new knowledge about Imperial Aramaic, the dialect used in international communications and record-keeping in many parts of the Assyria, Babylonian, and Persian empires. The online database allows communication with specialist epigraphers and philologists worldwide, combining multiple studies simultaneously.
To sign up, visit www.inscriptifact.com
To access the database there is a helpful set of instructions online. Simply download the form from the website to obtain a username and password. |
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| Shipworm borings in a modern wharf piling. Photograph courtesy Prof. Mark A. Wilson, Department of Geology, College of Wooster, Ohio. |
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It is becoming increasingly clear from recent studies carried out in the cold waters of the Baltic that marine invaders are slowly extending their range into the sea, causing huge financial damage as they go, and threatening the rich underwater archaeology and maritime heritage of the region.
The aliens colonising the shallow waters of the Baltic are a species of shipworm known as Teredo navalis, which burrow into wooden structures and eventually lead to their destruction. While in other seas and oceans of the world shipworm have always been a problem, until the early 1990s the Baltic had managed to remain free of the molluscs, save for occasional, short-lived invasions. The absence of the shipworm was probably due to the low salinity of the Baltic, which has a narrow entrance connecting it to the Atlantic and a large inflow of fresh water from the many rivers that drain into it. The cold temperature of the sea also helps inhibit the spread of shipworm, and it consequently contains some of the best preserved shipwrecks found anywhere in the world. The sea therefore offers underwater archaeologists an incredibly rich source of information about the maritime history of northern Europe, and it has been estimated that about 100,000 well preserved wrecks still lie on the sea-bed of the Baltic.
Marine biologists are still uncertain as to why shipworms are now being able to expand into the Baltic. While the Teredo may have gained entry into the sea when storms forced saltier water from the North Sea into the Baltic, it nevertheless seems likely that global warming has led to a slight increase in the sea temperature of the Baltic, providing the seaworms with the chance to move north and enjoy a longer breeding season. Studies have confirmed that shipworm has spread into the southern parts of the sea and is now found along the Baltic coasts of Denmark, Germany, and southern Sweden. If the marine molluscs can penetrate further north, then the damage to the underwater and coastal archaeology of the region will be catastrophic.
While Teredo navalis can grow to 50cm in length in tropical waters, in the southern Baltic they are limited to 30cm. Nevertheless, they burrow into all types of wood, creating tunnels sufficiently long to hold their entire body. Wooden ships or submerged coastal structures can be eaten away in a very short space of time: softwoods such as pine can be consumed within four months, while hardwoods such as oak are usually devoured within eight months.
In addition to threatening the archaeology of the region, the northward spread of shipworm would also prove economically disastrous for countries that face onto the sea. In San Francisco Bay alone, Teredo navalis causes approximately $200 million of damage every year, and in the 17 years since the shipworm was first detected in the southern Baltic, its destructive burrowing has caused about €50 million in damage. But the consequences of Teredo infestation can be even greater. In the early 18th century the destructive actions of shipworm on the wooden pilings and sea-gates of the Dutch dyke system so weakened the sea defences that, during the great storm of 1731, the dykes gave way, resulting in extensive flooding and great loss of life.
Unfortunately there is no definitive way to protect wood from the actions of seaworms. Biocides can be applied to submerged timbers, but they merely slow the rate at which the molluscs devour the wood, and also pose a hazard to the environment. Permeable fabrics, known as geotextiles, can be wrapped around timbers and provide a reasonably effective barrier preventing shipworms’ activity, and burying exposed wood beneath the sea-bed also helps safeguard it. However, this depends on archaeologists already being aware of the location of wreck-sites and other submerged timber structures. The preservation of the wrecks and other wooden artefacts littering the sea-floor of the Baltic therefore depends more on the natural barriers of low salinity and cold temperatures that have denied shipworm access to the sea in the past. |
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