Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
-
An identification key for dermal denticles of Rajidae from the North Sea
- As a result of more systematic fine sieving on archaeological sites, dermal denticles and isolated teeth of rays are now more frequently recovered than before. A detailed description of the teeth is available in the literature, but no comparative study of the morphology of the dermal denticles exists that allows the identification of such elements issued from archaeological sites. A key and illustrations are provided for the identification of the dermal denticles of 10 ray species from the North Sea. In addition, the ray denticles have been analysed from seven medieval and postmedieval sites showing their potential for the interpretation of ichthyo-archaeological assemblages.
-
Social status as reflected in the food refuse from late medieval sites in Namur (Belgium)
-
Stratigraphie et faune d’un puits d’extraction néolithique à Petit-Spiennes
- L'étude de la stratigraphie combinée à celle de la faune d'un puits d'extraction de silex, fouillé entre 1997 et 1999 à Petit-Spiennes, tente de retracer l'histoire détaillée du comblement d'un puits afin d'y rechercher des indices relatifs au travail minier. Elle montre que le comblement ne doit pas être conçu comme un événement synchrone mais doit se mesurer, au minimum, en terme de mois dans un environnement qui, lui, reste stable. La faune - et parmi celle-ci, surtout, les petits vertébrés intrusifs recueillis sur toute la hauteur du puits d'accès ainsi que les gastéropodes, - indiquent un milieu semi-forestier marqué par la présence de la Trouille. La découverte d'éléments fcetaux d'animaux domestiques suggère la pratique de lélevage dans un périmètre relativement proche de la mine e! par là même, celle d'un habitat aux alentours de 4500 8.P., époque du comblement de la structure. La stratigraphie offre, enfin, une illustration de phénomènes de tassement, décrits précédemment dans la littérature, ainsi que dévénements post-dépositionnels particuliers qui posent le problème du déplacement de certains restes dans un espace en théorie colmaté.
-
Archaeozoological evidence for the former presence of spotted-necked otter ( Lutra maculicollis ) in Egypt
- A description is given of the skeletal remains of otter discovered at the Late Palaeolithic fishing sites Makhadma 2 and 4. This is the second archaeozoological find of otter in Egypt and the first one that allows an identification at species level. The possible reasons for the rarity of otter remains in sites along the Egyptian Nile are discussed as well as the possible causes for the present-day local extinction of the species. The consequences of these bone finds for the interpretation of animal depictions and statuettes in ancient Egyptian art are briefly mentioned.
-
On the use of endosteal layers and medullary bone from domestic fowl in archaeozoological studies
- The very high incidence of medullary bone in two archaeozoological assemblages of the Roman period was believed to reflect systematic slaughtering of older hens at the end of the egg laying season. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, histological analyses were carried out. Histological data in the literature on ageing of modern fowl and on the development of medullary bone in hens are insufficient for application to archaeozoological material. Bones of modern fowl of known age were analysed with the aim of validating the use of endosteal layers for ageing. In addition, hens with known egg laying stage were studied in order to try and document differences in medullary bone development that could be related to the time of slaughtering (just before, during, or just after the egg laying season).
-
Fish otoliths and their relevance to archaeology: an analysis of medieval, post-medieval and recent material of plaice, cod and haddock from the North Sea
- The growth increments were investigated of late medieval, post-medieval and modern otoliths of plaice, cod and haddock from the North Sea. Thin-sectioned otoliths were used to age all the analysed individuals and to reconstruct their growth patterns. In addition, fish lengths of the archaeological specimens were calculated after the relation between otolith width and fish length was established using modern material. The age and fish length distribution, and the growth patterns obtained on the archaeological material allow inferences about fish trade, market strategies and consumption behaviour on producer sites (coastal sites) and consumer sites. Differences in growth patterns were observed between the archaeological and recent populations of the three demersal species analysed which may be related to a change in fishing pressure through time. However, diachronic changes in species distribution, temperature, food availability and selection of catch in function of market strategies may have played a role as well. Age and body size data allow some inferences about the exploited fishing grounds, but the growth patterns are of limited use in this respect.
-
Excavations at Hierakonpolis
-
The Tree Shelter, a Holocene Site in the Red Sea Mountains
-
The Chaîne de Gobnangou , SE Burkina Faso : archaeological, archaeobotanical, archaeozoological and geomorphological studies
-
Osteological evidence for the draught exploitation of cattle: First applications of a new methodology
- Although the aetiology of bone pathologies in cattle is poorly documented, various deformations in the skeleton have been attributed to draught exploitation in the archaeozoological literature. This paper summarizes the results of an osteological study that was undertaken on the feet of modern draught oxen. This led to the definition of a series of draught-related anomalies. In an attempt to describe the pathologies in a more consistent and quantitative way, a scoring scale for each individual bone pathology was established. The developed method is applied to cattle remains from four Roman and one late medieval site. The distribution of the observed pathological indices (PIs) on the first phalanges is interpreted in terms of the age structure of the cattle populations, and the possible modes of cattle exploitation and meat consumption in various settlement types.
-
Evidence for banana cultivation and animal husbandry during the first millennium BC in the forest of southern Cameroon
- The faunal and botanical data from the first millennium site of Nkang, Southern Cameroon, are presented in this paper. The analysed material, retrieved from refuse pits, comprises charcoal, phytoliths, molluscs and animal bones, which allow a reconstruction of the former environment. In addition, the site provides new insights into the emergence of food-producing communities in the African rainforest. Food procurement strategies at the site involved gathering, hunting, fishing, as well as small livestock keeping and banana cultivation. This is the earliest evidence for such practices in Central Africa.
-
Fischreste aus den neuen Grabungen in Troia (1989-1999)
-
First inland records of the euryhaline goby Knipowitschia caucasica from lakes in Anatolia, Turkey
- Knipowitschia caucasica, a euryhaline Ponto–Caspian–Aegean gobiid fish, is recorded for the first time from Lakes Egirdir, Eber and Demirköprü (Anatolia). Its presence in these lakes is probably due to involuntary introduction with common carp from hatcheries in the Edirne–Ipsala region, Thrace, the European part of Turkey.
-
Reconstructing age distribution, season of capture and growth rate of fish from archaeological sites based on otoliths and vertebrae
- The growth increments of otoliths and vertebrae of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) derived from a 15th century single depositional event at Raversijde (Belgium) are analysed with the aim of reconstructing (a) the age distribution of the population, (b) the season of capture, and (c) the growth rate. Otoliths and vertebrae give slightly different age distributions but it is possible to arrive at similar seasonality estimations in both structures when information from the literature and our own data from monthly captures of plaice from the North Sea are taken into account. These modern data show that the timing of annulus formation in otoliths and vertebrae is more or less similar. Back-calculations on vertebrae and otoliths yield similar growth curves. The age distribution, the edge condition of both vertebrae and otoliths, and the growth rate obtained on the material from Raversijde all show that the plaice from the studied assemblage were captured during spring in the southern part of the North Sea. Vertebrae are commonly preserved in archaeological sites whereas otoliths rarely survive. Although they are more difficult to read than otoliths, vertebrae of plaice can be used for growth increment analyses, and the growth rates obtained from vertebrae from archaeological sites can, therefore, be compared in the future to growth data from modern otoliths studied in sea fisheries research. Archaeozoological material predating industrialized fishing since the 19th century can hence serve as a reference in the study of the compensatory response of commercially important species to heavy exploitation.
-
The genus Aphanius Nardo 1827 (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) in Turkey
- The Turkish species of the Cyprinodontiform genus Aphanius Nardo 1827 are described. The naming used follows Wildekamp (1993) (1) as the latest available revision. Information is given on morphology, sexual dimorphism, colouration and distribution, as well as remarks on taxonomy, nomenclature, distribution, variability and conservation. Comments are given on the Lazara (1995) (2) revalidation of Lebias as a distinct genus. It is shown that Valenciennes (1846) (3) is the first revisor of Lebias, and not Lazara, and that Aphanius should be maintained as a genus. The taxon Aphanius chantrei (Galliard 1895) is regarded as a junior synonym of Aphanius danfordii (Boulenger 1890), a lectotype for A. danfordii is designated and a more detailed type locality is given.
-
Contribution to the archaeozoology of the Brandberg, Namibia
-
Man and environment in the territory of Sagalassos, a classical city in SW Turkey
- Since 1990 archaeological research by the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) has been carried out at the ancient site of Sagalassos (Aǧlasun, Burdur province, Southwestern Turkey). At first, research focused on the excavation of the city and the study of the immediate vicinity which provided it with raw materials. The main objective was to obtain a clear picture of the history and development of the city. Since 1993 research has also incorporated a study of the territory of the Roman city, from prehistoric to modern times, in order to understand why the site was selected for settlement, why it developed into a middle-sized town, its economy and subsistence, how it affected and exploited the environment, its decline, and what changes have taken place in the district subsequently. The focus has now shifted towards obtaining a better understanding of the linkages between human and environment systems so that inter-relations between the two can be more readily understood. As a result, a number of environmental topics concerning the territory of the Roman city are presently being studied. This territory extended from Lake Burdur in the West to the Aksu canyon in the East, from the Aǧlasun Daǧlari in the North to Mt. Kestel in the South. Interdisciplinary research revealed that for the early Neolithic and the Roman period there was a slightly warmer climate, a richer vegetation and more fertile soils for agricultural practice.
-
Mahgar Dendera 2 (Haute Egypte), un site d’occupation badarien
- The site of Mahgar Dendera 2, in Upper Egypt, is the only new Badarian site excavated for over 50 years. It features a seasonal campsite, dating to about 4100 BC. The faunal remains indicate that that people arrived at the site with their flocks at the moment when the Nile was low. Because the site is located close to the Nile, this allowed them to herd their animals when grazing possibilities became scarce in the vicinity of the permanent settlement. Furthermore, they were fishing, probably in the main channel of the Nile. The site was left when the Nile started to rise, and the flooded zones became fordable and work in the fields started again. The lithic material represents a specialised industry, apparently orientated towards working perishable materials such as wood and reed. Pottery was not produced at the site itself and served largely for storage purposes. The occupation features consist of hearths, post holes and storage holes. As an important part of the site was already destroyed at the time of the salvage excavation, it was impossible to identify well defined constructions. This volume contains the final excavation report, illustrated by a large number of drawings and photo's. (text in French with English summary)
-
Oostende : Stadvernieuwing en Archeologie. Een balans van 10 jaar archeologisch onderzoek van het Oostendse bodemarchief
-
The fauna of Kadero and the arrival of pastoralism in the Nile Valley of Central Sudan
