Journal of Archaeological Science 36 (1)

Overview of the recent development of oak dendrochronology in Europe related to archaeology and art-history.

Tests the hypothesis that fossil sponges belonging to the Late Cretaceous species Porosphaera globularis represent beads. Thirteen samples of Porosphaera from nine sites (excavated in the late nineteenth century) in Britain and France were analysed. The results are argued to show that archaeological specimens are significantly different in size and perforation pattern from those of a natural geological sample. It is suggested that this may be due to size-sorting caused by sedimentary processes, size-selection by Palaeolithic people or by nineteenth-century collectors. Concludes that new excavations of these sites, involving systematic screening of sediments, are needed in order to provide further samples for research.

An experimental approach has been used to establish whether medieval ironworking activity could be identified in peat bogs using mineral magnetic measurements. First, magnetic susceptibility and remanence properties were obtained for materials from an experimental iron smelt, in a furnace of medieval design, and from material collected during the excavation of the medieval bloomery at Llwyn Du in Coed y Brenin, Snowdonia. Materials sampled and measured included charcoal, aerial dust, roasted bog ore and furnace dust. A second experiment determined whether small amounts of aerial dust released from the furnace could be detected in accumulating peat samples. Thirdly, mineral magnetic measurements were made on a peat core collected close to the Llwyn Du bloomery. It is argued that the results presented here suggest that it is possible to identify evidence of past ironworking in peat bogs using mineral magnetic measurements, and that the signatures remain well preserved in the peat record even after burial for several hundred years.

Argues that, over time, change in the built environment has tended towards the prevalence of classes of buildings that possess selectively adjustable thermal systems which can accommodate diverse and changing social options.

Uses a combination of inorganic (element) geochemical analysis and organic (lipid) analysis applied to anthropogenic sediments in order to investigate space use and identify daily activities in a reconstructed Iron Age village at Lejre, Denmark. Argues that the results emphasise the importance of further studies on ethnoarchaeological material in order to recognise past activities by element analysis. Also suggests that the combination of element and lipid analyses provided a powerful tool both for identifying separate areas and for providing positive identification of activities taking place within those areas. Au (adp)/ PP-B