Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

A comprehensive identification protocol for postcranial bones of Southeast Asian Ruminantia. Part 2: Morphological criteria for small and medium-sized species

This paper develops a morphological identification framework for small and medium-sized ruminant postcranial bones using statistical classifiers to improve taxonomic accuracy in Southeast Asia.

The Muskox Way: Humans, plants and animals in northeast Greenland through the Holocene

The paper uses sedimentary ancient DNA to analyze the timing of plant and animal arrivals in northeast Greenland, showing muskox arrived before humans and environmental changes coincided with cultural periods.

Body size, dental pathology and maternal genetic diversity of ancient horses in the eastern Baltic Sea region and western Russia

This study examines body size, dental pathology, and maternal genetic diversity of ancient horses in the eastern Baltic Sea region and western Russia to better understand horse domestication timelines and patterns.

Radiocarbon dating of bird and mammal eye lenses reveals long-term chronology

This study uses radiocarbon dating of eye lenses in birds and mammals to reconstruct long-term chronological information, finding that mammalian lenses span years of life while avian lenses cover several years to decades.

No genetic evidence yet for hinnies at Mazongshan (400-160 BCE), northwestern China

The paper reanalyzes ancient DNA data from Mazongshan and finds that four specimens previously identified as hinnies are actually donkeys, removing genetic evidence for hinnies at the site.

Ancient DNA reveals early use of melons in China's Song Dynasty

This study uses ancient DNA from Song Dynasty melon seeds to show they were likely consumed as fresh or culinary fruits, not sweet dessert melons, and supports their introduction from the Asian domestication pool.

Sulfur isotopes in hunted ungulates reveal Palaeolithic human mobility patterns in Northern Iberia

This paper uses sulfur isotope analysis in ungulate bones to reconstruct Palaeolithic human mobility patterns in Northern Iberia, showing shifts in movement strategies across different periods.

Walrus Population-specific Marine Reservoir Offsets (ΔR) for Calibration of Radiocarbon Dates: Implications for Arctic Chronologies and Medieval Trade

This paper provides population-specific marine reservoir offsets (ΔR) for walrus-derived radiocarbon dates, revealing inter-population variability and refining Arctic chronologies and medieval trade timelines.

Developmental plasticity and genetic selection shaped cereal evolution in the Early Holocene southern Levant

This study shows that increased grain size in early cereals was a plastic response to environmental conditions, not genetic selection for cultivation.

The micro-plant remains preserved on lithics and in the associated sediment of the Hoabinhian Laang Spean cave site, Battambang province, Cambodia.

This study analyzes phytolith assemblages from Hoabinhian archaeological layers and lithic tools in Cambodia to understand plant resource use and environmental context.

Bone collagen hydrogen isotopes as tracers of local palaeoclimate: The Aurignacian from Isturitz cave (France) as a case study

The paper evaluates bone collagen hydrogen isotopes as a proxy for paleoclimatic reconstruction using samples from Isturitz Cave, finding progressive δ2H depletion linked to increasing aridity.

Neotaphonomic characteristics of vertebrate site formation in underwater caves

This study compares bone preservation in wet and dry underwater cave environments using taphonomic analysis of domesticated animal remains from two sites in South Australia.

Redefining accessible food resources for paleodietary reconstruction in Britain: baseline recommendations based on isotopic data synthesis

This study defines broader criteria for accessible food resources using isotopic data from Britain to improve paleodietary reconstructions by reducing sampling bias.

First paleoproteomics evidence of Panicum miliaceum in human dental calculus revealed through expanded protein database approaches

This study identifies Panicum miliaceum proteins in ancient dental calculus using expanded databases, revealing its consumption in past diets and demonstrating the value of broadening protein databases for paleoproteomics.

Leveraging archaeological specimens to investigate failed invasions: A case study on Okhotsk pigs, northern Japan

This study investigates the factors behind the failed invasion of pigs on Rebun Island using archaeological data, identifying reduced propagule pressure, cold climate resistance, and resource scarcity as key contributors.

Stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) suggest eelgrass (Zostera sp.) foddering of Late Iron Age sheep (Ovis aries) in Denmark

The paper uses stable isotope analysis of Late Iron Age sheep bones to suggest eelgrass was a dietary resource, indicating coastal plant use in pastoral systems.

Sedimentary ancient DNA metagenomic analysis provides new insights into farming in central Norway from the Bronze Age to late Medieval period

This study uses sedimentary ancient DNA metagenomics to analyze land use and environmental changes at an archaeological site in central Norway from the Bronze Age to the late Medieval period.

Tracing mobility among Eneolithic-Bronze Age Kurgan populations in the North Pontic steppe

The paper uses strontium and stable isotope analysis to trace mobility patterns among North Pontic steppe populations during the Eneolithic-Bronze Age.

Ecology and demographic structure of an extinct ibex population in Upper Palaeolithic Italian Alps

The paper analyzes extinct ibex population ecology and demographics using multidisciplinary methods on teeth from Riparo Dalmeri, revealing local origins, sex-specific diets, and seasonality changes.

Old Goats: 3,000 years of genetic connectivity of the domestic goat in Ireland

The paper uses genetic and proteomics analysis on archaeological remains to trace genetic connectivity and inbreeding in Irish goats over 3,000 years.

The role of climatic anomalies in agricultural instability and settlement abandonment in northeastern Germany during the Migration Period

This study examines how climatic anomalies during the Migration Period affected agriculture and settlement patterns in northeastern Germany.

Contrasted dissemination patterns of Old-World cottons Gossypium herbaceum L. and G. arboreum L. highlight how wet climate phases determined Levant Cotton domestication and spread

This paper compares the spread patterns of two Old-World cotton species, showing how climate phases influenced their domestication and geographic expansion.

Bioarchaeological evidence for commensal brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in early Neolithic China

This study identifies the presence of brown rats in early Neolithic China using archaeological remains and radiocarbon dating, linking them to rice agriculture.

Paleogenomics suggest domesticated camelid herding and wild camelid hunting in early pastoralist societies in the Atacama Desert

This study uses paleogenomic data to show that early pastoralist societies in the Atacama Desert used both domesticated and wild camelids, with evidence suggesting hunting rather than herding.

MALDI Deamidation Score (MDS): A Fast and Flexible Method for Assessing Deamidation in ZooMS Data and Its Application to the Denisova Cave Bone Assemblage

The paper introduces MDS, a method for assessing deamidation in ZooMS data, demonstrating its application to Denisova Cave bone assemblage to reveal time-varying deamidation patterns across peptides.

Old Collections, New Perspectives: Analytical Reassessment of One of Europe's Biggest Archaeological Broomcorn Millet Deposits (Romania)

This study reanalyzes broomcorn millet grains from Romania's Morteni tell, revealing they date to the Late Iron Age rather than the Chalcolithic, and highlights the importance of isotopic and FTIR-ATR analysis for accurate archaeological interpretation.

Convolutional Neural Networks and Outline Analyses forArchaeobotanical Studies of Domestication and Subspecific Identification

This study compares convolutional neural networks and geometric morphometrics for identifying plant taxa in archaeobotanical samples, finding CNNs outperform EFT even with small datasets.

2000-year fish bone record reveals transition to commercial fisheries during climatic change

The paper analyzes a 2000-year fish bone record to show that commercial fisheries expanded during climatic changes, with increased marine fishing during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and homogenization during the Little Ice Age.

Environmental DNA Reveals Reykjavik's Human and Ecological History

This study uses environmental DNA from Lake Tjornin to challenge the narrative of Norse-induced environmental collapse in Reykjavik, showing dynamic human-environment interactions shaped by both cultural practices and external stressors.

New methods on the block: Taxonomic identification of archaeological bones in resin-embedded sediments through palaeoproteomics

This paper demonstrates the successful retrieval of palaeoproteomic data from bone fragments in resin-impregnated sediment blocks, enabling microstratigraphic taxonomic identification of Pleistocene faunal remains.