RSS
SASheader1

By Mark Golitko, Associate editor in lithic and network analysis

This is my first blog since being asked to serve as associate editor for lithic analysis and network analysis. It is somewhat delayed due to the global pandemic and the strange adjustments we have all had to make (teaching and conducting all business online in my case). The spread of Covid-19 itself, and the rapid dissemination of fake news and strange conspiracy theories surrounding the virus have served to highlight the complexity of the global human network to which we all belong, such that a virus that jumped to the human population somewhere in Wuhan, China, reached South Bend, Indiana (where I currently sit writing this) after only about two or three months.

Read more: Some new archaeological network publications

Technological examination of copper bolts from the Deltebre I (1813) site by means of spatially resolved neutron texture measurements

In this brief report, the ongoing spatially resolved neutron texture analysis performed on several copper bolts used to fasten different wooden components of the hull’s structure recovered from the Deltebre I (1813) shipwreck is presented. This site corresponds to a transport ship of a combined British, Sicilian and Spanish fleet supervised by Lt. Gen. John Murray, which ran aground in the Ebro delta (Catalonia coast, western Mediterranean) after an unsuccessful expedition to liberate the city of Tarragona from the control of Napoleon’s troops. Since 2008, it has been the subject of archaeological study by the staff of the Catalan Centre for Underwater Archaeology of the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia. The research conducted has included surveying and recording the ship’s structure, and the excavation of the vessel’s whole cargo (Vivar et al. 2014, 2016). Previous metallurgical studies were conducted on different copper-base artifacts associated with the ship’s structure and cargo (Ciarlo 2015; Ciarlo et al. 2016).

Read more: Technological examination of copper bolts

We had the honour to talk to Drs. Hector Orengo and Arnau Garcia-Molsosa about the research that won the inaugural cycle of this prize. You can find out more in the interview about what inspired them to develop this new field survey technique, the obstacles they encountered, and their plans for taking this new method to the next level. You can view the interview on the : SAS Facebook page

As part of the award, the winning article is made available without a paywall for the next year. Check out the original research here:

Interested in submitting a manuscript for consideration in the 2020 cycle? Learn more here:

We are proud to announce that the Journal of Archaeological Science and Society for Archaeological Sciences Emerging Investigator Award for 2019 has been awarded to Hector Orengo and Arnau Garcia-Molsosa, for their paper 'A brave new world for archaeological survey: Automated machine learning-based potsherd detection using high resolution drone imagery' (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.105013). The panel commended the visionary combination of drone-based photogrammetry, machine learning and parallel computing in an open source environment, with the potential to revolutionise traditional field survey methods.

The authors will receive a $500 cash prize, and the manuscript will be freely available for 12 months. In addition, the manuscript will be highlighted in JAS and SAS communications and websites.

JAS and SAS have partnered in this new initiative to highlight and celebrate the key role of early career researchers in advancing archaeological science. We acknowledge all of the excellent submissions for this award, which demonstrate the exciting new scientific directions that early career researchers are working in.

This is the inaugural year for the award and we encourage submissions for the next round. All nominated papers with a publication date in 2020 will be considered, and the award announcement will take place early in 2021. The purpose of this award is to promote and acknowledge research excellence among early career scientists and provide an international venue for publication of significant work. The research must have a notable impact in the field of archaeological science.

 

 By Agnese Benzonelli, Associate Editor of Archaeometallurgy

The ‘Round Table on XRF: The Future of Collaborative Research on Copper Alloys’ held at the Getty Museum in February gathered 18 international experts in the field of portable x-ray fluorescence from various major universities (University of Buffalo, University College London, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Turin) and institutions, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, MET, MoMA, National Gallery of Art, Opificio delle Pietre Dure and the Rijksmuseum. The meeting discussed three main topics: the evolution of the technique in the last decade, the identification of specific research topics that need to be explored further and the development of shared databases and how to manage them. 

Read more: Workshop Review: XRF Roundtable at the J. Paul Getty Museum

Charles Kolb, our Associate Editor of Archaeological Ceramics, has handpicked and reviewed some books to help you navigate through the quarantine and self-isolation season.

Read more: The Lockdown Book Club: Book Reviews by Charles Kolb

Page 2 of 2