Episode 3 – C for Chaîne Opératoire, Lepenski Vir Site Visit, and Archaeology News

Into the Dust Archaeology

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqhzcSU9s4w&list=PLcH4-BWqVM6KHP2Ih6UEq4_G1qRq8MgSn&index=8
1) ABCs of Archaeology – C is for Chaîne Opératoire

Chaîne Opératoire is a French term translating into English as “operating chain.” It describes the whole set of processes from making to depositing (i.e. throwing away) an artefact and can teach us quite a bit.

2) Living Archaeology Site Visit – Jason takes you to the bizarre and internationally little-know site of Lepenski Vir, a neolithic village in the Iron Gates region of Serbia. Some claim it to be the oldest ‘urban’ site in Europe.

· References:

o https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-31884-7

o https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25778

o https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370208494_THE_SUMMER_SOLSTICE_SUN_AT_LEPENSKI_VIR

3) Archaeology News – The potential origins of Multiple Sclerosis, hidden ancient cities of the Amazon, and Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon fashion accessories from Africa…the wonders of archaeological science, which seems to bring new discoveries to the headlines every day.

· Multiple Sclerosis

o A study of ancient and modern European and Eurasian genomes reveals a prevalence of Yamnaya DNA among Northern Europeans, leading to their susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.

o Sources

§ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00024-9

§ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06618-z

§ https://www.reuters.com/science/dna-ancient-europeans-reveals-surprising-multiple-sclerosis-origins-2024-01-10/

§ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04800-3

§ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm4247

· Lost Amazonian cities

o A LIDAR survey of the Upano Valley in the Amazon region of Ecuador revealed some startling finds.

o Sources

§ https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi6317

§ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67940671

§ https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/11/amazon-archaeology-lost-cities-ecuador

· Anglo-Saxon ivory rings

o Ivory rings found on the belts of women in Early Medieval England and northern Germany were found to have originated with African elephants!

o Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X23001189#:~:text=The%20radiocarbon%20dating%2C%20strontium%20analysis,fifth%20and%20sixth%20centuries%20AD
#archaeology #history #science