In the spring of 1497, the Hispaniolan cacica (chieftess) Anacaona presented Columbus’ brother, Adelantado (Governor) Bartolomé Colón, with a lavish assortment of Indigenous wealth, including both woven textiles and balls of spun cotton, “so large that a man could hardly lift them.”

These had been stored among the cacical reserves, held in readiness for distribution in ways deemed useful to the chiefs and their communities – from spun cotton for artisanal commissions, to finished ob...

This volume showcases cutting-edge research in digital archaeology, presenting 27 chapters that explore how computational methods are transforming archaeological fieldwork, analysis, data management, and interpretation. Topics range from AI applications in artefact classification and spatial modelling, to 3D reconstructions, machine learning, remote sensing, and natural language processing. The contributions highlight the integration of digital tools with archaeological theory, demonstrating ...

This book discusses the lithic technology of the neighboring sites of Ruien and Kerkhove (Belgium). The Final-Palaeolithic occupation of Ruien took place during the harsh climatic conditions of the Younger Dryas. The Early and Middle Mesolithic hunter-gatherers from Kerkhove on the other hand lived in the temperate and forested environments of the subsequent Early Holocene period. The aim of this work is more precisely to gain a better understanding of how the practice of flintknapping evolve...

Before the introduction of Roman temples in the Low Countries, there used to be ‘open air cult places’ in the Iron Age. That is at least the assumption based on descriptions given by classical writers and several structures typified as sanctuaries that were excavated in France.

Several of these French sanctuaries portray long usage, modifications, disarticulated human remains, and depositions of animal bones and Iron Age weaponry. However, the regularly encountered rectangular structures...

This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the typology and chronology of pottery from Tepe Sadegh, located on the Sistan Plain of southeastern Iran. Tepe Sadegh, a suburban settlement situated 75 km southeast of Zabol and 13 km southwest of the prominent Bronze Age site Shahr-i Sokhta, serves as one of its satellite settlements. Shahr-i Sokhta, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the largest Bronze Age urban centres in the region, spans four distinct periods of occupation over ...

Over the past few years, the archaeological and architectural investigation of ancient Akragas (modern Agrigento) in Sicily has gathered new momentum. This book brings together various researchers who investigate the Greek period remains of Akragas, an ostentatiously wealthy city state that was politically powerful and culturally formative.

The issues discussed range from methodological approaches and the interpretation of fresh field-data, to concerns of site maintenance and the reconstructio...

This work analyzes ritual practices and knowledge related to the Mesoamerican calendar with the aim of contributing to the understanding of the use and conceptualization of this calendar system in the contemporary K'iche' community of Momostenango, in the Highlands of Guatemala. The research presented here discusses the indigenous calendar system, forms of synergy between the Christian and the Highland Guatemalan calendar, the indigenous perception of history and continuity in time-related sy...

The creation of new capital cities are watershed moments in the lives of ancient empires. Assyria, arguably the most successful imperial state of the ancient Near East, repeatedly engaged in capital creation. Capital creation denotes the development of a monumental capital, either in a new location or through the profound transformation of a pre-existing settlement. This volume focusses on the rationale, construction, and function of the imperial capitals of Assyria: Kār-Tukultī-Ninurta, Ka...

El objetivo de este libro es el análisis sistemático del concepto de sabiduría desarrollado por el pueblo nahua de México, con base en la información proporcionada por las fuentes históricas y la evidencia arqueológica, pero también tomando en consideración tanto el conocimiento que existe en las comunidades nahuas contemporáneas, como el de los investigadores pertenecientes a los pueblos originarios de México. Esta investigación pretende demostrar de qué forma los procesos cogni...

Een geschiedenis van de ontwikkeling en toepasbaarheid van voorspellingsmodellen ontwikkeld bij RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau

Het afgelopen decennium was een periode van ingrijpende verandering voor de Nederlandse archeologie in het algemeen, en in het bijzonder voor RAAP Archeologisch Adviesbureau, dat in die periode aan de wieg stond van de ontwikkeling van archeologische verwachtingskaarten. De papers in deze dissertatie bespreken de hier verschillende ontwikkelde voorspellingsmodellen en...