Search Results

Search Constraints

Start Over
Filtering by: Discipline Humanities Remove constraint Discipline: Humanities Discipline Science Remove constraint Discipline: Science

Search Results

  • Gajtan

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The following works contain the databases, field notebooks, unit and profile drawings, photographs, photo descriptions, radiocarbon dates, and geophysical survey data related to the Gajtan settlement excavation.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    5Works

  • Projekti Arkeologjik i Shkodrës (PASH)

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The data presented here were collected in the course of archaeological survey and excavation in the region of Shkodër in northern Albania, carried out between 2010 and 2014, with a follow-up visit in 2016. The Projekti Arkeologjik i Shkodrës (PASH) was co-directed by Michael L. Galaty (University of Michigan) and Lorenc Bejko (University of Tirana) and was sponsored by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF BCS1220016), The University of Tirana, Millsaps College, Mississippi State University, and the University of Michigan. The data presented here accompany a two-volume research report, published by the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Press (Galaty and Bejko 2023) - Volume 1 ( https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12201317) and Volume 2 ( https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12208577)., The county (Alb. qarqe) of Shkodër is located in northern Albania. It is bordered to the south by the Adriatic Sea and to the northwest by the country of Montenegro. The counties of Lezhë and Kukës are situated to the south and east, respectively. Shkodër Lake is situated along the border with Montenegro. It is the largest freshwater lake in the Balkans. The city of Shkodër is the fifth largest in Albania. It was founded in the Bronze Age and became a Roman colony in 168 BC, following the Illyrian Wars. Several major rivers intersect at Shkodër, including the Buna, which exits Shkodër Lake, the Drin, and the Kir. The latter two rivers flow from the Bjeshkët e Nemuna, the Albanian Alps, and provide access across the mountains, to the Balkan interior, including metal-rich Kosovo. Several very important ancient sites are located to the south of Shkodër, close to the Adriatic coast: Lezhë (ancient Lissus), Apollonia, and Durrës (ancient Epidamnus, Dyrrachium under the Romans). The latter two cities were Greek colonies, founded during the Archaic period. All three became Roman colonies., and PASH was designed to investigate shifts, through time, in Shkodër towards increased social stratification and hierarchy. These shifts commenced during prehistory and are marked by two dramatic changes in the regional landscape: new settlement in defensible “hillforts” and burial in rock and earth mounds. We wondered what factors – environment, settlement, status, conflict, subsistence, trade, migration – might have allowed or encouraged these changes.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    5Sub-collections
    1Works

  • Sulori, Sakakile A039

    work
    Creator:
    Vani Archaeological Survey
    Description:
    The site of Sakakile (“Place of Beads”) lies 3 km upstream of the village of Sulori, on and around a small promontory on the left bank of the river, formed by a bend in the river and oriented southwest-northeast. This low and level promontory must always have made for a convenient crossing place, and there is now a log bridge running from the right bank of the river to the downstream end of the promontory. South of the promontory is a hill oriented east west from which much of the pottery found on the promontory appears to have eroded. The region around the river crossing is divided topographically into three distinct areas: Kvabiskari (“Place of the Cave/Gorge”), located downstream of the crossing and on the right (north) bank of the river; Sakakile, located on the promontory upstream of the crossing and on the left (south) bank of the river; and Likheti, located upstream of and uphill from Sakakile. Luka Dvalishvili, a resident of Sulori and the owner of the plot of land on the promontory, found a hoard of approximately 700 coins (including a silver Croesid) at Sakakile in the 1970s. At more or less the same time, another local farmer named Generi Paikidze found a bronze axe head here as well. After these chance finds, the Vani excavation team opened up two trenches on northern slope of the hill south of the river, where it slopes down to the low, level promontory of Sakakile. The excavations revealed a mixed assemblage of ceramics eroded from the hill south of the promontory, dating from the 8th-1st century B.C. (Iron Age, Classical, and Hellenistic). The only in-situ pottery assemblage was excavated on the hilltop and dates to the 6th-4th century B.C. Northeast of the hill, in the area where the bronze axe head was supposedly found (dated to the 7th century B.C.), the cobblestone foundation of an apsidal structure was excavated, along with clay tiles and metal implements. The excavation report concludes that occupation on the site began in the 7th-6th century, while the period of most intensive development was the 5th-4th century B.C. We recorded the locations of two trenches from the previous excavations and collected pottery from the eroding northern slope of the hill that forms the southern boundary of the promontory.
    Keyword:
    Iron Age, Late Hellenistic, Hoard, Settlement, and Stray Find
    Citation to related publication:
    In 1984, a chance find of a bronze axe was reported from the area known as Sakakile. In the following year, the Vani excavation team began excavations on the northern slope of the hill south of the river. In 1990 a hoard of 607 coins was found in the village of Sulori. A brief survey of the are was conducted in 2008., Lordkipanidze, O. 1986. Argonavtika da dzveli kolkheti [Argonautics and ancient Colchis]. Tbilisi. pp. 82-83. (In Georgian.), Lordkipanidze, O. D., R. V. Puturidze, D. D. Kacharava, V. A Tolordava, M. S. Pirtskhalava, A. M Chqonia, N. N. Matiashvili, D. V. Akhvlediani, G. Sh. Naridze, and G. A. Inauri. 1987. Raboty Vanskoi ekspeditsii [Work of the Vani archaeological expedition]. Polevye arkheologicheskiye issledovaniya v 1984-85 godakh [Field archaeological investigations in 1984-85]. Tbilisi. pp. 54-55. (In Russian.), Inauri, G. 1990a. Arkheologicheskiye razvedki v s. Sulori [Archaeological explorations in the village of Sulori]. Prichernomorye v VII-V vv. do n. e. Pismennye istochniki i arkheologiya. Materialy V Mezhdunarodnogo simpoziuma po drevnei istorii Prichernomorya. Vani – 1987 [The Black Sea littoral in the 7th-5th centuries B.C. Literary sources and archaeology (Problem of authenticity). Materials of the 5th International symposium dedicated to the problems of the ancient history of the Black Sea littoral. Vani – 1987]. Tbilisi. pp. 276-279. (In Russian.), Inauri, G. 1990b. Le territoire de Vani. Un compte rendu des recherches archéologiques. Le Pont-Euxin vu par les grecs. Sources écrites et archéologique. Symposium de Vani (Colchide), Septembre-Octobre 1987, Otar Lordkipanidze et Pierre Lévêque, ed. Tea Khartchilava et Evelyne Geny. Centre de Recherches d’Histoire Ancienne, Vol. 100. Paris: Annales Littéraires de l’Université de Besançon. pp. 249-252. (In French.), Lébanidzé, L. 1999. Le trésor monétaire de Sulori. La Mer Noire zone de contacts. Actes du VIIe Sympsium de Vani (Colchide) – 26-30.IX.1994. Paris. p. 155-158., Lordkipanidze, Otar. 2002. Dzeli kartuli civilizaciis sataveebtan [The sources of ancient Georgian civilization]. Tbilisi. pp. 206-7. (In Georgian.), and Kharabadze, S. 2008. “Vanis Qveq’nis” Arqeologiuri Ruk’a (dzv.ts. VIII – akh.ts. III ss.). (Archaeological Map of the Vani Land, 8th Century BC – 3rd Century AD). Tsardgenilia Doqt’oris Ak’ademiuri Khariskhis Mosap’oveblad. Saqartvelos T’eqnik’uri Universit’et’i. Tbilisi, 0175, Saqartvelo. Seqt’emberi. p. 20. (In Georgian with an English summary.)
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities

  • Realm 3: Tumulus Excavations

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The PASH Data Collection is comprised of Five data “realms”: 1) Survey and site data, 2) Settlement excavations, 3) Tumulus (burial mound) survey and excavations, 4) Artifact analysis, and 5) Geological data. All databases, field notebooks, unit and profile drawings, photographs, photo descriptions, radiocarbon dates, and geophysical survey data related to the tumuli excavations have been made available in PASH Deep Blue Data Realm 3., Total size of all files: approximately 2 gigabytes Chapter(s) linked to: Eight Abbreviations: “T” = tumulus, as in T099; “S” = site, as in S006, The excavation methods employed by PASH at tumuli replicate those employed at settlements. Natural stratigraphy was followed where possible, and arbitrary stratigraphic levels were defined when necessary. Arbitrary stratigraphic levels at tumuli often exceeded the 10 cm interval used at settlements, due to the large number of large rocks that needed to be removed. Due to the numerous rocks, not all mound fill was screened; rather, we screened every third bucket through quarter-inch mesh. By contrast, all soil from features was screened. Soil was sampled for flotation and water screening from every level and feature, but unlike samples from settlements, it has not been processed and analyzed. Each tumulus, being roughly circular, was divided into quadrants along the cardinal directions, and 1-m baulks between quadrants were defined. Quadrants were excavated separately by level. Sometimes quadrants were excavated concurrently. Tumulus unit/level/feature designations are therefore preceded by tumulus (T000) and quadrant (Q000) numbers. Artifact provenience was recorded down to levels and features, with important in situ artifacts sometimes being mapped into level/feature drawings along x-y-z axes. Strata and artifacts were measured cm below surface using a dumpy level. All levels and features were drawn and photographed, individually and by quadrant. , In each mound we followed natural stratigraphy whenever and wherever possible. However, given the steep downward curves of many strata, following the slopes of mound surfaces, this was not always possible. Thus, it is likely that some levels combine artifacts from different mound strata. To control partially for this difficulty, quadrant levels were often subdivided into separate units on the interior or the exterior of mounds (designated “collections units” or CUs). Mound and grave architecture, when present, was left in place until fully defined and documented and then removed if necessary. Baulks were drawn in profile and photographed and removed en masse at the end of each excavation., and Prior to excavation, all mounds surveyed in Shtoj and Shkrel were mapped and fully documented. The state of preservation (present day and projected into the future) of each mound was recorded (from poor to excellent, and from fully safe to critically endangered). Given that so many mounds in both regions were already damaged or had been destroyed, or were actively threatened, we decided to excavate mounds that were (1) already completely removed (T-085), (2) damaged by agricultural activities (T-052), (3) going to be removed by a landowner (despite legal prohibitions) (T-088), and (4) previously looted or excavated (T-099). We did not want to excavate seemingly intact, undamaged mounds. Our tumulus excavations can therefore be aptly described as “rescue” excavations.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    5Works

  • Realm 2: Settlement Excavations

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The PASH Data Collection is comprised of Five data “realms”: 1) Survey and site data, 2) Settlement excavations, 3) Tumulus (burial mound) survey and excavations, 4) Artifact analysis, and 5) Geological data. All databases, field notebooks, unit and profile drawings, photographs, photo descriptions, radiocarbon dates, and geophysical survey data related to the settlement excavations have been made available in PASH Realm 2. and The excavations we conducted at Kodër Boks, Zagorë, and Gajtan were designed to gather as much data as possible, as quickly as possible. They were composed of test pits (“units,” i.e., sondages), primarily 1x1 m in size, occasionally larger, positioned based on the results of field surveys and systematic surface collections of artifacts, but also with reference to prior excavations (at Zagorë and Gajtan) and geophysical data (collected at Gajtan). Excavations followed natural stratigraphy where possible; when such strata were not present, we excavated in 10-cm arbitrary levels. Artifact provenience was recorded down to levels and features, with important in situ artifacts sometimes being mapped into level/feature drawings along x-y-z axes. When identified, archaeological features (e.g., pits, floors, walls, etc.) were excavated separately from levels. Excavators organized forms and accompanying journal entries by “level” and “feature” for each unit. Each level and feature was drawn and photographed. Artifacts were bagged together by level and type. Radiocarbon samples were wrapped in tin foil and bagged separately. Soil samples were taken from each level using the “pinch” method. Upon completion, a profile wall of each unit was photographed, and, in some cases, drawn. Artifacts (with the exception of metal) were washed in water, dried on racks in the sun, and sorted and labeled in the PASH field laboratory. They were analyzed in preliminary fashion first in the field by PASH staff and later by experts.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    3Sub-collections
    0Works

  • Realm 4: Artifact Analysis

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The PASH Data Collection is comprised of Five data “realms”: 1) Survey and site data, 2) Settlement excavations, 3) Tumulus (burial mound) survey and excavations, 4) Artifact analysis, and 5) Geological data. All databases, drawings, photographs, photo descriptions, radiocarbon dates, and analytical data related to artifacts, ecofacts, and human remains have been made available in PASH Deep Blue Data Realm 4. Each artifact dataset will include all or some of the following: - Database files: CSV, Excel, PDF, Word; - Photos: Jpeg; - Drawings: PDF Total size of all files: approximately 10 gigabytes. See individual records or readme for linked chapters. and All artifacts found in the course of survey and excavation were brought to a museum facility in Shkodër (at the Hotel Meteor, on the Shkodër-Koplik road). They were cleaned, labeled, drawn, photographed, and described. Artifact descriptions were entered into one of three databases: pottery, chipped stone, and small finds. Each artifact was assigned a unique identifying number containing locational information. Pottery numbers typically begin with a tract or other collection unit (e.g., grid square in a site-surface collection) identifier, followed by a sequence number if more than one potsherd or ceramic was located in a tract or unit. Lithics and other small finds were assigned a GT number (GT-001, GT-002, etc.; GT being the Albanian acronym for Small Find). During a study season held in December 2014, artifacts were analyzed in more detail by specialists, each of whom produced a lengthier description of pottery, chipped stone, or small finds. A subset of ceramic and groundstone samples was retained for petrographic and chemical analysis. Finally, all seeds and wood charcoal recovered through flotation and all animal bones were analyzed. Human remains from Tumulus 99 were subjected to Strontium-isotope and aDNA analysis.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Humanities and Science
    6Works

  • Realm 1: Field Survey and Site Collections

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The PASH Data Collection is comprised of Five data “realms”: 1) Survey and site data, 2) Settlement excavations, 3) Tumulus (burial mound) survey and excavations, 4) Artifact analysis, and 5) Geological data. All databases, field notebooks, paper maps, GIS files, photographs, and photo descriptions related to the intensive survey, of tracts and tumuli, and the collection of sites have been made available in PASH Deep Blue Data Realm 1 (this sub-collection)., Over the course of five years, 11 field teams (Teams A–K) surveyed 2530 tracts in Shkrel and Shtoj, covering 16.1 km2. Survey data were eventually collapsed into six geographic zones (1–6). All tracts were surveyed using standard Mediterranean survey methods. For each tract (recorded consecutively by team letter and a number, e.g. A-001, A-002, etc.), surveyors walked at 15-m intervals and counted all tile/brick, ceramic fragments, and small finds. We conducted a full-coverage survey, meaning that all land forms—including fields, hills, and terraces—in each survey zone were surveyed, unless the landowner objected or the vegetation was so dense as to render survey impossible. Each tract was photographed and a GPS point at the center of the tract was obtained. Photos and photo descriptions were maintained in separate databases by each team. Information about tracts was recorded by hand in notebooks by team leaders. This included data about a tract’s soil, geology, ground cover (plants growing in the tract, crops planted in the field), associated structures, associated archaeological features (including tumuli), informant testimony, visibility, and, most critically, artifact counts. , and Realm 1 is divided into two sub-collections: Survey Data and Site Data. Both sub-collections are organized by data type. Survey data includes Tract photos and Photologs, Survey maps, Spatial data files, and a Collection Unit (CU) survey database. Site Data includes the Site database, Site documentation, Site photos and Photologs, and Spatial data files.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    2Sub-collections
    0Works

  • Realm 5: Geological Data

    User Collection
    collection
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    The PASH Data Collection is comprised of Five data “realms”: 1) Survey and site data, 2) Settlement excavations, 3) Tumulus (burial mound) survey and excavations, 4) Artifact analysis, and 5) Geological data. All of the geological data from cores and auger holes have been made available in PASH Deep Blue Data Realm 5. , Much of the work conducted by PASH took place on a geomorphic feature we call the Shtoj alluvial fan. Geological research was done along the distal margins of the Shtoj alluvial fan in the fringing freshwater wetlands of Shkodër Lake. Field reconnaissance in 2010 consisted of drilling twelve 5-cm diameter auger holes across the fan to a maximum depth of 4.8 m. A composite sediment sample was collected every 0.3 m during drilling. Between 2012 and 2014, sediment cores were taken at four wetland locations on the southeastern shore of Shkodër Lake. North-south trending core locations were selected following results of samples collected during the 2010 reconnaissance and are 1 km east of the Shkodër Lake shoreline. Twenty-two cores, ranging in length from 0.24 m to 0.87 m, were taken from four sites using a 6.3-cm diameter polycarbonate piston corer. , and (See readme in Geological Data record for full documentation; Chapter linked to: Chapter Two).
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities
    1Works

  • Realm 2 Settlement Excavations: Gajtan: Site Documentation

    work
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    PDFs of scans of miscellaneous documents related to a particular excavation, including, e.g., excavation forms, maps of units, and drawings of units and unit profiles.
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Science and Humanities

  • Geological data

    work
    Creator:
    Galaty, Michael
    Description:
    This collection includes all of the data from auger holes and cores drilled by PASH in the vicinity of Lake Shkodra. These data are stored as comma-separated text files (.CSV). They are organized into eight different worksheets, titled: 1) Auger Hole Summary; 2) Auger Hole Sample Data; 3) Core 4 Data; 4) Core 5 Data; 5) Core 6 Data; 6) Core 8 Data; 7) Core 9 Data; and 8) PASH geological data ALL (Excel)., See readme for full description., and Chapter linked to: Chapter Two
    Keyword:
    archaeology
    Discipline:
    Humanities and Science