Recent &Ongoing Projects in Archaeology
Ahler, S. A. (Northern Arizona University (USA)). Scattered Village Site,
North Dakota, USA. H. Haas, C14 in archaeology, arch.
This site is situated within the City of Mandan in North Dakota. The samples
dated span the time period from 1600 to 1800 AD. This period covers locally the
late phase of the Mandan and Hidatsa Indian culture and the transition to the
dominant white settler culture.
Arnold (1), B. and N. Thew (2) ((1)Musée cantonal d'archéologie, Neuchâtel,
CH
(2) Archaeological Service for the Canton of Neuchâtel, CH). Reconstruction
of human settelments in the region of Lake Neuchâtel: the past 14,000 years,
C14 in archaeology.
In the latter part of the 20th century, when it was decided to build the A5
motorway along the littoral zone of the north-eastern part of the lake, it
became necessary to organise rescue excavations. Since the 1970's, the
Archaeological Service for the canton of Neuchâtel has undertaken large-scale
excavations at various sites in the Bay of Auvernier (1972-75), at Cortillod-Est
(1981-84), at Hauterive-Champréveyres (1983-86), and at Saint-Blaise/Bains des
Dames (1986-88), as well as a number of smaller interventions. Radiocarbon
dating of material (mostly charcoal) recovered during the 1990s (more than 800
samples) documents constant presence of human settelments in this region for the
past 14,000 years.
Becker, A. (ETHZ). The Fulnau landslide and former Lake Seewen in the
northern Swiss Jura Mountains. C. A. Davenport, W. Haeberli, C. Burgaet al,
C14 in archaeology, arch.
Bonani (1), G., I. Hajdas (2), R. W. Schmitz (3), S. Feine (3), F. Hillgruber
(3), D. Serre (4), S. Pääbo (4), H. Krainitzk (5) and F. H. Smith (6) The
Neandertal type site revisited: Interdisciplinary investigations of skeletal
remains from the Neander Valley, Germany, C14 in archaeology, arch.
The 1856 discovery of the Neandertal type specimen (Neandertal 1) in western
Germany marked the beginning of human paleontology and initiated the
longest-standing debate in the discipline: the role of Neandertals in human
evolutionary history. The analysis of sediments from the Feldhofer caves
represents the first interdisciplinary analysis of Neandertal remains
incorporating genetic, dating, and morphological dimensions simultaneously.
Caduff, B. and M. Seifert (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). Roveredo,
C14 in archaeology, arch.
From the construction of a new freeway tunnel by Roveredo a big area of grasland
will be covered with earth-material. Before this work the archeological service
have to find out with a survey if there are archeological remains in the soil.
In the year of 2002 he made 4 cuts. In them in different layers are founded
concentration of charcoal without remains like potsherds, they can give a term
of the origin. Thanks to nine 14C-dates, the archeological layers can be
situated in the late bronze age and the iron age. Beyond that this dates
authorize the service to make an excavation in a define area in the years of
2003 until 2005.
Clavadetscher, U., H. Seifert and M. Seifert (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden).
Tomils-Sogn Murezi, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Since 1994 the Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden has excavated in Tomils the
structure of a church, connected with different houses, they can be part of a
monastery. There is is also a cemetery. The beginning of the settlement in this
area goes back to the roman period. Because the different walls have been broken
and rebuild and because finds that date are very rare in churches, the
development and the absolute dating of the building periods between the roman
occupation and the 16th century could only be discovered through 14C. Thanks to
the dates the connection between the graves and the different building
periods of the church could also be confirmed.
Fasnacht, W. (Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zürich). Excavations at Agia
Varvara-Almyras, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Working and living at the copper Production site of Agia Varvara-Almyras were
investigated during the past twelve years.
Janosa, M. and M. Seifert (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). Trimmis -
Reformierte Kirche, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Before the building of a new rectory by the church of Trimmis the Archäologischer
Dienst Graubünden had to excavate the concerned area. Founded was a very good
preserved house of the period between the last iron age time and the early roman
occupation. This was the first settlement of a bad known prehistoric period in
the canton of Grison. Because the short time of settlement there are so few
finds for datation that the time-era could be realised only through the
14C-method
Lehner (1), M. and R. Wenke (2) ((1) Harvard Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Avenue,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02186, USA
(2) Department of Antropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
98195, USA). Radiocarbon Dates of the Old and Middle Kingdom Monuments in
Egypt. (1) Undersecretary for Gizaans Saqqara, Supreme Council of
Antiquities, Giza Pyramids Inspectorate, Giza Egypt
(2) Supreme Council of Antiquities, Abassiya, Cairo, Egypt. Z. Hawass (1)
and S. Nakhla (2), C14 in archaeology, arch.
Between 1984 and 1995, over 450 organic samples were collected from monuments
built during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. The purpose was to establish a
radiocarbon chronology with samples from secure context and collected with the
careful techniques required for radiocarbon samples. This chronology is compared
to the historical chronology established by reconstructing written
documentation.
Mäder, A. (Kantonsarchäologie Zürich). Ausgrabungen und Auswertung der
archäologischen Fundstelle in Elgg-Breiti, Kt. ZH. - Anthropologisches
Institut der Universität Zürich
C14 in archaeology, arch.
The discovery of the site Elgg-Breiti in the canton of Zurich led to
archaeological excavations lasting several years from 1996 onwards. By the year
2000 approximately 160 prehistoric features had been uncovered. The extensive
finds from the areas of burnt soil, graves, pits and post holes can be
attributed mainly to the early Late Bronze Age and to the Late Latène period.
Rageth, J. and M. Seifert (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). Untervaz-Haselboden,
C14 in archaeology, arch.
In the neolithic hill-village of Untervaz-Haselboden the finds are so rare, that
a exacte datation was possible only through 14C-dates. With three dates the
duration of the settlement could define in the period between 3300 and 3000 BC.
The determination of a short tree ring curve however was in this case not
successful with the 14C-method.
Rick, J. W. (Stanford University). Architectural Sequence and Chronology at
Chavín de Huántar, Perú. H. Haas, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Ruoff, U., J. Wiget and B. Eberschweiler (Amt für Städtebau, Denkmalpflege und
Archäologie, Seefeldstr. 317, CH-8008 Zürich). The region of the lakes of
Zurich during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, C14 in archaeology and
dendrochronology, arch.
The absolute dating of prehistoric lakeshore settlements was based long time
mainly on the dendrochronological dating of building woods made of oak. The
necessity, to develop main curves for different wood, different time periods and
different small regions in the Neolithic and in the Bronze Age was already for a
long time obvious: Small data sets and the one-sided adjustment on one wood
always save the danger of a coincidental selection, which is to be avoided in
this project.
One main point of this project is to fix dendrochronological results by series
of 14C measurements by wiggle matching.
Ruoff (1), U., M. Seifert (2) and V. Molodin (3) ((1) Büro für Archäologie
der Stadt Zürich
(2) Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden
(3) Russische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Novosibirsk). GUS/Iron Age tombs
in the Altai mountains: Kurgan Ulandryk 4 and Pazyrik 2. Novosibirsk.
I. Sljusarenko, C14 / dendrochronology, archaeology, arch.
The subject of this project from the Swiss national foundation in collaboration
with the siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences was the building of
a tree-ring mean-curve for the iron age culture, named Pazyrik, in the Altai
mountains. With more then 200 logs from different burials, conserved in the
permafrost soil, a 415 tree-ring curve could be realised. For the absolute
dating two series of 14C-interval-samples are taken. With them the absolute
dating of the Pazyrik culture, it is the first time, between 350 and 250 BC was
possible.
Schäfer (1), A., G. Gassmann (2) and T. Stöllner (3) ((1) Vorgeschichtliches
Seminar der Universität Marburg Marburg
(2) Westfälisches Museum für Archaeology, Tübingen
(3) Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Department of Mining Archaeology, Bochum). Early
Iron Production in the German Middle Range Region (rechtsrheinisches
Schiefergebirge). (1) KAL Wiesbaden (2) Olpe. A. Kreuz (1) and M.
Baales (2), C14 in archaeology, arch.
The project deals with the early iron metallurgy in regions east of the river
Rhine between the 6th century BC and the early medieval time which was settled
by Celtic and Germanic tribes in those days. Main issue is the research of the
socalled chaîne d’opératoire in order to evaluate the importance for the
contemporary economy and society. Main interest is addressed to two core-regions
in the Middle Lahn valley and in the Siegerland, the first favoured by
agricultural and traffic situation. The second can be described as typical
montane region that was specialized in iron mining and smelting especially in
Iron Age. 14C-dating has a great importance in dating smelting and mining sites
especially small amounts of charcoal found in slags or in drilling cores.
Schneider, T. (University of Augsburg (D)). The development of alluvial cones
and bogs along the northern border of the Alps: the Murnauer Moos in Upper
BavariaIn. H. Jerz and K.-H. Krause, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Seifert, M. (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). St.Moritz-Quellfassung,
C14 / dendrochronology, archaeology, arch.
For the wooden construction for the fountain of St. Moritz, excavated in 1907,
the absolute dating was unknown, though inside two swords, a knife and a needle
from the bronze age are found. In a first step the Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden
investigated the beams with the dendrochronological method. Because the absence
of a mean curve from today until the 3./4. millenium in the alps, it was
impossible to find the absolute dating. With a series of
14C-interval-measurements the time-era could be defined exactly, so that an
absolute dating in the 15th century BC was practicable.
Seifert, M. (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). Waltensburg-Jörgenberg
und Triesenberg-Haus Nr. 65, C14 / dendrochronology, archaeology, arch.
In the walls of the castle Jörgenberg in Waltensburg some burned beams are
conserved. For a dating by dendrochronology the Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden
took samples from all of them. The art historians had some`s doubts about the
resulted dates in the 13th and 14th century. With 14C-intervall dates the
dendrochronological terms could be confirmed. The same case was a blockhouse in
the community of Triesenberg, where the dendrochronological date of the
beginning of the 19th century was at variance with the date from the art
historians in the 15th century. They also verify the 14C-dates the tree-ring
terms.
Seifert, M. (Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden). Untervaz-Kiesgrube Herti,
Dendroclimatology, C14, archaeology, arch.
In association with the building of a connected tree ring curve from today until
the prehistoric time the Archaeological service started in the year of 2000 a
long time project to collect samples of trees, they come out of rivers, glaciers
and moor lands. The long dated objective of this project is the reconstruction
of the climate in the alpine mountains of Grison for the last 10’000 years.
The first sample was an oak tree, found in a depth of 30 metres in the river of
Rhein. It was uncertain dated with the dendrochronology of the year 27 BC. The
14C-Datation confirms this date.
Seifert (1), M. and E. Nielsen (2) ((1) Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden
(2) Universität Bern). Chur-Marsöl, C14 in archaeology, arch.
Before the building of a new garage underground at the hill-castle "Hof”
in Chur, the Archäologischer Dienst Graubünden had to excavate a large area.
Under archeological layers of the late roman period there was a level just with
tools of flintstone. The flintstone material was so untypical and unknown that
only 14C-dates could be give a term for this archeological site. With these
dates at the transition from the paleolithic to the mesolithic period the oldest
place of a settlement in Grison is known.
Stöllner, T. (Deutsches Bergbaumuseum, Department of Mining Archaeology, Bochum
D). Siedlungs- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte des prähistorischen Dürrnberg bei
Hallein. (1) Oestereichisches Forschungszentrum Dürrnberg, Wien
The project deals with economy of the prehistoric salt-works at the Dürrnberg
near Salzburg with mining structures below and above the gorund as well as the
economic structures in settlements. Due to salt conservation or waterlogged
conditions organic material is preserved in huge quantities. Most imortant are
dencrochronological investigations to estamate the chronology of mines and
settlement precisly. In combination with a lot of AMS-dates wiggle-matching
became possible and allowed an exact correlation with Central European standard
curves. Up to now around 50 AMS-dates were conducted in Zürich covering the to
main periods of salt-mining in the Iron Age and the Medieval period.
Stöllner (1), T., M. Mireskanderi (2), N. Chegini (3), E. Pernicka (3) and H.
Parzinger (4) ((1) Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Dept. of Mining Archaeology, Bochum
(2) Iranian Cultural Heritage Organisation, Geological Survey od Iran
(3) TU-Bergakademie Freiberg (Sachsen)
(4) Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Eurasien Abteilung, Berlin). Early
copper ore exploitation on the Central Iranian Plateau – Mining Archaeology in
Iran. R. Pasternak, T. Riese, J. Müller, B. Helwing and Others, C14 in
archaeology, arch.
The project is organized as joint project with the general aim to explore the
first steps of mining and metallurgy at the West Central Iranian plateau. Our
part project is focused on ancient mines especially to understand early economic
relations between ore-mining, smelting, casting and metal trade in the 4th to
the 2nd millenium BC. 14C-dating is again essential for dating metallurgical
installations and mines by isolating charcoal and bones in securely stratified
contexts.
Svendsen, J. I., J. Mangerud, A. Paus and H. Birks (University of Bergen,
Norway;). PECHORA (Paleo Environment and Climate History of the Russian
Arctic). (1)St. Petersburg University/NIIKAM
(2) VSEGEI, St. Petersburg
(3), Pavel Russian Academy of Science, Syktyvkar. V. Astakhov (1), A.
Matiouchkov (2) and P. Pavlov (3), 14C in climate research/archaeology.
PECHORA is a Russian-Norwegian interdisciplinary research project aiming to
reconstruct late Quaternary environments, climate change and the history of Ice
Age humans in the Pechora area, northern Russia. Within this, two subprojects
have used 14C dates from ETH.
Nearly 40,000 years old traces of human occupation with stone artifacts and
human made marks were discovered at Mamontavaya Kurya. This is the oldest
documented evidence for human presence at this high latitude (Arctic Circle).
Coring of two dead ice lakes revealed that the lakes where formed at 13 ka which
is remarkable young compared to the deglaciation occurring at 80-90 ka. This
implies that buried glacier ice survived in the permafrost for a period of c. 80
kyr. Cores from a third lake located outside the glaciated area cover a sequence
from the late Saalian, Eemian, parts of Wechselian and Holocene. However, there
seems to be several large hiatuses during the coldest periods as the LGM when
the lake probably dried out.
Wiget, J. and B. Eberschweiler (Amt für Städtebau, Denkmalpflege und Archäologie,
Seefeldstr. 317, CH-8008 Zürich). Rosshorn, 14C in archaeology and
dendrochronology, arch.
In Switzerland indications regarding traffic routes and connections outside of
prehistoric settlements are very few well-known. Therefore comes a completely
special meaning to the place discovered at the north end of the Hurdener spit of
land two years ago. The examined stakes from selected places, are representing
remainders of the subconstruction of ways through humid areas as well as
remainders of shorter or longer bridges between the two lakeshores. The main
problem from this place is, that stakes from different dendrochronological
phases are present, which are badly occupied. Therefore it is of large
importance to fix chronologically these woods and/or main curves by
14C-analysis.
Wild, D. (Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Amt für Städtebau der Stadt Zürich,).
Archaeological investigations in the Zurich Rennweg Quartier, 14C in
archaeology, arch.
The renewal of wastewater disposal lines in the old city of Zurich led to
sensational discoveries for the history of Zurich. Two moats were discovered,
one at Rennweg itself and a second one in the Fortunagasse and the Kuttelgasse.
14C measurements showed that these moats can be dated to the 10th /11th and 11th
/12th century AD. This demonstrates that Zurich was already fortified before the
13th century AD, and thus an old dispute could be settled.
Wild, D. (Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Amt für Städtebau der Stadt Zürich,).
Archaeological investigations in the house at Schmidgasse 5, 14C in
archaeology, arch.
Older settlement structures were discovered during the construction of a
basement in the house at Schmidgasse 5 which could be dated by 14C measurements
to the 6th /7th, 8th /10th and 11th /13th century AD. So far, the Niederdorf was
considered be one of the younger parts of the city of Zurich, an opinion, which
has to be revised now. It is now recognized that Zurich was a polycentric city
during the early and high Middle Ages and did not develop from a single center.
Wild, D. (Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Amt für Städtebau der Stadt Zürich,).
Archaeological investigations in the Kappelergasse, 14C in archaeology,
arch.
During the renewal of the wastewater disposal lines in the Kappelergasse, a
predecessor of the Fröschengraben was discovered, which was the water-filled
moat of the fortification of the city in the 13th century AD. This predecessor
could be 14C dated to the 11th/ 12th century AD. In addition, the remains of the
wall surrounding the Fraumünster abbey as well as of two earlier phases could
be documented. The older phase was a trench whose infill could be dated to the
5th to 8th century AD. With one additional date, the end of the infilling in
this region with coarse grained material from the river Sihl could be dated to
around 1000 years BC.
Wild, D. (Denkmalpflege und Archäologie, Amt für Städtebau der Stadt Zürich,).
Archaeological investigations on the Lindenhof, 14C in archaeology, arch.
Static clarifications by the Zurich Civil Engineering Office on the supporting
walls of the Lindenhof, the central hill of Zurich,showed early remains of
settlement from the early Celtic-Roman period and the base of Roman house from
the 2nd /3rd century AD. A deep trench might be the remains of a palisade, dated
to be late-Celtic to early-Roman or early to high Middle Ages. The dating of
this palisade is under the way.