Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jens Karstens, Jonas Preine, Gareth J. Crutchley, Steffen Kutterolf, Willem G. M. van der Bilt, Emilie E. E. Hooft, Timothy H. Druitt, Florian Schmid, Jan Magne Cederstrom, Christian Huebscher, Paraskevi Nomikou, Steven Carey, Michel Kuehn, Judith Elger, Christian Berndt
Summary: In this study, seismic reflection and P-wave tomography datasets were integrated with computed tomography-derived sedimentological analyses to estimate the volume of the iconic Minoan eruption. The results revealed a total eruption volume of 34.5 +/- 6.8 km(3), with different proportions of tephra fall deposits, ignimbrites, intra-caldera deposits, and lithics. These volume estimates were consistent with an independent caldera collapse reconstruction. The findings demonstrate the importance of complementary geophysical and sedimentological datasets for reliable eruption volume estimates and volcanic hazard assessments.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sturt W. Manning
Summary: The historical relevance of the Thera volcanic eruption and its synchronizations with Aegean and East Mediterranean civilizations have been disputed. Recent research using Bayesian analysis and C-14 dating has provided a more precise date range for the eruption, around 1606-1589 BCE, which clarifies its cultural and historical context.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jens Karstens, Jonas Preine, Steven Carey, Katherine L. C. Bell, Paraskevi Nomikou, Christian Huebscher, Danai Lampridou, Morelia Urlaub
Summary: This study reveals the underwater topography around Santorini and its relationship with volcanic eruption processes using high-resolution seismic reflection data and multibeam echosounder bathymetry. The study identifies different types of mass transport deposits, including depositional and slope failure-related deposits, and their association with volcanic and tectonic activities. The findings have important implications for seismic and tsunami hazard assessment in the region.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Jan Driessen
Summary: New archaeological evidence from the central court of the site of Sissi offers insights into the social practices, regional history, and political organization of the elaborate Minoan complexes of Crete (c. 1950-1450 BC). The presence of remains from consumption rituals at Sissi's central court, along with the deliberate incorporation of earlier ruins, suggests a nuanced understanding of the role of different types of Minoan palaces. The social power of Minoan palaces was partly drawn from ancestral practices.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vasif Sahoglu, Johannes H. Sterba, Timor Katz, Umit Cayir, Umit Gundogan, Natalia Tyuleneva, Irfan Tugcu, Max Bichler, Hayat Erkanal, Beverly N. Goodman-Tchernov
Summary: The Late Bronze Age Thera eruption, one of the largest natural disasters in human history, has been a major topic of study in ancient Mediterranean studies. While the eruption had a high intensity and tsunami-generating capabilities, there are few reported tsunami deposits, which could be due to limitations in interpretive capabilities. Through archaeological and sedimentological analysis at a coastal archaeological site in western Anatolia/Aegean, a well-preserved volcanic ash layer and chaotic destruction horizon were identified, indicating a series of strong tsunamis caused by the eruption. The findings provide important insights into the nature, enormity, and geographic extent of this catastrophic event.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Harsh Raj, Lior Regev, Elisabetta Boaretto
Summary: The Minoan eruption of Santorini, Greece, is a debated marker in Eastern Mediterranean region. A new approach was used to calibrate the average C-14 age of multiple tree rings and the resultant calibrated ages for the eruption are younger than previous estimates, ranging from the late-17th century BCE to mid-16th century BCE.
Article
Geography, Physical
Erkan Aydar, Attila Ciner, Orkun Ersoy, Emilie Ecochard, Eric G. Fouache
Summary: This study presents the volcanic ash and tsunami record of the Minoan Late Bronze Age Eruption of Santorini in a distal setting, revealing the relationship between volcanic ash and tsunami deposits as well as the four main eruptive phases. Through analyzing the ash surface morphologies and statistical parameters, it is proposed that distal ash is characterized by a single layer of well-mixed magmatic and phreatomagmatic ash.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laurent Lespez, Severine Lescure, Segolene Saulnier-Copard, Arthur Glais, Jean-Francois Berger, Franck Lavigne, Charlotte Pearson, Clement Virmoux, Sylvie Muller Celka, Maia Pomadere
Summary: The geomorphological survey conducted near the Minoan town of Malia in Crete revealed evidence of a tsunami reaching the Palatial center as a result of the Bronze Age Santorini eruption, inundating up to 400 meters inland. The sediment cores confirmed a unique erosional event during the Late Minoan period, followed by a high energy sand unit containing marine fauna. This opens up new research opportunities regarding the impact and consequences of the Bronze Age Santorini tsunami on the Minoan civilization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
B. L. Sjoberg, H. Mommsen
Summary: The results of neutron activation analysis on a limited number of LH IIIB and LH IIIC period sherds from Asine in Greece suggest that the transformation from the palatial to post-palatial period did not result in loss of contacts with the surrounding world. Instead, continuity and interaction prevailed, with a shift in the regional dominance of pottery production in the LH IIIB period. The geographical dominance of pottery producers in northeastern Peloponnese and their distribution over the Mediterranean ended, but other operators might have met the demand for pottery.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicola Ialongo, Raphael Hermann, Lorenz Rahmstorf
Summary: The diffusion of weighing technology can be attributed to merchants' interaction and the formation of primary weight systems is the result of random propagation of error constrained by market self-regulation. The statistical errors of early units between Mesopotamia and Europe overlap significantly and simulation results are consistent with observed distribution of weight units. The creation of the earliest weight systems is not believed to have involved significant intervention by political authorities, highlighting the role of individual commercial initiatives in the formation of the first integrated market in Western Eurasia.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yael Ehrlich, Lior Regev, Elisabetta Boaretto
Summary: The volcanic eruption of Santorini in the Bronze Age has left detectable debris across the Mediterranean, anchoring time for the region and synchronizing different sites. By identifying annual rings in a charred olive branch buried beneath the tephra on Santorini, radiocarbon dating of the eruption has been validated. This study offers a way to reconcile the long-standing debate towards a mid-sixteenth century BCE date for the eruption.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Madison L. Myers, Timothy H. Druitt, Federica Schiavi, Lucia Gurioli, Taya Flaherty
Summary: The study investigates the time evolution of eruptive intensity during the Late Bronze-Age eruption of Santorini Volcano by combining three independent methods. It reveals significant differences in pressure, flow conditions, and decompression rates between the deep and shallow conduit channels, as well as the correlation between magma decompression and eruption intensity. The findings suggest transient flow conditions in the conduit system due to widening and lengthening of a deep feeder dike during the Plinian eruption, affecting the mass eruption rate and fragmentation level in the conduit.
BULLETIN OF VOLCANOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anthropology
Daniel Berger, Quanyu Wang, Gerhard Bruegmann, Nicole Lockhoff, Benjamin W. Roberts, Ernst Pernicka
Summary: This study examines the metal trade and prehistoric networks in Europe during the Bronze Age through the analysis of bronze ingots and artifacts from the Salcombe site. The results indicate that southwest Britain supplied tin for the ingots, while copper ores from Sardinia and/or south Spain were the sources for both the copper ingots and the copper in the bronzes.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Perle Guarino-Vignon, Nina Marchi, Amelie Chimenes, Aurore Monnereau, Sonja Kroll, Marjan Mashkour, Johanna Lhuillier, Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento, Evelyne Heyer, Celine Bon
Summary: This study conducted genetic analysis on an individual from Ulug-depe and found that the individual genetically belongs to the Oxus Civilisation. The findings confirm that modern Indo-Iranian-speaking populations in Central Asia have ancestry from the BMAC populations, with additional gene flow from the western and Altai steppes, particularly among the Tajiks.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Danyal J. Turkoglu, H. Heather Chen-Mayer
Summary: This article describes the design, operation, and measurement results of a linear fast neutron beam chopper system deployed at a prompt gamma activation analysis instrument, demonstrating its suitability for quantitative analysis through optimized timing and a linear response to different isotopes.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Aleksandra Winkler, Mirjam Rauwolf, Johannes H. Sterba, Peter Wobrauschek, Christina Streli, Anna Turyanskaya
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2020)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Tomas Sikorsky, Jeschua Geist, Daniel Hengstler, Sebastian Kempf, Loredana Gastaldo, Christian Enss, Christoph Mokry, Joerg Runke, Christoph E. Duellmann, Peter Wobrauschek, Kjeld Beeks, Veronika Rosecker, Johannes H. Sterba, Georgy Kazakov, Thorsten Schumm, Andreas Fleischmann
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2020)
Article
Archaeology
D. Ben-Shlomo, H. Mommsen, J. H. Sterba
Summary: The study delves into the origins of Philistine Bichrome pottery, revealing that these ceramics likely originated from the central hills, the southern coastal plains (Philistia), and the central coastal plains of Israel. This finding is significant in understanding cultural exchanges and migrations of the Philistines.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Imke Spykman, Tobias Blenke, Sebastian Buchner, Detlev Degering, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Helmut W. Fischer, George Lasche, Olivier Masson, Jerzy W. Mietelski, Daniela Ransby, Franz Renz, Maria-Evangelia Souti, Dorian Zok, Georg Steinhauser
Summary: In August 8, 2019, a military missile explosion occurred at the Nenoksa Missile Test Center. Russian authorities confirmed release of radioactive material, but no clues about the release were found. It is possible that the released radionuclides quickly dispersed to non-detectable levels.
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANORGANISCHE UND ALLGEMEINE CHEMIE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dorian Zok, Tobias Blenke, Sandra Reinhard, Sascha Sprott, Felix Kegler, Luisa Syrbe, Rebecca Querfeld, Yoshitaka Takagai, Vladyslav Drozdov, Ihor Chyzhevskyi, Serhii Kirieiev, Brigitte Schmidt, Wolfram Adlassnig, Gabriele Wallner, Sergiy Dubchak, Georg Steinhauser
Summary: By analyzing the Cs-135/Cs-137 isotope ratios in environmental samples, it is possible to distinguish the sources of Cs-137 contamination.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lea Traxler, Anne Wollenberg, Georg Steinhauser, Ihor Chyzhevskyi, Sergiy Dubchak, Sina Grossmann, Alix Guenther, Dharmendra Kumar Gupta, Karl-Heinz Iwannek, Serhii Kirieiev, Falk Lehmann, Wolfgang Schulz, Clemens Walther, Johannes Raff, Erika Kothe
Summary: Research conducted in the Chernobyl exclusion zone demonstrates that the basidiomycete fungus Schizophyllum commune can survive and spread rapidly in soil contaminated with radiation and heavy metals.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anica Weller, Tim Ramaker, Felix Staeger, Tobias Blenke, Manuel Raiwa, Ihor Chyzhevskyi, Serhii Kirieiev, Sergiy Dubchak, Georg Steinhauser
Summary: Developed a chemical separation protocol for detecting minute amounts of radiopalladium, achieving detection limits of <2 ng of Pd-107/kg using inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Testing on sediment from the Chernobyl cooling pond showed an increased Pd-107/Pd-105 ratio (0.08 +/- 0.02), indicating detectable levels of Pd-107 using this method.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Olivier Masson, Oleksandr Romanenko, Olivier Saunier, Serhii Kirieiev, Valentin Protsak, Gennady Laptev, Oleg Voitsekhovych, Vanessa Durand, Frederic Coppin, Georg Steinhauser, Anne de Vismes Ott, Philippe Renaud, Damien Didier, Beatrice Boulet, Maxime Morin, Miroslav Hyza, Johan Camps, Olga Belyaeva, Axel Dalheimer, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Catalina Gasco-Leonarte, Alexandra Ioannidou, Krzysztof Isajenko, Tero Karhunen, Johan Kastlander, Christian Katzlberger, Renata Kierepko, Gert-Jan Knetsch, Julia Kovendine Konyi, Jerzy Wojciech Mietelski, Michael Mirsch, Bredo Moller, Jelena Krneta Nikolic, Pavel Peter Povinec, Rosella Rusconi, Vladimir Samsonov, Ivan Sykora, Elena Simion, Philipp Steinmann, Stylianos Stoulos, Jose Antonio Suarez-Navarro, Herbert Wershofen, Daniel Zapata-Garcia, Benjamin Zorko
Summary: From early April 2020, wildfires in the highly contaminated areas around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant spread to the exclusion zone and released Cs-137 into the atmosphere, with smoke plumes detected in Ukraine and Western Europe. The fires were extinguished after about 4 weeks, thanks to firefighting efforts and sustained precipitation. Detection of airborne Sr-90 and Pu emissions from the CEZ highlighted potential risks associated with the release of radioactive materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vasif Sahoglu, Johannes H. Sterba, Timor Katz, Umit Cayir, Umit Gundogan, Natalia Tyuleneva, Irfan Tugcu, Max Bichler, Hayat Erkanal, Beverly N. Goodman-Tchernov
Summary: The Late Bronze Age Thera eruption, one of the largest natural disasters in human history, has been a major topic of study in ancient Mediterranean studies. While the eruption had a high intensity and tsunami-generating capabilities, there are few reported tsunami deposits, which could be due to limitations in interpretive capabilities. Through archaeological and sedimentological analysis at a coastal archaeological site in western Anatolia/Aegean, a well-preserved volcanic ash layer and chaotic destruction horizon were identified, indicating a series of strong tsunamis caused by the eruption. The findings provide important insights into the nature, enormity, and geographic extent of this catastrophic event.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Pamela Fragnoli, Marina Ugarkovic, Johannes H. Sterba, Roman Sauer
Summary: In this pilot study, Late Hellenistic mold-made lamps from Ephesos are investigated using a combination of chrono-morphological and stylistic features, thin-section petrography, and neutron activation analysis. The results suggest the presence of a network of local/regional workshops sharing facilities and/or a labor force dedicated to specific tasks. This evidence supports the emergence of a nucleated workshop industry that optimized the productivity of mold-made wares to meet the demand of an expanded regional and supra-regional market. The variability in typology and composition in the later phases indicates a gradual shift of potting activities to areas with better clay sources.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
David Ben-Shlomo, Liora Bouzaglou, Hans Mommsen, Johannes H. Sterba
Summary: This paper presents a research project on the production of cooking pots during the Iron Age II in Judah, Israel. The study analyzes the composition of 541 cooking vessels from 11 sites and reveals that most of the sampled pots were made of a similar type of clay. It also suggests that many of the pots were produced in Jerusalem and other centers in the Judean Shephelah and southern Israel.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ole Berendes, Georg Steinhauser
Summary: Wild boars in Germany have a longer half-life of Cs-137 in their meat compared to those in Japan, resulting in more persistent contamination levels. The contamination levels in German wild boars also show a distinct geographical and seasonal dependence, with higher activity concentrations in winter than in summer.
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Felix Staeger, Dorian Zok, Anna-Katharina Schiller, Bin Feng, Georg Steinhauser
Summary: Radionuclides released from nuclear accidents or explosions pose long-term threats to ecosystem health. A study conducted in Bavaria found that wild boars in the region have been contaminated with high levels of Cs-137, exceeding regulatory limits by up to 25 times. By using a nuclear forensic fingerprint, researchers were able to identify multiple sources of radiocesium contamination, including both Chernobyl and nuclear weapons fallout. The study revealed that old Cs-137 from weapons fallout significantly contributes to the total level of contamination in samples that exceeded the regulatory limit. This highlights the importance of historical releases of Cs-137 in current environmental pollution challenges.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
J. H. Sterba, M. Shinoto, A. Shinzato, M. Enomoto, Y. Yomine
Summary: A set of 20 vessels was selected from the Japanese National Historical Site 'Kamuiyaki Kiln Site Cluster' and analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and statistical data analysis. Chemical fingerprinting separated the samples into two distinct groups, which correlated with archaeological and chronological data, indicating the use of at least two different recipes or sediments in the cluster.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Peter Weinberger, Gerald Giester, Georg Steinhauser
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANORGANISCHE UND ALLGEMEINE CHEMIE
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Julia Becher, Alex Schoeman, Gavin Whitelaw, Stephen Buckley, Jean-Pierre Celliers, Sara Cafisso, Matthias Belser, Maxime Rageot, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behavior and subsistence patterns. The study found evidence of dairy processing and multi-purpose functionality of the ceramics. It also discovered potential medicinal use and the involvement of dung in pottery sealing and mending.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Jon Clindaniel, Matthew Magnani
Summary: Large sources of digital trace data have become important in the study of material culture. The authors introduce a computational method to observe digital formation processes and highlight the importance of accounting for these processes in studies utilizing digital trace data.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Rebecca A. G. Reid, Miranda M. E. Jans, Lesley A. Chesson, Rebecca J. Taylor, Gregory E. Berg
Summary: Chemical treatment of skeletal remains can reduce overall DNA quality and quantity but has no significant impact on stable isotope ratio analysis. Examination of treated and untreated human remains through histological and stable isotope analysis reveals that treated remains exhibit better preservation compared to untreated remains. Stable isotope ratio analysis is viable for both treated and untreated remains, regardless of their origin.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Laura Tome, Eneko Iriartec, Antonio Blanco-Gonzalez, Margarita Jambrina-Enriquez, Natalia Eguez, Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera, Carolina Mallola
Summary: This paper presents the outcomes of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study conducted on earthen dwellings from the Early Iron Age village of Cerro de San Vicente. The study employed soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, XRD, and XRF analyses to investigate various aspects of the dwellings, including construction materials, site formation processes, and daily life practices. The results have shed light on the construction layers, floor use, maintenance, repaving, periods of abandonment and decay, and the presence of lipid biomarkers associated with dwelling functionality. The study significantly contributes to our understanding of ancient construction practices and the utilization of domestic spaces during the Early Iron Age.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
