Albert J. Ammerman

Plow-Zone Experiments in Calabria, Italy

Abstract The experiments reported here were carried out in the Acconia area of southern Italy between 1977 and 1983. They represent the first long-term study of the effects of plowing on material seen on the surface of a site. A series of observations was made at a site over a period of six years in order to monitor the dynamics of patterns of surface material placed at the site by the researchers. The specific questions examined include the ratio of surface to plow-zone material and the extent of lateral displacement of material resulting from plowing. The results of the experiments support the proposition that the site surface operates in effect as a sampling process with respect to material circulating in the plow-zone. They also show how local factors at a site, such as slope, can affect patterns of lateral displacement. A prime feature of the experimental design is its economy in terms of the work effort that it requires in the field. This means that plow-zone experiments of this kind can readily be ...

A study of obsidian exchange networks in Calabria

Abstract Recent survey work in Calabria which has revealed the extensive use of obsidian at Neolithic sites raises questions about models of exchange systems that have been previously advanced. Rather than being tied to a land‐based route through northern Sicily, obsidian appears to have moved in a radial pattern by boat from the island of Lipari to various points along the west coast of Calabria. The percentage of obsidian observed at a site does not follow a simple pattern of monotonic fall‐off with the increasing distance of the site from Lipari. The analysis of lithic material from Neolithic sites in the Acconia area of Calabria indicates that certain sites played a more active role in obsidian reduction and probably also exchange networks than others. These results imply a need for developing more adequate and complex models of Neolithic exchange systems.

The Eridanos Valley and the Athenian Agora

The northwest corner of the Agora was one of the key nodes in the ancient city of Athens, the place where the Panathenaic Way passed between the Royal Stoa and the Painted Stoa. Two water courses in underground channels met there as well. Previous studies have been limited by the high modern water table in the area. In the course of four seasons of fieldwork, the natural relief in this part of the city has now been mapped. In all, 41 cores were taken by hand. They make it possible to reconstruct for the first time the size and shape of the Eridanos Valley, which turns out to have been a larger feature on the landscape than previously recognized. A major transformation of the original setting was required to fill in the valley, install the underground water channels, and build the well-known complex of monuments and roads in the northwest corner. Consideration can now be given to the possible connection of the Eridanos project and the relocation of the Agora to the political transformation of Athens at the end of the sixth century B.C.*

Introduction to the analysis of mosaic patterns in archaeology

Abstract Although much work has been done on the analysis of point patterns in archaeology in recent years, less attention has been paid to those situations where the spatial patterns take the form of a patchwork of subareas or a mosaic. This article indicates how such mosaic patterns can be studied quantitatively and the kinds of things that can be learned from their analysis. Examples to illustrate this are taken from the distributions of wattle and daub structures at the site of Piana di Curinga, southern Italy.