Reconsidering the Chaîne Opératoire: At the Crossroad Between People and Materials

This article is an introductory contribution to our Special Issue Reconsidering the Chaîne Opératoire: Towards a Multifaceted Approach to the Archaeology of Techniques. The chaîne opératoire is a central and fundamental concept for archaeological studies that has been fully appropriated and repurposed by several generations of researchers. In this paper, we would like to present some of the points discussed and illustrated by the various articles in this special issue. The aim is to highlight theoretical and practical considerations in various fields, with a diachronic focus. From the biographical approach to the study of artefacts to the challenges of interdisciplinarity through cognitive and sensory approaches, the theoretical discussion is rich and innovative, acknowledging that the chaîne opératoire can be used as a tool for deciphering the complex network of artefacts, environments, and societies of the past and present

Synopsis of a Treasure. A Transdisciplinary Study of Medieval Gold Workings Biographies

The article aims to show how a transdisciplinary approach can contribute to a better understanding of the composite biography of a precious object. The study focuses on the Cintola del Duomo (Museum of the Opera del Duomo, Pisa), one of the most famous objects in the history of goldsmithing, both for its exceptional manufacturing quality and for its devotional value. For a long time, the Cintola was considered a fragment of a long garland – decorated with precious stones, enamel, and silver plates – that was displayed on the façade of the Cathedral on certain days of the liturgical calendar. Detailed historical studies suggested that the garland was lost in the early 1300s, while the object now in the museum is more likely to be a reconstruction, decorated with ancient and modern gems. In situ diagnostic campaigns were carried out on the garland using portable Raman spectroscopy (i-Raman, B&W Tek) and portable X-Ray fluorescnece (XRF) (Elio, Bruker) to reveal the identity of the gems and enamels preliminarily studied by gemmological analysis. The combination of analytical techniques made it possible to better outline the complex history of the artefacts. The analysis provided information on the identity of the gems, proposing an interesting question about their possible relationship with the crown of Henry VII of Luxembourg (in the same museum). The study includes aspects related to the materiality of the objects, revealing the socio-cultural context in which the object was produced and supporting its recontextualisation in the museum as a symbolic representation of the past

Bowel preparation for elective colorectal resection: multi-treatment machine learning analysis on 6241 cases from a prospective Italian cohort

background current evidence concerning bowel preparation before elective colorectal surgery is still controversial. this study aimed to compare the incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL), surgical site infections (SSIs), and overall morbidity (any adverse event, OM) after elective colorectal surgery using four different types of bowel preparation. methods a prospective database gathered among 78 Italian surgical centers in two prospective studies, including 6241 patients who underwent elective colorectal resection with anastomosis for malignant or benign disease, was re-analyzed through a multi-treatment machine-learning model considering no bowel preparation (NBP; No. = 3742; 60.0%) as the reference treatment arm, compared to oral antibiotics alone (oA; No. = 406; 6.5%), mechanical bowel preparation alone (MBP; No. = 1486; 23.8%), or in combination with oAB (MoABP; No. = 607; 9.7%). twenty covariates related to biometric data, surgical procedures, perioperative management, and hospital/center data potentially affecting outcomes were included and balanced into the model. the primary endpoints were AL, SSIs, and OM. all the results were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). results compared to NBP, MBP showed significantly higher AL risk (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.23-2.71; p = .003) and OM risk (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.10-1.72; p = .005), no significant differences for all the endpoints were recorded in the oA group, whereas MoABP showed a significantly reduced SSI risk (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.25-0.79; p = .008). conclusions MoABP significantly reduced the SSI risk after elective colorectal surgery, therefore representing a valid alternative to NBP

Recording invisible proofs to compose stone narratives. Applications of Near Infrared Spectroscopy in provenance studies.

The history of human-environment interaction is embedded in stone. Stones are essential components of daily life and their various usage characterize certain areas or chronological periods. The form of a stone object is the result of a long chain of interactions with distinct bodies but the intangible life story of any artefact is partially registered in its original material properties and gradual physical alteration. Digital systems can be adopted for collecting these invisible records and tracing a stone’s history. Chemical imaging and portable spectroscopy are quick and non-destructive remote sensing techniques that can be used to gather empirical data and track production and use of stone artefacts over time. This article reviews the application of Near Infrared Spectroscopy as a method for geochemical characterization of objects and as a tool for provenance studies within the Mobima project, carried out by an interdisciplinary team of archaeologists and chemists at University of Umeå, Sweden. Near Infrared Spectroscopy can be used for acquiring and processing spectral information directly in the field, modelling datasets of big assemblages and classifying objects. Making stones’ biographies visible will help understanding the entanglement of past societies and their geological landscapes

Racconti di pietre. L’applicazione di metodi archeometrici portatili allo studio dei paesaggi.

Provenance studies on stone artefacts can supply important information to map the displacement of geological resources and outline the evolution of quarrying sites. Therefore, the integration of portable instruments for the in situ geochemical characterization of archaeological materials represents an important novelty for the comprehension of past landscapes. The use of chemical analytical methods has shown to be crucial to identify raw material sources and reconstruct the network of stone supply. The application of Near-Infrared (NIR) imaging and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) allows the classification of stone types, that can be matched to the quarry of provenience. This contribution draws upon a case study: a collaborative project that aims at mapping and characterizing both building materials used in the walls of the citadel of Carcassonne (Aude, France) and their quarries

Carved Mountains and Moving Stones : applications of Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Mineral Characterisation in Provenance Studies

The study of stone artefacts is a combination of anthropological archaeology and geology, rooted in analytical techniques for determining the materials’ composition, typological stylistic classification and interpretation of cultural patterns. In this thesis, the archaeology of materials is considered in the context of sites- and landscape transformation, economic history and development of techniques. Focus has been on applications of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for characterising minerals in different case studies. Interdisciplinary protocols are implemented in order to account for the various aspects of stone artefacts, merging geochemical investigation and digital documentation. This thesis consists of two parts: an introductory text and five research publications. In the first paper, a NIR portable probe is tested to measure iron oxide-based pigments in rock paintings in Flatruet (Sweden). The study demonstrates that the probe is useful for characterising different sections of paint in-situ and pinpointing similarities and dissimilarities in the pigments used for the figures. The second and third papers are aimed at studying the use of raw materials for tool production in a Mesolithic settlement in Northern Sweden. In the second paper is shown that hyperspectral imaging helps characterise the mineral composition of a selected group of tools and the spectral signature of quartz, quartzite, and flint are examined. In the third paper, hyperspectral imaging-based classification is applied to the entire dataset of lithic tools and flakes collected during excavation of the site. The objects are divided into categories of raw materials according to their spectral features and the distribution is visualised on a 3D GIS platform. The fourth paper deals with the application of hyperspectral imaging, a field probe (MicroNIR) and portable Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), for in-situ characterisation of building materials on the inner wall of the fortified citadel of Carcassonne (France). The research shows how the combination of these analytical methods in conjunction with a stratigraphic study of the architecture helps to understand the use and re-use of materials in different construction phases. The last paper shows how an in-field NIR-probe may be used in landscape surveys for instant characterisations of different stone types. This study was carried out in the district of Montescaglioso, Southern Italy, to highlight patterns of use and distribution of artefacts made of local calcarenite (limestone) in the period between the 6th and 3rd century BC

The hand, the stone and the mind: Exploring the agency of rocks in quarrying techniques

The accurate categorisation of the marks left on stone surfaces by the repetition of consistent gestures has become particularly meaningful in unveiling quarrying techniques. Traces of stone workings, left by the use of tools, constitute crucial information for recognising and interpreting the operational sequence (the chaîne opératoire) followed by quarrymen at quarry fronts, thus unveiling different scales of craftsmanship: from the specific process needed for detaching a single block to the general organisation of labour. Tool marks show how specialisation in extraction procedures may also be driven by the nature of the stone itself, and the agency of the rock should therefore be questioned when reconstructing the chaîne opératoire required for cutting stone blocks. The interpretation of tool marks supports the reconstruction of the technical gestures carried out by quarrymen, as well as the conveyance of specific know-how within the workers’ community and the affordances of the stone itself (Gosden and Malafouris 2015). Broader theoretical thoughts on the cognitive development and transmission of techniques can be applied to the material evidence of different quarrying strategies, the construction of specific taskscapes and the crystallisation of assignments in the socio-cultural context. The examples herein are drawn from ethnographic case studies of a marble quarrying district near Carrara, in northeast Tuscany, Italy

Metodologie per lo studio delle malte di terra: il caso di Massaciuccoli Romana

I metodi delle Scienze della Terra possono essere applicati allo studio delle malte per ricavarne informazioni sula tecnologia dei materiali e sull’utilizzo delle risorse naturali. Nel caso di malte che all’analisi macroscopica sembrano composte in gran parte di argilla si pone una vera e propria sfida metodologica. Il caso studio è l’area archeologica di Massaciuccoli, in particolare la porzione del cantiere a Nord della Via Pietra a Padule. I campioni prelevati sono stati schedati e analizzati. Sono state effettuate misurazioni del livello di CaCO3, diffrattometrie ai raggi X, analisi termiche e osservazione delle sezioni sottili

Carved Mountains and Moving Stones: applications of Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Mineral Characterisation in Provenance Studies

The study of stone artefacts is a combination of anthropological archaeology and geology, rooted in analytical techniques for determining the materials’ composition, typological stylistic classification and interpretation of cultural patterns. In this thesis, the archaeology of materials is considered in the context of sites- and landscape transformation, economic history and development of techniques. Focus has been on applications of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) for characterising minerals in different case studies. Interdisciplinary protocols are implemented in order to account for the various aspects of stone artefacts, merging geochemical investigation and digital documentation. This thesis consists of two parts: an introductory text and five research publications. In the first paper, a NIR portable probe is tested to measure iron oxide-based pigments in rock paintings in Flatruet (Sweden). The study demonstrates that the probe is useful for characterising different sections of paint in-situ and pinpointing similarities and dissimilarities in the pigments used for the figures. The second and third papers are aimed at studying the use of raw materials for tool production in a Mesolithic settlement in Northern Sweden. In the second paper is shown that hyperspectral imaging helps characterise the mineral composition of a selected group of tools and the spectral signature of quartz, quartzite, and flint are examined. In the third paper, hyperspectral imaging-based classification is applied to the entire dataset of lithic tools and flakes collected during excavation of the site. The objects are divided into categories of raw materials according to their spectral features and the distribution is visualised on a 3D GIS platform. The fourth paper deals with the application of hyperspectral imaging, a field probe (MicroNIR) and portable Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF), for in-situ characterisation of building materials on the inner wall of the fortified citadel of Carcassonne (France). The research shows how the combination of these analytical methods in conjunction with a stratigraphic study of the architecture helps to understand the use and re-use of materials in different construction phases. The last paper shows how an in-field NIR-probe may be used in landscape surveys for instant characterisations of different stone types. This study was carried out in the district of Montescaglioso, Southern Italy, to highlight patterns of use and distribution of artefacts made of local calcarenite (limestone) in the period between the 6th and 3rd century BC