Papers by William Cavanagh
Bulletin De Correspondance Hellenique, 2004
Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de corresp... more Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 128-129, livraison 2.1, 2004. pp. 854-865
Athyrmata: Critical Essays on the Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean in Honour of E. Susan Sherratt
Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece
Archaeopress Publishing Ltd eBooks, Mar 16, 2023
Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece
Our Cups Are Full: Pottery and Society in the Aegean Bronze Age. Papers Presented to Jeremy B. Rutter on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday
Le Péloponnèse
I wish to start with an observation of Paul Halstead's published in 1981 «... the later Neoli... more I wish to start with an observation of Paul Halstead's published in 1981 «... the later Neolithic explosion of settlement in... southern Greece is perhaps less the resuit of population pressure on arable land forcing the colonisation of marginal areas than of developments such as olive cultiva tion or the milking of livestock making these areas more attractive for settlement ». I believe that this insight helps make sense of the results of recent intensive survey in the Peloponnese. We find a...
In this case study, we analyze stable isotope signatures of ancient charred plant and faunal bone... more In this case study, we analyze stable isotope signatures of ancient charred plant and faunal bone remains from Middle-Late Neolithic Kouphovouno in order to investigate the crop cultivation and animal husbandry practices employed by the early farmers. Previous work on the nature of Neolithic agriculture has shed light on the symbiotic relationship in which plant and animal husbandry strategies may function. For example, the by-product of crop cultivation can be used as fodder to feed the animals and the by-product of the animals, dung, can be used to fertilize the soils in which the crops are grown.1 But just how this inter-dependent strategy was maintained remains to be investigated on a case-by-case basis. Our aim is to use isotopic evidence to address questions of how intensively the cereal and pulse crops were managed, what the diets of the livestock were and how the farmers at Kouphovouno made use of the surrounding landscape for the grazing of animals. These results are interp...
Although initially concerned with the recording of surface features and collection of surface art... more Although initially concerned with the recording of surface features and collection of surface artefacts, field survey has now grown to encompass techniques such as aerial photography, soil resistivity, magnetometry, soil magnetic susceptibility and soil phosphate analysis. Our attention is focussed on the last, soil phosphate, but in combination with results using other methods. Arrhenius 1938 has summarised work in Sweden to show that enhanced soil phosphate content is often coincident with sites of known archaeological activity. It is decomposition of organic matter in the soil which causes enhanced phosphate; as such, evidence of its presence can complement the information obtained
Environmental Archaeology, 2021
New stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of charred plant and bone collagen re... more New stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of charred plant and bone collagen remains from 6th mill. BCE Halai, central Greece, together with datasets from 6th mill. BCE Kouphovoun...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
This paper investigates agricultural management choices of farmers at the Neolithic site of Kouph... more This paper investigates agricultural management choices of farmers at the Neolithic site of Kouphvouno, southern Greece. Previous stable isotopic analysis of charred plant remains and bone animal collagen showed that throughout the Neolithic occupation of this site, farmers employed species-specific strategies to cultivate crops and herd domestic animals. Additional analyses of charred plant remains carried out in this study (including einkorn, a cereal species not measured before) expand our understanding of the diversity and flexibility of early crop cultivation on a local scale. Furthermore, sequential tooth enamel carbonate isotopic analyses are used to assess the seasonal dietary and grazing patterns of domestic sheep and goat, providing a more nuanced picture of the roles of these animals in the subsistence economy of this community. The results show that the species-specific cultivation system was dictated by the crops' ecological adaptations. Based on a small number of individuals available for analysis, the findings suggest that animal management was also likely driven by cultural choices, and involved foddering of goats managed for milk and local grazing of sheep managed for meat.
The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2016
A series of radiocarbon dates for Early Bronze Age contexts from the excavations at Kouphovouno a... more A series of radiocarbon dates for Early Bronze Age contexts from the excavations at Kouphovouno are published for the first time. By adopting a Bayesian modelling approach, the 14C estimates allow greater precision in arriving at an absolute chronology for the period. The opportunity is taken to place these dates as part of the more general development of the Early Bronze period. The sequence for mainland Greece is compared with the recently revised dating of the Early Cycladic period. The new data support a lower chronology than that advocated in recent publications.
Choice Reviews Online, 1997
Interpretation of radiocarbon results 9.1 Dating in archaeology 9.1.1 Structure of the chapter 9.... more Interpretation of radiocarbon results 9.1 Dating in archaeology 9.1.1 Structure of the chapter 9.2 Introduction to radiocarbon dating 9.2.1 The carbon cycle 9.2.2 The law of radioactive decay 9.2.3 Modelling the relationship between radiocarbon and calendar years 9.2.4 Statistical model of radiocarbon dating 9.2.5 A simple example 9.3 Archaeological problems and questions 9.4 Case Study I-St Veit-Klinglberg, Austria-stratification. . BAYESIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 9.4.1 The archaeological problem 9.4.2 The model 9.4.3 The data 9.4.4 The prior information 9.4.5 The likelihood 9.4.6 The posterior 9.4.7 Computational details 9.4.8 Results and interpretation 9.5 Case Study II-Jama River Valley, Ecuador-multiphase. . 9.5.1 Background 9.5.2 The model 226 9.5.3 The data 9.5.4 The prior 9.5.5 The likelihood 9.5.6 The posterior 9.5.7 The calculations 9.5.8 Results and interpretation 9.6 Case Study III-Stolford, England-wiggle-matching ....
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique, 2006
Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de corresp... more Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 130, livraison 2, 2006. pp. 722-727
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique, 2003
Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de corresp... more Cavanagh William, Mee Christopher, Renard Josette. Kouphovouno (Laconie). In: Bulletin de correspondance hellénique. Volume 127, livraison 2, 2003. pp. 554-563
European Journal of Archaeology, 2017
Excavations at Kouphovouno (Laconia, Greece) have revealed burnt deposits associated with firing ... more Excavations at Kouphovouno (Laconia, Greece) have revealed burnt deposits associated with firing structures. The ‘millefeuille’ (vanilla slice) observed was composed of alternating layers of burnt red aggregates and white carbonate. Their description, micromorphological study, and contrast with a more standard structure of the Middle Neolithic allow us to interpret the layers as belonging to a structure for firing pottery: a covered clamp. This study has clarified its method of construction, operation, and use within a domestic context. After heating and cooking, the production of pottery and lime was one of the pyrotechnological activities most consumptive of energy among Neolithic communities, yet direct evidence for firing installations has been elusive. A new approach to the problem of locating pottery firing sites is presented here. The firing of pottery seems the most likely use for this type of structure, though the production of lime is also discussed.
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2016
1. Hidden Prehistoric Landscapes: An Italian Perspective by Graeme Barker 2. The Hidden Landscape... more 1. Hidden Prehistoric Landscapes: An Italian Perspective by Graeme Barker 2. The Hidden Landscape of Prehistoric Greece: A View from Laconia and Methana by Christopher Mee and William Cavanagh 3. On a Site and Out of Sight: Where have our data gone? by Robert Schon 4. The Still Hidden Landscape by Stephen Thompson 5. Rejoinder by John Blintliff, Phil Howard, and Anthony Snodgrass
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Papers by William Cavanagh