https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6021 2026-07-20T09:40:39Z 2026-07-20T09:40:39Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148119 2026-07-20T07:28:57Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Experimental study of the charcoal taphonomy of Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic tree) Abstract: Wood charcoal is one of the most abundant botanicals which are uncovered during excavations globally. Their potential research value is wide, with a number of ways they can be studied. One such avenue of study is charcoal taphonomy, which seeks to understand how different phases of the chaîne opératoire of fuel and fire management alter the charcoal in ways which can be used to interpret back those steps. At the site of Latnija in Malta, the charcoal record is dominated by the Mediterranean shrub, Pistacia lentiscus, with profuse signs of taphonomic markers related to combustion and postdepositional processes. This thesis seeks to reconstruct the firing conditions which produce these markers, through the experimental burning of Pistacia lentiscus under conditions typical of Mesolithic hearths. This includes controlling for calibre, wood state, position in wood anatomy, firing temperature, firing atmosphere, cooling method, and number of firings. In total 300 controlled laboratory samples, 217 uncontrolled outdoor fired samples, and 10 archaeological samples were processed for this study. Laboratory samples were processed in groups of five, testing sixty different combinations of variables. Samples were photographed under a HIROX in their transverse section, and their alterations were classified, measured by height and area, and calculated for the number of cracks and percentage of area cracked in samples. The data generated did find meaningful ways to detect differences in firing temperature, firing atmosphere, cooling method, and relative position in wood anatomy. It showed further promise that discriminating between certain states and calibres may also be possible, but requires more testing. These differences proved true not just for laboratory samples, but also when applied to the uncontrolled and archaeological samples, showing utility for archaeological application. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Tanasi, Davide Fawbush, Alex Kingsland, Kaitlyn Calderone, Dario Scerri, Eleanor Vella, Nicholas C. Groucutt, Huw S. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146156 2026-05-05T12:55:01Z 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: High-resolution 3D digitization and analysis of the Mesolithic site of Latnija (Malta) Authors: Tanasi, Davide; Fawbush, Alex; Kingsland, Kaitlyn; Calderone, Dario; Scerri, Eleanor; Vella, Nicholas C.; Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: This paper presents the high-resolution 3D digitization of the Mesolithic archaeological site of Latnija (Għar Tuta), located in a doline in northern Malta. The study employed terrestrial laser scanning using the Faro Focus s150 scanner to generate a precise digital representation of the site's complex geological and archaeological context. The resulting point cloud data, meticulously processed in Faro Scene, was optimized, filtered, and transformed into a detailed 3D mesh model. Despite challenges such as geological instability and limited scan overlap, the digitized model achieved high accuracy and visual continuity. Furthermore, the model serves as a crucial tool for preserving this fragile archaeological context against ongoing environmental threats, enabling detailed spatial analyses, and facilitating public engagement. This research highlights the effectiveness and critical importance of integrating advanced digital methodologies into archaeological practice, ensuring long-term preservation and enhanced accessibility of significant prehistoric sites.

2025-10-01T00:00:00Z Groucutt, Huw S. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146150 2026-05-05T12:28:15Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Revolution, modernity, and the dispersal of Homo sapiens beyond Africa Authors: Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: In the recent past, evolutionarily speaking, every other kind of hominin, from the Neanderthals of western Eurasia to the ‘hobbits’ of Flores, became extinct while our species prospered and spread across the world, from remote islands to high mountains. Understanding how, why, and when this global spread of Homo sapiens occurred is a major question in human evolutionary studies. While there is broad agreement on our African origin and subsequent global expansion, currently fossil, genetic, and archaeological data and perspectives on the details of this process are, if not actively contradictory, then certainly uncomfortable bedfellows. In part, this uncertainty reflects the profound spatial and temporal biases in currently available archaeological, fossil, and genetic samples. However, there are also methodological and theoretical aspects which limit understanding. Two central examples, reviewed in this paper, are the challenges of accurately dating palaeoanthropological sites and the continuing influence of the outdated concept of a ‘Human Revolution’ and the related concept of ‘modernity’, in both cultural and biological forms.

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z Hatton, Amy Jambajantsan, Amina Breeze, Paul S. Guagnin, Maria Fisher, Michael T. al-Jibreen, Faisal Alsharekh, Abdullah M. Petraglia, Michael D. Groucutt, Huw S. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146149 2026-05-05T12:21:32Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Semi-automated detection of Holocene archaeological structures along the southern edge of the Nefud desert Authors: Hatton, Amy; Jambajantsan, Amina; Breeze, Paul S.; Guagnin, Maria; Fisher, Michael T.; al-Jibreen, Faisal; Alsharekh, Abdullah M.; Petraglia, Michael D.; Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: Throughout the Holocene, humans covered the landscape of Arabia in hundreds of thousands of diverse dry-stone structures. These archaeological remains are predominantly funerary structures, enclosures, and camps although they also include ritualised features such as mustatils, all of which form essential components for understanding Neolithic and Bronze Age peninsular societies and their dynamic relationships with the natural environment. Archaeologists typically document these structures by either mapping them in the field or applying manual digitisation within a Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. Such methods are time consuming and can be expensive, especially in the case of field documentation. In order to develop a more time- and cost-effective method for identifying large numbers of stone features, we have tested three pre-trained semantic segmentation Deep Learning models (MA-Net, SegFormer, and U-Net) for semi-automatic feature detection by applying them to satellite imagery of archaeological landscapes in northwestern Saudi Arabia.; The results show that, the MA-Net model performed best on averaged metrics, however, the SegFormer model showed more stable metrics during training. We present confusion matrices to show that the SegFormer model is more consistently able to correctly identify stone structures, regardless of structure types, in contrast to the U-Net and MA-Net models. While survey and excavation of these structures is essential for producing fine-resolution data, automated workflows that incorporate remote sensing data can generate the breadth of coverage required for interpreting ancient social landscapes on a wider geographic scale. Such mapping is also critical for defining and protecting cultural heritage across the vast arid landscapes of desert regions such as Arabia and the Sahara.

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