Following the herds?: a new distribution of hunting kites in Southwest Asia

Remote-sensing analysis of open-source satellite imagery has identified a major, new distribution of undocumented hunting kite structures in northern Arabia. This new data has important implications on the environmental viability of hunting and on possible settlement patterns during the early and middle Holocene. Running across the eastern side of the Nafud Desert in Saudi Arabia, this research has identified star-shaped kites in a distribution that continues on to southern Iraq. From a broader perspective, this new distribution appears to represent a continuation of the well-known arc of kites recorded running principally through southern Syria and eastern Jordan. As well as representing an important archaeological identification in its own right, this new distribution also has important implications in terms of the paleoenvironment of the region, faunal dispersals and human cultural connections.Introduction Background Methodology Results Discussion - Distribution - Dating - Monumentality and connectivity Conclusio

Read The Fucking Manual. In- und Exklusion nicht-technischer User in Open Source Software Communities

Durch die prinzipielle Aufhebung der Trennung von Entwickler und Nutzer durch offene Softwarelizenzen stellt sich, analog zur Erscheinung Nicht-Zertifizierter Experten in der Wissenschaft (Dickel und Franzen 2016), ein „Problem of Extension“ (Collins and Evans 2002), nämlich die Frage zu welchem Maße User in die Gestaltung der Software involviert werden sollten. Damit ergibt sich ein grundsätzliches Spannungsfeld zwischen Inklusion und Exklusion von Mitgliedern und deren Beiträgen in Freie / Open Source Software (FOSS) Communities.Im Zentrum des vorgestellten empirischen Vergleichs von Linux-Communities stehen die Fragen: Welche Rolle spielen nicht-technische Nutzer in FOSS Communities? Wie organisieren und legitimieren verschiedene Communities die Selektion ihrer Mitglieder? Und wie wirken sich diese sozialen Setzungen aus auf das gemeinsam entwickelte Produkt?Linux-Distributionen stellen ihren Usern Software zur Verfügung und machen somit den Computer als Handlungsressource zugreifbar. Ausgehend vom grundsätzlichen Primat der Offenheit bilden sich epistemische Regime aus, die die Partizipationsmöglichkeiten der User definieren. Darüber hinaus fließt das normative Grundverständnis welche Kompetenzen ein User mitbringen sollte in die gemeinsame Softwareproduktion ein.Die Analyse der betrachteten Fälle beleuchtet nicht nur Grenzziehung zwischen Experten und Laien in den Communities, sondern gibt auch Einblicke in die Auswirkungen auf Partizipationsmöglichkeiten ihrer Mitglieder. Nicht zuletzt spiegelt die gemeinsam produzierte Technik die normativen Vorstellungen der Community wider, und wirkt zurück auf ihre Nutzer. Die Studie trägt bei zu einer Diskussion der Grenzen und Potentiale technik-zentrierter Partizipationskulturen

A tale of two hearth sites: Neolithic and intermittent mid to late Holocene occupations in the Jubbah oasis, northern Saudi Arabia

Hearth sites are characteristic of Holocene occupation in the Arabian sand seas but remain mostly unstudied. Excavations of two multi-period hearth sites in the Jebel Oraf palaeolake basin, in the oasis of Jubbah, now substantially increase our knowledge of these sites. In total, 17 of 170 identified hearths were excavated at Jebel Oraf 2 (ORF2), an open-air site on the edge of a palaeolake. In addition, 11 hearths were excavated at the stratified site of Jebel Oraf 115 (ORF115), a rockshelter formed by two boulders. Radiocarbon dating and lithic assemblages indicate that the majority of these hearths were in use in the second half of the 6th millennium BCE, and that both sites were used sporadically until the recent past. All hearths appear to have been extremely short-lived, and faunal remains suggest they may have been used to cook meat from hunted or trapped wildlife, and occasionally from livestock. The frequent use of grinding stones, often broken into fragments and used to cover hearths is also attested. Evidence for the exceptionally early use of metal from dated occupation deposits as well as from rock art, shows that these short-lived sites were well connected to technological innovations in the wider region

Plant, pigment, and bone processing in the Neolithic of northern Arabia-New evidence from Use-wear analysis of grinding tools at Jebel Oraf

Archaeological sites with surface hearths are a ubiquitous feature across the arid zones of the Arabian interior. At Jebel Oraf, in the Jubbah basin of the Nefud Desert of northern Arabia, numerous grinding stone fragments were found in association with hearths, though the original purpose of these stones was unclear owing to the poor preservation of faunal and botanic remains. Here we describe results from use-wear analysis on five grinding tools at Jebel Oraf, demonstrating that such artefacts were used during the Neolithic for plant processing, bone processing, and pigment production. Grinding stones were often broken up after initial use and fragments were subsequently re-used for alternative purposes, before finally being placed on hearths or discarded. More specifically, plants were ground or prepared and possibly cooked in the hearths, and bones were processed as well. The analyses also highlight the importance of pigment processing at Neolithic sites and provide a link to painted rock art. The frequent use of pigment in the archaeological record suggests that pigment was widely used, and that Neolithic painted art may have been more common than the surviving images suggest

Comparing scripts and scripting comparisons: toward a systematic analysis of technologically mediated influence

While it is generally accepted in Science and Technology Studies that technological artefacts have an impact on human practices, the question how this impact is achieved has been answered idiosyncratically for each case studied. This gap between abstract theoretical conceptualisations of non-human agency and largely descriptive accounts of many empirical instances to which they are applied is difficult to overcome unless the agency of artefacts can be compared. The aim of this paper is to propose and test a theoretically grounded framework that enables comparisons of agential qualities of technologies. In order to compare the ways in which technologies influence human behaviour, technology needs to be positioned in social theory. We do so by arguing that technology is one of three distinct modes of exercising influence, positioning technology in a general framework of kinds and modes of influence, and utilising Akrich's notion of scripts to capture the mediation of influence as a particular property of technology. From this, we derive a framework for comparing scripts in seven dimensions. We apply this framework to a test of conflicting hypotheses about consequences of the increasing sophistication of technology and to the exploration of the complexity underlying a typology of ‘persuasive technologies’. Our ‘proof of concept’ enables the conclusion that comparative studies of technologies enable unique contributions to Science and Technology Studies as well as related fields like studies on technoregulation.Die Science and Technology Studies sind sich zwar darin einig, dass Technik menschliche Praktiken beeinflusst, geben jedoch bislang auf die Frage, wie das geschieht, für jeden untersuchten Fall eine idiosynkratische Antwort. Diese Lücke zwischen abstrakten Konzeptualisierungen nichtmenschlicher Agency und Einzelfallbeschreibungen kann nicht überwunden werden, solange die Agency von Artefakten nicht verglichen werden kann. Das Ziel dieses Papers ist es, einen theoretisch begründeten Vergleichsrahmen für handlungsbeeinflussende Eigenschaften von Technik vorzuschlagen und zu testen. Um Formen der Beeinflussung menschlichen Verhaltens durch Technik vergleichen zu können, muss letztere in die Sozialtheorie eingeordnet werden. Wir tun das, indem wir Technik in einen allgemeinen Rahmen von Arten und Modi der Beeinflussung einordnen und Akrichs Konzept des Skripts für die Erfassung der handlungsbeeinflussenden Eigenschaften von Technik nutzen. Daraus entwickeln wir einen Vergleichsrahmen für Skripte mit sieben Dimensionen. Diesen Vergleichsrahmen wenden wir in einem Test einander widersprechender Hypothesen über Folgen einer steigenden Komplexität der Technik sowie in der Erkundung der Komplexität einer Typologie von 'Beeinflussungstechnologien' an. Unsere 'Pilotstudie' gestattet die Schlussfolgerung, dass vergleichende Studien von Technologien neuartige Beiträge zu den Science and Technology Studies sowie zu angrenzenden Gebieten wie den Studien zur Techno-Regulation ermöglichen

Landscape positioning of Neolithic mustatil stone structures along the margins of the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia

Monumental rectangular stone structures called mustatils are an important emerging feature of the Holocene archaeological record of northwestern Arabia. To date, few have been excavated, with available radiocarbon dates suggesting an age range of ca. 5400?4200 BC. Here we present a rigorous spatial analysis to identify the patterning and landscape context of 169 mustatils in the southern and western margins of the Nefud Desert. This included: (1) a systematic survey of satellite imagery to identify mustatils; (2) viewshed analysis to examine location and landscape visibility; (3) a point process model to understand how diverse environmental and landscape variables affect mustatil locations; (4) mark correlation function to assess spatial patterning of mustatils based on their size. Results indicate that mustatil locations are determined most by proximity to water (likely locations of enhanced surface water occurrence under the enhanced humidity of the Mid-Holocene), on east facing slopes, close to rocky areas, at elevations between 880?and?950?masl, and on or near topographic ridges (positive topographic position index). Viewshed analysis showed that mustatils are preferentially located in areas that have good views, but not the best that are available, indicating complex landscape positioning that balances a range of topographic and behavioural factors. Using a rank permutation method with size (length) of mustatils as a proxy for labour mobilization we show that mustatils within clusters are not arranged hierarchically based on size, and were likely built by non-stratified groups of people. Our analyses show that people were choosing multiple factors when deciding where to build mustatils, and that the distribution of mustatils may relate to different groups of people resulting in the construction of complex ritual landscapes. As one of the earliest examples of large-scale monumental stone structure construction in global prehistory, understanding mustatils can enlighten us on human-environment interaction during the Neolithic.Introduction The Holocene humid period Mustatils and other stone structures Spatial analysis Data and methods Study Area Data Gathering Exploratory data analysis Model fitting Checking model fit Clustering and size ranking Results Covariate data Point process models Clustering and size ranking of mustatils Discussion Conclusio

Landscape positioning of Neolithic mustatil stone structures along the margins of the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia

Monumental rectangular stone structures called mustatils are an important emerging feature of the Holocene archaeological record of northwestern Arabia. To date, few have been excavated, with available radiocarbon dates suggesting an age range of ca. 5400–4200 BC. Here we present a rigorous spatial analysis to identify the patterning and landscape context of 169 mustatils in the southern and western margins of the Nefud Desert. This included: (1) a systematic survey of satellite imagery to identify mustatils; (2) viewshed analysis to examine location and landscape visibility; (3) a point process model to understand how diverse environmental and landscape variables affect mustatil locations; (4) mark correlation function to assess spatial patterning of mustatils based on their size. Results indicate that mustatil locations are determined most by proximity to water (likely locations of enhanced surface water occurrence under the enhanced humidity of the Mid-Holocene), on east facing slopes, close to rocky areas, at elevations between 880 and 950 masl, and on or near topographic ridges (positive topographic position index). Viewshed analysis showed that mustatils are preferentially located in areas that have good views, but not the best that are available, indicating complex landscape positioning that balances a range of topographic and behavioural factors. Using a rank permutation method with size (length) of mustatils as a proxy for labour mobilization we show that mustatils within clusters are not arranged hierarchically based on size, and were likely built by non-stratified groups of people. Our analyses show that people were choosing multiple factors when deciding where to build mustatils, and that the distribution of mustatils may relate to different groups of people resulting in the construction of complex ritual landscapes. As one of the earliest examples of large-scale monumental stone structure construction in global prehistory, understanding mustatils can enlighten us on human-environment interaction during the Neolithic.</p

The Holocene humid period in the Nefud Desert: Hunters and herders in the Jebel Oraf palaeolake basin, Saudi Arabia

Archaeological surveys and excavations in the Jebel Oraf palaeolake basin, north-western Saudi Arabia, have identified a well-preserved early- to mid-Holocene landscape. Two types of occupation site can be distinguished: nine small and ephemeral scatters from single occupation phases on the slopes of sand dunes and three hearth sites indicative of repeated occupation on palaeolake shorelines. In addition, 245 rock art panels, 81 cairns, and 15 stone structures were recorded. This diverse dataset provides an opportunity to reconstruct occupation patterns and changes in landscape use. A particularly important site, Jebel Oraf 2, documents two episodes of lake high stands at ca. 6500 BC and 5300 BC, flooding parts of the locality. Neolithic pastoralists likely occupied the site after the end of the wet season, when the terrain was dry. Earlier sites are located in dune embayments some 7–14 m above the shore of the palaeolake. These locations are consistent with hunting strategies identifiable in the rock art that suggest wildlife was ambushed at watering places. Later rock art at Jebel Oraf also documents the hunting of wild camel in the Iron Age. The lithic industries documented in the Jebel Oraf basin support arguments of repeated contact with Levantine populations

An illustrated prehistory of the Jubbah Oasis: reconstructing Holocene occupation patterns in northwestern Saudi Arabia from rock art and inscriptions

A systematic survey of rock art and associated archaeological features in the Jubbah oasis provides evidence of Holocene occupation from the early Holocene to the present. In total, 1249 panels with rock art and inscriptions, and 159 archaeological sites were recorded on 12 different jebels. Analyses of rock art content and engraving stratigraphy indicate that the iconic Jubbah style had a long tradition amongst pre-pastoral hunters and continued to be used by early herders. We also identify a distinct body of rock art that pre-dates the Jubbah style and may be associated with a nearby Epipalaeolithic site. Our systematic dataset identifies a body of Bronze Age rock art that is further supported by the material culture and radiocarbon dates obtained from the remains of disturbed cairns. The rock art in Jubbah appears to have been created throughout the Holocene occupation of the oasis and similarities in the representation of animals, the choice of location, and the content of rock art scenes are evident from the Bronze Age to the early modern period, and perhaps into the 20th century. Moreover, rock art and epigraphy suggest that occupation phases in Jubbah were sustained long enough for the repeated development of unique local characteristics throughout the Holocene

Mapping human dispersals into the Horn of Africa from Arabian Ice Age refugia using mitogenomes

Rare mitochondrial lineages with relict distributions can sometimes be disproportionately informative about deep events in human prehistory. We have studied one such lineage, haplogroup R0a, which uniquely is most frequent in Arabia and the Horn of Africa, but is distributed much more widely, from Europe to India. We conclude that: (1) the lineage ancestral to R0a is more ancient than previously thought, with a relict distribution across the Mediterranean/Southwest Asia; (2) R0a has a much deeper presence in Arabia than previously thought, highlighting the role of at least one Pleistocene glacial refugium, perhaps on the Red Sea plains; (3) the main episode of dispersal into Eastern Africa, at least concerning maternal lineages, was at the end of the Late Glacial, due to major expansions from one or more refugia in Arabia; (4) there was likely a minor Late Glacial/early postglacial dispersal from Arabia through the Levant and into Europe, possibly alongside other lineages from a Levantine refugium; and (5) the presence of R0a in Southwest Arabia in the Holocene at the nexus of a trading network that developed after ~3 ka between Africa and the Indian Ocean led to some gene flow even further afield, into Iran, Pakistan and India