Combining chemical and lead isotope analyses with 3-D geometric–morphometric shape analysis: A methodological case study of socketed bronze arrowheads from the southern Levant

Naama Yahalom-Mack*, Gadi Herzlinger, Alexander Bogdanovsky, Ofir Tirosh, Yosef Garfinkel, Sean Dugaw, Oded Lipschits, Yigal Erel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, the shape of socketed bronze arrowheads is analysed and expressed as a series of mathematical trends which are then compared to chemical and lead isotope composition, as well as to the categorization of traditional non-computerized typology. It is shown that while traditional typology has statistical validation, additional important information can be gleaned from 3-D geometric morphometric shape analysis (3DGM), particularly when combined with material analyses. For example, arrowheads that are traditionally categorized as a single type demonstrate minute shape differences that correlate with the sites where they were found. This micro-variability, detected only through 3DGM, has potential cultural, chronological and regional implications. Most importantly, this pilot study shows that chemical and isotopic composition is correlated to a specific shape trend, revealed through computerized analysis, rather than to the traditional typological classification. This opens up new vistas for a more advanced analysis of archaeological finds.

Original languageAmerican English
Article number105147
JournalJournal of Archaeological Science
Volume118
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank Leore Grosman and Ortal Harush from the Computational Archaeology Laboratory at the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, for producing the 3D scans. We would also like to thank Igor Kreimerman, Debi Sandhaus and Alla Rabinovich who provided data regarding the material from Khirbet Qeiyafa, and Leora Freund for providing contextual data for the arrowheads from Azekah and Ramat Raḥel. Aurelia Masson-Berghoff from the British Museum kindly discussed the material from Naukratis. Svetlana Matskevich prepared the illustrations. The work was made possible with the kind assistance of the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020

Keywords

  • Chemistry
  • Geometric morphometric shape analysis
  • LIA
  • Socketed bronze arrowheads
  • Statistics
  • Typology

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