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Hermann A, Forkel R, McAlister A, Cruickshank A, Golitko M, Kneebone B, McCoy M, Reepmeyer C, Sheppard P, Sinton J, Weisler M. Pofatu, a curated and open-access database for geochemical sourcing of archaeological materials. Sci Data 2020; 7:141. [PMID: 32393758 PMCID: PMC7214434 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-0485-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Compositional analyses have long been used to determine the geological sources of artefacts. Geochemical "fingerprinting" of artefacts and sources is the most effective way to reconstruct strategies of raw material and artefact procurement, exchange or interaction systems, and mobility patterns during prehistory. The efficacy and popularity of geochemical sourcing has led to many projects using various analytical techniques to produce independent datasets. In order to facilitate access to this growing body of data and to promote comparability and reproducibility in provenance studies, we designed Pofatu, the first online and open-access database to present geochemical compositions and contextual information for archaeological sources and artefacts in a form that can be readily accessed by the scientific community. This relational database currently contains 7759 individual samples from archaeological sites and geological sources across the Pacific Islands. Each sample is comprehensively documented and includes elemental and isotopic compositions, detailed archaeological provenance, and supporting analytical metadata, such as sampling processes, analytical procedures, and quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aymeric Hermann
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745, Jena, Thüringen, Germany.
- CNRS, UMR 7041 ArScAn, Equipe Ethnologie Préhistorique, Maison de l'Archéologie et de l'Ethnologie, CNRS, UMR 7041, 92023, Nanterre, France.
| | - Robert Forkel
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745, Jena, Thüringen, Germany.
| | - Andrew McAlister
- Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | | | - Mark Golitko
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, USA
| | | | - Mark McCoy
- Department of Anthropology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75205, USA
| | - Christian Reepmeyer
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, 4878, Australia
| | - Peter Sheppard
- Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - John Sinton
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i, 96822, USA
| | - Marshall Weisler
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Goff J, Golitko M, Cochrane E, Curnoe D, Williams S, Terrell J. Reassessing the environmental context of the Aitape Skull - The oldest tsunami victim in the world? PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185248. [PMID: 29069104 PMCID: PMC5656299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the long-lasting effects of tsunamis on human populations. This is particularly notable along tectonically active coastlines with repeated inundations occurring over thousands of years. Given the often high death tolls reported from historical events though it is remarkable that so few human skeletal remains have been found in the numerous palaeotsunami deposits studied to date. The 1929 discovery of the Aitape Skull in northern Papua New Guinea and its inferred late Pleistocene age played an important role in discussions about the origins of humans in Australasia for over 25 years until it was more reliably radiocarbon dated to around 6000 years old. However, no similar attention has been given to reassessing the deposit in which it was found-a coastal mangrove swamp inundated by water from a shallow sea. With the benefit of knowledge gained from studies of the 1998 tsunami in the same area, we conclude that the skull was laid down in a tsunami deposit and as such may represent the oldest known tsunami victim in the world. These findings raise the question of whether other coastal archaeological sites with human skeletal remains would benefit from a re-assessment of their geological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Goff
- PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- CNRS, Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Mark Golitko
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ethan Cochrane
- Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Darren Curnoe
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage and PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shaun Williams
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - John Terrell
- Integrative Research Center, Social Science, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Gengo RG, Oka RC, Vemuru V, Golitko M, Gettler LT. Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 30. [PMID: 28976046 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Refugee camps are often assumed to negatively impact local host communities through resource competition and conflict. We ask instead whether economic resources and trade networks associated with refugees have benefits for host community health and nutrition. To address this question we assess the impacts of Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, comparing anthropometric indicators of nutritional status between Turkana communities in the region. METHODS Participants were recruited at four sites in Turkana County (N = 586): Kakuma Town, adjacent to Kakuma Refugee Camp; Lorugum, an area with sustained economic development; Lokichoggio, formerly host to international NGOs, and now underdeveloped; and Lorengo, an undeveloped, rural community. We evaluated nutritional status using summed skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). Structured interviews provided contextual data. RESULTS Age-controlled multiple regression models reveal two distinct skinfold thickness profiles for both sexes: comparatively elevated values in Kakuma and Lorugum, and significantly lower values in Lorengo and Lokichoggio. BMI did not vary significantly by location. Despite better nutritional status, a large proportion of Kakuma residents still report worries about basic needs, including hunger, health, and economic security. CONCLUSIONS Kakuma Refugee Camp is associated with better host community energetic status indicators, compared to other relevant, regional sites varying in development and resources. Based on global nutritional standards, observed differences likely represent meaningful disparities in overall health. We suggest that access to cereals via refugee trade networks and employment might mediate this relationship. However, perceptions of refugees as illegitimate interlopers maintain a high psychological burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieti G Gengo
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556
| | - Rahul C Oka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556
| | | | - Mark Golitko
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556
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Dussubieux L, Golitko M, Williams PR, Speakman RJ. Laser Ablation—Inductively Coupled Plasma—Mass Spectrometry Analysis Applied to the Characterization of Peruvian Wari Ceramics. ACS Symposium Series 2007. [DOI: 10.1021/bk-2007-0968.ch019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laure Dussubieux
- Department of Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605
| | - Mark Golitko
- Department of Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
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