All the Viking ladies, put your hands up

Ring discovery connects Norse and Islamic cultures 


When you think about Scandinavian Vikings, what comes to mind? Bearded seafarers? Sure. Horned helmets? Absolutely. Islamic civilization? Not so much. 

But an enchanting ring found in a ninth century Viking grave offers evidence that these two seemingly disparate civilizations were actually in close contact. 

The breathtaking purple ring was first excavated in the late 1800s from Birka, a Viking trading center in Sweden, according to a recent Science News article. The ring's mesmerizing centerpiece was always thought to be a violet amethyst. But when archaeologists at Stockholm University conducted an electron microscope scan, they discovered that it is in fact made of colored glass, a highly desirable, and exotic material at the time. The scan also revealed an unexpected inscription on the glass inset which reads either "for Allah" or "to Allah" in ancient Arabic script. 

So how did this Islamic jewelry end up on the finger of a Viking a world away? Scandinavians were known to trade prized objects from Egypt and Mesopotamia as long as 3,400 years ago. So archaeologists theorize it's not unlikely that the Vikings could have obtained glass treasures from Islamic traders in the same part of the globe about 2,000 years later, rather waiting for these goods to travel north through popular trade networks. 

While there are encounters between these two civilizations mentioned in ancient texts about 1,000 years ago, substantial archaeological evidence in support of these accounts is quite rare. 

What's more, researchers at Stockholm University say the ring shows almost no signs of wear. This suggests it was made by an Arabic silversmith and had no prior owners before reaching the Viking woman. 

Into Vikings? Enjoy these complimentary articles from European Journal of Archaeology: 

‘A River of Knives and Swords’: Ritually Deposited Weapons in English Watercourses and Wetlands during the Viking Age

Bloody Slaughter: Ritual Decapitation and Display at the Viking Settlement of Hofstadir Iceland

European Journal of Archaeology seeks new Deputy Editor

European Journal of Archaeology is the international, peer-reviewed journal of the European Association of Archaeologists. This leading journal is dedicated to publishing the best new archaeological research taking place in Europe and surrounding regions. European Journal of Archaeology is currently accepting applications for a new Deputy Editor, who will work closely with the journal's Editor, Dr. Robin Skeates. Read on to learn more about this exciting opportunity. 

About the Position
The Deputy Editor is required to be deadline-driven with excellent communication skills, an ability to carry out editorial tasks based on prior editorial experience and a breadth of interests. The Deputy Editor will also be expected to work outside his/her own specialist fields of expertise. European Journal of Archaeology is a broad, well recognized and well cited publication, and the Deputy Editor will have an academic profile and level of seniority appropriate to the role.

Editor Responsibilities

• Taking a portion of papers through the editorial peer-review process to a final recommendation 
• Editing final papers to improve the clarity of arguments and quality of English
• Checking and correcting proofs as required and returning them to the agreed Publisher’s schedule
• Soliciting high-quality manuscripts for the journal
• Acting as an ambassador for the journal at conferences and other events
• Acting as Special Issue Editor on occasion
• Deputizing for the Editor as necessary
• Assisting the Editor to keep within the agreed annual page budget for the journal 

Applications must be submitted by April 30th, 2015 to Dr. Robin Skeates at robin.skeates@durham.ac.uk. Interested applicants should title their message "Deputy Editor Selection" and include a 1000-word statement describing their relevant experience and why they would like to become the Deputy Editor for European Journal of Archaeology.

Please view the complete job posting for more details.  

Celebrate Florida Archaeology Month with a Dash through the Past

Did you know that Florida Archaeology Month is right around the corner? Every March, an array of programs and events are scheduled to put Floridians and visitors in touch with the rich history and heritage of the Panhandle State, which stretches back over 12,000 years.
  
This year, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the University of West Florida Historic Trust are hosting Dash Through the Past, a high-speed scavenger hunt set for March 7th from 10 am to 12 pm at 207 East Main Street in downtown Pensacola. Participants will race through a two-mile course in the heart of the city's historic district, using maps to search for hidden treasures and competing for prizes. For more information, view the event details, or email the event organizers at northwest@flpublicarchaeology.org.  

Dash Through the Past is just one of several events planned for the month of March. This year's theme, Innovators of the Archaic, invites participants to discover prehistoric Floridian culture and its connections to the present day. You can find a full list of programs on the Florida Archaeology Month website. 

With this state's rich cultural history, it's a wonder there's just one month dedicated to Florida archaeology. Thousands of years ago, some of the first civilizations to live in Florida hunted mammoth with stone-tipped spears. Rising sea levels, changing environments, and increasing populations were just a few of the challenges they overcame by testing and adapting to new ways of life. 

Curious about Florida's unique past? Enjoy these free articles from Public Archaeology: 

>> Florida's Underwater Archaeological Preserves: Public Participation as an Approach to Submerged Heritage Management

>> Tracing the Roots of Municipal Archaeology in St Augustine, Florida: The Story of How 'The Oldest City' Connected Archaeology, Local Government, and the Public

What's Mayan is Yours: Ancient Water Temple with Rain God Offerings Discovered in Belize

Archaeologists recently discovered the remnants of an ancient Mayan water temple at Cara Blanca, tucked away in the center of one of Belize's lush forests. The structure is situated alongside a deep pool of water where Mayans from across the region gathered to sacrifice bowls, pots, and jars to the water god, and to pray for rain. 

"It was a special place with a sacred function," explained Lisa Lucero, the archaeologist who led the discovery, in a recent National Geographic article. 

The water temple serves as a timeline of the drought that's thought to have contributed to the Maya's demise after A.D. 800. The Mesoamerican civilization, known for their art, architecture, and fully developed pre-Columbian writing system, thrived due to plentiful rainfall for centuries. During this time, sacrifices to the water temple were irregular and seldom. But after an unexpected and dramatic shift in the climate, repeated droughts wreaked havoc on the Mayas and their water-dependent society, making the temple quite a busy place. 

Archaeologists also suspect that this lack of rain ignited a "drought cult" of people who understandably became obsessed with pleasing Chaak, the ancient Maya rain god. But despite their daily sacrifices and prayers, Chaak and his friends in the underworld continued to withhold rain, unraveling the Maya’s intricate agriculture system.

"I do agree this was likely a shrine where ritual practices took place that point to times getting tough for people," Holley Moyes of University of California, Merced told National Geographic. "When you start getting down to actual drought, we are starting to see sacrifices picking up across the Maya world."

Want to learn more about the Maya and their relationship to water and agriculture? Check out these fascinating, free articles from the Journal of Field Archaeology:  

>> An Ancient Maya Dam in the Cayo Distric, Belize

>> Ancient Maya Wetland Agriculture: New Insights from Ecological and Remote Sensing Research

First article published in new OA journal: Is IS6110 really a good marker for TB in ancient remains?

The insertion sequence IS6110 is frequently used as a marker for the presence of ancient DNA from bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in human archaeological remains. The specificity of polymerase chain reactions directed at IS6110 has, however, been questioned, because identical or similar elements have been identified in ‘mycobacteria other than tuberculosis’.

These are Mycobacterium species, common in the environment, that may occasionally cause opportunistic disease, but which are not normally associated with clinical cases of tuberculosis.

In the first article published in STAR: Science and Technology of Archaeological Research, Muller et al report the presence of two sequence types similar but not identical to IS6110 in bone samples from nine skeletons dated mainly to the Roman period, one from Scotland and the others from the remainder of Britain. The source of these sequences cannot be established but they most likely derived from environmental bacteria that colonised the skeletons after death. Our data support the notion that IS6110 may not be unique to the members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and is therefore not suitable as a specific marker for the identification of tuberculosis in human remains.

Read the full OA article ‘Complications in the study of ancient tuberculosis: non-specificity of IS6110 PCRs’ here.