Papers by Christine Pümpin
Swiss Journal of Geosciences, Jul 14, 2017
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd eBooks, Aug 30, 2017
Shape, preservation, embedded components and groundmass characteristics allow distinction between... more Shape, preservation, embedded components and groundmass characteristics allow distinction between herbivore excrements and the coprolites of omnivores or carnivores. Herbivore dung remains may occur in a wide range of onsite archaeological features but are also known from offsite situations. Fresh herbivore excrements are usually porous, loosely packed and consist mainly of poorly digested to undigested plant fragments, which are sometimes embedded in a brown to dark brown amorphous organic groundmass. Ruminant and horse excrements mainly consist of poorly digested plant fragments. Rodent excrements can be found in archaeological sediments. Because of the high organic content of herbivore excrements, dried ruminant dung is an excellent fuel, used since prehistoric times and still in use today, mainly in dry regions. Stabling or enclosure sediments have a lower porosity than equivalent unaffected excrements and show an impact of sediment agglomerates, mineral grains and other components due to trampling processes.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Mar 29, 2014
Archäologie Baselland, 2018
<jats:p>Band 24 der Materialhefte zur Archäologie in Basel widmet sich mit der Spätantike u... more <jats:p>Band 24 der Materialhefte zur Archäologie in Basel widmet sich mit der Spätantike und dem Übergang zum Frühmittelalter auf dem Münsterhügel einem Geschichtsabschnitt, der einen Forschungsschwerpunkt der Archäologischen Bodenforschung bildet. In der spätrömischen Zeit nahm die Bedeutung von Basel immer mehr zu: Die von militärischen Erfordernissen geprägte römerzeitliche Siedlung bzw. das Kastell auf dem Basler Münsterhügel ist die Keimzelle der späteren mittelalterlichen Bischofstadt. Markus Asal hat im Rahmen seiner 2010 abgeschlossenen Dissertation Baubefunde und Funde einer 2004 durchgeführten Rettungsgrabung an der Martinsgasse 6+8 vorgelegt. Seine Auswertung vermag nicht nur die Errichtung der spätrömischen Befestigungsmauer erstmalig zu datieren, sie präsentiert auch neue Erkenntnisse zur Überbauung des nördlichen Teils des Münsterhügels mit Fachwerk- und Holzbauten und kann aufzeigen, dass der Nordteil des Münsterhügels, möglicherweise gar die gesamte Siedlung, im 4. Jahrhundert einem kontinuierlichen Prozess baulicher Veränderung unterlag.</jats:p>
Environmental Archaeology
Cologne constituted one of the political and economic centres of the northernmost frontier (limes... more Cologne constituted one of the political and economic centres of the northernmost frontier (limes) region of the Roman Empire, and was at the core of important socio-political upheavals following its collapse. Here, an interdisciplinary approach (combining zooarchaeology, archaeobotany and soil micromorphology) is applied to examine the late Roman and early medieval periods of the city. This has allowed understanding important changes that Cologne underwent in this period, including continuous urban modifications and the creation of space for new economic activities. The three different sites considered in this paper are Severinstrasse 214–218, Antoniterstrasse 14–16 and Heumarkt. The zooarchaeological analysis of these assemblages, and their comparison with other faunal assemblages, focuses on the taxonomic frequencies, kill-off-patterns, and biometrical data of the main domesticates in order to understand animal husbandry practices. In Antoniterstrasse and Heumarkt, the first documented urban Dark Earths in Cologne were analysed, evidencing ongoing settlement activity from late Roman times to the Early Middle Ages. Micromorphological studies were conducted to better understand the nature and formation processes of the archaeological layers. Archaeobotanical analyses provided additional information on subsistence strategies. The results show the change from an urban, specialised, market-oriented economy to a subsistence economy during this transitional period (third to tenth century AD).
SSRN Electronic Journal
We studied the corrosion of Roman copper alloy coins that experienced alternations or progressive... more We studied the corrosion of Roman copper alloy coins that experienced alternations or progressive changes in their burial environment. We used coins that were still embedded in soil or in a concretion selected from three professional excataved sites - Berlicum and Krommenie in the Netherlands and Kempraten in Switserland. mCT scanning and neutron scanning were used to record the 3-D properties of these coins prior to (destructive) analyses. It proved possible to tentatively identify the coins. Microscope observations and SEM-EDX analyses revealed complex corrosion processes, related to changing burial environments. In soil horizon with fluctuating groundwater levels in a region with upwelling reducing, iron-rich groundwater, the copper in a gunmetal coin is essentially replaced by iron oxides while tin remains and forms tin-oxide bands. Fluctuating redox conditions in marine-influenced environments was shown to transform a copper-alloy coin into strongly laminated copper sulphides with embedded gypsum crystals, with an outer surface of copper and copper-iron sulphides. Burial of bronze in a charcoal rich layer probably caused temporary highly alkaline soil conditions. This caused most of the copper to leach from this coin, leaving behind a laminated tin-dominated mass, with only a limited amount of (malachite) corrosion products remaining in the surrounding groundmass. In all three cases, corrosion processes tend to be anisotropic, probably because of cold-hammering of the coins during their manufacture. Such corrosion processes on massive copper alloy coins may produce features that may lead to their incorrect classification as subferrati, i.e. copper alloy coins with an iron core. Our results may help in future to distinguish strongly corroded massive coins from subferrati.
Environmental Archaeology, 2023
Cologne constituted one of the political and economic centres of the northernmost frontier (limes... more Cologne constituted one of the political and economic centres of the northernmost frontier (limes) region of the Roman Empire, and was at the core of important socio-political upheavals following its collapse. Here, an interdisciplinary approach (combining zooarchaeology, archaeobotany and soil micromorphology) is applied to examine the late Roman and early medieval periods of the city. This has allowed understanding important changes that Cologne underwent in this period, including continuous urban modifications and the creation of space for new economic activities. The three different sites considered in this paper are Severinstrasse 214–218, Antoniterstrasse 14–16 and Heumarkt. The zooarchaeological analysis of these assemblages, and their comparison with other faunal assemblages, focuses on the taxonomic frequencies, kill-off-patterns, and biometrical data of the main domesticates in order to understand animal husbandry practices. In Antoniterstrasse and Heumarkt, the first documented urban Dark Earths in Cologne were analysed, evidencing ongoing settlement activity from late Roman times to the Early Middle Ages. Micromorphological studies were conducted to better understand the nature and formation processes of the archaeological layers. Archaeobotanical analyses provided additional information on subsistence strategies. The results show the change from an urban, specialised, market-oriented economy to a subsistence economy during this transitional period (third to tenth century AD).
Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt, 2022
In the summers of 2020 and 2021, a team of archaeologists and palaeoecologists examined the “Flöz... more In the summers of 2020 and 2021, a team of archaeologists and palaeoecologists examined the “Flözerbändli” site, a rocky overhang located directly above the right bank of the River Muota at an elevation of 740 m a.s.l. The excavations unearthed Early Mesolithic layers which yielded charcoal fragments from the period between 9746 and 8294 BC, stone artefacts including projectile points, as well as animal bones and archaeoethnobotanical remains. A remarkable find was a red deer antler fragment dating from between 10519 and 10028 BC which was decorated with regular rows of pit marks. Late Palaeolithic finds such as this are extremely rare. Various other Mesolithic sites have also been discovered in the municipal area of Muotathal.
Materialhefte zur Archäologie in Basel, 2017
Katalogteil mit Befundkatalog, Tafeln, Münzzusammenstellung und Literaturverzeichnis
Durch die gut erhaltene Schichtabfolge und die aussergewöhnlichen Befunde und Funde ist die Grabu... more Durch die gut erhaltene Schichtabfolge und die aussergewöhnlichen Befunde und Funde ist die Grabung Martinsgasse 6+8 eine Schlüsselstelle für die mittelalterliche Stadtgeschichte Basels. Einer der frühesten nördlich der Alpen nachgewiesenen Latrinenschächte aus dem 7.–9. Jh. und ein mechanischer Mörtelmischer aus dem 9.–11. Jh. sind herausragende Einzelbefunde, die hier im baulichen Kontext vorgestellt werden. Die Kombination von archäologischen Methoden wie Stratigrafie und Typologie mit naturwissenschaftlichen Herangehensweisen wie Radiokarbondatierung, Mikromorphologie, Archäobiologie und Anthropologie erlaubt es, in den «dark earth»-Schichten und in der Flut römischen Altmaterials, mittelalterliche Nutzungs- und Bauhorizonte zu erkennen, zu datieren und zu charakterisieren. Dabei ergeben sich detaillierte Einblicke und wichtige neue Erkenntnisse zum Wandel von Ernährungsweise, Vorratshaltung und Bautechnologie am Übergang von Spätantike zum Mittelalter
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Papers by Christine Pümpin
Though the structures were badly damaged by erosion and crop farming, the remains of at least 23 Neolithic buildings were uncovered. Unfortunately, the settlement history could only be partially reconstructed because many of the features had been so severely damaged during the long history of settlement and as a result of erosion, modern farming and bioturbation. This had also led to considerable commingling of the pit assemblages, which meant that it was not possible to build a detailed reconstruction of the settlement’s development.
The excavations carried out so far have only uncovered a small section of the area that was originally covered by the prehistoric settlement. The surface finds that were scattered around the excavated trenches suggested that many more archaeological features must still be hidden below ground, which may yet change the current picture we have of the Neolithic settlement at Gächlingen.
Judging by the Early Neolithic pottery, Gächlingen was one of the earliest examples of a farming settlement in the High Rhine area. The decorations and fabric of the Linearbandkeramik pottery suggest that the settlers had moved to Gächlingen from the River Neckar region. It is not yet clear if the indigenous people they encountered upon their arrival had already adopted the Neolithic lifestyle or whether they were still Late Mesolithic hunters and gatherers.
A collection of sherds that belonged to the western European pottery tradition is of particular interest. It finds its closest parallels in the pottery of the La Hoguette type, but clearly sets itself apart, mainly by virtue of its rather peculiar decorative style. Its relative-chronological position as compared to Linearbandkeramik ware must remain open for the time being because of the problems with the archaeological context at Gächlingen. Analyses of clay samples, however, did at least show that the pottery had been made from local materials and that therefore it had not been imported in the context of cultural contacts.
Whilst unfortunately we cannot make any statements about the economy (crop farming, animal husbandry) of the Gächlingen farming community because of the poor preservation conditions for organic materials, geoarchaeological examinations of soil columns showed that the Early Neolithic soils in the Klettgau region had probably not been overly fertile. It would therefore have required a significant effort on the part of the settlers to produce a good yield.
Numerous lithic artefacts recovered from the site provided a rare glimpse into how the natural resources that were available in the region had been used at the time. This allowed us to make a detailed reconstruction of the use of flint deposits available in the region. Thanks to extensive geological surveys carried out on site and subsequent microfacial analyses it was possible to localise and characterise the individual deposits quite closely. We were also able to almost completely reconstruct the chaîne opératoire of flint production. The most striking insight was that the Gächlingen farming community had obviously used various deposits and had worked the raw materials using techniques specifically modified to suit the local flint. Another very interesting discovery was that raw materials from deposits south of the River Rhine had been processed at Gächlingen, which suggests that there were functioning communication networks in the region. The evidence also suggested that surplus was produced at the site, which could have been supplied to neighbouring regions.
The analysis of the rock artefacts yielded interesting information. The raw material used to make the axe blades, for instance, does not appear to have been sourced locally. The closest deposits were located in the Hegau region (basalt) and in the southern Black Forest area (so-called knotenschiefer or nodular shale). Other materials may have been brought to Gächlingen from even further afield. The raw materials used to make querns or grinding stones, on the other hand, came from local natural deposits, from the area around Schleitheim and the neighbouring Wutach Valley, just under 5 km from the site as the crow flies. Unworked quernstone blanks found at the settlement suggest that large stones had been brought to the site as raw or half-finished objects which were then further worked on site to create serviceable implements.
Numerous pieces of evidence suggested that Gächlingen must have played an important role within the Early Neolithic regional settlement landscape; the site may even have served as a central place. Besides the Linearbandkeramik settlement traces, remains of Middle Neolithic, Urnfield-period, La Tène-period, Roman and early medieval settlements also came to light on the western edge of Gächlingen. Certain sherds could also point to the presence of a Late Neolithic settlement.
The intensive settlement activity on site shows that over the course of several thousand years Gächlingen was one of the most favoured places to settle in the region and that the choice of location for the first settlement had obviously not been a coincidence. Although it was not possible due to the poor preservation conditions to answer numerous questions regarding the chronology and history of the settlement, the finds and features from Gächlingen have nevertheless allowed us to gain considerable new insight into the lifestyle of the earliest farmers in the High Rhine region. A completely new light has thus been shone on the Neolithisation of the northern foothills of the Alps. Future discoveries and research will complete this rather sketchy picture and extend the chapter on the changeover from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of sedentary farming with the addition of numerous important aspects as yet unknown.
Eine mehrphasige Bebauung mit Holzgebäuden ab den Jahren 35/40 n. Chr. fiel einem verheerenden Brandereignis zum Opfer. Ab ca. 120 n. Chr. wurde in Steingebäuden gewohnt. Entlang der römischen Strasse standen grosse Häuser, die teilweise mediterrane Bauschemata befolgten und bis in die Spätantike bestehen blieben. Die Hofbereiche wurden im Lauf der Zeit mit kleineren, ein- bis zweiräumigen Gebäuden bebaut.
Das geborgene Fundmaterial kann hier erstmals für Kempraten nach Befunden vorgelegt werden. Verschiedene Materialgruppen wurden vertieft bearbeitet (Lavez, Münzfunde, Glas, Metallfunde). Ebenso werden die Resultate erster naturwissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen zu Kempraten präsentiert (Geoarchäologie, Archäobiologie, Petrographie).
Cet ouvrage présente les premiers résultats des fouilles de sauvetage menées sur le site d’Onnens-Praz Berthoud (canton de Vaud, Suisse) de 1997 à 2004 dans le cadre du chantier de l’autoroute A5. Organisé en trois parties, ce volume regroupe la présentation générale du site, les études environnementales (sédimentologique, micromorphologique et malacologique) et l’analyse des vestiges archéologiques (faune, céramique, industrie lithique taillée et structures) datés du Mésolithique ancien au début du Néolithique moyen.