Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Title	Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Discipline	Archaeology; Anthropology
Publisher	Springer Science+Business Media
History	2009–present
Frequency	Bimonthly

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences is an interdisciplinary scholarly journal that publishes research at the intersection of archaeology and physical anthropology, emphasizing scientific techniques and analyses used to interpret past human behavior. The journal features contributions on topics ranging from bioarchaeology and palaeobotany to geochronology and isotope analysis, attracting submissions from authors affiliated with institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Max Planck Society, and Smithsonian Institution. Articles often engage with case studies from regions including Near East, Mediterranean Sea, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Mesoamerica.

Overview

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences specializes in methodological innovation and empirical studies that integrate data produced by laboratories and field projects associated with institutions like British Museum, Louvre Museum, Vatican Museums, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and National Museum of Natural History (France). The journal covers topics such as radiocarbon dating applied in contexts like Çatalhöyük, luminescence studies in sites like Gobekli Tepe, stable isotope work on collections from Lake Baikal, ancient DNA analyses comparable to studies at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, andZooarchaeology connected to excavations at Çarşıbaşı. Contributors often collaborate with projects hosted by organizations such as UNESCO, International Council of Museums, European Research Council, and National Science Foundation.

History and Development

Since its founding in 2009 by Springer Nature editors and advisory boards comprising scholars from University College London, University of Durham, University of Cambridge, and University of California, Berkeley, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences has evolved alongside advances in laboratory methods pioneered at centers such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, British Geological Survey, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The journal’s development parallels major paradigmatic shifts evident after publications linked to figures and projects like Richard Leakey, Mary Leakey, the Denisova Cave research teams, and the dissemination of methods from laboratories at Columbia University and University of Tokyo.

Methods and Techniques

Papers emphasize laboratory and analytical techniques including radiometric methods such as radiocarbon dating developed at University of Cambridge (UK), gamma spectrometry work from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and luminescence dating refined at University of Oxford and University of Melbourne. Molecular approaches include ancient DNA sequencing protocols established in facilities like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Wellcome Sanger Institute, while isotopic studies draw on standards from Geological Survey of Canada and International Atomic Energy Agency. Microscopy and imaging techniques referenced often trace heritage to instruments at Smithsonian Institution and National Institutes of Health, and computational modeling builds on software originating at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Subfields and Interdisciplinary Connections

The journal bridges subfields such as bioarchaeology engaging with research from University of Chicago, palaeobotany linked to scholars at Kew Gardens, zooarchaeology connected to teams at Natural History Museum, London, geoarchaeology intersecting with work at US Geological Survey, and osteoarchaeology informed by collections at National Museums Scotland. Interdisciplinary collaborations include projects with NASA for remote sensing of sites like Angkor, partnerships with European Space Agency for satellite imagery analyses over Leptis Magna, and joint ventures with World Health Organization for paleopathology studies referencing outbreaks such as Justiniana I Plague.

Key Discoveries and Case Studies

Notable case studies published in or relevant to the journal mirror discoveries at sites like Denisova Cave, Altamira Cave, Lascaux, Çatalhöyük, Pompeii, Mohenjo-daro, Teotihuacan, Angkor Wat, Herculaneum, Stonehenge, Gobekli Tepe, Sutton Hoo, Maya site of Tikal, Monte Verde, Jebel Irhoud, Dolní Věstonice, Jericho, Skhul and Qafzeh caves, Ban Chiang, and Shanidar Cave. These case studies illustrate applications of techniques such as proteomics refined at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and EMBL-EBI, strontium isotope provenance studies modeled after work at University of Groningen, and microbotanical residue analyses akin to investigations performed by teams at University of Pennsylvania Museum and The British Library.

Education, Institutions, and Professional Practice

Training for contributors and readers frequently occurs in graduate programs at universities like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, University of California, Los Angeles, Australian National University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Peking University, Seoul National University, and University of São Paulo. Professional practice draws on standards set by bodies such as Society for American Archaeology, European Association of Archaeologists, American Anthropological Association, International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences, and curatorial protocols at museums including British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Rijksmuseum. Academic careers and recognition relate to awards and fellowships like those from the European Research Council, National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust, Wellcome Trust, and prizes historically associated with figures such as Sir Mortimer Wheeler and Kathleen Kenyon.

Category:Academic journals in archaeology