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Preliminary insights into late prehistoric fish procurement strategies in the desert interior of southeastern Arabia: The results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of a fish otolith assemblage from Saruq al-Hadid, UAE
Abstract
Fishing is known to have been an integral component of life in prehistoric coastal communities in southeastern Arabia and the recovery of fish bones from sites away from the coast indicates that fish were also an important resource at inland sites in this area. Recent excavations undertaken at the late prehistoric (c.2000–c.800 BCE) site of Saruq al-Hadid, UAE, a desert site located c.40 km away from Emirate of Dubai's coastline, have recovered a large assemblage of fish remains including a substantial number of sagittal otoliths from a variety of marine species. In this paper, we present the results of Laser Ablation ICP-MS analysis of the chemical composition of 143 sagittal otoliths recovered from Saruq al-Hadid and use the data to make preliminary inferences regarding the provenance, season of capture and method of preservation of these fish. We tentatively suggest that the otolith chemistries observed in this study indicate that fish from both the Persian Gulf and Omani coast are present at Saruq al-Hadid. Additionally, we are also able to rule out salting as a preservation method for the fish represented by these otoliths. However, we also highlight the extensive array of variables that may influence these data and acknowledge that the nature of the dataset prevents any firm conclusions being drawn regarding these topics at this stage in the study. Despite the limitations of this preliminary study, we argue that the otoliths from Saruq al-Hadid have significant research potential and conclude by outlining methods that might be employed to take this study further in the future.
... The fish remains were identified using Dr Mark Beech's reference collection, kept in Abu Dhabi, and the bird remains were identified using the bird skeletal reference collection kept by the Natural History Museum in Tring, UK. The fish otoliths were treated separately from the remainder of the fish bones, as outlined elsewhere ( Roberts et al., 2019), due to their additional research potential. ...
... Otoliths have been presented separately in this paper due to the particular attention paid to them during the excavation process. This is described in further detail elsewhere (Roberts et al., 2019). The vast majority of fish remains in the assemblage could not be identified further than "osteichthyes". ...
... The chemical analysis of otoliths from Saruq al-Hadid suggests that the otoliths were not from fish that had been salted, ruling out the possibility that this method of preservation facilitated the movement of these fish (Roberts et al., 2019). However, the otoliths (elements from the head of the fish) can only be present from fish brought to the site intact. ...
Marine resources were an integral and consistent component of subsistence strategies employed in south‐eastern Arabia throughout late prehistory. Of particular interest is the movement of these resources from the coast to interior sites and the implications of this movement for transhumance and trade in the region during this period. Marine species were frequently identified in the faunal assemblage from the inland site of Saruq al‐Hadid, dating from the Bronze Age to Early Iron Age (c.2000–c.800 BCE). This included marine fish species, along with two cormorant species (Phalacrocorax sp.) and several fragments of dugong (Dugong dugon). Twenty‐seven families of marine shell were also identified in the remains recovered from the site. The presence of these remains at this inland site demonstrates that resources were frequently moved from the coast to the interior throughout Saruq al‐Hadid’s occupation, indicative of their enduring significance in subsistence strategies employed at the site. This paper presents the results of zooarchaeological analysis of these remains and discusses the significance of their presence at Saruq al‐Hadid, with reference to subsistence, craft production and intra‐regional exchange during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
... Regarding archaeology and paleontology, elemental and isotopic ratios (oxygen, carbon) have been employed for paleoenvironmental reconstructions and to study the ontogenetic history of fishes [12,13,14]. However, there are relatively few archaeological studies on reconstructions of life history through otolith chemistry because they require prior knowledge of the relationship between otolith composition and environmental parameters [12,13,15]. Moreover, it is common in archaeological studies to collect samples that have been cooked (burned otoliths); therefore, additional experimental works to confirm the stability of elemental ratios should be performed [16,17]. ...
This study evaluates the potential use of archaeological otoliths of Genidens barbus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) as a tool to study fish behavior and hunter-gatherers procurement strategies on the North Patagonian coast. The studied samples come from the San Antonio archaeological locality dated at ca. 1000-800 14 C yr BP (Late Ho-locene). To assess whether exposure to fire significantly affects the otolith Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios, burned and unburned modern lapilli otoliths have been analyzed by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spec-trometry and no statistically significant differences were found between the results of both treatments. Core-to-edge chemical time series were carried out on ancient otoliths (ca. 1000 14 C yr BP) in order to study the fish life history. Three amphidromous patterns were found for ancient samples. The capture environments and seasons inferred by the otolith edge chemistry and marginal increase, respectively, suggest a location in high salinity water (estuary and sea) in summer. Finally, to estimate the size of archaeological fish, a linear regression between total length and otolith length was constructed using 70 modern catfish otoliths. The size variability (358-610 mm) might indicate the use of non-selective capture techniques, probably nets, by hunter-gatherer groups.
Excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, have recovered a large assemblage of stone artefacts, including backed microliths, from a dense midden of animal bone deposited during the mid-second millennium BC. Stoneworkers at Saruq al-Hadid combined simple core reduction methods with sophisticated backing techniques to produce the microliths. Unstandardized flake blanks were backed directly, or were truncated into segments which were subsequently backed. The final stage of backing was carefully controlled and was probably accomplished using a pressure technique; the backed surface on many microliths is distinctively domed in profile. Most microliths are asymmetrical in shape and many display a distinctive scalene triangle morphology. The microliths probably functioned as armatures for arrows, although other functions are possible. Here we contextualize microlith production at Saruq al-Hadid through a review of late prehistoric microlith traditions in southeastern Arabia and neighbouring regions of Asia and Africa. This raises intriguing but unresolved issues related to preceding technological traditions, cultural connections, and group identity.
The Neolithic period in Eastern Arabia (especially from 5500 to 3100 BC) is better understood due to recent excavations of stratified sites stretching from Kuwait to the Sultanate of Oman. When oasis agriculture developed from the Bronze Age onwards, herding, shellfish gathering, and fishing became the primary modes of subsistence, and despite strong regional aridity, coastal shell middens provide the best preservation conditions in the Persian Gulf. Akab, one of the many Neolithic shell middens of the United Arab Emirates coastline, is situated in the Umm al-Quwain lagoon. This settlement is dated to the second part of the fifth millennium BC and has provided more than 37,000 fish remains, derived from over 50 fish species. Ichthyofaunal analysis underlines the predominance of coastal pelagics, such as kawakawas and trevallies, and the exploitation of several coastal fishes, mostly seabreams and emperors. Inhabitants fished over a wide aquatic territory, which included shallow-water biotopes, situated inside the lagoon, and the open sea. The associated fishing gear, composed of stone sinkers and shell fishhooks, indicates that nets and lines were used. Here, we review the seasonal organization of activities and mobility schemes from an archaeo-ichthyological perspective.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00438243.2018.1491324 • In this paper, the authors use the site of Saruq al-Hadid-a 'persistent temporary place' located in the mobile dune fields of the north eastern edge of the Rub' al-Khali desert-as a lens to focus discussion on the variable nature of temporary sites and mobile adaptations within the archaeology of southeastern Arabia, the relationships between temporary sites and permanent settlements, and the evidence for collective events and gatherings from later prehistory into the Islamic period. They discuss evolving arguments regarding sedentary and mobile sites and groups in Arabia from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age, and summarize the material record of human activity at Saruq al-Hadid. This research emphasizes the site's changing significance as a temporary place and its emergence, in the early Iron Age, as a locus for periodic interaction between multiple community groups.
The nature of the relationship between humans and wild terrestrial animals has been little discussed in Bronze Age and Iron Age south‐eastern Arabia, largely due to a relative paucity of their remains in contemporary faunal assemblages. In this paper we present the results of analysis of animal bone recently excavated from Saruq al‐Hadid, a late prehistoric (2200–800 BC) site located in the desert interior of the UAE. Wild terrestrial animals, particularly oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and gazelle (Gazella sp.), were the predominant taxa identified, suggesting long‐term, frequent exploitation of these species. Here we use these remains to examine the implications of this wild animal exploitation for subsistence strategies and social formation at the site and in the region, alongside late prehistoric use of the desert zone and the complexities of the relationship between humans and wild animals that occur in this environment. A reassessment of the zooarchaeological evidence from south‐eastern Arabia highlights the potential economic and social significance of wild animals to late prehistoric societies in the region, and the necessity to factor this importance into considerations of concurrent social developments.
Biological modelling approach adopted by the Ocean Carbon-Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP-II) provided amazingly simple but surprisingly accurate rendition of the annual mean carbon cycle for the global ocean. Nonetheless, OCMIP models are known to have seasonal biases which are typically attributed to their bulk parameterisation of compensation depth. Utilising the criteria of surface Chl a-based attenuation of solar radiation and the minimum solar radiation required for production, we have proposed a new parameterisation for a spatially and temporally varying compensation depth which captures the seasonality in the production zone reasonably well. This new parameterisation is shown to improve the seasonality of CO2 fluxes, surface ocean pCO2, biological export and new production in the major upwelling zones of the Indian Ocean. The seasonally varying compensation depth enriches the nutrient concentration in the upper ocean yielding more faithful biological exports which in turn leads to accurate seasonality in the carbon cycle. The export production strengthens by ∼ 70 % over the western Arabian Sea during the monsoon period and achieves a good balance between export and new production in the model. This underscores the importance of having a seasonal balance in the model export and new productions for a better representation of the seasonality of the carbon cycle over upwelling regions. The study also implies that both the biological and solubility pumps play an important role in the Indian Ocean upwelling zones.
The Early Bronze Age site of RJ-2, located close to the coastal village of Ra’s al- Jinz on the eastern Omani coast (Niyabat Ra’s al-Hadd), was the focus of archaeological investigations for over two decades. The latest campaigns of excavation unearthed an architectural complex (Building XII) dated to the very end of the Umm an-Nar period (Final UaN, c.2100–2000 BCE), previously attested on site by poorly preserved remains. This paper presents the remains explored during the most recent fieldwork, focusing on the stratigraphic-structural sequence and the spatial layout. It also considers the transformations affecting structural evidence and material culture during this period, at both local and regional level, highlighting their significance for a comprehensive assessment of the last occupations related to the Early Bronze Age in south-eastern Arabia. The paper concludes by showing how the Final Umm an-Nar phase represents an age of substantial socio-cultural innovations, which most likely shaped the transition towards the following Wadi Suq period.
In September 2014, the University of New England (UNE), Australia, began a three-year programme of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation analyses focused on the site of Saruq al-Hadid. In this paper, we present the initial results of our current field and laboratory research particularly related to site stratigraphy and formation processes, relative and absolute chronology, and the preliminary results of various programmes of post-excavation analyses including archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, ceramic and archaeometallurgical studies. These studies provide new data to build into the archaeological understanding of Saruq al-Hadid that has, to date, focused largely on intensive excavation.
Characterizing the behavior of larvae prior to settlement is integral to understanding population dynamics because coastal oceanography may facilitate or limit settlement. Otolith microchemistry can be used to determine patterns of fish movement, although there is a limited understanding of how this tool can be applied in coastal marine systems. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the application of otolith microchemistry to characterize water mass associations of settlement-stage marine fish in a coastal upwelling region using a 3-step approach. First, we characterized seawater chemistry of coastal water mass types across multiple years, finding differences in the chemical signatures of strong upwelling, weak upwelling, and relaxation events. Second, we experimentally determined the effect of temperature on the partitioning of trace elements in otoliths for 2 rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) to find that the effect of temperature on otolith partition coefficients was element-and species-specific. Finally, we compared coeval changes in seawater and otolith chemistry of settlement-stage rockfishes that were exposed to naturally variable conditions over an upwelling-relaxation cycle. We subsequently evaluate whether laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry effectively measures otolith chemistry over ecologically relevant time scales. We discovered that elemental concentrations in otoliths respond rapidly to changes in seawater chemistry and reflect equivalent proportional changes. This study provides evidence that elemental signatures are valuable tools for reconstructing larval histories of marine fish in coastal upwelling regions.
After a gap of twenty years, the Italian Archaeological Mission in Oman has resumed excavations at the Middle Holocene site of Ra's al-Hamra¯' 5 (RH-5), carrying out an intensive exploratory programme in three consecutive seasons, supported by the Ministry of Heritage & Culture, which aims to create an archaeological park. The resumption of the excavations at RH-5 has so far yielded new data that will give us precise details about the synchronic and diachronic dynamics of the area's population, and also about the economic and social dynamics of Neolithic societies in eastern Arabia. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of the recent excavations. In particular, we consider the spatial organization of the settlement, recovered by means of digital recording. The 2008 excavation season has disclosed new evidence concerning the settlement sequence, while work carried out in 2009 has yielded new information on dwelling types and household installations mostly from the earliest phase of the sequence, which can be dated to around the late fifth and early fourth millennia BCE. Furthermore, a comparison of the remains of the RH-5 settlement with those of contemporary sites so far investigated along the eastern shores of Arabia, along with the ethno-historical study of different populations, is considered to provide a better understanding of the spatial organization of the village in view of the future construction of the Ra's al-Hamra (Ra's al-Hamra¯') Heritage Park.
Analysis of the trace element chemistry of otoliths via Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has become common in fisheries-related work, allowing biologists to trace connectivity between habitats over the life cycles of fish. For archaeological specimens, elements from the outer edges of archaeological otoliths have the potential to provide information on site seasonality complementary to oxygen isotope data; they also may inform on place of capture of fish, thus elucidating exploited ranges and/or social and economic links between settlements. Adopting this method will require careful consideration of a number of complicating factors related to metabolic processes affecting otolith production, analytical procedures peculiar to LA-ICP-MS, and diagenesis, in addition to the usual complications of species identification and assessment of sample adequacy. Here, we review such factors as they affect the utility of the method for sourcing and seasonality research with archaeological otoliths, using the results of a pilot study of specimens from two Woodland-period sites in coastal Alabama, southeastern USA, to illustrate the potential and the current limitations of the method for archaeological research.
The use of otolith chemistry to delineate fish populations and trace migration pathways is premised on a significant correlation between the elemental composition of otoliths and physicochemical properties of the ambient environment. However, few experiments have been rigorously designed to address the effects of temperature and salinity on the elemental composition of otoliths. We examined the effects of temperature and salinity on the incorporation of magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), and barium (Ba) in the otoliths of larval and early juvenile spot Leiostomus xanthurus by rearing fish in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions. L. xanthurus are an estuarine dependent species that traverse varying temperature and salinity regimes throughout their life histories. It is important, therefore, to understand the influence of physicochemical properties of different water masses before attempting to reconstruct important life history transitions based on variations in otolith chemistry. Both [Mg/Ca](otolith) and the Mg partition coefficient, D-Mg, were not significantly affected by either temperature or salinity, but were correlated with otolith precipitation and somatic growth rates. Temperature and salinity had significant interaction effects on D-Mn, but not on [Mn/Ca](otolith). Finally, D-Ba was influenced by salinity but not temperature. These results highlight the complex nature of elemental deposition in otoliths, and suggest that both environmental and physiological effects likely influence elemental ratios in fish otoliths.
The technology of shell fish-hooks and line fishing is well attested in the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean during the Neolithic period (fifth–fourth millennium BC). Their presence in the coastal area of the Arabian Gulf is now confirmed by new findings from Akab (Umm al-Qaiwain) and Shimal (Ra’s al-Khaimah) in the United Arab Emirates.
Fishing in the ‘Ubaid: a Review of Fish-bone Assemblages from Early Prehistoric Coastal Settlements in the Arabian Gulf.
The chronological properties of otoliths are unparalleled in the animal world, allowing accurate estimates of age and growth at both the daily and the yearly scale. Based on the successes of calcified structures as environmental proxies in other taxa, it was logical that researchers should attempt to link otolith biochronologies with otolith chemistry. With the benefit of hindsight, this anticipation may have been naive. For instance, the concentrations of many elements are lower in the otolith than in corals, bivalves, seal teeth, or the other bony structures of fish, making them less than ideal for elemental analyses. Nevertheless, there is growing interest in the use of otolith chemistry as a natural tag of fish stocks. Such applications are directed at questions concerning fish populations rather than using the fish as a passive recorder of the ambient environment and do not rely upon any explicit relationship between environmental variables and otolith chemistry. The questions that can be addressed with otolith chemistry are not necessarily answerable with genetic studies, suggesting that genetic and otolith studies complement rather than compete with each other. Thus, we believe that otolith applications have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the integrity of fish populations and the management of fish stocks.Les propriétés des otolithes sur le plan de la chronologie sont sans équivalent dans le monde animal, car elles permettent d'estimer avec précision l'âge et la croissance à une échelle tant quotidienne qu'annuelle. Étant donné les succès obtenus par l'emploi des structures calcifiées comme substituts des conditions environnementales chez d'autres taxons, il était logique pour les chercheurs de tenter de faire le lien entre la biochronologie et la chimie des otolithes. Rétrospectivement, cette approche peut sembler naïve. Par exemple, les concentrations de nombreux éléments sont plus faibles dans les otolithes que dans les coraux, les bivalves, les dents de phoques ou les autres structures osseuses des poissons, ce qui en fait de bien mauvais candidats à l'analyse élémentaire. Toutefois, on note un intérêt croissant pour l'emploi de la chimie des otolithes comme marque naturelle des stocks de poissons. De telles applications visent à répondre à des questions sur les populations de poissons plutôt qu'à utiliser les poissons comme enregistreurs passifs du milieu ambiant, et ne se fondent pas sur une relation explicite entre les variables environnementales et la chimie des otolithes. Les questions auxquelles peut répondre la chimie des otolithes ne sont pas nécessairement abordables par l'étude génétique, de sorte que les travaux sur les otolithes et les études génétiques vont se compléter plutôt que se concurrencer. Nous pensons ainsi que les applications de l'étude des otolithes peuvent révolutionner aussi bien notre compréhension de l'intégrité des populations de poissons que la gestion des stocks halieutiques.[Traduit par la Rédaction]
Presentation of a Neolithic (6e - 5e Mill.) coastal site of the Ja'alan. It is one of oldest Neolithic sites in the Oman Peninsula.
A concentration of fish remains found in a single room of a fortified building at Mleiha (United Arab Emirates) is presented here. Part of it was probably the filling of a bag or an organic container that fell from a bench onto the floor of the room. The various species recovered from these contexts, dating to the second to mid-third centuries AD, are briefly described. Particular attention is paid to the skeletal elements by which the fish are represented and to the corresponding lengths of the animals, as these allow the proposition that the fish had been dried on the seashore before being carried to the site inland. The data from building H will be compared to those from previously studied contexts at Mleiha (Gautier & Van Neer ; Mashkour & Van Neer ). In addition the ichthyofauna from ed-Dur (Van Neer & Gautier ), a coastal site that is partially contemporaneous with the contexts from building H, will be considered.
Some 60 000 finds of fish bones from Bronze-Age harbour sites on the Arabian shores of the Irano-Arabian Gulf were evaluated with regard to their contribution to the understanding of the role of fisheries within the subsistence activities of the inhabitants. Fishing grounds and potential technologies -as reflected in the spectra offish species – were analysed. Both coastal and open waters were exploited at all sites, the catches usually reflecting an opportunistic approach rather than selective fishing techniques. At the evaluated sites neither tunas at the upper end of the size spectrum nor sardines or other small fish were of any economic importance. On the whole the contribution offish to human nutrition at all sites was very important, although detailed quantifications are impossible due to differential taphonomic loss offish bones versus the remains of other leftovers of Bronze-Age food. Environ 60 000 fragments d'ossements de poissons ont été analysés, provenant de gisements de l'âge du Bronze localisés sur la côte arabe du golfe Arabo-Persique afin d'apprécier le rôle de la pêche dans les activités liées à la subsistance des habitants. L'étude des milieux marins exploités et des techniques de capture s'est faite à partir de l'analyse des spectres des espèces de poissons retrouvés. Dans tous les sites, les zones littorales et les zones pélagiques ont été exploitées. Les captures témoignent plutôt d'une approche opportuniste que d'une technique dépêche sélective. Les sites passés en revue montrent que ni les thons à l'extrémité supérieure du spectre, ni les sardines ou autres petits poissons n'ont joué un rôle économique important. Toutefois, la contribution de la pêche pour la nutrition humaine était partout très importante. Il reste malheureusement impossible de quantifier cette importance par rapport aux autres restes alimentaires de l'âge du Bronze car des facteurs taphonomiques différentiels ont affecté ceux-ci.
In ever-increasing numbers, researchers wish to extract information based on chemical analyses from otoliths to determine movements and life-history patterns of fish. Such analyses make assumptions about chemical incorporation and interpretation that are beyond those that are important for stock discrimination studies, another common application. The authors aim to clarify the methods of determining fish movement based on natural and artificial otolith chemical tags and review current trends in determining movement using otolith chemistry, otolith sampling methods, and what influences otolith chemistry. Both spatial and temporal variability in water and otolith chemistries, which underpin the assumptions of several methods, are discussed. Five methods for determining movement and migration of fish are outlined: (1) estimates of movement and life-history traits of a single fish group, (2) assessing connectivity among groups using natural chemical tags in otoliths, (3) transgenerational marks to determine parentage and natal origins, (4) profile analysis to define life-history variation within a population and (5) profile analysis to describe movements through different environments. Within each of these methods, background information, specific hypotheses being tested and assumptions and limitations of each technique are provided. Finally, research directions required to fill current knowledge gaps and enhance the usefulness of otolith chemistry to determine fish movement are identified.
Otolith microchemistry can provide valuable information about stock structure and mixing patterns when the magnitude of environmental differences among areas is greater than the cumulative influence of any vital effects. Here, the current understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing element incorporation into the otolith is reviewed. Hard and soft acid and base (HSAB) theory is employed to explore the differences in chemical behaviours, distributions and affinities between elements. Hard acid cations (e.g. Mg(2+) , Li(+) and Ba(2+) ) tend to be less physiologically influenced and accepted more readily into the otolith crystal lattice but are relatively homogeneous in seawater. Soft acid cations (e.g. Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) ) on the other hand, exhibit more varied distributions in seawater, but are more likely to be bound to blood proteins and less available for uptake into the otolith. The factors influencing the geographical distribution of elements in the sea, and their incorporation into the otoliths of marine fishes are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on examining physiological processes, including gonad development, on the uptake of elements commonly used in population studies, notably Sr. Finally, case studies are presented that either directly or indirectly compare population structuring or movements inferred by otolith elemental fingerprints with the patterns indicated by additional, alternative proxies. The main obstacle currently limiting the application of otolith elemental microchemistry to infer movements of marine fishes appears to lie in the largely homogeneous distribution of those elements most reliably measured in the otolith. Evolving technologies will improve the discriminatory power of otolith chemistry by allowing measurement of spatially explicit, low level elements; however, for the time being, the combination of otolith minor and trace element fingerprints with alternative proxies and stable isotopic ratios can greatly extend the scope of migration studies. Among the otolith elements that routinely occur above instrument detection limits, Ba, Mn and Li were deemed the most likely to prove reliable geographic markers in marine species.
Otoliths of male (1+ year old) Terubok, tropical shad Tenualosa toli from the Lupar River, Sarawak, were treated in different ways to assess the effect of post-capture storage on element concentrations in the otolith core and edge detected by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Five treatments were compared: rapid removal and dry storage; fish kept 5 h after capture then otoliths removed; rapid removal and stored in alcohol; fish rozen for 24 h then otoliths removed; and storage of intact head in alcohol for several weeks. Seven elements were detected at the core and edge of otoliths (Li, Na, Mg, Mn, Co, Sr, Ba). Of these, Na, Mg, Co and Ba differed among treatments, being highest in treatments where the otolith remained in the head. Variation in element measurements due to treatment effects was similar to within-otolith variation for the other elements and was least variable in the fresh treatment. The variation in concentration between the core and edge was more significant than other sources of variation (up to 100 times) for some elements. These differences were probably due to physiological factors (ontogenetic) or to yearly changes in water chemistry. The results indicate that the method of otolith storage, especially freezing whole fish, can have a small, but measurable, effect on the concentrations of Na, Mg, Co and Ba.
Determining the timing or frequency of movement of fish and the relative importance of different habitats is difficult. Advances in otolith chemical techniques and interpretations (including elemental ratios and stable isotopes) suggest that this is a powerful method for determining movement of fish. To date, the majority of applications have involved marine fish, however, otolith chemistry has the potential to determine movements of diadromous and freshwater fish; I therefore review freshwater applications of otolith chemistry in this paper. Despite some limitations regarding strontium:calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios (e.g. Sr concentration of the water is not always measured, Sr:Ca ratios in freshwater can exceed marine waters, and mixed results for the relationship between otolith Sr and salinity), they have been widely used for a variety of applications involving diadromous species and more recently freshwater fish. In addition, barium:calcium (Ba:Ca) ratios have recently been used to determine movements of diadromous and estuarine species, as ambient ratios are possibly linked to environmental flows. Several studies have also investigated the use of multielemental otolith composition to discriminate between groups of fish collected from different lake or river systems, but a wider range of applications are possible. Several applications of Sr isotopes have also been investigated, most of which is focused on salmonids (e.g. distinguishing fish from different river systems, determining movement history of individual fish). Relatively few studies have investigated the use of other isotopes (e.g. oxygen, sulphur) for determining movements. Otolith elemental ratios and stable isotopes have great potential to determine movements of freshwater species, with possible applications likely to increase as analytical technology improves.
The archaeological site of Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, presents a long sequence of persistent temporary human occupation on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali desert. The site is located in active dune fields, and evidence for human activity is stratified within a deep sequence of natural dune deposits that reflect complex taphonomic processes of deposition, erosion and reworking. This study presents the results of a program of radiocarbon ( ¹⁴ C) and thermoluminescence dating on deposits from Saruq al-Hadid, allied with studies of material remains, which are amalgamated with the results of earlier absolute dating studies provide a robust chronology for the use of the site from the Bronze Age to the Islamic period. The results of the dating program allow the various expressions of human activity at the site—ranging from subsistence activities such as hunting and herding, to multi-community ritual activities and large scale metallurgical extraction—to be better situated chronologically, and thus in relation to current debates regarding the development of late prehistoric and early historic societies in southeastern Arabia.
Temporary sites were a critical component of the prehistoric Near Eastern economy but, because of their ephemeral nature, are less frequently the focus of research than sedentary settlements. The present article presents the results of neutron activation analysis conducted on pottery from the temporary site of Saruq al-Hadid, United Arab Emirates. The results identified both continuity and change in the pottery consumed at the site in the Bronze and Iron Ages, which suggests that the peoples gathering here were integrated into economic practices observed at sedentary sites throughout southeastern Arabia.
Many applications of otolith chemistry use the ratios of strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) to calcium (Ca) as indicators of salinity exposure, because typically, as salinity increases, Sr concentration increases and Ba concentration decreases. However, these relationships are nonlinear, can be confounded by temperature, and investigations of salinity and temperature effects on otolith chemistry produce varied results. To determine the relationships of temperature and salinity on Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca in otoliths, we used free ranging Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This species is ideal because it is euryhaline and exhibits limited movements. Otolith edge Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca ratios were related to the previous 30-day mean salinity and temperature experienced by fish. The best model to describe otolith Sr:Ca was one that included a positive asymptotic relationship for both salinity and temperature. However, the salinity asymptotic maximum was reached at 10 psu and changes in otolith Sr:Ca above 10 psu were indicative of temperature changes. Otolith Ba:Ca exhibited an exponential decreasing relationship with salinity, and an exponential increasing relationship with temperature, and these two models combined best explained otolith Ba:Ca. Above 10 psu, the modeled Ba:Ca ratio continued to decrease demonstrating that this ratio may be indicative of salinity changes beyond this value. Therefore, using both Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca could be beneficial in reconstructing fish environmental histories. Temperature effects on otolith element ratios could confound past salinity reconstructions as well and must be a result of endogenous processes, given that no relationship between temperature and water chemistry existed.
Otolith chemistry is used widely to reconstruct the environmental histories of fish. Examining the relationships between environmental conditions and otolith chemistry is an essential first step towards accurately reconstructing environmental histories, with lack of information potentially resulting in the erroneous interpretation of fish movement and the environments they have inhabited. We evaluated the influence of seawater temperature and salinity on the otolith chemistry of juvenile King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctatus) (Cuvier 1829), a commercially and recreationally important fish species in southern Australia. Juveniles were reared under controlled laboratory conditions at four temperatures (16, 19, 22 and 25 °C) and two levels of salinity (30 and 40) for 90 days. Otoliths were analysed for barium (¹³⁸Ba), strontium (⁸⁸Sr), magnesium (²⁴Mg) and manganese (⁵⁵Mn) using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA ICP-MS), and ratioed to calcium (⁴³Ca). Otolith chemistry data were analysed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Analyses showed that Mg:Ca and Mn:Ca in the otolith of the fish increased with increasing salinity, whereas Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca decreased with increasing salinity. Temperature only had a minor influence on elemental concentration. The influence of salinity on otolith chemistry suggests that otolith chemistry could be used as a potential tool for reconstructing the salinity and movement history of King George whiting from estuaries to open coast regions.
Faunal remains are described from a series of contexts excavated in the coastal site of ed-Dur, dated between the second and fourth century AD. The more than 19,000 identified animal bones allowed a diachronic and spatial analysis. Subsistence relied heavily on domestic animals, in particular sheep and goat, and on fishing. Whereas the exploitation of terrestrial resources seems to have been quite constant throughout the period considered, the aquatic fauna shows changes through time. A shift, possibly linked to overexploitation, is seen both in the proportions of the targeted fish species and in their sizes. The deposition of some of the mammals encountered in burials is also dealt with; dog and ovicaprid can probably be added to the list of mammals used in ritual context in the region. Spatial analysis did not reveal particular concentrations or activity areas. In general the finds fit nicely in the archaeozoological record of the wider region.
The morphological and chemical properties of fish calcified structures provide excellent environmental and anthropogenic proxies; however, pre-depositional handling may alter these properties, confounding interpretations. This study examines the effects of some traditional processing and cooking methods on the morphological and chemical properties of modern fish otoliths (ear bones), vertebrae, and scales using an experimental approach. Whole mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) were treated using a range of techniques, including boiled in freshwater and saltwater; roasted directly on a fire and wrapped in clay; salted; and completely burnt. Samples were also obtained from untreated fish as controls for comparison. Otoliths, vertebrae and scales from the samples were subjected to morphological, trace element (7Li, 23Na, 24Mg, 55Mn, 86Sr, 138Ba, 208Pb, and 65Zn all ratioed to 43Ca) and stable isotope analyses (otoliths and vertebrae–inorganic δ13C and δ18O; scales–organic δ13C and δ15N). Results reveal disparities in the chemistry and morphology of otoliths and vertebrae processed in different ways. The otolith and vertebrae carbonate δ18O values were lower in samples that experienced heating; burnt samples differed significantly from the control samples. Otolith and vertebrae trace elements were largely unaffected by the treatments relative to the controls; however, some individual elements within the burning and salting groups varied significantly. The impacts observed in the fish scales were less substantial. Results provide a basis for evaluating the suitability of archaeological samples for analysis. We recommend avoiding the use of heated samples. Findings highlight the need to conduct palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based on chemistry and stable isotope data of archaeological remains with caution.
The bountiful marine resources of the northern Chilean coast offset the extreme aridity of the Atacama Desert in pre-Columbian times, underwriting permanent human occupation, and providing the basis for a long tradition of marine subsistence. We analyzed fish otoliths (n = 549) recovered from the sites of Camarones Punta Norte (occupied ca. 7,000–5,000 years ago) and Caleta Vitor (occupied ca. 9,500–300 years ago) to investigate species distribution and changes over time. We also estimated the size of the fish based on relationships between otolith weight and fish total length (TL) obtained from modern samples of the predominant species, Sciaena deliciosa. The estimated size range of S. deliciosa from Caleta Vitor included fish that were significantly larger than those from Camarones Punta Norte, with the maximum TL (970 mm) almost double the modern maximum length documented. The fluctuating abundance of fish species and other marine taxa from Camarones Punta Norte indicates intense but sporadic use of the site over the span of occupation. In contrast, human occupation of the Caleta Vitor estuary is more continuous. Comparisons of the fish assemblages with a nearby contemporaneous site, Quebrada de los Burros in southern Peru, suggest that fishing technologies were similar along this section of the Pacific coast.
Describes the summer circulation in the upper 500 m. Under the influence of the south-west monsoon a pronounced geostrophic current develops along at least 1000 km off the South-East Arabian coast between Ras Fartak and Ras al Hadd in May and the strong south-westerly wind brings about offshore transport of the surface layers between 55° and 60°E. Water is upwelled onto the continental shelf from depths of about 150 m. With the decline of the monsoon upwelling ceases in September. The origin of the upwelled water is traced and its distribution related to the direction of the wind and coastline, and the sea-bed topography. The distribution of the water masses at the surface and intermediate depths is described. Features of the upwelling are compared with those of other upwelling regions. -from Author
The 2008–2009 excavations conducted by the Dubai Desert Survey at Saruq al‐Hadid, Dubai, have transformed our interpretation of the site from an Iron Age bronze production centre to a site with multiple occupations over the course of more than three millennia; they underline the importance of this site for understanding land use and settlement patterns in the deserts of the Oman peninsula. Saruq al‐Hadid probably began as an oasis site where nomadic pastoralists during the Umm an‐Nar and Wadi Suq periods camped and took advantage of a relatively well‐watered landscape. In contrast, Iron Age remains at the site do not bear any definite signs of settlement per se; instead, the material culture suggests that Saruq al‐Hadid may have been one of several sites in south‐east Arabia that were dedicated to a snake cult. The site is capped by waste from an intensive metalworking operation that appears to have taken place during the later first millennium BC. Iron age and later remains from the site tie Saruq al‐Hadid to a regional network of settlement and trade centres and suggest that, like the mountain piedmont and coasts, the sandy desert expanses of the Oman peninsula held economic and ritual importance in the overall landscape.
The analysis of elements in calcifiedstructures of fish (e.g., otoliths) todiscriminate among fish stocks and determineconnectivity between populations is becomingwidespread in fisheries research. Recently, theconcentrations of elements in otoliths arebeing analysed on finer scales that allow thedetermination of a continuous record of otolithchemistry over a fish's entire life history.These elemental concentrations can potentiallybe used to reconstruct migration patterns,based upon the influence that water chemistry,temperature, and salinity have on otolithchemistry. In doing so, assumptions are madeabout how environmental and biological factorsinfluence the concentration of elements in fishotoliths. However, there have been fewexperiments that have tested crucialassumptions regarding what influences elementaluptake and incorporation into fish otoliths.Specifically, knowledge regarding interactionsamong environmental variables, such as theambient concentration of elements in water,temperature, and salinity, and how they mayaffect otolith chemistry, is limited.Similarly, our understanding of the rate atwhich elements are incorporated into otolithsand the implications this may have forinterpretations is lacking. This reviewdiscusses methods of determining movement offish, the development of otolith research, andsome physiological aspects of otoliths (e.g.,pathways of elemental uptake). The types ofanalysis techniques that will lead to reliableand accurate migratory reconstructions areoutlined. The effects that have on otolith chemistry arereviewed with the specific aim of highlightingareas lacking environmentalvariables in experimental data. Theinfluences of the rate of elementalincorporation and ontogeny on otolith chemistryare also addressed. Finally, future researchdirections are suggested that will fill thegaps in our current knowledge of otolithchemistry. Hypotheses that need to be tested inorder to reconstruct the migratory histories offish are outlined, in a bid to clarify thedirection that research should take beforecomplex reconstructions are attempted.
The use of otolith chemistry as a tool for analysing the biology of fishes assumes that the procedures used to collect and
prepare otoliths for analysis do not alter their composition. With otoliths of Nemadactylus macropterus, Hoplostethus atlanticus, and Rhombosolea tapirina, we show that this assumption is not valid for the elements that can be detected using electron-probe microanalysers (those
present at concentrations greater than ≃100 parts per million): all six elements routinely measured using these techniques
were affected by at least one post-mortem procedure tested. Measured concentrations of calcium and strontium were relatively
insensitive to most procedures tested, whereas concentrations of sodium, potassium, sulphur and chlorine were affected substantially
by many commonly used procedures. The ease with which otolith composition could be modified post-mortem suggests that apparent
geographic, habitat-specific or ontogenetic differences in otolith composition should be interpreted with extreme caution
because of easily induced artefacts and the problem of pseudo-replication associated with the ways otoliths are sampled and
prepared for analysis.
Due to the hot, arid nature of its bordering lands, seawater in the Arabian Gulf can have significant evaporation rates leading to hypersaline conditions. If additional desalination plants were to operate along its coast, then the extraction of desalinated water and returned brine waste stream into the Gulf would increase the salinity. This paper uses a tidally and cross-sectionally averaged mathematical model that reveals multiplicative dependence of the salinity on factors associated with river flow, evaporation rates and each of the desalination plants. Present-day desalinated water production rates are in the linear regime, but hypersalinity has exponential sensitivity to the position and volumetric rate of desalinated water extraction.
There is an increasing desire for researchers to use the elemental concentrations in fish otoliths to reconstruct environmental histories of fish. These reconstructions may be plausible due to the unique incorporation of elements into discrete layers of otolith material that correspond to daily growth, and because environmental variables of temperature, salinity, and water chemistry can influence otolith chemistry. However, it is essential to establish exactly how temperature, salinity, and the ambient concentration of elements influence otolith chemistry in order to interpret environmental histories of fish. Using a controlled laboratory experiment we tested the relative and interactive effects of temperature, salinity, and ambient concentration of strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) on the resulting concentration of Sr and Ba in otoliths of black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (Munro 1949). Salinity and concentration, and temperature and concentration interacted to affect the elemental concentration of Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca in otoliths. Regression analysis revealed that temperature and ambient concentration contributed most to the trend in otolith chemistry for both elements. Importantly, this is the first experiment to combine three environmental variables and assess their effect on otolith chemistry. Based on these results, it should be possible to use changes in the elemental concentration in otoliths to better reconstruct previous environments of temperature, salinity, and ambient water chemistry, which is especially useful when determining occupancy in habitats such as estuaries that display variable environmental characteristics.
In this paper we reconsider the designation of fishes as being either "hearing specialists" or "hearing generalists," and recommend dropping the terms. We argue that this classification is only vaguely and variously defined in the literature, and that these terms often have unclear and different meaning to different investigators. Furthermore, we make the argument that the ancestral, and most common, mode of hearing in fishes involves sensitivity to acoustic particle motion via direct inertial stimulation of the otolith organ(s). Moreover, any possible pressure sensitivity is the result of the presence of an air bubble (e.g., the swim bladder), and that hearing sensitivity may be enhanced by the fish having a specific connection between the inner ear to a bubble of air. There are data showing that some fish species have a sensitivity to both pressure and motion that is frequency dependent. Thus such species could not possibly be termed as either hearing "generalists" or specialists," and many more species probably could be classified in this way as well. Furthermore, we propose that the term "specialization" be reserved for cases in which a species has some kind of morphological connection or close continuity between the inner ear and an air bubble that affects behavioral sensitivity to sound pressure (i.e., an otophysic connection).
The human vestibule has preserved an ancestral sound sensitivity and it has been suggested that a reflex could originate from this property underlying cervical muscle micro-contractions secondary to strong acoustic stimulation. Previous studies have established that an early component of loud sound-evoked myogenic potentials from the sternocleidomastoid muscle originate in the vestibule. This is based on findings that the response can still be obtained from patients with complete loss of cochlear and vestibular (semi-circular canal) function. Our data confirm, in a more direct way, a saccular origin of this short-latency acoustic response and verifies that a saccular acoustic response persists in the human ear. The contribution of this response to the perception of loud sounds is discussed. It is concluded that vestibular response to sound might be used to assist in the rehabilitation of deafness.
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Traditional fish preservation in Oman: the seasonality of a subsistence strategy
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A fish suq in the UAE desert
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Saruq al-Hadid: an industrial complex of the Iron Age II period
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