也门观奇

踏上也门大地,看到人吃草、羊上树、男人穿裙子、女人黑袍黑头布的现象。其后隐藏着怎样的原因?笔者把个人的观察叙述如下,算作异国的旅游见闻。     

Pleistocene sites in southern Yemen

In the autumn months of 1992 a small team conducted an archaeological survey in southwest Yemen in search of Pleistocene sites dating back to the early colonisation of the Arabian peninsula. The survey focused on those escarpments and terraces with exposed Pleistocene sediments. The team discovered thirty-seven sites, most of them multicomponent, with sixteen having a pebble-tool industry called Mode 1 and twenty-seven with a bifacial industry called Mode 2. Both industries were represented side by side on some sites. These thirty-seven sites, together with others found in northern Arabia and eastern Yemen, contribute to the growing recognition of a Pleistocene occupation of the Arabian peninsula.     

Somalia and Yemen: The Links between Terrorism and State Failure

The scope of this study is to demonstrate that the failed state scheme of Somalia has not been and is not a safe haven for the al‐Qaeda, an issue that has been already displayed in Ken Menkhaus's excellent study (2004 ). Within this context, the article will consider the Somali Islamist political landscape in contrast and in relation to the current situation in Yemen, and thus, it aims to support the premise that weak states, such as Yemen, rather than “collapsed” states, can be incubators of international terrorism. In addition, while studying the interactions between Somalia and Yemen, we will attempt to answer some other important questions arising from this relationship: (1) does the emergence of al‐Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and al‐Shabaab have potential convergence; and (2) why is piracy a cross‐border phenomenon and how is it connected to radical Islamism?     

Laurence Oliphant: Financial Sources for his Activities in Palestine in the 1880s

Abstract

Laurence Oliphant's interest in the development of Jewish settlement in Ottoman Palestine preceded his interest in the plight of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. While his intensive involvement in these matters is well known, especially in modern Israel, the fact that the funds for his largesse were contributed by the Christadelphian Brotherhood has not previously been published. The present article brings to light material from the archives of this sect, and thus, too, the motivation behind these efforts.     

Two Seasons At Hajar Am-Dhaybiyya, Yemen

In 1984 a Franco-Yemeni Mission excavating a part of the necropolis of Hajar am-Dhaybiyya (Governate of Shabwa, Yemen), unearthed several tombs with a rich inventory. The high quality of silver craftmanship of these objects suggested that the Wâdî Dura'was potentially interesting. Some years later a Franco-American expedition, directed both by J.-F. Breton and D.W. Warburton, started a trench on the mound of Hajar am-Dhaybiyya. A 40 metre-long trench was opened during the first two seasons (1992 and 1993) which revealed an architectural sequence of four main levels. Level IV was dominated by a large'Maison principale'connected with a stone Glacis, dated to the first centuries AD. Level V showed'maisons basses'and earlier structures. For the first time in this area, the trench shows definitively that the principal buildings of the settlement form a nearly continuous defensive line crowning the top of the tell, and that it follows an earlier line.     

From Urban Social Space to Social and Environmental Justice: Observations on Laurence Ma's Essay

A senior American specialist on China and noted geographer evaluates the merits of an essay by an equally prominent specialist who advocates reflexive activism as a method designed to generate more relevant studies of the country. The author of the evaluation stresses the value of empirically based work, noting a number of contributions by geographers to the study of China's transition from doctrinaire communism to "socialism with Chinese characteristics." While not denying the need for geographical research focused on deficiencies in social and environmental justice, he is not in favor of excessive activism that may overlook advances in economic development and related accomplishments of China's governing regime. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: P30. 24 references.     

Iran and Political Dynamism in the Arab World: the Case of Yemen

This article examines the role of Iran in Yemen within the context of Arab‐Iranian relations. It also examines the debate on the involvement of Iran in the ongoing political developments in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. The article focuses on the Houthi Movement in Yemen, its origin, growth and political expansion. It also investigates its relations with Iran and its allies in the region, and discusses other factors that strengthened its political image in Yemen. The article also provides an early assessment of the implication of the Decisive Storm military led by Saudi Arabia.