The Pyrenean Neighbour; or,the Vicinal System in the Western Pyrenees

Excavations have recently produced valuable new evidence for the structural types used in the vernacular architecture of lowland and eastern Britain during the sixth-eighth centuries A.D. The evidence from a number of contemporaneous sites suggests that a highly characteristic building tradition was in widespread use. The identifying features of this building tradition are defined and its affinities discussed.     

Three-dimensional visibility analysis of architectural spaces: iconography and visibility of the wall paintings of Xeste 3 (Late Bronze Age Akrotiri)

In recent years various methods of visibility analysis have been applied to investigate human engagement, experience and socialisation within historic and prehistoric ’natural’ and built environments. On many occasions these approaches appear to be either extremely limited or wholly inadequate for the interpretation of complex built structures and building interiors because they do not fully model the three-dimensional geometry of such spaces. This paper briefly reviews computational approaches to visual analysis that have been previously applied in archaeological research, and then goes on to introduce a new analytical technique that uses fully 3D reconstructions of past environments. This method integrates common functionalities of 3D modelling software and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), essentially permitting viewshed analysis to be performed upon objects of any form and shape modelled in 3D. We argue that the proposed methodology can generate new data and encourage fresh lines of enquiry in the study of extant and partially preserved historic and prehistoric built structures in a variety of contexts, ranging from building interiors and townscapes to landscapes. The potential of the method is illustrated by applying the suggested analysis to explore visual perception issues associated with the urban remains of Late Bronze Age Akrotiri (Thera, Greece).     

GONE, BUT STILL RESPECTED: SOME EVIDENCE FOR IRON AGE HOUSE PLATFORMS IN LOWLAND ENGLAND

Summary. This paper considers the apparent absence of house or settlement platforms in Iron Age lowland England. It demands that lowland sites be interpreted using criteria derived from suitable (lowland) contexts. The dangers of using upland-derived explanatory models are illustrated with selected examples. The Cat's Water subsite, Fengate, Peterborough provides examples of probable house-platforms, protected from plough-damage by alluvium; these, in turn, are used to provide criteria to recognise similar features on poorly preserved sites. Comparisons are drawn with recently excavated sites in the Netherlands. The paper concludes with some general observations on the nature of once-wet sites and the dangers inherent in their interpretation.     

Book Reviews

Over the past 150 years, different perceptions concerning the cultural influence that historic buildings should exert on modern life have evolved within the British Isles and Continental (especially Central) Europe. Despite a conservation revival, together with the declining influence of International Modernism by the 1970s, in facilitating the reduction of conceptual differences within state conservation agencies throughout Europe, subsequent events did not allow this process to go much further. The political changes in Central Europe following the end of the Cold War and the subsequent restructuring of the world economy helped to re-emphasise the basic problem. That is, the extent to which the material remains of the past should be considered more as reactive cultural icons or more as proactive normative elements within the European civic tradition. An examination of the general operating philosophies of state conservation agencies in England and Germany can give a plausible insight into how differing values placed on the past and contemporary significance of historic buildings can be directly related to the level of vernacular continuity deemed appropriate within different European regions. The question is also raised whether the convergence of similar urban lifestyles across the European Continent will enable historic material remains to become either integrated and moral realities or hermetic and virtual realities within the broader framework of European civic life.     

Research article

The Peace Mission Movement, an American intentional religious community founded by the Revd M. J. Divine, also known as “Father Divine,” expressed through an intentional use of architecture their own quest for a utopian perfection of consciousness in America. What is especially significant about this expression of perfection is that they did not seek it by building environments of their own creation. Instead, the movement and its leader created a unique religious vernacular architecture not by architectural design, but by a spiritualised appropriation of existing spaces. Through purchasing, restoring, re‐using, and preserving many different types of American domestic and commercial structures, Father Divine and his followers developed a theology of material culture and historic preservation that expressed a major theological perspective of their belief system—to spiritualise the material and to materialise the spiritual—all in the service of God and for the transformation of human nature.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND IN SITU SCOTTISH WINDOW GLASS

Scottish window glass from both archaeological sites and historic buildings was examined using portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) and scanning electron microscopy – energy‐dispersive X‐ray micro‐analysis (SEM–EDX). The elemental composition of the glass provides information regarding the materials used and, subsequently, an approximate range of dates of manufacture. pXRF is shown to be more vulnerable than SEM–EDX to the effects of surface corrosion and matrix effects in archaeological samples. The study showed that the production of window glass in Scotland from the 17th century onwards appears to closely parallel that in England. It also demonstrated the potential of pXRF for in situ studies of window glass in historic buildings. pXRF was used to assess two Scottish buildings; one in state care and one in private ownership. The building in state care, the Abbot's House at Arbroath Abbey, showed a uniform glass type, suggesting that the building was re‐glazed completely at some point during the late 19th or early 20th century. The building in private ownership, Traquair House, had a range of glass types and ages, demonstrating a different maintenance and repair regime. This type of data can be useful in understanding historic buildings in the future, particularly if re‐glazing is being considered.     

Building Power in Rural Hinterlands: An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Vernacular Architecture in Tigray,Ethiopia

In Tigray, Ethiopia highland farmers and noblemen used a common vernacular architecture to build places of political authority and power during the last century of Ethiopia's feudal economy. This study contributes to the perspective that domestic houses are active political locales integrated into the larger political landscape. In addition, it is argued that vernacular architectural style generates hierarchical power in part by manipulating building strategies usually attributed to monumental construction. The study concludes that vernacular architecture is actively engaged in rendering a political aesthetic that reproduces state authority in rural hinterlands.     

Characterising the late prehistoric, ‘Romano-British’ and medieval landscape, and dating the emergence of a regionally distinct agricultural system in South West Britain

Palaeoenvironmental evidence for the character of lowland cultural landscapes during the last 2500 years in Britain is poorly understood, owing to a combination of an over-reliance on data from upland sequences, and because lowland mires are typically located in positions marginal to areas of settlement and agriculture. This paper presents an attempt to derive environmental evidence for this time period from a lowland context in order to characterise the key periods of change and continuity in the lowlands. The study focuses on mid-Devon, in South West Britain, and uses small pollen sites which are embedded within the historic landscape. The South West is a particularly poor region for lowland environmental data, and has until now been reliant on upland sequences. The results show that continuity, rather than abrupt change, has characterised the landscape from the later Iron Age to the early medieval period (around cal AD 800). There is no palynologically distinct Roman period in the data, contrary to evidence from the high uplands of Exmoor that suggests a decline of the agricultural system during the immediate post-Roman period. Around cal AD 800 there is a change in the agricultural system from predominantly pastoral activities to one that led to relatively high proportions of cereal pollen appearing in the sequences, which is interpreted here as marking the onset of convertible husbandry, a regionally distinct agricultural system which is recorded from AD 1350, but whose origins are not documented. This agricultural system remained in place until the post-medieval period, when the predominant agricultural regime returned to pastoralism around AD 1750. The data clearly show discrepancies between the high uplands and the lowlands, demonstrating the potential hazards of extrapolating upland sequences to lowlands environments.     

Analysis of Explorers' Records of Aboriginal Landscape Burning in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia

The accounts of explorers and colonists in the Kimberley region of Western Australia were searched to find records of landscape burning by Aborigines. Analyses of these records provide estimates of the spatial and temporal patterns of fire across the region in historic times. The seasonality of fire varied across the region. In northern parts of the Kimberley landscape fire was recorded from May to October with peak levels in June and September. In southern parts of the region there are records of burning as early as February and March, through to August but no records of fire were made in late dry season months. Modern fire regimes were compared with historic by superimposing the routes taken by five explorers over a modern fire history map derived from satellite imagery. Tallies of the number of modern fires that intersect the explorer's daily and monthly route were compared with actual observations of fire made by the explorers in historic times. The results indicate an increase in early dry season fires and the overall frequency of fires across the region in modern times. Explorers' accounts were also examined to derive further information regarding Aboriginal landscape burning in different environments and to distinguish landscape burning from other uses of fire such as smoke signals and cooking fires.     

Mediæval Military Architecture in England

Recent survey of the late twelfth- to early thirteenth-century chancel of St Mary's church, New Shoreham (Grade I listed) has revealed traces of two consecutive medieval paint schemes on the architecture, dating from c. 1210. No previous research or publication has taken account of these remains, which indicate the original interior appearance of this large and historic parish church. Samples of the paint have been scientifically analysed, revealing the pigments used and their stratigraphic relationship across the survey area; the identification of carbon black on architectural features is particularly important. Comparison with other ecclesiastical buildings in England and on the Continent indicates that St Mary's chancel is a key example of a widespread decorative scheme of red-and-black architectural polychromy, reinforcing its significance as an exemplar of early Gothic style in medieval England.     

张公馆的瓷板画砖石雕与张勋的人生八境

在南昌市的老房子中,张公馆是一颗华丽的明珠。建于1915年,1923年竣工。它坐落在市中心区域—三眼井的友竹花园,出资建造人为清末民初极富传奇色彩的人物＂辫师＂张勋（1854—1923年）。其地基也颇不平常,为明代奸相严嵩府第故址。公馆现仅存两栋法式洋房,一主一副两栋（图1）,及主楼后一排平房。     

Historical Vernacular Gardens Beyond Norway's Arctic Circle

Abstract

This study examines the historical vernacular gardens of North Norway, and is mainly based on a survey done in the county of Troms in the 1980s. The study shows that traditions for the design of gardens and the use of garden plants reflect climatic conditions, geographical location and current fashions. It is a general feature that main trends in the gardens of the affluent work as models for more simple vernacular gardens, and this is also the case with the surveyed gardens of Troms. We find here the proto-garden, a simple garden with beds and plantings controlled by a straight line. This is influenced hardly at all by style, trends or availability on the market. It may have been established during the last century or it could be older. Yet we also find the vernacular cottage garden influenced by a style developed from the Renaissance gardens of southern Europe. In the most carefully made gardens the proto-garden and the impulses from the Renaissance garden are fused together – it makes a type of garden which is genuinely northern. The fenced garden located by the wall of the dwelling house was most common. With the house situated on sloping ground, a stone-built retaining wall was constructed and the ground filled up in order to make the garden as level as possible and to create a terrace. It was mainly native trees fetched from the woods, as well as old “exchange and give away perennials” and flowers and vegetable annuals, all locally available, which characterized the plant material of the historic farm and cottage gardens of the north.     

Assessment of risks on a territorial scale for archaeological sites in İzmir

This article focuses on natural, institutional, and human factors threatening archaeological sites. A methodology is developed for assessing risks to multiple assets on a territorial scale. The methodology consists of hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, and risk assessment. Hazard assessment involves identifying hazard exposure areas and measuring the frequency and intensity of each hazard. Vulnerability assessment incorporates examining physical, managerial, and contextual vulnerabilities of structures and remains. Geographical information systems are utilised for producing hazard, vulnerability, and risk maps. An overall picture of risks for an entire territory allows decision-makers to make informed decisions at an upstream level to limit further degradation and ensure the preservation of archaeological assets. The methodology was tested by conducting a comprehensive study in ?zmir (Turkey), where 229 archaeological sites located in 21 metropolitan districts were studied. The proposed approach provides the promise of applicability across a range of historic environments.     

From ‘neo-vernacular’ to ‘semi-vernacular’: a case study of vernacular architecture representation and adaptation in rural Chinese village revitalization

ABSTRACT

Vernacular architecture can be regarded as heritage places. Recently, the need to protect vernacular heritage in China has been reflected through government policy changes, for example the ‘beautiful countryside’ program which aims to develop rural villages since 2005. However, a conflict between conserving the tangible fabric and the intangible heritage of the vernacular place can become pronounced, as villagers have desires for a modern lifestyle, and maintaining the physical building fabric. Vernacular villages require sustainable development alongside conservation of both tangible and intangible heritage significance. A key factor in keeping a village alive is continuing its utilization by a local community. This paper introduces the terms ‘neo-vernacular’ (buildings with a vernacular appearance with contemporary methods and materials) and ‘semi-vernacular’ (reusing or renovating vernacular buildings in combination with modern and traditional building techniques) to distinguish two approaches to vernacular villages conservation. We analyse the distinctions between the works of Amateur Architecture Studio (AAS) and Atelier Zhang Lei (AZL) to demonstrate the neo-vernacular and semi-vernacular approaches respectively through photo-comparison diagrams, and reviewing comments from local villagers, architectural students, and scholars. In the discussion, we propose that the semi-vernacular adaptation offers a new approach worth pursuing in China’s rapidly changing rural landscapes.     

The beaver (castor fiber L.) in the Tigris-Euphrates basin

The distribution of beaver bones in the Tigris-Euphrates basin is reviewed from late Pleistocene to historic times. New archaeological finds are reported from a lowland site on the Syrian steppe. Historical claims for the presence of beavers in this river basin are examined, but most are found wanting in scientific accuracy.     

Fire and ritual: bark hearths in South-American Tupiguarani mortuary rites

High proportions of bark pieces (up to 85% of the charcoal content) were found in several hearths from Morro Grande archaeological site (Southeastern Brazil). This site, dated between 3220–2840 and 1820–1390 yrs cal BP, is associated to the Tupiguarani Tradition, attributed to supposed ancestors of Tupinambá native populations, who occupied the major part of the Brazilian coast in the XVIth century. Bark hearths, archaeologically associated with the mortuary ritual, were found encircling a funerary urn and associated with ceramic fragments painted with elaborated patterns in black, white, and red. Other hearths, spatially isolated from the funerary area, were associated to fragments of utilitarian non-painted ceramics and therefore attributed to domestic contexts. These ones presented few or no bark fragments. It is clear that bark was intentionally selected as fuel for the funerary hearths. Although bark is related, in historic accounts, as a specialized firewood for ceramics firing, its presence in ritual context has not been previously recorded. In this paper, the anthracological record is discussed in the light of ethnographic and historic accounts. A possible explanation for the presence of bark hearths in funerary context is proposed, suggesting it might be a symbolic parallel with the quotidian: the potency and power of transformation of bark as a fuel would be regarded in a spiritual level, achieving the transformation of the body soul in the revered soul – an Ancestor.     

Discussion on applying trombe wall technology for wall conservation and energy saving in modern historic buildings

Previous studies on modern historic buildings protection have been mainly conducted from the view of building history, culture and aesthetic, but rarely focus on the green building technology and energy-saving. With the increasingly serious crises of environment and energy, it is valuable to research how to carry out ecological protection to effectively reduce energy consumption in modern buildings while ensuring the authenticity and readability of building heritage information.

This article describes a new technical scheme to apply Trombe wall technology for wall conservation in modern historic buildings. The feasibility, key construction technologies and operating conditions in different seasons were demonstrated by an actual case in Beijing. Key findings show that the technical scheme not only protects the skin texture of the wall but also makes full use of passive solar energy. Energy consumption simulation results show that saving energy in winter is significant. Compared with the original building, the total energy consumption of the building that adopted the technical scheme was reduced by 10.77%, the heating energy consumption was reduced by 21.86%, and the cooling energy consumption was reduced by 1.02%. The research findings provide new inspiration and reference for studies on the protection of modern historic buildings, and serve as a technical reference for architects.     

Vernacular uses and cultural identity of heritage: trade of antique fragments in the Chinese porcelain capital

This paper documents local uses of artefacts in the vernacular style of Jingdezhen, China as a means for reclaiming local heritage. This is done by examining the use of ancient ceramic fragments by artisans, scholars, shopkeepers and vendors in building location-based cultural identity. Based on ethnographic materials collected from 2012 to 2015, it argues that the vernacular uses of heritage artefacts facilitate the construction of identities for local communities. This is held in contrast to the homogenised identity normally presented by government narratives. Moreover, the paper discusses how the use of vernacular traditions or heritage artefacts function to interweave intricate webs of cultural identities that can be understood in a professional, social or political context.     

The Vernacular Gasoline Station: Examples from Illinois and Wisconsin

Vernacular gasoline stations, those designed jointly by contractor and owner, have not shared in the recent attention directed to gasoline stations as landscape features. Instead, that growing attention has been directed largely to stations designed by architects. This study, based on extensive field survey and intensive interviews, demonstrates that the remaining vernacular gasoline stations in Illinois and Wisconsin are manifestations of special places and time, rural and small town settings between 1925 and 1940. Vernacular designing was conditioned by an uncritical reference to an archetypal gasoline station form rather than to a profit-minded manipulation of imagery. As a result, the vernacular stations were integral parts of their environments and they remain prominent landscape features clearly communicating their origins. The vernacular emphasis on form recommends the future study of the gasoline station as an architectural ensemble.