Ancient technology and computer aided design: olive oil production in southern Spain

Abstract

Until the twentieth century, the two most widely used technologies for extracting oil from olives were the tower press and the beam press. Although many examples still exist, this paper is the first to discuss either press from the point of view of engineering. Working from sketches, photographs and measurements obtained from exhibits in the Museo de la Cultura del Aceite (Museum of Oil History) in Hacienda 'La Laguna', Jaén, Andalucia, Spain, the presses have been modelled using computer aided design techniques. Computer animation has also been employed to establish how the presses worked.     

Impressions of Le Creusot

Abstract

Le Creusot in Burgundy was one of the most important iron-producing and engineering areas in Europe in the nineteenth century. It has recently become well known in museum and conservationist circles through the setting up of the 'écomusée', Le Musée de l'Homme et de l'Industrie, and the term 'écomusée' is now quite widely used. The purpose of this article is to assess the significance of Le Creusot for visiting industrial archaeologists.     

The Late Saxon Town of Thetford: An Interim Report on the 1964–6 Excavations

Abstract

Reigate stone was one of the most important building stones used in London and along the Thames littoral in the Middle Ages but, despite this, its use has been largely ignored by archaeologists. This introductory essay attempts to look at both the geology and documented history of the stone quarries, and at the Battersea and other Thames-side sites from which the stone was distributed.     

White and Coloured Marbles of the Roman Town of Urbs Salvia (Urbisaglia,Macerata, Marche,Italy)

The results of an archaeometric study concerning the coloured stones and 14 white marble sculptures found in the ancient city of Urbs Salvia (Urbisaglia, Macerata) – one of the main Roman archaeological sites of the Marche region (east central Italy) – are presented here. Data show the presence of the most important decorative stones used by the Romans, originating in all of the Mediterranean provinces, from Egypt and North Africa to Asia Minor, Greece, Gallia, Iberia and Italy. Thirty‐one different coloured lithotypes have been identified, including red and green porphyries as well as marmor phrygium and numidicum, namely the four most expensive stones cited in Diocletian's edict. Crustae of marmor chium, taenarium, chalcidicum, scyreticum, lucullaeum and sagarium also feature. Another significant presence is that of coloured stones that are generally rare, even in Rome and Ostia, such as cipollino mandolato (which is very abundant at Urbs Salvia, more than anywhere outside Gallia), broccatello di Spagna, alabastro a pecorella, lapis ophytes, brecciated facies of marmor iassene and cottanello antico. Worthy of mention, too, is the abundant presence of so‐called Roman breccia from Lez (Upper Garonne valley, French Pyrenees), a stone never reported outside Gallia. The 14 marble sculptures analysed come from public and private buildings of the Roman city and are now exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Urbisaglia. Our petrographic and isotopic analyses show that they are made of Lunense (five), Pentelic (three), Parian lychnites (three), Thasian (three) and Proconnesian (one Corinthian capital) marbles. The quality of the coloured stones identified, together with the presence of sculptures made of precious imported white marble varieties, reveals an opulent town and a local patronage wishing to decorate public buildings and rich houses with the most sought‐after marbles of Rome.     

Gouk stones and other cuckoo place-names: prehistoric cult sites

ABSTRACT

The common cuckoo was a pre-Christian symbol of male fertility across Eurasia, associated with several European fertility goddesses. Some standing-stones are named after it as cuckoo (coucou is Old-French) or gowk (Anglo-Saxon). Gouk and cuckoo stones can only have been so named from the fifth and eleventh centuries respectively but at least one stone was erected in the third millennium BC. It was not known if the naming was recent or if the stones had been associated with the cuckoo since prehistory and through subsequent language transitions. Previous authors thought some cuckoo place-names were places of seasonal ritual associated with specific natural and cultural features. Traditional toponymic methods cannot test these hypotheses being temporally limited by linguistic and textual constraints. A wider study of all known cuckoo place-names in Britain was undertaken using cartographic and statistical analysis independent of language transitions and textual evidence. Several natural and cultural features were very statistically significantly associated with both cuckoo stones and other cuckoo place-names indicating the association with the bird originated in prehistory. GIS geoprocessing also confirmed that early Roman structures were very significantly associated with cuckoo place-names indicating that they were cult-centres targeted for psychological advantage during the conquest period.     

Fruit stones from Tiao Lei's tomb of Jiangxi in China,and their palaeoethnobotanical significance

Fruit stones were discovered in Mr. Tiao Lei's Tomb (around 300 AD) at Nanchang, China. The morphology and anatomy of the fruit stones were investigated. They are identified as belonging to three species, namely, Chinese plum (Prunus salicina Lindley), red bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.), and Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). These stones suggest the possibility of orchards in the local area, and the fresh or processed drupes of these three species probably played important roles in the tomb owner's life.     

Predictable Achievement Patterns for Student Journals in Introductory Earth Science Courses

Student journals encourage more frequent thinking about course topics, foster development of writing skills, provide feedback about course content and administration, and mitigate exam anxiety. Measures of academic 'ability' and other student characteristics were found to correlate with journal grades. This was unexpected. For example, grades correlated positively with exam scores and GPA, and correlations varied widely among the disciplines represented by the students. Females consistently earned higher journal grades than males. Segmentation modelling (SPSS) identified important subgroups involving gender, age, exam scores and major subject. The journal assignment is, therefore, not equally beneficial for all students.     

David's 'Hatred' for the Lame and the Blind (2 Sam. 5.8A)

Abstract

Scholars have often dismissed the rendering of veyigga' batsinnor (2 Sam. 5.8) as 'get up the water shaft' or 'get up the water canal' on the grounds that it has no natural connection with David's expressed 'hatred' for 'the lame and the blind'. This article argues that such a dismissal is perhaps hasty, and that David's reference to the physically afflicted alludes to the custom of their gathering at pools and springs (which were widely held to possess healing powers).     

THE ORIGIN,DESTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF COLOUR IN EGYPTIAN TRAVERTINE*

Travertine was one of ancient Egypt's most popular ornamental stones. Upon prolonged exposure to sunlight, the rock's translucent brownish calcite is bleached to nearly white. Ultraviolet and gamma irradiation experiments were undertaken to investigate the source of the brownish colour and the process by which it fades. It was found that the coloration results from the activation of colour centres by natural radioactivity within the rock, and that these colour centres are deactivated by the ultraviolet component of sunlight. The results also demonstrate that the original brownish colour of sun‐bleached, travertine objects can be restored by artificial gamma irradiation.     

Albert Einstein,Physicist (1879–1955)

Abstract

Einstein's ideas changed man's thoughts about the totality of physics. These ideas were so fundamental for human thought that Einstein belongs to all the sciences and to all cultures. If ever there was a scientist whose centenary ought to be commemorated in an interdisciplinary journal, Einstein would be that one. This is because of the all-pervading influence of the revolution in physics in which Einstein played so paramount a part. Here we look back to what one man was able to contribute to transforming everyman's thought about the physical world. For the most part the lasting consequences are evident and well-known. Nevertheless, we have to observe that in some respect – not necessarily those emphasized by Einstein – the implications are still scarcely apprehended.     

Assigning Context to Artifacts in Burned-Rock Middens

Abstract

Accumulations office-cracked rock and carbon-stained sediment in pits mark locations of past cooking and heating facilities around the world. While the specific functions of these features may vary, the use of stones as heating elements in earth ovens is common. After repeated use, debris in the form of fire-cracked stones, charcoal, ash, sediment, carbonized plant fragments, and other materials accumulates to form low mounds known in the U.S. Southern Plains and the Southwest as burned-rock middens. The middens may include artifacts some introduced inadvertently with sediment used to form an earthen cap to seal the pit oven. The sediment and included artifacts for this insulating cap may be borrowed from other parts of the site. After the cooking is complete, the earthen cap is peeled open and all materials redistributed by trampling and slope wash. Artifacts and other materials in burned-rock middens, therefore, may not represent discrete events or periods directly associated with use of the ovens.     

Scientists and the media: the struggle for legitimacy in climate change and conservation science

Abstract

Despite the uncertainties associated with forecasts of the possible negative effects of climate change on natural environments, such research is often widely reported in the news media. Here we review the presentation in the UK news media and on the internet of an academic study published in Nature, forecasting future global extinctions as a result of climate change. The results and conclusions of the study were widely misrepresented, especially in the news media, to make the consequences seem more catastrophic and the timescale shorter. Representations of the original article on the internet were more variable, with several sites ranked highly on popular search engines being overtly critical of the underlying science. We suggest that such polarised representations of environmental science are indicative of a 'struggle for legitimacy' between environmentalist and anti-environmentalist groups, with potential negative consequences for public trust in science.     

Provenance Analyses of the Volcanic Rock Grinding Stones from the Greek Colony of Selinunte,Sicily (Italy)—Constraints and Possibilities

The petrography as well as the major and trace element compositions of the Selinunte grinding stones, made of grey vesicular lava, were analysed. By comparison with geochemical data from volcanic rocks in the Mediterranean, we were able to determine that only a minor number of the tools were extracted from the nearest volcanics of Mount Etna and the Hyblean Mountains, while the majority of the grinding stones were most probably imported from the Aeolian Islands, although an origin from the Aegean cannot be excluded entirely. The results are important in order to scrutinize trading connections, especially for the earlier times of settlement during the sixth century bc .     

Easton & Anderson and the water supply of Antwerp (Belgium)

Abstract

Investigation into the origin and establishment of the Antwerp Waterworks Company Limited (AWW), revealed that the engineering firm of Easton & Anderson (E&A), of London and Erith, which had purchased the concession for supplying water to the City of Antwerp, were able to interest water companies in London and southern England in investing in the new business. Through their engineers, the influence of E&A lasted until the expiration of the Antwerp concession in 1930. Faced with problems with the quality of the raw water source, they had to work out specific treatment techniques. From 1881 to 1885, Bischof's spongy iron filter was used in combination with sand filters. This application proved unsuccessful, so that Anderson developed his revolving purifier, the operation of which was also based on the action of iron on water. These 'revolvers' were used for the Antwerp supply from 1885 until 1914. The process subsequently became widely used at other sites all over the world. E&A also supplied the heavy pumping machinery to AWW, consisting of two screw pumps, four rotative beam engines, a steam-driven Appold centrifugal pump, a triple expansion engine and all the plunger pumps. The author describes the above-mentioned treatment techniques and pumping machinery, and expands on the English character of the former Antwerp water supply company.     

The Identity of the Nabataean 'Painted House' Complex at Baidha,North-West Petra

Abstract

An attempt is made to shed light on the identity of the Nabataean 'Painted House' from an understanding of its plan, the content of the painting and the function of the associated features, mainly the water installations. This study reveals new mythological figures unnoticed by previous scholars. These include additional cupids and, most importantly, Isis. The water installations of the monument, its functions and meaning, the content of the painting combined with comparative studies of Mediterranean and Near Eastern evidence all suggest that this monument was an Isiac (Isis) sanctuary devoted to her as a goddess of improved quality of life, good crops, good herds, and love.     

Mitchell's Influence on European Studies of Peripheral Nerve Injuries During World War I

Objective: Describe the influence of S. Weir Mitchell's (1829-1914) work, and in particular his ideas on causalgia, on European physicians who treated peripheral nerve injuries during World War I (WWI). Background: During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Mitchell studied peripheral nerve injuries with colleagues George Read Morehouse and William Williams Keen. Three monographs resulted from this work. All were important landmarks in the evolution of knowledge of peripheral nerve injuries. A subsequent occasion to improve knowledge came in WWI. Methods: The most important European monographs or series on peripheral nerve injuries from WWI were studied with special interest in references to causalgia and Mitchell's works on peripheral nerve injuries. We included works by Tinel, Athanassio-Bénisty, Purves-Stewart & Evans and Carter, Foerster and Oppenheim. Results: Tinel and Athanassio-Bénisty provided the most detailed information on peripheral nerve injuries and causalgia and often referred to Mitchell. Both mentioned a possible sympathetic origin. Athanassio-Bénisty described tremor and other movement disorders in relation to causalgia. Purves-Stewart and Evans mentioned Mitchell and causalgia in the second edition of their book. They advocated the term "thermalgia." Carter, who had access to data of many cases, concentrated his work on causalgia, referring to Mitchell. Foerster provided data of a great number of peripheral nerve injuries, but did not refer to Mitchell. However, he described the symptoms of causalgia cursorily, applying the term Reflexschmerz (reflexpain). Oppenheim was particularly interested in muscle innervation and referred to Mitchell with respect to hypertrichosis and glossy skin. Oppenheim did not use the term causalgia, although he described the syndrome in some of his patients. It wasn't until around 1920 that German physicians devoted significant attention to causalgia and began using the term. Conclusion: Knowledge of peripheral nerve injuries was greatly advanced during and after WWI. Mitchell's influence was mainly found in the French medical literature, where his findings provided the basis for further research on the origin of causalgia. In England, Mitchell and causalgia were also well-known. We found evidence to suggest that some of the English knowledge came from French physicians. German physicians described the symptoms of causalgia, but did not use the term, nor did they refer to Mitchell. This variation in Mitchell's influence by country probably reflects the fact that Mitchell's Injuries of nerves and their consequences was translated into French but not German.     

The Feathered Serpent Pyramid at Teotihuacan: decay,conservation and future perspectives

Abstract

The Feathered Serpent Pyramid at Teotihuacan, Mexico, is one of the most outstanding monuments of Mexican archaeological heritage. However, the volcanic stones that constitute the main façade of this building are subject to complex deterioration phenomena that include decay caused by the presence of water and soluble salts, as well as inappropriate treatments carried out in past decades. Agents of decay are explained in the article, as well as the means of diagnosis employed for their study. Recent conservation activities and other potential conservation treatments are also discussed.     

Jewellery Production

Abstract

Today's hand made gold jewellery includes the most costly and most beautiful items available. Master craftsmen are found in many countries and their jewellery follows a centuries old tradition. In more recent times, to supply increasing demand, gold jewellery has also been machine made, for example gold chains, particularly in Italy. Here these two basic aspects of jewellery production are reviewed: gold craftsmanship, casting, alloys for jewellery, electroforming, chain production and findings are all discussed.     

Explanations for the Outbreak of Cattle Plague in Cheshire in 1865–1866: 'Fear the Wrath of the Lord'

Abstract

'Explanations for the Outbreak of Cattle Plague in Cheshire in 1865–66: "Fear the Wrath of the Lord"'. This article examines the explanations advanced for the outbreak of rinderpest in 1865–66, which bore disproportionately upon Cheshire. Although there was some criticism of unsatisfactory farming practices and their role in spreading disease, most people were prepared to accept that the epidemic was God's punishment for sin — either sin by the population or by the government on their behalf. This explanation was made all the more acceptable by the failure of veterinary surgeons and other parties to produce an effective cure. The views expressed were those of an age where atonement for sin was a dominant element in religious thought.     

A Georgian gentleman: child care and the case of Harry Tremayne, 1814–23

Abstract

This case study considers the manner in which a well-to-do Georgian family managed a child's ill health during the 1820s. The study sheds light on three matters: the operation of a geographically widely spread medical market place, family relationships under the stress of illness and the function of the male within the domestic 'private' sphere of caring for the sick. While the study is located in a well-defined historiography, this is the first time that the unique correspondence from this family has been used for wider historical analysis, and it provides a unique insight into issues of health, family and family relationships in Georgian England.