The use of electron spin resonance spectroscopy to determine the thermal histories of cereal grains

The thermal histories of archaeological cereal grains have been explored with electron spin resonance spectroscopy by a quantitative study of pyrolysis-induced radical carbon. Comparison with modern samples of heated cereal grain has shown that the g value of the radical carbon signal is characteristic of exposure to a previous maximum temperature, and studies of other signal parameters suggest that further information, such as the duration of previous heating, may be deduced from such studies. The proposed method offers the possibility of quantitatively rigorous measurement in archaeological studies of cultural and technological processes that previously relied upon subjective assessment.     

Variety in cereal cultivation in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages in relation to environmental conditions

The objective of this paper is to assess the relationship between the cereals cultivated in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages (ca. 1250–400 BC) within the area of the present-day Czech Republic, and their environmental settings. The various charred caryopses of cereal species represented in the archaeobotanical assemblages from 35 archaeological sites differ, especially in the proportion of wheat and barley. The cereal assemblages were compared regarding site altitude, weather conditions, soils and soil productivity. The most important environmental variable influencing the choice of a particular crop seemed to be altitude which is correlated with other variables such as the length of growing season, mean annual temperature, soil quality etc. Although the ecological requirements of cereals cultivated in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages are not known, they presumably thrived under similar conditions to present-day species/varieties, and the strategy of past crop husbandry was based on similar principles as today, e.g. flexible adaptation to local environmental conditions, in an effort to achieve optimal yields and reduce the danger of crop failure.     

Crop Fertility Conditions in North-Eastern Gaul During the La Tène and Roman Periods: A Combined Stable Isotope Analysis of Archaeobotanical and Archaeozoological Remains

ABSTRACT

Considerable archaeobotanical datasets describe cereal cultivation in north-eastern France, from the Iron Age to the Roman period. This study aims to complement these by using stable isotope analysis on charred cereal grains. Soil fertility was investigated through δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C analyses of 1480 charred cereal grains, dated from the Late La Tène to the Late Antiquity periods. In the Île-de-France, charred grain Δ¹³C values suggested good hydric conditions, with drier episodes in the 1st and 3rd century AD; while in Champagne, the lower Δ¹³C values for spelt reflect the lower water holding capacity of the chalky soils. A wide range of cereal δ¹⁵N values (0.8–8.7‰) implies a wide range of soil fertility conditions. Jouars-Pontchartrain and Palaiseau (Île-de-France) yielded the highest cereal δ¹⁵N values, whereas Acy-Romance (Champagne) delivered among the lowest. From these three sites, the δ¹⁵N values of red deer bone collagen were used to estimate the reference δ¹⁵N values for unmanured plants. Unlike in Acy-Romance, there were significant differences in Palaiseau and Jouars-Pontchartrain, indicating that the cultivated cereals inherited their high δ¹⁵N values from manured soil. At Jouars-Pontchartrain, the δ¹⁵N value (almost 9‰) suggested a high trophic level manuring source, possibly from pig and/or human faeces.     

Distinguishing prehistoric cereal grains of Triticum and Secale on the basis of their surface patterns using the scanning electron microscope

As an additional precaution in identifying prehistoric cereal grains of wheats and rye, anatomical investigations have been undertaken on the microscope patterns of the grain surfaces. This technique has been tested on some grains of the wild and cultivated state from four sites in the Near East, dated to between 9000 and 5500 BC.     

拊葬墓与古代家庭

在以血缘为纽带的社会组织中,其成员死后的埋葬方式直接与家庭、家族和宗族相联系。“袝葬”现象揭示了以家庭为核心的生产关系和生活方式。拊葬墓是以一人为主,其他人从属,多人共用一墓的墓葬。考古学研究中墓室的多少常常与墓主人的身份、等级联系在一起。但袝葬现象直接表现在墓葬形制特征上,是墓葬类型的一种特殊形式,因袝葬需要出现的多室墓并非是墓主人身份的象征,不能作为判别墓葬等级的标准。汉代的袝葬墓一般不改变流行的墓葬形制,而是改变某些空间的功能,西晋以后袝葬墓影响到墓葬形制的改变。拊葬墓的流行,是因为社会组织中血缘关系密切的家庭的地位增强,土地所有制、生产经营和财产关系发生了变化。     

两周葬玉及葬玉制度之考古学研究

两周,尤其西周时期是两汉时期成熟葬玉制度的肇始,也是中国葬玉制度发展最为重要的时期之一.多元化的葬玉制度在战国时期逐渐走向统一,为两汉葬玉制度莫定了坚实的基础.本文即从两周出土的葬玉种类及玉器出土位置等情况入手,分析总结这一时期葬玉与葬玉制度情况.     

近世浙江丧葬习俗的区域特征及地域差异

本文以历代地方志及现代民俗学调查报告为基础,并结合其它相关历史文献资料,对近世时期流行于浙江地区的土葬、火葬、二次葬、潮魂葬等丧葬习俗的区域特征及地域差异,作了简要的介绍及总结,在此基础上对制约浙江地区丧葬习俗地域差异的因素进行了分析、阐述。     

论西安北周粟特人墓和罽宾人墓的葬制和葬俗

2000～2005年,在西安市北郊发掘了北周时期的安伽墓、史君墓、康业墓和李诞墓。前3座为粟特人的墓葬,后1座为厨宾国婆罗门后裔。这表明,西安市北郊一带不仅是北周粟特人的墓地,而且也是包括厨宾人在内的旅居中国的外来人的墓地。其葬制与葬俗对于中西文化交流与丝绸之路的研究,具有重要意义。     

西汉诸侯王墓敛葬玉衣及相关问题

西汉诸侯王死后使用玉衣敛葬是其身份地位的体现,也反映出保护尸身,以求不朽和追求升仙的丧葬思想.综合考察,西汉诸侯王墓的敛葬玉衣具有继承和发展特点,并日趋完善.西汉诸侯王墓使用敛葬玉衣具有相对严格的制度,异姓诸侯王及谋反的同姓王一般不用玉衣敛葬,而使用者的分级制度也在西汉中期逐渐确立,这与以往的认识有所不同.与敛葬玉衣相配套,西汉诸侯王墓还使用其他一些敛葬用玉,但基本是以玉衣为主,其他为辅的使用原则.     

三国时期墓葬特征述论

三国时期墓葬制度是从"汉制"向"晋制"的转变过渡时期。这一时期墓葬形制同东汉时期相比有较大的改变,突出表现在曹魏和东吴地区。随葬器物组合方面基本沿用东汉晚期,但又出现了一些新器型。此外各区域间的墓葬文化表现出频繁交流的特点。综合以上诸要素可知"晋制"的形成主要源自于中原地区的曹魏墓葬,突出表现在墓葬形制和葬俗方面,同时东吴墓葬中的随葬品种类亦被中原地区所接纳,成为西晋墓中典型的器物组合。     

重庆晒网坝一座蜀汉墓发掘简报

2001年在重庆万州晒网坝遗址发掘的编号为CWTM10的墓葬被确定为蜀汉时期墓葬,这是该遗址中唯一一座可确定的蜀汉墓。该墓出土的30件陶器和陶俑成为遗址断代的重要依据。     

关于川渝地区船棺葬的族属问题

本根据成都平原等地和重庆地区葬具的发展线索,认为船棺葬为蜀人的固有葬俗,巴县冬笋坝和昭化宝轮院的船棺葬是受蜀化影响的结果。巴人本来无船棺葬的习俗。     

丧葬习俗的地理学研究——以西藏天葬为例

丧葬形式既是社会文化观念的反应,也是一定自然环境作用的产物。我国主要有5种丧葬形式-土葬、火葬、塔葬、水葬和天葬,大部分民族采用火葬的形式。藏族作为我国民族大家庭重要的一员,在丧葬习俗上与其他民族有着很大的不同,90%以上的藏族同胞接受天葬。独特的自然地理环境﹑深刻的历史和社会文化背景﹑神奇的经学传说是天葬在西藏盛行的主要原因。由于天葬节约土地,净化环境,保护资源,在促进社会文明方面有特殊意义,应予以理解和尊重。     

Agents in Inter-Action: Bruno Latour and Agency

This paper aims to describe Bruno Latour's contributions to the theory and methodology of agency in the Philosophy of Science and to apply them to the study of agency in archaeology. These contributions include an understanding of how artifacts or representations of the world emerge, what the best conditions to study them under are and how to understand the process of change they undergo. A case study using the Hopewell burial mounds of the Lower Illinois Valley will serve to demonstrate the application of this methodology.