Recent Research on Obsidian from Missouri Archaeological Sites

Obsidian has been noted at archaeological sites in the Midwest for over 160 years, although very few artifacts made from this material are recorded in archaeological contexts in Missouri. Background research revealed that only 16 obsidian artifacts from 13 sites had been documented from the state and that only 5 of the specimens had been geochemically analyzed and attributed to a source. Recent excavations at the Droste site (23PI1291), a Late Woodland period site in northeast Missouri, yielded two obsidian artifacts. The two specimens from the Droste site along with two previously unsourced obsidian artifacts from the Burkemper site (23LN104) and two from the Stapleton site (23HD110) were tested for trace element composition via X-ray fluorescence analysis. This article reports the results of these geochemical analyses, reviews the other obsidian artifacts reported from Missouri, and examines the cultural context and source of obsidian artifacts from other states in the upper Midwest.     

浅谈田野考古动物遗存采集

田野考古动物遗存采集是动物考古学研究的关键环节之一,受人为控制,本文着重讨论了采集过程、采集方法和注意事项,旨在推进采集的规范化、科学性和完整度,为深入开展动物考古学研究提供良好的原始资料。     

潮湿土遗址隔水防潮技术对比研究

潮湿土遗址的破坏,很大程度上是受水的影响,目前国内几个潮湿土遗址经常使用的防水隔水措施主要有:挡水墙、隔水廊道、拱券法和抽水法。经过对几种方法进行总结评价,可看出拱券法是最有效的方法。     

Management Plans for Archaeological Sites: A World Heritage Template

Abstract

A failed attempt to produce a Management Manual for World Heritage Archaeological Sites and Monuments brought together a body of experts in 2002 at Ma'agan, Israel. This paper aims to make the general recommendations of the Ma'agan meeting more widely known among those concerned with the management of archaeological sites. The paper summarizes the outcomes of the meeting, including ideas on the structure of a management plan, the planning process, team building and public participation, site significance, conservation, monitoring, maintenance, presentation and interpretation, tourism and action plans; and includes a select bibliography.     

Holocaust Archaeology: Archaeological Approaches to Landscapes of Nazi Genocide and Persecution

Abstract

Debate concerning the events of the Holocaust is well embedded in the historical discourse and, thus, clearly defined narratives of this period exist. However, in most European countries the Holocaust has only recently begun to be considered in terms of its surviving archaeological remains and landscapes, and the majority of known sites are still ill-defined and only partially understood from both spatial structural points of view. Additionally, thousands of sites across Europe remain unmarked, whilst the locations of others have been forgotten altogether. Such a situation has arisen as a result of a number of political, social, ethical, and religious factors which, coupled with the scale of the crimes, has often inhibited systematic search. This paper details the subsequent development and application of a non-invasive archaeological methodology aimed at rectifying this situation and presents a case for the establishment of Holocaust archaeology as a sub-discipline of conflict studies. In particular, the importance of moving away from the notion that the presence of historical sources precludes the need for the collection of physical evidence is stressed, and the humanitarian, scientific, academic, and commemorative value of exploring this period is considered.     

大遗址保护规划:对象、使命和内容框架

大遗址保护规划是系统统筹大遗址保护的综合性管理手段和政策纲领,具有系统整体性、综合协调性、战略引导性、控制约束性等特点。大遗址保护规划的对象是大遗址系统及其保护、利用、管理与发展等使用方式,决定了保护规划的愿景目标、架构体系及统筹协调的内容和行动计划。大遗址保护规划的基本理路是以物为基础、以人为中心,以保证大遗址安全为底线,以重塑大遗址空间保护格局、优化大遗址使用方式、推动大遗址资源资产保值增值为使命任务,通过科学合理的遗址资源配置和空间优化,实现大遗址资源与人、自然资源及其他人文资源的共融共生,大遗址保护利益与区域发展利益的和谐统一。     

大遗址保护与考古遗址公园建设

建设考古遗址公园,是新时期大遗址保护新模式,是建设和谐社会和中华民族共同精神家园的重要举措。建设考古遗址公园的根本目的是保护遗址、服务考古。考古遗址公园建设必须科学规划,严肃论证,循序渐进,稳妥扎实。考古学家应积极支持考古遗址公园建设。文物管理部门应对考古遗址公园建设热情支持,善加引导,健全规章,严格管理。     

当遗址与城市邂逅城市中考古遗址保护与展示的故事

城市中备显突兀的考古遗址,虽然貌不惊人,甚至晦涩难懂,但是只有它们,才是城市真实的时空坐标,才能使神秘的传说变成史实。然而在当前快速城市化的背景下,这样穿越千年的相见有时却显得尴尬而痛苦,原本浪漫的邂逅常常以悲剧收场。本文讲述的三个故事,无疑是喜剧性的结局,也是这十年来人们逐渐以更包容、更欢迎的心态来面对这些"不期而遇"的例证。     

The Protection of Archaeological Sites in Taiwan

Abstract

There are roughly 2300 recognized archaeological sites in Taiwan. Under the Cultural Properties Preservation Law (CPPL) of 1982, archaeological heritage falls under the category of 'historic relics'. However, archaeological sites are not designated as such until they have been excavated and studied to prove their cultural value. Protection of the archaeological heritage has been reinforced through the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIAA), which regulates all environmental management plans. These study and determine the degree and scope of the potential impact of development on the cultural environment.

The CPPL was extensively amended and promulgated in 2005, and in this recent document discussed archaeological heritage in a distinct chapter (Chapter 3 with 16 acts). Furthermore, three regulations have been issued concerning the examination of designations of archaeological sites, qualification standards for excavation, as well as the administration and protection of archaeological sites. The newly enacted Cultural Law and Regulations confer competent authorities at all levels with all powers to supervise, administer, and then protect valuable buried cultural property. Although the protection of archaeological heritage has been better enforced since 2005, archaeological remains in Taiwan are still under various threats. Preservation of the cultural heritage is threatened by development, in many cases resulting in impasse. This paper discusses several recent examples of such dilemmas and presents a personal opinion on a better way to settle the controversy.     

Archaeological Investigation of Military Sites on Inchkeith Island

Abstract

In August 2001, a programme of survey and trial excavation was carried out on the island of Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The work was carried out as part of the first series of the BBC TV series Two Men in a Trench, and examined the WWII defences, together with some of the Victorian defences and a midden that probably dates to the 16th century.     

关于考古出土纸质文物保护利用的若干思考

19世纪末,我国西北地区开始有纸质文物的考古发现,其后纸质文物在多地考古发掘中均见出土.它们品种多、数量大,加工工艺、写印材料独特,时代自汉代至明清,其中的早期文物尤为珍贵.因其出土环境复杂,保护修复工作难以直接借助传统技术和现有科技,特别是潮湿环境和干燥潮湿交替环境下出土纸质文物的保护修复往往遭遇瓶颈.目前学界在科学分析检测、造纸工艺研究、科学信息提取等科学化研究方面取得了一定成就,但对糟朽类文物的病害机理、保护修复技术等研究还远远不够.因此,当务之急是开展本体材质、劣化与粘连机理研究,探究多因素协同作用对本体的长期影响和作用方式,研发新材料与新技术,并致力于探索这类文物的活化利用.     

Microbiology of Concretions, Sediments and Mechanisms Influencing the Preservation of Submerged Archaeological Artifacts

Research conducted at deep-ocean ship wreck sites in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and in the Gulf of Mexico have revealed that microorganisms play a significant role in both the preservation and loss of submerged artifacts. Research to be reported concentrates on the influence of microbiologically induced concretions on the survival of maritime artifacts. Rusticles, a common form of concretion, have been found to provide valuable information to archeology (Garzke et al. 1997, Proceedings of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers). The role of rusticles in the preservation of recalcitrant materials such as coal and glass fragments that become embedded within these growths, as well as forensic chemical analysis can be used to determine the nature of goods or munitions being carried by the ship at the time of its sinking, and will form examples.     

Managment of Beached Shipwreck Archaeological Sites: Defining Stability

The archaeological remains of ships in the beach zone are part of a complex and dynamic system. Being periodically exposed and reburied, they vary between being both visible and frequently forgotten features of the physical and cultural coastal landscape. These limited and non-renewable resources are highly susceptible to instability within the landscape. Challenges to stability result in these resources being damaged, ignored, or forgotten, leading to a potential loss of pertinent social, economic, and physical information. Although little can be done to prevent certain physical actions, a better understanding of physical and cultural processes allows for their mitigation and better management practices for the beached shipwreck resource. This paper looks at how stability is defined in relation to beached shipwreck sites and how these definitions impact the management of the resource of two case study sites in Maine and North Carolina.     

A Framework for Assessing the Vulnerability of Archaeological Sites to Climate Change: Theory,Development, and Application

Abstract

The predicted impacts of climate change on cultural heritage are likely to be dynamic and complex. Understanding the potential risks at site level is vital to ensure that appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures are put in place. There is, however, a dearth of tools and methodologies suitable for use by heritage managers. In this paper the potential of vulnerability analysis for site-based assessment is explored. A six-step vulnerability framework, adapted for cultural heritage, is illustrated utilizing material from two case-study sites (Brú na Bóinne and Skellig Michael). The implementation of each step in the proposed framework is demonstrated to aid those wishing to apply the method in practice. The ‘values based’ approach taken is suitable for a wide range of cultural heritage including landscapes, monuments, and buried archaeology. The six-step framework and the utilization of indicators provide a method that allows comparison between sites and yet is sufficiently flexible to account for localized concerns. The framework will aid decision makers with planning and prioritization.     

A Risk Assessment for Cultural Heritage in Southern Iraq: Framing Drivers,Threats and Actions Affecting Archaeological Sites

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes a classification of the risks threatening archaeological sites in southern Iraq and suggests some possible remediation to better preserve them. This has been possible thanks to a research methodology that combines remote sensing and ground control on a sample of 558 sites documented by the Iraqi-Italian QADIS survey project. A three-tier typological framework has been created illustrating the risks jeopardising the cultural heritage of the region. This research showed that the most impacting risks are the ones caused by agricultural activity, despite current narratives which mainly focus on looting and violent destruction. To get at the root of the problem, current laws protecting cultural heritage in Iraq are analysed, as well as how the cultural authorities are organised on the ground. Improving the organisation of the SBAH, engaging the local communities towards the issue of sites’ protection and introducing preventive archaeology are among the solutions proposed.     

浙江余杭临平遗址群的聚落考察

近年来随着考古工作的开展,良渚遗址群东边的临平遗址群逐渐显现。该遗址群距良渚遗址群仅20公里,目前已发现13处不同规模和类型的良渚文化遗址,分布范围约30平方公里。临平遗址群是规模和等级略低于良渚遗址群的次级文化中心,横山显贵墓葬、玉架山环壕聚落群、茅山大型农耕遗迹是其代表性文化内涵,它们反映了良渚时期贵族等级、社会组织结构、生产力发展水平等诸多方面的真实状况。     

Some Issues on the Management of Archaeological Sites in Mainland China

Abstract

The conservation of archaeological sites in mainland China has not attracted much academic and public attention until recently. However, after the 1990s, both the Chinese government and academia have been increasingly concerned with the management of archaeological sites, as illustrated by the introduction of national guidelines (China Principles) and the establishment of research centres in universities and research institutes. Economic development and related social needs are major driving forces behind this phenomenon, while the impact of globalization on academic development in China cannot be denied. However, the natural and social environments in mainland China, as well as the characteristics of archaeological sites, differ from other countries, and whether international principles regarding conservation and management of archaeological sites are applicable to China needs to be considered. While it is a challenging task for mainland Chinese scholars to find suitable strategies to conserve and manage hundreds of thousands of archaeological sites, the problems and experiences in the process of applying international principles to China may provide valuable lessons, not only for Chinese scholars but also for scholars in other areas.     

大遗址考古发掘与保护的几个问题

一、背景大遗址的概念是我国文化遗产保护在全球视野下从近十几年来的遗址保护与管理工作中提出的一个重要概念。尽管这个概念在目前还没有清晰而科学的法定量化界     

Weathering of Calcarenite Monuments at Roman and Byzantine Archaeological Sites at Sabratha,Northwestern Libya: A Pilot Study

The Roman and Byzantine monuments at Sabratha in northwest Libya represent cultural heritage of remarkable global significance. This report describes the weathering damage of calcarenites, the most dominant stone type used in the construction of monuments in the ancient city of Sabratha. Stone loss, particularly alveolar weathering, notching and breakout of compact stone fragments, dominates deterioration phenomena. Other weathering forms include stone detachment (granular disintegration into sand) and fractures. Most of the studied monuments are also severely affected by biodeterioration, due to microorganism colonization that appears as biofilm. Both the low durability of the calcarenites and the marine environment with characteristic humidity and salt-rich marine spray are the important factors contributing to stone weathering. The results obtained in this pilot study may be used as a guideline for future restoration works.