Compositional Analysis of Ceramics from Goguryeo Fortified Sites in Central Korea

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the ceramics from the Goguryeo fortified sites of the Han River region in central Korea were manufactured and consumed locally during the southern expansion of the Goguryeo State (475–551 ce ). For this research, 88 ceramic samples from seven contemporary sites in the southern territories of Goguryeo were sampled and analysed by ceramic thin‐section petrography and neutron activation analysis (NAA). In addition, to establish a possible chemical fingerprint at Hongryeonbong Fort 2, five clay specimens were also gathered and analysed from the pottery firing structure. The results of this analytical study indicate that the majority of the ceramics from the Goguryeo fortified sites of central Korea were produced and circulated within this newly acquired region. In addition, it is highly probable that Hongryeonbong Fort, which contains the remains of what may be ceramic firing architecture, is the place of production for the ceramics.     

Evaluation of Quantitative XRF Analysis Applied to Determine Cobalt Sources in Chinese Blue‐and‐White Porcelain

A method using the ratios between MnO, Fe₂O₃ and CoO to differentiate the cobalt sources for Chinese blue‐and‐white porcelain was developed in Oxford in the 1950s using X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis directly on the glaze. In this paper, six blue‐and‐white porcelain sherds from the Luomaqiao kiln were analysed by XRF on the glaze and by scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive spectrometry (SEM‐EDS) in cross‐section. The ratios between MnO, Fe₂O₃ and CoO calculated by quantitative XRF and EDS analyses are different. The analysis depths for MnO, Fe₂O₃ and CoO are < 60 μm by XRF analysis. However, the average glaze thickness of samples is > 400 μm, and the MnO, Fe₂O₃ and CoO mainly remain in the lower layer of the glaze, which is beyond the analysis depths of XRF analysis. The limitations of major and minor quantitative analyses for differentiating cobalt sources are discussed.     

The Evolution of the Vitruvian Recipes over 500 Years of Floor‐Making Techniques: The Case Studies of the Domus delle Bestie Ferite and the Domus di Tito Macro (Aquileia,Italy)

The paper reports the results of a research project aimed at the characterization of the floor bedding mortars of two Roman houses in Aquileia (north‐eastern Italy), the Domus delle Bestie Ferite and the Domus di Tito Macro. Seventy floor bedding mortars of the two domus were selected and almost half were fully minero‐petrographically characterized by means of optical microscopy operated in transmitted light (OM‐TL), X‐ray powder diffraction analyses coupled with quantitative phase analysis by means of the Rietveld method (XRPD‐QPA) and scanning electron microscopy with EDS microanalysis (SEM–EDS). The results indicate an evolution of the mortar preparation techniques over time in the mosaic of both houses. The materials are compared to the traditional Roman recipes for specific construction techniques.     

The White Marble of the Arch of Augustus (Susa,North‐Western Italy): Mineralogical and Petrographic Analysis for the Definition of its Origin

The Arch of Augustus in Susa (north‐western Italy) was built in 9–8 bc by King Cottius, to celebrate the treaty between the Romans and the Gauls. It is made of white marble, which was considered for a long time to be locally extracted, but no archaeometric studies have been performed up to now. Therefore, a multi‐analytical study based on petrographic (optical and scanning electron microscopy), electron microprobe and stable isotope analyses was carried out on the marble from the arch and from reference samples, with the aim of defining the provenance. All the data confirmed that white marble belonging to the metamorphosed carbonate cover of the Dora Maira Massif, known as Foresto marble, was used for the Susa Arch. This choice was probably made for economic reasons, but also due to the relative independence of the ruling family of the Alpes Cottiae, which was obviously interested in promoting a local marble.     

Age‐at‐death assessment using the os pubis and the auricular surface of the ilium: a test on an identified Asian sample

This paper reviews the results of blind tests of two morphological methods of age‐at‐death estimation. These tests were performed on a known age‐at‐death and sex sample taken from a collection of a Thai population. The first technique is based on the age related changes of the pubic symphysis according to the Suchey‐Brooks system, and the other concerns the metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium elaborated by Lovejoy and colleagues. This is the first time that these methods have been tested on skeletal material from Asia. The results indicate that, for both methods, bias and inaccuracy increase with age and true age tends to be underestimated. As a consequence, age‐at‐death assessment based on these two techniques should be avoided on Asian archaeological series or forensic cases. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social Conflict and Competing State Projects in the Semi‐Periphery: A Strategic‐Relational Analysis of the Transformation of the Mexican State into an Internationalized Competition State

Abstract: This article draws on the strategic‐relational approach in state theory and examines the transformation of the Mexican state into internationalized competition state. It does so by analyzing the rise of the neoliberal forces and the neoliberal state project inside Mexico during the 1970s while taking into account the important modifications in the international division of labor and the evolving international regulation. These developments resulted in the transformation of the Mexican state into an internationalized competition state which adopts a Ricardian strategy of competition and is characterized by the tendencies towards the denationalization of statehood and the internationalization of policy regimes.     

Real‐time quadrupole mass spectrometer analysis of gas in borehole fluid samples acquired using the U‐tube sampling methodology

Sampling of fluids in deep boreholes is challenging because of the necessity of minimizing external contamination and maintaining sample integrity during recovery. The U‐tube sampling methodology was developed to collect large volume, multiphase samples at in situ pressures. As a permanent or semi‐permanent installation, the U‐tube can be used for rapidly acquiring multiple samples or it may be installed for long‐term monitoring applications. The U‐tube was first deployed in Liberty County, TX to monitor crosswell CO₂ injection as part of the Frio CO₂ sequestration experiment. Analysis of gases (dissolved or separate phase) was performed in the field using a quadrupole mass spectrometer, which served as the basis for determining the arrival of the CO₂ plume. The presence of oxygen and argon in elevated concentrations, along with reduced methane concentration, indicates sample alteration caused by the introduction of surface fluids during borehole completion. Despite producing the well to eliminate non‐native fluids, measurements demonstrate that contamination persists until the immiscible CO₂ injection swept formation fluid into the observation wellbore.     

Discursive Agency: (Re‐)Conceptualizing Actors and Practices in the Analysis of Discursive Policymaking

Interpretive discourse analysis commonly claims to address the interrelation between actors and discourses. However, the analytical focus of most approaches is on structures (discourses) while much less attention is paid to agency. This paper explicitly addresses discursive agency in two steps. First, we systematically review theoretical and analytical dimensions of agency in existing interpretive discourse analysis approaches. This review reveals a set of shared assumptions; most notably a concept of “trialectic” agency emphasizing the constitution of agency among the individual, the (discursive) structures, and the researcher's interpretation. Second, we propose an analytical heuristic, the Discursive Agency Approach, which is developed on the basis of the review and own empirical data. The proposed approach consists of four elements: (1) policy discourses, (2) political institutions, (3) agents defined via a set of characteristics, and (4) strategic practices. This approach is meant to facilitate a systematic exploration of agency under a discourse perspective, tackling the question of how a policy is constituted through the agency ascribed to its proponents in dynamic discursive processes, and how actors acquire political relevance through discursive means. To enable this goal, we propose distinct research steps and associated methods that link the approach to existing means of analysis.     

The Use of Small‐Angle X‐Ray Diffraction Studies for the Analysis of Structural Features in Archaeological Samples

X‐ray diffraction or scattering analysis provides a powerful non‐destructive technique capable of providing important information about the state of archaeological samples in the nanometer length scale. Small‐angle diffraction facilities are usually found at synchrotron sources, although the potential of a laboratory source is also described. Specific examples of analysis using X‐ray diffraction of historic parchment, archaeological bone, a Central Mexico style pictograph and microdiffraction of calcified tissues are used to show the scope and versatility of the technique. Diffraction data is capable of giving fundamental structural information as well as quantifying the remodelling of structures influenced by environmental factors.     

The Origin of the use of the Tin‐Glazed Earthenware Technique in the Production of the French Medieval Pavement of Suscinio

The medieval pavement found in its original state and place at the Breton castle of Suscinio is an interesting case study for answering questions about the origin of the tin‐glazed earthenware technique in France. Twenty‐eight decorated tiles (with transparent and tin‐opacified glazes) and eight clayey raw materials were examined using chemical and microstructural approaches involving petrographic, SEM–EDS and XRD analyses. By combining the results of provenance and technological studies with historical and archaeological data, it was possible to conclude that the pavement was a local product, made with imported technological skills, rather than an imported product or the result of local experimentation.     

Reaching across: institutional barriers to cross‐ethnic parties in post‐conflict societies and the case of Northern Ireland

This paper investigates the paradox in post‐conflict societies of continued marginality of cross‐ethnic parties despite significant convergence in public attitudes and identities. In so doing, it examines the argument that parties that attempt to reach across the divide are constrained by consocational institutions designed to accommodate rival identities in such environments. The paper explores this puzzle in the context of Northern Ireland, drawing upon qualitative evidence from elite interviews and focus groups collected in 2012 and 2013. It concludes that cross‐community parties operating in the region do encounter formal institutional barriers, but that such barriers only partially explain the phenomenon and an interplay between formal and informal constraints underlies their position of relatively limited electoral success.     

Social distance in Bosnia‐Herzegovina and the North Caucasus region of Russia: Inter and intra‐ethnic attitudes and identities*

ABSTRACT. This article examines attitudinal differences and similarities among ethnic groups in conflict‐affected societies. Conventional wisdom tells us that societies that have experienced violent struggles in which individuals of different ethnic groups have (been) mobilized against each other are likely to become polarized along ethnic lines. Indeed, both policy‐makers and scholars often assume that such divisions are some of the main challenges that must be overcome to restore peace after war. We comparatively examine this conventional wisdom by mapping dimensions of social distance among 4,000 survey respondents in Bosnia‐Herzegovina and the North Caucasus region of Russia. The surveys were carried out in December 2005. Using multidimensional scaling methods, we do not find patterns of clear attitudinal cleavages among members of different ethnic groups in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. Nor do we find patterns of clear ethnic division in the North Caucasus, although our social distance matrices reveal a difference between Russians and ethnic minority groups.     

CHARMed PyMca,Part I: A Protocol for Improved Inter‐laboratory Reproducibility in the Quantitative ED‐XRF Analysis of Copper Alloys

This paper describes a protocol for quantification of heritage copper alloys by energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED‐XRF). The protocol, nicknamed CHARMed PyMca, is designed for users who wish to maximize inter‐laboratory reproducibility of quantitative ED‐XRF results for the wide range of copper alloys found in heritage materials. By maximizing reproducibility, this protocol should facilitate collaboration and allow the rigorous use of shared data and databases. The protocol uses free, open‐source, fundamental parameters software called PyMca. PyMca allows for a consistent and transparent application of the fundamental parameters approach independent of the ED‐XRF instrumentation used. The proposed protocol calls for calibration of standardless PyMca results against a set of certified reference materials designed specifically for use with heritage copper alloys, the so‐called copper CHARM set. Finally, this protocol calls for the calibration‐to‐standards to be carried out following a consistent strategy, including error modelling and the incorporation of a validation procedure. A reproducibility study was conducted using CHARMed PyMca and eight different ED‐XRF instruments of six different types. In comparison to a 2010 study conducted according to the same method, CHARMed PyMca showed a dramatic improvement in reproducibility and method sensitivity.     

Exploring the roots and dynamics of Kurdish ethno‐nationalism in Turkey

Using comprehensive and original data derived from a recent major public opinion survey, this study examines an under‐investigated aspect of the Kurdish issue in Turkey: the dynamics and factors behind Kurdish ethno‐nationalism at a mass level. The empirical findings disprove the conventional socio‐economic peace and Islamic‐peace hypotheses around this issue, and our statistical analyses provide strong support for the relative deprivation hypothesis, i.e. that those who think the Turkish state discriminates against Kurds are more likely to have ethno‐nationalist orientations. Multivariate analyses further show that religious sectarian differences among Kurds (i.e. the Hanefi‐Shafi division) matter: the more religious Shafi Kurds have a stronger ethnic consciousness and a higher degree of ethno‐nationalism. The study also provides a discussion of the broader theoretical and practical implications of the empirical findings, which may provide insights into conflict resolution prospects in countries with a Kurdish population.     

The Copper CHARM Set: A New Set of Certified Reference Materials for the Standardization of Quantitative X‐Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Heritage Copper Alloys*

This paper introduces a new set of certified reference materials designed to aid scientists and conservators working in cultural heritage fields with quantitative X‐ray fluorescence analysis of historical and prehistoric copper alloys. This set has been designated as the Copper CHARM Set (Cultural Heritage Alloy Reference Material Set). The Copper CHARM Set is designed to be used by a wide range of museum‐, art‐ and archaeology‐oriented scientists and conservators to help improve the accuracy and range of their calibrations for quantitative ED–XRF spectrometry of copper alloys, and also increase the number of elements that can routinely be quantified. In addition, the common use of a single core set of the reference materials is designed to significantly improve inter‐laboratory reproducibility, allowing greater data sharing between researchers and thus furthering possibilities for collaborative study.     

Resistance,Symbolism and the Language of Stateness in Timor‐Leste

On gaining independence in 2002 after a protracted struggle against Indonesian occupation, the sovereign Timor‐Leste state began to assert its sovereignty in a range of discursive and expressive media. These assertions developed a distinct ‘language of stateness’ that is the focus of this article. This East Timorese expression of state sovereignty draws heavily on the legacy of the Timorese resistance struggle and on a variety of other sources of symbolic power such as flags, buildings, logos, and uniforms. Yet these efforts have been contested by a range of non‐state actors in Timor‐Leste and the shape that this language of stateness has taken now evokes complaints from martial arts groups (MAGs), ritual arts groups (RAGs), and veterans' organisations that seek to ‘become like the state’ themselves, and who also employ a ‘national language of stateness’ in the form of flags, graffiti, and official buildings. While not challenging the idea of an independent East Timorese state per se, these groups question the prerogative of the state to use and define the language of stateness. In this article I explore the way the state and its challengers use ‘languages of stateness’ and how this shapes their ambivalent stance vis‐à‐vis each other, with both sides often drawing upon a discourse of the fulfilment of the millenarian promises that have for a long time been tied to the achievement of independence.     

Molecular evidence for the mixing of Meat,Fish and Vegetables in Anglo‐Saxon coarseware from Hamwic,UK

Absorbed lipid residues from 24 seventh‐ to ninth‐century coarseware potsherds from the major Anglo‐Saxon trading centre of Hamwic (Southampton, UK) were analysed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS) in order to reconstruct the dietary habits of its population. The results show that the vessels were used for preparing ruminant fats and leafy vegetables. In addition, evidence was found for a minor contribution of aquatic foods. Beeswax was found once and most probably relates to a sealing function or to honey. Remarkable features were: (i) the isomeric mixture of octadecenoic acid (C_18:1 Δ^{7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16}) and 8‐ to 16‐hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, and (ii) the co‐occurrence of C_17:1, C_19:1 and isoprenoid fatty acids. These features were proposed as biomarkers for ruminant and aquatic food sources, respectively. Furthermore, the carbonyl position distribution in mid‐chain ketones was used to identify mixtures of animal‐ and plant‐derived ketones. The paper highlights the difficulty in interpreting complex lipid signatures that show a mixture of various foods, as observed in the majority of the samples. This was linked to the preparation of stews or the recycling of vessels. The results are considered alongside ceramic usewear data and existing data relating to environmental remains recovered from the Hamwic excavations.     

A Preliminary Study on the Loss of Iron and Arsenic in the Re‐Melting of Iron‐Bearing Arsenical Copper

Re‐melting experiments were conducted with specimens made of high‐arsenic copper alloys containing lead, iron and sulphur. The melting treatment at 1000°C in ambient conditions for 5 min was found to cause an almost complete removal of iron and sulphur along with a notable reduction of arsenic levels. Evidence was found that the preferential oxidation of iron and arsenic was responsible for this change in composition. The treatment also brought about perfect dissolution of speiss particles scattered throughout the original specimen, suggesting the possibility of the addition of speiss to molten copper for the production of arsenical copper.     

Analysis of Medieval and Post‐Medieval Glass Fragments from the Dubrovnik Region (Croatia)

Dubrovnik was an important trade city throughout the medieval and post‐medieval time period, maintaining its own glass production from the 14th to the 16th century. Unfortunately, Dubrovnik glass discoveries have not been well investigated up until now, except via archival data in large data analyses. In the following work, we will shed new light on the glass material found in this region, which has diverse origins, chronology, typology and style. Medieval and post‐medieval glass finds (10th/12th–18th centuries) discovered during archaeological excavations in Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik region were analysed using particle‐induced X‐ray emission (PIXE) and particle‐induced gamma‐ray emission (PIGE), which revealed three main compositional groups: natron glass, plant‐ash glass and potash glass. This demonstrates the important commercial links present between Dubrovnik and other major glass‐making centres.     

Micro‐CT Imaging and Analysis of Enamel Defects on the Early Late Pleistocene Xujiayao Juvenile

Dental pathologies and enamel defects in East Asian hominins have rarely been reported. Here, we systematically document and describe a suite of enamel defects in the Xujiayao juvenile maxilla, an East Asian hominin from the early Late Pleistocene that may represent an unknown hominin lineage. In addition, we determine the chronology of growth disruptions represented by matched linear enamel hypoplasias, evaluate the long‐held hypothesis that the large brownish pit on the I¹ is evidence of dental fluorosis and assess the utility of micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT) techniques in analyzing enamel defects. With the use of binocular microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro‐CT imaging techniques, the Xujiayao teeth were found to exhibit a high number of pit‐form defects seldom seen in the fossil record. By matching the timing of linear enamel hyperplasia across multiple teeth, a minimum of five developmental disruptions were identified, indicating that the Xujiayao juvenile experienced several growth disturbances during its short lifespan. Our SEM and micro‐CT analyses suggest that the large pit on the I¹ is an enamel hypoplasia due to its morphology and pre‐eruptive enamel thinning. It is not a post‐eruptive fluorotic pit, and there is no evidence of chalkiness or opacity associated with dental fluorosis. The micro‐CT technique made it possible to verify the presence of enamel hypoplasia and to more precisely quantify defect dimensions, especially in unerupted teeth and shallow hypoplasias that are difficult to detect by binocular microscopy or SEM. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.