Orality in Medieval and Modern Greek Poetry: Introduction

Abstract

A colloquium under the above title was held in Oxford on May 12–13, 1989, under the auspices of the British association of university teachers of Modern Greek studies known as SCOMGIU (Standing Committee on Modern Greek in the Universities). The following articles represent a selection of the papers given at this colloquium, some printed with minimal alterations (thus preserving some traces of their oral performance) and others extensively rewritten.     

Interpreting the past: Presenting archaeological sites to the public

Abstract

A wide range of methodologies have been applied to promote the conservation of exposed and managed archaeological sites, including shelters. Commonly used as a protective measure in many areas of the world, shelters are not as common in the USA. In addition there have been few efforts to evaluate scientifically their use and efficacy. As a response to the recognized need to further scholarship and dialogue about shelters, a colloquium on the topic was held in Tumacacori, Arizona, in January 2001. The colloquium goals focused on research, exchange of information, the advancement of methodological approaches, incorporation of sheltering concepts into planning processes and identifying field needs. To achieve these aims, the following four themes were developed:

? deciding to shelter

? establishing conservation, design and construction criteria

? designing and constructing shelters

? evaluating shelter performance.

The colloquium followed a course of presentations, site visits and a final plenary session summing up the issues put forth. Participants represented a cross-section of disciplines and a range of international experiences.     

Criteria for the Assessment of the Modern Use of Ancient Theatres and Odea

ERATO is a research project entitled ‘Identification, Evaluation and Revival of the Acoustical Heritage of Ancient Theatres and Odea’ that was implemented within the Fifth Framework INCO‐MED Programme of the European Commission, under the thematic title ‘Preserving and Using Cultural Heritage’. The project was designed to identify virtual restoration and the revival of the acoustical and architectural heritage. The project also addressed the issue of establishing criteria for the assessment of the modern use of ancient theatres and odea. Ancient theatres are threatened by erosion through time and improper use. The desire to use ancient sites with theatres and odea for modern activities is very tempting for modern societies. In fact, reuse is currently used as a means of conservation as well as justification for the enormous costs that restoration and conservation entail. However, decision makers and those involved with conservation are generally more conservative and reluctant to encourage reuse. It is important to realise that we are dealing with man‐made space designed for dialogue between audience and actors and hence criteria should be developed to enhance consistent and conscious decisions aimed at the conservation of such spaces. Criteria should be sought that consider several parameters related to human comfort, besides architecture and acoustic qualities. This paper discusses and evaluates, in general, the criteria relating to the modern use of ancient theatres and odea through understanding their value, ancient and current use, kinds of contemporary use, causes of deterioration and threats, and their cultural significance, while reviewing the main issues related to the international charters on the use of ancient places of performance.     

The Later Jefferson and the Problem of Natural Rights

Abstract

The late Jefferson presents a puzzle to scholars. In his last years the author of the Declaration of Independence strongly opposed the Missouri Compromise and set important precedents for the political strategy of the antebellum South. This essay argues that these problematic aspects of Jefferson's career are more closely linked to his natural rights doctrine than is generally recognized and extend tendencies already present in Jefferson's draft of the Declaration. Unlike previous scholars who explain Jefferson's problematic politics by his racism or the inherent selfishness of Lockean natural right, I argue that the core flaw in Jefferson's natural rights doctrine is the encouragement it gives to self-righteousness. Because he responded to the problem of slavery in a spirit of angry self-defense, Jefferson's understanding of natural rights blinded him to the ways in which his actions strengthened slavery and undermined his own most cherished political achievements.     

Classifying science and technology: two problems with the UNESCO system

Abstract

The Viking spacecraft to Mars have clearly revealed a planet to ponder. In some ways it appears Earth-like, in other ways it is similar to our Moon, and yet in many aspects it is unique. This was the conclusion of the Second International Colloquium on Mars, held at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, 15–18 January 1979. The first colloquium was held five years earlier to discuss results of the highly successful Mariner 9 mission to Mars. Two Viking landers and two orbiters were sent to Mars in 1976. All four spacecraft lived a healthy life through a full 688-day Martian year transmitting a rich harvest of scientific data. In fact, three are still at work, although at a much slower pace than before.     

THE PETROGRAPHY AND CHEMISTRY OF THIN‐WALLED WARE FROM AN HELLENISTIC– ROMAN SITE AT SEGESTA (SICILY)*

Samples of Roman thin‐walled ware from Segesta (northwestern Sicily), dating back to the early Imperial period, were studied by optical microscopy (OM) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). Up to now, this class of Roman fine tableware has only occasionally been evaluated archaeometrically. Nevertheless, numerous production centres are believed to have been simultaneously active in the western Mediterranean area. Petrographic and chemical data seem to be in agreement with the archaeological hypothesis of local manufacture in Segesta for most of the analysed samples, through a comparison with kiln wasters and local raw materials. The effectiveness of thin‐section petrography for determining the provenance of such a tiny tempered class of pottery and the integrated use of two different grouping procedures (petrography and chemistry) were also tested.     

Perspectives: On Political Science: Annual Index Volume 30, 2001

Abstract

Although Tocqueville called Jefferson “the greatest democrat, who has yet issued from within the American democracy,” a close reading of their works suggests that Tocqueville’s assessment of Jefferson was far more mixed than first appears. In the first section, I take up Jefferson’s understanding of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and offer arguments for why Tocqueville chose not to cite the Declaration in Democracy in America. Using those writings of Jefferson available to Tocqueville in French translation, I show that Tocqueville saw in Jefferson’s own understanding of those principles certain dangerous tendencies of the democratic mind. Yet there is one principle on which both agree: the natural right to political liberty and association. Section two compares their contrasting views of republican constitutionalism, taking into account Jefferson’s evolving views of republicanism as well as Tocqueville’s analysis of both the American constitution and his contributions to the committee that framed the French constitution in 1848. The concluding section analyzes their differing assessments of philosophical materialism and religion in preserving the political liberty both sought.     

Natural theology and ancient theology in the Jesuit China mission

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes the proselytical use of ancient theology that developed in the environment of the Jesuit China Mission in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. This period is roughly coeval with the European diffusion of deistic doctrines based on a secularized interpretation of natural theology. I argue that the threat posed by the spread of such doctrines produced a significant effect on the philosophy that Jesuits developed in order to relate to Confucianism. In particular, in the late seventeenth century, Jesuits belonging to the China Mission gradually abandoned Matteo Ricci’s natural theology and espoused an approach grounded in ancient theology. The situation changed, however, after the turn of the eighteenth century. Deism continued to spread, and even ancient theology came to be perceived as dangerously close the libertinism. The increasing suspicion towards ancient theology was reflected, in the China Mission, by the reception of the doctrines advanced by the so-called “Figurists”, a group of French Jesuits who proposed an interpretation of certain characters of the Chinese Five Classics as figurae of the Bible.     

Building Monks Mound,Cahokia, Illinois,a.d. 800–1400

Abstract

Cahokia (a.d. 800–1400), located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, was the largest settlement in ancient North America. Monks Mound occupies the center of Cahokia and provides both a modern and ancient focal point for the site. Past investigations of Monks Mound explored issues of mound chronology and use. Recent soil coring around the perimeter clarifies the geological context and degree of preparation necessary before the mound was built. The results suggest that the mound is not optimally positioned for stability and its location may ultimately accelerate deterioration. Moreover, evaluation of the mound features and fill indicates that maximization of the geotechnical potential of sediments was not a primary concern for the Cahokians. Although poorly engineered relative to modern standards, the suitability of the mound as a platform may have been secondary to other design choices made while building the largest single mound in ancient North America.     

LiDAR-aided reconnaissance and reconstruction of lost landscapes: An example of freshwater shell mounds (ca. 7500–500 cal b.p.) in northeastern Florida

Abstract

LiDAR datasets, from which high-resolution topographic maps can be generated, are becoming commonplace in archaeological analyses. Like any remote sensing technique, LiDAR records only a limited range of phenomena and the data are a snapshot of ground conditions at the time of collection. The temporally specific nature of LiDAR is problematic at sites with postdepositional destruction. This paper presents a method for identifying and recovering lost landscapes by combining LiDAR, archival aerial photographs, historical observations, and fieldwork. This method was developed to reconstruct the topography of ancient shell mounds constructed by hunter-gatherers on the St. Johns River in northeastern Florida (ca. 7500–500 cal b.p.) and altered by modern land use. The reconstructions demonstrate the influence of ancient communities on modern landscapes and can be used as a basis for further analyses of hunter-gatherer land use, social interaction, and cosmology.     

Thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum L.) in a Roman shipwreck off the Israeli coast and the role of non-timber shrubs in ancient Mediterranean ships

Abstract

This paper describes and discusses twigs of the dwarf shrub thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum L.) found in association with submerged remains of a Roman (4th century AD) shipwreck discovered off the Israeli Carmel coast. The twigs were recovered from within a crumpled lead container, interpreted as part of a bilge pump. The find demonstrates again that, under certain favourable circumstances, fragile botanical material can be preserved on ancient shipwreck sites. Similar twigs found previously in association with shipwrecks have been identified as dunnage, i.e. packing material intended to protect the cargo. In this particular case they were apparently used as a bilge pump filter. Thorny burnet grows profusely in the Eastern Mediterranean, but elsewhere only in a few isolated coastal areas most of which are in the vicinity of ancient ports. The wider implications of the past use of non-timber shrubs onboard ships is discussed, in particular, how this may have promoted colonisation by plants of areas beyond their natural distribution, and also how botanical material recovered from shipwrecks may help identify ancient sailing routes and ports of call.     

Lincoln,Race, and the Spirit of ’76

Abstract

This essay examines how Lincoln dealt with race, slavery, and emancipation in antebellum America. It argues that despite a few controversial statements and policies regarding black Americans, Lincoln sought to preserve the American union and its system of self-government by reclaiming the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. Unlike U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who exploited white bigotry in his promotion of local “popular sovereignty” as a solution to the slavery controversy, Lincoln highlighted the natural rights of blacks as a way to prevent the spread of slavery and thereby save what he would later call “the last best hope of earth.”     

Prehistoric Footprints in Jaguar Cave,Tennessee

Abstract

About 4500 years ago, during the Late Archaic period, nine explorers reconnoitered several passages within a large cave in north central Tennessee. Although prehistoric cave exploration was not unusual in eastern North America, this particular trip is unique because 274 footprints of these ancient cavers are preserved in the damp floor sediment of a side passage. Analyses of the route taken by the explorers, and of their footprint trail significantly enhance our knowledge of cave use in prehistoric eastern North America.     

Social eugenics and nationalist race hygiene in early twentieth century Spain

In the twentieth century, the UN Declaration of 1948 is considered to be the international standard for universal human rights. In 1791, Olympe de Gouges critically analysed the French Declaration of Human Rights of 1789, and found that women were excluded from it.¹ This paper is a critical examination of the 1948 UN Declaration, with equally troubling findings.     

Detecting Cultural Remains in Boreal Forests in Sweden Using Airborne Laser Scanning Data of Different Resolutions

ABSTRACT

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is increasingly being used to detect cultural remains in forest landscapes. Boreal forests are challenging, however, since most ancient land use was carried out without major permanent ground disturbances. If this challenge can be met, there is a large potential for surveys through existing nation-wide laser-scanning programs, although their resolutions tend to be low. In this study, we compare the performance of low-resolution (LR) and high-resolution (HR) ALS data in the Krycklan catchment in northern Sweden, an area where ancient land use was small-scale and diverse. About three times as many cultural remains were detected in the HR data set, but the LR set was satisfactory for distinct structures. We analyze how LR data sets can be enhanced at ground-point classification and terrain-model generation and conclude that ALS data have a large potential for the detection and protection of cultural remains in the boreal forest.     

Mapping the symbol of the statue in Ritsos’ short poems

Abstract

A first attempt is made here to map the presence of the symbol of the statue in Ritsos’ short poems. Starting from his early work and reaching the years of the military dictatorship, the main line of the argument is that references to sculpture become significant in Ritsos’ poetry after the 1960s and culminate in the period of the Junta. This is attributed to Ritsos’ subtle reaction to the regime and its use and abuse of the cultural heritage of ancient Greece in a context of propaganda and oppression. This response makes Ritsos’ use of the symbol of the statue utterly distinctive.     

Roadlessness and the Person: Modes of Travel in the Reindeer Herding Part of the Kola Peninsula

Five wooden spoons dated to the Sub-Neolithic and Bronze Age are known from Finland. Four of them have an animal head carved onto their handles. The decoration has usually been seen as a sign of the spoons' totemistic and ceremonial use. Three of the spoons are stray finds, one comes from a possible cult site and one from a dwelling site. Two spoons are made of Siberian pine, which makes them objects of trade exchange; the westernmost natural occurrence of the raw material was in the Ural Mountains. Previous interpretations of the spoons have inconsistencies and rigid categorizations, which are reconsidered here from the perspective of cultural biographies of things. The functional aspects, ceremonial use and find contexts of the spoons are re-examined along with their connections to totemism, shamanism and ancient trade.     

Portrayals and Perceptions: Greek Curved Blades in Black- and Red-Figure Iconography

Abstract

This article examines the portrayal of the curved blade in black- and red-figure painted pottery. The curved sword in ancient Greece has most often been assigned two names: ‘kopis’ and ‘machaira’. These are transliterations of the ancient Greek terms κοπ?? and μ?χαιρα. It will be pointed out here that this nomenclature is unhelpful as there are, in fact, more than two morphological types of curved sword from ancient Greece and the ancient Greeks did not definitively differentiate between what they termed κοπ?? (kopis) and μ?χαιρα (machaira). The curved knife was also included under these two terms. Here, I will discuss my own typology of the five different morphologies present in black- and red-figure art. The foundation of this article is the survey of black- and red-figure representations of the curved blades. This survey permits the examination of the morphologies of the curved sword, as well as the techniques used, and the professions and nationalities of the bearers in ancient black- and red-figure iconography.     

Flaked-Stone Artifacts in Greece during the Historical Period

Abstract

The evidence for historical flaked-stone artifacts in Greece is summarized. In recent years a number of such artifacts have been recognized in stratified deposits of the early Iron Age, the Protogeometric, Geometric, and Classical periods. Historical flaked-stone artifacts were probably used for making agricultural tools and were low-cost substitutes for metal. The evidence indicates that an ancient Greco-Roman flaking tradition may bridge the gap between the latest Bronze Age tradition and the gun-flint and threshing sledge flint knappers of recent times. An economic model of innovation is used to explain the use of stone tools after the introduction of metal.