Descartes and the pineal gland in animals: a frequent misinterpretation

René Descartes presented a number of reasons for his choice of the pineal gland as a logical place for the soul to interact with the physical machinery of the body. It is often stated that one of his reasons was that he believed animals do not have pineal glands, whereas humans alone possess a soul and this small structure. This is a misinterpretation of Descartes. The philosopher knew that barnyard and other animals possess pineal glands, having seen this with his own eyes. His point was that the pineal is unique in humans only because of a special function - acting as the seat for the rational soul.     

18th- and 19th-century shipyards at the south-east entrance to the West India Docks, London

Archaeological fieldwork in 1997 on the Isle of Dogs, at the south-east entrance to the West India Docks, recovered evidence of 17th- to 19th-century shipyards, associated activities and foreign trade. Reused timbers may be the remains of the 17th-century Rolt's yard. Reclamation along the natural inlet was accompanied by the construction of a timber dry dock probably in the late 18th century. This soon fell out of use and was filled in with the construction of new dry docks to the south in 1806 by Thomas Pitcher. Much of the debris dating to the first half of the 19th century from ship repairing and building and from a range of ancillary crafts, together with ceramics from Iberia and the Far East, probably came from Pitcher's yard.     

20世纪资源观述评

20世纪是科技革命的世纪,生态学、经济学、地球科学与环境科学等相关学科的发展和人口、资源、环境与发展问题的日益突出,为资源科学的诞生、发展和资源观的逐步形成和完善奠定了基础。20世纪的资源观经历了早期的人本位资源无限史观、中期的“资源有限论”和末期的资源持续利用史观的转变。可以断言,21世纪是一个以资源持续利用为特征的可持续发展时代,探索资源可持续利用与社会经济协调发展是资源科学永恒的主题。     

Archaeology of a 17th‐century Naval Battle: the first two seasons of the Rockley Bay Research Project in Tobago

On 3 March 1677, French Vice‐Admiral Jean d'Estrées launched an assault on an inferior Dutch squadron, commanded by Jacob Binckes, anchored in Rockley Bay, Tobago. The French attack was defeated, but a total of 12 warships on both sides were sunk. The Rockley Bay Research Project, supported by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the University of Connecticut began an archaeological investigation of the battle in 2012. At least one of the Dutch men‐of‐war lost in the battle has been found, TRB‐5. The article is a preliminary report on the work that has been carried out so far.     

16、17世纪英国政治文化中的父权主义

父权主义是在英国从封建主义向资本主义过渡的历史背景下,为适应秩序和稳定的需要而产生的,是16、17世纪英国大多数人共同的政治态度,为英国君权的扩张和君主实施社会控制提供了合法性依据,也在一定程度上阻止了暴君和暴政在英国的出现。英国率先完成从封建主义向资本主义过渡,父权主义是一个重要的因素。     

论20世纪科技发展对中国历史研究的影响

20世纪的科技发展,更新了史学家的史学观念,提升了历史学的科学性;扩大了历史学的研究领域,丰富了研究内容;引进了其他学科的研究方法,发展了史学方法论;开辟厂新的史学信息来源,增加了新的史料类型;改善了研究手段,繁荣了历史学的表现形式在20世纪科技发展的影响下,中国历史学获得了整体性的进步,不仅使历史学的学科性质发生了质的飞跃,而且也提升了历史学的价值与功能。     

Fregatten Mynden: a 17th-century Danish Frigate Found in Northern Germany

The remains of a small 17th-century Danish frigate were investigated off the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. Through research in the Danish National Archives in Copenhagen it was possible to identify the ship. Using documentary and archaeological sources, the layout, equipment and appearance of one of the small and less prestigious warships of the 17th and early 18th century could be reconstructed. In addition, aspects of shipboard life will be illustrated.
© 2004 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

Holy cow!: the miraculous cures of animals in late medieval England1

Interactions between saints and animals have been the focus of modern scholarship, yet an important aspect has been neglected, namely that of the saint as healer of animals, when a third party has requested help on behalf of the animal. This article therefore examines, through examples drawn from saints' Vitae and other sources, the types of animals for which saintly intervention was sought, the ailments from which they suffered, and the form which their cure took, in order to understand why medieval people turned to the saints when their animals were ill. An examination of this relationship between saint and animal will not only elucidate the role of saint as thaumaturge, but will also shed light on the veterinary aspect of animal welfare.     

论20世纪资本主义发展的历史定位

根据社会生产力和实践第一的检验标准来考察资本主义在20世纪的发展类型,可以发现,在20世纪,出现了美、日、德、英法、欧洲联盟、北美自由贸易区、东亚经济区、其他发展中国家、苏联东欧转轨国家等不同类型的资本主义发展模式。在发展和停滞的两重趋势中,20世纪资本主义的主要趋势仍然是发展。     

19世纪收继问题研究——以安徽为中心

19世纪安徽社会中收继现象较为普遍,平均14%的家庭发生收继或出继行为,来解决一些家庭的"无后"的问题.从宗族角度讲,收继可以分为族内收继和族外收继两种情形,各需履行不同的收继程序,中上层家庭以族内收继为主,下层家庭则族外收继多于族内收继.国家和宗族对收继的前提、原则和被收继人在新旧家庭中的地位做出种种规定,但制度规范与人们的实际行为间存在着相当的差异.     

早期中国共产党人文化观研究--五四时期的历史考察

早期中国共产党人（1921－1923）的文化观迄今是学界研究的薄弱环节。1921年7月中国共产党的建立,并不是共产党人文化主张的分水岭。在此前后共产党人的文化主张有着明显的连续性,且涉及到了文化的很多领域。1921－1923年,只是共产党人的文化形态由准新民主主义文化向新民主主义文化持续转型的过渡阶段,同时也是从思想文化到政党文化过渡的中间环节。     

19世纪中期俄国发展道路选择问题探讨

19世纪中期在俄国发展道路问题上的斗争并非是普鲁士式道路和美国式道路之争,因为当时俄国并不存在走美国式道路的选项。人数极少的激进革命派鼓动农民革命的目的是要实现具有空想性质的村社社会主义。农民运动在本质上是自发的、无组织的力量,不具有资产阶级性质。新兴的俄国资产阶级自由主义运动不能左右发展道路的选择,因而力促政权进行改革。沙皇政权在发展道路选择问题上具有决定性作用,它采取了相对独立的政策,既没有听命于保守贵族,也没有容忍革命运动和农民运动,而是坚持进行由政权主导的自由主义性质的改革,使俄国走上了资本主义道路。     

20世纪中国农业与农村变迁的跨学科考察--中国农业历史学会第九次学术研讨会综述

在南京举行的中国农业历史学会第九次学术研讨会,集中讨论了20世纪中国农业和农村变迁问题,涉及政治、经济、社会、技术、生态等方面。交叉性、时代性、前瞻性,是本次研讨会的主要特点。     

史学话语权与20世纪的中国民族史学——兼说10卷本《中国史学思想通史》

20世纪中国社会发生变动,受到西方学术思潮的影响,中国史学进入到近代化时期.西方学术话语处在强势地位,在这样的大背景下,近代史学理论、思想的争论,基本是按照西方的史学理论的热点而展开,也随着西方史学理论的热点的变动而变动.这对扩大研究视野、深化相关的史学认识有一定的意义,但另一面是,民族史学的重要思想失去应有的地位.传统民族史学思想、理论具有重要的价值,是西方史学理论不能完全替代的;民族史学话语权的失落,对于中国史学发展是不利的.进入到21世纪,史学理论发展不能忽视中国民族史学思想的研究".认真总结民族史学思想遗产,对于当代史学具有重大的意义,是振兴民族史学的重要工作,也是民族史学走向世界的基本要求.     

Doctoral Theses in Progress

Abstract

Jean Bonfa's 1696 map offered the most accurate portrait in its day of the Comtat Venaissin. Commissioned when France threatened the region economically and politically, the map's topographical detail and allegorical themes exhibit a political geography favouring papal interests. Yet the map's coordinates for Avignon reflect neither Bonfa's skill as a positional astronomer nor his collaboration with the Paris Observatory. Finally, because local authorities controlled the distribution of Bonfa's map, it was not available to other cartographers.     

从Travel到Tourism--论19世纪英国旅游概念的变易

19世纪初期“tourism”见诸英语,后又取代“travel”的主流地位,标志着英国古典旅行观向现代旅游观的转变。“tourism”概念由于适应了工业文明时代旅游大众化、市场化、产业化的需要,因而从市井俚语上升为20世纪西方旅游理论的主流概念。厘清它与汉语中“旅游”概念之间深刻的文化差异,是中国旅游学界应对西方旅游理论的一大关键。     

Widows,Wives and Witnesses: Women and their Involvement in the 1768 Northampton Borough Parliamentary Election

This article analyses sources relating to the 1768 Northampton borough election to determine the ways in which women were involved in pre‐reform elections. Although there has been literature relating to the participation of women in pre‐reform elections, it has largely focused on elite women. Through a case study of the 1768 election this article will suggest that non‐elite women were involved in a variety of ways. In particular, it will show that these women acted as witnesses during the polling and provided evidence relating to men and their eligibility to vote, and suggest that female householders had an impact upon the election through their property ownership. Through their role as householders, women were able to participate in elections through the exchange of property and enabling men to vote. The activities in which Northampton women were involved had further implications concerning home and its use as a public space.     

Black-on-red ware in the levant: A neutron activation analysis study

Black-on-red ware was widely used throughout the Eastern Mediterranean between about the 11th and 8th centuries BC. Its origins have been much discussed: its ubiquitous appearance throughout the region could be a result of either several manufacturing regions or a single place of manufacture associated with considerable trading in the ware.In the present study, neutron activation analysis has been carried out for 15 chemical elements in 58 specimens of black-on-red ware from Cyprus (11), Syria (26) and Palestine (21). The analytical results clearly separate the ware into three major groups, corresponding to origins in Palestine, Syria and Cyprus. The hypothesis of a single source of the ware is therefore not tenable. All 14 of the Syrian finds of the single-handled neck ridge juglet are closely grouped with the Cyprus samples, indicating extensive trade in this vessel from Cyprus to Syria. The Palestine samples clearly separate into two sub-groups. Arguments are presented suggesting that this indicates the ware from the two sub-groups was made at different times. The Cyprus group provides tentative evidence of several sites of manufacture on the island.     

世界历史整体研究的可喜成果——读李植栴著《20世纪世界史》

20世纪的世界已是一个整体,各国各民族都是世界整体的各个局部,各个重大事件都是世界历史链条上的各个环节。不应孤立地考察某个历史事件或某一国家的命运,而应从世界整体历史的角度,去把握历史事件的内在联系。李植栴主编的《20世纪世界史》的突出特点,就在于整体研究。但该有所忽视的是,世界历史整体与外部环境的关系。     

Managers and Agents: Conservative Party Organisation in the 1850s*

During the 1850s in the wake of the calamitous Peelite split, Britain's Conservative Party struggled to rebuild its numbers in the house of commons. The structure of the party's electoral organisation is well known‐parliamentary leaders, election managers such as Sir William Jolliffe and Philip Rose, plus local constituency based agents. Jolliffe's and Rose's 1859 election notebooks help understand this, but they also reveal serious gaps in the Conservatives' information networks. This article delineates the electoral activities of Sir John Yarde Buller (first Baron Churston) and his ally Samuel Triscott, who supplemented the spasmodic flow of information from small boroughs in at least two counties. Mid‐level or second‐tier managers, to whom no attention has previously been given, assisted the Conservatives in their gradual electoral recovery. Their roles also suggest that the party's organization may have been more complex than previously believed.