The Cais do Sodré Shipwreck,Lisbon, Portugal

The timber remains of a shipwreck, probably dating to the late‐15th or early‐16th century and found in 1995 at Cais do Sodré, Lisbon, Portugal, during the construction of a subway station, are described and analysed. © 2011 The Authors     

Geothermal fluids circulation at Caldas do Moledo area, Northern Portugal: geochemical and isotopic signatures

A hydrogeological conceptual model of the Caldas do Moledo geothermal site is proposed that shows mixing between geothermal waters and local shallow groundwaters. Stable isotope values of Caldas do Moledo geothermal waters indicate recharge areas located at relatively high altitudes (850–1250 m a.s.l.). The NW–SE Vigo–Régua shear zone plays an important role in fluid recharge and circulation towards the NNE–SSW Régua–Verin fault system, forming a path for ascent of geothermal fluids. The apparent ¹⁴C age of geothermal fluids (15.66 ± 2.86 ka BP) was estimated in the total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC). Geothermometer calculations indicate that, assuming a conductive temperature gradient of 32°C per kilometer for northern Portugal, the maximum depth of circulation is roughly 1.8 ± 0.4 km. The K, Ca and SO₄ concentrations found in some Caldas do Moledo geothermal spring waters show mixing between deep geothermal and shallow groundwater systems. Local shallow groundwaters showing the highest SO₄ concentrations were found at low elevation areas, originating from fertilisers and pesticides applied to the Port wine vineyards in the Douro River valley. Geothermal waters from boreholes AC1 and AC2 do not show evidences of direct pollution from the spreading of such agrochemicals.     

Palaeopathology at the Khan-el-Ahmar site: Health and disease in a Byzantine monastery in the Judean Desert,Israel

The present study describes the skeletal material that was uncovered at the crypt of the monastery of St Euthymius at Khan-el-Ahmar, in the Judean Desert, near Jerusalem. Comparative morphometric analysis with contemporaneous populations and the palaeodemographic and palaeopathological data disprove many historians' well accepted notions regarding early Christians in the Judean Desert. In the present paper we suggest that the majority of people who were buried at the Khan-el-Ahmar monastery derived mainly from the autochthonous population of the region and were not migrants or fugitives from surrounding countries. It appears that this community of monks lived in a rather protected environment despite their desert surroundings. In the monastery, they maintained a high level of personal hygiene, had adequate food supplies and were not subjected to repeated acts of violence from their neighbours.     

青海瞿昙寺壁画的风格特点和艺术成就

青海瞿昙寺创建于明代初年,距今已有六百多年历史。其内具有很高艺术水平的巨幅彩色壁啬,布满各殿堂的大小墙面,成为这一时期国内保存比较完整、全面的艺术珍品。寺内壁画将西域等外来绘画技法与民族技法融为一体,在人物造型、赋彩以及场景的创作中表现出风格独具的艺术特色。它以其丰富的内容和精巧的技艺成为我国重要的非物质文化遗产。     

隋唐两京寺观丛考

本文澄清隋代清禅寺遗址的性质并非僧侣墓葬,而是佛塔地宫所在。考订隋代净觉寺的位置不在曲池坊,而应在晋昌坊;崇先寺不在长安,而在洛阳。另外,本文梳理了恒济寺以及武则天外家纪念性寺观的名称沿革。     

青海省开展“平安寺院”建设的成功经验与启示

“平安寺院”建设作为构建和谐青海、“平安青海”的一项重要工作,领导重视、宗教界积极响应,成效十分显著。本文通过实地调查,在对青海省开展这一工作的主要做法与成功经验进行概括、总结的基础上,提出了青海省开展建设“平安寺院”活动的几点建议。     

Reconstruction of regional and national population using intermittent census-type data: The case of Portugal, 1527–1864

Abstract

We offer a new methodology for the construction of annual population stocks over the very long run. Our method does not require the assumption of a closed economy, and can be used in situations in which local annual gross flows are obtainable. Combining gross flows with intermittent census-type data, it is possible to arrive at local, regional and national population stock estimates at annual frequencies. We provide an application to early modern and nineteenth century Portugal, using a large sample of parish-level statistics up to the first modern census of 1864. All six major regions of the country are considered.     

1902年中葡交涉述论

1902年中葡交涉过程中,葡方先后提出扩大澳门界址、在澳门及周围各岛范围内任建工程并协助缉私、修造广澳铁路等项要求,并以承认中外新定税则和协助清政府在澳门征税缉私作为交换条件.中方对葡方企图扩大统治区域等严重侵害中国领土主权的要求给以坚决抵制,使葡方的主要目标不能实现;但为了取得葡方承认新定税则和协助中方征税缉私的目的,在修造广澳铁路问题上对葡方做出一定让步.     

清宫扎什琍玛造像的来源及像式类型分析

扎什琍玛佛像因特征明确、像式丰富、工艺精细,在故宫珍藏的佛教造像中独树一帜。清宫的扎什琍玛像多附有皇家特有的黄条题记。本文从这些黄条所记内容入手,结合档案资料,对此类造像进行来源、类型及题材风格的细化探究,并进一步说明扎什琍玛对清宫佛教造像风格的深刻影响及其在促进西藏与内地政治、经济、文化联系方面曾经发挥的历史作用。     

Seismic vulnerability assessment and fragility analysis of stone masonry monastic temples in Sikkim Himalayas

Buddhist monasteries in Sikkim Himalayas constitute important religious and architectural heritage. These random rubble (RR) stone masonry structures located in high seismically active regions of the Himalayas have suffered varied degrees of damages in the past earthquakes. The study presents seismic vulnerability assessment of four archetypal monastic temples using finite element (FE) analyses. Linear and nonlinear analyses of these structures were conducted in Abaqus FE environment. These analyses identified the damage prone areas of the structures and provided load-deformation behavior under lateral loads. Fragility analyses indicate a high probability of collapse for the specified design level earthquake of the region. The study shows that performance of the structure can be enhanced by improving the strength and stiffness of the stone masonry walls.     

对明代中葡关系研究中几个问题的考察

China是外来词,还是汉字音译?它的含义究竟是什么?它与Cathay有什么关系?长期以来,这个词一直在困扰着中国学者,而“地理大发现”初期的西方君主,也对China与Cathay之间是否有关系感到迷惑。一些外国人为了强调葡萄牙人在16世纪最初十年就到了澳门,竟将与蚝镜并不相干的Oquem(福州)扯在了一起,并且误导了部分中国学者。明清史料所载澳葡议事会“西洋理事官哆”、“督理濠镜澳事务西洋理事官哆”,即“哆”,究竟是人名还是官名?是Vereador的音译,还是Procurador(检察官)的音译?此外,《明史》所载“哑诺归氏浮海求贡”,讲的是哪一位葡使?“佛郎机传”中的“佛郎机”是什么?它与葡萄牙、葡萄牙人、欧洲人及西方炮铳有什么关系?此外,《明史》中还存在将葡萄牙船号、官名误记作人名等问题。有鉴于此,本文对于史书记载错误或失实之处,在参考中外文献基础上作认真的辨析和考订。     

Arade River Archaeological Complex: Dredges and Archaeology

Situated on the southern coast of Portugal, the Arade River mouth has been visited and inhabited for over three millennia. Dredging operations, in the first and last decades of the 20th century, brought up the importance of Arade's cultural heritage and triggered a large-scale project of study, survey, and archaeological excavation. This project is conducted by Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática, the Portuguese agency for nautical archaeology, under the direction of Francisco Alves, and with the support of both local and state authorities. This paper is a preliminary assessment of the finds made so far.
© 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society     

The first fossil avian egg from Brazil

Marsola, J.C.A., Grellet-Tinner, G., Montefeltro, F.C., Sayão, J.M., Hsiou, A.S. & Langer, M.C., 2014. The first fossil avian egg from Brazil. Alcheringa 38, 563–567. ISSN 0311-5518.

In contrast to the rich record of eggs from non-avian dinosaurs, complete eggs attributable to Mesozoic birds are relatively scarce. Nevertheless, several well-preserved specimens have been discovered over the last three decades revealing functional and phylogenetic characters that shed light on the breeding strategies of extinct birds. Here we report the first fossil avian egg from Brazil, which was discovered in Upper Cretaceous strata of São Paulo in the southeastern part of the country. The taxonomic identity and structural features of the biomineralized tissues were determined using a combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Wave Dispersion Energy analyses and Computed Tomography. These show that the 125.5-μm-thick shell of the 31.4?×?19.5?mm egg incorporates three structural layers of similar thickness with both prismatic and aprismatic boundaries. Close similarity between the Brazilian bird egg and those of enantiornithines from the Upper Cretaceous Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Río Colorado Subgroup) of Argentina advocates affinity with basal Ornithothoraces. Furthermore, coherency of their depositional contexts might imply a compatible preference for breeding and nesting environments.

Júlio Cesar de A. Marsola [juliomarsola@gmail.com], Annie Schmaltz Hsiou [anniehsiou@ffclrp.usp.br] and Max C. Langer [mclanger@ffclrp.usp.br], Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state, 14040-901, Brazil. Gerald Grellet-Tinner [locarnolugano@gmail.com], Centro Regional de Investigaciones La Rioja—Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Entre Ríos y Mendoza s/n, 5301 Anillaco, Argentina; Orcas Island Museum, PO Box 134, 181 North Beach Road, Eastsound, WA 98245. Felipe C. Montefeltro [felipecmontefeltro@gmail.com], Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24A 1515, Rio Claro, São Paulo State, 13506-900, Brazil. Juliana M. Sayão [jmsayao@gmail.com], Laboratório de Diversidade do Nordeste, Núcleo de Biologia, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua do Alto do Reservatório s/n, Bela Vista, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco state, 52050-480, Brazil. Received 18.12.2013; revised 30.4.2014; accepted 18.5.2014.     

Exceptional Sovereignty? Guantánamo Bay and the Re‐Colonial Present

Abstract: The US government has presented Guantánamo Bay to the world through the lens of “exceptional sovereignty”. This argument holds that international law does not apply at Guantanamo because while America has “complete authority” over the base “ultimate sovereignty” rests with Cuba. Many accounts rightly critical of the abuses of power taking place at Guantanamo similarly understand it as something wholly abnormal—a literal “non‐place”. But in falling back on this argument both the American position and many of its critics have tended to “black box” what is taking place within the camp. In this paper I suggest that we ditch any sort of critique that says Guantanamo is somehow outside of the law and instead replace this line of argument with a critical history of the deployment of a particular sort of Executive power there. From this perspective, Guantanamo is better understood as a rather more normal part of the current imperial moment and connected up in various ways to American imaginations and materialisations of power. As a way of exploring some of these connections in greater detail, I examine the construction of Guantanamo as a particular sort of social space by drawing upon the accounts of those who have been there: former guards, detainees and their defence lawyers.     

Rock art survey in the ancient oasis of Salūt (northern Sultanate of Oman): a variegated iconographic record

The systematic survey of petroglyphs in the area of the ancient oasis of Salūt, in central Oman, highlighted a rich repertoire of representations that are here discussed against the background of Arabian rock art in general. The region displays an extremely rich number of engravings along the slopes of the Jabal Hammah, north of the main site of Salūt. The majority of the petroglyphs find abundant fitting comparisons in the region. The notable exception of the motif of the “man with halberd” is presented, as it appears to be significantly rare and underlines interpretative issues concerning the so-called T-shaped signs, ubiquitous in Arabian rock art. One of its occurrences was radiocarbon dated to before the mid-first millennium BCE. This and other, relative hints for reconstructing the chronological context of the petroglyphs are discussed, indicating that engravings can be broadly dated from the second millennium BCE onwards.     

从明朝中后期的民族政策看葡萄牙殖民者窃占澳门得逞的原因

关于葡萄牙殖民者窃占澳门得逞的原因,一些学者已作过探讨,并形成了几种成说。这些成说当然都有其合理成份,但也存在不足,不能令人信服地解释明廷容忍葡人窃占澳门的真实原因。笔者认为,明廷允许葡人租借澳门固然受外部因素的影响,但主要还是内部因素起决定作用。是明朝中后期,明廷对葡萄牙殖民者侵略本性认识不足,而视北方民族为主要威胁,实行以防北方民族为主这一民族政策的结果,将明廷允租澳门的做法称为“明智”是不能令人信服的。     

The Upper Paleolithic Rock Art of Iberia

Nearly 200 rock art sites of Upper Paleolithic age are currently known on the Iberian Peninsula, in both caves and the open air. Over half are still concentrated in Cantabrian Spain and they span the period between c. 30–11 kya, but–tracking the course of human demography in this geographically circumscribed region–many of the images were probably painted or engraved during the Solutrean and, especially, Magdalenian. Dramatic discoveries and dating projects have significantly expanded the Iberian rock art record both geographically and temporally in recent years, in close coincidence with the growth of contemporaneous archeological evidence: cave art loci in Aragón and Levante attributable to the Solutrean and Magdalenian, many cave art sites and a few open-air ones in Andalucía and Extremadura that are mostly Solutrean (in line with evidence of a major Last Glacial Maximum human refugium in southern Spain), the spectacular Côa Valley open-air complex in northern Portugal (together with a growing number of other such loci and one cave) that was probably created during the Gravettian-Magdalenian periods, and a modest, but important increase in proven cave and open-air sites in the high, north-central interior of Spain that are probably Solutrean and/or Magdalenian. Despite regional variations in decorated surfaces, themes, techniques and styles, there are broad (and sometimes very specific) pan-Iberian similarities (as well as ones with the Upper Paleolithic art of southern France) that are indicative of widespread human contacts and shared systems of symbols and beliefs during the late Last Glacial. As this Ice Age world and the forms of social relationships and ideologies that helped human groups survive in it came to an end, so too did the decoration of caves, rockshelters and outcrops, although in some regions other styles of rock art would return under very different conditions of human existence.