THE FORMATION OF THE PRINCIPALITIES OF NORTHEASTERN RUS' IN THE POST-MONGOL PERIOD (TO THE END OF THE 13TH CENTURY)

The main stages in the territorial formation of the principalities of Northeastern Rus' in the second half of the 13th century are examined. The influence upon this process of the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and the creation of the conditions for the rise of Moscow, Tver', Kostroma, and Gorodets as possible future centers for the unification of the Russian lands, are demonstrated. (The translation was prepared by James R. Gibson of York University, Toronto.)     

THE SHADOW-ZONE OF LARGE ITALIAN EARTHQUAKES. EARLY JOURNALISTIC SOURCES AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF 17TH-18TH CENTURIES SEISMICITY

From their earliest beginnings in the 16th century, journalists never failed to find earth-quakes interesting. As a result, early journalistic sources offer a huge hoard of original earthquake data, mostly untapped to this day for seismological purposes [Camassi and Castelli, 2003]. In the aftermath of large earthquakes, the journalists of the 17th and 18th centuries tended to react in two ways. Either their interest for seismic news would increase, leading them to hunt for more news of the same kind, or it would focus exclusively on the “big one” to the detriment of lesser contemporary earthquakes. In the first case, it was possible that more earthquakes than usual would be given coverage; but in the second case more earthquakes than usual were likely to be overlooked and shadowed by the larger event. Through a comprehensive cross-check of Italian early journalistic sources, this paper attempts to highlight the “shadow-zones” of some major 17th–18th centuries Italian earthquakes.     

A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR CONTINUITY IN BRITISH TOWNS IN THE 5TH AND 6TH CENTURIES1

Summary. An attempt is first made to define ‘town’and ‘continuity’for this period, and to assess the vigour of towns in the fourth century. The body of the article is a review of the fifth and sixth century archaeological evidence (including structures, artefacts and dark soil) and an analysis of the interpretations based upon it especially the theories of (1) Germanic ‘mercenaries’and (2) the prolongation of towns into the fifth century so that they overlap with early English activity. The conclusion is reached that there is no archaeological evidence for continuity in fifth and sixth century towns.     

CHARTERS,NORTHUMBRIA AND THE UNIFICATION OF ENGLAND IN THE TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the clergy and their secular neighbours in the diocese of Durham in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. In particular, it seeks to uncover the extent to which the two spheres experienced a shared sense of identity, in a period when that relationship was being recalibrated as the full impact of the Reformation was making itself felt. For example, the novelty of clerical marriage, within and without the clerical community, as well as oppositional doctrinal and confessional outlooks, were superimposed on to existing associations and networks. In other respects interaction between the clergy and lay society fluctuated between harmonious and positive to contentious and damaging. Meanwhile, preconceptions about the diocese are re-examined in the context of this relationship.     

FRESH COMMENTS ON NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE 14TH DALAI LAMA AND THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

Iwrote for China's Tibet of the topicbefore, and many of our readerswrote us explaining their under-standing for efforts made by theCentral Government in issues concerningnegotiation with the 14th Dalai Lama.However, the 14th Dalai astonishedthe world by lecturing on October 24,2001 in Strasbourg that he would work on"the Chinese leaders"for"a channel to beexploited,through negotiation with theChinese Government,for the settlementof problems that exist between China andTibet."     

NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE 14TH DALAI LAMA AND THE ISSUE OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY

Ihave been following the contacts between the Central Government and the 14th Dalai Lama for years, and wrote many articles discussing the negotiations with some people also interested in the issue. Leafing through materials on my desk at the end of 2002,I felt obliged to say more about the issue.There has, lately, been more information available on the contacts between the Central Government and the 14th Dalai Lama. They have concentrated mainly on the fact that, in 2002, the Central     

HEALTH AND ITS IMPACT ON WORK AND DEPENDENCY AMONG THE ELDERLY IN JAPAN

The present study seeks to provide new evidence on the determinants of retirement for older Japanese men and women, using a unique longitudinal survey of households, the Nihon University Japan Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NUJLSOA). One of the major findings of the present study is that the primary determinant of the probability of remaining in work between 1999 and 2003 was changes in health status as measured by the change in the number of NAGI limitations. Using the same data set, this study also investigates how the status of health affects the degree to which the Japanese elderly expect to rely on their children for old-age security. The computed results were somewhat surprising. The respondent's health status was not statistically significant, but the health status of the respondent's spouse affected the probabilities of the respondent's expectation to rely on children in both 2001 and 2003.     

GLAZED CERAMIC MANUFACTURING IN SOUTHERN TUSCANY (ITALY): EVIDENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CONTINUITY THROUGHOUT THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (10TH–14TH CENTURIES)*

Archaeometric investigation allowed the characterization of two important classes of ceramics: ‘vetrina sparsa’ and ‘invetriata grezza’. Their archaeological peculiarity makes them particularly suited for tracing the evolution of glaze manufacturing in southern Tuscany throughout the medieval period (10th–14th centuries). These ceramics were found in different sites of historical importance, and also from a mining perspective. Local copper, lead, zinc and iron mineralizations supported the growth of several settlements in the vicinity of the mines. The many castles and different archaeological finds (ceramics, glazed ceramic, slag etc.) attest to the intense mineral exploitation of the area from at least the first millennium bc up to the modern period. In light of these geological and archaeological characteristics, archaeometric investigation was intended to provide insight into ancient technical knowledge of ceramic glazing and to determine the source area for raw materials in the medieval period (10th–14th centuries). Ceramic bodies were analysed through OM, XRDp, SEM–EDS and XRF, while coatings were investigated through SEM–EDS. Mineralogical, petrographic and chemical analyses revealed slightly different preparation and firing processes for the two classes of ceramics. These data suggest the continuity through the centuries of the ‘vetrina sparsa’ and ‘invetriata grezza’ production technology. The mineralogical phases, such as monazite, xenotime, zircon, barite, Ti oxide, ilmenite, titanite, tourmaline and ilvaite, and the lithic (intrusive and volcanic) fragments detected within the ceramic bodies suggest a source area in the vicinity of the Campiglia mining district. Lastly, the presence of Cu–Zn–Pb (Ag) and Fe sulphide mineralizations (materials used to produce glaze) in the area supports the hypothesis of local manufacture.     

THE IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON MOBILITY OF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IN THAILAND

The effect of initial migration of a household member on the subsequent migration of other household members is investigated. Previous research has documented the strong impact of migration experience in predicting future migration. This article builds on this experience by adopting a social network approach to explain the association between an initial migration from a household and the subsequent migration of other household members. Differentials in socio-economic characteristics of subsequent migrants and factors associated with the encouragement of subsequent migration by initial migrants are analysed. Longitudinal data from the Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System, which allow for accurate modelling of the flow and pattern of subsequent migration, and which help to highlight the importance of household social networks on the migration decisions of left-behind household members, are used. The results indicate that the number of male and female initial migrants in the household, duration of initial migration, relationship to initial migrant, and number of migrants in the village are factors most likely to predict a subsequent move.