Mobility patterns and core technologies in the Middle Paleolithic of the Levant

Mobility is thought to be a significant source of Middle Paleolithic archaeological variability in the East Mediterranean Levant. However, models of Levantine Middle Paleolithic land-use have historically been based on rare and taphonomically sensitive evidence from a limited number of sites. Because lithic artifacts are the most ubiquitous archaeological remains available to the prehistorian, relationships between stone tool technology and mobility patterns can improve tests of hypotheses about prehistoric land-use strategies. This paper examines variation in Middle Paleolithic mobility strategies in the Levant from the perspective of core technology. A model linking expedient core reduction techniques and decreased mobility is adapted from one developed for late prehistoric contexts in the New World. Incorporating core data from numerous Levantine Middle Paleolithic assemblages, this study tests hypotheses about diachronic change, synchronic geographic variation, and possible hominin behavioral differences in mobility strategies.     

GIS Methods in Time-Geographic Research: Geocomputation and Geovisualization of Human Activity Patterns

Over the past 40 years or so, human activities and movements in space‐time have attracted considerable research interest in geography. One of the earliest analytical perspectives for the analysis of human activity patterns and movements in space‐time is time geography. Despite the usefulness of time geography in many areas of geographical research, there are very few studies that actually implemented its constructs as analytical methods up to the mid‐1990s. With increasing availability of geo‐referenced individual‐level data and improvement in the geo‐computational capabilities of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), it is now more feasible than ever before to operationalize and implement time‐geographic constructs. This paper discusses recent applications of GIS‐based geo‐computation and three‐dimensional (3‐D) geo‐visualization methods in time‐geographic research. The usefulness of these methods is illustrated through examples drawn from the author's recent studies. The paper attempts to show that GIS provides an effective environment for implementing time‐geographic constructs and for the future development of operational methods in time‐geographic research.     

Using multivariate statistics and fuzzy logic system to analyse settlement preferences in lowland areas of the temperate zone: an example from the Polish Lowlands

The influence of relief, as well as other environmental features such as soils or the hydrological regime, on prehistoric settlement patterns is commonly accepted. Settlement patterns and preferences changed over time in different areas, so it is difficult to formulate general rules of human behaviour throughout history. In lowland areas of the temperate zone, which lack radical relief changes and have widespread access to water resources, specific settlement preferences and significant changes in these preferences are difficult to interpret.New methods developed to address the problem of the settlement transformations as a result of prehistoric settlement and economic processes using multivariate statistics have been adapted for the middle part of the Great Poland Lowland. In this region, data from the Polish Archaeological Record Project database have been used.Models of the dependence between geomorphological features and settlement intensity form the basis for estimating changes in prehistoric settlements. The degree of preference (or avoidance) is a nonparametric function of the number of archaeological sites observed in the area relative to the number of sites expected from a completely random pattern. The most crucial factors for settlement are distance to plateau edges, distance to water bodies, and the wetness index. The results show that the entire investigated area is more or less suitable for settlement, but the most occupied terrains are the areas near plateau edges.     

The digital restoration of painted patterns on the No. 2 Qin bronze chariot based on hyperspectral imaging

The No. 2 Qin bronze chariot unearthed from Qinshihuang's Mausoleum is world famous for its huge size and colourful painted patterns. However, since it had been buried for a long time and was affected by its harsh environment, its painted patterns have been severely damaged. The traditional restoration methods, which mainly rely on expert experience, are manual, inefficient and lack scientific support. Moreover, to protect the important cultural relics, any invasive operations, such as sampling analysis, are strictly prohibited. This paper presents a method that combines hyperspectral imaging and computer technology for the digital virtual restoration of the bronze chariot's patterns. It is non-destructive, more efficient and more scientific. The method reproduces the damaged patterns with the following approaches: restoring the missing edges of the patterns; and distinguishing the different pigments. The obtained result implies that the method can digitally reproduce some of the damaged patterns, and that it can be used as a reference for recreating the patterns of the other painted bronze.     

Plant Communities and the Dynamics of Natural Systems

Plant communities are viewed as a factor of both stabilization and transformation of natural systems. Two categories of subdivisions of the plant cover are distinguished: phytocenomers, which are the object of vegetation classification, and phytocenochores, which are units of geobotanic regionalization. The two categories are compared at the planetary, regional, and topologic levels. A plant association is viewed as a dynamic system building up through a series of variable structures to the ultimate indigenous, invariant, climax structure. The evolution of an association is depicted in the form of a graph, in which the vertices designate the various states leading to the climax association, and the edges the probable transitions from one state to another. The graph is plotted on a system of coordinates reflecting both the time period of these transformations and their effect (in terms of increases or decreases of the total plant mass). The technique is illustrated with two specific associations: the forb-tyrsa association of the Transbaykal steppe, and the fir, low-grass, green-moss association of the southern tayga (boreal forest).     

Size and shape of the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), with a view to the reconstruction of its Holocene history

Abstract

A large assortment of skulls and skeletons of recent wild boar (Sus scrofa) from across the world has been used to collect tooth and bone measurements that can be compared to those from archaeological specimens. The data provide useful information for a reconstruction of the Holocene history of the species. The evidence collected so far highlights the great variability of the species and provides a baseline to be used for the interpretation of ancient material. It is shown that not only the size, but also the shape of teeth and mandibles can help in highlighting patterns of variability in wild boar from different areas. A number of geographic trends are identified in the variation of S. scrofa across its range, mainly concerning the differentiation of insular forms, and the existence of South–North and West–East clines. Other factors such as hybridisation with domestic stock, feralisation and human-induced movement of animals may also play an important role. A comparison with ancient material emphasises the existence of similarities as well as differences between modern and ancient populations. Although some of the geographic trends identified on the basis of the analysis of modern material seem to date back to early Holocene times, the morphological history of the species appears to be complex, and in more than one area fluctuations in body size seem to have occurred.     

CLASSIFYING PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES: THE CASE OF MANINKA FARMERS IN SOUTHWESTERN MALI

This article argues that understanding how people classify physical geographic features is necessary for identifying fundamental, cross‐cultural geographic concepts that are required for successful communication of geographic knowledge. Academic geographers have not given sufficient attention to systems of local geographic knowledge, even though promising theoretical frameworks exist, particularly in the field of ethnoecology. However, the research approach that has characterized ethnoecology is insufficient to develop ethnogeography as a field of inquiry, because ethnoecologists have overemphasized limited aspects of local knowledge systems, such as soils, which has often led researchers to incompletely sample local knowledge systems. Using ethnographic methods, this article analyses the content and structure of physical geographic knowledge in the Maninka language as spoken in southwestern Mali, and compares Maninka knowledge to that of other cultural groups. The results suggest that broad physical geographic concepts may be shared pan‐environmentally, but that most physical geographic knowledge is contained in culturally specific classifications embedded within a broad cross‐cultural framework. Academic geographers should expect only broad correspondence between their categories of physical geographic variation and those of people who classify biophysical features according to local knowledge systems. Finally, this article also shows that ethnoecological research will be advanced if geographic theories of place are given more prominence in ethnoecological studies.     

Time variation of instantaneous equivalent Sq current system

We have examined the time variation of the instantaneous equivalent S_q current system during 1–18 March 1980, by removing the averaged UT variation caused by the difference between geographic and geomagnetic coordinate systems. The additional current system thus obtained shows several typical patterns which explain the variation field. Some of them may be explained by the IMF polarity effect or by the geomagnetic disturbance field of polar origin, but others appear to be caused by the variation of the ionospheric dynamo. The latter lasts for several hours or sometimes for over ten hours and may be explained by the variation of diurnal or semi-diurnal tidal winds.     

Early Copper Age Settlements in the Körös Region of the Great Hungarian Plain

Abstract

This article discusses research carried out by the Körös Regional Archaeological Project from 2000 to 2006 at Early Copper Age Tiszapolgár Culture sites on the Great Hungarian Plain. To build a model of social organization for the period, we incorporated information from regional geomorphological studies, soil chemistry analysis, archaeological surface surveys, remote sensing, and systematic excavations at Early Copper Age sites in the Körös Valley of southeastern Hungary. Previous models characterized the transition from the Neolithic period to the Copper Age as an abrupt shift from a tell-based, sedentary, agricultural lifeway to one based on mobile cattle herding. By studying the transition between these periods on multiple geographic and temporal scales, we have identified a more gradual process with widespread regional variation in cultural patterns. Similar social processes characterize the transition between chronological periods and cultural phases in other parts of the world, and we suggest that a multiscalar approach is effective for building comparative archaeological models of long-term social change.     

Geographically Weighted Regression: A Method for Exploring Spatial Nonstationarity

Spatial nonstationarity is a condition in which a simple “global” model cannot explain the relationships between some sets of variables. The nature of the model must alter over space to reflect the structure within the data. In this paper, a technique is developed, termed geographically weighted regression, which attempts to capture this variation by calibrating a multiple regression model which allows different relationships to exist at different points in space. This technique is loosely based on kernel regression. The method itself is introduced and related issues such as the choice of a spatial weighting function are discussed. Following this, a series of related statistical tests are considered which can be described generally as tests for spatial nonstationarity. Using Monte Carlo methods, techniques are proposed for investigating the null hypothesis that the data may be described by a global model rather than a non-stationary one and also for testing whether individual regression coefficients are stable over geographic space. These techniques are demonstrated on a data set from the 1991 U.K. census relating car ownership rates to social class and male unemployment. The paper concludes by discussing ways in which the technique can be extended.     

VARIABILITY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WEATHER AND CLIMATE OF THE CENTRAL ECONOMIC REGION

Basic climatic elements and factors of climate formation in the Central Economic Region are assessed with a view toward improving methods of short-term forecasting. More specifically, analysis of the spatial variation of radiation, evaporation, and turbulent heat transfer, patterns of the most economically significant climatic elements; and trends in temperature and precipitation relative to long-term means sets the stage for a discussion of problems in forecasting the length of the heating season and in predicting precipitation anomalies one year into the future (translated by Andrew R. Bond).     

秦始皇帝陵出土二号青铜马车彩绘夔龙纹复原方法研究

为对秦始皇陵出土的彩绘铜车马采取非接触且科学可靠的方法开展研究,选择使用高光谱成像技术,以非接触方式无损地获取文物表面信息。通过对信息的处理与分析,实现对于文物表面彩绘纹样的发现与复原工作。针对秦始皇帝陵出土的二号青铜车马彩绘纹样的受损情况,提出了结合高光谱成像技术与计算机图像技术的数字复原方法。主要是利用了高光谱成像技术“图谱合一”的优势:一方面利用其在近红外区域的高光谱成像结果检测并复原出彩绘纹样难以识别的图案边缘信息;另一方面利用高光谱数据中的光谱信息,将铜车马彩绘纹样上未知矿物颜料的光谱同实验建立的矿物颜料标准光谱库进行拟合,识别出铜车马上彩绘所采用的颜料种类(雄黄1、石青5、石绿1、黄丹、铅白等),从而获得色彩信息。实验结果显示该方法可以得到较为完整的铜车马彩绘纹样的数字复原图像,并为今后对于铜车马更深入的研究和应用提供有利支撑。     

USING THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF BIDDERS TO DETECT COLLUSION IN THE MARKETPLACE: EVIDENCE FROM TIMBER AUCTIONS*

ABSTRACT.  This study develops identification strategies utilizing spatial bidding patterns to detect possible collusion in auction markets. The identification strategy is applied to examine bidder behavior using data drawn from nearly 3,000 auctions (over 10,000 individual bids) for cutting rights of standing timber in British Columbia for the period 1996–2000. Results suggest that observed patterns of behavior are inconsistent with a model of perfectly competitive bidding. Further, changes in such patterns across geographic space are remarkably consistent with patterns of decay in the transmission of knowledge reported in previous empirical work on spillovers.     

Toward More Continuous and Practical Artifact Analyses: Defining and Learning From Key Dimensions of Fort Ancient Triangular Projectile Points in the Miami Valleys

Artifact typologies are routinely created, debated, and modified, but too rarely is the goal to focus on small geographic regions and to define key axes of variation. Our goal is to further this practice by examining the utility of a long-standing artifact typology from the U.S. Midwest, one associated with discerning temporal changes in triangular projectile-point forms. Our samples are derived from nine well-dated Fort Ancient villages along the Great and Little Miami Rivers of southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana. Our approach statistically explores numeric and nominal measurements of projectile-point morphology. Findings reveal significant differences among formal variables that are consistent with most of the typology as recently amended by other researchers. However, by focusing on numeric variables, we also have found that there are a series of additional significant temporal changes. Collectively, we identify a series of distinctions in temporal, morphological, and geographical variation among triangular projectile points. Various hypotheses are discussed regarding cultural transmission of the observed changes in projectile points.     

A Socio‐Geographic Perspective on Human Activities in Social Media

Location‐based social media make it possible to understand social and geographic aspects of human activities. However, previous studies have mostly examined these two aspects separately without looking at how they are linked. The study aims to connect two aspects by investigating whether there is any correlation between social connections and users' check‐in locations from a socio‐geographic perspective. We constructed three types of networks: a people–people network, a location–location network, and a city–city network from former location‐based social media Brightkite and Gowalla in the U.S., based on users' check‐in locations and their friendships. We adopted some complexity science methods such as power‐law detection and head/tail breaks classification method for analysis and visualization. Head/tail breaks recursively partitions data into a few large things in the head and many small things in the tail. By analyzing check‐in locations, we found that users' check‐in patterns are heterogeneous at both the individual and collective levels. We also discovered that users' first or most frequent check‐in locations can be the representatives of users' spatial information. The constructed networks based on these locations are very heterogeneous, as indicated by the high ht‐index. Most importantly, the node degree of the networks correlates highly with the population at locations (mostly with R² being 0.7) or cities (above 0.9). This correlation indicates that the geographic distributions of the social media users relate highly to their online social connections.     

Dimensional Variation Estimation: A Methodological Comparison

Estimation of the dimensional variation of points from data on the distances between pairs of points is a task common to several disciplines, disciplines which include behavioral geography, surveying, and cartography. Three methods for estimating dimensional variation are described and compared using an experiment involving simulated data and using empirical data from two studies, one based on distance judgments and the other based on direct coordinate judgments. The methods are shown to have different mathematical properties and to result in very different estimates.     

Statistical Perspectives on Geographic Information Science

Statistical geometry applies probabilistic methods to geometric forms. In the early days of the quantitative revolution statistical geometry appeared to provide a useful framework for geographic research, but its value appeared to decline in the 1970s and 1980s. Geographic information science (GIScience) addresses the fundamental issues underlying the geographic information technologies, and statistical geometry has proven valuable in a number of respects. Several classical results from statistical geometry are useful in the design of geographic information systems, and in understanding and modeling uncertainty in geographic information, and several statistical principles are observed to be generally applicable to geographic information. Modeling uncertainty in area-class maps has proven particularly difficult, and seven possible models are discussed. Statistical geometry provides an important link between the early work of the quantitative revolution in geography and modern research in GIScience.     

DETECTION OF LOCAL INTERACTIONS FROM THE SPATIAL PATTERN OF NAMES IN FRANCE*

ABSTRACT Using data on the geographic distribution of names in France, we investigate the social transmission of parental preferences. Drawing on recent work on nonmarket interactions, we develop a linear discrete choice model that relates choices made in one location to those made in nearby areas. We explain the shares of parents that give their children Saint, Arabic, and American‐type names. We also examine the effect of distance between locations on differences in naming patterns. We find that the importance of geographic distance is declining over time while differences in class and national origins have increasing explanatory power.