Analysis of the spatial distribution of geochemical signatures for the identification of prehistoric settlement patterns in ADE and TMA sites in the lower Amazon Basin

The Archeological Dark Earth (ADE) and Terra Mulata (TMA) anthrosols found at Juruti, on the lower Amazon River, extend over a wide area located within the local ferralsol domain. The ADE soils are dark in color and contain large quantities of fragmented ceramics, while the TMA soils are also relatively dark, but lack ceramics. Multi-element chemical analyses of soil samples of ADE and TMA from the A2 horizon (depths of 10–20 cm) indicated that the ADE soils are characterized by higher concentrations of P₂O₅, CaO, K₂O, MgO, Cu, Mn, and Zn, while the TMAs have median levels of these compounds, and the ferralsols have much lower concentrations. These chemical elements make up the geochemical signature of these anthrosols, whereas Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, Cr, Sr, La, Li, Ni, Pb, V, Y, and Zr characterize the geochemical signature of the ferralsols, which was identified partially in the ADEs and TMAs. The isoline maps of these two geochemical associations permitted the delimitation of the different areas and the identification of the ADEs as sites of long-term human occupancy, and the TMA as an area of temporary occupation associated with agricultural activities. Seven villages were delimited within the study area, and were separated by corridors of ferralsols. These settlements were established on the riverbank, with the more temporary cultivated areas behind them, running almost parallel to the river. The identification of functional patterns based on geochemical associations, the abundance of ceramic material, and concentrations of organic matter, indicated that an area of more than 350 ha was occupied.     

崔张形象嬗变与封建士子理想婚恋观

从元稹《莺莺传》到王实甫《西厢记》,崔张爱情由悲剧嬗变为大团圆的喜剧的同时,主人公的形象也实现了理想化的嬗变;既体现了新旧婚恋思想斗争,又揭示了封建文人的一种理想婚恋观,透射出其心曲和美梦。     

An analysis of spatial patterns of toponyms in Guangdong,China

The unique geographical environment and the historical waves of immigration of the northern Han Chinese to the Lingnan region have contributed to the development of a complex and unique culture in Guangdong Province. Four ancient ethnic groups, the Zhuang, Cantonese, Hoklo and Hakka, have resided in this area for centuries. As an important part of local culture, toponyms often survive changes in history and can reveal the temporal differences between the past and present in landforms and the spatial differences in the distribution of different ethnic group populations. In this study, two goals were sought: (1) the adoption of spatial smoothing and interpolation methods to reveal the spatial patterns of the Zhuang, Cantonese, Hoklo and Hakka toponyms based on comparisons among the proportions of those who speak various languages and (2) the investigation of the differences among toponymic layers under regional environmental conditions and the influences of geographic factors using an independent samples t-test and a binary logistic regression.     

An investigation of soil phosphorus distribution within occupation deposits from a Romano-British hut group

A simple scheme for soil sampling and subsequent analysis for total soil phosphorus using perchloric acid digestion is described and its application illustrated by samples from the native farmstead of the Roman period at Cefn Graeanog in North Wales. The floor deposits of three distinctive buildings were analysed, and the data obtained enhanced by Trend Surface Analysis to produce generalized maps of the phosphorus distribution, together with levels of significance of such distribution patterns. These were then used to clarify the details of the interpretation of the usage of the various types of building. Data for soil phosphorus concentration clearly reveal the pattern of erosion of constructed floors, the presence of features such as hearths and drains, and can be used to reveal patterns not otherwise discernible by excavation techniques.     

Precipitation patterns formed by self‐organizing processes in porous media

We compare laboratory and field examples of self‐organized mineral precipitates in porous media. Laboratory tests of silver chromate precipitation in glass beads and glass bead/gel mixtures produce structures such as periodic banding and mm‐size spherules. These are morphologically similar to the varied forms of iron oxide precipitates in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Utah USA, that preserve records of former fluid redox boundaries in a porous and permeable sandstone. Experimental studies of periodic precipitates in porous media can provide valuable insight for understanding the diagenetic history of similar precipitates in natural environments.     

An evaluation of the site specificity of soil elemental signatures for identifying and interpreting former functional areas

Soil multi-element analysis is now a routine technique employed to help answer questions about space use and function in and around archaeological sites. The pattern of enhancement of certain elements, including P, Pb, Ca, Zn, and Cu, has been shown by numerous studies to correlate closely with the archaeological and historical record. Interpretation of these soil signatures, however, has generally been more problematic. One approach to the problem has been the use of ethnographic or “known” sites to guide interpretation, but how confidently can results from one site be extrapolated to another? This study of abandoned farms tests the site specificity of soil multi-element signatures of past space use through the use of discriminant models. Data analysis suggests that one to one comparisons of similar sites are much less accurate (38% accuracy) than comparisons based on a wider range of sites (59.3% accuracy), even when the latter have contrasting geology. The results highlight the importance of individual anthropogenic practices during occupation and abandonment in the development of diagnostic soil geochemical signatures.     

Thousand years of vegetation history revealed by pollen in a sandy soil,central Netherlands

Abstract

Within the scope of an interdisciplinary research project to determine the genesis and age of small clusters of oak trees, three soil sections in and three outside oak clusters in an ancient woodland/heath on the Veluwe, central Netherlands, were sampled for palynological analysis. The sections within the clusters show an undisturbed development from the Medieval period onwards, the sections outside the clusters are missing ca. 15 cm because of sod cutting associated with plaggen soil formation. The rate of downward movement of pollen was established, using known dates from the near surroundings.     

Experimental patterns of hammerstone percussion damage on bones: implications for inferences of carcass processing by humans

The common occurrence of hammerstone percussion damage (pits, striae, notches and impact flakes) on the fossil limb bones of ungulates indicates that marrow extraction has been an important component of hominid butchery for over two million years. Beyond this level of basic inference, it would be behaviorally informative if three deeper aspects of marrow harvesting were understood more clearly: (1) whether inter-element patterns of bone fragmentation vary when processing intensity is held constant; (2) whether butcher investment in marrow extraction correlates positively with the number of percussion marks generated; (3) whether taphonomic effectors can be identified based on percussion mark morphology, frequency and placement. Some experimental work has been conducted previously in service of exploring these questions, but we set out here to address them explicitly through the analysis of a large sample of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) limb elements fractured by hammerstone percussion. Our results indicate that (1) measures of bone fragmentation, which supposedly reflect processing intensity, are highly contingent on the research question being posed. This stresses the fact that researchers must be explicit in their definition of processing intensity. (2) In addition, hypothesized covariance between number of hammerstone blows and percussion mark frequencies are not met in our sample, corroborating previous conclusions of a lack of covariance between cutting strokes and cutmark frequencies. These results highlight the contingent nature of butchery mark production, and emphasize the need to investigate carcass resource exploitation by posing questions that do not rely on mark frequencies, but instead utilize other zooarchaeological measures. (3) Finally, our results—showing high incidences of impact notches and flakes created by direct anvil contact and “anvil scratches” created by direct hammerstone contact—suggest caution in using specific categories of percussion damage to infer their taphonomic effectors.     

An investigation of cortical bone loss and fracture patterns in the neolithic community of Çatalhöyük,Turkey using metacarpal radiogrammetry

Bioarchaeologists have conducted numerous studies on human skeletal remains using metacarpal cortical bone radiogrammetry. This method allows cortical thickness of the second metacarpal to be quantified. As a sensitive index of bone health metacarpal cortical thickness is evaluated in the context of functional adaptations, growth, ageing and bone loss in osteoporosis, as well as used as a reliable indicator of fracture risk. The focus of this study is an examination of the widely used calculation that expresses second metacarpal cortical bone values, followed by an examination of age and sex-related patterns of cortical bone loss and skeletal fragility fracture in a Neolithic archaeological skeletal sample from Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Using metacarpal radiogrammetry, 49 adult metacarpals (f = 27 m = 22) were examined. Data were collected for size variables, length (L) and total bone width (TW) as well as quantity variables, medullary width (MW) and cortical thickness (CT). These parameters were then used to calculate the widely used cortical index (CI) and two new indices expressing medullary width and cortical bone thickness in relation to length (medullary width index, MWI and cortical thickness index, CTI). The ratios were then used to explore age- and sex-related cortical bone loss and fragility fracture patterns amongst the inhabitants of Çatalhöyük. Çatalhöyük males and females demonstrate an inverse relationship where CTI decreases as age and MWI increase. Analyses indicate statistically significant age-related change in MWI amongst the oldest females. Despite age-related loss of bone, no typical fragility fractures are observed. We discuss the role of ageing and lifestyle factors at Çatalhöyük that may have been beneficial to skeletal health and a reduction in the risk of fragility fracture.     

不同方法加固古建筑榫卯构架抗震试验

为保护古建筑,采用试验方法,研究了不同方法加固榫卯节点后木构架的抗震性能。基于故宫太和殿某开间梁柱节点的具体尺寸,制作了1:8比例的4梁4柱木结构空间框架模型,其中梁和柱考虑为燕尾榫形式连接。采用人工加载方式,进行了低周反复加载试验,研究了马口铁、CFRP布和钢构件加固榫卯节点后对木构架抗震性能的影响。基于试验结果,获得了加固前后构架的力-侧移滞回曲线和骨架曲线,分析了构架耗能能力、刚度退化规律及变形能力,对不同方法加固木构架的抗震效果进行了对比,对其工程应用提出了建议。     

由清华简释解古文字一例

在1998年公布的郭店简《成之闻之》简30有一个字,旧皆不得其解,经过与新公布的清华简《保训》简1的一个字相对比,郭店简的那个字可隶定为"",读为"贵",是"贵重"之意。这是利用清华简考释旧未能释出的古文字的一个例子。     

汉代乐器器类浅探

作者根据全国各地考古发掘资料,结合文献记载和一些民族学资料,将汉代乐器类型分成五大器类,并逐一阐释。     

殿试制度起源考辨

殿试制度是科举制度研究中一个非常重要的问题,而关于殿试制度的起始时间学界一直说法不一。本文以三级考试为参照系,以此前一直被忽略的覆试制度为切入点,通过对与殿试起源相关诸问题的详细辨析,彻底澄清了殿试与覆试的联系与区别,否定了武则天载初元年、南唐乾德二年及宋开宝六年为殿试之始诸说,从而最终确定殿试制度正式开始的时间是宋太祖开宝八年。     

An ethnoarchaeological inductive model for predicting archaeological site location: A case-study of pastoral settlement patterns in the Val di Fiemme and Val di Sole (Trentino,Italian Alps)

In this paper I propose a novel integration of inductive predictive modelling and ethnoarchaeology. The case study concerns seasonal upland pastoral settlement patterns in the eastern Italian Alps. A sample of modern pastoral sites has been selected, and their relationships with environmental variables have been analyzed in order to create a model to predict the location of archaeological upland pastoral sites. The model has been tested with modern and archaeological control samples. It has proved to be useful for predicting the location of specific site categories. Ethnoarchaeological fieldwork has been carried out in the same alpine sample area, which has enhanced the interpretative potential of the proposed model, suggesting that the spatial of the analyzed sites could well be related to their dairying function. The creation of ethnoarchaeological locational models with a predictive potential may be very important not only in helping to tackle some theoretical and methodological problems in predictive modelling, but also in enhancing the importance of ethnoarchaeology in landscape archaeology projects.     

蔡邕解读《礼记·月令》的新变

蔡邕对<礼记·月令>的解读,体现了不同于汉代经师儒生的一些新特点、一些新变化,表现出消解儒学束缚的新思想,以及重自然、轻名教的倾向.表明蔡邕是汉末涌动的新思潮的代表,他的思想和行为成为魏晋玄学的先声.     

依法治国基本方略实施考察

近年来,中共中央在确立了依法治国基本方略之后,采取了加强和完善立法工作、全面推进依法行政、着重提高领导干部的法律素质以及在全民中深入开展普法教育等有力举措,在以下几个方面取得了显著成效:以宪法为核心的中国特色社会主义法律体系已初步形成;法制队伍素质不断增强;法律服务工作发展迅速;广大干部群众的法律素质显著提高。当前,依法治国基本方略在实施过程中存在的问题主要有:立法质量有待于进一步提高;执法方式有待于进一步改进;司法体制有待于进一步改革;法律意识有待于进一步增强等。     

Examining Implementation of the National Voter Registration Act by Nonprofit Organizations: An Institutional Explanation

The 1993 National Voter Registration Act authorizes nonprofit social service organizations to conduct nonpartisan voter registration drives, with the aim of making the process more accessible for low‐income citizens and segments of the population historically underrepresented in the political process. Although more than 15 years have elapsed since this important reform was enacted, very little is known about the extent to which nonprofits have embraced this practice, and what factors explain their decision to do so. Drawing upon institutional theory, this article examines the propensity of nonprofit social service organizations to carry out nonpartisan voter registration and voter mobilization campaigns in a national election year. A series of hypotheses are tested using data from a random sample of several hundred nonprofit service organizations in the United States that were surveyed prior to the 2008 election. Findings suggest that institutional factors, especially state laws, are highly influential in shaping the decision of local level nonprofits to register voters. The article concludes with a discussion of policy implications of this study.     

清康熙朝大学士王掞奏请建储始末

清康熙朝的建储之议,一直以来备受清史研究者关注,惟康熙晚年大学士王掞密奏建储一事的始末,尚未尽白于世。弄清此事原委,对了解康熙册储思想的变化及王挾家族的际遇,不无裨益。本文通过文献及史事考证,以厘订《文献丛编·康熙建储案》所收王掞议储密折的奏上时间为主线,进而剖析王掞议储的心理及康熙处理此事的隐衷。     

对江泽民总书记关于黄山旅游开发的重要指示的认识

江泽民总书记考察黄山旅游资源时的重要指示,强调了世界化和自然遗产黄山的本质性化内涵,是对旅游本质的精彩阐发,江总书记的重要指示对旅游产业的发展具有深远意义。     

制度转型的多样性因素及关系分析——魏玛共和国和联邦德国民主试验的经验比较

民主政治制度的稳定运行不仅需要合理的制度安排和稳定的经济发展,更需要与之相适应的政治文化。魏玛共和国民主试验的失败是其制度设计上的重大缺陷、经济上的失败及政治文化转型迟滞的复合性后果,而联邦德国民主制度的成功运作,则得益于它精致完备的制度安排、成功的经济与社会发展和努力培育与民主政治相适应的公民文化。因此,制度转型与文化转型具有内在的深层互动关系,政府效能和合法性与政治文化特质高度关联,而文化转型则是一个渐进发展的长期过程。