Burnt bones and teeth: an experimental study of color,morphology, crystal structure and shrinkage

Burnt osteological materials are one focus of interest in forensic, archaeological, and palaeontological studies. We document the effects of experimental, controlled heating on a sample of modern bones and teeth from sheep and goats. Four aspects of heating specimens to between 20 and 940°C were considered: color, microscopic morphology, crystalline structure and shrinkage. Our results show that changes in both color and microscopic morphology of burnt bones and teeth can be divided into five stages each of which is typical of a particular temperature range, although the stages based on color do not correlate exactly with those based on micromorphology. These stages can be used to determine (1) if specimens of unknown taphonomic history were burnt, and (2) the maximum temperature reached by those specimens. In addition, powder X-ray diffraction studies show that heating causes an increase in the crystal size of hydroxyapatite, the major inorganic component of bones and teeth. This fact in conjunction with the microscopic morphology can be used to confirm deduced heating to 645°C or more. The data on shrinkage are analyzed to yield a polynomial expression that summarizes percentage shrinkage as a function of the maximum temperature reached by bones. Thus, the original size of specimens can be reconstructed within limits since the maximum temperature reached by the bones can be deduced on the basis of color, microscopic morphology and/or powder X-ray diffraction patterns. Finally, because there is a discrepancy between the maximum heating device temperature and the maximum specimen temperature, caution must be exercised in distinguishing between the effects of man made and natural fires.     

成吉思汗去世地點與祭祀

《元史》載成吉思汗1227年攻打西夏,七月壬午病重,己丑逝於薩里川哈老徒行宫。薩里川哈老徒行宫在漠北,他不可能在八天之内從西夏趕到漠北。較爲符合邏輯的觀點是,行宫可以隨着守斡耳朵的皇后遷徙至西夏,所以成吉思汗去世地點仍是西夏境內。元代漠北的成吉思汗祭祀在他的四大斡耳朵舉行,由此出現了"斡耳朵思"一詞,它是後世"鄂爾多斯"一詞的來源。元之後的成吉思汗祭祀地點轉移到了漠南的鄂爾多斯,其轉移的原因,是因爲蒙古人深信成吉思汗曾表示願在鄂爾多斯安度晚年的傳説故事。     

神道神馔——日本食文化的原型

神道是在日本固有的民族信仰基础上发展起来的精神传承。神馔(しんせん)是神道祭祀时供奉给神的食品。如果说,神道是日本民族传统文化的基础和核心的     

后石家河文化"抱鱼人偶"与祭山活动

在以邓家湾为代表的遗址中出土了大量后石家河文化时期的陶塑品,其中"抱鱼人偶"因其独特的造型,最为引人注目.过去学界对此多有讨论,本文重新审视了这些材料,认为这些陶人偶应称为抱璋人偶,其表现的是巫师手持牙璋的形象.文献记载玉璋的一个重要功能是祭祀山川,因此"抱鱼人偶"表现的是巫师祭山以致雨的活动场景,这样的祭山求雨活动与后石家河文化时期江汉平原整体干冷的环境背景相符合.邓家湾遗址出土的所有陶塑动物、陶塑人偶即是这一祭祀活动的综合体现.     

FDR, Lewis Douglas, and the, Raw Deal

"Despite my emotions, I could not refuse the responsibility which has been offered; for in times like these, even more so than in times of war, individuals cease to be significant. Only the common welfare is important," explained Lewis Douglas in 1933 as he accepted President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt's offer of the position of director of the budget.¹ Douglas came to his post with a strong sense of obligation—he was certain the United States was in a "critical condition," and the only solution to the devastating depression lay in balancing the budget.² Roosevelt seemingly agreed with Douglas. Newspapers reported that the young budget director would "make his mark in the Roosevelt administration" and "be at the heart of things." Journalists argued that Roosevelt's appointment was an "indication that Roosevelt means business in his promise to reduce government costs."³     

香港新界金钱村太平洪朝祭祀辨析

香港新界有许多乡村,每逢春节元宵,差不多都有举行以乡民的歌唱为主的祭祀,但是其中道士参加的例子,只有两个,就是粉岭彭氏村和金钱侯氏村,都称为太平洪朝。在这些道士所做的仪式中,我们才可以看到乡民向神灵恳求的内容。这两个例子之中,金钱更多保留原始春祈社祭的因素。因此,下面拟研讨金钱侯氏村洪朝祭祀。     

成吉思汗龙年大祭田野考察实录

像埃及的金字塔是世界文化之谜一样,由于遵照蒙古族的传统风习,一代天骄成吉思汗实行的是秘葬,不能请出金身,他的葬地也始终是世界文化之谜。虽然关于成吉思汗逝世的时间、地点与葬地在中外史籍上屡有记载,但是这些并不统一的记载反而使这个谜越发神秘,越发撩拨人们揭开谜底的渴望。最近美国的一位历史学家,也是一位富翁正投巨资在外蒙古以最先进的科学手段查寻,引起举世瞩目。     

试论祭祀卜辞中的数字观

本主要考察甲骨祭祀卜辞中的祭牲数量,通过对这些数字的统计,根据某些数字出现的频率的不同,试图探讨商人的思维观念。     

论中国古代的饕餮与人牲

饕餮纹是人牲祭典的象征,饕餮纹的兴衰,同人牲的产生与衰亡这一深刻的社会背景紧密相联。     

Factors Determining Magnetic Enhancement of Burnt Clay from Archaeological Sites

The magnetic susceptibility of a collection of 212 archaeological samples of burnt clay of different origin (burnt soil, ovens and bricks) taken from 60 archaeological sites from Bulgaria, were studied in order to determine factors which may have affected their magnetic enhancement. The highest magentic susceptibility values were obtained for bricks, and the lowest for burnt soils, suggesting that the firing temperature and the duration of burning are important conditions for determining magnetic enhancement. Specific spatial pattern of the low-field magnetic susceptibility was also observed, characterized by separation of sites situated in northern and southern parts of the country, divided by the west-east trending mountain chain Stara Planina. Maximum susceptibility values are obtained for burnt soils in southern Bulgaria and minima in northern Bulgaria. In contrast, burnt clay plasters and bricks show the opposite picture. It is supposed that the observed pattern is due to differences in the outcropped geological formations and variable climate conditions between the two regions which determine different iron-supply during burning of initial clay material. Results from the thermomagnetic analyses show that the dominant ferrimagnetic mineral in all burnt clay materials studied, is magnetite/titanomagnetite with low Ti content and different grain-sizes. High values of frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility indicate the presence of significant amount of fine-grained (d<0·015 μm) superparamagnetic magnetite.     

青海湖祭海史话

青海湖古称西海,公元751年唐玄宗加封四海五岳,封西海为“广润王”,并进行遥祭,历代君王、中央政府加封、祭祀青海湖的制度由此而发轫。至清雍正时期,自罗卜藏丹津反清事件后,清廷的遥祭青海湖,变为派朝廷大员亲赴湖畔近祭,藉此加强对青海及周边地区的控制。这一惯例一直持续到1949年解放前。如今,当地民众仍保留有自发的祭海活动。     

黄河河神和祭神仪式--读王卫东《昙花一现的黄河祭祀仪式》

王卫东先生的《昙花一现的黄河祭祀》(载《民俗研究》2000年第2期)文章虽然不长,但是言之有物,为黄河河神的研究,提供了很重要的资料.或许是因为文章太短的原因,有好些研究者十分感兴趣的问题都没交代得特别清楚.另外也有的地方说得不太准确.     

仪式政治:国民党与南京国民政府对孙中山的祭祀典礼

国民党与南京国民政府为标榜是孙中山民主革命思想与事业的合法继承者,把孙中山从“总理”推尊演绎成了“国父”圣符,并为之举行了逝世纪念、奉安纪念与诞辰纪念三种典礼仪式。从仪式政治与国家祭祀的角度对前两种典礼仪式进行系统的史学考察,并挖掘和诠释其表象背后的政治思想与社会文化内蕴,不仅有利于把握“后孙中山时代”民国官方对孙中山政治遗产的利用与运作体系,而且有利于继承和弘扬孙中山的民主革命精神与思想。     

Humans,Birds and Burial Practices at Ipiutak,Alaska: Perspectivism in the Western Arctic

ABSTRACT

Archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence from the coast of western Alaska and St. Lawrence Island indicate that human inhabitants over the past 1500–2000 years incorporated birds into their diets, cosmologies, material culture, and daily activities. Following a brief discussion of the archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence for human–bird relations, this article explores the evidence for birds as both an economic and cosmological resource at the Ipiutak site on the northwest coast of Alaska. Several lines of evidence indicate that hunters and shamans have consistently attempted to mimic or acquire the abilities and physical attributes of select bird taxa, reflecting a sophisticated knowledge of bird behaviours and life histories. A specific concern with vision – shamanic, predatory, and post-mortem – is inferred from an unusual Ipiutak burial assemblage that contained a loon skull with ivory eyes. Considered in light of the broader cemetery assemblage, which includes artefacts with bird imagery, the Ipiutak material is interpreted as evidence of perspectivism in western arctic prehistory.     

Fire,Humans and Denudation at Wangrah Creek,Southern Tablelands,N.S.W.

The influence of altered fire regimes on the denudation of a catchment is determined from alluvial deposits of the last 10,000 yrs and by monitoring runoff and erosion before and after a wildfire. An increase in fire frequency beginning at 3,000–4,000 yrs BP, as a result of intensified Aboriginal burning, did not change the mechanisms or rates of denudation nor did it cause widespread alluviation as suggested by others. The results of monitoring show that before and after mild fires there is insufficient runoff on most slopes to entrain sediment. Only after intense fires are runoff and erodibility increased enough to significantly accelerate erosion. Conditions are then identified which are most likely to lead to accelerated erosion from altered fire regimes in other catchments.     

清代的帝王庙祭与国家政治文化认同

清统治者继承中国古代特别是明代以来祭祀先代圣帝明王的传统,入关之初即在京城建造历代帝王庙,并多次对入祀的历代帝王和配飨名臣进行调整和增补,最终建构了一个包括少数民族王朝在内的历代帝王一脉相承、绵延不绝的完整统绪,同时确定了配飨名臣的人选。清代对历代帝王以及配飨名臣的祭祀,昭示出多重的目的和用意。既有对人臣的劝诫、激励作用,也有对人君的借鉴和警示用心。而最根本的则是对治统、道统的重视和强调,反映了清统治者对中华统绪的认同和对中华文明的归属。     

三川土族人家的祭灶习俗

在我国民间,有在每年农历腊月二十三"祭灶"的习俗。所谓"祭灶",实际上就是历史上遗留下来的一种"送灶"、"辞灶活动",在民和三川地区,称之为"打发灶爷妮妮(奶奶)"。"祭灶"活动在我国民间来说是一项影响较大、历史悠久、涉及范围较广的风俗习惯。从古到今几乎每家每户的灶间都供奉有"灶王爷"的神像、灶马或者写有"东厨司命灶君之神位"的牌位,两边配有"上天言好事,下界保平安"的对联。至于这个"灶王爷"和腊月二十三的"祭灶"活动的来历众说纷纭。