Ancient olive DNA in pits: preservation,amplification and sequence analysis

The olive tree (Olea europaea) was domesticated by vegetative propagation of selected wild individuals with superior fruit. Later, new cultivars were established repeatedly from feral trees or from crosses between wild, feral, and domesticated trees. Thus the genetic background of many contemporary domesticated lines is a mixture of ancient cultivars and local wild trees. Ancient DNA may illuminate the complicated process of olive domestication because such DNA sequences provide data about ancient genomes that existed closer to the domestication events. Well preserved DNA must be available for such studies, even though in the Mediterranean region, where olive cultivation took place, the climatic conditions are not favorable for DNA preservation. To select for well preserved pits we measured their proportions of lignin by IR spectroscopy, and correlated this with parameters of DNA quality such as template length in an olive-specific repeat array, and template quantity as determined by real-time PCR amplification. Archaeological pits that passed these tests did contain high quality ancient DNA. We present the first ancient olive DNA sequences and compare them to modern wild, feral and domesticated lines.     

Lichenometric dating and the nature of the excavation of the Huashan Grottoes,East China

The present study aims to identify the timing of the Huashan Grottoes' excavations using the lichenometric dating method. A total of 96 maximum inscribed circle diameters of Rhizocarpon geographicum growing on the ancient architectures and the walls of entrances are measured in the Huashan Grottoes area of southern Anhui, East China. The results show that the period of the grottoes' excavation is estimated to be 450–335 yr BP, or the middle and late Ming Dynasty (1552–1667 AD). The lichenometric dating results are also validated by a lithologic comparison of the grottoes and the surrounding ancient architectures, as well as by the studies on the historical documents and the fragments of ancient porcelain in the grottoes. Furthermore, we infer that the excavation of the inner grottoes might have lasted till the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912 AD), because the lichens chosen for dating are mainly at the grottoes' entrances. The wider significance of this work is that it demonstrates, for the first time, lichenometric dating can be applied in the historical studies on the ancient architectures in East China with a relatively warm and humid climate.     

Starch granules,dental calculus and new perspectives on ancient diet

Recent work in various parts of the world has suggested the possibility of ancient starch granules surviving and adhering to archaeological artefacts. Often this information is used to infer aspects of diet. One additional source for recovery of archaeological starch granules is dental calculus. The presence of plant food debris in dental calculus is well known but has not been not widely investigated using archaeological material. The extraction of starch granules from dental calculus represents a direct link to the consumption of starchy food by humans or animals. Using dental calculus also sidesteps many other questions still inherent in using starch granules to reconstruct aspects of ancient diet, such as the effects of diagenesis on their morphology; as the starches are trapped inside a concreted matrix they are less likely to alter over time. We used amylase digestion by a starch-specific enzyme to confirm the material as starch.     

Water from a Rock: Archaeology,Ideology, and the Bible

In a series of studies over the last decade, Avi Faust suggested that several ideologies of ancient Israel could be identified on the basis of archaeological features (four-room houses, tombs, certain pottery vessels, etc.), namely, egalitarianism, simplicity, unity, and purity. The aim of this paper is to review these studies, asking what ideology is and if it can be retrieved from archaeology. While “there are multiple dangers when walking into the field of ideology” (Vincent 2010:21), avoiding discussion is not an option. In my view, most of the things identified by Faust are not ideologies. To the extent that they have an ideological content, it is based not on archaeological remains, but on a conservative reading of the Hebrew Bible. The identified “ideologies” are described as static, valid for the entire society, and eternal (from the Iron Age I until the end of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah). They turn ancient Israel into an ideal society, a model for our times—but an unrealistic one.     

Ancient DNA (aDNA) studies of man and microbes: general similarities,specific differences

The study of ancient DNA (aDNA) using molecular methods is an increasingly valuable tactic in bioarchaeology. While this method must be carefully undertaken to ensure that the molecules detected are representative of the ancient sample and not modern contaminates, there is a danger that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to validation will lead to misinterpretation and/or missed opportunities of valuable findings. When comparing human and pathogen aDNA, there are many shared technical means that can ensure best practice. However, there are a number of assumptions that should not be used for both scenarios. We discuss these aspects in reference to a recent article published by this journal and highlight some of the latest advances in molecular detection of ancient pathogen DNA that can further improve this endeavour. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early hominid hunting,butchering, and carcass-processing behaviors: Approaches to the fossil record

A major aim of paleoanthropology is to learn what ancient behaviors were related to the acquisition, processing, and consumption of meat and when these behaviors arose. For this reason, studies focusing on purported early hominid hunting and butchery sites are important if rigorous criteria for recognizing such sites are used. Different criteria currently used as evidence of hominid involvement with ancient bones are reviewed and it is concluded that the presence of cutmarks, verified by scanning electron microscope (SEM) inspection, is the most reliable. Successful application of this criterion depends upon a thorough knowledge of the normal variations in microscopic morphology of different types of marks that are found on bones. Therefore, variations in microscopic and gross morphology within and among a large sample of known stone tool cutmarks, carnivore tooth scratches, and rodent gnawing marks are documented. The effects of sedimentary abrasion, as caused by fluvial transport of bones, are also presented. Guidelines are presented for using microscopic criteria to identify unknown marks on fossils and possible applications of this approach are discussed. Further, it is suggested that evidence of hominid carcass-processing activities can be placed into one of three ranked categories of certainty according to the type of data used. Explicitly stating the category and type of evidence used to deduce hominid activities, and by extension to define site types (i.e., butchery, kill, base camp), may improve the clarity of hypotheses about and interpretations of early hominid behaviors.     

中国古代城的形态规模与分布位置的史地分析及遥感应用

本文主要论述了夏朝至战国时期中国古代城的形成与发展,说明中国古代城的形态规模与分布位置是与自然环境和社会条件密切相关的。城的形态受地理环境影响较明显,城的规模与生产力发展水平及城的行政等级有关,而城的分布位置主要是与国家的统治与稳固、城的经济发展等因素有关。文章最后还论述了遥感技术在探测古代城的形态规模与分布位置方面的应用和方法。     

广西富川百柱庙建筑彩绘的保护修复研究

广西富川百柱庙为明朝修建,该建筑物建筑构件的型式、彩绘、斗拱的制作技法等保留了典型的地方民族风格,是研究古代瑶族历史的重要实物资料,但已年久失修。为了对该建筑进行维修,特别是对建筑内彩绘进行加固修复工作,应用XRD和FT-IR方法分析了彩绘颜料层的化学成分,结果表明全部为无机矿物颜料。以古建筑保存环境和彩绘层颜料化学成分为依据,通过现场实验确定用3％的Paraloid B～72丙酮溶液对彩绘层加固,结果表明该加固剂的渗透性、均匀性、加固强度都达到了对彩绘物的修复要求,加固后彩绘的颜色也较前鲜艳、明亮。     

中国海南省中和镇古城墙砖的热释光测年研究

采用热释光前剂量饱和指数法对海南省中和镇的8件古城门墙砖样品进行了年代测定研究。由于该地区离海近,粘土中的含沙量非常高,古人在烧制砖时,采用这种粘土作为制砖的原料。烧造时的温度相对高于其它地方烧制的砖。其中4件砖样内部呈灰色,3件砖样内部呈红色,其中1件砖样断面为外围灰色,内部红色。在应用高温细颗粒方法测定这批砖样的年代时,发现样品的高温热释光灵敏度非常差,且不规则,没有"坪曲线",因而无法得出这些古代城门墙砖的具体年代。后采用热释光前剂量饱和指数方法对古砖样品进行了古剂量测定,发现这些样品具有较好的热释光前剂量效应,且样品的热释光灵敏度较高,得到的古剂量具有很好的重复性。热释光测年结果表明,No.2、No.3、No.6、No.8样品的热释光年代分别为:距今590年、575年、530年和580年,为明代早期烧制;No.1、No.4、No.7样品的热释光年代分别为:距今410年、345年和375年,为明代中晚期烧制;No.5样品的年代为距今140年,为清代晚期。经考古人员现场考证,认为No.5样品所处位置存在火烧痕迹。这个火烧时间应该在中国清代晚期,即热释光测定年代。     

Determining the Firing Temperature of Low‐Fired Ancient Pottery: An Example from the Donghulin Site,Beijing, China

The traditional thermal expansion method using a dilatometer fails to accurately determine the original firing temperatures of low‐fired ancient pottery. For this reason, we have developed an improved method of determining firing temperatures for low‐fired pottery. This paper explains the theory of the improved method and presents the reasonably satisfactory results obtained on ancient pottery from the Donghulin site (c. 10 000 bp ). The method and the results are very important for the study of ancient pottery culture and clay moulds used for bronze casting.     

Emotion,Identity, and Death in the Greek Tradition and Beyond

The article examines emotion and identity in the Greek death cult to clarify certain contemporary political phenomena in the Mediterranean where the cult of the dead is a common cultural pattern. Why is this cult so persistent? What is the death cult and how does it manifest itself? The article delves into its importance in Greece, where the author has had several periods of ?eldwork. To illustrate the persistence of this cultural pattern, its characteristic aspects are discussed. Festivals which are dedicated to deceased persons and domestic death rituals are compared with ancient sources. Based on this, a survey of the relationship between the death cult dedicated to deceased mediators, as it is manifested through laments, burials and the ensuing memorial rituals is made. Modern domestic rituals in? uence of?cial rituals, and vice versa. A study of modern cult practices reveals many parallels with the of?cial cult of the ancients, and suggests ways in which modern rituals can illuminate ancient rituals. The article seeks to demonstrate how new ideologies must be adjusted to older rituals and beliefs and how public and domestic rituals are connected. The article ?nally suggests how these similarities might represent a common way of expression within a larger geographical context.     

古村落旅游开发的初步研究——以安徽黟县古村落为例

古村落是一种特殊类型的旅游地,其开发利用有其独特的个性。本文试以安徽黟县古村落为例对这一问题进行了初步探讨,文章对黟县古村落旅游资源进行了评述,指出可持续旅游是其开发的目标,基于此文章提出其旅游开发的原则和方向。     

Differentiation of archaeological ivory and bone materials by micro-PIXE/PIGE with emphasis on two Upper Palaeolithic key sites: Abri Pataud and Isturitz,France

The exact identification of the raw material used for ancient bone objects is the basis to understand the manner in which humans in ancient times chose the medium for the manufacture of objects. The material identification is not trivial in the case of highly modified surfaces – worked by man or degraded by diagenesis. Even if bone materials are morphologically quite different, they show in general a very similar chemical composition. Nevertheless, slight differences can be observed in their chemical composition on minor and trace level. These variations may be used as a marker of their exact nature, when other means such as morphological observations are limited. A large data base was built up by analysing different modern and archaeological osseous materials in order to define chemical markers for the identification of the raw materials used to manufacture objects.Micro-Proton Induced X-ray and Gamma-ray Emission (micro-PIXE/PIGE) was chosen to analyse the different bone materials as a non-invasive method is generally required for the study of ancient worked osseous objects. These analyses were performed at the particle accelerator AGLAE installed at the laboratory of the C2RMF, Paris.This paper presents the results obtained on about 150 objects made of different bone materials dating from the Palaeolithic to today and coming from various archaeological sites, mainly in France. Some chemical markers seem to be characteristic, such as the magnesium to calcium ratio for well preserved ivory on one hand and the fluorine content versus strontium to calcium ratio for bones of marine mammals on the other hand. The limits of this approach and the different parameters to consider for an identification of ancient bone and ivory material based on this method are particularly discussed in the case of Palaeolithic material from Abri Pataud and Isturitz, France.     

The idea of order in ancient Chinese political thought: a Wightian exploration

Is there any significant international thought in antiquity beyond the West? If there is, why has there as yet been no meaningful conversation between the expanding enterprise of theorizing International Relations (IR) today and ancient Chinese political thought? This extended version of my Martin Wight Memorial Lecture addresses these questions through a critical exploration of how a pivotal idea in ancient as well as contemporary international relations, namely, the idea of order, is deliberated in ancient Chinese political thought. Inspired by Martin Wight's profound scholarship so steeped in historical and philosophical depth, it investigates why and how alternative visions of moral, social and political order are imagined, offered and debated in ancient Chinese philosophical discourse. It examines the ways in which the moral and political pursuit of order as a social ideal is conducted in the anarchical society of states in ancient China. Through these historical and philosophical investigations, this article seeks to establish that ancient Chinese political and philosophical deliberations are rich in international thought and that classical thinkers in China's Axial Age are alive to us and contemporaneous with us philosophically as much as ancient Greek philosophers are. In establishing such a claim, the article calls for, and issues an invitation to, a conversation between the world of thought in ancient China and the theorization of IR as an intellectual ritual in search of a truly international theory.     

安徽省南陵县江木冲古铜矿冶炼遗物自然科学研究及意义

本通过对江木冲冶炼遗址古铜矿、古炼渣、古铜锭及青铜器的对比研究,利用矿床学、冶金学等理论,探索利用自然科学手段解决其输出路线问题,提出了判别其产物(铜锭)的特征微量元素和其它综合判别标志,同时也为青铜器其它矿料来源(尤其锡矿)难题的解决进行了技术路线探索和方法研究。     

甘肃玉门花海比家滩古绿洲沙漠化的调查研究

甘肃省玉门市比家滩古绿洲,面积约310平方公里,今地表景观主要为连片分布的遭受严重风蚀的弃耕地,并伴有吹扬灌丛沙堆。古绿洲上遗存丰富,有火烧沟类型化遗存、多座汉魏时期的古城遗址等。笔通过实地调查,对其历史面貌及其沙漠化发生的时代和原因作了细致的探讨。     

History, Time, and Knowledge in Ancient India

The lack of interest in history in ancient India has often been noted and contrasted with the situation in China and the West. Notwithstanding the vast body of Indian literature in other fields, there is a remarkable dearth of historical writing in the period before the Muslim conquest and an associated indifference to historiography. Various explanations have been offered for this curious phenomenon, some of which appeal to the supposed currency of certain Indian philosophical theories. This essay critically examines such "philosophical explanations."
I argue that it is not true that there was no history in ancient India, and it is not surprising that there was no developed historiography or scientific history. It is both true and surprising that there was no real importance attached to history in ancient India. An adequate philosophical exxplanation for this historica phenomenon, however, is not to be found in appeals to the influence of indigenous metaphysical theories about time and the self. A much more plausible philosophical explanation appeals instead to certain features of classical Indian epistemology.     

古民居保护与旅游利用模式研究——以黄山市徽州古民居为例

以古民居的保护为目的,以黄山市古民居保护和旅游利用的旅游业态新模式为关注点,利用实证分析方法和比较研究的方法,基于保护和利用两种不同的维度,构建了徽州古民居保护和旅游利用的象限模型,提出了原址保护观光利用、原址保护功能转换利用、异地搬迁观光利用、异地搬迁整合利用等四种模式,并对其基本内涵分别进行了阐释。在此基础上,从原址利用、扩大利用、转换利用、主题利用四个方面,对未来徽州古民居保护和旅游利用的方向提出了相关建议和对策,并希冀对其他类型古民居的保护和旅游利用有着借鉴作用。     

中国古代青铜器凝固过程的数值模拟及其相关工艺问题研究

本研究引入金属材料科学中成熟的凝固理论,对中国古代青铜器的铸造工艺进行系统研究,发现我国古代青铜器的凝固均属于非平衡凝固。基于这一认知,用ProCAST软件进行青铜合金凝固过程的仿真模拟,在动态可视的层面观察其凝固过程与铸造缺陷位置,进而探索其缺陷形成原因及工匠的处理机制。本研究总结出了我国古代青铜器凝固的4个关键要素——原料制备、温度控制、凝固时间与缺陷机理。基于现代凝固理论的模拟方法的引入,能够用一种全新的可视化、可计算的仿真技术研究我国古代青铜器的铸造工艺,为科学解读我国古代青铜器铸造工艺内涵、反映我国古代金属技术成就提供了重要的数据支撑。