Pulp Stones Prevalence in a Historical Sample from Radom,Poland (ad 1791–1811)

This paper provides an investigation of pulp stones in a sample drawn from the historical population of Radom, Poland, dating to between ad 1791 and 1811. This study seeks to determine the frequency of pulp stones, and assess the association between pulp stones and sex, age, dental caries, and dental wear. A total of 780 teeth from 121 adult individuals of both sexes (45 females, 76 males) were examined. Analysis was limited to molars. The average age‐at‐death of each individual was estimated. Total wear scores across the molars were calculated for each individual. Pulp stones were identified by a portable dental X‐ray machine. Pulp stones were found in 94 of 121 individuals and in 273 of 780 molars. No statistically significant correlation was found between pulp stones and age‐at‐death (p  = 0.7625) and sex (p  = 0.0915), but a significant relationship was found between pulp stones and dental wear (p  < 0.0001) and dental caries (p  = 0.0016). Our study found that molars affected by highly advanced dental wear were significantly more often accompanied by pulp stones than molars that had experienced limited wear. Similarly, significant correlations were observed for dental caries. It means that pulp stone formation appears to have been contingent upon the irritation of the tooth crown by factors such as forces acting on the tooth crown leading to dental wear or dental caries. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and damage assessment of stones used in the Pasargadae World Heritage Site,Achaemenian period

The architectural remains at Pasargadae were built of three different stones classified according to their colors (beige, dark-gray, and green-gray). The stones show different macroscopic features, such as texture and decay patterns. The aim of this study is to identify the composition of the stones and to evaluate the main decay factors through petrographic studies in order to make conservation decisions more compatible. Petrochemical analyses show that the stones are in fact limestones with different features; two of them have a compact texture (beige and dark-gray stones), while the third has a fairly porous structure (green-gray stone). In some beige stone samples, dolomite was identified. Despite the fact that the presence of salt is a possible decay factor, X-ray diffraction analysis did not report any salt. According to SEM observations, the main reasons for decay in dark-gray and green-gray stones are the dissolution of calcite crystals and the swelling of clay minerals. The main decay factor in the beige stone, by contrast, is dissolution induced by microorganism activity. However, a patina formed by lichens on the surface of the beige stone, although aesthetically detrimental, protects it against further decay.     

Morphological and genetic studies of waterlogged Prunus species from the Roman vicus Tasgetium (Eschenz,Switzerland)

Morphological and genetic studies were performed on waterlogged Prunus fruit stones from the Roman vicus Tasgetium (Eschenz, Switzerland). Some fruit stones could be identified to species level based on morphological and metric criteria. Other fruit stones found were not identifiable to species level. Of the latter, the morphological group Prunus insititia/spinosa represents either native sloe, cultivated primitive plum (damson) or a hybrid of both. In one out of 10 individual fruit stones of this group Prunus specific chloroplast trnL-trnF and nuclear ITS1 markers were verifiably amplified. Sequences of trnL-trnF led to the identification of Prunus spinosa. The presence of authentic DNA was confirmed by phylogenetically meaningful sequences from the archaeobotanical group Prunus avium/cerasus of the same sample using chloroplast rbcL and nuclear ITS1 DNA markers. The results demonstrate the utility of waterlogged plant remains for genetic analysis: as seeds of fruit trees are often preserved waterlogged in the archaeological record. Ancient DNA (aDNA) studies are a promising tool to answer archaeobotanical issues concerning early horticulture, which probably started in the Northern alpine region with the onset of Romanisation.     

Jobs,crime, proximity and boats: explaining Australian public attitudes to immigrant numbers

Despite the importance of immigration to Australia, there is little systematic research on the causes of support among Australian citizens for increased, stable or decreased immigration. This paper advances our understanding of Australian public attitudes to immigration levels in the light of the established international literature on public opinion and immigration. Using 2013 Australian Electoral Study (AES) data, we show that, as in other countries, Australian citizens’ attitudes to immigrant numbers are partly driven by a combination of sociotropic economic considerations and perceptions of the socio-cultural impact of immigrants. In addition, we argue that political mobilisation has an impact on attitudes toward immigration that has not received sufficient attention. We demonstrate that citizens who accepted the Coalition's rhetoric on asylum seeker arrivals were more likely to want overall immigrant numbers reduced. Finally, we combine the individual level AES data with electoral district level data to test the impact of contact with immigrants on attitudes to immigrant numbers. Australians living in electoral districts with higher percentages of non-white immigrants are more likely to want lower immigrant numbers than those living in districts with fewer non-white immigrants.     

The Reuse of Prehistoric Standing Stones in Western Britain? A Critical Consideration of an Aspect of Early Medieval Monument Reuse

The superficial similarity in form of prehistoric standing stones and early medieval western British inscribed stones has sometimes led to the suggestion that the medieval stones were reusing the earlier monuments. In this paper this suggestion is critically assessed. It shows that the medieval stones are different in size from the prehistoric stones, and placed in different contexts. This lack of reuse of prehistoric standing stones is considered in the context of other examples of monument reuse known from western Britain.     

White and Coloured Marbles of the Roman Town of Urbs Salvia (Urbisaglia,Macerata, Marche,Italy)

The results of an archaeometric study concerning the coloured stones and 14 white marble sculptures found in the ancient city of Urbs Salvia (Urbisaglia, Macerata) – one of the main Roman archaeological sites of the Marche region (east central Italy) – are presented here. Data show the presence of the most important decorative stones used by the Romans, originating in all of the Mediterranean provinces, from Egypt and North Africa to Asia Minor, Greece, Gallia, Iberia and Italy. Thirty‐one different coloured lithotypes have been identified, including red and green porphyries as well as marmor phrygium and numidicum, namely the four most expensive stones cited in Diocletian's edict. Crustae of marmor chium, taenarium, chalcidicum, scyreticum, lucullaeum and sagarium also feature. Another significant presence is that of coloured stones that are generally rare, even in Rome and Ostia, such as cipollino mandolato (which is very abundant at Urbs Salvia, more than anywhere outside Gallia), broccatello di Spagna, alabastro a pecorella, lapis ophytes, brecciated facies of marmor iassene and cottanello antico. Worthy of mention, too, is the abundant presence of so‐called Roman breccia from Lez (Upper Garonne valley, French Pyrenees), a stone never reported outside Gallia. The 14 marble sculptures analysed come from public and private buildings of the Roman city and are now exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Urbisaglia. Our petrographic and isotopic analyses show that they are made of Lunense (five), Pentelic (three), Parian lychnites (three), Thasian (three) and Proconnesian (one Corinthian capital) marbles. The quality of the coloured stones identified, together with the presence of sculptures made of precious imported white marble varieties, reveals an opulent town and a local patronage wishing to decorate public buildings and rich houses with the most sought‐after marbles of Rome.     

A functional analysis of grinding stones from an early holocene site at Donghulin,North China

The processes that led to the transition from small mobile groups of hunter-gatherers in the Late Pleistocene to sedentary communities of the Early Holocene in north China are poorly understood. The Donghulin site in Beijing was occupied at the onset of the Holocene, and excavations have revealed a rich archaeological record for investigating the changing subsistence strategies during this transitional period. A functional study of two grinding stones (a slab and a handstone) near a burial dated to 9220–8750 cal BC at Donghulin investigated the range of plants exploited during this early occupation period. Starch residues indicate that the grinding stones were used for processing plants, and confirm processing of acorns, which is consistent with the incidence of oak in the pollen record. The usewear, with only rare patches of developed polish, suggests that plant parts of low silica content were processed, although usewear on the handstone suggests processing of two or more plant taxa. The results suggest that the use of grinding stones to process plant foodstuffs, particularly acorns, may have played a major role in the subsistence strategy during the transitional period to sedentism and agriculture in some parts of north China.     

内蒙古敖汉旗榆树山、西梁遗址出土遗物综述

1988年中国社会科学院考古研究所内蒙古工作队发掘了敖汉旗孟克河右岸的榆树山和西梁(千斤营子)两个遗址.所出遗物与兴隆洼文化同类器相比,筒形陶罐与之相差较大,石器、骨器中有许多相同的器物,如石锄、石刃骨鱼镖等.西梁遗址所出的钻孔石器和环状器很有特色.艺术品中陶塑人头像和骨笛令人瞩目.根据其碳-14数据测定,两处遗址年代均为距今5000年以前.     

石质文物表面憎水性化学保护的副作用研究

根据最小干预和不影响文物原貌的原则,使用表面化学防护和化学加固等保护材料被认为是保护石质文物的有效方法。目前,已试用于石质文物表面保护的化学材料主要是有机硅等有机化合物。这些有机材料能起到一定的防水和加固作用,但是也潜在不少问题,一些可能的危害目前还没有引起人们足够的重视。本工作以通用有机硅类防水加固剂为表面保护材料,以砂岩、凝灰岩、白云岩、大理岩和花岗岩为保护对象,模拟各种破坏因素,包括干湿循环、盐结晶、冻融和加热等的作用和联合作用,研究了表面化学处理后岩石样品在模拟环境中的变化情况,发现破坏现象严重。其中,化学保护剂在石材表层产生的亲水/憎水界面导致石材受某些应力的加速破坏是重要原因。上述研究结果提示,在石质文物的保护中应慎重使用憎水性表面化学保护剂。     

PROVENANCING AND ARCHAEOLOGY OF ROMAN MILLSTONES FROM SARDINIA (ITALY)

Summary. Sardinia was an important Roman settlement and trade centre between 238 BC–500 AD and is an ideal site for study of Roman trade. Study of Roman millstones in Sardinia shows that the commonest type is the Pompeian (hour-glass) mill (forty-eight stones studied), with smaller numbers of cylindrical hand querns (sixteen stones studied). Most of these millstones are composed of igneous rocks which include grey vesicular lavas of basic/intermediate composition and a distinctive reddish rhyolitic ignimbrite. There is historical and archaeological evidence for millstone manufacture at six localities in Sardinia. Visual and petrographic study and X-ray fluorescence analysis for major and trace elements of seventeen millstone samples, and fifty rock samples from potential source areas have been used to provenance the igneous rock millstones. The grey vesicular lava millstones have varied sources within the Tertiary-Recent volcanic rocks of Sardinia, while the millstones composed of rhyolitic ignimbrite are from a single source of Tertiary ignimbrite at Mulargia (central west Sardinia). A single hand mill from the north of Sardinia was imported probably from Agde in southern France, and is the only sample composed of non-local rock. Mulargia millstones were widely traded within the western Mediterranean and show a rapid decrease in frequency of occurrence with increasing distance from the source. Sardinia was therefore an important centre of Roman millstone production and a source of millstone trade during the period of Roman settlement.     

HHpXRF study of recent zinc and lead pollution on lava stepping stones from Pompeii: Tourist footfall,tyre dust and leaded petrol

A helium-enabled Niton X-ray analyser (HHpXRF) study of 296 lava stepping stones from ancient Pompeii showed that their surfaces were contaminated with superficial deposits of Zn and Pb. Recent research has shown that concentrations of these elements are highest in urban areas, where they were attributed to tyre dust and leaded petrol, respectively. The distribution of these elements on the stepping stones is represented on maps of the site. Zn pollution is most abundant in areas visited by tourists and is attributed mostly to wear from their rubber-soled footwear. Pb pollution is attributed to the movement of onsite vehicles using leaded petrol.     

辽宁铁岭市大山嘴子青铜文化遗址调查

1994～1995年,铁岭市博物馆发现并几次调查了铁岭市东郊的大山嘴子青铜时代遗址,出土了三种代表不同时代和文化类型的文化遗物,有打制石器、磨制石器、陶器、铜器,遗物非常丰富,是辽北地区一处典型的青铜时代文化遗存,表现了明显的地域文化特点,年代在商周至春秋中期前后。     

New experimental data on the distance of sling projectiles

The range of stones cast by slings used in the past is debated. In the Central Andes, slings are asserted to be important weapons of prehispanic war, and have been recovered archaeologically. Rolled river cobbles and stones presumed to be slingstones found at fortified hilltop archaeological sites are presented as evidence that slings were used at these fortifications. Yet sling use has not been adequately tested at hillforts. Experiments conducted in Europe by a novice slinger have attempted to illuminate the range of sling cast stones at ancient hillforts. Data acquired from native slingers is necessary to more accurately assess distances achieved by projectiles launched by slings. We present data from sling experiments carried out in Puno, Perú among Quechua-speaking herders who are experienced slingers. The results demonstrate that a prior model of the maximum theoretical distance of sling cast stones underestimates their range. Results also show significant differences in the use of slings by men and women, and by different age groups. These new data permit a better approximation of warfare that has bearing on our interpretation of fortified sites.     

Prison Heritage,Public History and Archaeology at Fannie Bay Gaol,Northern Australia

Prisons play an important role in the Australian psyche. As places in which the lawless element of society is incarcerated they possess a resonance that harks back to the stereotyped and mythologised convict foundations of the Australian nation. Many former places of confinement have been transformed into publicly accessible heritage sites and museums, but visitor numbers often do not reflect the widespread public interest in confinement. It is not at all clear how to engage the public with the individual histories of these places. This paper examines this issue by reference to the public display of Fannie Bay Gaol prison museum in Darwin. Changing themes and foci in the display of this site are discussed. The role of the historian and archaeologist is examined in the context of the public presentation of narratives of the Gaol's past.     

Identical rock types with different chemistry: sourcing phyllite-tempered Hohokam pottery from the Phoenix basin,Arizona

The organization of ceramic production and distribution among the ancient Hohokam of the Phoenix basin, Arizona, has been documented in recent years with much detail. Based on diverse temper and clay compositions, the provenance of individual ceramics is routinely determined with considerable precision. One exception is phyllite-tempered pottery, which was made in one corner of the basin but also across a broad upland zone adjacent to the north. The phyllite-tempered pottery from different production sources cannot be distinguished on the basis of their temper type. As shown with assays with an electron microprobe, however, both the temper and clay fractions are chemically diverse and geographically distinct, allowing many of the phyllite-tempered wares to be sourced. Among the phyllite-tempered ceramics consumed in the Phoenix basin, some are shown to have been made locally, but, surprisingly, large numbers were imported from the northern uplands. Their numbers support the idea that the connection between the Phoenix basin and the northern uplands was a prominent component of the Hohokam regional economy despite the great difference between them in settlement size and density.     

宝鸡益门出土金柄铁剑镶嵌宝石的化学与矿物学特性

用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）及所配备的能谱仪（EDS）、X－射线衍射仪（XRD）对出土的三块宝石的化学及矿物学性质进行了分析研究,结果表明,其中两块宝石为金柄剑镶嵌宝石,其化学组成为绿松石,另一块宝石并非来自铁剑镶嵌物,具有正长石和钙长石的衍射谱图特征;绿松石加工制作过程曾使用了青铜工具进行表面打磨处理,说明我国在春秋时期已经开始使用青铜打磨工具。     

Pitted stone cobbles in the Mesolithic site of Font del Ros (Southeastern Pre-Pyrenees,Spain): some experimental remarks around a controversial tool type

The presence of cobbles with activity-related marks in the Mesolithic site of Font del Ros (Berga, Spain), and in particular one group of artefacts – pitted stones – raises problematic issues associated with the characterization of percussion activities. Although these artefacts have generated an extensive bibliography on ethological, ethnographic, ethnoarchaeological and archaeological levels, various questions persist in relation to their possible contextual function. In this paper we present the results of an experimental programme in which three types of activities that could create pitted stones are reproduced: bipolar knapping of vein quartz, hazelnut cracking, and hazelnut grinding. The aim of this experimental programme is to describe marks and use-wear traces related to such activities.     

Fruit stones from Tiao Lei's tomb of Jiangxi in China,and their palaeoethnobotanical significance

Fruit stones were discovered in Mr. Tiao Lei's Tomb (around 300 AD) at Nanchang, China. The morphology and anatomy of the fruit stones were investigated. They are identified as belonging to three species, namely, Chinese plum (Prunus salicina Lindley), red bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.), and Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). These stones suggest the possibility of orchards in the local area, and the fresh or processed drupes of these three species probably played important roles in the tomb owner's life.     

彭城禅石悟道人——记徐州藏石家金山

To collect stones is an ancient folk custom in Xu Zhou, where there are many stone collectors of great achievements. Mr. Jin Shan is one of them. Having a deep love for stone and seizing opportunities for stone collecting, he made a large collection. The stones that he collects have profound cultural contents and are helpful for spiritual cultivation.