Bi'r Hamad: a pre-Islamic settlement in the western Wādī Hadramawt

Material from Bi'r Hamad, one of the most important pre-Islamic settlements in the deserted area between Shabwa (capital of the ancient Hadramawt Kingdom) and the internal regions of the ancient state (Wâdī Hadramawt), is published here for the first time. Pottery and other surface finds allow us to establish the approximate chronological limits of occupation at this ancient Hadramawt town.     

Macroscopic analysis of the bead assemblage from the South Arabian port of Sumhuram,Oman (seasons 2000–2013)

The city of Sumhuram (300 BC–AD 500) is the most important pre‐Islamic settlement in Dhofar, southern Oman. Since the time of its discovery it was evident that its commercial vocation placed it within a complex system of exchange between India and the Mediterranean. Sumhuram was a key site of the kingdom of Hadramawt, built in a place that was geographically strategic to control the most important Indian Ocean trade routes. The importance of the site made the bead assemblage exceptionally rich in materials, technologies used in the production, and provenance. The study of the relationship between materials and shapes, necessary for the creation of a specific typology, has revealed a number of trends. These, in connection with the reference stratigraphy have, in some cases, enabled the identification of differences on a chronological basis. Furthermore, it is possible to detect different uses of materials in different areas of the city. The variety of imported products (raw materials and products) once again underlines the importance of this city‐port in the international maritime trade and its strong connections with India.     

The Evolution of Pre‐Islamic South Arabian Coinage: A Metallurgical Analysis of Coins Excavated In Sumhuram (Khor‐Rori,Sultanate of Oman)

The present paper deals with compositional and microstructural features of 26 pre‐Islamic, South Arabian coins recently unearthed during archaeological excavations. Most of the investigated coins come from Sumhuram (Khor Rori, southern Oman), and were minted by the Hadramawt kingdom (fourth century bc to third century ad ); only a few of them belong to the Himyarite kingdom's coinage (first to fourth centuries ad ). In addition, some coins of both the Hadramawt and the Himyarite kingdoms found at Qani' (B'ir ‘Ali, Republic of Yemen) have been analysed for comparison. Our main focus was to provide new hints towards the comprehension of the chronological evolution in South Arabian coinage in terms of both metal composition and minting techniques. In addition, some melting crucibles found at Sumhuram have been examined in an attempt to make a comparison with the coins’ composition and to test the hypothesis that they were used for minting operations.     

The coinage of ancient Hadramawt The Pre-Islamic coins in the al-Mukallâ Museum

The pre-Islamic coins in the al-Mukallâ Museum come principally from Shabwa, the capital of the kingdom of Hadramawt. The collection consists of 76 coins, three of which could not be identified because of their poor condition. Sixty-seven silver and bronze Hadrami coins; five silver and bronze Himyarite and Sabaean coins; and one gold Roman coin comprise the collection. This material provides a general overview of the coinage of the ancient Hadramawt, permitting us to distinguish the issues of certain individual Hadrami rulers.     

Building G at Makaynūn: a late pre‐Islamic settlement above the ruins of a South Arabian town

This article presents the results of the excavation of a residence dated between the second and fourth centuries AD, constructed over the ruins of the South Arabian town of Makaynūn, in central Hadramawt (Yemen). The building yielded a large quantity of material including objects proving contacts between the central Hadramawt and regions located to the north‐east, such as central Oman, the Gulf area and India.     

Early settlement in Hadramawt: preliminary report on prehistoric occupation at Shi'b Munayder

While excavation and survey in Wadi Hadramawt itself has documented extensive first-millennium population centres and complex irrigation systems, earlier settlement and production remain poorly documented. Results of recent survey and test excavations in the mountainous hinterlands of southern Arabia have revealed scattered settlement near fossil springs that may have provided an important focus from as early as 6000 years ago. Lithic studies of surface material suggest that the widespread house sites at Shi'b Munayder in Wadi Idim were re-occupied or re-used as late as the Iron Age early-mid-first millennium BC. But stratigraphic evidence and a radiocarbon date point to an earlier establishment of settlement during at least the post-Neolithic second millennium BC. The site of Shi'b Munayder, the earliest reported settlement in Hadramawt, seems to suggest that Hadrami peoples living at the time of the early establishment of complex centres retained ties with cultural groups to the east rather than with highland northern Yemen.     

Rare Himyaritic coins from Hadramawt

Three rare Himyaritic coins found in the territory of the ancient Hadramawt kingdom are published for the first time. Two of the coins bear the name of the king,'Amdan Bayyin, while the third has the name of Tha'ran Ya'ub.     

‘So long,and thanks for all the fish?’* Examining the built and cultural heritage of the Jaffa port redevelopment

‘Heritage’ is a term that is ambiguous in the best of circumstances; however, it becomes even more so in urban environments where conflicts of identity and culture are pivotal, as in Israel’s mixed Israeli-Palestinian cities. In this paper, I examine the recent redevelopment of the Jaffa port, Israel. Jaffa’s ancient port has had a significant role in facilitating industry, commerce and social ties in the area, and it has recently been remodelled by the city as a cultural and entertainment hub. Through interviews with key stakeholders and observations, I examine the role of heritage in the redevelopment using two broad categories: heritage of the built environment and cultural heritage, including the practice of fishing. I argue that while efforts have been made to conserve the waterfront’s heritage, the redevelopment has resulted in an artificial space that does not speak to the local culture of Jaffa as it is interpreted by the port community, including the fishermen. The Jaffa case study suggests that more attention should be paid to the delicate role of urban planners in facilitating change in a politically and culturally contested environment.     

Al-Guraf in the Wâdî 'Idim

This is the second article in a series of publications on the pre-Islamic sites in Wâdî Hadramawt investigated by the Russian (former Soviet-Yemeni Joint) Expedition in 1983–1994. Some of the objects from the 1981 Yemeni excavations at al-Guraf, as well as two decorative stone slabs found there subsequently, are published here for the first time.     

A new map of Qâni’ (Yemen)

Qâni’, the main seaport for the export of goods from South Arabia, was founded by the Hadramawt kingdom in the first century BC. A geomorphological survey and a general surface reconnaissance of Qâni’ have revealed a new image of the site. Originally a royal entrepôt in a fortress on an ancient island, separated from the mainland by a silted channel lined with a mangrove forest, Qâni’ gradually grew and spread around the beach fronting the mooring place of the trade ships that arrived by sea. Sacred spaces, cemeteries, dwellings and trade quarters appear to be well‐defined areas forming a real town within the limits imposed by the surrounding sea.     

晚清中国"约定自开"商埠之开埠方式考析——以辽南安东为典型案例

"约定自开"商埠作为一种特殊的商埠类型,本身既有"自开"的因素,又有"约定"的成分,似乎是一个矛盾综合体,史学界对其属于何种开埠方式,历来争议不断。开埠方式的判定应遵循条约规定与开埠实践相结合的双重标准,由于不平等条约并未明确规定中外在"约定自开"商埠的权利与义务,开埠实践中的主权归属就成为判断其开埠方式的主要依据,可从行政权与司法权归属、关税主导权、租界问题三方面入手进行全面考量。安东作为该类商埠的典型代表,是中美商约谈判相互妥协的产物,依照上述标准可判定其开埠方式为"自开"。这为其他"约定自开"商埠之开埠方式的判定提供了合理模式,即开埠实践中的主权归属模式。对"约定自开"商埠之开埠方式进行考析,可从侧面反映出该类商埠的殖民程度。     

Makaynûn and its territory: the formation of an urban centre during the South Arabian period in the Hadramawt

Work at the site of Makaynûn in eastern Hadramawt (Yemen) and surrounding territory has yielded information on ancient settlement patterns in southern Arabia. This small regional centre lay within an area marked out by a network of seasonal flood‐water cultivation systems that irrigated agricultural areas. Each system was associated with one or more villages that were contemporary with the central site. As well as providing a communal refuge, the central site contained religious buildings, dwellings and doubtless the residence of the local elite, within the shelter of a defensive enclosure. This territory was overlain by a symbolic geography defined by the location of the sanctuaries and cemeteries of the Makaynûn community. This model of settlement was repeated all along the valley, where comparable systems were found at the mouths of the main tributary valleys.     

RECONSTRUCTING ANCIENT YEMENI COMMERCIAL ROUTES DURING THE MIDDLE AGES USING STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TERPENOID RESINS*

Following the discovery of items that look like resins at the medieval site of Sharma (Hadramawt coast, Yemen, c. 11th century ad ), chemical investigations were carried out in order to determine their nature and geographic origin. By combining visual observation, infrared spectroscopy, direct inlet electron ionization – mass spectrometry (DI EI–MS) and pyrolysis gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (Py GC–MS) or gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses, it was demonstrated that 84% of the samples were harvested from Hymenaea trees growing in Madagascar and East Africa. Contrary to what was thought previously, frankincense, identified with certainty in only two samples, was thus not the main resin exploited at Sharma. These results are of prime importance for reconsidering the trading routes of resins passing through Sharma, a site that was obviously strongly connected with Africa during the Middle Ages.     

Brugge–Zeebrugge The New Belgian Harbour on the North Sea

Abstract

The history and prosperity of the Belgian city of Bruges has always been dependent on the sea. The growth of sea-borne traffic and the increasing size of vessels in recent years demanded new facilities to enable Belgium to exploit the natural advantages arising from its location. The construction of such port facilities during the last decade has employed the latest techniques in design, construction and environmental impact assessments. Contracts for the port development were drawn up to provide limits for quality control, timing and general but strict pricing, while enabling amendments during the course of the project. Now nearing completion, the major dredging and construction works have suffered no delays and will provide the most modern facilities in Zeebrugge, the port of the future.     

SEPARATION AND SPECIALIZATION OF LAND USES IN CITYPORT WATERFRONTS: THE CASES OF SAINT JOHN AND HALIFAX

The paper postulates that there has been a movement of port functions away from the city centre that has allowed that area to take on an urban orientation; thus separate and specialized areas of port activity and urban activity have developed in cityport waterfronts. The waterfronts of Saint John and Halifax for the period 1875–1978 are studied to illustrate the concept of separation and specialization of land uses. Reasons suggested for such developments relate to technological changes in transportation and cargo-handling and the declining dependency between the port and city.
La communication postule que les fonctions du port se sont éloignées du centre de la ville, ce qui a permis à la région de s'urbaniser; de ce fait, les activités portuaires et les aetivités urbaines des quais de ces villes-ports ont subi un développement propre et spécialisé. On a étudié le développement des quais des villes de Saint-Jean et d'Halifax pendant la période allant de 1875 à 1978, afin d'illustrer le concept de division et de spécialisation dans l'utilisation des différentes zones. Nous proposons que les raisons de ce type de développement sont basées sur les changements technologiques survenus dans le domaine du transport et de la manutention des marchandises, ainsi que sur la diminution de la dépendance entre le port et la ville.     

THE EVOLUTION OF MONTREAL'S PORT SERVICE INDUSTRY

The growth of Montreal's port service industry is shown to have been accompanied by internal differentiation and elaboration. Of the many business types that comprise the service sector, forwarding appears to have played d particularly important role. The industry is also revealed to have been a catalyst in the economic development of the city, and the expansion of the port was facilitated by the commercial enterprise and political influence of the leaders of the industry.
Il est demontré que la croissance de l'industrie tertiaire maritime reliée au port de Montréal fut accompagnée de sa diversification et de son élaboration interne. Parmi les nomhreux types d'enterprises du secteur tertiaire, les transitaires ont joué un rôle important. L'industrie tertiaire maritime s'est également manifestée comme un catalyseur du développement éconornrque de la ville. De plus, l'expansion du port a été grandement facilité par le secteur commercial et l'influence politique de ses dirigeants.     

港口连通性及其影响因素的时空差异——以中国环渤海港口为例

为明确港口连通性及其影响因素的时空差异，基于港口供应链视角，从港口面向内陆、内贸和外贸连通能力构建港口连通性模型，并借助空间计量模型对2002-2017年间中国环渤海港口连通性及其影响因素的时空差异进行测度。结果表明：①除天津、青岛和大连港连通性最强外，内陆、内贸和外贸连通性最强分别为日照、唐山和烟台港，连通性最弱分别为威海、丹东和盘锦港，黄骅港增速最快；②连通性分布具有多核心-边缘特征和多门户港口并存格局；③连通性影响因素具有空间相关性和异质性，但均对连通性有正向促进作用。本文旨在使决策者明确港口运输的连通能力及其影响因素，为港口规划布局和提升在港口供应链中地位提供决策支持。     

Gazetteer of small‐scale monuments in prehistoric Hadramawt,Yemen: a radiocarbon chronology from the RASA‐AHSD Project research 1996–2008

This paper provides a new, interpretive gazetteer and chronology of Hadramawt’s highland monuments based on results from archaeological survey and test excavations by the RASA‐AHSD (Roots of Agriculture in southern Arabia‐Arabian Human Social Dynamics) Project. With the exception of a few incidental sightings and an unpublished pipeline survey, the prehistoric record of southern Yemen’s highland plateau has been largely unknown. There are few settlements, so that understanding human landscape history must begin with the numerous small‐scale stone monuments left by mobile people. With examples representing monuments from the fifth, fourth, third and first millennia BC, the corpus of small excavations and radiocarbon dates reported here provides the first guide to the monument types of South Arabian highlands. Monument building began under more moist conditions and appears to have commemorated animal sacrifices long before commemorating mortuary rites and interment. There appears to be a temporal break of 1000 years before the widespread and varied practices of Bronze Age tomb construction, which lasted through the third millennium BC. After another break in monument construction, tombs were reused in the first millennium BC, sometimes with successive ritual visits. The data presented offer new material for the interpretation of the lives and activities of prehistoric pastoralists throughout the Holocene.