New evidence of adhesive as hafting material on Middle and Upper Palaeolithic artefacts from Gura Cheii-Râşnov Cave (Romania)

Making use of analytical, chemical and mineralogical methods, this paper focuses on the analysis of inclusions in order to address the question of the provenance of prehistoric artefacts excavated in Gura Cheii-Râ?nov Cave (Romania). The study represents the first discovery of bitumen on lithic tools belonging to the Upper and Middle Palaeolithic in Europe. The material was identified through several analytical procedures, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).     

Dating problems in Icelandic archaeology

For many decades tephrochronology has been used as a scientific method for dating archaeological as well as geological remains in Iceland. Recently, parts of the tephrochronology for the eruptions of the famous volcano Hekla have been questioned by the author. This is due to obvious differences in dating results of archaeological artefacts from the valley of Thjórsárdalur in southern Iceland and the current tephrochronological dating of its devastation. While the devastation of the valley has been dated to AD 1104 and is thought to have been caused by a huge eruption of mount Hekla in that year, the artefacts from excavations and stray finds, as well as new ¹⁴C results, show somewhat later 12th‐13th century dates. The paper deals with this obvious discrepancy, which has hitherto been ignored, together with the results of archaeological excavations in 1983–86 at Stóng in Thjórsárdalur; it also gives a critical analysis of the historical methodology of the tephrochronologists.     

Staging the Transnistrian Identity Within the Heritage of Soviet Holidays

This article focuses on the performance of three national holidays in Transnistria in the context of the ongoing consolidation of Transnistrian society since 1991. Transnistrian leaders play a key role in the construction of a distinct Transnistrian regional identity; hence this paper pays close attention to the speeches of Transnistrian leaders as reported in the mass media. In addition, I also base my conclusions on interviews with the residents of Rybnita. I was able to observe and describe the official commemorations of the anniversary of the October Revolution, May Day and Victory Day, all key Soviet holidays which are still celebrated in Transnistria, mostly by the older generation and members of the Communist Party. The theoretical framework of the article, therefore, relies on a constructivist approach to the nation-building process through the manipulation of public opinion by elites.     

From home to city: gender segregation,homosociality and publicness in Istanbul

This article examines the complex and tangled relationships between home, city, and gender in Bagcilar, a municipality in Istanbul governed by Islamist-oriented political parties since 1992. Focusing on women’s spatial experiences at the intersection of the private and the public, the traditional and the modern, the secular and the religious, this article argues that home provides a medium through which gendered forms of governance and publicness are produced in the city. Home as a domestic sphere confines women’s roles to those of motherhood and wifehood, but also functions as a place of sociability for women. The municipality’s Islamic political discourse, combined with secular urban practices, mobilizes women through familial norms, gender-segregated events, and women-only sites in Bagcilar, where home and urban space are mutually constructed, regulated, and legitimized. Thus, women’s publicness, which derives from but goes beyond domesticity, also enables intimate same-sex sociality in urban spaces. Although this creates only conditional access to the city for women, their agency and engagement with the city emanate from such publicness.     

Kinetic effect of carbonic anhydrase enzyme on the carbonation reaction of lime mortar

The effect of carbonic anhydrase enzyme on the precipitation kinetics and phase transformations of calcium carbonate, and on the strength development of lime mortars has been investigated with saturated lime solutions, lime pastes and lime mortars under atmospheric conditions. The results clearly show that carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the reaction between carbon dioxide and aqueous lime, and increases the rate of calcium carbonate crystallization, the yield of the carbonation reaction and mortar strength at early ages. This is most likely a kinetic effect associated with the increased rate of carbonate ions supply to the solution by the enzyme. In addition, this enzyme favors the formation of stable calcite and significantly modifies its morphology by developing new crystal faces. These results suggest a novel approach for accelerating the hardening of lime mortars using carbonic anhydrase enzyme, which may offer a potentially novel approach with significant benefits on the applications of lime mortars in architectural heritage conservation as well as in construction.     

History and Characteristics of Construction Techniques Used in Traditional Timber Ottoman Houses

The aim of this article is to make a comprehensive review of the traditional timber house constructions in Turkey, which constitutes the majority of the existing Ottoman architectural legacy. After a short historical background focused on the Ottoman territory, the first section explores regional differences in the housing tradition, developed according to local features and defined by architectural features, material characteristics, and availability of materials. Derived from these regional differences, in the second section diversity in traditional timber construction systems in Turkey is described with special emphasis on the Ottoman h?m?? system. In this part, besides the discussion of the h?m?? technique which spread over Ottoman lands from the Balkans to Syria, the timber masonry and frame systems of the Eastern Black Sea Region and Thrace are presented in detail with visual support.     

Traditional Soap Workshops in Nizip (Gaziantep), South-Eastern Turkey

With the development of the modern soap production techniques, traditional ways started to vanish. In the past, sabunhane, soap workshops, were built in the regions where there was olive-oil production. In Turkey, many soap workshops, large and small in scale, in the settlements where there was soap production. Until now, there has been no extensive study of the soap workshops in Turkey. This study identifies and documents the historical soap workshops in and around Nizip (Gaziantep) in south-eastern Turkey, which are important features of the region’s industrial heritage. Amongst these workshops, Nizip Say?nlar workshop, which was built in the 19th century with architectural features characteristic of the region, and which reflects the technological level of the period and processes of production, is described in greater detail. First, the distinctive architectural features of the soap workshops are analysed. The importance of soap production and its historical development are described, and the tools and techniques used in the production and relationship with the architectural space of the workshops are explained. A comparative study of the soap workshops located around Nizip is undertaken and some suggestions on the preservation of a few surviving soap workshops are provided.