CHARACTERIZING THE SEDIMENTARY HISTORY OF CAVE DEPOSITS,USING ARCHAEOMAGNETISM AND ROCK MAGNETISM,ATAPUERCA (NORTHERN SPAIN)

We use a combination of rock magnetism (anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, AMS) and magnetic polarity to characterize cave deposits and as a proxy for sedimentary fabric. In three localities at the Atapuerca archaeological site (Galeria, Gran Dolina and Sala de los Cíclopes), magnetic foliation (K_max/K_int) is always greater than lineation (K_int/K_min), consistent with a primary, depositional, sedimentary fabric. Our results, although preliminary, reveal a higher degree of anisotropy in autochtonous deposits compared to allochthonous deposits, possibly indicative of a higher hydrodynamic regime in the former. At two localities the magnetic lineation (K_max) defines a cluster, which is thought to be antipodal to the palaeocurrent direction. Hence we are able to retrieve palaeoflow directions in deposits that otherwise lack any other sedimentary structure. We conclude that AMS is a powerful tool for determining the hydrodynamic character of depositional environments in cave sediments at the Atapuerca archaeological site. A better understanding of the depositional environment and how sedimentation occurred allows reconstruction of the karst evolution and ultimately a better definition of human interaction with the environment.     

Cent Dix Ans de Renouvellements Incessants

During its hundred and ten years of existence the Revue de synthèse has experienced various periods each characterized by specific predilections, actions and modes of publication. Throughout this long journey, it has remained a place of reference for historiographical reflection and for dialogue between the sciences. It has also been a stimulus for intellectual history, history of science and epistemology. The article traces this route and provides relevant keys for today.     

THE ORIGIN AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF RED OCHRES FROM THE TITO BUSTILLO AND MONTE CASTILLO CAVES (NORTHERN SPAIN)*

Ochres were the most common source materials for pigments used in Palaeolithic rock art paintings. This work analyses the petrographic and geochemical signatures of different ochre samples from outcrops inside Tito Bustillo Cave and the Monte Castillo Caves using the most common techniques (petrography, XRD, SEM–EDS and ICP–MS) in archaeological pigment characterization studies. The results obtained permit the identification and characterization of the different source ochre types and, furthermore, allow the establishment of mineralogical and geochemical proxies for the study of questions related to ochre characterization, formation processes and provenance.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WORKING QUALITY OF ASTURIAN JETS (SPAIN) AND THEIR STRUCTURE USING PARAMETERS DEFINED BY 1H‐NMR*

A collection of seven representative jets from Asturias (Spain) was studied. Some artisans of the Asturian jet industry established the quality criteria of the jet based on the user‐friendly properties of this material. In this work, we study the relationship between the working quality of asturian jets and their structure using parameters defined by liquid ¹H‐NMR. With this aim, certain parameters calculated from the NMR results were used to provide information about the structure of compounds extracted from jets.     

LA–ICP–MS,SEM–EDS AND EPMA ANALYSIS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN COPPER‐BASED ARTEFACTS: IMPACT OF CORROSION AND HETEROGENEITY ON THE RELIABILITY OF THE LA–ICP–MS COMPOSITIONAL RESULTS*

This study discusses the relevance of compositions obtained using laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) for the purpose of identifying the provenance of copper‐based artefacts found in Virginia at Native American sites dated from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Ten artefacts were investigated by scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS) to visualize the corrosion and characterize the heterogeneities in the metal and electron probe micro‐analysis (EPMA) to determine separately the compositions of the intact metal and of the corrosion product. It is shown that the corroded surfaces are highly depleted in zinc but that representative concentrations can be determined by sampling the deeper, uncorroded metal. In contrast, lead values are highly variable because of the heterogeneous distribution of this metal within the bulk copper. Despite these problems, brass is easily identifiable and American native copper and European smelted copper can be unambiguously distinguished with LA–ICP–MS on unprepared artefacts using As, Ag, Ni and Sb trace elements.     

Un classement multicritère des villes du québec pour favoriser la prise en compte de leurs différences

When it comes to making planning and development decisions, the concepts of small, medium-sized, or large cities are sometimes used to adapt public policies and instruments, or even to highlight challenges that are specific to certain categories of city. In this article, we take a look at the various dimensions that can be used to characterize cities, so as to empirically test a multi-criteria approach and build a typology of Quebec cities. Using an ascending hierarchical classification, we derive 11 classes of cities, whose conceptualization and graphic representation enable us to highlight their role and, in part, to localize their polarized area. This article complements and adds to works undertaken by other researchers over the last 20 years. Although it does not aim to propose specific changes to public policies and instruments, this article may serve to inform public decision makers in the development of such policies and instruments, and to enrich academic debates on the nature of small and medium-sized towns in particular.     

Gender,nationalism, exclusion: the reintegration process of female survivors of the Armenian genocide

ABSTRACT. This essay focuses on the process of ‘rebuilding’ the Armenian nation in the newly constituted states of the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq) in the immediate aftermath of World War I. These efforts were centred on the two largest sectors of the population to have survived the Catastrophe, orphans and familyless (or widowed) women. The essay examines the ideology of ‘national reconstruction’ and some of its internal contradictions. It pays particular attention to both Armenian women who married Muslims during the deportations and the children born of these marriages, as well as to Armenians who turned to prostitution to survive in the complex conditions prevailing in this period. The author makes use of extensive, previously neglected archival material: for example, correspondence by some of the principal actors, reports written during the process of locating and rounding up Armenian orphans, and documents that shed light on life within the walls of orphanages and women's shelters. The author assembled this archival material in Paris, Beirut, Aleppo, and Cairo, after surveying the contents of various archives.