Architectural space in the Muisca settlement of La Maria (Chia,Colombia) during the Prehispanic and Colonial periods

Archaeological fieldwork conducted on a plot of land near the town of Chia (Colombia, South America) uncovered the remains of a small Muisca settlement occupied from the late Prehispanic period to the colonial period. The excavation program documented particular sets of features including postholes, pits, colored floors, and a burial. These elements provided a baseline for reconstructing the ground plans of perishable structures and architectural spaces. The components of built areas were key cultural referents for the peoples who lived in La Maria during the Prehispanic period. Important changes in the arrangement of the elements that comprise architectural space are observed during the colonial period, arguably as the result of important transformations in native culture.     

Energy and water resource simulations for U.S. geography undergraduates

This paper describes environmental systems games developed for energy and water resource use designed to be adaptable from high school to undergraduate use. Two of the games are computer simulations with adjustable levels of difficulty that can be done in a computer lab or as a homework assignment. The third is a peer-to-peer roleplayer game designed for an immersive in-class simulation. For the energy and the peer-to-peer water games, we describe (1) the overall strategy or story line adopted, (2) the manner in which the game is played by students in a classroom setting, (3) the use of scientific literature in conceptualizing and parameterizing the game, and (4) possible game extensions. Preliminary data from use at the undergraduate level shows that the games are very well-received by students and, consistent with other research on quasi-experimental simulations, likely enhance learning outcomes.     

浅析《诗经》中的玉文化

本文整理了《诗经》中与玉有关的文献资料,并根据不同的功用,将其分为装饰物、祭祀用器、指代美好事物、身份的象征、用于社会交往、赏赐品等六类,认为其主要反映出周人的用玉观念。通过对这些资料及其所反映的玉文化的分析,可以得出几点认识:《周礼》中关于祭祀用六器的记载确有其事;玉器作为礼器有着其特定的使用环境;而周代以玉用于赏赐和社会交往的文化功能,为我们审视墓葬出土玉器提供了新的思考角度。     

A New Methodology and Classification System for Describing Three‐Dimensional Particle Formats: Application to Clastic Lithic Products of Archaeological and Geological Origin

A new classification system is proposed to describe the volumetric formats of clastic lithic products of geological and archaeological origin. In order to build this operative classification, the rectangular block or cuboid is established as the standard geometric format to represent their three‐dimensional format (the X‐axis being length or long diameter, the Y‐axis being the width or intermediate diameter, and the Z‐axis being the thickness or short diameter) on a two‐dimensional diagram. To obtain this graph, each absolute coordinate (X, Y, Z) defining the prisms is projected on to an auxiliary plane with a new set of relative coordinates (x, y, z), expressed as the percentage of their sum. The projection generates a triangular diagram on which the indices of elongation and flatness are represented. A geometric transformation converting the triangular diagram into a quadrangular diagram has been produced in order to better represent the scatter points. Then, a double scale is necessary: (i) an absolute scale to quantify the indices, and (ii) a relative scale to calculate where the graphic locus is projected. This new graph also allows us to work with statistical parameters. Finally, two classic examples of applications selected from the literature are shown.     

THE EFFECT OF ACCESSIBILITY ON PRODUCTIVITY IN SPANISH MANUFACTURING FIRMS

This paper evaluates the impact of accessibility on the productivity of Spanish manufacturing firms. We suggest the use of accessibility indicators of workers and commodities, integrating transport, land use, and individual components, computing real distances or traveling times using the Spanish full road network. Estimated firms’ total factor productivity is explained as a function of the accessibility indicators and additional control variables. Results evidence the crucial role on firms’ productivity to the accessibility of commodities and to a slightly lesser extent the workers.     

Using lithic assemblage formation to approach Middle Palaeolithic settlement dynamics: El Salt Stratigraphic Unit X (Alicante,Spain)

The superposition of anthropogenic remains usually results in archaeological palimpsests, hindering an accurate characterization of the behavior underlying such remains. Aimed at facing this methodological constraint in the study of Palaeolithic contexts, we present a contextual approach to Neanderthal settlement dynamics based on an understanding of lithic assemblage formation processes. We focused on a set of lithic artifacts from the Middle Palaeolithic site of El Salt. With the goal of isolating temporally constrained units of behavioral analysis, we analyzed the spatial distribution of lithic, faunal and combustion remains. Then, the lithic records from each of the resulting units were analyzed from a genetic and technical perspective. This goal was achieved by identifying lithic Raw Material Units (RMU) through observations on reduction processes, refits and their spatial distribution. Our results suggest that El Salt SU X lithic remains represent several diachronic human occupation episodes and different site functions. This study illustrates the benefit of investigating lithic assemblage formation processes to alleviate the palimpsest problem in Palaeolithic contexts.     

Milky Quartz Bipolar Reduction and Lithic Miniaturization: Experimental Results and Archaeological Implications

We present experimental data examining the energetics and identification of axial bipolar reduction in contexts of lithic miniaturization on milky quartz. These experiments answer two specific questions. First, does bipolar reduction provide any benefits over freehand reduction? Second, can axial bipolar reduction be distinguished from freehand reduction? Our data show that bipolar reduction requires significantly less time to reduce a percentage unit of core mass and to produce a millimeter of cutting edge on milky quartz than freehand reduction. Milky quartz bipolar reduction surpasses even the cutting edge production efficiency of obsidian pressure blades. We outline a series of quantitative criteria for identifying bipolar cores and flakes. Our results show that bipolar cores and flakes can be distinguished from those produced using freehand reduction by quantifying platform crushing, distal flake rebound scars, bulb shearing, as well as axial, bipolar, and splintered flake terminations. Our results challenge the widely held perceptions about the wastefulness of bipolar reduction and provide clear guidelines for identifying this reduction strategy in archaeological milky quartz assemblages.     

红河谷，爱情之谷

在我的眼里,红河大峡谷是最美、最神秘的大峡谷了。千百年来,红河这条发源于大理市巍山县境内的国际大河流,经过新平、元江等县后流入红河哈尼族彝族自治州境内后,在到达河口县汇入越南为止时的这一区域,那奔腾不息的红河水在以鬼斧神工的技艺创造出狭长、险峻的红河大峡谷这独特的地理、美景之时,也哺育了生活在大峡谷两岸的傣族、哈尼族、彝族等各族人民,孕育出了各族人民奇异、独特、神秘的民族文化。     

史前时期的玉蝉

本文依据所能收集到的考古资料,对史前时期的玉蝉进行了类型划分,分析了史前玉蝉的分布和区域特点,认为史前玉蝉的发展大体可分为新石器时代中期、新石器时代晚期和铜石并用时代三个阶段,使用玉蝉随葬寄托了古人对灵魂再生的希望,同时也是体现基主人身份、地位和财富的一个重要标志。     

怀念·景仰·继承--沉痛悼念女真满学一代大师金啟孮先生

惊悉恩师爱新觉罗(金)·啟孮先生,不幸于2004年4月9日凌晨谢世,噩耗传来,万分震惊而悲恸,潸然泪下,我不敢相信这是真的,难以抑制悲惋之情,含泪写下这篇怀念、哀思和景仰恩师的文字,以志哀情。我与恩师启攵先生结识交往已有26个春秋了。那是1978年初秋,我有幸在内蒙古大学蒙古史研究室向金先生进修女真文、满文与金史二年,深受先生的言传身教、提携和教诲,无论是严谨治学,还是忠厚为人,都受到很深的教育和启迪,对先生的渊深、功底笃厚、学识渊博和为人品德多所了解。先生出身于名门之后,家学渊深存厚。他生于北京满族爱新觉罗家庭,为清高宗…