Imaging the materiality of a diaspora: Recording the biographies of Greek Orthodox church buildings in London

The materiality of world diasporas – in every form, from landmark features to everyday objects – is a relatively modern approach towards studying the diasporas' relationship with both homeland and hostland. Photo narratives and various modes of imaging can be employed to better record, assess and disseminate the narratives of diasporic lifeways in terms of their material culture. This article examines how Greek Orthodox communities have altered Western denomination church buildings in London to serve their spiritual and community needs. The new, amalgamated characteristics are described, while the debate around the role these religious communities should play in the hostland is also discussed.     

Interpreting Past Human Diets Using Stable Isotope Mixing Models

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory - Palaeodietary reconstruction using stable isotope analysis is becoming increasingly common, as is the practice of using mixing models to quantify...     

The power of precision air strikes and social media feeds in the 2012 Israel–Hamas conflict: ‘targeting transparency’

This article analyses the evolving uses of social media during wartime through the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Spokesperson Facebook and Twitter accounts. The conflict between Israel and Hamas-affiliated groups in November 2012 has generated interesting data about social media use by a sovereign power in wartime and the resultant networked discourse. Facebook data is examined for effective patterns of dissemination through both content analysis and discourse analysis. Twitter data is explored through connected concept analysis to map the construction of meaning in social media texts shared by the IDF. The systematic examination of this social media data allows the authors’ analysis to comment on the evolving modes, methods and expectations for state public diplomacy, propaganda and transparency during wartime.     

Recent analyses of the excavated textile find from Grave 35 HTR73, Kerameikos cemetery,Athens, Greece

The following study presents the results of instrumental analyses performed on the excavated textile find HTR73 from the Kerameikos cemetery in Athens. In Greece, preservation of excavated textiles is rare, mainly due to the unfavourable environmental conditions prevailing. The Kerameikos textile find is from the 5th century BC, and has been preserved in association with copper, which is the most common type of preservation in Greece. Past analyses had indicated the presence of silk fibres, of the Bombyx mori silkworm, the use of which was not common in Classical Greece. In the present study, non-destructive instrumental analytical techniques were applied, namely ESEM and FTIR microspectroscopy, for the purpose of material identification. None of the techniques applied confirmed the presence of silk. However, cellulosic bast and possibly cotton fibres were identified. The presence of cotton is an equally rare phenomenon for the Classical period in Greece.     

Grüne Wiese kontra Innenstadt – immer noch ein aktuelles Thema für den Einzelhandel?

Kurzfassung Mit dem gro?fl?chigen Einzelhandel und seinen Standorten besch?ftigen sich Geographen und Planer seit Jahrzehnten. Schlie?lich ist die Versorgung mit Gütern des t?glichen und des speziellen Bedarfs eine unverzichtbare Grunddaseinsfunktion, die allen Menschen zug?nglich sein sollte. Gleichzeitig ist dies ein Bereich, in dem die zunehmende Kapital- und Standortkonzentration in den letzten Jahren auch Probleme bereitete. Grund genug für den Informations- und Initiativkreis „Regionalplanung“ der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung (ARL), sich damit zu besch?ftigen und zu positionieren. Projektkoordinator und Impulsgeber war dabei Dr.-Ing. Dirk Vallée, der auch den Entwurf für das 2006 erschienene Positionspapier der ARL erarbeitet hatte. Dipl.-Geogr. Ute C. Bauer sprach mit dem Technischen Direktor vom „Verband Region Stuttgart“, der dort für die Regional- und die Landschaftsplanung zust?ndig ist, über gegenw?rtige und zukünftige Entwicklungen im Bereich des gro?fl?chigen Einzelhandels.