„Eine für Alles“

Die zunehmende Nachfrage nach kulturtouristischen Angeboten und steigende Besucherzahlen in entsprechend aufgestellten Orten und Regionen sind sichtbare Zeichen der wirtschaftlichen und profilbildenden Bedeutung des Faktors Kultur im Tourismusmarketing. Nicht nur in den Ballungszentren, sondern insbesondere auch im ländlichen Raum werden zunehmend Anstrengungen unternommen, um die Attraktivität für Nah- und Fernreisende zu steigern und einen ansprechenden und zur jeweiligen Region passenden Angebotsmix zu schaffen. In der Folge sehen sich Kommunalvertreter und Tourismusfachleute mit einer Vielzahl für sie neuer Fragen konfrontiert: Wie sind kulturelle Projekte einer großen Öffentlichkeit näher zu bringen? Wie lassen sich gleichzeitig Ansprüche an Qualität, Seriosität und Wirtschaftlichkeit aufrechterhalten? Wie kann der einzigartige Charakter einer ländlichen Region dabei erhalten werden?     

Taphonomy of the bones of rodents consumed by Andean hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus chinga, Carnivora,Mephitidae) in central Argentina

The Andean hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus chinga) are generalized consumers. Rodents are a substantial part of their diet. In order to learn about the effects of this predator on the bones of the prey they consume, the bone remains from scats collected in La Pampa, Argentina, were analyzed from a taphonomic point of view. Analysis confirms that C. chinga produces severe destruction of bone remains, mainly during the chewing process. This allows inclusion of this predator in the category of extreme modifier of the bones of its prey. Data presented here and their interpretation provide criteria to identify the intervention of this predator in archaeological and paleontological sites.     

Silo or Vat? Observations on the Ancient Textile Industry in Malta and Early Phoenician Interests in the Island

This paper concerns the Bronze Age/Phoenician contact period, focusing on a cache of pottery from Mtarfa, Malta, excavated by Ward Perkins in 1939, and the evidence of coastal and other pits, possibly used in the process of dyeing textile. Dyed fabric, it is argued, may have been the reason for Phoenician contact with the island prior to colonization. Murex shells and other possible dye sources within Malta are discussed.     

Physiological optics, cognition and emotion: a novel look at the early work of Wilhelm Wundt

The German physiologist Wilhelm Wundt, who later founded experimental psychology, arguably developed the first modern scientific conception of emotion. In the first edition of Vorlesungen über die Menschen- und Thierseele (Lectures on human and animal psychology), which was published in 1863, Wundt tried to establish that emotions were essential parts of rational thought. In fact, he considered them unconscious steps of decision-making that were implied in all processes of conscious thought. His early work deserves attention not only because it is the attempt to conceptualize cognition and emotion strictly from a neural point of view but also because it represents the very foundation of the debate about the nature of emotion that revolved around William James' theory of emotion during the 1890s. However, this aspect of his work is little known because scholars who have analyzed Wundt's work focused on his late career. Furthermore, historical analysis interpreted Wundt's work within a philosophical framework, rather than placing it in the context of German medical and physiological research in which it belongs. In addition, Wundt's early works are hardly available to an English speaking audience because they were never translated.     

Effect of organic and inorganic consolidation agents on Tlaltecuhtli monolith

A huge monolithic piece corresponding to the first years of the sixteenth century has been discovered in Mexico City. It represents the earth goddess Tlaltecuhtli. The preservation of such a magnificent piece is imperative. Therefore, the surface has to be characterized and the interaction of consolidants with the rock has to be understood.Some of the consolidation methods are impregnation of the mineral with nopal or silicic acid derivatives. In this work we compare the physico-chemical effects of organic and inorganic consolidants. Original and impregnated samples are characterized with a series of original techniques: X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, nitrogen adsorption and small angle X-ray scattering. Fractal dimension, specific surface area and pore size distribution clearly differentiated the samples. The organic materials, nopal gum or slobber, cover the mineral particles with a smooth layer. The KSE solutions react and lead to microporosity.     

Ceramic diversity,random copying,and tests for selectivity in ceramic production

This paper examines the evidence for selective reproduction of ceramic types based on their evolving frequency distribution, and on correlations of the abundance of types with underlying functional characteristics. How can we tell if a variant has been preferentially selected or discriminated against, and become more or less frequent than would be expected under pure drift (i.e. random copying, with the compounding over time of proportionate sampling error)? We examined a database of Hittite ceramic bowl types from two successive Phases of occupation of the Upper City of Bo?azköy–Hattusa, capital of the Hittite empire and the largest Bronze Age settlement in Turkey. We applied two tests used in genetics to assess departures from neutrality, to assess selectivity in rates of reproduction of ceramic bowl types (the Ewens-Watterson and Slatkin's Exact tests). We also examined the effects of ceramic fabric and vessel dimensions on changes in vessel abundance between the two Phases, using regression analysis. We found that while the frequency distribution of rim sherds did not in itself enable us to reject the null hypothesis of random copying, closer examination of the characteristics of these types enabled us to recognize latent dimensions of functional variability (including ware type and bowl diameter) that had demonstrably been the subject of selective decision-making by the potters. The present case study suggests that we should be wary of applying the neutral model from genetics uncritically in archaeology, because it is much harder to prove that the cultural traits whose frequencies are being modelled are genuinely functionally equivalent (as that model requires).     

Towards a Living Archive: Making Multi Layered Research Data and Knowledge Generation Transparent

ABSTRACT

Çatalhöyük was first discovered as one of the earliest urban settlements in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965. The 9000-year-old town in central Turkey rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art that were uncovered inside the houses. Since 1993, under the direction of Ian Hodder, research at Çatalhöyük has pioneered a reflexive approach to archaeological practice, in which information is permanently open to reinterpretation by both scholars and the public. This approach acknowledges the mutual dependence of knowledge and the underlying research, to which end the Çatalhöyük Project decided to make its records available via the Web and to invite public comment since its onset. After 25 years of excavation, the project’s digital assets now amount to close to 5TB, including formal textual and numeric records, freetext documents, audiovisual materials, and a comprehensive collection of spatial data. The reflexive method, or ‘documentation of the documentation process,’ adds a separate layer of information that specifies how data have been gathered, and facilitates critique, understanding, and the evolution of knowledge.

In this paper we lay out our vision of an interactive archive that provides access to the multi layered information contained in this massive amount of data and how web technological advances have been incorporated into the digital data management at Çatalhöyük. Ultimately, the goal is to support an interdisciplinary process of assembling data into arguments on the basis of multiple lines of evidence. The ‘Living Archive’ will enable intuitive engagement across the entire variety of research, making use of the rich reflexive information stored with the data. The results of new analyses can in turn be reintegrated with the already existing data. The application will use open standards so that the knowledge gathered at Çatalhöyük can be linked with other projects that follow similar publication procedures based on the semantic web approach.