An example of a severe neck injury with survival seen in a Bronze Age burial

We present a paleopathological analysis of an adult male from the Bronze Age site of Motilla del Azuer (Daimiel, Ciudad Real) from the Spanish region of La Mancha. The hyoid bone from this individual exhibits a healed fracture. This is an exceptional archaeological find. This injury is extremely rare apart from hanging and strangulation, and it is even rarer since the individual survived this injury to his neck. This injury was probably produced by a direct impact to the neck. This event could have been the result of an accident or that of intentional aggression. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some types of vertebral pathologies in the Argar Culture (Bronze Age,SE Spain)

A collection of 1825 vertebrae belonging to 105 individuals from several Argaric Culture sites (Bronze Age, SE of Spain) were studied. Several pathologies that could provide information about activity patterns were analysed, including spondylolysis, compression fractures and Schmorl's nodes. Spondylolysis appears exclusively in men. Compression fractures seem to be more related to age (osteoporosis) and are more frequent in women, but without statistical significance. Schmorl's nodes affect a large number of the individuals studied, with a slight predominance in men; there are no differences by age. The results obtained were compared with the available archaeological and anthropological information, which shows a clear division of activities by sex in the Argaric population. The validity of studying these pathologies as activity patterns is discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Community of Practice in the Kuwaiti Medical Sector: An Exploratory Study

Community of Practice (CoP) is a relatively new concept in the Middle East and North Africa. The concept has been used for a number of years in the business sector; however, the use of CoPs in the health sector has not been as widespread. The aim of this study is to provide insights into the status of CoPs in the health sector and the knowledge sharing practices that take place among members of such CoPs in Kuwait. Ninety‐eight questionnaires were distributed among medical practitioners. Results showed that the majority of members perceived the CoP as a source of increasing professional knowledge. Respondents focused mainly on the COPs fostering social interactions at the workplace or during task‐oriented activities. They mostly discussed specific problems and immediate concerns. The desire to learn and the desire to help others were the main motivators for doctors to share their knowledge. Lack of time and lack of technology and knowledge transfer mechanisms were reported as the primary obstacles to sharing knowledge. Nearly 65 percent of the CoP members responding to the survey stated that they did not receive any financial support from their management. In recent years the role of communities in learning and knowledge sharing has attracted much attention among those interested in knowledge as a situated practice. The concept of Communities of Practice (CoP) was originally developed by Lave and Wenger (1991 ), who suggested that learning took place in social relationships rather than the simple acquisition of knowledge. Lave and Wenger's observations have formed the basis of the “situated learning theory,” which describes that learning takes place in a setting functionally identical to a space where the knowledge is applied ( Lave & Wenger, 1991 ). The CoP concept has been used in the business sector for over 20 years, but the use of CoPs in the health sector has been recent ( Li et al., 2009 ). In addition, results of two studies, conducted by Traboulsi (2002 ) and Johnson and Kalidi (2005 ), revealed that the CoP is a relatively new phenomenon in the Middle East and North Africa. This article aims to provide insights into the status of CoPs in the health sector and their knowledge‐sharing practices in Kuwait.     

The crowsteps motif in Nabataean architecture: insights into its meaning and use

Nabataeans, in constructing their tombs, added many symbols and geometrical forms, plants and animals. Crowsteps, as a geometrical form, are the most common among these symbols. This study investigates the use of the crowsteps motif found frequently on the facades of Nabataean tombs. The primary focus is to replace models of typological explanation for the introduction of crowsteps into the Nabataean rock‐cut facades. The study begins with tracing the origin of the crowsteps motif and the way it was adopted by the Nabataeans to become one of the most significant features in the making of Nabataean architectural vocabularies. It then provides a theoretical framework for explaining the use and meaning of the crowsteps in Nabataean architecture. Thematic analysis of related literature and existing architectural remains allows us to suggest that crowsteps served both sacred and secular purposes. Sacredly, crowsteps were used to connect the deceased with the principal deities through metaphorical representation either as a ‘high place’ or as a ‘throne’. Secularly, crowsteps served basic human needs: representing identity, wealth and social structure. The study also considers that the Nabataean rock‐cut crowsteps activated the dialogue between different cultural traditions and helped in shaping the ideological cult and identity of the Nabataeans.     

Umm an‐Nar burial 401 at Bat,Oman: architecture and finds

The archaeological site at Bat has an important status with regard to research on the Umm an‐Nar culture. Investigations began there in 1972 and were revived in 2004, when the excavation of tomb 401 was begun. This paper presents the complete corpus of grave‐goods. Despite all the disturbances within the find layers, when comparing the two chambers it is possible to observe some indications of the different burial cycles and detect distinguishing characteristics. Taking into account the divergent earlier and later ceramic styles, burial use must be proposed between 2400 and 2200 BC. This date accords with observations of the architectural details of tomb 401 and with the sequence of tomb construction types in the Bat region. This paper is dedicated to the memory of professor Gerd Weisgerber.     

The Image of Arab and Islam in Introduction to Sociology College Textbooks in the United States

Sociology textbooks play a central role in educational process of teaching Sociology. This is very obvious in an introduction course. Introduction courses tend to be very large. In major universities, sociology courses attract as many as 500 to 1000 students. The enrollees tend to be drawn from various disciplines ranging from hard core sciences to social sciences. Furthermore, many of the instructors who teach introduction to sociology tend be new, of junior ranks, and lack experience. Thus, instructors who teach introduction to sociology tend to rely heavily upon the textbook to organize their lectures and presentations in order to give an organized overview of the subject matter and present a clear picture of the essentials of the field. Diversity¹ and globalization² are two important variables that have gained popularity and importance among sociologists, and many social scientists, in recent years. Sociologists use these tools to present and analyze sociological data and information. Thus, these two variables have significantly changed both the coverage and the presentation of introductory sociology textbooks in the last decade or so. Diversity and globalization have increased the coverage of foreign cultures and societies. The purpose of this paper is to study the coverage of Islam and the Arabs in introductory sociology textbooks. The study will cover 20 textbooks published in the 1995–2000 by major publishing companies in the U.S. which are used at colleges and universities throughout the country. The choice of textbooks at the college level in a given course relies, in most cases, on the instructor who teaches the course. Therefore a given textbook may be used in different parts of the country. Content analysis techniques will be used to analyze and evaluate the coverage of both Islam and the Arabs. The introductory Sociology texts will be evaluated in terms of whether they give a balanced, measured, impartial, and an objective picture of the Arabs and Muslims.     

Kinship terms in the Nabataean inscriptions

This paper examines one of the most important aspects of Nabataean social structure, namely kinship terminology. It examines the linguistic derivations, meanings and social significance of kinship terms, and compares them with those found in other Semitic languages.     

Political Security Issues at the Concluding Statements of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Sessions 1981–2001: an Analytical Study of the Content

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contents of the concluding statements of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) sessions from 1981 to 2001 concerning political and security issues. In particular, the study reviews six topics, including cooperation in the military field, cooperation in the field of security, the Iraqi‐Kuwaiti issue, the Arab‐Israeli conflict, cooperation in the field of fighting terrorism, and GCC Iranian relations. The GCC Supreme Council affirmed the right of the Palestinians to establish their independent state whose capital would be Eastern Jerusalem. The GCC demanded the elimination of weapons of mass destruction when it came to the issue of the Iraqi ‐ Kuwait problem. Concerning the relations between the GCC and Iran, the emphasis was on calling for a peaceful resolution to the problems of the islands [Abu Musa, Tunb Major and Tunb Minor]. The GCC stressed the importance of intensive communications among the security agencies in the member states, and condemning terrorism in all its forms and types. Finally, the GCC expressed satisfaction with the accomplishments in the military and defense sector.