WHITE,VEINED MARBLE FROM ROMAN AMMAIA (PORTUGAL): PROVENANCE AND USE

A multimethod approach using petrography and strontium (Sr) isotopic analysis was applied to determine the geological source of 17 marble artefacts from the Roman town of Ammaia (Portugal). All samples are calcitic, with dolomite, quartz and muscovite as accessory minerals. The marbles are characteristically medium‐grained with a maximum grain size (MGS) between 0.98 mm and 1.82 mm, have a heteroblastic texture, and have curved to embayed calcite grain boundaries. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of marble leachates range from 0.708488 to 0.708639. Comparison with Hispanic and Mediterranean marbles suggests the Estremoz Anticline as the most likely source for the Ammaia marble, especially for architectural marble. This hypothesis is supported by the geographical proximity of the Estremoz marble district and the long and expensive overland transport required for other marbles to reach Ammaia.     

SEISMIC BEHAVIOUR OF PERIMETER AND SPATIAL STEEL FRAMES

The present study deals with the seismic performance of partial perimeter and spatial moment resisting frames (MRFs) for low-to-medium rise buildings. It seeks to establish perimeter configuration systems and hence the lack of redundancy can detrimentally affect the seismic response of framed buildings. The paper tackles this key issue by com-paring the performance of a set of perimeter and spatial MRFs, which were “consistently designed”. The starting point is the set of low-(three-storey) and medium-rise (nine-storey) perimeter frames designed within the SAC Steel Project for the Los Angeles, Seattle and Boston seismic zones. Extensive design analyses (static and multi-modal) of the perimeter frame buildings and consistent design of spatial frame systems, as an alternative to the perimeter configuration, were conducted within this analytical study. The objectives of the consistent design are two-fold, i.e. obtaining fundamental periods similar to those of the perimeter frames, i.e. same lateral stiffness under design horizon-tal loads, and supplying similar yield strength. The seismic behaviour of perimeter and spatial configuration structures was evaluated by means of push-over non-linear static analyses and inelastic dynamic analyses (non linear time histories). Comparisons be-tween analysis results were developed in a well defined framework since a clear scheme to define and evaluate relevant limit states is suggested. The failure modes, either local or global, were computed and correlated to design choices, particularly those concerning the strength requirements (column overstrength factors) and stiffness (elastic stability indexes). The inelastic response exhibited by the sample MRFs under severe ground motions was assessed in a detailed fashion. Conclusions are drawn in terms of local and global performance, namely global and inter-storey drifts, beam and column plas-tic rotations, hysteretic energy. The finding is that the seismic response of perimeter and spatial MRFs is fairly similar. Therefore, an equivalent behaviour between the two configurations can be obtained if the design is “consistent”.     

Floodplain management in Canada: overview and prospects

Flooding is an important natural process. It plays a vital role in the maintenance of floodplain and shoreline ecosystems. Yet, it also is a hazard, in that floods put human life and property at risk. Paradoxically, flooding is a hazard only because humans have chosen to occupy flood‐vulnerable areas, such as riverine floodplains and lake or coastal shorelines. Recent major floods in Canada are a reminder that vulnerability to floods remains high. Responses to the flooding “problem” have evolved in Canada from an emphasis on controlling “water out of place” through structural measures such as dams and dikes, to managing human behaviour using zoning to keep development away from hazardous areas. In Canada, the federal‐provincial Flood Damage Reduction Program, initiated in 1975, has been an important vehicle for delivering a consistent, national approach to floodplain management. However, as of early 1999, the federal government has allowed the program to wind down while it reconsiders its role in water management ‐ effectively leaving the field of flood damage reduction to the provinces. This creates both challenges and opportunities. The challenge will be to avoid a return to the spiral of increasing flood damages and disaster assistance payments that characterized the period up to 1975. At the same time, however, opportunities exist to take stock of floodplain management, and to evaluate alternative future directions, including a more integrated approach to flooding. Les inondations font partie d'un processus naturel important. En particulier, elles contribuent largement à entretenir les écosystèmes des plaines inondables et des zones riveraines. Pourtant, elles constituent aussi un risque dans la mesure où elles mettent en danger la vie des gens et les propriétés. Paradoxalement, les inondations ne sont un risque que parce que les être humains ont choisi d'occuper des zones susceptibles d‘être inondées, comme les plaines riveraines inondables, les rives des lacs et le littoral marin. Les inondations importantes qui se sont récemment produites au Canada nous ont rappelé notre grande vulnérabilitéà leur égard. Notre réaction à l'endroit du “problème” que représentent les inondations a d'ailleurs évolué. Au lieu de nous concentrer comme autrefois sur l'adoption de mesures structurelles comme des barrages et des digues pour empêcher l'eau de s’échapper librement, nous agissons maintenant sur le comportement humain en décourageant les installations dans les zones dangereuses. Au Canada, le programme fédéral‐provincial de réduction des dommages causés par les inondations, lancé en 1975, a beaucoup contribuéà l‘élaboration d'une approche nationale cohérente dans la gestion des plaines inondables. Cependant, au début de 1999, le gouvernement fédéral, qui repense son rôle dans la gestion des eaux, a autorisé l’élimination progressive du programme, laissant tout bonnement aux provinces la responsabilité de la réduction des dommages causés par les inondations. Ce nouvel état de choses soulève évidemment toutes sortes de difficultés, mais aussi des possibilités. Entre autres difficultés, il faudra éviter de retomber dans la spirale des paiements d'aide aux sinistrés et de compensation pour les dommages issus des inondations qui a caractérisé la période antérieure à 1975. Parallèlement, sur le plan des possibilités, il faudra prendre en main la gestion des plaines inondables et évaluer les différentes orientations possibles, y compris l'adoption d'une approche plus intégrée de lutte contre les inondations.     

Third-Millenniurn and Later Pottery From Abu Dhabi Airport

Surface pottery collected from a site on Abu Dhabi airport indicated sporadic occupation from the Hafit period, c. 3100–2700 BC, with maximum settlement in the second half of the third millennium BC. The ceramics, which could be related both to the coastal Umm an-Nar culture and to the sequence established at Hili 8 in Period II, included wares of probably Mesopotamian and Eastern Arabian origin. The site was unused throughout most of the second millennium BC and the Iron Age but pottery of first century BC-second century AD date suggested that it may have served as a point of entry or transit at that time, the first to be recognised in the coastal area of Abu Dhabi.     

German–Israeli ties in 2015 and 1965: the difficult special relationship

This article marks the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel. It is divided into two parts, assessing the status of this unique relationship in 2015 and in 1965, respectively. Angela Merkel's recent criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on the peace process with the Palestinians and the heavy protests that took place in Germany in the wake of Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in summer 2014 have cast doubt on the strength of the bilateral partnership fifty years after the first exchange of ambassadors between the two countries. However, by examining the state of German–Israeli cooperation in a number of areas (security, commerce and knowledge exchange, among others), the first part of the article challenges popular interpretations of contemporary German–Israeli relations as being ‘at a nadir’. Fifty years ago, Chancellor Ludwig Erhard proposed to his Israeli counterpart Levi Eshkol the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries amid a severe political crisis in Bonn, following a visit of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht to Gamal Abdel Nasser. While much has changed since then, the second part of the article argues that looking at the momentous events of 1965 can provide useful reference points for understanding the current state of relations between Germany and Israel.     

NON‐DESTRUCTIVE INVESTIGATION OF BRONZE ARTEFACTS FROM THE MARCHES NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY USING NEUTRON DIFFRACTION*

Non‐destructive neutron diffraction techniques were applied to determine composition and microstructure data, and hence to derive information on manufacturing techniques of Picenum bronze artefacts. Furthermore, texture analyses were carried out on standards and suitable ancient artefacts to investigate their potential role in archaeometallurgical studies. This is a first step towards an overall characterization of the bronze collection of the Marches National Museum of Archaeology, Italy, and the analytical demonstration of relations with and differences compared to Etruscan metallurgy. The work is also an example application of the powerful non‐destructive archaeometrical approaches provided by time‐of‐flight neutron diffraction.     

Urban brownfields redevelopment in Canada: the role of local government

As in many U.S. and European cities, the legacy of a negligent past has left scars on Canada's urban landscape in the form of numerous under-used industrial and commercial brownfield sites. While governments in the U.S. and Europe have implemented a variety of policies and programs to help developers overcome the costs and risks associated with redeveloping these sites, there continues to be apprehension among stakeholders in Canada that efforts implemented by the different levels of government here have been deficient, fragmented and piecemeal in comparison. This paper examines the nature of the brownfields problem in Canadian cities and investigates the role of local governments in managing these problems 'on the ground'. Survey data from 24 cities, coupled with information gathered from four site visitations, reveal that brownfields are indeed a problem for many cities. The data suggest that even though perceptions of what is needed to better manage the problem locally are relatively similar throughout the country, managerial efforts remain disparate and somewhat limited because of diverse provincial policies and variable property markets.     

Archiving anthropology in Portugal

This article examines some of the issues surrounding archiving in anthropology. It provides an account of archiving in the Portuguese context and seeks to problematize anthropology archives, contributing to the as yet timid debate over this question in the field. There are various ways of recording ethnographies and saving the ensuing records. Anthropologists often reflect on their archives, but rarely make these reflections public. Nor do we know much about what anthropologists in general plan to do with their fieldnotes, diaries, images, maps, drawings, audio and video recordings and objects, once a specific research project is complete. How do anthropologists store their data? What should be done with these materials? What stories can they tell? Will the ethnographic materials produced in the present be considered historical archives in the future?     

SHAFT‐HOLE AXES FROM CAPUT ADRIAE: MINERALOGICAL AND CHEMICAL CONSTRAINTS ABOUT THE PROVENANCE OF SERPENTINITIC ARTEFACTS*

The change of raw materials used to produce stone axes during the Neolithic to Copper Age transition in northeastern Italy, central and western Slovenia and northwestern Croatia (Caput Adriae) has been recently linked to the development of early European metallurgy. Serpentinite shaft‐hole axes occur commonly in the archaeological context of this region and their rounded irregular shape suggests that the raw material was mainly sourced from secondary deposits. The aim of the present study is to characterize with multiple analytical methods, including synchrotron radiation, the axes and locate the primary outcrop(s) of raw materials and related secondary exploitation areas. All the analysed artefacts are manufactured from peridotites and probably pyroxenites completely metamorphosed in greenschist facies and characterized by antigorite, diopside and magnetite, sometimes rimmed by penninite. Mineralogical and petrographic data exclude most Eastern Alps outcrops as possible raw material sources, thus limiting the research to the Hohe Tauern. Chemical data reveal a close homogeneity for the peridotite‐derived axes and therefore demonstrate a selection of the most suitable raw material for axe production. Provenance from Hohe Tauern and related secondary deposits of the Drava River hydrographical system agrees with previous studies, as this region is rich in copper ore deposits, which have been exploited since prehistory.