Law and the peasant: rural society and justice in Carolingian Italy

Comparative analysis of the most important Carolingian‐period Italian placiti dealing with the defence of freedom allows us to reconstruct the approach taken by various large monasteries as they attempted to transform their landholding into coercive power over people, by converting dependent freemen into slaves. Similarly, it reveals the strenuous defence mounted by the freemen who were thus threatened, who were clearly perfectly aware that a downgrading of their legal status would be far more serious for them than an economic downgrading. It also permits an analysis of placiti as sites for the representation of public power, in which the ideological model of the king as ‘protector of the weak’ was often scuppered by the ability of many potentes to use for their own advantage either the presence of royal officials, or those very legal processes which were supposed to guarantee protection of the pauperes.     

Heterogeneity of Attribute Sampling Error in Spatial Data Sets

This paper considers the standard error of the estimate of the mean of a spatially correlated variable in the case where data are obtained by a process of random sampling. Two distinct mean estimation problems are identified: estimating the area mean and estimating the population mean. Methods are described for obtaining standard error estimates in the two cases and, within the limits of publicly available information, the methods are implemented on average household income data at the census tract scale for Syracuse, New York. The purpose of the paper is to draw attention to issues of data precision in relation to sampled geographic information on averages and in particular to consider the problems of estimating standard errors using such data. The paper also examines the extent to which standard errors vary between census tracts.     

Seismic refraction tomography surveys as a method for voids detection: an application to the archaeological park of Cava Ispica,Sicily, Italy

Geophysical surveys are commonly used in areas where the presence of ancient civilizations is historically documented. These investigations are able to detect through indirect methods the presence of bodies or structures in the subsoil measuring the variations of some physical parameters, obtaining information about archaeological remains without causing harm to them.

In the present study, we investigated the presence of anthropogenic buried cavities partially filled with rubble material, in an area located in the northern part of Cava Ispica, one of the most important archaeological sites located in south-eastern Sicily. The results of seismic refraction prospections, processed with tomographic methods, are presented and discussed. The entire valley contains prehistoric burial sites, Christian catacombs and residential units of various kinds. Despite the numerous searches made over past years, much still remains to be discovered.

The seismic refraction tomographic data, analyzed in 3D, revealed the presence of low velocity values (<400 m/s) areas that, considering the lithotypes locally present and the features of other archaeological structures discovered during previous surveys, can be ascribed to the presence of possible cavities. The obtained results show how such geophysical inspections represent an important preliminary tool for archaeological surveys.     

Knowledge-based development dynamics in less favoured regions: insights from Australian and Icelandic university towns

Knowledge-based development (KBD) is a widely practiced policy and is signified as an effective development approach particularly for the metropolitan city-region context. Even though, increasing recognition of this policy resulted in some initiatives in less favoured regions – such as regional university towns – its appropriateness for this context has not been investigated adequately. This paper explores the concept thoroughly in regional university town settings from the lens of the triple-helix model – a critical element for success in KBD. The study aims to broaden our understanding on the challenges of implementing a successful triple-helix model in regional university towns by providing evidence from different country contexts – Australia and Iceland. The methodology of the comparative case investigation incorporates policy and stakeholder perception analyses. Results reveal the journey of the investigated cases, their limited accomplishments and failure factors. Findings shed light on the developmental challenges of regional university towns by highlighting critical issues relating to suitability, appropriate implementation and effectiveness of the KBD policy.     

Role of Monitoring in Historical Building Restoration: The Case of Leaning Tower of Pisa

A short summary is presented of the studies and the actions of Committees appointed in past 50 years for the Tower of Pisa. The discussion first addresses the attempts carried out during the whole history of the Tower to measure its movements and the efforts made to understand the origin and causes of its inclination. A history of foundation rotation has been also deduced by means of a precise architectural survey, which has led to a diagnosis for the inclination and its increase in time. As a consequence, several hypotheses for its stabilization have been proposed. All the measures for leaning tower stabilization need the application of observational method for their implementation. The observational method is strictly based on a comprehensive monitoring system, both described in the second part of the paper. The aims are to stress the importance of a well-conceived monitoring system and to propose the extension of concept of monitoring to construction history details. The data and actions described are from the work carried out by committees appointed by Italian Government during the second half of 20th century, in particular by the committee chaired by Professor Jamiolkowski, appointed in 1991. The authors have collaborated with this committee since 1993, and they are still in charge of the monitoring and maintenance of the Tower of Pisa.     

Local and territorial determinants in the realization of public–private–partnerships: an empirical analysis for Italian provinces

ABSTRACT

Relational networks and intangible factors are crucial elements for the competitiveness of a territory. Public–Private–Partnerships (PPPs), in particular, allow for the provision of goods and services that favour the exploitation of complementarities between public and private resources. They aim at promoting an increase in the overall efficiency of investment projects through a complex mechanism that distributes risk and revenues among stakeholders. This paper examines the local and territorial determinants of PPPs through an econometric analysis based upon Italian municipal data, grouped at the provincial level. Using a tobit model, we analyse the relationship between the realization of successful PPP initiatives and different sets of factors, including less analysed local and territorial determinants. We stress the role of the local management of infrastructure assets, the administrative efficiency of local authorities and the diffusion of previous local development initiatives. Local management and territorial context factors explain most of the occurrence of successful PPP initiatives in the pre-crisis period while usual determinants (infrastructure endowment and financial distress) display a weaker effect.     

Vitrification of basalt orthostats and mud building components from Tilmen Höyük (south-eastern Turkey): an experimental and geoarchaeological approach

Finds of basalt orthostats and mud building components from the archaeological site of Tilmen Höyük (south-eastern Turkey, early 2nd Millenium BC) preserve a glassy crust formed by vitrification of the material. It is proposed that such features are related to destructive fire events, which destroyed the wooden building elements and burned natural stones. The geoarchaeological and experimental approach confirms this hypothesis. The geochemical composition of experimental melts is comparable to that of natural basalts. Spot analyses evidence the heterogeneity of the melts, especially for mudbricks and ceiling plasters. It is concluded that the investigated finds were subjected to strong burning under oxidising conditions reached during a violent fire. Temperatures similar to those derived by experimental melting (1180–1195 °C) were likely reached in the fire at Tilmen in order to produce the glass observed.