Categorical Wombling: Detecting Regions of Significant Change in Spatially Located Categorical Variables

Wombling is a method for discovering boundaries in a collection of continuous variables observed at the same geographic localities. We extend this method to categorical data. A categorical wombling statistic C_i, which identifies areas of rapid change, is defined for every pair i = 1,…, n of adjacent localities, and is equal to the average number of category mismatches at i. We use both simulation and theory to consider the order statistics of C_i under null hypotheses of randomness, and of spatial autocorrelation for each variable, but independence between variables. Graph-theoretical statistics derived from C_i investigate whether areas of rapid change resemble boundaries. Computer simulation is used to study the distributions of these under the two null hypotheses. The methods are applied to linguistic data in three European areas. Other potential applications exist in biology, linguistics, anthropology, and other social sciences.     

Der Briefwechsel Karls des Kühnen: Ein editionsprojekt

In his inaugural lecture, delivered at the University fof Kiel on 23 January 1985, and here printed, the author describes some of the problems, and aims, of his project, already under way, to edit the surviving correspondence of Charles of Burgundy, who in 1467 succeeded his father as duke and died some ten years later on the battlefield of Nancy. The edition is to include all surviving letters written by or to Charles during his entire lifetime, and also all letters mentioned in the accounts or other sources. The proposed editorial techniques, hoping to make full use of the computer, are described, and attention is drawn to the historical significance of the edition.

Zusammenfassung

In seiner hier veröffentlichten Antrittsvorlesung an der Universität Kiel vom 23. Januar 1985, beschreibt der Autor einige der Ziele und Probleme seines schon begonnenen Vorhabens, den gesamten üherlieferten Briefwechsel Karls des Kühnen von Burgund herauszugeben, der 1467 seinem Vater als Herzog nachfolgte und knapp zehn Jahre später auf dem Schlachtfeld von Nancy umkam. Die Edition soll nicht nur die erhaltenen, bei Karl während seines gesamten Lebens ein- und von ihm ausgehenden Briefe erfassen, sondern auch alle Schreiben, die in Rechnungen and anderen Quellen erwähnt sind. Die vorgeschlagene Editionstechnik, die sich auf die elektronische Datenverarbeitung stützen möchte, wird vorgestellt und die historische Bedeutung der Edition erläutert.     

Regional and interregional networks of ancient Eleon during the early 12th century BCE as seen from the petrographic and neutron activation analyses of pottery

In this article, we present the results of application of petrographic and neutron activation analyses to a group of pottery fragments dating to the 12th century BCE deriving from ancient Eleon (Boeotia, Greece) as a means of investigating regional and interregional networks in which the site participated. Production centres in Boeotia and central Euboea provided, as could be expected, the majority of sampled pottery across various shapes. A number of more distant areas, however, such as eastern Attica, the Cyclades, Macedonia, and western Crete, are also documented in the present study, suggesting their products were available to local consumers at ancient Eleon. These results are discussed with reference to consumer preferences and exchange networks operating at that time. Finally, some of the identified petrographic and chemical groups can be securely identified at the macroscopic level, allowing us to arrive at conclusions pertinent to a substantial part of the entire pottery assemblage.     

The fluidity of barbarian identity: the ethnogenesis of Alemanni and Suebi, AD 200–500

This article argues against the romantic notion that barbarian peoples organized themselves around internal identities which persisted essentially unchanged over centuries. The Alemanni comprised an amalgam of constituent groups whose identities and behaviour fluctuated according to situation and context. This loose association of groups was transformed into a more cohesively organized gentile configuration during the migration period, when Alemannic and Suebic elements formed a common Alemannic identity.     

Party responsiveness and voter confidence in Australia

Numerous studies have shown that Australians have little confidence in their political parties. This article presents the results of a study investigating whether the responsiveness of Australian parties to what their voters want drives this lack of confidence. It analyses two aspects of party responsiveness: programmatic responsiveness in electoral manifestos and perceived responsiveness that centres on Australian voters’ assessment of how well their parties meet their demands. The analysis finds that programmatic responsiveness has no significant influence. Instead, how Australians perceive their parties to be responsive has a modest effect on their confidence in those parties. The study suggests that, however, it is incumbency which has the most powerful effect on voter confidence.     

HLO1‐south: An Early Neolithic site in Wadi al‐Hilo (Sharjah,UAE)

Site HLO1 (Sharjah, UAE), situated in a particularly favourable geographical position, has provided an extraordinary range of anthropogenic radiocarbon dates, spanning before 8000 to Zero BCE. The Neolithic is represented by finds from the eighth to the fifth millennium BCE. Apart from the dated fireplaces, however, there are almost no typical artefacts of this period. Small stone structures appear to have been early Neolithic graves. A middle Neolithic grave consisted of a large rounded stone heap which was reused as a grave during the Late Bronze Age. The site is interpreted as a campsite of nomadic herders, used throughout the Neolithic period. After a break in the fourth millennium BCE, the site became a Bronze Age smelting site which continued to be settled until the Late Iron Age.