Arts and Crafts in Iron Age Britain: Reconsidering the Aesthetic Effects of Weaving Combs

Recent years have witnessed the formal acknowledgement of the privileged position from which decorative media in Iron Age Britain have traditionally been studied. Tension remains, however, between the study of the decorated metals that formed the basis for models of Celtic expansion, and decorated non‐metals. Despite the general paucity of decoration in Iron Age Britain, decorated non‐metals are still not viewed in the same light of social significance as metals. This paper will examine weaving combs from Glastonbury Lake Village, highly decorated objects of antler and bone. By concentrating on the fabrication and display of weaving combs, I aim to highlight the potential significance of the aesthetic effects of these objects.     

Building Bridges Through Performance and Decision‐making: Schools,Research and Public Engagement

Abstract: This paper uses the impact agenda in the UK to realign debate about the relationship between schools, universities and (human) geography. It positions this debate in systemic tendencies within UK higher education. It argues that, whilst impact can be seen as a further instance of neoliberalism, emphasising the gap between accountability and accounting allows an identification with communicative and reflexive knowledge and, more broadly, critical praxis. The paper draws on a year‐long research‐based collaboration with school teachers and their students involving performance work and the development of decision‐making curriculum materials. It argues that working in these ways with schools can provide the basis for public engagement partnerships between schools and universities and a means to constitute diverse research publics. In these ways, it is argued, a wider sense of impact can be reappropriated, to reclaim the critical subject and to constitute academic value     

Mastery or slavery: the ethics of revolt in Camus's ‘Les Muets’

Between 1 July and 31 December 2000, France chaired the Council machinery of the European Union (EU). This presidency was the 11th occasion since 1957 that France fulfilled the function, but was the first time that the French authorities attracted such sustained criticism for their performance. Indeed, in the aftermath of the Nice summit which concluded the presidency, France effectively found itself on trial for its handling of the presidency in particular, and for its political leaders' stance towards European integration in general. A tone of defensiveness on the part of the French leadership also characterised the presidency from start to finish, and beyond. This article reviews the French and EU agendas and examines the charges brought against France. It analyses the main arguments forw arded in its defence, and considers the possible mitigating circumstances—domestic and EU-wide—which may have toughened the challenge that the rotating presidency poses to any EU member state. It delivers its verdict on the presidency, and assesses the sentence it imposes henceforth on French political leaders seeking to redefine France's role in the EU.     

Can Earthquake Loss Models be Validated Using Field Observations?

The occurrence of a damaging earthquake provides an opportunity to compare observed and estimated damage, provided that detailed observations of the earthquake effects are made in the field. A question that arises is whether such comparisons can provide the basis for validation of an earthquake loss model. In order to explore this issue, a case study loss model for the northern Marmara region has been set up and the losses have been calculated for various ground-motion fields that arise when different assumptions are made about the ground-motion variability. In particular, the influence of removing the inter-event variability for a scenario earthquake and modeling spatial correlation among ground motions is studied. Further analyses are conducted assuming that a number of accelerograms are available within the region and that knowledge of spatial correlations among ground motions can therefore be used to better predict the motions at sites in the vicinity of the recording stations. The results demonstrate that unless one has a dense network of accelerographs (commensurate with the geographical resolution of exposure), then the variability in the losses cannot be sufficiently reduced to allow validation of the loss model.     

Displacement-Based Assessment of Non Ductile Exterior Wide Band Beam-Column Connections

Results from testing two half-scale exterior wide band beam-column sub-assemblages under cycles of lateral displacement are presented in this article. The first subassemblage represents the current level of detailing adopted in low to moderate seismic regions, such as Australia, for connections where seismic provisions are not normally a consideration in design. Minor (inexpensive) detailing changes in the reinforcement distribution and anchorage were introduced to the second test specimen. These changes significantly improved the connection performance in terms of increased displacement capacity and a reduction in strength deterioration. Using a displacement-based assessment approach to assess primary moment-resisting band beam frames of up to eight stories, it was found that the current level of detailing is adequate for the drift demands resulting from the expected Australian seismicity for a 500-year return period. However, for the displacement demands corresponding to a 2500-year return period, the frames sited on very soft soils and frames over four stories sited on intermediate soils would require improved detailing such as that used in the second sub-assemblage. A strength hierarchy of strong column-weak beam was assumed in this assessment.