Electrochemical Characterization and Dating of Archaeological Leaded Bronze Objects Using the Voltammetry of Immobilized Particles

The application of solid state electrochemistry techniques for the characterization and dating of leaded bronze objects is described. Characteristic voltammetric signatures of copper and lead corrosion products were used as markers of more or less prolonged corrosion periods. The proposed methodology was applied to samples from the Roman archaeological sites of Valeria (Spain) and Gadara (Jordan), Roman and medieval sites in Xàtiva (Spain), and modern statuary exhibited outdoors, on the campus of the Universitat Politècnica of Valencia, Spain, covering a time interval between the fourth to second century bc and the 20th century ad . For such samples, the ratio between the signals for copper and lead corrosion products decreased monotonically with the corrosion time. This variation was modelled on the basis of thermochemical and kinetic considerations, the experimental data being consistent with a potential rate law for the corrosion process.     

The Mail-Coach Revolution: Landmarks in Travel in Germany Between the Seventeenth and Nineteenth Centuries

The mailcoach, more than any other mode of transport, has beenromanticized and portrayed as the epitome of old-fashioned travelfor Mr and Mrs Average. This idyllic picture dates from thegrowth of railway travel, which for ever altered perceptionsof earlier travelling patterns. In fact, before the coming ofthe railways things were very different. The introduction oftimetabled ordinari mailcoaches from the seventeenth centuryonwards brought about a transport revolution of entirely newproportions. The mail coaches were rapid, comfortable and reliable,and they brought about a new understanding of space and time.The expansion of travel enabled by the mail coaches opened thedoor to other new patterns of thought: the Enlightenment, andthe emancipation of ordinary people from the restrictions offeudal society. This new mode of transport reached its apotheosisin the early nineteenth century with the introduction of theexpress coaches and the rapid postal coaches. The overarchingprinciple, however, is that as the centuries pass, revolutionsin structures and infrastructures are the determining factorin enabling society to pass cultural milestones.     

The Macro‐Regional Scale of Silver Production in Iberia During the First Millennium BC in the Context of Mediterranean Contacts

The extraction of silver has traditionally been considered as one of the main incentives for the Phoenician expansion throughout the Mediterranean and their settlement in Iberia. In this paper, we approach the organization of silver production in Iberia during the Early Iron Age through the study of the evidence of production currently available and the development of Lead Isotope Analysis (LIA). Previous results (Hunt 2003; Stos Gale 2001; Kassianidou 1992) are considered in the light of new data. The extraction of silver from complex minerals noticeably intensifies in south‐west Iberia. Imports of exogenous lead, needed for the extraction of silver from these complex minerals, are evident. Supplies of lead come in from other regions of Iberia, such as Gádor, Cartagena/Mazarrón, Linares or even the mining district of Molar‐Belmunt‐Falset (MBF) in Catalonia. This picture reveals that the organization of silver production was much more complex than initially thought, with the articulation of an exchange network of raw materials at a macro‐territorial scale embracing almost all Iberia. The socioeconomic implications that control of these networks of lead distribution could have had are also discussed.     

Integrating the Internet into the Arabic Curriculum

The increasing scope of the Internet into all spheres of life has become an added burden for educators, requiring that they incorporate Internet use into the school curriculum. Exploiting the Internet to support the educational process presents an opportunity as well as a challenge. A plan to support the Arabic curriculum has been presented at the Al‐Bayan Bilingual School. Its potential success and adoption by other schools represents an opportunity for improving the educational process in Kuwait.     

Motive forces behind the new social policy after 1870. Norway on the European scene∗

Ida Blom (ed.), Cappelens kvinnehistorie, vol. 1: urtid, oldtid, middelalder til ca. 1500, vol. 2: renessanse, reformasjon, revolusjon ca. 1500 til i dag, vol. 3: Asia og Afrika. Tredje verden (Women's history, vol. 1: prehistoric times, antiquity, the Middle Ages until 1500, vol. 2: renaissance, reformation, revolution from 1500 to now, vol. 3: Asia, Africa. The Third World). (Oslo: Cappelens forlag AS, 1992–1993), 448 pp., 638 pp., 351 pp. ISBN 82–02–14078–1.

Johan Söderberg, Civilisering, marknad och våld i Sverige 1750–1870. En regional analys (Civilization, market, and violence in Sweden 1750–1850. An analysis of regions). (Stockholm: Almqvist &; Wiksell International, 1993). 290 pp. ISBN 91–22–01543–4.

Jean‐Pierre Mousson‐Lestang, La Scandinavie et l'Europe de 1945 à nos jours (Presses universitaires de France 1990).