A study of the glazing techniques and provenances of Tang sancai glazes using elemental and lead isotope analyses

This study discusses the elemental compositions and lead isotope ratios of Tang sancai glazes unearthed from the Huangpu kiln, Huangye kiln and two Tang sancai tomb sites. The various glazes feature distinct lead isotope ratios and trace element characteristics, which can be interpreted as evidence for the use of different lead ore deposits and siliceous raw materials in the glazes. This is a strong indication that lead isotopes combined with trace element analysis could be used as a viable approach for identifying the provenance of Tang sancai of unknown origin by linking them to kiln sites, This provenance technique could be significant in the interpretation of ancient ceramic trade and communication patterns. In this study, the provenance of several Tang sancai glazes of uncertain origin were determined using this method: some Tang sancai wares unearthed in Xi'an City were produced in the kiln near Luoyang City and then traded to Xi'an City, providing an idea of ancient Tang sancai ceramic trade routes.     

Russia’s gas “Triopoly”: implications of a changing gas sector structure

The growth strategies of the two largest so-called independent Russian gas producers – Novatek and Rosneft – as well as developments in international markets and changing domestic energy needs have put pressure on the present Russian gas sector model dominated by Gazprom. The three companies are involved in a struggle over export liberalization as well as the conditions in the domestic market. Liquefied natural gas is top priority for Novatek and Rosneft’s main gas focus is on eastern Russia and Asia, but there is still room for considerable tension with Gazprom. The government wants to both improve Russia’s position in export markets and maintain stable domestic supplies, including to socially disadvantaged regions and institutions. Gazprom is insisting that if further access to export markets is granted to the Independents, then they must take greater responsibility for domestic market obligations. On the other hand, the key Independents seem intent on stopping or slowing down their expansion in the domestic market in order to prioritize export sales, and will certainly not take broader domestic supply responsibilities without better access to export markets. The balancing of policies involves strong players on the Russian economic and political scene, all with ties to the Kremlin.     

The Impact of Agglomeration Economies on Estimated Demand Thresholds: An Extension of Wensley and Stabler

Central place theory predicts that geographic markets located in rural areas have lower demand thresholds, and, therefore, a higher frequency of business establishments relative to areas that are more proximate to urban centers, other things equal. Wensley and Stabler (1998) confirm this prediction using data on the location and frequency of business activities in rural Saskatchewan. We demonstrate that this relationship may not always hold true depending on the existence and magnitude of agglomeration economies. If average cost differences associated with being located in an urbanized area are sufficiently large, then the relationship between urban proximity and number of establishments may be reversed. We provide evidence of this reversal using 1996 cross-sectional data on hospital services in Texas.     

Occurrence of the ammonite Goodhallites goodhalli (J. Sowerby) in the Eromanga Basin,Queensland: an index species for the late Albian (Cretaceous)

Mortoniceratid ammonites of the Eromanga Basin of Queensland, although uncommon, are reviewed and reassessed utilising all known collections. Representatives of this group are restricted to the Allaru Formation and almost all specimens are Goodhallites goodhalli, a well-known species from the English Gault. The Allaru Formation overlies the Toolebuc Formation, widely considered to be an essentially isochronous unit because of its unusual sedimentary and geochemical character. Using G. goodhalli, the middle and upper Allaru Formation can be directly correlated with the early late Albian orbignyi and auritus Subzones of the Mortoniceras inflatum Zone as recognized in the reference ammonite zonation embedded in the standard Cretaceous time scale. Overlapping ranges of G. goodhalli and Labeceras and Myloceras allow these common Austral heteromorph genera to be also confidently assigned a late Albian age in Australia, matching their biostratigraphic occurrence in South Africa.     

Foxes and Badgers in Anglo-Saxon Life and Landscape

Anglo-Saxon England (c. AD 410–1066) had a diversity of wild animals, yet the majority of studies to date have focused on a select group of species. These include those considered edible, such as roe and red deer (cervids), and those now extinct in England, such as wolves and beavers. Accordingly, the roles and relations of many other wild mammal species have rarely been studied and are poorly understood. This paper explores human perceptions of, and interactions with, two native species: the fox and the badger. By drawing upon archaeological, iconographic, documentary and place-name evidence from the period, the extent to which these animals occupied the minds and lives of people is explored.