A Procedure to Generate Thiessen Polygons

An algorithm to generate Thiessen diagrams for a set of n points defined in the plane is presented. First, existing proximal polygon computation procedures are reviewed and terms are defined. The algorithm developed here uses a rectangular window within which the Thiessen diagram is defined. The computation of Thiessen polygons uses an iterative walking process whereby the processing starts at the lower left corner of the diagram and proceeds toward the right top corner. The use of a sorted point sequence and dynamical core allocation provide for efficient processing. The presentation is concluded by the discussion of an implementation of the algorithm in a FORTRAN program.     

Variations in the bridging trait of the hypoglossal canal in 13th century Byzantine skulls

The presence of a bony bridge in the (bridging trait) hypoglossal canal, with five different modes, was investigated in 25 adult male Byzantine (13th century) skulls. First, we re‐evaluated the viability of proposed classification schemes, then for the first time, provided information on the structural features of this part of the occipital bone in a population of Asia Minor. Analysis of the data revealed minor differences in the Byzantine population compared to those previously investigated. Diverse geographical sources may be beneficial in understanding the role of developmental and genetic factors in bridging trait. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lifestyle,occupation, and whole bone morphology of the pre‐Hispanic Maya coastal population from Xcambó, Yucatan,Mexico

The present bioarchaeological study examines the external diaphyseal geometric properties of humeri, radii, femora and tibiae of the Classic period skeletal population of Xcambó, Yucatan, Mexico. The diaphysial proportions are evaluated using a biomechanical approach together with data from the material context and other osteological information. Our intent is to provide new answers to questions concerning lifestyle, domestic labour division and subsistence strategies of this coastal Maya settlement that was inhabited from the Late and Terminal Preclassic (300 BC–350 AD) to the Postclassic Period (900–1500 AD). Our results provide evidence for a marked sexual division of labour when compared with values from contemporaneous inland populations. The overall male and female loading patterns differ remarkably in terms of form and in bilateral comparison. A high directional asymmetry in the upper limbs is evident among males, a condition related to maritime transportation and trading activities. On the other hand, female upper limbs are characterized by very low side differences. Forces on the arms of women were probably dominated by food processing, in particular the grinding of grains or seeds. In the lower limbs, males show significantly higher anteroposterior bending strengths, which can be explained by greater engagement in transportation tasks and carrying heavy loads. In the course of the Classic period (350–900 AD), diachronic changes affect the male sample only, which suggests a shift of occupational pattern and physical demands. This shift, in turn, reflects Xcambó's changing role as the centre of a densifying settlement area and its place in the trading activities of northern Yucatan. Other topics of discussion relate to general regional trends and local prehispanic subsistence strategies. Our conclusions emphasize the value of geometric long bone analysis in the reconstruction of activity patterns and lifestyles in ancient coastal settlements. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Book reviews

PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT IN SOUTHERN ASIA, by Sydney D. Bailey. The Hansard Society, London, 1953, in co‐operation with the International Secretariat, Institute of Pacific Relations. Pp. 100. Price 9s.

INDEPENDENT IRAQ, a study in Iraqi Politics since 1932, by Majid Khadduri. Issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Oxford University Press. London, New York, Toronto, 1951.

NATIONALISM AND REVOLUTION IN INDONESIA, by George McT. Kahin. Cornell, New York 1952. Pp. 490.

LIBERATION IN SOUTH AMERICA 1806–1827: THE CAREER OF JAMES PAROISSIEN, by R. A. Humphreys. University of London: The Athlone Press, 1952. Pp. XI, 177. Maps and illus. Price 25/‐.

JAPAN IN WORLD HISTORY, by G. B. Sansom. Issued under the auspices of the Japan Institute of Pacific Relations, International Secretariate of the Institute of Pacific Relations, New York, 1951. 94 pp.     

The Balkan Wars and the rise of the reactionary modernist utopia in young Turk thought and the journal Türk Yurdu [Turkish Homeland]

The article examines the rise of the ‘reactionary modernist’ project that developed after the devastating defeat of the Balkan Wars and which was promoted by the Young Turks by means of articles published in Turkish Homeland, the intellectual platform of the Young Turks. The article argues that the outlines of this project to a large extent shaped the contours of Turkish nationalism then, and that they have hence been constitutive of Turkish nationalism ever since.     

优胜美地 万籁交响

沿着加利福尼亚的阳光山谷向南前行,渐入佳境,广袤大地呈现出细微的感动,过渡到宏大的震撼,深邃的优胜美地山谷是羹与感动的巅峰,加州最著名的自然旅行家约翰缪尔曾经赞叹说：“上帝似乎总是在这里下工夫装扮美景。”在这里,自然万物低喃,汇聚碰撞出最动人的交响诗。     

Charcoal from a prehistoric copper mine in the Austrian Alps: dendrochronological and dendrological data,demand for wood and forest utilisation

During prehistory fire-setting was the most appropriate technique for exploiting ore deposits. Charcoal fragments found in the course of archaeological excavations in a small mine called Mauk E in the area of Schwaz/Brixlegg (Tyrol, Austria) are argued to be evidence for the use of this technology. Dendrochronological analyses of the charcoal samples yielded calendar dates for the mining activities showing that the exploitation of the Mauk E mine lasted approximately one decade in the late 8th century BC. Dendrological studies show that the miners utilised stem wood of spruce and fir from forests with high stand density for fire-setting and that the exploitation of the Mauk E mine had only a limited impact on the local forests.