The consequences of Wari contact in the Nasca region during the Middle Horizon: archaeological,skeletal, and isotopic evidence

During the Middle Horizon (AD 650–1000), the Wari polity expanded its sphere of control in various regions of the Andes, including Nasca on the south coast of Peru. The nature of the interaction between Wari and local communities varied. This study explores the consequences of Wari contact in the Nasca region at the site of La Tiza, which includes individuals dated to the Early Intermediate, Middle Horizon, and Late Intermediate periods. Using evidence for burial ritual along with demographic, paleopathological and isotopic data, population composition, mobility, diet, and health are investigated. δ¹³C data indicate a relatively stable diet through time at La Tiza with evidence for continued maize consumption, and paleopathological results indicate health problems associated with this type of diet. δ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data suggest that most of the individuals buried at La Tiza were local to the area. However, two female adults from the Middle Horizon burials are characterized as nonlocal based on δ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values and several individuals overlap with the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr local range for the Wari heartland. In conjunction with the use of new tomb types during this period these results highlight the ideological and populational changes occurring with Wari contact at La Tiza.     

The Five-Star Movement: a hybrid actor in the net of state institutions

The MoVimento 5 Stelle (M5S, Five-Star Movement), led by the former comedian Beppe Grillo, is one of the political novelties of major interest in the Italian political scene, and also on an international scale. This article examines the Movement's evolution following its extraordinary success at the 2013 Italian general election. Four peculiar features of the M5S's experience are analyzed here: the Movement's anti-system stance; its specific conception of democracy; its post-ideological profile; and the innovative elements in its party organization. The overall picture suggests a mixture of resistance and adjustment to the system. Consequently, the process of gradual normalization and institutionalization of Grillo's party is becoming increasingly evident, while inherent contradictions and internal problems remain.     

Robust Design of a Single Tuned Mass Damper for Controlling Torsional Response of Asymmetric-Plan Systems

A new robust design methodology to control the seismic performance of asymmetric structures equipped with a Single Tuned Mass Damper (STMD) is presented in this article. This design approach aims to control the seismic response of such systems by reducing both flexible-and stiff-edge maximum displacement. The dynamic problem has been investigated in the state space representation showing that the TMD works as a closed-loop feedback control action. A synthetic index to estimate the seismic performance of the main system has been defined by using H_∞ norm. Wide-ranging parametric numerical experimentation has been carried out to obtain design formulae for the STMD in order to minimize such a performance index. These formulae allow for a simple design of STMD position and stiffness to optimally control both translational and rotational motion components, whereas two mass devices are generally considered to improve the seismic performance of asymmetric structural systems The effectiveness and efficiency of the obtained design formulae have been tested by investigating the dynamic behavior of the asymmetric structure after being subjected to different recorded seismic inputs.     

Global heritage: perspectives from the Northern Territory,Australia

This article examines the way in which selected cultural institutions, government and non‐government organisations and individuals in Australia’s Northern Territory have responded to globalising influences on the preservation, interpretation and public face of its history and heritage. It draws upon a number of interviews with local practitioners and professionals in the field to explore the multiple understandings of cultural heritage, history and identity in the Territory, to investigate how competing interests and expectations are managed at the state and local level, and to address issues of sovereignty in the context of global heritage. Respondents indicate that, despite a strong resurgence of local cultural identities, without people on the ground who care about their heritage, efforts by international bodies will have little effect. There has been increasing concern about the protection of local cultures in the face of globalisation, and research such as this is critical in providing feedback to international heritage organisations. Without strong local support for cultural heritage and identities, they can become increasingly vulnerable in a rapidly globalising world. In Australia’s Northern Territory, however, there seems little indication of this happening.     

Importance of Monitoring,Behavior Analysis,and Diagnostic Techniques for Preservation of Great Historical Structures

A synthetic overview is presented of the motivations, technological possibilities, and benefits of the practice of providing large structures with monitoring installation and interpretative activities. Starting from the large body of experience gained in the field of dam engineering, the gradual penetration of these techniques in the area of preservation of monumental building is surveyed. Particular attention is dedicated to the case of the Brunelleschi Cupola in the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The more pressing needs for the next-future development of these studies and practices are then enunciated, with the auspice that the obstacle posed to their diffusion by the difficulty of collecting adequate financial funds may be overcome in the best interest of the conservation of a precious historical-cultural heritage.     

Parents of global youth: contesting debt and belonging

In the United States, recently arrived migrant youth encounter competing media and institutional discourses that cast them as dependents who have been rendered ‘left behind,’ ‘on their own,’ or ‘unaccompanied’ by their parents. A corresponding narrative emerges in which young migrants’ parents are framed as abusive, neglectful, and ignorant. Combined, these portrayals may garner specialized services and contribute to success in the legal realm. At the same time, however, they fail to recognize and even imperil the intimate intergenerational networks that facilitate transnational migration. In this article, we trace the homogenizing power of public discourses on young people and their families across two diverse ethnographic contexts, that of Chinese and Guatemalan migration. Focusing in particular on narratives of debt and belonging, we argue that the pervasive pathologization of migrant youths’ parents diminishes and contorts valued relationships over time. It correspondingly demands broader efforts to historicize and to contextualize youth mobility.     

Age estimation by tooth/pulp ratio in canines by peri-apical X-rays: reliability in age determination of Spanish and Italian medieval skeletal remains

Estimation of age at death is an unavoidable step in the process of human identification, both in forensic practice and in the anthropological and palaeopathological study of skeletal remains. In several cases, in which medical or demographic records are completely lacking, a reliable estimation of the age at death becomes very important. Skeletal remains from archaeological contexts suffer from several biasing factors such as post-mortem changes, taphonomy and various burial practices depending on age, sex and social status of the deceased persons.