Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis on human remains from the Early Mesolithic site of La Vergne (Charente-Maritime,France)

We report here the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of human and faunal remains from La Vergne (Charente-Maritime, western France), a rare Early Mesolithic burial site (ca. 8500–8000 cal BC). The results for nine humans (average δ¹³C = −19.3‰; δ¹⁵N = 9.4‰) indicate a strongly terrestrial diet, dominated by animal protein, with the possibility of, at best, a slight contribution of marine-derived protein. Given lower sea-levels in the early Holocene, the site would have been some 60–80 km from the sea at the time of its use; nevertheless, contacts with the coast are shown by the presence of numerous marine shell beads in the graves. In the light of the stable isotope results, it is suggested here that such contacts most likely took the form of exchange with coastal communities whose remains now lie underwater.     

LOS ANGELES AFTER THE STORM: THE DIALECTIC OF ORDINARY DISASTER

This article weighs recent scientific evidence that the urbanization of Southern California has taken place during one of the most unusual episodes of climatic and seismic benignity in the last 3500 years. Official disaster and resource planning, moreover, has been based on record-keeping shorter than the temporal wavelengths of the most important landscape processes. Indeed, the “biblical” flood, fire, and earthquake disasters of the last three years may only be a prelude to seismic and climatic events of far greater magnitude. What will be the future of the Los Angeles area if Congress refuses to continue federal disaster subsidies?     

真品与高仿、粗仿青花瓷热释光及成分分析对比实验

为了防止有人以假乱真,扰乱古董市场的健康发展,为此通过三种青花瓷碎片(真品、高仿、粗仿)的热释光及微探针型X荧光分析对比,找出三者的不同。结果表明,热释光法可以直接给出真伪。从X荧光得到成分来对比此三种瓷片的异同结果,建议用瓷胎的多个主、微量元素一起来分析对比,才易于得到正确的结论。     

Mobility or migration: a case study from the Neolithic settlement of Nieder-Mörlen (Hessen,Germany)

A combination of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of collagen and radiogenic strontium isotope analysis of tooth enamel was used to investigate diet and mobility at the early Neolithic settlement of Nieder-Mörlen in Germany. The carbon and nitrogen ratios suggest a mixed terrestrial based diet that is consistent with data previously published for early Neolithic sites in Europe. The strontium isotope data indicate a high degree of human mobility with only one individual having an isotope ratio consistent with locally derived strontium. Unusually, a group of non-local juveniles with isotope ratios typical of upland regions is also present at the settlement but there are no adult burials with such values. Whilst transhumance is considered as an explanation, it would not explain why these non-local juveniles lived foreshortened lives and other possible mechanisms are therefore discussed.