The application of histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to the analysis of early Anglo-Saxon burned bone

Macroscopic examination, histomorphometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) are applied to the analysis of burned bones from the early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Elsham in Lincolnshire, UK. These methods were undertaken to gain a greater understanding of pyre conditions from an archaeological context and the effects of burning on bone microstructure. Sixteen samples were employed for thin-section analysis while eight samples were used with FTIR. The results suggest that these methods correspond well with macroscopic examination, though anomalies did occur. The techniques employed in this paper have demonstrated that the temperatures reached on the funerary pyres at Elsham ranged from 600 °C to over 900 °C under oxidizing conditions.     

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of the city wall system of ancient Tayma (NW Saudi Arabia)

In addition to a series of chronological markers (artefacts, pottery) in the archaeological contexts of ancient Tayma (NW Saudi Arabia), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating techniques were applied to generate reliable ages for the city wall system of the oasis. A massive aeolian sand deposit burying the oldest part of the outer wall of Tayma was sampled to obtain a minimum age for the construction of this wall. The sequence of OSL ages from the inactive dune (ID) (4900 ± 300 a, 5100 ± 400 a, 4400 ± 300 a, 3900 ± 200 a, 4000 ± 200 a) is in full accordance with ¹⁴C-AMS ages of charcoal embedded into the same dune (4190–4420 cal BP, 3870–4080 cal BP). Underlying alluvial samples from the inactive gravel sheet (IGS) in contrast give maximum ages for the construction which scatter between 6600 ± 300 a and 4900 ± 400 a. The new dating sequence provides evidence that the oldest part of the ancient city wall system already existed in the 2nd half of the 3rd mill. BC which is earlier than expected thus far from archaeological and architectural interpretation.     

A new statistical approach for determining the crystallinity of heat-altered bone mineral from FTIR spectra

The crystallinity of bone mineral represents an established method of measuring heat-induced change and is of importance to fields including material science, clinical science, anthropology and archaeology. A commonly used technique involves the calculation of the Crystallinity Index (CI) using selected peaks from Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) absorbance spectra. However, the choice of peaks has to date not been statistically justified. In this study a novel application of statistical techniques to the FTIR spectra of bone samples burned in the range 100 °C–1100 °C has been used to identify 5 new spectral indices of heat-induced crystallinity change. The validity of the new indices was tested by using a statistical classification model (LDA) to predict the burning temperature of a set of 108 bone samples burned between 100 °C and 1100 °C. A correct classification rate (CCR) of 97.2% was obtained when a combination of 4 indices including the CI was used. This was significantly better than the CCR of 66.7% which was obtained when the CI was used on its own.     

The Rise and Demise of the Middle East Quest for Reforms, 2011–2017

Six years have passed since Arab masses in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen revolted against oppressive, corrupt, and autocratic regimes. These and lesser revolts in Morocco and Jordan — as well as muted ones in the oil producing Gulf States — shared common goals and themes: justice, dignity, economic, political, and social reforms (el‐Gingihy, 2017 ). The revolutionaries wanted to end government bloating and oppressive bureaucracies; and political and massive public corruption by the ruling classes; and instead, involve citizens in the participation in governance and policymaking. The oil‐rich countries were quick to shower their nationals with salary bonuses and more generous subsidies. The poorer Arab countries were quick to unleash their violent security forces on the masses in order to quell the uprisings using brute military force, including using poison gas in Syria, and operating mass killings of demonstrators at Rab‘a Square in Cairo, Egypt. With the exception of Tunisia, the rest of the Arab countries reverted to oppressive regimes, or civil war chaos, as was the case in Libya and Yemen. The United States, which hailed the Arab uprisings during the reign of the Obama Administration, has changed course under the isolationist Trump Administration, which looks upon all Arabs and Muslim people and nations as potential supporters of what the current administration labels as Muslim terrorism. Along with an analysis of events in the region, this article also reviews the most recent books published which deal with the Arab revolts, and which include what lies ahead for the Arab world under the new rulers who replaced old regimes. It will also analyze the Arab countries’ response to a Trump Administration that seems to adopt political isolationism, while at the same time, showing an obvious inclination for personal and national business involvement in the region, such as the recent opening of a Trump golf course in the United Arab Emirates, and the appointment of former MOBIL CEO Executive Rex Tillerson, who has strong business ties with Russia and the oil‐producing Gulf States.