Iron Age pastoral nomadism and agriculture in the eastern Eurasian steppe: implications from dental palaeopathology and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes

Iron Age societies of the eastern Eurasian steppe are traditionally viewed as nomadic pastoralists. However, recent archaeological and anthropological research in Kazakhstan has reminded us that pastoralist economies can be highly complex and involve agriculture. This paper explores the nature of the pastoralist economies in two Early Iron Age populations from the burial grounds of Ai-Dai and Aymyrlyg in Southern Siberia. These populations represent two cultural groups of the Scythian World – the Tagar Culture of the Minusinsk Basin and the Uyuk Culture of Tuva. Analysis of dental palaeopathology and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes suggests that domesticated cereals, particularly millet, and fish formed a major component of the diet of both groups. The findings contribute to the emerging picture of the nuances of Early Iron Age subsistence strategies on the eastern steppe.     

Element localization in archaeological bone using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence: identification of biogenic uptake

Trace element analysis related to archaeological bone is viewed as one way to determine levels of element exposure in past populations. This area of research is complex because there is the potential for the incorporation of trace elements from the burial environment into archaeological bone. We tested the hypothesis that matching the spatial distribution of trace elements within cortical bone with the biological structures would provide evidence of biogenic uptake. We examined samples from a non-segregated Royal British Naval cemetery (1793–1822) in Antigua, West Indies. A key historical question related to this population was the extent of exposure to lead and the resulting health effects. Images from conventional light microscopy (histological) analysis of the bone samples were matched with elemental maps of calcium, strontium, and lead that were created through the use of synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF). Biogenic uptake of both strontium and lead was indicated based on the localization of these trace elements within discreet microstructural elements. The successful integration of histological information with XRF data is a powerful technique for the interpretation of past biological events through trace elements.     

The newshot Isle project

The economic events of the late 1950s and early 1960s precipitated a crisis of major proportions for British shipbuilding, hitherto one of this country's most important and prestigious industries. Severe competition from new and reconstructed economies in the Far East and Western Europe would terminally challenge outmoded management and labour relations in an industry which had led the world for a century. Although there would be no respite for British shipbuilders, the industry endeavoured to meet the challenge from abroad by embarking upon yard modernisation schemes, as if these alone were the panacea for righting the industry's deep‐seated problems. However, this agonising period was accompanied by the dramatic increase in the size of crude oil carriers, soon to be given the acronym VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers), which added a twist of their own and give rise to the Newshot Isle Project.

These vessels, at that time approaching 250,000‐dwt, had prompted a number of foreign yards to construct large dry docks in which to build them. As dry docks appeared to be a highly efficient way to build such large vessels, several of the larger British shipyards pondered how they might reorganise their productive resources by constructing large dry docks within the physically restricted areas their yards occupied. For world renowned shipbuilders, John Brown & Co. Ltd of Clydebank, the extraordinary proposal was made, biblical in scale, to divert the River Clyde into a new channel and build three giant dry docks in the redundant riverbed. However, such a massive scheme would require public money, as the estimated £25 million it would consume was well beyond the means of beleaguered John Brown & Co. At the same time, the Labour Government of the day, alarmed at the crisis facing British shipbuilders, established a Committee of Inquiry to report in 1966 on restructuring and financing the industry in a hoped for return to profitability. This article looks at the imaginative but unfulfilled John Brown proposal, and charts its progress in the face of the Government's own proposals for shipbuilding on the River Clyde.     

County wide employment and population growth: an analysis of the 1980s

"Regional scientists remain interested in studying interregional differences in the growth rates of population and employment. Following the earlier work of Carlino and Mills, this paper examines growth trends at the county level in the U.S. during the period 1981-1989. Five major sectors of employment are examined. A partial adjustment model is developed that captures intercounty differences in amenities, business and fiscal conditions, demography, employment structure, and relative location. Some evidence is given that population and employment growth was simultaneous, although feedback effects apparently were not strong."