Analysis of possible paleofecal samples from Pellejo Chico Alto,Peru: results and lessons

The analysis of four presumed paleofecal samples (coprolites) recovered from the Pellejo Chico Alto site in Peru is reported herein. The samples were processed using standard methods for paleofecal specimens but were discovered to be large pieces of intact tissue, rather than coprolites. While the results provided information regarding diet and cuisine at Pellejo Chico Alto, it also serves as an instructive lesson in the identification and analysis of paleofecal samples.     

Spatial‐temporal patterns of snow cover in western Canada

Snow cover is often measured as snow‐water equivalent (SWE), which refers to the amount of water stored in a snow pack that would be available upon melting. Snow cover and SWE represent a source of local snow‐melt release, and are sensitive to regional and global atmospheric circulation, and changes in climate. Monitoring SWE using satellite‐based passive microwave radiometry has provided nearly three decades of continuous data for North America. The availability of spatially and temporally extensive SWE data enables a better understanding of the nature of space‐time trends in snow cover, changes in these trends and linking these trends to underlying landscape and terrain characteristics. To address these interests, we quantify the spatial pattern of SWE by applying a local measure of spatial autocorrelation to 25 years of mean February SWE derived from passive microwave retrievals. Using a method for characterizing the temporal trends in the spatial pattern of SWE, temporal trends and variability in spatial autocorrelation are quantified. Results indicate that within the Canadian Prairies, extreme values of SWE are becoming more spatially coherent, with potential impacts on water availability, and hazards such as flooding. These results also highlight the need for Canadian ecological management units that consider winter conditions.     

The Iranian Nuclear Challenge

In December 2003 Iran signed an Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Authority. The signing followed 18 months of mounting international pressure on Iran to prove its benign motives following revelations about past failures to declare work on uranium enrichment and plutonium separation–the two routes to producing nuclear weapons-grade material. Although Iran has strenuously denied having a nuclear weapons programme, both the United States and the European Union have been highly suspicious. However, their responses to Iran have shown a divergence in how to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The way forward on Iran will be influenced significantly by the extent to which the American and European approaches can be reconciled or otherwise.     

The Earliest High‐Fired Glazed Ceramic in China: Evidence from a Glazed Ceramic Sample from the Lajia Site,Qinghai Province

In the Majiayao cultural stratum of the Lajia site in Minhe County, Qinghai Province, much earthenware of rich variety and strong character has been found, among which the most special item is a suspected glazed white ceramic fragment. This study investigates this ceramic sherd and many other overfired objects. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy – energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and thermodilatometry were employed to analyse the composition, microstructure, phase composition and firing temperature of the white ceramic. In addition to large condensed glaze droplets, the white ceramic showed a thin and uneven glaze layer, which might represent the earliest results of the exploration of glaze‐making technology by Lajia inhabitants, and provide a new perspective on the study of the origin of Chinese proto‐porcelains.