Beads from a mediaeval pilgrim centre: Chemical composition and provenance of glass from Banganarti,Nubia, Sudan

Christian Nubia was a region with intensive transcultural connections that are visible through the understudied overseas glass bead imports found there. This paper presents the results of an analysis of 20 glass beads from Banganarti, a Christian pilgrim site active during the Makuria kingdom (mid-sixth to 14th centuries CE). Compositional analyses using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) have identified glass belonging to a number of broad compositional groups. Two beads were made of mineral soda-lime glass, dated before the mid-ninth century CE. Numerous beads were made from plant ash-soda-lime glass associated with “Mesopotamian” production dated between the eighth and 10th centuries CE. Lead-soda-silica glass has parallels in the ninth–10th centuries glass found in Africa and Europe. One plant ash-soda-lime bead was of eastern Mediterranean origin dated after the 10th century CE. Results of this study provide new evidence for provenance and chronology of glass beads available in the mediaeval Northeast Africa as well as contribute new data to the research on the pilgrim and/or trade routes of that time.     

Mesolithic fishery in the Polish Lowland. Fish remains from the Site 7 at Krzyż Wielkopolski,Poland

Fish remains have been discovered at seven Mesolithic sites located mainly in central and northern Poland, an area that is known as the Lakeland of the Polish Lowland. Based mainly on the results of the identification of fish remains uncovered during the excavations at the Site 7 in Krzy? Wielkopolski (Western Poland), the conclusions were made on the locality and technique of fishery. The fish taxa represented show that the fishing showed that the fishing economy during the Mesolithic period was focused on nearby freshwater rivers and lakes. At that time, people fished primarily for Cyprinids, pike and perch. According to the archaeological finds, the basic fishing tools used by the Mesolithic communities were spears, harpoons and rods with hooks. The small fishes recovered were most probably caught by fishing traps or nets, but such artifact finds are very rare in the Polish Lowland. This paper summarises the current data on Mesolithic fishery in the Polish Lowland based mainly on the data from the Site 7 at Krzy? Wielkopolski, but also includes archaeological data collected from previous studies in the region.     

Application of electron microprobe analysis to identify the origin of ancient pottery production from the Castillo de Huarmey,Peru

A vast amount of ceramics (among other grave goods) were recovered from Castillo de Huarmey, a Wari culture (650–1050 ce ) archaeological site on the north coast of Peru. In order to assess ceramic production area(s) and possible trade, political or cultural interactions with other regions, and to complement earlier petrographic analysis, electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) was conducted following a rarely used methodology in archaeology. The chemical composition of individual minerals in ceramics and sediments samples from the Huarmey Valley was obtained, focusing mainly on amphiboles, feldspars and pyroxenes. The results of the analyses clearly indicate that the majority of the ceramic analysed was made of raw material of local origin.     

Evaluation of the rate of wood degradation at the Iron Age archaeological site of Biskupin,Poland

A study was made of the degradation of archaeological Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) at the Iron Age archaeological site of Biskupin, Poland. Wood degradation was evaluated after 10 years of deposition of samples in different burial conditions (mineral soil, peat and water) and at different depths (25, 50 and 100 cm) at the location of the original archaeological wood from the Lusatian culture settlement. Changes in the wood samples were assessed on the basis of selected physical (maximum water content, basic density and porosity) and chemical (chemical composition, structure of cellulose and lignin) properties. The observed degradative changes were different for samples deposited in different locations of the archaeological site and at different depths. They relate mainly to carbohydrates—both cellulose and hemicelluloses—although the structure of lignin also underwent changes. The experiment using wood that had been degraded to a similar degree to the Biskupin wood enabled identification of the actual danger of degradation of the latter. It was found that the remains of the wooden structure of the Biskupin settlement are degrading, despite the favourable physicochemical conditions prevailing at the site, and it is necessary to take measures to prevent its further decomposition.     

The Environmental History of the Holocaust

ABSTRACT

The introduction conceptualizes environmental history of the Holocaust as a subdiscipline of Holocaust studies. The authors approach this emerging field of research through the context of environmental humanities with its current interest in the Anthropocene, soil science, forensics, multispecies collectives, and explorations of relations between ecocides and genocides. Proposed approach considers post-Holocaust spaces and landscapes as specific ecosystems and examines relations between its actors (human and non-human) in order to show the Holocaust’s spatial markers and long-terms effects. The article outlines existing literature on the subject, identifies the central research problems and questions, and discusses sources and methods. The authors demonstrate that the environmental history of the Holocaust applies a hybrid methodology that uses methods from various disciplines with the aim of creating new theories and interpretive categories and thus should be considered complementary to existing approaches in Holocaust studies. The authors follow the methodological principles of grounded theory in generating new concepts and seeking multidisciplinary methods for explaining nature’s role in the Holocaust and how Holocaust has changed nature. The authors claim that environmental history of the Holocaust broadens Holocaust studies as a field of research and opens up new questions concerning relations between nature and extermination in order to provide a more holistic perspective for exploring the relationship between culture and nature, genocide and ecocide. The approach proposed here shows Holocaust and post-Holocaust landscapes in terms of ecological/natural heritage, which might influence the way these spaces are commemorated, conserved and preserved, as well as used for tourist purposes.     

Record of the meso- and neoholocene palaeoenvironmental changes in the Jesionowa landslide peat bog (Beskid Sądecki MTS. Polish Outer Carpathians)

The paper presents an analysis of depositional sequences of landslide peat bog situated in the depressions developed within the landslide landforms Jesionowa in the Beskid Sądecki Mts. (Outer Carpathians). The peat bog, with depositional sequence 2.80 m long, started to form at the beginning of the Atlantic Phase ca. 6390–5910 cal BC. Palynological and lithological analyses as well as several (14) radiocarbon age determinations of different horizons in the sediments enabled the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental changes during the Meso-and Neoholocene. The increase in climate humidity at the beginning of the Subboreal and Subatlantic Phases was observed as delivery of minerogenic material to the peat bog basin and formation of a mineral horizon and an illuvial level within the peat. The particularly intensive delivery of allochthonous material to the peat bog took place at the beginning of the Subboreal Phase and was the result of both significant humid climate and increased human impact (colonization of the Funnel Beaker Culture) in the landslide area. Similar influence of younger colonisations of landslide area (Przeworsk Culture and, later, Valachian colonisation) was also recorded within the deposits of peat bog (illuvial and mineral horizons) in the early Subatlantic Phase. Rejuvenation of the landslide zone and formation of the younger landslide were connected with the increase in climate humidity at the beginning of the Subboreal Phase. The peat bog deposits situated within this younger landslide, which are ca. 1.8 m thick, are significantly contaminated with mineral material.     

Cereal grinding technology in ancient Mesopotamia: evidence from dental microwear

Dental microwear features in a sample of 10 human teeth from Tell Ashara and Tell Masaikh, two archaeological sites in the Middle Euphrates valley, Syria, were compared for possible evidence of a shift in grinding technology in Mesopotamia—parallel to the well-documented introduction of large rotary querns and watermills in the Graeco-Roman world. Two chronological subsets (Bronze Age, n = 4 and Late Roman/Islamic period, n = 6) differred substantially and features related to a more abrasive diet (broad lines, pits and punctures visible on SE micrographs) were significantly less frequent in the later subsample which may indicate that the shift in cereal grinding technology occured in Mesopotamia before the Late Roman period.     

Personal,Professional and Academic Journeys to WAC 8

Two PhD students due to attend WAC 8 reflect on what brought them to Kyoto and what they hope to gain from the encounter.     

Impact of property rights and ownership on the development of Warsaw’s contemporary city centre

The paper raises the problem of the impact of unregulated property and ownership rights on the development of the city centre. It applies to Warsaw as a post-socialist city that has recorded fast economic growth since the country’s communist regime collapsed in 1989. We follow the course of changes in the city centre of Warsaw, in particular, those pertaining to land use and high-rise buildings for office use as investments that encounter difficulties under the unregulated status of construction sites and lack of clear regulations for private property restitution that was nationalized under socialism. To describe and explain the difficulties, we provide data showing the location of large companies and office buildings, and examples of conflicts as well. Unregulated ownership issues and property rights weigh on Warsaw’s city centre, now vastly dispersing and gravitating westwards, and prevent the district from rational and effective development.