Picturing Heaven in Early China

In Picturing Heaven in Early China,a consideration of the symbolism of Heaven in early Chinese culture,Lillian Lan-ying Tseng examines the evolution of a pictorial language for the expression of "religious" ideals.By analyzing the architectural,material and literary evidence from the Han dynasty,the author traces the trajectory of Han thought from its first concerns with the notion of Heaven and the involvement of the emperor,to the growing desire for personal immortality at all levels.The book comprises five chapters,which plot the development of Han thought and images of heaven.This is a complex and well-researched examination,whose depth and detail can only be suggested here.     

Multiproxy Analysis of Adhered and Absorbed Food Residues Associated with Pottery

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory - The application of multiple lines of evidence is necessary to understand past complex behaviors such as diet and cuisine. This paper advocates for the...     

马的胸椎异常及其利用方式的演变

马的驯化及使用深刻影响到人类文明的进程。马不仅为人类提供肉、奶等蛋白性食物,而且极大地提高了人类运输和战争能力,推进了人类的迁徙、民族的融合、语言和文化的传播等等。可以说,没有一种家畜像马一样,在战争、运输和人类社会交往方面,发挥出如此重要的作用。骑乘无疑是人类使役马匹的重要方面。如何研究遗址出土的马骨,探讨其是否被骑乘,一直是考古学家关心的课题。本文的作者玛莎·莱文(Marsha Levine)博士等运用古病理学对马的利用方式进行了探讨,研究了马的被骑乘与否和马的第11-18胸椎异常之间的关联。他们对比了未被人骑乘的现代马骨和明确被人骑乘的早期铁器时代和中世纪的马骨,认为在早期铁器时代的马胸椎上出现的异常模式很可能与骑乘有关,从而表明从动物古病理学的角度探讨古代人类对家马的利用是切实可行的,这一研究思路非常值得我们借鉴。动物古病理学研究在国外开展已久,然而这一研究在国内尚十分薄弱,这正是我们今后努力的方向之一。