A ‘match–no match‘ numerical and graphical kernel density approach to interpreting lead isotope signatures of ancient artefacts

A new method for interpreting lead isotope ratios of artefacts is presented: a numerical and graphical ‘match–no match‘ with possible raw materials. By calculating the definite integral under the kernel density estimate plot of different mining districts, using open-access software and legacy data, the relative probability that an object is made of an ore is indicated. A match with the reference data set may indicate the true origin, while no match indicates an unknown origin, that is, not present in the data set of mineral resources. Likewise, the composite or recycled nature of artefacts can be investigated in a probabilistic manner.     

A Geostatistical Analysis of Soil, Vegetation, and Image Data Characterizing Land Surface Variation

The elucidation of spatial variation in the landscape can indicate potential wildlife habitats or breeding sites for vectors, such as ticks or mosquitoes, which cause a range of diseases. Information from remotely sensed data could aid the delineation of vegetation distribution on the ground in areas where local knowledge is limited. The data from digital images are often difficult to interpret because of pixel-to-pixel variation, that is, noise, and complex variation at more than one spatial scale. Landsat Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Satellite Pour l'Observation de La Terre (SPOT) image data were analyzed for an area close to Douna in Mali, West Africa. The variograms of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from both types of image data were nested. The parameters of the nested variogram function from the Landsat ETM+ data were used to design the sampling for a ground survey of soil and vegetation data. Variograms of the soil and vegetation data showed that their variation was anisotropic and their scales of variation were similar to those of NDVI from the SPOT data. The short- and long-range components of variation in the SPOT data were filtered out separately by factorial kriging. The map of the short-range component appears to represent the patterns of vegetation and associated shallow slopes and drainage channels of the tiger bush system. The map of the long-range component also appeared to relate to broader patterns in the tiger bush and to gentle undulations in the topography. The results suggest that the types of image data analyzed in this study could be used to identify areas with more moisture in semiarid regions that could support wildlife and also be potential vector breeding sites.     

‘DE CAERIMONIAE’ TECHNOLOGICAL CHOICES IN COPPER‐SMELTING FURNACE DESIGN AT EARLY BRONZE AGE CHRYSOKAMINO,CRETE*

The excavation of a number of Early Bronze Age sites in the Aegean has recovered perforated ceramic fragments. Archaeometallurgical analysis of slag adhering to these fragments indicates that they are the remains of copper‐smelting furnaces. Despite compelling analytical data supporting this identification, no attempt has been made, thus far, to establish how these unusual furnaces may have operated. The use of perforations is poorly understood and can be considered a counter‐intuitive solution for the reduction of oxidic copper ores. The experiments reported here explore the possible technological choices made by the ancient metalworkers of Chrysokamino to ensure the effective reduction of copper minerals. Temperature data and slag samples were obtained to ascertain the technical performance of the furnace structure with, and without, perforations. Possible reasons are given for the use of a perforated design, and the implications of such technological choices are considered.     

THE ANALYSIS OF SEA TURTLE AND BOVID KERATIN ARTEFACTS USING DRIFT SPECTROSCOPY AND DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS*

We investigated the utility of diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for the analysis and identification of sea turtle (Family Cheloniidae) and bovid (Family Bovidae) keratins, commonly used to manufacture historic artefacts. Spectral libraries are helpful in determining the class of the material (i.e., keratin versus plastics), but do not allow for inferences about the species source of keratin. Mathematical post‐processing of the spectra employing discriminant analysis provided a useful statistical tool to differentiate tortoiseshell from bovid horn keratin. All keratin standards used in this study (n = 35 Bovidae; n = 24 Cheloniidae) were correctly classified with the discriminant analysis. A resulting performance index of 95.7% shows that DRIFTS, combined with discriminant analysis, is a powerful quantitative technique for distinguishing sea turtle and bovid keratins commonly encountered in museum collections and the modern wildlife trade.     

From Migrant Work to Community Transformation: Families Forming Transnational Communities in Periban and Pennsylvania

All across America, Mexican (im)migrants are working and contributingto the economic, cultural, and political life of local communitieson both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border. While there are benefitsfor the migrating workers and their families, and for U.S. employersand consumers, circular migration comes with costs, especiallyto family life. While migration between Mexico and the U.S.has become an increasingly important economic strategy for families,the very process that has provided for people's livelihoodshas often torn families apart. Through oral histories with workers,farm owners, and government officials on both sides of the border,this paper explores the creation of transnational families andcommunities, and the consequences of circular migration forwomen, men, and children.     

Consideration on the construction process and the sandstone quarries during the Angkor period based on the magnetic susceptibility

Detailed magnetic susceptibility measurement was conducted on the sandstones used for the Angkor monuments constructed in the period spanning the Preah Ko and Angkor Wat styles, and the construction process of the buildings and quarries of the sandstones was considered. Combined with the previous study on the sandstones of the Bayon style [Uchida, E., Cunin, O., Shimoda, I., Suda, C., Nakagawa, T., 2003. The construction process of the Angkor monuments elucidated by the magnetic susceptibility of sandstone, Archaeometry 45, 221–232], the magnetic susceptibility measurement revealed that there were 7 sandstone quarries corresponding to Stages I, II, III, IVa, V, VII and VIIIb during the Angkor period. The sandstones used for the monuments belonging to Stage I show average magnetic susceptibility values ranging from 1.1 to 2.3 × 10⁻³ SI units. In the Bakheng style period (Stage II), the average magnetic susceptibility of the supplied sandstones decreased gradually from around 10 to 1 × 10⁻³ SI units over time. The magnetic susceptibility range of the sandstones used for the monuments of Stage III was from 2.3 to 3.0 × 10⁻³ SI units. In the early Angkor Wat style period (IVb), the average magnetic susceptibility of the supplied sandstones increased over time, reflecting the supply of the sandstones from two different quarries, that is, the quarry corresponding to the Khleang and Baphuon style monuments (Stage IVa), with low average magnetic susceptibilities of 1.1 to 2.4 × 10⁻³ SI units, and the quarry corresponding to the main Angkor Wat style monuments (Stage V), with high average magnetic susceptibilities ranging from 2.8 to more than 4.3 × 10⁻³ SI units. The sandstones of Stage VII show low average magnetic susceptibility around 1 × 10⁻³ SI unit. The sandstones of Stage VId is a mixture of sandstones of Stages V and those of Stage VII. The sandstones with high magnetic susceptibilities are found in the monuments belonging to Stage VIIIb, reflecting the supply from the new sandstone quarry.     

UV-fluorescence microscopy and the coherence of pollen assemblages in environmental archaeology and Quaternary geology

UV-fluorescence microscopy provides a powerful tool for the assessment of the coherence of pollen and organic-walled microfossil assemblages in situations where recycling or the intrusion of younger pollen is suspected. It also provides sensitive information about the thermal maturity of pollen, important for assessing whether material has been heated. Examples are given from the Palaeolithic sites at Barnham, Suffolk, UK; Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, UK; High Lodge, Suffolk, UK; Niah Cave, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo; and Holocene sites at Wadi Dana, Jordan; Milldale and Creswell, Derbyshire, UK; and Dooncarton Mountain, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland.     

Gender,Perceptions of Safety and Strategic Responses among Ohio University Students

Research on perceptions of safety in public spaces must seek a balance between paying careful attention to the effects of gender, while challenging simplistic notions of a dichotomy of fearful women and fearless men. In a study of perceptions of safety among undergraduate students at the Ohio State University, this principle was addressed by decentering fear as the object of study and focusing instead on the various strategies that women and men use to manage their perceptions of safety—including avoidance of certain situations (for example, being in specific places, or going outside after dark), precautionary measures, and assertions of confidence. Questionnaire responses and follow-up interviews indicated that most students usually felt safe on campus; however, women were more likely than men to have felt unsafe. Students used a wide range of strategies to make themselves feel safer, from staying home after dark to formulating plans for self-defense to telling themselves they had nothing to fear. While a focus on strategic responses illuminated areas of overlap in men's and women's experiences, gender differences were also striking. Men are unlikely to rely on avoidance strategies, while some women view self-imposed restrictions on activity as normal and necessary. Furthermore, many men are unwilling or unable to relate to questions about fear and safety, explicitly or implicitly reinscribing fear as a ‘women's issue’.