SEM and electrochemical characterization of bronze artifacts from the Francavilla archaeological site

The excavations in the necropolis of the Francavilla Marittima archaeological area, in Calabria, have brought to light the rich burial artifacts and materials, dated between the end of the ninth and sixth centuries BCE. SEM/EDS analysis was conducted on some sections taken from a bronze artifact classifiable as an armilla or fibula fragment. Our aim was to elucidate the nature of the corrosion processes acting on the specimen. SEM investigation detected the segregation of tin towards the outer layer and a depletion of the copper content in the same region. Furthermore, the elemental distribution maps of the sections analyzed evidenced the presence of chloride ions in the border area between the corrosion patina and the metal alloy. Such anion migration of chloride ions into the interior of the alloy leads to a particular variant of the type of corrosion of structure that in the literature has been identified as structure I.A cavity electrode designed for electrochemical measurements of powders was used to perform cyclic voltammetry experiments devoted to explore the activity of the patina covering the surface of the bronze fragment. The surface layer consists mainly of tin and tin oxides; the layer immediately beneath it contains copper oxides. An increase of reactivity was shown in an acidic environment. The activity of the patina is greatly reduced at pH 5 and appears to be zero at neutral pH.     

Historical materials from the post-Cistercian abbey in Kamieniec Ząbkowicki (southwestern Poland)—application of mineralogical methods for identification of source of raw materials

In this paper, we use a set of methods applied for geosciences to reveal the provenance of raw materials and historical aspects of technology of lime production from the post-Cistercian church (southwestern Poland). Two types of building stones (mica schists and sandstones) and two groups of mortars, related with two different construction phases (Gothic and Baroque), were used for construction of the church façade. Principal difference between binding materials involves the presence of Mg-rich phase within Baroque mortars as a result of carbonation of a dolomitic lime whereas Gothic mortars are devoid of hydromagnesite. Mineral composition of the fillers of both mortars is similar, suggesting the same origin represented by local eluvium. Binders of studied mortars are composed of calcite and/or hydromagnesite and rich in lime lumps suggesting incomplete calcination. Studied mortars are weathered which is manifested by presence of gypsum. However, there is no evidence of commonly occurring Mg-rich secondary phases within Baroque mortar probably due to higher solubility of these salts comparing to gypsum. Mineralogical study combined with archeological and geological information enables us to indicate potential sources for the studied building materials. Metamorphic rocks, prevailing within the façade, come from abandoned quarries located in the closest vicinity of the church, whereas sandstones were acquired from the deposits located at a distance of tens of kilometers from the Kamieniec Z?bkowicki. Raw materials used for lime burning were gathered from Przeworno (Gothic mortars) and Z?oty Stok area (Baroque mortars) located approximately 25–30 and 12 km from studied church.     

From a White Desert to the Largest World Deposit of Lithium: Symbolic Meanings and Materialities of the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia

The Uyuni salt flat (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia possesses the largest lithium deposit in the world. Over the past 40 years, this location has been commodified and radically transformed. This paper examines how a landscape, understood from its material attributes and qualities, shapes and is shaped by social relations unfolding in a process of commodification and mining expansion. Based on primary qualitative data, the paper explores two elements: (1) how the symbolic meaning of this landscape has changed over time for the surrounding indigenous communities; and (2) how the different materialities of the salt flat as landscape, as ulexite and as lithium allow understanding of the drivers of socio‐environmental change and conflict in this region. The paper argues that social relations and governance frameworks are interlinked with changing symbolic meanings and the different materialities of the Uyuni salt flat.     

Grassroots Ecologies of Value: Environmental Conflict and Social Reproduction in Southern Italy

In this article I examine socio-environmental conflicts through the category of value. Drawing from a single case study, an industrial city in southern Italy, I address the revaluation projects underpinning the conflict around socio-ecological arrangements that are considered unfair, unsustainable and detrimental to life. Focusing on the trajectory of local environmentalism and the specific case of a women group, the article shows how the intensification of the socio-ecological crisis prompted the shift of environmental conflicts from the sphere of production to the broader relations of social reproduction. I propose to analyse this shift through the concept of grassroots ecologies of value, which outlines a framework for thinking about how people deal with the socio-environmental contradictions in which they live, and their struggles for dignity and worth.     

What makes people stay in or leave shrinking cities? An empirical study from Portugal

The attractiveness of cities as places to live determines population movements into or out of them. Understanding the appealing features is fundamental to local governments, particularly for cities facing population decline. Pull and push attributes can include economic aspects, the availability of amenities and psychological constructs, initiating a discussion around which factors are more relevant for migration. However, such discussion has been underexplored in studies of shrinking cities. In the present study, we contribute to the discussion by identifying pull and push factors in Portuguese shrinking cities. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire of 701 residents in four shrinking cities: Oporto, Barreiro, Peso da Régua and Moura. Factor analysis and automatic linear modelling were used to analyse the data. Our results show that the economic activity is the most relevant feature for retaining residents. However, characteristics specific to each city, related to heritage and natural beauty, are also shown to influence a city’s attractiveness. The cause of population shrinkage was also found to influence residents’ assessments of the pull and push attributes of each city. Furthermore, the results show the relevance of social ties and of place attachment to inhabitants’ intention to continue living in their city of residence.     

New venture high growth in high-tech environments

The aim of this article is to understand the triggering factors of new firm growth in high-tech environments (life science, knowledge-intensive business services [KIBS] and engineering) by studying a representative sample of high-growth Italian start-ups. Our empirical research uses the information gathered during direct interviews with managers through a semi-structured questionnaire, which was presented to 382 new Italian firms. Considering the characteristics of new firms, this article summarizes the key growth factors. Investment in acquiring new competencies both in technology and marketing, development of dynamic capabilities (investment in human resources and new routines) and access to external knowledge and information sources emerged as significant.     

Reconstruction of the Rib Vaults of the Hypostyle Hall in the Maniace Castle of Siracusa After the 1693 Earthquake

Built in the first half of the 13th century on behalf of the Emperor Frederick II, the Maniace Castle of Siracusa focuses its enigma in the hypostyle hall (which was composed of 25 quadripartite rib vaults) and the design criteria adopted for its implementation. Recent research and a careful rereading of the documentary “restoration project” after the earthquake of 1693 have offered new tools to understand the construction techniques and building procedures for the entire organism. It has been possible to demonstrate that the different material (white limestone and volcanic stone) used for the vaults is, in fact, a product of reconstruction. The constructive node, which historiography has taken for granted, is now crucial—the documentary evidence of the restoration after the earthquake compared with the materials found in situ provide interpretive keys to decode genesis and procedures of the huge structure built five centuries before.