Chemical composition and colouring agents of Roman mosaic and millefiori glass, studied by electron microprobe analysis and Raman microspectroscopy

About 100 fragments of Roman mosaic and millefiori glass were stylistically attributed to a Hellenistic type, a Ptolemaic and Romano-Egyptian period type and an early imperial period type. Twelve representative fragments were studied by electron microprobe analysis and Raman microspectroscopy. Eleven of them display a Na-pronounced recipe with low K, Mg and P contents, typical for the Roman period. Minor differences in composition are unsystematic, not reflecting the stylistic classification. Ionic colouring agents are Mn³⁺ for violet, Cu²⁺ for light blue, Co²⁺ for deep blue and Fe³⁺ for brown translucent colours. Calcium antimonates, lead antimonate and cuprite are the colourants responsible for white, yellow and red colours, respectively, and additionally serve as opacifiers. Mixing of ionic colouring agents and opacifying colourants led to a more differentiated palette of colours. Pb was used as yellow colouring agent, as a flux material and as a stabiliser for the colourant crystals. The remaining fragment consisting of a K-pronounced but still Na-bearing glass matrix was most likely produced during the Middle Ages or later.     

Who Was First? Nationalism in Slovak and Hungarian Archaeology and History

This paper critically examines several examples of theories, which represent polemical Hungarian and Slovak positions, and consider the socio-historical and conceptual roots of problematical contrasting interpretations. Slovaks and Hungarians (Magyars) lived until 1918 in a common state for about 1000 years. Today, archaeologists and historians working in different countries are concerned with different questions and offer very different interpretations of the past. A case in point is the issue of the arrival of Slavs and Magyars to the Middle Danube region. Although it is, in general, agreed that the Magyars came into the region over 350 years after the arrival of the Slavs, some Hungarians scientists emphasize a so-called “double occupation” of homeland having to do with relationships between the Magyars and the Huns. In contrast, we can find in the Slovak archaeological literature arguments concerning the “presence” of Slavs in the territory of Slovakia already in the fourth century (or even earlier), that is, before the Huns.      

The dark side of cultural policy: economic and political instrumentalisation,white elephants,and corruption in Valencian cultural institutions

Cultural policy is usually assessed as a positive element for socio-economic development and therefore, its criticism is generally confined to poor implementation and discussion of its social effects. However, it is occasionally analysed as an instrument that produces unsustainable development, as a generator of white elephants, or as a means of waste, corruption, and clientelistic domination of the political sphere. This is what we might call the ‘dark side’ of cultural policy. Our case study of the city of Valencia (Spain), focussing on two of its major cultural institutions, the Valencian Institute of Modern Art and the Palace of Arts, exemplifies this cultural policy dimension. This article aims to analyse the systemic and contextual causes of this phenomenon of cronyistic behaviour and to elucidate in what sense it can be understood as a contingent drift specific to a particular territory or as a structural condition of cultural policy.     

The role of resident-city identification in building residents’ city commitment

This paper examines how elements of perceived city marketing mix influence residents’ city identification and city commitment. The study also tests the role of resident-city identification in building residents’ city commitment. The research model, along with the hypotheses, are developed from the literature, and tested based on the data collected through a survey on a representative sample (residents of Ljubljana – capital city of Slovenia) of 402 respondents. Among the elements of city marketing mix, ‘City as a management system’ and ‘City as people’ have direct influence on city commitment, while the elements ‘City as people’ and ‘City as physical evidence’ have direct influence on city identification. The partly mediating role of city identification is also revealed between ‘City as people’ and ‘City commitment’. The paper also shows that city identification has the strongest influence on city commitment, as well as that both concepts are distinctive, and not theoretically interchangeable.     

Minimum Thrust of Rounded Cross Vaults

This study analyzes the static behavior of the rounded cross vaults based on the limit analysis approach developed for masonry structures and adopts a rigid no-tension constitutive model with no sliding. The kinematic theorem of the limit analysis with a compatible tridimensional mechanism is applied on these structures with the aim of evaluating the minimum thrust. In this way it was possible to build some abaci in which the ratio between the minimum thrust and the weight is plotted versus the geometrical characteristics of the vaults. Finally, the proposed abaci are used to calculate the thrust of the main vault of the Diocletian Baths in Rome.     

Evolution of Temperature and Moisture Fields in Charles Bridge in Prague: Computational Prediction and Measurements

Charles Bridge in Prague, founded in 1357, is one of the most prominent historical structures in Europe. It interconnects two Prague districts, the Lesser Town and the Old Town districts, separated by the Vltava River. In the past, the bridge underwent a variety of repairs and retrofits. Within the framework of the moderate repair carried into effect in 2007 to 2010, a measuring system was installed in the bridge, and the temperature and moisture content at selected gauge points have been continuously monitored for a period of 2 years. This article presents non-linear, fully coupled modeling of both fields utilizing a parallel version of the simple finite elements (SIFEL) computer code. Its cogency is validated against experimentally obtained data that serve as inputs for the second stage of a thermo-mechanical analysis—the detailed and mechanics-oriented simulations of the bridge as a whole.     

An Ethnoarchaeological Study on Anthropic Markers from a Shell-midden in Tierra del Fuego (Southern Argentina): Lanashuaia II

ABSTRACT

For many years the identification of activity areas has been carried out through the spatial distribution of lithics, zooarchaeological remains and specific features such as fireplaces. However, these data are rarely combined and integrated with results from specific analytical techniques such as phytoliths, organic matter, carbonates and multielemental analysis. This research presents the first results of an intrasite spatial analysis on a layer from the site Lanashuaia II, a shell-midden located on the Beagle Channel coast (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina). Ethnoarchaeology is used as a methodological tool to give content to the concept of anthropic markers by means of formulating archaeological hypothesis on the basis of ethnological information. This paper presents the application of specific anthropic markers, which have been designed and applied to identify ashy remains and waste areas through different combinations of proxies. The results show how an approach that integrates different techniques enhances data interpretation and allows to give visibility to activities that may not leave visible evidences.     

Territorial cohesion storylines in 2014–2020 Cohesion Policy

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the concept of territorial cohesion in the context of 2014–2020 Cohesion Policy. The main goal is to investigate how European Union (EU) Member States (MSs) are coping with territoriality in their policies and to assess whether they are only fulfilling the minimum standards of a place-based approach or whether they are moving towards a new paradigm of policy-making characterized by a more territorially sensitive approach. This paper analyses Partnership Agreements which were signed between the European Commission and EU MSs and identifies the perception of territorial cohesion in the Cohesion Policy in the programming period 2014–2020. The analysis shows that different MSs choose different ways of addressing territoriality of their policies. It is thus possible to categorize countries into several groups sharing similar features and to discuss underlying ideas and approaches, which could shed some light on the still rather fuzzy concept of territorial cohesion.