Too little,too late: the geochemistry of a 1773 Philadelphia porcelain openwork basket

A dated (1773) openwork basket labelled “PHILADELFIA” attributed to the Bonnin and Morris factory has a lead-bearing, silicious–aluminous–calcic (S-A-C) composition that contrasts with the phosphatic (bone ash) porcelains known to have previously been made during the mid-1760s to early 1770s in what is now the United States. The basket was underfired and so contains relics of a flint (Pb) glass flux, but kiln temperatures were nonetheless sufficient for subsolidus pseudowollastonite and anorthite to have been resorbed, implying that the duration of firing (soaking) near peak kiln temperatures was insufficient to ensure thorough vitrification. During cooling, liquidus pseudowollastonite and silica polymorphs (but not anorthite) formed, showing that the melt was confined to the tridymite–pseudowollastonite cotectic above the Trd–Wol–An eutectic (1170 °C) in the SiO₂–Al₂O₃–CaO system. Rapid cooling is also indicated by quenched silica polymorphs in the relict glass particles. Although Bonnin and Morris employed some former Bow (London, c. 1743–74) workers, the S-A-C wares initially produced by this factory are compositionally distinct from the 1773 basket, which in this regard more closely resembles the body and glaze of a reputed Chelsea triangle-period (London, c. 1745–49) vessel. Regardless of how they obtained this technology, it is ironic that Bonnin and Morris chose to abandon phosphatic pastes in favour of what in Britain had become an obsolete formula.     

Private Conflict and Policy Passage: Interest-Group Conflict and State Medical Malpractice Reform

James Madison argued in Federalist 10 that "rival political factions" work against the public good. In contrast to Madison's pessimistic account, I suggest that factional conflict can lead to more representative public policy, and thus further the will of the people. I theorize that elected officials often seek a safe political position—one that corresponds to the preferences of the public at large—during periods of high conflict. I assess this theory in one, salient policy area, medical malpractice. I measure conflict with contributions for state candidates given by (i) the health and insurance industries, which generally support malpractice laws, and (ii) lawyers, who frequently oppose the laws. I find that group conflict matters to policy outcomes. I also find evidence that, under conditions of elevated conflict, adopted policies are more likely to move toward the general ideological preferences of the public at large. These results suggest that group conflict affects both the quantity and character of policy in the American states.     

Internal oxidation of cast iron artifacts from an 18th-century steel cementation furnace

Heavily corroded metal artifacts recovered from the site of an 18th-century steel cementation furnace in Trenton, New Jersey, are cast iron altered by internal oxidation. The progress of the internal oxidation process was followed by comparison with the microstructure of cast iron exposed to high temperature in a wood-burning fireplace. The graphite flake structure of the cast iron allows deep, rapid penetration of oxygen that reacts at the iron–carbon interfaces within the iron to form iron oxides that eventually replace the graphite flakes. Microprobe analyses show that the silicon in the cast iron is converted to knebelite that also serves as the host for phosphorus. Sulfur dispersed in the internal oxidation product and porosity appear to be responsible for rapid rusting of the artifacts. Internal nitriding accompanies the oxidation. The Trenton artifacts are interpreted as grate bars from the fire box of a cementation furnace.     

Approximating the Face of ‘Aunty’: A Question of Likeness

This paper describes two approaches to the facial approximation of three individuals from the Wairau Bar burial site (New Zealand). Two individuals were approximated working in direct reference to the remains and incorporated manual drafting. The third individual, ‘Aunty’ (the respectful title given by the iwi Rangitane elders) was approximated from CT scans and using computer graphics. The computer graphic approach enabled a greater level of precision in the application of the research and recommendations that inform a facial approximation, and facilitated collaboration with appropriate expertise. The computer-graphic approach, however, also resulted in a more photographic facial appearance, which can imply a greater level of knowledge about hard/soft tissue relationships than is currently available.     

Social mobility and reproduction among nineteenth-century Colorado silver prospectors

Popular cultural convention holds that, for those with enough gumption, the American frontier was a land of unparalleled opportunity. However, careful research throws doubt on the universality of this convention. Thus, the authors explore factors that increase or decrease opportunities for upward mobility in frontier towns. The authors' longitudinal study of late nineteenth century silver prospectors in Gothic, Colorado, demonstrates that while enthusiastic prospecting in Gothic did not lead to upward social mobility, it did provide enhanced reproductive opportunities.     

Multiple assessments of local properties,production, and performance in metal objects: an experimental case study from Petra,Jordan

This object-specific case study focuses on cupreous artifacts excavated from the Great Temple complex of Petra, Jordan to demonstrate how the use of compositional X-ray analyses alongside two experimental applications (ImageJ software and nanoindentation) have the potential to generate different and otherwise unobtainable information about archaeological metals. The study highlights the value of using multiple techniques as a means of resolving the ambiguities that tend to arise from interpretations of single-sited measurements on objects and from single-instrumental analyses during studies of production processes and consequent material performance. Employing different techniques on multiple localities within a sample permits the gathering of precise information about the behavior of and interrelationships between variables that affect the objects’ fabrication and use, particularly composition, structure, and hardness properties. The resulting data are interpreted in association with contextual archaeological information from Petra to consider the use-life and potential significance of these objects.