Traces of History and Ethnology in the Local Names of Gloucestershire

Aspects of burial custom in Roman Britain which seem to be influenced by Roman ideas include burials found accompanied by coins, eggs, charcoal, phials, which once contained perfume, and ritual objects, such as jugs and pateras. The implications of these customs are considered together with the significance of symbolism displayed on tombstones. Discussion of funerary ritual, as it might have been practised in Roman Britain, includes the portrayal of the funerary banquets on tombstones. It is concluded, on the evidence available, that burial custom, like religious thought, was a matter of personal choice, partly because the Romans did not attempt to prescribe funerary practice, except in the law relating to the positioning of cemeteries, and partly because of the strong influence of Celtic religious belief surviving in Roman Britain.     

The Royal Councils of Worcester

The possible existence of a Roman signal station at Whitby has a significant impact upon the study of the Roman defensive system of the North Yorkshire coast and our understanding of the Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical topography of the area. Whitby lies at the mouth of the River Esk and its associated harbour on the North Yorkshire coast, amidst an intervisible chain of five known signal stations, but is perhaps best known for its Anglo-Saxon monastery founded by the Northumbrian king Oswy in A.D. 657. No absolute archaeological evidence of a signal station at Whitby exists, but the toponym suggests that the site had an association with a signal station or watchtower. It is clear that the existing stations were designed to function as a cohesive system, given their similar form and contemporary dates: communication and intervisibility were therefore essential aspects of this defensive network. Despite this, the stations to the north and south of Whitby—those at Goldsborough and Ravenscar respectively—are not intervisible. A station positioned at Whitby would effectively close this gap in the system.

Attempting to reconcile the near complete absence of archaeological remains with the place-name and geographical evidence, this paper uses geologically determined erosion rates to examine the possibility that such a station existed on the more than three hundred metres of coastal land that has eroded since the Roman period. In doing so it addresses the extent to which archaeologists can reconstruct and work with an ancient coastline on a local scale. Having established the probability of a ‘lost’ station, the paper discusses the results of a GIS viewshed application which address the feasibility of such a station's intervisibility from its neighbouring station to the south. The concluding sections investigate the stations' possible form.     

Report on the Progress of the Excavations at Wroxeter,the Roman Urioconium

An evaluation exercise, involving geophysical survey and limited excavation, was undertaken on a site where aerial photography indicated the presence of a number of substantial timber buildings. The work demonstrated that the site was of the early medieval period and that the buildings possessed structural characteristics comparable to those found on other excavated high status sites of the sixth to seventh centuries. Following the evaluation exercise the site was designated as a monument of national importance (Wilts 917).     

Traces of History and Ethnology in the Local Names in Gloucestershire

In the summer of 1996, excavations outside the Chapter House at Worcester Cathedral revealed a chamber filled with animal bones and a considerable quantity of artefacts. Analysis of this material suggests that this deposit constituted the remains of one or more high status meals, probably a feast, which were disposed of in the seventeenth century. These archaeological findings are supported and amplified by the extensive documentary evidence, which not only includes historical anecdotes but also primary source material. In combination, the historical and zooarchaeological evidence sheds light not only upon the feasting practice of the ecclesiastics at Worcester, but also on the condition of the Cathedral at the end of the seventeenth century in the aftermath of the Civil War.     

Mid-Holocene age obtained for nested diamond pattern petroglyph in the Billasurgam Cave complex,Kurnool District,southern India

India has one of the world's largest and most significant bodies of rock paintings and engravings, yet not a single rock art site or image has been directly and accurately dated using radiometric techniques. Here we report on results from the Billasurgam Cave complex near Kurnool in southern India. Although this cave complex has been investigated archaeologically since the late 1800s, it was not until 2008 that a large petroglyph, consisting of the remains of three nested diamond designs on a stalactite, was noted. In order to determine if this petroglyph had been made recently, flowstone was sampled from on top of and below the engraving. Radiocarbon dating revealed a mid-Holocene age of about 5000 cal BP for the petroglyph, but we cannot rule out the possibility that the engraving is several centuries younger. Similar nested diamond designs at some rock painting sites and on a chert core elsewhere in India have been assumed to be Mesolithic. Our result is consistent with this hypothesis, although we note that it also consistent with the creation of the petroglyph in the early Neolithic. We conclude that the Billasurgam engraved diamond design was probably made by Mesolithic foragers of the Kurnool region and is the oldest surviving form of rock art yet directly dated in southern India.     

Geographical notes

Small shops are a curious paradox. When small shops are mentioned, the independent retailer is often brought to mind. Yet, many small shops are operated by multiple retailers. Given the multiple expansion, there is a need to understand the roles and problems of the independent small shop in Scotland. Whilst Scotland may be no different in this regard to other parts of the UK and the world, its geography and new Parliament might suggest new solutions. This paper examines the roles and problems of the independent small shop before examining some of the solutions adopted in particular rural areas. A plea for a better understanding of such retail facilities is made.     

旅游规划与人文关怀浅析

追溯旅游规划的历史沿革可以看到人关怀在不同时期所得到的重视程度。现代旅游规划顺应了当今世界发展的主题和趋势,更加注重“人关怀”的运用。但“人关怀”在旅游规划中的运用必须以“环境和谐论”为指导思想,通过一些具体方法和手段来体现对人类自身的关爱。通过旅游过程,使得主客双方共同理解什么是“真”、“善”、“美”;如何珍惜自然资源,融入自然环境,与之和谐相处;游客通过旅游而在精神、审美、知识等等价值观上的得到升华。