The Production of Thin‐Walled Jointless Gold Beads from the Maykop Culture Megalithic Tomb of the Early Bronze Age at Tsarskaya in the North Caucasus: Results of Analytical and Experimental Research

This study, the first of this kind, reconstructs the technical chaîne operatoire of thin‐walled jointless gold bead production in the Maykop culture on the basis of trace‐wear analysis, experimental research and comparative analysis, using gold beads from the Early Bronze Age dolmen (c. 3200–2900 bc ) in kurgan 2 at Tsarskaya (discovered in 1898). The results of the study demonstrate that such beads were produced from a perforated disc‐shaped blank by pressure (with intermittent annealing) within a hemispherical depression in a shaping block (presumably made from stone or bone) and subsequent abrasive treatment of the surface. Most probably, this technique was a regional expression of Near Eastern jewellery traditions that emerged within the urbanized centres of Upper Mesopotamia in the early fourth millennium bc and spread out, through the Caucasus, into the southern boundaries of the Eurasian steppe.     

Discrimination of Ceramic Surface Finishing by Vertical Scanning Interferometry

Finishing techniques are significant markers of the technological ‘know‐how’ involved in the production of the traditional, clay‐based ceramic ware. In order to provide a reliable tool to discriminate among two main surface processing techniques—that is, smoothing and burnishing—vertical scanning interferometry (VSI), a recently developed non‐destructive technique for analysing the surface roughness and topography, is applied. The smoothed areas have an obvious roughness expressed by linear structures. The latter are made of parallel ridges and trenches with an average depth of 15–20 μm. Burnishing leads to a lower topography and a lower roughness compared to the smoothed surface section. VSI quantifies the spatial distribution of the surface building blocks, which consist of phyllosilicate aggregates of variable size. The statistical treatment of the roughness data obtained by VSI shows that the surface topography provides significant information on the pottery processing and a clear qualitative and quantitative discrimination between different surfaces. VSI supports the reconstitution of the chaîne opératoire for traditional ceramic pottery and the recognition of the surface finishing techniques.     

Recovery of a lost wall painting at the Etruscan Tomb of the Blue Demons in Tarquinia (Viterbo,Italy) by multispectral reflectometry and UV fluorescence imaging

This paper presents the results of a multispectral reflectometry and ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence study on the entrance wall of the Tomb of the Blue Demons in the Necropolis of Monterozzi (450–430 bc ) in Tarquinia (Viterbo, Italy), which is a UNESCO site. The technique is based on the acquisition of a multispectral set ranging from 10 to 25 images, acquired at wavelengths between 370 and 1120 nm, with a spectral width of 50 nm per image, using both halogen lamps for visible and infrared images and high‐purity UV diodes for fluorescence. Blind‐source separation algorithms were then applied to the whole image set to extract from the resulting images the details not otherwise visible in the single spectral images. The multispectral technique presented was tested and improved upon over the last decade on ancient Etruscan and Roman wall paintings and, because of its quickness and cost‐effectiveness, it can now be proposed as a powerful tool for the study of poorly conserved archaeological wall paintings and a preliminary diagnostic survey before any future conservation intervention on them.     

Effect of Irregular Seabed on Seismic Motions

Several studies indicate that marine seismic activity is vast. Actually, about 90% of all natural earthquakes have epicenters in o_shore areas and may cause damage to subsea and floating structures. In this numerical study the indirect boundary element method is used to analyze the influence that some parameters, involved in this kind of problems, have on the dynamic response of marine waters under the incidence of theoretical seismic events. According with the results, the seismic amplifications depend on the seabed configuration and produce displacements which can be a serious concern.     

Regional Design in the Context of Fragmented Territorial Governance: South Wing Studio

In the Netherlands, the formation of governance arrangements around planning issues that cross administrative boundaries has been assisted frequently by a design approach that is often referred to as “regional design”. This is a distinctive method of policy argumentation that makes use of spatial representations of the plausible future of regions. Such representations are intended not only to indicate physical changes, but also to stimulate debate on sharing responsibilities and resources for planning tasks among planning actors. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the performance of regional design in the context of fragmented regional governance through a case study in the southern part of the Randstad in the Netherlands. We argue that regional design has contributed to institutional capacity in a complex polycentric and, looking at the governance structure, pluricentric region like the Randstad South Wing, largely by allowing for multiple interpretations.     

STATE MERIT‐BASED FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS AND COLLEGE ATTAINMENT

This paper examines the effects of state merit‐based student aid programs on college attendance and degree completion. Our primary analysis uses microdata from the 2000 United States Census and 2001–2010 American Community Survey to estimate the effects of exposure to merit programs on educational outcomes for 25 states that adopted such programs by 2004. We also utilize administrative data for the University System of Georgia to look more in depth at the effects of exposure to the HOPE Scholarship on degree completion. We find strong consistent evidence that exposure to state merit aid programs have no meaningfully positive effect on college completion.     

Mineralogical and Chemical Characterization of Roman Slag from the Archaeological Site of Castra (Ajdovščina,Slovenia)

This study deals with the mineralogical and chemical characterization of archaeometallurgical material from the Roman archaeological site of Castra (Ajdov??ina, western Slovenia). Samples were initially analysed via optical microscopy and X‐ray powder diffraction, with the composition of individual phases then determined using scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron‐dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman microspectroscopy. Chemical investigation was carried out by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy to measure the major element content. The results showed that the slag originated from iron smithing operations, with calcium‐rich olivines, as well as wuestite and leucite, the most abundant phases. The investigated slags were also found to be characterized by significantly high lime levels, which probably promoted the formation of the calcium‐rich olivines.