Characterization of concrete from Roman buildings for public spectacles in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emerita Augusta</Emphasis> (Mérida,Spain)

The aim of this work is to characterize the original concrete from Roman buildings for public spectacles, theatre and amphitheatre, from Emerita Augusta, Mérida, Spain. An advanced knowledge of the Roman concrete composition is required for a reliable restoration and preservation of these ancient monuments. The concrete was studied through mineralogical (optical polarized microscopy and X-ray diffraction) and petrophysical (bulk and real density, open porosity to water and Hg, mechanical strength and ultrasonic velocity) analyses. With this work, it is possible to fill the gap that exists in this field and the characterization of the materials used in the Roman concrete from these two buildings, never previously studied, despite the significance of this archaeological ensemble, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. The results allowed us to determine the composition of the Roman concrete and to infer the provenance of the aggregates used in these monuments.     

Sex estimation using cervical dental measurements in an archaeological population from Iran

Sex estimation of skeletal remains is one of the major components of forensic identification of unknown individuals. Teeth are a potential source of information on sex and are often recovered in archaeological or forensic contexts due to their post-mortem longevity. Currently, there is limited data on dental sexual dimorphism of archaeological populations from Iran. This paper represents the first study to provide a dental sex estimation method for Iron Age populations. The current study was conducted on the skeletal remains of 143 adults from two Iron Age populations in close temporal and geographic proximity in the Solduz Valley (West Azerbaijan Province of Iran). Mesiodistal and buccolingual cervical measurements of 1334 maxillary and mandibular teeth were used to investigate the degree of sexual dimorphism in permanent dentition and to assess their applicability in sex estimation. Data was analysed using discriminant function analysis (SPSS 23), and posterior probabilities were calculated for all produced formulae. The results showed that incisors and canines were the most sexually dimorphic teeth, providing percentages of correct sex classification between 86.4 and 100 % depending on the measurement used. The combination of canines and other teeth improved significantly the level of correct sex classification. The highest percentages of sex classification were obtained by the combination of canines and incisors (100 %) and canines and molars (92.3 %). The present study provided the first reference standards for sex estimation using odontometric data in an Iranian archaeological population. Cervical measurements were found to be of value for sex assessment, and the method presented here can be a useful tool for establishing accurate demographic data from skeletal remains of the Iron Age from Iran.     

Identifying handedness at knapping; an analysis of the scatter pattern of lithic remains

Determining hand laterality during human evolution is important in order to identify brain hemispheric lateralization for motor tasks and, indirectly, to gain information on the complex cognitive functions of the human brain. In this paper, we present a new method for inferring handedness from lithic evidence. The study is based on an analysis of the scatter patterns of lithic remains from stone-knapping episodes. An experimental programme was carried out by 14 knappers (eight right-handed and six left-handed), ranging from individuals that had never even struck two pebbles together to individuals who were quite familiar with prehistoric tools and had some degree of practice. The results of the experiment show that the material scatter patterns of right- and left-handed knappers at group level are different, but they do overlap at certain intervals. At the individual level, the probability of falsely ascribing left- and right-handedness has also been estimated. In addition, we have adapted this method to be applied to the archaeological record. In this case, only well-preserved knapping events with no post-depositional alterations can be used to assign left- or right-handed knappers, with the former being more reliably detected than the latter.     

Tracing the origin of Chinese early white porcelain in the late sixth century—evidence from Xing kiln

As the criterion used by archaeologists for determining early white porcelain is quite ambiguous, the origin of Chinese white porcelain remains a point of disagreement. In this study, we systematically investigate 61 typical Xing porcelains of the late Northern dynasties to the early Sui dynasty (550–600 CE) using spectrophotometer, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and analyze the differences between early white porcelain and celadon of Xing kiln in terms of their whiteness and raw materials characteristic. The results show that early white porcelain is a new type of ware that differs from celadon, which can be distinguished by whiteness, with a whiteness greater than 8% being early white porcelain and a whiteness less than 8% being celadon. It is assumed that the ancient potters created the whiter wares based on celadon by improving the glaze and selecting new raw materials for the body, but the production of this type of ware was short lived and subsequently refined in the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE) owing to the limited improvement in whiteness.     

天堑与通途:清末民初铁路与天津城市空间探析

清末民初在天津城市空间从传统的城厢向四乡拓展时,铁路的引入使该过程变得更为复杂剧烈。对于城市空间而言,铁路带来的变化并不能完全用商贸繁荣程度来衡量。东站在带来巨大的商贸利益的同时也阻断了沈王郭旺诸村居民的市内交通,使铁路两侧迥然不同,形成一块特殊的隔离区。西站的建立并没有使当地传统的商业中转中心复兴,反而因联运使得当地商业利益受到冲击。而不同城区居民也通过各自方式应对铁路带来的变化。沈王郭旺诸村居民通过呼吁政府修筑地道的方式将铁路带来的隔离效果略为降低。而西站附近居民通过疏通西站的方式使其没有彻底贯彻联运,保障了本地的商业垄断利益。     

“新历史学家”对以色列传统史学的挑战

20世纪八九十年代,一批受西方影响的以色列历史学家通过对大量解密文献的研判与调查,率先对犹太复国主义提出种种质疑,从而引发了以色列社会对主流意识形态的反思,形成了一种新的社会文化思潮——"后犹太复国主义",这些历史学家被称为"新历史学家"。他们的观点主要集中在对以色列国家合法性与官方历史阐释的修正、对犹太复国主义的重新解读、对以色列国家属性及其未来走向的质疑等方面,从而对以色列传统史学提出了挑战。"新历史学家"拓宽了历史研究的视域,推进了学术自由,有益于促进国家的世俗化与民主化进程,但他们的批判性大于建设性,有些主张过于激进且不切实际,并且在某种程度上加剧了以色列社会的动荡性。     

Experimental investigation of carbon dioxide trapping due to capillary retention in saline aquifers

Capillary trapping is a physical mechanism by which carbon dioxide (CO₂) is naturally immobilized in the pore spaces of aquifer rocks during geologic carbon sequestration operations, and thus a key aspect of estimating geologic storage potential. Here, we studied capillary trapping of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), and the effect of initial scCO₂ saturation and flow rate on the storage/trapping potential of Berea sandstone. We performed two‐phase, scCO₂‐brine displacements in two samples, each subject to four sequential drainage–imbibition core‐flooding cycles to quantify end‐point saturations of scCO₂ with the aid of micro‐ and macro‐computed tomography imaging. From these experiments, we found that between 51% and 75% of the initial CO₂ injected can be left behind after the brine injection. We also observed that the initial scCO₂ saturation influenced the residual scCO₂ saturation to a greater extent than the rate of brine injection under the experimental conditions examined. In spite of differences in the experimental conditions tested, as well as those reported in the literature, initial and residual saturations were found to follow a consistent relationship.     

Fluid mixing induced by hydrothermal activity in the ordovician carbonates in Tarim Basin,China

Permian hydrothermal activity in the Tarim Basin may have been responsible for the invasion of hot brines into Ordovician carbonate reservoirs. Studies have been undertaken to explain the origin and geochemical characteristics of the diagenetic fluid present during this hydrothermal event although there is no consensus on it. We present a genetic model resulting from the study of δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope values and fluid inclusions (FIs) from fracture‐ and vug‐filling calcite, saddle dolomite, fluorite, barite, quartz, and anhydrite from Ordovician outcrops in northwest (NW) Tarim Basin and subsurface cores in Central Tarim Basin. The presence of hydrothermal fluid was confirmed by minerals with fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures being >10°C higher than the paleo‐formation burial temperatures both in the NW Tarim and in the Central Tarim areas. The mixing of hot (>200°C), high‐salinity (>24 wt% NaCl), ⁸⁷Sr‐rich (up to 0.7104) hydrothermal fluid with cool (60–100°C), low‐salinity (0 to 3.5 wt% NaCl), also ⁸⁷Sr‐rich (up to 0.7010) meteoric water in the Ordovician unit was supported by the salinity of fluid inclusions, and δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic values of the diagenetic minerals. Up‐migrated hydrothermal fluids from the deeper Cambrian strata may have contributed to the hot brine with high sulfate concentrations which promoted thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) in the Ordovician, resulting in the formation of ¹²C‐rich (δ¹³C as low as ?13.8‰) calcite and ³⁴S‐rich (δ³⁴S values from 21.4‰ to 29.7‰) H₂S, pyrite, and elemental sulfur. Hydrothermal fluid mixing with fresh water in Ordovician strata in Tarim Basin was facilitated by deep‐seated faults and up‐reaching faults due to the pervasive Permian magmatic activity. Collectively, fluid mixing, hydrothermal dolomitization, TSR, and faulting may have locally dissolved the host carbonates and increased the reservoir porosity and permeability, which has significant implications for hydrocarbon exploration.     

博罗横岭山先秦墓地出土春秋青铜矛腐蚀情况研究

作为2000年全国十大考古发现之一,惠州市博罗横岭山先秦墓地出土了大量精美的青铜器、陶瓷器和玉石器。本文采用显微镜、X射线探伤、X射线荧光能谱、X射线衍射、显微拉曼等方法对其中一件春秋时期青铜矛进行综合分析。结果表明,该青铜矛为铜锡二元合金。受酸性潮湿的埋藏土壤环境影响,青铜矛基体矿化严重,表面存在大量以SnO₂为主要成分的浅绿色锈蚀物和少量以碱式碳酸铜为主要成分的绿色锈蚀物。X射线探伤分析显示,青铜矛内部存在泥芯铸造产生的空腔和多处小孔状铸造缺陷。此外,青铜矛表面大部分区域覆盖有结晶态的以SnO₂为主要成分的致密半透明锈蚀层,这在同类型的锈蚀青铜器中较为少见,是其出土之后能长年保持稳定的表面锈蚀状态且器形较为完整稳固的原因。实验结果可为该青铜矛的保护修复处理提供有力的理论依据和数据支持,并为研究南方地区同类型青铜器锈蚀产物提供参考。