Establishing collagen quality criteria for sulphur isotope analysis of archaeological bone collagen

Sulphur isotope measurements of bone collagen from archaeological sites are beginning to be applied more often, yet there are no clear criteria to assess the quality of the collagen and therefore the validity of the sulphur isotope values. We provide elemental data from different methods (DNA sequences, amino acid sequences and mass spectrometric measurements) which are used to establish a reliable system of quality criteria for sulphur isotope analyses of bone collagen. The difference in the amount of sulphur from fish and mammalian collagen type I led to the suggestion to use different criteria to assess the in vivo character of the collagen between these two categories. For establishing quality ranges, the bone collagen of 140 modern animals were analysed. The amount of sulphur in fish and mammalian bone collagen is 0.63 ± 0.08% and 0.28 ± 0.07%, respectively. Based on these results we define for mammalian bone collagen an atomic C:S ratio of 600 ± 300 and an atomic N:S ratio of 200 ± 100, and for fish bone an atomic C:S ratio of 175 ± 50 and an atomic N:S ratio of 60 ± 20. These quality criteria were then applied to 305 specimens from different archaeological contexts.     

The sinking of the Mary Rose warship: a medieval mystery solved?

The cause of the sinking of Henry VIII's Vice Flagship, the Mary Rose, as she sailed out to meet the French fleet on 19th July AD 1545, has remained an enduring mystery and contested encounter between the English and French Navies. The French claim was that the ship was holed by French cannon fire, whilst the English maintained that she sank due to a poorly executed navigational manoeuvre during the engagement. On the day of the sinking there was a total listed crew complement of 415 men onboard. Minimum number analysis of the commingled human assemblage identified only 179, from which we sampled 18 individuals from differing decks within the ship. We measured δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N in bone collagen, and δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C in enamel apatite of these individuals in order to obtain information about their diets and origins. While the collagen δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N data are similar to other medieval populations, the δ¹⁸O data indicate that a significant proportion of the crew did not originate in Britain, but rather they emanated from warmer, more southerly, regions. These data suggest the presence of 33–60% of non-natives, possibly mercenaries and/or ‘prest’ men, amongst the crew. Together with the contemporary remark shouted from the Mary Rose to a passing ship, that the Captain had the “type of knaves of whom, he could not rule”, our results lend weight to the suggestion that poor communication may well have contributed the observed fatal navigational manoeuvre which led to her sinking.     

Probing dietary change of the Kwädąy Dän Ts'ìnchį individual,an ancient glacier body from British Columbia: II. Deconvoluting whole skin and bone collagen δC values via carbon isotope analysis of individual amino acids

The remains of the Kwäd?y Dän Ts'ìnch? individual, a frozen male human, were recovered from a retreating glacier within the Tatshenshini-Alsek Park in British Columbia in August 1999. In order to provide information on both the geographical origin of this individual and low long he spent in the remote interior region prior to his death, molecular analysis and compound-specific carbon isotope analyses were performed on individual amino acids purified from his skin and bone. Gas chromatographic quantification of constituent amino acids of both tissues revealed a molecular distribution characteristic of collagen, dominated by glycine and to a lesser extent proline, hydroxyproline and alanine. Chiral gas chromatography indicated that protein preservation in both tissues was exceptional. Carbon isotope analysis of a faunal assemblage from an earlier prehistoric site from southern British Columbia provided reference dietary amino acid δ¹³C values for terrestrial (deer and domestic dog) and marine species (salmon and sealion), showing clear separation in all amino acids, particularly glycine which was extremely ¹³C-enriched in the marine animals. The distinction between terrestrial and marine organisms was increased by exploring Δ¹³C_{Glycine-Phenylalanine} values (6.6 ± 0.6‰ and 15.0 ± 2.1‰, respectively), which were higher in the latter by approximately 8‰, mirroring the increased δ¹⁵N_{Bulk collagen} values observed for the marine animals (R² = 0.78; p < 0.001). The Kwäd?y Dän Ts'ìnch? individual's bone had a similarly elevated Δ¹³C_{Glycine-Phenylalanine} value of 15.6 ± 1.0‰, indicating his extreme reliance on marine dietary resources throughout early life. The skin amino acid δ¹³C values were consistently lower than those observed for bone, with a concurrently lower Δ¹³C_{Glycine-Phenylalanine} value of 12.7 ± 0.9‰. The shift between the carbon isotope composition of bone (long-term diet) and skin amino acids (short-term diet) confirmed a sudden divergence away from marine food sources in the last months of life, consistent with his discovery 80 km inland.     

Variation in strontium isotope ratios of archaeological fauna in the Midwestern United States: a preliminary study

Strontium isotope values (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) in bone and tooth enamel have been used increasingly to identify non-local individuals within prehistoric human populations worldwide. Archaeological research in the Midwestern United States has increasingly highlighted the role of population movement in affecting interregional cultural change. However, the comparatively low level of geologic variation in the Midwestern United States might suggest a corresponding low level of strontium variation, and calls into question the sensitivity of strontium isotopes to identify non-local individuals in this region. Using strontium isotopes of archaeological fauna, we explore the degree of variability in strontium ratios across this region. Our results demonstrate measurable variation in strontium ratios and indicate the potential of strontium analysis for addressing questions of origin and population movement in the Midwestern United States.     

Alkaline cooking and stable isotope tissue-diet spacing in swine: archaeological implications

In this study we examine the effects of alkaline cooking on carbon and oxygen stable isotopic ratios of mineralized tissues from nine pigs raised on monotonous mixed C3/C4 vegetarian diets. Two sources of collagen (humerus and mandible) and two sources of apatite (humerus and enamel) were analyzed. Within each diet group, humerus and mandible collagens were found to record equivalent δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O ratios; however, enamel apatite was found to be enriched over bone apatite by 2.3‰ in carbon and 1.7‰ in oxygen. Alkaline cooking was found to slightly, but significantly increase the Δ¹³C_{collagen-diet} and Δ¹⁸O_{collagen-diet} of bone collagen. A similar trend towards enrichment was observed in bone and enamel Δ¹³C_apatite-diet and Δ¹⁸O _apatite-diet, but the differences were not significant. Observed isotopic shifts were consistent with increased nutrient utilization of the alkaline-cooked maize as compared to raw maize. In addition, a reexamination of the relationship between diet and tissue carbon isotopic values suggests that species and alimentary type should be considered when interpreting ancient diets.     

二十世纪甲骨文语法研究的回顾暨展望

本把一百多年来的甲骨语法研究史分为四个阶段,从研究成果、学术背景、研究领域、研究热点、研究人员、研究材料、研究方法等方面对二十世纪的甲骨语法学研究做了回顾,并对新世纪的甲骨语法研究进行了展望。     

秦始皇帝陵园出土彩绘青铜水禽表面彩绘工艺研究

为全面了解秦始皇帝陵园出土青铜水禽表面彩绘装饰工艺的技术内涵,利用显微观察、偏光显微鉴定、拉曼光谱分析等手段,对秦始皇帝陵园K0007陪葬坑出土彩绘青铜水禽表面彩绘装饰工艺进行了系统的考察和研究。研究结果显示,白色颜料为骨白,黑色颜料为炭黑;彩绘层为多层绘制而成,在结构上与秦陵出土陶俑、陶马表面彩绘具有明显区别;彩绘绘制技法包括平涂及堆绘两种,其中堆绘主要用于羽毛纹路羽轴的绘制,施彩工具可能为毛笔或毛刷。彩绘作为青铜器的装饰工艺主要出现于秦汉时期,但并没有得到广泛应用,可能与彩绘装饰自身的脆弱性以及青铜器的功能由礼容器转变为实用器有关。     

应用热裂解气相色谱质谱技术对六种蛋白质类胶结材料的分析与鉴别

利用在线甲基化水解-裂解气相色谱质谱(THM-Py-GC/MS)技术对古代壁画、彩绘等文物中常用的骨胶、皮胶、鱼鳔胶、蛋清、蛋黄和猪血等六种蛋白质类胶结材料进行分析,采用盖蒂保护研究所开发的RAdICAL系统对谱图进行解析,总结了每类材料的特征裂解产物。研究表明,吡咯类化合物,特别是吡咯、二吡咯二酮和哌嗪二酮类化合物可以作为骨胶和皮胶的识别组分,鱼鳔胶的识别组分除了上述吡咯类化合物之外,还包括胆固醇类化合物。吲哚类、血/蛋清标记物、磷酸三甲酯、脯氨酸类化合物是蛋清的识别组分。除了含有蛋清的4种识别成分之外,猪血的识别成分还包括胆固醇类化合物。蛋黄的识别组分是磷酸三甲酯、蛋黄标记物和胆固醇类化合物。最后利用主成分分析法(PCA)对福建省泉州市安海县龙山寺千手观音佛像上脱落的膜状残片的数据和六种蛋白质类胶结材料的数据进行解读,确定了膜状残片的蛋白质类有机材料为动物胶(骨胶或皮胶)和蛋清,证明PCA是一种有效的降维和可视化方法。本研究利用PCA技术对THM-Py-GC/MS数据进行分析解读,且结果可信,为之后该技术的发展提供新的契机。     

The Archaeological Site of Persepolis (Iran): Study of the Finishing Technique of the Bas‐Reliefs and Architectural Surfaces

One of the aims of the 5‐year Iranian/Italian project for Persepolis, called ‘From Palace to Town’ was to contribute to the conservation of the stone monuments of the imperial site. As part of the activities dedicated to this purpose, a diagnostic study was carried out. Various aspects were considered: petrographic characterization of the stone, forms and factors of decay, and in situ testing of suitable conservation treatments. The present paper reports on the unexpected results of the study on the finishing of architectural surfaces. The results obtained on a limited, but nevertheless significant, number of samples collected from the monuments of the imperial Terrace, allow us to state that the dark grey limestone used for several (or many?) monuments was covered on purpose with a thin, fine whitish layer containing fluorapatite, as major component, and calcite. It is highly probable that the fluorapatite was obtained from calcined animal bones and that slaked lime was used as a binder. Further evidence for this is the discovery of a kiln with the remains of calcined bones and, nearby, a waste pit with animal bones containing fluorapatite. A second white layer, obtained with barium sulphate, was detected in one of the samples beneath the external, earthy encrustation. It could be perhaps interpreted as the remnants of a polychrome finishing.     

Gender and sexual violence,forced marriages,and primitive accumulation during the Cambodian genocide, 1975–1979

Abstract

Between 1975 and 1979 approximately two million men, women, and children died during the Cambodian genocide. These deaths are attributed to specific administrative policies and practices initiated by the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), all of which were geared toward the basic objective of increasing agricultural production as a means of building socialism. A crucial question regarding these practices was whether the CPK implemented policies designed specifically to destroy the traditional family structure of Cambodia. Drawing on the work of Silvia Federici, this article argues that policies and practices forwarded by the CPK constitute a variation of primitive accumulation; and that transformations of the traditional family structure were conditioned by the overall social organization of production initiated by the CPK. However, a more pressing form of gendered violence is apparent – a mode that pivots on the social ordering of the CPK’s political economy.