云南祥云县检村石棺墓出土铜器的初步研究

为研究滇西地区青铜文化及相关铜器的制作技术,本研究采用扫描电镜和金相分析的方法,对云南祥云检村石棺墓出土的17件样品进行取样分析,结果表明祥云检村石棺墓出土的铜器以红铜为主,少数为Cu-Sn合金。这些器物的制作工艺主要是铸造、铸后冷加工等,制作工艺相对单一。3件编钟均为Cu-Sn合金,并且锡成分具有等比递增的现象。兵器矛经过鉴定后说明由于墓主身份的不同,随葬的矛也有实用器和随葬器两类。农具锸和工具锥和凿的鉴定表明有冷加工或使用过的痕迹,可能曾是实用器;而农具锄经鉴定并没有在农作中使用过,仅作为随葬品,进一步证明随葬铜锄是青铜时代滇西地区的一种丧葬习俗。分析表明,当时已根据不同器物的用途进行了不同的制作和加工。本研究结果对研究滇西青铜文化及金属技术有一定的意义。     

再论日本出土的景初四年铭三角缘盘龙镜

据《三国志·魏书》记载,魏明帝死于景初三年,少帝继位后,仍称当年为景初三年,但次年则改称正始元年。"景初四年"的年号实际上并不存在。日本出土的三角缘盘龙镜为东渡的中国工匠在日本制作,因不能及时得知中国魏朝皇帝改年号之事,所以在铜镜的铭文中使用了"景初四年"的年号。     

Directional analysis of surface artefact distributions: a case study from the Murghab Delta, Turkmenistan

This paper investigates directional influences in the distribution of Bronze Age surface pottery in the northern Murghab Delta, Turkmenistan. Drawing upon a continuous dataset of pottery sherd counts obtained by intensive field survey, it examines the degree to which we can make sense of the archaeological processes at work in a heavily obstructed and dynamic landscape. In so doing, it makes use of two analytical methods that have rarely been used in archaeology: a) geostatistical analysis using variograms to investigate directional spatial autocorrelation in recorded sherd counts; and b) angular wavelet analysis in evaluating directional influences in the sherd distributions for particular chronological periods. While some kinds of directional influence can be identified visually, a quantitative approach is particularly useful in deconstructing such patterns. In this particular dataset, distinct but related directional processes can be identified and measured: a) the impact of the complex system of watercourses in the delta on both settlement and post-depositional processes; and b) recovery bias in the observations made during survey.     

Strict solar alignment of Bronze Age rock carvings in SE Sweden

The Järrestad rock carving site in SE Sweden from the Bronze Age is examined as to the orientation of the individual carvings. A very strict orientation with respect to the main stages in the annual rhythm of the Sun is recorded; 60 feet, 61 shoes and a leading dancer all face the sunrise at Winter solstice, 20 ships face the sunset at Winter solstice, 12 feet point to the sunset at Summer solstice, and one serpent wiggles towards the sunrise at Summer solstice. Obviously, the Bronze Age people kept a strict control of the Sun's annual motions. The sunrise at Winter solstice seems to have been especially important.     

Fuelwood,crops and acorns from Iritegi cave (Oñati,Basque Country)

Abstract

We present the analyses of plant macroremains from Iritegi, a cave from Northern Iberia with archaeological levels dated from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age. Wood charcoal assemblages are dominated throughout the sequence by Fraxinus. Other important taxa are Quercus subg. Quercus, followed by Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Ilex aquifolium, Taxus baccata and Ulmus. Acer, Alnus and Maloideae occur in very low numbers. The high percentages of Fraxinus are possibly result from the selection of ash for fodder. Evidence for the use of crops (Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum/durum) comes only from the Chalcolithic contexts. The identification of acorns in one Chalcolithic hearth shows that roasting of these nuts was taking place maybe to improve taste and to facilitate further processing or to improve storage conditions. The results show that plant food gathering still played a role within the subsistence of farming human groups in the region.     

Raw Material Availability and Technological Choice: Modified Metapodia from an Early Bronze Age Site in Central Israel

This paper explores the incongruous relationship between bone raw material availability and technological choice at the Early Bronze Age site of Horvat 'Illin Tahtit (HIT) in central Israel. At HIT, the worked bone assemblage is mostly comprised of minimally modified sheep and goat metapodia whose function(s) are enigmatic. Most specimens have longitudinally oriented scraping abrasions on at least one face, and of these, some have bilaterally symmetrical drilled perforations on the distal–posterior face. Furthermore, the distal epiphyseal plates of almost all worked metapodia are unfused, whereas unfused epiphyses are nearly absent from the general faunal assemblage. Worked goat metacarpals are significantly more common than sheep metacarpals or metatarsals of either species, despite the greater abundance of sheep over goat in the general faunal assemblage. This paper proposes that the desire to express specific visible attributes of the bone raw material was the key motivation in choosing unfused goat metacarpals over similar, more abundant choices. The analysis considers material properties such as bone mineral density and natural morphology and concludes that material properties between various choices were equivocal. This result suggests that social meanings attributed to specific animals and specific skeletal elements structured bone raw material procurement decisions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Belgammel Ram,a Hellenistic‐Roman Bronze Proembolion Found off the Coast of Libya: test analysis of function,date and metallurgy,with a digital reference archive

The Belgammel Ram was found off the coast of Libya in 1964, and examined during 2008–9. The following techniques were used: surface non‐contact digitizing using a laser scanner, reflectance transformation imaging using polynomial texture mapping and hemi‐spherical harmonics, digital photogrammetry with dense surface modelling, structured light optical scanning, and X‐ray fluorescence analysis. For internal structure the ram was examined by X‐radiography and 3‐D X‐ray tomography. Metallurgical composition was studied by micro‐drilling and subjecting the samples to scanning electron microscope X‐ray micro‐analysis, micro X‐ray fluorescence and X‐ray backscatter. The lead isotope composition was analysed. The alloy has average percentage composition Cu = 86.9, Sn = 6.3, Pb = 6.6, and Zn = < 0.10. The Belgammel Ram is probably a Hellenistic‐Roman proembolion from a small military vessel or tesseraria. The archived data are at the Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Engineering Sciences, Material Data Centre, University of Southampton ( muvis@soton.ac.uk ).     

The Early Bronze Age funerary archaeological landscape of western Ja'alan: results of three seasons of investigation

This paper presents the results of three seasons of investigations in the western part of Ja'alan in the southern al‐Sharqyiah Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. The results highlight the importance of this part of Ja'alan during the Early Bronze Age (EBA), particularly the Hafit period and provide us with important information about the funerary archaeological landscape during this period. The results also reveal important aspects of landscape utilisation and occupation during this time and add to our knowledge of the cultural and economic facets of the earliest Bronze Age societies. The distribution of tombs in the landscape suggests that they were constructed by nomadic or semi‐nomadic pastoral groups that shifted from one location to another in search of grazing for their livestock. The availability and seasonality of natural resources such as water, pasture and game made it necessary for them to mark their tribal territory with their funerary structures.     

An Early Bronze Age Logboat from Degersee, Southern Germany

In 2004 the remains of a logboat were discovered in Degersee, a small lake near Lake Constance, southern Germany. Dating to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, it is an important find from a period with scarce archaeological evidence and only a few previously-known logboats. The vessel was situated in lake sediment and documented in situ . Our investigations can be linked to palaeo-environmental studies carried out at Degersee and adjacent lakes, and to palaeo-climatic research in the northern Alpine region. After investigation by underwater archaeologists the boat was moved to a sheltered place in deeper water.
© 2008 The Author