Prioritising Heritage Resources in a Time of Loss: Sea Level Rise and Archaeological Resources of the Middle Atlantic Region,US

ABSTRACT

The US Middle Atlantic region, known for its rich archaeological record and diverse topographic settings, is experiencing a range of climate change impacts, most notably: sea level rise and coastal erosion in its tidal zones. Documented palaeostratigraphic and palynological studies throughout the region provide a record of late Pleistocene/Holocene environmental response to changing climate, confirming observations from other disciplines that the magnitude of modern impacts exceeds past temporal and spatial patterns. The corresponding impact on archaeological resources is great, requiring a renewed effort to document threatened sites while also working with local and state governments to develop mitigation strategies. The Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference (MAAC) created the Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Committee to promote regional partnerships in site impact assessment and mitigation strategies. The network highlights the predicament of archaeology in this time of climate change: accelerated research and discovery in the face of catastrophic loss.     

Theory and practice in urban pottery seriation

The paper discusses the principles and a procedure for analysing urban archaeological sequences using pottery seriation. Interpretations of particular shapes of seriation curve are offered and the problem of residuality is confronted. The method is suggested as having direct relevance for the definition of stratigraphic events and historical activities on urban sites.     

厦门宋元窑址调查及研究

厦门宋元窑址的调查及研究表明,厦门古代陶瓷的生产和发展,不仅得益于优越的自然地理条件,而且同当时的海外市场需求和外贸的发展相辅相承,同时厦门古代陶瓷手工业的发展也带动和促进了厦门及闽南地区社会经济的进步。     

丙烯酸非水分散体等几种土遗址防风化加固剂的效果比较

对丙烯酸树脂非水分散体等几种土遗址防风化加固剂进行了加固效果对比检验,包括加固前后土样各种性能的变化,如：重量、颜色、孔隙率变化,抗压强度的提高,耐水、耐冻融、耐盐能力的增加等。通过检验发现,在所试材料中丙烯酸树脂非水分散体加固刑在浓度非常低的情况下对土体就有加固作用,使土体具有很好的耐水性、耐冻触能力,耐盐破坏能力也有提高,并且不影响土体的外观和透气性。而其它材料如正硅酸乙酯、丙烯酸树脂、聚氨酯、聚酯等虽在一些性能上能满足需要,但还有一些方面不能满足要求。对比表明,丙烯酸非水分散体是一类优良的土遗址防风化加固剂。     

Holocene paleoshorelines,water levels and submerged prehistoric site potential of Rice Lake (Ontario,Canada)

Rice Lake, located in the eastern Great Lakes of North America, has a high density of prehistoric (11–0.5 ka BP) terrestrial archaeological sites. It has been speculated that a large number of sites are submerged on the lakebed, as lake levels have risen >9 m since the arrival of Early Paleoindian peoples (∼11 ka BP). In order to better understand the submerged landscape and its archaeological potential, a detailed bathymetric survey and sediment-coring program was conducted across a 30-km² area of northeastern Rice Lake. Changes in Holocene water levels and shoreline positions were reconstructed by integrating core data with a digital elevation and bathymetric model (DEBM) that accounted for differential isostatic uplift and basin sedimentation. The DEBM was used to generate a series of maps showing changes in the lake paleobathmetry and paleogeography and areas of prehistoric archaeological potential.     

望京楼遗址出土青铜器研究

望京楼遗址是夏商时期重要邑聚,为了解该遗址铜器制作工艺水平,通过金相显微镜和扫描电镜对2010~2012年新郑望京楼遗址出土的青铜器样品进行组织与成分分析和探讨。该批铜器未见青铜容器,仅有小件工具和兵器。但仍可初步反映出望京楼遗址出土的青铜器材质多样化和加工方式非单一性;对望京楼铜器分析反映出该区域使用锻打应该有了一定积累并在此基础上能依据材质和器物薄厚、尺寸选择工艺,对锻打技术认知度较高。望京楼铜器具有的原始性,应属于铜合金使用的早期阶段。研究表明,商代对于器物成分与性能关系的认识程度比之前得到提高。器物是本地制作还是外来还需要更多材料证明。     

对春秋时期吴国城址的初步认识

春秋时期的吴国出于政治、军事和经济等目的,兴建了众多的功能有别,形态各异的大小城池,文章通过实地调查并结合文献记载,对现有的吴国城址进行了描绘和讨论。     

The effect of soil conditions on the long-term corrosion of buried tin-bronzes and copper

The object of this work was to relate the corrosion of tin-bronzes to the chemical condition of the soil in which they have been buried, most of them since the Bronze Age. Naturally, it was not easy to obtain recent hoards with their related soils, and considerable reliance had to be placed on recorded finds by taking recent soil samples from sites on which hoards were found over a hundred years earlier. Even so, with the exception of peat, a reasonable relationship appears to exist between the pH of the soil and the state of the metal. Acid soils are aggressive to metals and alkaline soils are benign. In no cases were sulphate reducing bacteria active in promoting corrosion. In the main, peat and peaty soils were benign in spite of their acidity, probably due to the protective action of polyphenols.     

Biodeterioration dynamics of marine wreck-sites determine the need for their in situ protection

The condition of a wooden shipwreck varies considerably according to the nature of the site environment. Each marine site exhibits a unique biodeteriogenic potential influenced by prevailing hydrographic factors. The potential rate of degradation of organic archaeological material can be determined by monitoring the diversity and activity of marine organisms and is important in determining if in situ protection is required. To illustrate the deteriogenic potential of marine archaeological sites a cold water site (Langstone Harbour, UK) was compared with a warm water site (Zakynthos, Greece). The warm water site supported a greater diversity and activity of wood-boring crustaceans and molluscs than the cold water site. However, although the mycodiversity at the two sites was different the deteriogenic potential was similar. These results indicated that warm water sites are more hazardous and in situ protection is required during and after excavation.     

Anthropomorphic Wooden Figures from the Trans-urals

Anthropomorphic wooden figures found in peat-bogs east of the Urals are described. Their archaeological context, chronology, and stylistics are analyzed. The Uralian specimens are compared with those from Western and Eastern Europe. The possible meaning of these representations is reconstructed on the basis of Ob Ugrian rituals and mythology.