Combining New Awareness and Public Support for Archaeology with In Situ Preservation of an Archaeological Monument

Preserving archaeological remains in situ is one of the main objectives of the Valletta Treaty, which was signed by the Dutch government in 1992. Subsequently, preservation in situ has become one of the pillars of archaeological heritage management in the Netherlands. Another objective of the Treaty is the promotion of heritage education and raising of public awareness for the protection and investigation of archaeological heritage. Until recently, this goal has received too little attention. The design and building of an underground visitor centre, DOMunder, raised an important question: How can we transform an archaeological monument into an asset for the community and at the same time ensure long-lasting preservation? Not many parallels exist, as most archaeological sites in urban environments are seen as a burden for development. Sites are generally either excavated or left in situ; in both cases the archaeology remains invisible and inaccessible to the public. In the case of DOMunder, the location in a wet sedimentary environment provided even more challenges. This paper focuses on a few of the many questions and problems that were raised before and during the building process and the (preliminary) answers and solutions.     

Making Better Use of Monitoring Data

This paper addresses the knowledge gap that exists in relation to understanding and quantifying the sensitivity of organic-rich archaeological deposits with respect to changes in the soil environment. Based on two case studies we demonstrate that it is possible to quantify the current decay rate in unsaturated archaeological deposits by combining decay rates measured in the laboratory with on-site monitoring data in a simple decay model. The decay of organic archaeological deposits is highly sensitive to variations in soil temperatures and soil water content. Measurements of soil water content cannot always stand alone as a representative measurement of oxygen availability; which suggests that in situ measurements of oxygen content or redox potential are needed in order to understand the preservation conditions at a site. The results of this study emphasize the advantage of combining monitoring data with laboratory studies, in order to document in more detail where and when degradation takes place.     

The Never-Ending Story? The Lessons of Fifteen Years of Archaeological Monitoring at the Former Island of Schokland

Abstract

The former island of Schokland became part of the mainland of the Netherlands when the Noord-Oost polder was drained in the 1940s. Mesolithic camp sites, Neolithic and Bronze age settlements, and medieval dwelling mounds (terps) on Schokland and in its immediate surroundings now form a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The main threat to the former island and the archaeology is drying out of the soil profiles, causing degradation of organic remains. Because of this, on the island and in its immediate surroundings the groundwater table is kept high in a specially created hydrological zone.

Schokland was one of the first sites in the Netherlands to be monitored in order to assess threats to the archaeological record and ongoing degradation processes. Monitoring started in 1999, and subsequent measurements were taken in 2001, 2006, and 2009/10. This included measurements of groundwater tables, water composition, redox, soil moisture and soil chemistry, micromorphology, and the degradation of botanical remains and bone. This time series of measurements makes it possible — first and foremost — to study long-term effects and changes in the Schokland burial environment, and their effects on the archaeology. In addition, the development of monitoring techniques around Schokland illustrates how the field of archaeological monitoring has evolved over the years.

Since the first monitoring round in 1999, developments in monitoring have included (1) technological developments enabling monitoring of high-frequency variations in groundwater, redox, and moisture contents, for example; (2) growing knowledge of degradation processes and the relevant characteristics of the burial environment; and (3) an increase in easily accessible datasets from third parties. Worries have arisen about the long-term storage and availability of monitoring data.

For future monitoring rounds, the value of the various monitoring techniques need to be critically evaluated, and the purpose of monitoring specific sites need to be reconsidered.     

Preservation Status and Priorities for In Situ Monitoring of the Weapon Sacrifice in Illerup Ådal,Denmark

Abstract

Excavations of the southern part of a very rich sacri?cial bog in Illerup Ådal, Denmark between 1950 and 1985 recovered approximately 15,000 Iron Age artefacts. At the time, 60 per cent of the area was left unexcavated and thousands of objects are now preserved in situ, but the present preservation status has not been investigated for approximately twenty-?ve years. Extensive in situ monitoring was carried out for one year in order to present a prioritized plan for further monitoring of the unexcavated areas, producing documentation of groundwater table variations, water quality and vegetation in the area. Results show that the remaining artefacts are generally well preserved in a waterlogged and anaerobic environment. However, in the north-eastern part of the bog, the groundwater table is too low even in a year when net precipitation and hydrological conditions were near normal. In the centre of the bog elevated salt concentrations have been measured in the groundwater.     

In Situ Preservation of Wetland Heritage: Hydrological and Chemical Change in the Burial Environment of the Somerset Levels,UK

Abstract

In situ preservation is a core strategy for the conservation and management of waterlogged remains at wetland sites. Inorganic and organic remains can, however, quickly become degraded, or lost entirely, as a result of chemical or hydrological changes. Monitoring is therefore crucial in identifying baseline data for a site, the extent of spatial and or temporal variability, and in evaluating the potential impacts of these variables on current and future in situ preservation potential.

Since August 2009, monthly monitoring has taken place at the internationally important Iron Age site of Glastonbury Lake Village in the Somerset Levels, UK. A spatial, stratigraphic, and analytical approach to the analysis of sediment horizons and monitoring of groundwater chemistry, redox potential, water table depth and soil moisture (using TDR) was used to characterize the site.

Significant spatial and temporal variability has been identified, with results from water-table monitoring and some initial chemical analysis from Glastonbury presented here. It appears that during dry periods parts of this site are at risk from desiccation. Analysis of the chemical data, in addition to integrating the results from the other parameters, is ongoing, with the aim of clarifying the risk to the entire site.     

Assessing the Performance of Voluntary Environmental Programs: Does Certification Matter?

The promotion of voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) as alternative approaches to traditional environmental regulation has fueled numerous researchers to evaluate VEP performance. However, these studies have focused on assessing the environmental performance of a single VEP. As yet, we know little about the overall environmental benefits of these programs. Moreover, questions remain about whether VEPs designed with different monitoring regimes—related to whether programs are self‐monitored or undergo external certification—vary in their ability to improve environmental conditions. Using meta‐analysis methodology, this article evaluates the aggregated environmental outcomes of U.S. VEPs drawing on data from nine studies and over 30,000 firms. We show that collectively VEP participants do not improve their environmental performance over nonparticipants. Rather, nonparticipants improve their environmental performance by 7.7 percent more than VEP participants. Additionally, nonparticipants improve the environment 24 percent more than participants in self‐monitored VEPs, whereas participants in International Standards Organization 14001 as a group exhibit inconclusive environmental performance improvements.     

旅游质量监督制度的改造

本文首先介绍旅游质量监督制度的发展历史以及与旅行社质量保证金制度之间的关系;进而着重分析现行的旅游质监制度存在的问题。如旅游质监机构法律地位欠缺、旅行社质量保证金制度存在缺陷、旅行社质量保证金赔偿规章严重滞后等,以说明改造旅游质监制度的必要性和迫切性。最后针对如何构建旅游质监制度提出具体的立法建议。     

虎丘塔的维修加固与变形测量

对虎丘塔的沉降、位移、层面倾斜等指标进行了测量,进而了解塔体的结构趋向变化。经过维修加固,虎丘塔塔体倾斜得到控制,现在塔体变化趋于稳定状态。     

出土饱水竹简失水干缩的复形研究——以海昏侯墓葬出土竹简等为例

失水干缩竹简不仅改变了竹简的形貌,而且字迹无法辨认,不能进行考古释文,极大地影响了其承载的历史价值和研究价值。通过海昏侯墓葬等出土竹简等残片的干缩复形研究实验,对复形前后外形尺寸、化学组分、微观结构等方面进行比较。结果表明:经生物碱和表面活性剂等材料浸润后的干缩竹简残片,外形尺寸可恢复到干缩前的98%以上,竹简残片内部干缩变小的空隙结构得到恢复,化学组分无明显变化。运用该技术对干缩竹简进行复形处理,复形后的竹简基本恢复到饱水时的状态,而且对字迹无损伤。     

ON THE OPTIMAL LOCATION OF SENSORS IN MULTI-STOREYED BUILDINGS

A new approach has been developed for finding optimal location of sensors in 3D multi-storeyed buildings. This approach is based on the compact probabilistic representation of acceleration response in terms of its covariance matrix. For a specified number of sensors, the optimal location has been taken to be the one for which the computed covariance matrix is closest to the exact covariance matrix of the random field constituted by the acceleration response process. It has been found that the determined sensor locations match favourably with those predicted by earlier studies for the special case of shear buildings. Further, the optimality of the determined sensor locations has also been verified by identifying the system parameters from the time series data and comparing them with those of the Finite Element Model.