Hunting,Herding, and Caravanning: Osteometric Identifications of Camelid Morphotypes at Khonkho Wankane,Bolivia

Khonkho Wankane is a ceremonial center located in the southern Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia. During the Late Formative period (AD 1–500), its residents practiced agropastoral lifeways and participated in the rise of the state at Tiwanaku. Like at many Andean sites, bones from the family Camelidae are the most abundant large mammal in domestic contexts. Identifying camelid morphotypes represented by these bones carries far‐reaching implications for understanding past hunting, herding, and caravanning practices, and their roles in larger social and economic webs. Identifications were based on a locally focused reference collection, including llamas (Lama glama) from the immediate vicinity of the site, as well as Andean guanacos (Lama guanicoe), a much smaller morphotype than the Patagonian guanacos used in many osteometric studies. Multivariate statistical analyses and incisor morphology identified all four camelid. Different analyses suggest that the crux of osteometry lies in the reference collection, not the statistical test. An additional, very large morphotype likely corresponds to a castrated llama, the preferred cargo animal among modern drovers. The presence of these animals is interpreted as evidence that groups hunted vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) and guanaco, which are not currently present around the site, herded llamas and alpacas (Vicugna pacos), and perhaps organized caravans with castrated llamas. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bone weight,meat yield estimates and cod (Gadus morhua): A preliminary study of the weight method

Past approaches to the Weight Method (use of the weight of excavated bone assemblages to evaluate the relative potential meat yield of the animals from which they came) are critically reviewed. They do not account for both inter-taxon and intra-taxon variability in the relationship between bone weight and total body or soft tissue weight. Critics of the Weight Method have assumed that these problems are insurmountable. It is argued here that they can be overcome practically. Solutions lie in the integration of classic Weight Method approaches, which assume a consistent ratio of bone weight to body weight between different taxonomic and size groups, with the understanding of animal scaling provided by studies of skeletal mass allometry. Allometric equations derived from original data (regarding cod, Gadus morhua) and available from published sources (regarding mammals and birds) are used to illustrate this argument. Three practical approaches to the Weight Method are suggested and briefly explored, using bone weight data from Earls' Bu, a Norse site in Orkney, Scotland, as a case study.     

The conundrum of castration in the archaeological record: An interpretation of Roman cattle horn-cores from Chelmsford,Essex

Current methods of sexing archaeological cattle bones, in particular the metapodials, are based upon past research into contemporary breeds and this work embraces a limited sample size, spread across a vast geographical area. Although the separation of cows and bulls is not in question, there appears a great deal of subjectivity in the literature concerning the identification of castrated beasts. Living bone is in a dynamic state of equilibrium with the rest of the body and responds to increased loading, that is, an increase in weight of the beast or stress/strain through strenuous movement, by remodelling. If cows and oxen are performing the same work, as for example in ploughing, then loading on the bones will be similar. These bones will thus respond by remodelling in corresponding fashion, and hence any morphological and metrical distinctions will be clouded. Horn-cores are less subject to these constraints, although in some cultures there may be loading on these bones, for example through attaching the harness to the horns for ploughing. The Chelmsford cattle horn-cores constitute waste from some industrial activity and it is argued in the text that horn-working is the most likely candidate, together with possibly tanning. Sexing of the bones strongly indicated male animals, with few females being present. A procedure for detecting castrated cattle (oxen) is presented, the results of which suggest an equivalent ratio of oxen to bulls.     

香港佛头洲遗址2004年考古调查简报

佛头洲原位于香港维多利亚港东面入口的一个小岛。文献记述该岛尚存古代税关遗址,1964年和1979年的调查发现"德怀交趾国遥通贡赋"石碑和建筑构件,但其具体年代难作定论。2004年的田野调查发现多座建筑遗迹,遗物则有瓦当和篆刻石柱等,可以确定该遗址保存清末时期的佛头洲税厂遗存,对于研究香港开埠初期猖獗的鸦片贸易、清末九龙关的沿革和新界拓展等问题提供重要的实物资料。     

新疆阿勒泰地区早期铁器时代铜器的科学分析研究

阿勒泰地区位于新疆的最北端,与欧亚草原之间存在丰富的文化交流,而冶金技术的发展与人类文明紧密相关,为探究新疆阿勒泰地区的冶金发展情况,选取9件草原游牧文化的代表性器物——铜鍑和马具,使用金相显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和X射线能谱仪及双通道电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪,对16个样品进行金相组织分析和成分分析,并探讨其制作技术特征。研究发现阿勒泰地区的早期铁器时代铜器普遍采用范铸工艺,其成分主要为红铜、砷铜、铅砷青铜。该分析结果为研究新疆阿勒泰地区的冶金发展提供了重要参考。     

秦俑陶片的偏光显微分析研究

为了预防性保护和修复秦俑,必须掌握秦俑残片显微结构及其烧制环境、破损方式,从而为改善秦俑修复工艺、筛选修复材料提供基础,运用偏光显微镜对秦兵马俑残片中的一些矿物质(石英、长石、云母等)颗粒的分布形态和含量来分析陶土的成分结构、制作工艺、烧成气氛及原料来源等信息。结果表明,秦俑陶片主要成分为少量砂屑及大量粘土,而粘土为岩土矿风化的产物,秦俑残片裂痕较多的部位风化、酥粉痕迹明显。秦俑制作工艺以模为主,模、塑结合,并在粘土中添加了细砂,多于还原气氛中烧制而成。     

错综的血亲:对波士顿本《胡笳十八拍图》册作为刘商谱系祖本质疑

本文系“马臀烫印与番马画鉴定”系列研究之第三篇论文。该文与下期发表之《臀部的破绽:由马臀烫印质疑波士顿本<胡笳十八拍册>之版本年代》并合.藉由图像分析、风格分析、马臀烫印等三种研究角度,检证波士顿美术馆本《胡笳十八拍图》册、台北故宫本《胡笳十八拍图》册、大都会博物馆本《胡笳十八拍图》卷等存世三种具代表性的刘商谱系版本.从而质疑波士顿本作为刘商谱系“笳拍图”图像系列中年代最早、内容最精之祖本的论点。     

GIS技术在萨拉乌苏考古遗址公园规划设计中的应用

传统规划设计工作的技术平台多以计算机辅助设计(CAD)为主,本工作以内蒙古自治区鄂尔多斯萨拉乌苏考古遗址公园规划为例,将Arc GIS Desktop作为技术平台应用到公园的规划设计工作中。首先,通过对规划区的实地踏勘,采集相关数据和资料,进行规划区数据库建设;其次,在数据库建设的基础上,通过GIS技术构建与现实环境对应的虚拟地理信息空间,实现规划区景观的三维可视化;最后,利用三维景观模型对现实地理环境进行模拟、分析及虚拟场景飞行。不同于传统CAD的二维工作平台,本工作借助GIS对空间数据和属性数据的强大处理功能及其三维景观可视化模块,为实现内蒙古鄂尔多斯萨拉乌苏考古遗址公园的科学规划提供辅助。     

Studying the process of enamel powder preparation for émail champlevé by colour measurements and μ‐X‐ray mappings

Colour measurements and non‐destructive μ‐X‐ray mappings have been used for the first time in a comprehensive study of medieval émail champlevé works from different production areas in France and Germany. This approach has given a new insight into the enamel powder preparation process of the glass material used for enamelling. Colour measurements demonstrated that all production centres used glass of very similar hues, but with large differences in colour saturation. The μ‐X‐ray mapping results of blue enamels are described by a semi‐qualitative approach. Significant variations in oxide contents of lead, cobalt, manganese and antimony oxides were found. The variations suggest that more than one glass material was used to prepare the powder for enamelling. The variations in antimony and cobalt show that glass had different degrees of opacity and colour depth. The manganese and lead contents, which do not correlate with the cobalt or antimony contents, indicate that probably glass of different base compositions was used to prepare the enamel powder for one champlevé field.     

出土墓志与东魏北齐邺京行里制度探析

东魏北齐邺京里坊的设置沿袭北魏洛阳里坊制度,文献记载往往以里或乡里形式称谓居住地。然而有4方东魏北齐时期墓志,志文记载墓主的居宅异于常例,为某行某里,或某行某坊。通过对墓志时代及墓主身份等因素的综合研判,并结合史书记载,可知东魏初至北齐末,某行某里(坊)是邺京里坊称谓的一种常用格式。"行"的称谓源自邺京行经尉制度,行名与里(坊)名的连用,是基于城市治安管理角度所产生的隶属关系的呈现,在名称上反映了某行区域内里的管辖情况。且行名与里名存在一定关联,将行名与里名对照,可知邺京部分行名与里名相同。