Soils and Earthen Building Materials Used for the Buddhist Temple Complex

This article presents a comprehensive study of the local soils and historic earthen building materials used in Nako temple complex in Western Himalayas. On-site and laboratory investigations followed a holistic approach to characterize materials and identify historic manufacturing formulas. The interdisciplinary and novel methodology used for analysis of the earthen building materials combine geological, chemical, mineralogical, geotechnical, and mechanical approach. The results presented in this article enable a better understanding of material culture and advance the study of damage and decay processes found in the temple buildings. In addition, a suitable conservation and preservation strategy is presented.     

隋炀帝萧后墓出土发钗材料与工艺初步研究

2013年扬州隋炀帝萧后墓出土一组发钗(十二支),是目前考古发现隋唐时期墓主身份确定为皇后级别的一组发钗。本研究采用X光探伤技术、显微观察、扫描电镜能谱、显微红外光谱等多种现代分析手段对萧后发钗进行了检测分析,成功揭示了钗的纹饰特点、结构特征、材料属性和加工工艺等,为考古学、技术史、艺术史等深入研究提供了诸多科学依据。     

1940年桂林版《救亡日报》的保护修复

为了研究纸质文物的保存状况、原料成分、制作工艺及病害原因,特对1940年桂林版《救亡日报》进行科学的分析检测及保护修复。采用Nicolet 8700型傅里叶变换红外光谱仪分析纸张纤维的官能团结构,采用XWY-Ⅵ型纤维测量仪对纸张纤维进行观察,以鉴定其纤维的种类形态;采用VHX-1000E视频显微镜及场发射扫描电子显微镜(JSM-6700F型)对纸张样品的加工工艺及老化程度和污染物进行分析,以确定其是否加填或施胶处理。在此基础上,在修复中采用传统的装裱技术和丝网加固技术相结合,对此件文物进行保护性修复。修复后的文物解决了缺失部分的配补,皱褶部位得以平整舒展,病害得以清除,纸张的强度得以增强,恢复了文物的原貌,从而提高了文物的整体性、观赏性,为展出、研究提供了更好的史料。     

北京昌平沙河镇出土蜻蜓眼玻璃珠的科学分析与研究

为探讨北京昌平沙河镇墓葬出土的三枚蜻蜓眼玻璃珠的质地和来源,利用X射线衍射分析（XRD）、激光拉曼光谱分析（LRS）、便携式能量色散X射线荧光分析（PXRF）三种无损分析方法,对玻璃珠基体和眼珠分别进行了结构和化学组成的无损伤测试。结果表明,这三枚蜻蜓眼珠的基质为玻璃态物质,其化学成分表明该玻璃属于钠钙硅酸盐（Na₂OCaOSiO₂）系统;Cu和Co是主要的着色元素。考虑到三枚珠子采用的钴料成分为高铁低锰的进口钴料,同时通过与国内外相似珠子的对比,推测这三枚蜻蜓眼玻璃珠是外国进口物的可能性较高。蜻蜓眼玻璃珠所在墓葬群虽为清代,但根据初步的分析研究可推断,墓主通过收藏或其他途径获得并将其作为随葬品。     

Population,Households and Fisheries in the Parish of Hvalsnes,Southwestern Iceland, 1750–1850

Abstract

This is an in-depth study of the parish of Hvalsnes, a small fishing community situated on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland, during the period 1750–1850. The study is inspired by the nordic Coastal Region Project carried out in the 1990s, focussing on the relationship between economic factors and household size and structure. With reference to the concept of ecotype, Hvalsnes is compared to a few farming communities in southern and western Iceland as regards a number of economic and demographic factors. Among the features characterizing the Hvalsnes community was the large proportion of crofter and cottar households in relation to those of independent farmer-fishermen; the former constituted a valuable workforce for the commercial cod fisheries on the abundant Reykjanes banks. At the same time, the study reveals that during the winter season the operation of the fishing fleet was highly dependent on seasonal migration from farming areas. In this perspective Hvalsnes appears to be an Icelandic parallel to Lofoten in Norway. A closer view of the techniques and social organization of fishing in the parish discloses significant differences between its three individual sections. It is argued that these differences help to explain why some sections suffered more, in economic and demographic terms, than others from the natural catastrophes and political changes which took place towards the end of the eighteenth century. However, these changes did not alter the general condition of the landless population: cottars by the seaside and living-in servants in the countryside. Among these groups many individuals continued now as before their seasonal migration between the two ecotypes. Tentatively, it is argued that the seasonal exchange of workforce between fishing and farming communities contributed to an efficient use of the labour capacity of their members.     

Excavations in Chinese Turkestan: A review

Concern about the quantity and quality of its labour force has been one of the major factors in bringing about a reversal of Singapore's population policy from anti‐natal to pro‐natal. In addition, the new policy has sought to enhance the quality of the workforce by offering incentives to encourage larger families amongst the more educated Singaporeans. After five years, responses have been muted, partly because of a growing sense of resentment amongst the younger adults towards interference in what are regarded as family decisions.     

Chemical characterisation and manufacturing technology of late Roman to early Byzantine glass from Beit Ras/Capitolias,Northern Jordan

The finding of considerable collections of glass artefacts, together with considerable lumps of glass chunks, fuel ash slag and kiln fragments related to glass processing strongly suggests a local secondary production (working) of glass at the Beit Ras/Capitolias archaeological site in northern Jordan from the late Roman to the early Byzantine period. The chemical analysis of ancient glasses can provide important information regarding the manufacturing technology of the glass made during a specific period. The aim of this study is to characterise the chemical and technological aspects of late Roman to early Byzantine glasses excavated from this main archaeological site. Furthermore, the present paper aims to provide incontrovertible evidence that this site must be considered as a major centre for the secondary production of glass during a period between the 3rd and the 6th centuries. For this purpose, a considerable group of raw glass chunks and vessel fragments of different colours and typologies were collected. The results of chemical analyses indicated that the glass did not show a clear difference in chemical composition between late Roman and early Byzantine times. All the glasses (artefacts and chunks) are of the soda-lime-silica type and correspond to the previously defined Levantine I glass group. The chemical composition of the glass chunks, identical to that of contemporary glass of the same colour, strongly suggests that these chunks were used for the manufacture of late Roman to early Byzantine glass at Beit Ras. The observation of technological features indicates that glass chunks were produced in massive tank furnaces in other primary production centres elsewhere, and were meant for local reworking. According to the microscopic examination, it can also be observed that mould-blowing was the main technique used for forming glass.     

Transitions in Islamic plant-ash glass vessels: on-site chemical analyses conducted at the Raya/al-Tur area on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt

This study focuses on the chemical composition of Islamic plant-ash glass (dated from the 9th to 11th centuries) excavated from the Raya/al-Tur area on the South Sinai in Egypt. Plant-ash glass objects from the Raya site were classified into three compositional types based on on-site chemical analyses with a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Based on typological characteristics and chemical composition comparisons with contemporary glass objects from other Islamic sites, one hypothesis holds that plant-ash glass objects produced in the Syria–Palestine or Mesopotamian regions could have been imported to Raya during the 9th to 10th centuries. In particular, some colorless glass vessels with a high magnesium/calcium ratio were noted to exhibit post-Sassanian cut decorations. Conversely, most of the bluish-green plant-ash glass objects from the Monastery of Wadi al-Tur near the Raya site exhibited relatively high levels of aluminum, titanium, iron, and lead. These pieces were likely produced during the Fatimid period (late 10th to 12th centuries), and based on their elemental composition, possibly originated in Egypt. The present work provides a greater understanding of chronological changes in post-9th century Islamic plant-ash glasses and the development of social and commercial networks within the Middle Eastern area.     

研讨中考审题策略

有这么一个故事：宋朝绘画之风盛行。宋子房做画院博士时,曾以“深山藏古寺”为题让考生作画。画作中有的着意表现“深山”,有的着意表现“古寺”。然而,束子房认为这些画作都很平庸,其原园就是不切题,因为最关键的“藏”字并没表现出来。那“藏”该如何表现呢？一考生是这样画的：苍郁的群山,代写语文教育论文中问露出庙里的半截旗杆,一条羊肠小道蜿蜒曲折,直通到山下水涧边,有个小和尚正在担水。这样就把“深山藏古寺”之“藏”字表现得淋漓尽致。这幅画的成功之处就在于真正抓住了“题眼”,即能集中传达旨趣的关键字——一“藏”。审题审得准、立意立得妙。作文如作画。作画要审题。作文更要审好题。审题,是作文的第一步。