Seismic Assessment of a Historical Masonry Building in Switzerland: The “Ancien Hôpital De Sion”

This article presents the results of the evaluation of the seismic safety of the Ancien Hôpital de Sion, an important Swiss architectural heritage building, situated in the Canton of Valais, the region with the highest seismic hazard in Switzerland. Three-dimensional Applied Element (AEM) modeling of the whole structure has been performed and validated. The adopted modeling strategy, together with nonlinear dynamic analysis, was able to represent the actual behavior and failure mechanisms typical of complex masonry structures, in addition to a good computational efficiency compared to other available numerical approaches. The local collapse mechanisms have been also studied through a kinematic limit analysis based on rigid block rotation. Both linear and nonlinear approaches have been followed together with the capacity spectrum method. The results provided by the different methodologies have been compared with the aim to provide possible insights concerning a general procedure for the assessment of the safety of such type of structures.     

Evidence for Complexities in the RHX Dating Method

The rehydroxylation (RHX) dating method applicable to virtually all baked clay fragments still requires testing and new developments. Here, we have obtained new weighing measurements from Syrian medieval ceramic fragments. In particular, they allow us to illustrate the scatter in RHX behaviour that may exist between different potsherds of the same age and found at the same archaeological site, thus having experienced the same effective lifetime temperature, and even between samples collected from the same artefact. Thanks to a so‐called time‐span analysis, we also report on some complexities in data sets previously obtained by Wilson et al. (2009, 2012, 2014).     

Esoteric Tangles

Abstract

I attempt here a very general reply to the preceding sixteen essays by addressing the broad, structural constraints of my book, from which many of the particular problems raised in the essays flow. Philosophy Between the Lines is an effort to give a very sweeping account—theoretically and historically—of a phenomenon that is, in many respects, highly particularized and situation specific. The characteristic sin of the book is overgeneralization or simplification. In the present essay I attempt a brief and partial clarification, primarily by selecting one main theme of the book—defensive esotericism—and redescribing it from a more localized and fine-grained perspective.     

自然科学手段在三峡考古中的应用

20世纪80年代以来,中国考古学开始更加广泛地与物理、化学、生物、地理等相关学科结合,主动利用自然科学及技术手段进行探测、分析考古材料。三峡考古是近年来这种学科交叉应用的集中体现,反思三峡考古中引入的自然科学的手段、方法、观念,对考古学的创新和既有学科的发展大有裨益。     

重锤坠力天文钟述略

南京博物院入藏的清初重锤坠力天文钟表,是以坠力动源取代水、沙动源的一种新型天文钟表。探析坠力天文钟表的动源、擒纵调速机构、字盘显示、报时方法和制作年代,为研究明末清初的钟表提供了实物资料。     

江西省县域城镇化水平测度及其分异研究

根据人口、经济、社会、土地等城镇化的四个主要方面,构建了城镇化水平测度的综合指标体系,采用熵权法对江西省2001年和2010年各县(市)城镇化水平进行了综合评价,并对其时空分异特征及成因进行了分析。研究发现:①江西各县(市)城镇化综合水平自2001年以来均获得了不同程度的提升,县域城镇化水平变异程度减小,但绝对差距和相对差距拉大,极化趋势显著;②江西省城镇化水平存在显著的区域差异,从北向南呈现由高向低的梯度变化规律;县域城镇化水平高和较高的县(市)主要分布在全省的西北、东北、中部和西南部地区;空间形态上形成以中心城市为核心,向外围梯度变化的圈层式结构;③江西省县域城镇化水平差异是自然条件和资源禀赋、中心城市辐射带动能力、地理区位和交通条件及区域发展战略和政策等方面的差异综合作用的结果。     

纺织品文物回潮方法

主要介绍了纺织品文物回潮的方法及其各自的优缺点和适用范围。回潮方法可分为密闭式和敞开式两种模式,密闭式回潮法是最常用的回潮系统。在众多的回潮方法中,应用较多的包括饱和盐溶液法、超声波加湿器、水含体释放法、湿度自动控制回潮箱、低压吸力操作台和半透膜回潮法。在掌握纤维吸湿回潮的原理和回潮效果的影响因素,理解每件纺织品文物存在的问题、保护目的、工作条件、环境等因素,了解不恰当的回潮操作可能给纺织品文物带来的危害的前提下,根据工作条件选择恰当的回潮方法才是实际操作成功的关键。     

形而下之器:古代中国疆域史研究的方法与取径

当下古代中国边疆研究应建立起以区域史观、断代史观与整体史观三维度三变量相互联结的以时间与结构为核心的研究方法体系。区域史观视阈下古代中国疆域史研究长时段之规律、特征的抽象与断代史观视阈下古代中国疆域史研究的短时段的内地族群与边疆族群互动与交融的特性之归纳,都属碎片化的古代中国疆域史研究,唯有以区域史观、断代史观为基础的整体史观视阈下古代中国疆域史研究,才能将碎片化的古代中国疆域史各种材料议题之问题意识与科学实证有机地统合起来,才能实现古代中国疆域史之特殊性、普遍性、规律性认知的可能性,达成中国学者话语体系下的具有“中国化”的古代中国疆域史的学术认知。