'Enlivening' Development Concepts through Workshops: A case study of appropriate technology and soil conservation

In comparison with the teaching of most other geography topics, where fieldwork can be conducted relatively easily and seminars can be based on some pre-existing knowledge and first-hand experience of the issues, the range of resources and approaches available to tutors teaching the geography of development is necessarily more limited. Tutors often have to rely more heavily on 'top-down' teaching and more passive learning approaches, such as using videos, slides and lectures. While students may gain a theoretical understanding of development concepts, issues and problems, they may be left without a deeper 'experience' of such material. This paper describes a practical workshop designed to communicate to students the idea of 'appropriate technology'. The workshop enables students to actively 'experience' a development concept rather than simply understand it in theory. It tests comprehension and understanding, through the application of a concept to real examples, stimulates discussion and debate, and draws upon problem-solving and critical thinking skills.     

陕北马头山道教真身（肉身）泥塑像搬迁及保护研究

陕西马头山道教真身泥塑造像是以其身体为主,加入麦秸作局部支撑,裹布上泥而成,十分脆弱,急需搬迁和保护。为此,采用环十二烷预加固、贴布紧固及其底边托换等技术对真身造像进行了临时加固,圆满地完成了搬迁,并开展了展示性保护修复工作。本工作成果对高危造像的保护修复与搬迁具有借鉴作用。     

Peatland conservation in Buchan,north‐east Scotland: The historic context and contemporary issues

Scottish peatlands are now recognised as important habitats for conservation, and are increasingly protected by both national and international designations. This paper examines peatland conservation in north‐east Scotland, using recently published data to assess habitat quality, and relating this to longer‐term historical trends in attitudes towards peatlands, and their utilisation. The historical data indicates that peatland losses in northeast Scotland have been extensive, and occurred rapidly during the 18th and 19th centuries, when peatlands were regarded as fuel sources, or wastelands which could be converted to agricultural use. Threats have lessened in the second half of the 20th century, and many sites are now protected by conservation designations. However, historical attitudes towards peatlands often persist, and this can pose problems which must be addressed if conservation management is to be successful.     

我国墓葬壁画的保护方法

壁画的发展与不同民族在各个历史时期的生活习俗、宗教、哲学、美学观念等紧密相连。同时,壁画的制作也与当时社会的政治、经济、文化、技术发展水平相适应,因此古代壁画极具历史、艺术、科学技术价值。墓葬壁画出现并最终形成一种丧葬文化现象是在汉代。汉代墓葬壁画自西汉前期形成以后,不断发展演变并形成了一套非常系统完整的体系,表达了深邃而复杂的信仰和丧葬观念,丰富和发展了中国古代绘画的造型技巧和艺术表现形式,因此墓葬壁画在早期绘画史和思想史上都占有非常重要的地位。本研究对发表在《考古学报》、《考古与文物》等十余种期刊自创刊至2015年的有关墓葬壁画方面的资料进行了系统整理,据此研究了我国墓葬壁画的分布区域及其特征,总结墓葬壁画的保护模式与方法,并就墓葬壁画保护的研究方向提出建议。     

泉州闽台馆馆藏木质类文物的保护处理

福建泉州闽台关系史博物馆多年来收藏的大批木质类文物,不少遭虫蛀和霉菌侵袭。为了不让这些滋生虫菌的文物带到新馆,对这些文物进行了保护处理。先采用溴甲烷常压熏蒸方法杀灭木质文物体内和体表的成虫、虫卵和菌丝。再用软毛刷对木雕文物表面灰尘等物进行小心刷除,然后用水或25%酒精或酒精和丙酮混合液仔细擦拭清洁处理。再用Sparpec 08木材防蛀防腐剂进行渗透处理。保护处理结果表明,本方法技术简单、快捷、易于掌握、实用性强,适用于大批量藏品的杀虫灭菌保护。     

基于视觉的明清古家具数字文化档案高精度三维重建

文物是人类在社会活动中遗留的具有历史、艺术、科学价值的遗物和遗迹。优秀物质文化遗产的体系庞大、内容繁杂,数字化三维重建是保存、管理文物的一种切实可行的方案,对文化传承意义深远。相比于三维激光扫描、结构光技术等在成本和效率方面都有待改进的现有方法,数字近景摄影测量在确保低成本、高效率的同时,还能够满足数据的精度要求和详细程度。如何应用摄影测量技术对文物进行高效三维重建,实现纹理、部件、结构的精细化描述,并综合管理文物以便线上欣赏、未来修复与辅助断代,对优秀物质文化遗产的保护与传承至关重要。 本研究提出了基于视觉的三维建模方案,分为明清家具分层管理体系构建、高效率数据采集与精细化三维重建、高精度三维数字文化档案建设三步。首先针对明清家具的文化特点,从类别、纹饰、部件出发进行分层分类管理,构建独特编码体系;其次基于数字近景摄影测量技术,提出了对明清家具进行非接触数据采集的低成本高效率方法,进行高精度三维重建;再次从三维信息中提取家具纹饰、部件、结构特征,以编码为依据建立索引,为三维数字文化档案的建设提供信息基础;最后设计分层索引结构,建设高精度数字文化档案,搭建互联网共享平台进行展示。 以100套明清古家具袖珍模型为实例进行精细化数字建模,基于数字近景摄影测量技术,将模型精度控制在毫米级别,完成了文物要素提取、分类体系搭建、属性信息管理与索引结构设计,构建了历史文化和三维模型融合的数字文化档案。研究结果表明,基于视觉的非接触视觉处理算法能够实现高精度三维重建,提出的技术方案能够保留模型的细节程度,并且降低了成本、提升了效率,对文物类别、部件、纹饰的属性管理与索引架构能有效管理文化信息,数字文化档案兼具科技、人文与传统美学,满足文物保护需求。明清家具三维数字文化档案可用于古家具的研究,有利于中国古代家具工艺的传承,而其中对于家具的历史年代的介绍鉴别能够辅助断代。下一步将考虑运用人工智能对家具纹饰和部件进行元素组合,生成个性化定制家具。同时将完善技术方案,应用范围拓展至小型文物,支撑数字博物馆建设。     

Sustainable policy? A public debate about nature development in the Netherlands

This article makes, first, a general argument for ‘sustainable policies.’ This argument will build on the observation that modern societies, of all political guise, find it difficult to cope with the challenges and opportunities posed by science and technology. Classical models of democracy do not seem to be sufficiently equipped to guide the political process in our highly developed societies. Second, this paper will discuss constructivist views on the development of technology in relation to society, and explore possible implications for democratization of technological culture. And finally, the article will present a particular case of experimentation with one alternative form of democracy. This experimental addendum to the existing political repertoires in the Netherlands was a public debate about the issue of ‘nature development’ or ‘nature construction’—the making of new nature, for example by giving back some of the Dutch land to the water of the rivers Rhein and Maas.     

David J. Starkey,Chris Reid and Neil Ashcroft: England's Sea Fisheries. The Commercial Sea Fisheries of England and Wales since 1300. Chatham Publishing,London 2000, 272 pages

Abstract

This article explores the management practice of protection notices, fredlysning, in the traditional practice of eider down harvesting in Northern Norway. Previously, private initiatives were legitimate for protecting land and resources from public utilization, while today only the state authorities have this privilege. By juxtaposing empirical material from current eider down harvesting activities with childhood memories of growing up in this area during the 1960s, and available legal documents, the author finds that some quite radical changes have tacitly taken place, indicating rather tense dilemmas concerning local perceptions of land use issues. Analytically, Olwig's distinction between customary and natural law is used as a tool for addressing the political dimensions of the landscape concept historically. In this perspective, fredlysning fluctuates in and out of codified law through the centuries, and under growing impact of natural law rationale. Land issues, both concerning property rights and public access and use of the common resources of the outlying fields, utmarksressurser, are here understood as very powerful means to bind the people to the land, as a way of transforming the legitimate scale of polity, of building bonds to the nation.