Economic autonomy and male authority: female merchants in modern Italy

This paper examines the social role of 'mercantesse' (entrepreneuses), women who, in contemporary Italian society, were the owners of manufacturing and trading activities. The first part is dedicated to the legal aspects, with particular reference to the institution of marital authorization and to the various social standing of three very different personae: the female merchant, the partner wife and the merchant-wife. The second part compares the regulatory aspects of this activity with the concrete reality, on the basis of census data and registrations at the Chambers of Commerce. Generally, the trends which come to the fore are unexpected ones, and are characterized by both the recognition of important and not exclusively economic power, as well as the legal, economic and social limits which conditioned not only access to this kind of activity but also the way in which it was carried out.     

A matter of fact rather than principle: women,work and property in papal Rome (eighteenth-nineteenth centuries)

During the last few decades, many studies have documented the considerable participation of women in the economy of past societies, even though women were bound by rules and laws that discriminated against them and denied them the rights of citizenship. Thus historians, and especially those in the field of gender history, have increasingly recognized the importance of interweaving two realms, those of work and of property. As part of this effort, this article focuses on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Rome and shows that over a long economic period, women's position was defined by a complex interaction between their status as workers and as owners of property.     

At the End Returning to Questions of Beginnings

Abstract

This article engages directly with Jonathan Burnside and raises a set of further questions concerning how we read biblical law and the manner in which we might endeavor to teach it in the context of the critical and/or secular classroom. Respecting the wide-scope of Burnside’s approach and material covered, further attention to the historical and cultural contexts of biblical law, as well as a more transparent presentation of its complexity, allows us to be responsible readers of biblical law, appreciating its theological and legal sophistication.     

Identifying wine and oil production: analysis of residues from Roman and Late Antique plastered vats

The production of oil and wine was an important aspect of the ancient Mediterranean economy. Among the material remains related to the production of these substances, installations used for their production provide evidence that is still unexploited. Although archaeological studies have been carried out on these installations, problems can arise in the identification of their function, as wine and oil production structures can be similar and the archaeological traces insufficient to establish which substance was produced.     

Holocaust Archaeology: Archaeological Approaches to Landscapes of Nazi Genocide and Persecution

Abstract

Debate concerning the events of the Holocaust is well embedded in the historical discourse and, thus, clearly defined narratives of this period exist. However, in most European countries the Holocaust has only recently begun to be considered in terms of its surviving archaeological remains and landscapes, and the majority of known sites are still ill-defined and only partially understood from both spatial structural points of view. Additionally, thousands of sites across Europe remain unmarked, whilst the locations of others have been forgotten altogether. Such a situation has arisen as a result of a number of political, social, ethical, and religious factors which, coupled with the scale of the crimes, has often inhibited systematic search. This paper details the subsequent development and application of a non-invasive archaeological methodology aimed at rectifying this situation and presents a case for the establishment of Holocaust archaeology as a sub-discipline of conflict studies. In particular, the importance of moving away from the notion that the presence of historical sources precludes the need for the collection of physical evidence is stressed, and the humanitarian, scientific, academic, and commemorative value of exploring this period is considered.     

“Shop-lease Contract with Sar-qofli” in the Post-Iranian Revolution Era: Deletion of “Haqq-e kasb o pisheh o tejārat” from the Law of Lessor–Lessee Relationships

In contemporary Iran, many shops are under the “shop-lease contract with sar-qofli.” In this contract, sar-qofli, a strong usufructuary right supported by intangible assets such as the shop's reputation, is given to the tenant. The “shop-lease contract with sar-qofli” originated from a traditional merchants' custom in Iran's business quarters. After the 1979 Revolution, the Law of Lessor–Lessee Relationships, which provides a legal framework for the practice of “shop-lease contract with sar-qofli,” was completely revised, since Islamic jurists regarded haqq-e kasb o pisheh o tejārat as problematic. Haqq-e kasb o pisheh o tejārat, the legal designation of sar-qofli, was based on a heterogeneous value concept introduced into the Iranian legal system from abroad during World War II. As a result of this revision, another alternative for asset management was granted to shop owners. Nevertheless, “shop-lease contract with sar-qofli” remains the most widely employed form of lease in Iran's property lease market.     

论历史性权利在海洋划界中的作用

历史性权利在海洋划界中作用的法律基础既包括条约法也包括国际习惯法。历史性权利分属不同的法律基础,使其在海洋划界中发挥不同的作用。以《联合国海洋法公约》为代表的条约法,规定了历史性所有权或历史性海湾在领海划界中的优先作用,明确了历史性所有权、历史性水域在海洋划界争端解决程序中具有任择性例外的作用,并确立了历史性捕鱼权在群岛水域划界中具有特别适用的功能;而国际习惯法确立的历史性权利规则在海洋划界中的作用,虽然目前国际法上尚无明确规定,但在国际实践上,其主要以并行适用方式发挥作用。历史性权利在海洋划界中的不同作用,为未来我国与周边国家尤其是南海周边国家海洋划界提供国际适法导引。     

‘Reconciled gradually to the system of indoor relief’: the poor law in wales during the ‘crusade against out-relief’, c. 1870 – c. 1890

Evidence is growing that Wales was a distinctive ‘welfare region’ under the New Poor Law. Higher rates of out-relief, tense relations with London and a deep dislike of the workhouse system marked the Principality out as different. This article considers Welsh distinctiveness in the context of the ‘crusade against out-relief’. Launched in the early 1870s, the crusade saw out-relief numbers tumble nationally. Little is known about the crusade in Wales but it is often assumed that it was a non-event. It is argued here that this is entirely incorrect. Official statistics reveal that tens of thousands of outdoor paupers in Wales had their relief stopped. Crusaders were successful partly due to the misleading way the Poor Law inspectorate used official figures to portray Wales as a district on the brink of crisis. The turning of outdoor paupers into ‘folk devils’ by sections of the Welsh press was also pivotal. Welsh distinctiveness was not eradicated during the crusade, but it was eroded.     

Identifying biomolecular origins of solid organic residues preserved in Iron Age Pottery using DTMS and MVA

The chemical characterisation of solid organic residues found in ceramic vessels, can provide archaeologists with valuable information about ancient diets. Although several selective analytical techniques have been applied to the analysis of specific classes of compounds, such as extractable lipids, waxes, terpenoids and protein fragments, a non-selective analytical technique is required to characterise and categorise complete solid organic residues. In this study, Direct Temperature-resolved Mass Spectrometry (DTMS) is used for the characterisation of 34 solid residues situated on vessels recovered from an indigenous settlement from the Roman period at Uitgeest – Groot Dorregeest (The Netherlands). Sample preparation is limited to grinding very small samples (5–10 μg) and suspending them in water. DTMS analysis of aliquots (1–2 μL) of this suspension gave information about a broad range of organic compounds, such as lipids, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, markers for residual proteins and polysaccharides, and for newly formed complex condensed polymers. Multivariate analysis of the DTMS spectra identified five different chemotypes: groups of residues with comparable chemical characteristics. The biomolecular origin of each of these chemotypes is identified by comparison with experimentally charred reference materials. The chemotypes A₁ and A₂ consist of charred residues identified as starch-rich foods (mixed with animal or plant products), chemotype C consists of protein-rich charred animal products without starch, chemotype B contains smoke condensates from wood fires, and chemotype D consists of special protein-rich and lipid-free foods or non-food products.