Prestigious Afanasyevo Wooden Metal-bound Ware from the Sayan-altai

Metal plates, which probably decorated wooden vessels from Afanasyevo burials, are described. The plates bear punched designs and were clearly related to female symbolism, implying that they were probably used for ritual purposes. Their expansive distribution area from the lower Katun in Gorny Altai to the middle Yenisei in Khakassia points to the similarity between the two local variants of the Afanasyevo culture across the Altai-Sayan region. These vessels might have marked the high social status of the women in whose graves they were placed.     

Model Boats in the Context of Maritime History and Archaeology

Funereal, votive or shipbuilders' model boats and ships have been quite well documented in the past, but little research has been undertaken into other wooden models from north-west Europe. There have been over 160 found during archaeological excavations, dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries. A study of these 'toys' is not just a study of objects among the minor arts, but reflects a far more important aspect—a source for interpreting remains of full-size vessels, the hypothetical reconstruction of hull-forms and exploration of new ways of defining unknown vessel-types.
© 2007 The Author     

故宫藻井轩辕镜及配件的材料与工艺分析研究

紫禁城多个建筑的盘龙藻井中均悬有轩辕镜,但对轩辕镜的分析研究却很少。本研究采用多种仪器方法,对故宫万春亭藻井轩辕镜和画珐琅葫芦等配件进行了分析。万春亭轩辕镜的分析结果表明,轩辕镜玻璃基体为钾-铅玻璃,镀层采用了锡汞齐技术,生产时间晚于17世纪末;画珐琅葫芦配件的分析结果表明,画珐琅白色底釉组成与"玻璃白"原料相近,不同颜色珐琅釉基体均为钾-铅玻璃,黄色釉中铅锡黄同时发挥着色与乳浊的作用,蓝色釉为砷酸铅乳浊,胭脂红色为金红发色,棕色勾线呈色物质为赤铁矿。画珐琅釉料大部分经过预熔处理,绘制时按照白色底釉、棕色线条、其他色釉的顺序施加,最后烧制而成。     

山东青州和沂源地区出土彩绘陶器的测试分析

彩绘陶器以其绚丽多彩的彩色装饰为主要特征,对它们的相关研究将不断丰富古代制陶工艺及颜料加工技术的认识。为此,本研究利用EDXRF、XRD、SEM、热膨胀分析等技术手段对山东青州香山汉墓和沂源战国墓葬出土彩绘陶器的组成结构及烧制温度进行了深入分析,首次发现了先以滑石粉打底其上再绘朱砂的彩绘陶品种。沂源战国墓葬中出土了表面用锡层作装饰的陶器,这是在我国北方地区的墓葬中首次发现这种"锡涂陶"。青州香山汉墓出土的陶俑和器物的胎料组成相近,而烧成温度存在明显差异,陶俑的烧成温度要高于器物。这些结果可为研究彩绘陶器的工艺发展提供新资料。     

河南汝州市煤山龙山文化墓葬发掘简报

1995年,河南省文物考古研究所等对河南汝州市煤山遗址的西部进行了考古发掘,共发现龙山时期的土坑竖穴墓6座。墓葬分有二层台墓和无二层台墓两种。出土遗物以彩绘陶器为主,器类有壶、豆、罐、杯、碗等。遗物有石家河文化的因素,因此墓葬的埋葬习俗应受到石家河文化的较大影响。     

Silver Horse Harness Adornments From Suzukteh Burial Mound 20 (Noin Ula, Mongolia)

During excavations of burial mound 20 at Noin Ula, 32 silver adornment pieces from horse reins were discovered in the burial. The adornments show representations of fantastic animals executed in the tradition of ancient Chinese art. Unicorn and dragon images are of special interest, both of which are very rarely found in Xiongnu monuments. It is possible that this adornment set was a gift from the imperial court to the Xiongnu.     

虢国墓地车马坑出土的车及其相关问题

自20世纪50年代以来,三门峡虢国墓地已发现了50多辆随葬车.本文着重讨论这些车的性质问题和社会意义,认为其制造技术是非常先进的,这批车大部分为战车,反映了当时的车马使用等级制度.     

北周墓出土彩绘陶器的加固与保护

陕西省考古研究所在西安咸阳国际机场二期建设中抢救性发掘了三座大型高等级北周时期墓葬,出土了数百件精美彩陶俑,形象十分逼真生动。由于彩陶器出土提取于淤泥之中,为了及时有效的保护好这批文物,考古队在第一时间内将出土陶器全部运回所内文保室进行抢救性保护。此次保护的主要任务和难点是,在最佳时间实现土层与彩绘层的成功分离,逐渐降低饱水彩陶器的含水率,使其最终在大气中趋于稳定,最后及时加固和封护彩绘层并采用适合该陶质强度的粘接剂进行粘接复原。经过十年来的时间证明,此次实施的保护方案正确,保护措施得当,保护结果令人满意。     

Painted plaster from Bronze Age Thebes, Boeotia (Greece): a technological study

From the rather difficult excavations that have taken place in Thebes since the beginning of the last century, many fragmentary but often well-preserved paintings on plaster have been unearthed. These belong to several contexts and periods: House of Kadmos (Late Helladic IIIA), Treasury Room (Late Helladic IIIB1) and Oikopedon Spourli (Late Helladic III). Their iconography, style and technology fit well with other paintings from the Late Bronze Age sites found in the vicinity of Thebes (e.g. Gla and Orchomenos). This paper presents a technological study of the Bronze Age painted plaster from Thebes, Greece. The paintings were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction; stereo, reflected light and scanning electron microscopy; some by laser-induced breakdown spectrometry and by micro-Raman spectroscopy, in order to identify the pigments and the composition of the plaster layers, and to determine the painting technique(s) that the artisans may have employed. The plaster layer onto which the paint layer was applied was often the only layer and consisted mainly of calcite, while a clay plaster formed the backing between the lime plaster coat and the actual wall surface. The pigments identified were: yellow ochre, haematite (red), cuprorivaite (Egyptian blue), indigo and possibly riebeckite for blue, charcoal (black), calcite (white), and a combination of black and red for purple. A detailed macroscopic study of the painted surface revealed several features, which indicated that the technique of al fresco painting was employed extensively, a technique already in use since the start of the Late Minoan I phase on Crete. A generally lower level of quality in the appearance of the later paintings (Treasury Room and Oikopedon Spourli) was also noted, but this was not reflected in the materials used or in their overall manipulation.     

新疆地区史前人形雕像的发现与初步研究

新疆地区史前时期的墓葬中发现的人形雕像,大小不同,小的数十厘米,大的如真人,最大的高达3米,或直立或呈行走状,保存完好的人形雕像,身上还穿着衣服,佩带用具。这些人形雕像与生殖崇拜无关,它是当时人们灵魂的替代物,是早期萨满教中的神偶。