Fragmentation of Bird Bones in Food Remains of Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca)

Fragmentation of bird bones in pellets and uneaten food remains of imperial eagles (Aquila heliaca) was studied. The degree of fragmentation was higher than that produced by owls and lower than that in gyrfalcons. There were significant differences between pellets and uneaten remains in the survival of bones and their fragmentation. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol., 7 : 165–171 (1997) No. of Figures: 0. No. of Tables: 5. No. of References: 21.     

试析双墩遗址植物类刻划符号

重点介绍了蚌埠双墩遗址的自然环境、植物类刻划符号的类别与内容。并尝试解读这些刻划符号在双墩先民生产生活中所具有的作用和意义。     

广西左江流域植物资源合理开发利用探讨

左江流域植物资源丰富,根据国内外市场的需求,目前应重点开发利用饮料、香料、食用色素、纤维、药用等方面的植物资源。引种驯化利用价值高的野生植物、采用现代生物技术、建立生产基地、建立边境绿化植物带等都是开发左江流域植物资源的有效措施。植物资源的合理开发利用,有利于本流域经济的发展和生态环境的改善。     

Recent Progress in Bioarchaeology: Approaches to the Osteological Paradox

The publication of The Osteological Paradox (Wood et al., 1992, Current Anthropology, 33:343–370) a decade ago sparked debate about the methods and conclusions drawn from bioarchaeological research. Wood et al. (1992, Current Anthropology, 33:343–370) highlighted the problematic issues of selective mortality and hidden heterogeneity in frailty (susceptibility to illness), and argued that the interpretation of population health status from skeletal remains is not straightforward. Progress in bioarchaeology over the last few years has led to the development of tools that will help us grapple with the issues of this osteological paradox. This paper provides a review of recent literature on age and sex estimation, paleodemography, biodistance, growth disruption, paleopathology, and paleodiet. We consider how these advances may help us address the implications of hidden heterogeneity in frailty and selective mortality for studies of health and adaptation in past societies.     

考古对象对考古学研究的影响——考古学反思之一

考古学与人类学、社会学、历史学等社会科学或人文科学一样,其总的研究对象都是人类社会。所不同的是,考古学研究的起点是古人活动遗留下来的遗迹和遗物(总称...     

Diameter of the human internal acoustic meatus and sex determination

We report the results of testing the diameter of the internal opening of the acoustic canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone for sex determination of skeletal remains. The method involves measuring the diameter using a suite of ordinary drills. The method is very simple and has the great advantage of utilising one of the sturdiest bone elements of the human skeleton. The method may be especially useful for the analyses of very fragmented skeletal remains or cremated bones, where the petrous bone may still be readily recognisable. The method was tested using a forensic sample of 113 left petrous bones with known sex. Intra‐ and inter‐observer testing was also performed. We found a statistically significant difference in diameter between males and females (means: males: 3.7 mm; females: 3.4 mm; P < 0.009). However, the low predictive value (70%) for correct sexing using two sectioning points ( < 3.0 mm = female; >3.5 mm = male) was disappointing. No additional accuracy was gained by employing both left and right petrous bones (a bilateral sample of 60 petrous bones was also tested), although left and right side diameter is highly correlated (R = 0.778; P = 0.0001). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河南巩义市里沟遗址1994年度发掘简报

里沟遗址是一处以仰韶文化遗存和河南龙山文化遗存为主,兼有春秋战国遗存的遗址。它位于巩义市城区南部里沟村周围,总面积１０万平方米,１９９３年７月由巩义市文管所调查发现①。（图一）随后,为配合巩义市南环路工程,由原郑州市文物工作队（今郑州市文物考古研究所前身）与巩义市文管所联合对遗址进行了发掘,计发掘探方５个,面积１６６平方米,发现灰坑９个②。１９９４年１０月,为配合里沟村委会在南环路北侧的建设工程,两单位再次联合对遗址进行了发掘。本次发掘地点位于１９９３年发掘现场北约３０米处,（图二）亦属遗址东北…     

Paper 4: Mechanical Properties of Bricks of the Coudenberg Archaeological Site in View of a Proper Conservation Strategy

Abstract

Archaeological sites are essentially submitted to decay phenomena inherent on their history as well as the environment to which they are exposed after excavation. The history of such archaeological sites is particularly related to their long-term underground conservation conditions during which they were subject to salt migration into the architectural remains. This paper describes the results of drill resistance measurements using a drill resistance measurement (DRMS) device to evaluate the mechanical damage resulting from salt crystallization pressures. Further tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was applied on powdered bricks of often moist archaeological remains. It was noticed that TEOS serves as potential nutrient for present moulds. The mechanical consolidation effect was evaluated by comparing the hardness profiles after treatment with the reference ones. Bricks used for the construction of the Aula Magna, situated underneath the Royal Square, are characterized by severe patterns of fissures for which the damage diagnosis was built up.     

Basketry accessories: footwear,bags and fans in ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians had —by the New Kingdom— developed many basket making and matting techniques. These techniques were not only used for making all types and sizes of baskets and mats, but were also adopted for making other accessories such as bags, fans and different types of footwear, that seem to have been heavily used. Materials and techniques of nine objects consisting of 2 sandals, 2 shoes, 2 bags, 2 fans and a model of a mat at the Agricultural Museum in Giza were carefully studied.     

New light on the personal identification of a skeleton of a member of Sir John Franklin’s last expedition to the Arctic, 1845

In 1845, an expedition, commanded by Sir John Franklin, set out to try and discover the north-west passage. All 129 men on this ill-fated voyage perished. Over the years, skeletal remains associated with the final throes of the expedition have been located on and near King William Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian arctic. In general, even a tentative personal identification for these remains has proved impossible. An exception is some skeletal remains that were recovered in 1869 and brought back to England and interred beneath the memorial to the Franklin expedition in Greenwich. In the 19th century, these were tentatively identified as of one of HMS Erebus’s lieutenants, Henry Le Vesconte, a conclusion that has been widely accepted in studies of the Franklin voyage. Renovations to the monument in 2009 provided an opportunity for scientific examination of the remains, and to re-evaluate the personal identification made nearly 140 years before. The current work, which is the first modern scientific analysis of a fairly complete skeleton associated with the Franklin voyage, describes the remains and the artefacts interred with them, discusses the pathological conditions present, and evaluates the personal identification using osteological techniques and isotope geochemistry. Results indicate that the remains are of an adult male of European ancestry. Although some writers have suggested that scurvy or tuberculosis may have been important causes of morbidity and mortality on the Franklin expedition, osteological analysis and, in the case of tuberculosis, DNA analysis, provided no evidence for their presence in these remains. Isotopic studies indicate that the personal identification as Le Vesconte is unlikely to be correct. From the isotopic results and forensic facial reconstruction, HDS Goodsir, an assistant surgeon on the expedition, appears a more likely identification, but the results do not allow a firm conclusion.