Kinship between burials from Grave Circle B at Mycenae revealed by ancient DNA typing

The richness of the burials in Grave Circle B at Mycenae, Greece indicates that the 35 people interred there held elite status during their lifetimes 3500 years ago. It has been speculated that the groups of burials represent different dynasties or branches of the same family. To test this hypothesis, we carried out an exhaustive ancient DNA (aDNA) study of 22 of the skeletons. We were unable to identify nuclear aDNA in any specimen, but we obtained authentic mitochondrial aDNA sequences for four individuals. The results were compared with facial reconstructions and interpreted within the archaeological context represented by the organisation of the graves and the positions of the burials within the graves. We conclude that the contemporaneous male Γ55 and female Γ58 skeletons, which both possess the UK mitochondrial haplogroup, were brother and sister. The implication is that Γ58 was buried in Grave Circle B not because of a marital connection but because she held a position of authority by right of birth. The results illustrate the difficulty in using aDNA to study kinship relationships between archaeological specimens, but also show that aDNA can advance understanding of kinship when used to test hypotheses constructed from other evidence.     

Knowledge,Know-how and Raw Material - The Production of Late Neolithic Flint Daggers in Scandinavia

In this paper, the craftsmanship of the Late Neolithic flint daggers in Scandianvia is investigated. The purpose of the investigation is to map the degree of skill invested in each production stage of the daggers and then relate the degree of craftsmanship to social factors. This is achieved by applying an operational-chain approach to the dagger production system, and by comparison with anthropologically and historically documented crafts in traditional societies. It is concluded that the daggers required knowledge of complicated recipes of action as well as a well-developed muscle memory that can only be acquired through practice. Thus, the craft is interpreted as demanding some form of an institutionalised apprenticeship system that could guarantee that it could be reproduced for at least 24 generations. It is further suggested that the flint dagger technology was consciously organised to keep the recipes of action of the technology exclusive to certain segments of the society.     

我国饭店业集团化发展刍议

经过20多年发展,我国的饭店业已成为具有相当规模的产业,但由于受到长期以来的计划经济及传统的小生产思想的影响,我国的饭店业集团化发展缓慢、艰难,本就我国饭店业集团化进程中强化品牌意识、培育职业化市场化的饭店经营人才、集团化发展的战略等问题进行分析。     

A simple Bayesian approach to tree‐ring dating

Tree‐ring dating involves matching sequences of ring widths from undated timbers to dated sequences known as ‘master’ chronologies. Conventionally, the undated timbers (from a building or woodland) are sequentially matched against one another, using t‐tests to identify the relative offsets with the ‘best’ match, thus producing a ’site’ chronology. A date estimate is obtained when this is matched to a local master chronology of known calendar age. Many tree‐ring sequences in the UK produce rather low t‐values and are thus declared not to have a ‘best’ match to a master chronology. Motivated by this and the routine use of Bayesian statistical methods to provide a probabilistic approach to radiocarbon dating, this paper investigates the practicality of Bayesian dendrochronology. We explore a previously published model for the relationship between ring widths and the underlying climatic signal, implementing it within the Bayesian framework via a simulation‐based approach. Probabilities for a match at each offset are produced, removing the need to identify a single ‘best’ match. The Bayesian model proves successful at matching in both simulated and real examples.     

Subadult Age at Death and Health Status at Niah Cave,Borneo (1500–200 bc)

Southeast Asia's transition to rice agriculture is often used as an exception to the general pattern of health decline at the agricultural transition. Niah Cave is the largest known Southeast Asian Neolithic cemetery, providing valuable information about subadult health during the agricultural transition in this region. This study examines the health status and mortuary treatment of subadult skeletal remains (Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) = 49) from the Neolithic cemetery of Niah Cave, Sarawak, Malaysia (1500–200 bc ). This study found that few cases of cribra orbitalia (4.6%) and porotic hyperostosis (14%). However, nonspecific infections may have been a risk factor for subadults as over half (65%) died with active cases of periosteal reactions on their long bones. Differential diagnosis determined that possible factors for this include parasite load, rickets and scurvy. Mortuary practices indicate that subadults may have been treated differently in phases 1 and 2 but were grated similar mortuary treatment in phases 3 and 4. This study suggests that changes in mobility patterns may have placed subadults at risk for increased parasite load and vitamin deficiency, while the role of subadults within the community may have changed over time. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Observations on the undersurface of the skeletalized human acromion in two populations

In late life, the humeral impingement disorder becomes common due to degenerative changes in the rotator cuff which allow the proximal humerus to press against the acromion in elevation of the arm, so producing facets on the tip region of the subacromial surface and on the lateral margin of the greater tubercle of the humerus. To discover what changes occur prior to those described, 184 acromions below the age of 55 years were examined. During the 18–25 year period, the subacromial surface showed patterns of formation of surface trabeculae of new bone, some associated with union of the epiphysis or with remodelling as a response to the presence of the proximal humerus at a distance of 10–15 mm; others indicated a subacromial attachment of the coraco‐acromial ligament. As early as 30 years of age, flattening of the surface trabeculae of bone was noted in association with compression lipping of the outer margin of the greater tubercle of the humerus, the part that crosses closest to the subacromial surface during elevation of the arm. Although resembling changes found in the impingement disorder, in both populations by the age of 35 years the changes were too common to be so and were not associated with the erosive pitting of the upper surface of the tubercle regarded as the earliest bony criterion of degenerative change in the cuff. It is postulated that, in the normal shoulder joint, in raising the arm, pressure is exerted, perhaps transiently, in the subacromial bursa and adjacent soft tissues which induces the compressive changes described. Probably due to the physically arduous lifestyle of the islanders, these changes occurred earlier among them; so did (but later) cuff degeneration indicated by erosion of the humeral tubercle. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

DNA in cremated bones from an early bronze age cemetery cairn

The discovery of polymeric DNA in charred wheat grains and other burnt plant remains prompted us to examine a set of cremated bones for the presence of ancient DNA. Extracts of cremated bones from an early Bronze Age cemetery cairn were analysed by hybridization probing and the polymerase chain reaction. Hybridization with two probes targeting human DNA resulted in strong positive signals. Polymerase chain reactions directed at a multicopy sequence in human nuclear DNA were successful, extracts of five burials giving amplification products of the expected size. Exploitation of ancient DNA in cremated bones could be of great value in archaeology as it may enable information pertaining to sex and kinship to be obtained from fragmented material.     

利用品牌延伸整合旅游产业链的模式研究

"旅游产业链"是旅游消费者获得旅游信息并决定进行某次旅行,经过空间移动,到最终实现旅游体验这一系列的活动过程中,因吃、住、行、游、娱、购等旅游消费涉及的企业分属不同的产业类型而形成的一种产业链接关系。旅游产业链的建设与优化对于微观旅游企业和区域旅游业的健康发展都具有重要意义,而旅游产业链的建设与优化,就是要协调产业链上各要素,以实现旅游业的经济、社会效益最大化。品牌延伸战略是企业界对品牌资源进行开发利用和新产品营销的常用策略,品牌延伸理论也发展成相对完善的理论体系。本文以品牌延伸理论为基础,从微观主体角度来分析旅游产业链优化整合的机制,包括优化整合的动力机制和约束机制。并阐述了大企业或者著名企业在旅游产业链的重要作用和地位,为旅游产业链的优化整合提供一种可选择的模式与途径,并以此为基础探讨了利用品牌延伸优化产业链的优化圈层、优化路径和优化模型。本文最后从微观和宏观角度提出旅游产业链优化的建议。     

The use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in ancient skeletons

The polymerase chain reaction has been used to extract ancient DNA from a wide range of different types of material. We have considered the possibility of finding residual bacterial DNA in bone that may have been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis using this technique. We propose a method of collecting samples and testing for the presence of degraded genetic material in ancient bone. The steps of the polymerase chain reaction are detailed and discussed, as are those for the preparation of the bone sample. Results obtained would suggest that this technique could have wide application in osteoarchaeological research by giving us new information on diseases of antiquity. Future avenues for the investigation of bacterial DNA in ancient bone are suggested.     

西方经济地理学关于全球化经济的理论演化综述

清晰的理解全球化经济如何演化是一项非常紧迫和艰巨的任务。传统的经济地理学主要通过国际劳动分工理论解释全球化经济。但二十世纪九十年代以来的外购和及时生产等新的生产组织方式的出现,使得全球经济体系变得愈加复杂。西方经济地理学家开始将其他相关学科的理论和方法论(如资源基础理论、嵌入理论、行为者网络理论等),应用于全球化的研究中,构建了一些新的全球经济的分析框架,例如全球价值链、全球商品链和全球生产网络,体现了经济地理学新的发展方向-"关系"经济地理学。这些链/网络的分析框架在多学科领域引起强大的反响,使得西方经济地理学的学科地位得到很大提升。