Effect of organic and inorganic consolidation agents on Tlaltecuhtli monolith

A huge monolithic piece corresponding to the first years of the sixteenth century has been discovered in Mexico City. It represents the earth goddess Tlaltecuhtli. The preservation of such a magnificent piece is imperative. Therefore, the surface has to be characterized and the interaction of consolidants with the rock has to be understood.Some of the consolidation methods are impregnation of the mineral with nopal or silicic acid derivatives. In this work we compare the physico-chemical effects of organic and inorganic consolidants. Original and impregnated samples are characterized with a series of original techniques: X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, nitrogen adsorption and small angle X-ray scattering. Fractal dimension, specific surface area and pore size distribution clearly differentiated the samples. The organic materials, nopal gum or slobber, cover the mineral particles with a smooth layer. The KSE solutions react and lead to microporosity.     

The Protection of the Site: Discursive Formation and Self-identification in Contemporary Society

The paper argues that rescue archaeological activities in Japan create a discursive space where the future protection and management of the site is debated, notably between academic archaeologists, developers (the financial/administrative force) and the media. This discursive space is more and more dominated by the media agenda, to which the academic force largely conforms.This is connected with the nature of the stability of the lives of the rescue excavation officers themselves, in contradistinction to that of the general public.     

Paleo-Eskimo kitchen midden preservation in permafrost under future climate conditions at Qajaa,West Greenland

Remains from Paleo-Eskimo cultures are well-documented, but complete preservation is rare. Two kitchen middens in Greenland are known to hold extremely well-preserved organic artefacts. Here, we assess the fate of the Qajaa site in Western Greenland under future climate conditions based on site characteristics measured in situ and from permafrost cores. Measurements of thermal properties, heat generation, oxygen consumption and CO₂ production show that the kitchen midden can be characterized as peat but produces 4–7 times more heat than natural sediment. An analytical model from permafrost research has been applied to assess future thawing of the midden. Results show that the preservation conditions are controlled by freezing temperatures and a high water/ice content limiting the subsurface oxygen availability. Threats to the future preservation are related to thawing followed by drainage and increasing subsurface oxygen availability and heat generation. The model predicts that the unique 4000-year-old Saqqaq layer below more than 1 m of peat is adequately protected against thawing for the next 70 years.     

世界华商大会初探

世界华商大会自1991年举办至今,已发展成为当今世界的一项知名盛会。本文分析了大会产生的背景,概述了第一届到第八届大会的基本情况,并指出其发展具有四个特点:一是大会经济、政治、文化等方面的综合性;二是大会组织逐渐成熟、举办经验更加丰富;三是大会与中国经济发展壮大具有某种同步性;四是历次大会的主题体现了与时俱进的特点。作者最后认为,应实事求是地评估大会的作用。     

Charity as a Means of Zoroastrian Self-Preservation

Zoroastrian theology's emphasis on living the good life; the encouragement to create material wealth with the accompanying social obligations to put it to good use, explains the immensely extensive welfare system put in place by the Parsi community in India. Following the Arab conquest of Iran, the diminution in numbers and stature of the Zoroastrians in the ancestral land and the subsequent Parsi settlement in India, meant the marginalization of a people whose forebears once ruled a mighty empire. Once the Parsis acquired financial success, they put in place a community-wide network of benevolent institutions. This was followed by extending a muscular benevolence to the Zoroastrians of Iran, which evolved into a highly structured undertaking to ensure the safeguarding of the community from virtual extinction. Thus, Zoroastrian philanthropy was as much a reaffirmation of religious traditions as it was a means of self-preservation.     

Civiliser en Grèce Ancienne Adoucir la Nature et Naturaliser la Force

Ancient Greeks had neither a single notion nor a single word to express the idea of civilization. As a process of living since the origins, civilization appears as a serie of acquisitions or losses that lead to an ambivalent human condition. As a state, it is a blend of three factors: a diet and an education that tame nature; a legal political system and just foreign politics. But in the Greek language, the same word expresses a political system and domination (archê). Dionysius of Halicarnassus by speaking of the Roman domination as a just and natural phenomena, makes it a civilizing power.     

Reburial of shipwrecks in marine sediments: a long-term study on wood degradation

Historical shipwrecks in marine environments are continuously decomposed by wood-degrading organisms, adapted to this specific environment. To protect the wrecks from degradation and to preserve the unique remains for future generations, reburial of wrecks using various covering materials has been suggested as a long-term preservation method. The following experiment was carried out to study the bio-protective effect of sediment. Sound oak, pine, and birch samples were buried above and within marine sediment in Marstrand harbour, and retrieved for analysis after 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Macroscopic as well as light-microscopic examinations were carried out on each occasion. Marine borers (shipworm, Limnoria), soft rot and tunnelling bacteria were wood degraders immediately above the seabed; soft rot, tunnelling bacteria, and erosion bacteria were active 10 cm below the seabed; erosion bacteria were the only degraders at a depth of 43 cm below the seabed. The wood species had different durability towards the decay agents. After 3 years, wood samples above the seabed were totally decomposed, whereas wood was highly protected at 43 cm depth in sediment. In the sediment, decay decreased significantly with depth of burial. The results suggest that reburial of shipwrecks in marine sediment can be recommended as a simple and efficient method for long-term preservation of the wooden cultural heritage.     

我国文物保护理念的探索

我国的文物保护修复在借鉴西方完整的科学体系和方法的基础上,结合自身独特的传统文化特色,探索并建立了相关的理念与方法。我国的文物保护修复理念应以保护并体现文物完整的价值为最高准则,遵循不改变文物内含的一切原始信息的"不改变文物原状"的原则、有利于文物长久保存的"最小干预原则"和有利于文物价值完整体现的"可识别原则",综合运用传统修复保护技术与现代科技成果,以全面揭示文物的价值内涵,有效保护文物的原真性、完整性和科学性。     

《元声韵学大成》版本及研究状况考

明代濮阳涞的《元声韵学大成》具有鲜明的个性和革新精神,在明代韵书中有重要地位。但受《四库全书总目提要》评价过低的影响,近人和当代学者对该书只作概述性的介绍,不见深入剖析。本文对该书的作者、版本及研究状况加以介绍和考证,对该书在语音和语音史方面的价值加以讨论,希望籍此使该书的各方面价值都能得到认识和重视。     

Starch residues on museum artefacts: implications for determining tool use

A sample of 11 museum artefacts was examined to assess the preservation of any adhering organic residues, particularly starch granules, and to assess the potential for the identification of cooked starchy foods. The primary aim was to examine starchy deposits, extract starch granules and examine their physical condition to increase our understanding of the taphonomy of starch granules and associated organic residues in archived material and archaeological deposits. The study shows that organic plant residues could be recovered from archived artefacts and makes a significant contribution to understanding the function of this material. Recovered starch granules showed an interesting pattern of varying organic preservation on the surface of stone and wooden artefacts. Some starch granules were found to be well preserved while others in the same sample appeared to have been affected by enzyme degrading micro-organisms. Recovered residues included fully gelatinised starch.