The origins of pottery as a practical domestic technology: Evidence from the middle Queen Creek area, Arizona

The site of Finch Camp in the middle Queen Creek area of Arizona, southeast of Phoenix, has produced some of the earliest evidence of utilitarian pottery use in the US Southwest. Using multiple lines of evidence from vessel morphology, surface alteration, and minute fatty acid residues in vessel walls, I evaluate the nascent function of the earliest vessels (mostly neckless jars, or tecomates) and infer a diachronic process of functional expansion from about 350 B.C.-A.D. 400. This evidence provides robust evidence for evaluating various theoretical models of pottery origins. I argue that utilitarian pottery was initially adopted in connection with the intensification of small particulate plant foods (e.g., seeds, grains) and increasing household-level control over resources. Further, vessel functions may have expanded during the early centuries A.D. in response to women’s task-scheduling conflicts stemming from increasing residential stability and growing reliance on low-level horticulture.     

The Western River Steamboat Heroine, 1832–1838, Oklahoma,USA: excavations,summary of finds,and history

This paper describes the excavation, discoveries relating to the hull, machinery, and artefacts, and the history of an early steamboat wreck discovered in the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. The wreck has been identified as the side‐wheel steamer Heroine, a vessel in service on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other western rivers of North America during the 1830s. It is the earliest example of this famous type of vessel yet studied.     

清代红釉(彩)瓷的呈色元素分析

清代是我国古陶瓷生产最辉煌的时期,烧造的瓷器品种繁多,各类颜色釉的制作水平达到了历史高峰。清代的红釉(彩)名称更是多达几十种,如“矾红”、“抹红”、“珊瑚红”、“红彩”、“钧红”、“均红”、“鲜红”、“郎窑红”、“牛血红”、“霁红”、“宝石红”、“豇豆红”、“釉里红”、“胭脂红”、“胭脂水”、“粉红”等。为弄清各种称谓红釉(彩)的主要呈色元素及其影响作用,本工作采用无损的X射线能谱分析(EDXRF)技术对清代瓷器的红釉(彩)进行系统测试,获得了各种红釉(彩)呈色元素定性及半定量数据。分析结果表明,清代红釉彩可以依据呈色元素划分为四类,即低温铁红彩(Fe)、高温铜红釉(Cu)、低温金红彩(Au)和朱砂红彩(HgS),并且各元素含量的改变会影响红釉(彩)呈色。     

《红楼梦》中的闺阁私语情话——从二十五回凤姐打趣黛玉的“婚事”说起

《红楼梦》中有许多描写年青闺阁女子以情事或婚姻来打趣对方的场景,是小说中旖旎动人的闺阎女子日常生活情景的一部分。这些对于闺阁女儿私密情话的描写出现在礼教对女性尤其是贵族女性束缚异常严酷的明清时期,其实并不然,我们认为它既是明中叶以来人们追求个性解放思潮在女性生活领域引起变化的结果,同时也是作者尚情美学理想追求的一个重要体现。     

论颍州红巾军“举首”杜遵道

杜遵道是颍州反元大起义的领导者和元末红巾军领导层中唯一受过高层教育的知识人士.本文通过对杜遵道在北方红巾军反元活动中具体作用和影响的陈述以及对杜遵道之死问题的评析,为元末历史中杜遵道及北方红巾军兴衰问题的研究,提供一个新的视角.     

Holocene Elevated Sea Levels on the North Coast of Vietnam

We present evidence of elevated Holocene sea levels on the north coast of Vietnam, comprising radiocarbon dating of raised coastal geomorphological and palaeobiological features at localities on the margins of the Bac Bo (Red River) Plain. This evidence indicates that by ca. 5500 cal yr B.P. mid‐tide lay approximately 5.4 m above national datum, that is 3.25 m above present local mid‐tide. By c. 3500 cal yr B.P., sea level was lowering and, by ca. 2000 cal yr B.P., mid‐tide lay at or above 1.5 m above present local mid‐tide. It is not yet possible to infer patterns of sea‐level fluctuation other than an overall lowering of elevation, although the separation of the raised and modern erosion notches does suggest two dominant mid to late Holocene periods of erosion — probably periods of sea‐level still‐stand or relatively slow sea‐level change. The intervening period of relatively rapid sea‐level change and associated reduced erosion probably dates to after ca. 2000 cal yr B.P..     

The Enigma of 'Aydhab: a Medieval Islamic Port on the Red Sea Coast

The medieval Islamic port of 'Aydhab played a major role in the hajj and in trade with Yemen, India and the Far East. A recent satellite image reveals the layout of the town in some detail, but there seems to be no trace of a viable harbour. Yet there was a fine secure harbour at Halaib, 20 km to the south. We tentatively suggest that the main port of 'Aydhab was separate from the town. This hypothesis can only be verified by fieldwork and our objective in this paper is draw attention to the problem rather than to resolve it.
© 2007 The Authors     

钧窑三问——论钧窑研究中的几个问题

本文结合古代文献对钧窑研究中的三个问题进行了考证。第一,今人多将钧窑视为宋代的“五大名窑”之一,实际上钧窑在宋至明初大体默默无闻,明后期的文献中始对其记载,但直到民国时期仍未能列入“五大名窑”,20世纪后半叶钧窑才名列“五大名窑”,前提是“钧官窑”概念的确立,是建立在某些推论基础上的产物。第二,古代文献中所指的钧窑,除了指今之钧窑的一些特殊产品外,还可能指古钧州境内其他窑场的产品,现所称的钧釉瓷可能是某些文献所记之汝窑器。第三,《清波杂志》中关于窑变朱砂红瓷的记载,应指北宋末钧窑生产的红釉瓷。     

Locating the Harbour: Myos Hormos/Quseir al-Qadim: a Roman and Islamic Port on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt

Recent maritime investigations at Quseir al-Qadim, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, have revealed the importance of this port in both the Roman and later Islamic periods. This paper outlines the key evidence for the location of the harbours, from survey, sedimentological analysis and selective excavation. The Roman harbour, occupied between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD, was located in a now-silted lagoon. Over 100 sedimentological cores indicated its siltation process. By the time the site was reoccupied in the 12th century AD, the harbour was reduced to a small bay at the entrance to the former lagoon.
© 2007 The Author     

Roman lead mining in Germany: its origin and development through time deduced from lead isotope provenance studies

High precision lead isotope analysis by Multi Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was applied to the investigation of more than 240 Roman lead objects from several archaeological sites in Germany, in order to obtain information on the pattern of Roman mining activity and ore processing in the area. Measurements of ore samples from German deposits east (Siegerland, Lahn-Dill, Ems) and west of the Rhine (Eifel, Hunsrueck) were made and supplemented with data from literature to create a data bank of lead isotope ratios of European lead occurrences. Comparing the isotope ratios of lead objects with those from German ore deposits shows that the source of over 85% of the objects is Eifel ore deposits, but that, in the early years, the Romans also imported lead from the Southern Massif Central and later from Britain.