Synchrotron Radiation–Induced X‐Ray Fluorescence (SRXRF) Analyses Of The Bernstorf Gold

The gold finds from Bernstorf, in the Freising district of Bavaria, were discovered in 1998, in the area of a Bronze Age settlement. First analyses with X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) revealed gold of an unusually high purity grade, which was explained by the use of cementation techniques. A newer analysis with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) indicated an even higher purity. The analytical results were the starting point of an ongoing discussion. In this study, we re‐analysed 11 gold samples with synchrotron radiation–induced X‐ray fluorescence at the BAMline at BESSY. In a thorough analysis, different excitation and detection conditions were applied to confirm or disprove the previous results. It was shown that the purity of the gold from the specimen is higher than 99.9%. The main impurities are silver in a range between 20 and 200 μg g^?1 and copper between 1 and 10 μg g^?1. The results are in very good agreement with the LA–ICP–MS measurements and provide basic information for discussions about provenance, processing techniques or considerations of authenticity.     

Out-of-Plane Seismic Response of Unreinforced Masonry Walls: Conceptual Discussion,Research Needs,and Modeling Issues

ABSTRACT

Modeling unreinforced masonry walls, subjected to seismic loads applied normal to their plane, has received much attention in the past. Yet, there is a general lack of conformance with regard to what aspects of seismic response a computational model should reflect. Boundary conditions are certainly an important aspect, as the response can involve two-way bending or just one-way bending and, in the second case, along vertical or horizontal directions. In this respect, flexural restraint of wall intersections can be significant in addition to size and placement of openings. Moreover, in-plane damage can modify the boundary conditions and the overall out-of-plane performance. Proper modeling of actions is also relevant, as they can be a result of distortions imposed upon wall elements and/or inertial forces along the span of a wall. Axial forces can markedly affect the out-of-plane response of the wall, particularly vertical compressive forces, which can enhance out-of-plane strength. The outcome of static verifications can be more conservative than that of dynamic analyses, but the latter are much more complex to carry out. These topics are discussed with reference to previous research, observations in the field and in the laboratory, as well as numerical analyses on three-dimensional models.     

试论安史乱军的民族构成及其民族关系

安史乱军的民族构成比较复杂,既有安禄山那样的混血儿,又有一大批少数民族将士,也有高丽残部及扶余、新罗人,还有许多汉族官和将士,但从多方面加以考察,安禄山、史思明所重用的以及在安史乱军中起主要作用的多为汉族人;唐代的河朔地区既有胡化趋向,也有汉化保持和提高的趋向;安史乱军中的民族关系比较缓和,少数民族和汉族将士在化、心理素质等方面渐趋一致,少数民族和汉族将士在许多方面能够积极配合。这些是唐中央平叛工作进展缓慢以及安史之乱持续8年之久的重要原因之一。     

论藏品信息

藏品信息是博物馆藏品工作的新课题。本文从宏观的角度,分析了藏品信息的意义、要素、结构、分类、著录规则和标准化等一系列问题。     

Bone chemistry and the reconstruction of diet: Strontium discrimination in white-tailed deer

Studies of the relationship between the strontium content of human bone and past diet are still in an experimental stage. Because of the low frequency of carnivore remains at most archaeological sites and the absence of information on local strontium levels, it has been difficult to (1) estimate dietary intake for a prehistoric population, and (2) to compare prehistoric populations from spatially disparate areas. However, examination of strontium/calcium ratios in a modern herbivore may help to alleviate these problems. Bones from modern white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were compared with deer diet in Wisconsin. An observed ratio between deer bone and diet in terms of a strontium/calcium index was calculated at 0204, which compares favourably with observed ratios reported for other mammals. Prehistoric white-tailed deer are used in the analysis of two Late Archaic sites in the midwestern U.S.A. The strontium levels in deer can be used as a baseline for comparison between sites. The prehistoric subsistence patterns are generally comparable, with hunting accounting for the bulk of the diet.     

“Measure for measure”: a taphonomic reconsideration of the Kebaran site of Ein Gev I,Israel

We present the results of a detailed taphonomic study of the faunal remains from Ein Gev I, a Kebaran open-air site near the Sea of Galilee, Israel. In an earlier study faunal remains were assigned to bone element and species using a rapid method technique based on the identification of teeth and epiphyses only (Davis, 1974). In this study we identified the maximum number of skeletal elements, including fragments of long bone shafts. We also employed a series of taphonomic analyses to reconstruct the depositional history of the bone assemblage and to investigate subsistence, meat procurement and bone processing strategies. We compared the results obtained by a complete bone sampling method with those derived using a rapid method. The bone assemblage is dominated by mountain gazelle (Gazella gazelle), Mesopotamian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) and bezoar goat (Capra aegagrus). The assemblage is characterized by significant density-mediated biases, caused by both human bone processing behaviours and in situ post-burial bone attrition. Our attempts to compare species abundance derived from the two different identification protocols revealed no significant difference between the two sampling methods, both in terms of species diversity (richness and evenness) and skeletal element abundance (SEA). These comparisons contrast previous studies that expected to find ubiquitous head-and-foot dominated SEA profiles in zooarchaeological studies that were based on the incomplete identification of faunal remains.     

Early Cambodian gold and silver from Prohear: composition,trace elements and gilding

Rescue excavations in Prohear, southeast Cambodia, recently saved the last untouched graves of one of the richest prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia. Many Iron Age burials dating from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD contained gold and silver ornaments so far unknown from archaeological contexts together with indications for the presence of an immigrated elite. A first selection of 59 objects were analysed by LA-ICP-MS to obtain detailed information about the composition, as well as minor and trace elements. The majority of the ornaments consist of electrum and auriferous silver with low copper concentrations, and two main groups indicating different alluvial gold sources can be distinguished by different concentrations of Pt, Ir, Bi and different Pd/Pt ratios, one group being related to rich burials with non-local features. The SEM and EDX analyses of four objects revealed two different gilding techniques observed for the first time in Southeast Asian artefacts: foil-fusion gilding, related to special Ag–Au–(Cu)–Sn alloys containing up to 4% tin, and depletion gilding.     

Precision in the X-ray fluorescence analysis of sixty-one Augustan quadrantes

Sixty-one Augustan quadrantes were analysed for calcium, iron, nickel, copper, silver, tin, antimony, and lead by X-ray fluorescence. Most coins contained about 99·7% copper with the other seven elements present as trace impurities. Significant differences in composition were found for the three different issues of quadrantes minted in c. 9 BC indicating that these issues were not minted exactly contemporaneously. Quadrantes minted in c. 4 BC have trace element concentrations in ranges that differ from those of the 9 BC quadrantes. The precision is very good for all trace elements (the precision of calcium was not calculated): average standard deviations are 0·0021% for Fe, 0·0026% for Ni, 0·0038% for Ag, 0·0014% for Sn, 0·0031% for Sb, and 0·015 for Pb.