A note on the dating of the clay smoking pipes collected in the course of two archaeological surveys conducted in Saudi Arabia: the Comprehensive Survey of Saudi Arabia (1976–1981) and Michael Gilmore’s survey of the Darb al‐Hajj

Several clay smoking pipes (chibouks) were recovered during the course of two archaeological surveys conducted during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Saudi Arabia. At the time these projects took place, no published clay tobacco pipe typologies existed, forcing the participants to assign a cursory date of ‘Ottoman period’ to the pipes. Since then, considerable archaeological research has been done on the Ottoman clay pipe. The following concerns the refining of the dates of these tobacco pipes in light of new studies.     

The Dilmun temple on Failaka,Kuwait

The Kuwaiti‐Danish 2009 excavations on Failaka produced new evidence for the dating of the Dilmun temple in Tell F6. The affinities of this temple to the Barbar temples in Bahrain are emphasised, whereas the hypothesis of a Syrian‐inspired temple tower is questioned.     

Clay Plates with Stylized Ornithomorphic Representations from Section Vi of the Gorbunovo Peat Bog*

Clay plates with stylized representations of birds found at Section VI of the Gorbunovo Peat Bog (Trans-Urals) in 1926 and 2009 are described here with regard to technology, typology, function, and age. Similarities with Suzgun and Late Cherkaskul artifacts (13th – 12th centuries BC) point to the date of the plates. Suzgun sanctuaries and Andronovo burial sites suggest that the site with which the plates are associated might be either ritual or memorial.     

河南林州市北宋雕砖壁画墓清理简报

1999年5月,林州市文物保护管理所在河南省林州市区清理了一座砖室墓葬。该墓为仿木结构,室内用雕砖、壁画做出孝子图和花卉,以及斗拱等建筑构件,还有残余的瓷枕和瓷碗、铜钱。依据墓葬形制、随葬器物判断,该墓为北宋中期遗存。     

中国传统灰土灰浆强度增强方法研究

中国传统灰土灰浆中水硬性凝胶材料-水合硅酸钙和水合硅酸铝的形成可以大幅度提高其强度,但在自然条件下生成此类水硬性化合物需要很长时间。本文借鉴现代水泥工艺中利用焙烧黏土材料可提高火山灰活性的原理,从而有效缩短形成水硬性化合物的反应时间,在短时间内大大提高灰浆的强度。以此为出发点,加工制备性能优良的灰浆材料,为传统砌体建筑的保护提供适宜的保护修复材料。     

Paper 6: Grouting Mortars for Fragmented Bricks and Repair Mortars for Tiles in the Archaeological Site Coudenberg

Abstract

Different grouting and repair mortars were developed and evaluated for the conservation and restoration of fragmented bricks in the walls and floors of the remaining cellars underneath the Aula Magna, the palace’s main banqueting hall, and to fill the lacunae and perform edge repairs of red and blue-grey ceramic floor tiles in the remaining cellars underneath the chapel of the former Palace of Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium.

To prevent the deposition of lime bloom at the surface of the masonry and to achieve an acceptable colour match of the grout in harmony with the bricks of the Aula Magna, the effect of brick powder added to natural hydraulic lime was studied. The pozzolanic properties and colour match of several historic and modern powdered bricks were investigated. Surprisingly, ancient bricks do not seem to possess higher pozzolanic properties than the more modern ones, although it is supposed that they were fired at lower temperatures. Additional evidence for the pozzolanic reaction of the different brick powder materials was obtained from a simple visual observation of stored samples. After eight weeks all of the samples containing brick powders, fired at low and high temperatures, added to putty lime had hardened under water and were transformed into a remarkably tough material. These results are important, as modern bricks are readily available in large quantities and different colours, which are hence in favour of being used instead of historical material from the site.

For the repair of the ceramic floor tiles different mortars were investigated with mixtures containing talcum, stone or brick powder, pigments, and chalk added to an epoxy binder. The mortars were tested in the laboratory and in situ for their workability and resemblance with the historic floor tiles. The finished mortars showed excellent aesthetic properties with the tiles in situ and good properties to prevent further loss due to human interaction.     

A post-contact Aboriginal mortuary tree from southwestern Victoria,Australia

Abstract

Here we document the investigation of the first Australian Aboriginal mortuary tree found since the early 20th century and the first studied by archaeologists and Aboriginal traditional owners. In 2001, a landowner discovered Aboriginal skeletal remains inside a fallen, dead tree while evaluating the tree’s potential as firewood, leading to the investigation of the site. The tree was located near Moyston, in southwestern Victoria, in traditional Djab Wurrung country and held the partial skeletons of three Aboriginal individuals—two adults and a child. Clay pipe-stem wear on several teeth belonging to the two adults indicates that these remains were broadly contemporaneous secondary placements from the early post-contact period (ca. a.d. 1835–1845). Along with five additional mortuary trees within 30 km of the Moyston tree, this practice constitutes a previously unknown traditional mortuary pattern and contributes to our understanding of the complex mortuary behavior of the Aboriginal people of southwestern Victoria.     

New evidence of early use of artificial pozzolanic material in mortars

Hydraulic building composites, such as mortars and plasters, produced with artificial pozzolanic materials, became widely popular thanks to the Romans. Reports on earlier uses of such composites can also be found, mainly in archaeological and historic documents. These date back as far as the time of Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Here, we present a holistic analytical investigation of Late Bronze Age mortars from various archaeological sites of Cyprus. We focus on petrographic observations of thin sections, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray microanalyses and we investigate the microstructure and texture of the samples and the chemical composition and interface of their binders. Results of powder X-ray diffraction analyses are also presented, alongside a series of measurements using mercury intrusion porosimetry and vacuum saturation, aiming to estimate the pore size distribution and the physical properties (i.e. open porosity and bulk density) of the specimens under investigation. We also report on tests carried out to assess the drilling resistance of the mortars using a novel, portable system. The results thoroughly confirm, for the first time, the earliest intentional use of crushed brick as an artificial hydraulic additive in lime mortars in Cyprus, in order to enhance their performance and longevity in the absence of natural pozzolanas.     

萧梁钱范烧成温度的测试分析

为了测试出土萧梁钱范的烧成温度,并探讨钱范浇铸的成功与否和其烧成温度的关系,利用热膨胀分析法测试了系列萧梁钱范样品的烧成温度。对南京、镇江两地三处萧梁铸钱遗址出土钱范的测试结果表明,各遗址样品的烧成温度相差较大,在此基础上讨论了未浇铸钱范废弃的原因;对现代模拟制作的、浇铸情况已知的钱范样品的测试结果表明,对于相同原料的钱范,是否能浇铸成功,和它的烧成温度呈现出良好的对应关系。根据对系列样品烧成温度的实测数据,以及模拟浇铸实验中数次失败直到成功的教训和经验,推断出钱范的烧成温度是决定其浇铸成功与否的关键因素之一。     

中国古代砖砌体力学性能研究综述

古代砖砌体建筑由于材料劣化、环境影响,材料特性及力学性能均受到不同程度的影响和损伤,为了保护历史文化的载体,结合古建筑材料获取原始且必要的数据,系统总结了古砖、传统灰浆的制备工艺和材料性能,简要归纳了古砖、传统灰浆和古砖砌体基本力学性能及其测试方法,对比分析了单砖和砌体抗压强度的差异以及古建筑砌体材料力学性能研究现状。并对今后古砌体如弹性模量等力学性能、古砌体材料及结构的损伤机理等的研究提出了展望或建议,可为砖石古建筑的修缮保护提供参考依据。