Geochemical discrimination of basaltic sources as a tool for provenance analyses of bifacial tools in the southern Levant: first results from the Jezreel Valley,Israel

The determination of groundstone tool sources bears the potential to examine aspects like raw material selection and preference, mobility, trade and exchange patterns, control over resources and long term use of raw material sources. The discovery of the Neolithic/Chalcolithic basanite bifacial quarry of Giv'at Kipod in the Jezreel Valley, Israel, provides the opportunity of raw material centred provenance studies of bifacials in the southern Levant. The basis for reliable provenance analyses is a clear geochemical characterization of the extraction site and its discrimination from other potential sources. To achieve this, the Miocene magmatic rocks of the Jezreel Valley were sampled and analysed by XRF and La-ICP-MS. The geochemical evaluation, combined with cluster analyses, resulted in a clear discrimination of the Giv'at Kipod lava from other basaltic sources in the area. Based on the geochemical field data, a Giv'at Kipod provenance for six bifacial tools found in three archaeological sites dated to the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic periods was established. The results suggest that the quarry was in use for several millennia. This pilot study demonstrates that for provenance analyses lava outcrops in the southern Levant can be geochemically discriminated from each other on a very small spatial scale, on the basis of a detailed field sampling and the application of multivariate methods.     

First molecular identification of a hafting adhesive in the Late Howiesons Poort at Diepkloof Rock Shelter (Western Cape,South Africa)

The hafting of tools using adhesive is one of the innovative features that characterizes the southern African Middle Stone Age. This technology has mainstream implications but remains insufficiently documented, largely due to unequal organic preservation and non-adapted analytical procedures. A notable exception is provided by the recent results from the site of Sibudu (Lombard, 2006; Wadley et al., 2009).     

The pilgrimage economy of Early Roman Jerusalem (1st century BCE–70 CE) reconstructed from the δN and δC values of goat and sheep remains

Religious and historical sources suggest that pilgrimage formed a major source of Jerusalem's economy during the Early Roman period due to the Temple's role as a religious and judicial center for the Jewish diaspora. Until now, this assertion has been supported by little material evidence. In this study, the carbon and nitrogen isotope values of local arcahaeological and, modern wild herbivores from known environments were used to determine the environmental origins of domesticated sheep and goat that were traded and consumed in Early Roman Jerusalem. Pinpointing the environmental origins of these herd animals can determine if they were raised in specialized farms in the vicinity of Jerusalem, brought to the city by local pilgrims, or were part of organized importation of sacrifice animals from desert regions that lie beyond the boundaries of the province of Judea. The results indicate that at minimum 37% of the goat and sheep consumed in Jerusalem during the Early Roman period were brought from desert regions. The inter-provincial importation of animals to Jerusalem to meet high demands for sacrifice by pilgrims is the first material evidence for large scale economic specialization in the city. Furthermore, the results imply that desert animals were further marketed for domestic use in contemporaneous farm sites out of Jerusalem.     

明代山西北部聚落变迁

明代,山西长城沿线卫所、关隘、堡寨、墩台星罗棋布,形成了独特的人文地理景观———军事聚落,随着清代的一统,大部分则逐渐演化为城镇和村落。本文对该区域军事聚落的形成、发展以及变迁进行了历史考察,认为明清时期是山西北部历史上聚落形成和发展的繁荣时期,这与明代军事聚落的形成与发展有着非常密切的关系。     

南京发现南朝“明堂”砖及其学术意义初探

最新披露南京新发现的南朝刘宋“大明五年明堂壁”铭文砖等一批实物资料,并阐述了这批资料对研究南朝时期都城重要礼制建筑“明堂”的建造历史及其对研究六朝都城布局的重要学术意义。     

南宋乌江流域少数民族地方武力——以夔州路抗蒙（元）战争为视角的探讨

乌江流域地处西南边陲,境内少数民族众多,宋廷因地制宜,组建了多支少数民族军队。这些地方武力主要由御前屯驻大军和乡军组成,在南宋抗蒙（元）战争中贡献卓著,并与宋朝国祚相始终。此外,它在保卫边防、稳定当地秩序、开发边疆等方面也发挥了积极作用。     

南越王墓玉器分布状况及其内涵研究

广州西汉第二代南越王赵眜(胡)墓出土了240余件玉器,其中多数玉器造型独特,琢刻工艺精湛,是研究当时玉器使用制度、时代风格的珍贵实物资料。研究发现,该墓中墓主和殉人都有属于自己的玉器,属于墓主的是葬玉,用玉目的除了彰显权贵更重视护尸升仙;属于殉人的是装饰玉,注重身份高下而忽略了升仙功能。推测其目的是为了营造墓葬等级,而...     

关于杭州老虎洞窑址考古论证有关问题的探讨

杭州老虎洞窑址经数次发掘和多次学术会议论证及众多专家学者的研究,目前多数观点认为老虎洞窑址早期遗存就是文献记载的南宋修内司官窑。然而,由于窑址早期地层未出土绝对纪年物,虽历经10多年的论证,修内司官窑的性质却仍未在学术界取得一致意见,原因在于核心论据仍需进行科学梳理和充分证明。本文分析、总结出三大核心论据,并对其作了初步的探讨,为研究此问题指出了明确的方向。     

皖南发现的青铜剑纹饰及初步研究

皖南周代青铜剑纹饰资料详实、变化丰富。剑格主要有兽面纹、蟠螭纹与几何纹,剑首基本上为弦纹圈及几何纹饰。剑首、剑格纹饰与剑体其他部位特征演变规律类似,各期特征也较为显著,存在一定的组合关系。研究表明,始自西周中晚期,设计者便注意到格、首在装饰上需要保持的平衡与协调,至春秋晚期该传统便达极致,其中剑格兽面纹的出现,是吴越青铜文化的一大改造与创新。而战国时期青铜剑纹饰的衰退则反映出吴越地区制剑审美观的转变。     

20世纪八九十年代西部农村的庙会文化——以陕北地区为个案

改革开放以来,陕北乡村发生了巨大的变化,由单一的农业经济向多元经济转变,城镇化速度加快,农村社会阶层出现分化,社会大环境的变化使重新兴盛的庙会既继承了传统庙会的功能,同时又表现出以庙会活动为中心形成社区文化共同体、从传统神灵信仰转换为社会需求的表达、在维护乡村秩序中扮演了重要角色、开始在社区公共事务中发挥作用以及促成民间庙会与地方政府的互动等新的特点。对其作出全面、客观的评估,对推动西部大开发,促进农村社会的稳定和发展,将会起到积极作用。