陶寺遗址聚落形态的初步考察

陶寺遗址微观聚落形态和宏观聚落形态的考察表明陶寺社会阶层分化严重,王者的雏形很可能已经出现,礼制初步形成,已进入了属于早期国家形态的邦国阶段。这一时期,文明社会初步形成。     

Spatial inequality and dynamics of foreign hypermarket retailers in China

The globalisation of retailing has intensified since the mid‐1990s with the rise of a group of international retailers. Foreign retailers have greatly impacted the Chinese retail market since the opening up of the retail sector in 1992. This study aims to examine spatial inequality and dynamics of foreign hypermarket retailers at different geographic scales in China. Although the relative gaps in foreign hypermarkets among Chinese regions are narrowing, the absolute gaps are widening. Logistic regression models are used to identify locational determinants of foreign retailers Carrefour, Wal‐Mart, and RT‐Mart at the intercity level. Carrefour prefers cities with larger urban district populations, longer time of being open to international retailers, and more foreign investment. While urban district populations are significant to Wal‐Mart and RT‐Mart as well, they favour cities where people have higher annual salaries and aim to achieve internal economies of scale at the provincial level. The three leading foreign retailers also have different first‐city and city size preferences in their provincial expansions.     

The Persistence of the Black Colour in Magnetite‐Based Pigments in Prehispanic Ceramics of the Argentine North‐West

The persistence of the black colour in magnetite‐containing paints in polychrome ceramics of the Argentine North‐West processed under conditions considered as oxidant has generated questions about ancient production technologies. In this work, the thermal oxidation reaction of magnetite to hematite under different temperatures, atmospheres and physicochemical characteristics of the materials is experimentally evaluated. The causes of this behaviour are elucidated, and it is concluded that in the archaeological context, a double‐firing process was not necessary to achieve the coexistence of different colours.     

Multi-method (FTIR,XRD, PXRF) analysis of Ertebølle pottery ceramics from Scania,southern Sweden

A combination of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (PXRF) was used on the clay fraction of Ertebølle ceramics from several Late Mesolithic sites in Scania, southern Sweden. The aim was to provide up-to-date information about clay types used during that period within the Scanian Ertebølle cultural unit, and to elucidate social aspects relevant to the organization of pottery production and the role of ceramics in the local societies. The results suggest similar clay preferences across the sites, site-based pottery production using local clays and zero mobility of ceramics between the sites. The chemical separation of the ceramics from the site of Soldattorpet into two compositional groups suggests possible multigroup occupation. The origins of aromatic hydrocarbons, extracted previously from the ceramic matrix of the vessels during a lipid residue study, were also investigated, and a discussion is provided.     

长三角城市群城市发展质量测度及时空演变格局

基于复合指标视角,全面认识和提高城市发展质量,是推进长三角城市群实现高质量一体化发展的有效途径。论文从经济、社会、科教、设施、环境等5个维度出发构建城市发展质量评价指标体系,定量测度城市发展质量,分析2008—2018年城市发展质量时空演变格局。结果显示：①长三角城市群城市发展质量加速提升,但仍然存在差距,且各项城市发展质量呈现非均衡性;②上海市发展质量平均得分最高,三省一市平均得分差距不断缩小,表明长三角城市群城市发展质量具有显著的绝对收敛趋势;③城市发展质量平均中心经历了分散→集聚→分散的动态演化过程,其中经济发展质量平均中心位移最大,科教发展质量平均中心位移最小。移动轨迹大多呈现“先西后东、整体向西,先北后南、整体向北”,说明城市发展质量提升速度西部高于东部,北部高于南部。     

A Comparative Study on Economies of Harappa and Erlitou Sites

Harappa and Erlitou are representative sites of the Indus and early Chinese civilizations respectively. With different geographical environments, the two regions took different paths to civilization. The Indus civilization established early“city-states” based on regional groups. Under the influence of the loose power structure of the“city-states,” the Harappan culture formed an open economic system that was market-oriented. Foreign trade was prosperous and played an important role in its economy. The early Chinese civilization established a wide-area kingship state. Under the influence of the pyramidal power structure, the economic system of the Erlitou culture was dominated by the state and served the ruling class. Foreign trade accounted for a low proportion of its economy. Differences between the two sites are the epitome of those between the development patterns of the two early civilizations and have important research value.     

山西灵石县静升村明清聚落格局的变迁

聚落格局是历史聚落地理研究较少关注的一个对象。山西灵石县静升村“九沟八堡十八巷”的聚落格局形成历经元末明初各沟巷的初步开发,明中后期至清初的边界拓展与内部扩建,以及清中后期内部格局的充盈及跨河“南侵”三个阶段。这其中地理环境、宗族势力、战乱匪患和国家政策等因素产生了重要影响。静升村的个案研究表明,聚落格局的形成与发展是一个动态变迁的历史过程,而聚落庙宇以及标志性建筑物的创建历史成为考察的重要指标。现今加强乡村聚落格局的研究仍将是中国乡村聚落形态研究继续深入拓展的趋势之一。     

Is X-ray diffraction able to distinguish between animal and human bones?

The possibility of determining the human or animal origin of bones from the lattice parameters of their inorganic bioapatite phase, when subjected to a high temperature treatment using the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, has been explored on a wide number of specimens. Forty-two animal bones were treated in a furnace at 1100 °C for 36 min and compared to 53 cremated human bones from a range of ancient necropolises. The X-ray diffraction patterns of bioapatite were simulated using both monoclinic P21/b and hexagonal P63/m structures to verify any occurrence of phase transformation and any difference in the lattice parameters due to the model. It was determined that the differences between the a-axis and c-axis of the monoclinic and hexagonal lattice were unimportant. Some outlying values were revealed to be caused by the presence of chlorine ions diffused into the apatite structure increasing its average unit cell values. Nevertheless, our results clearly show that in terms of lattice parameters the variability of human specimens are completely overlapped by the non-human variability making the use of XRD in order to distinguish animal from human bones questionable.     

Application of X-ray fluorescence imaging to ceramics from the American Southwest

We have used synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRFI) to examine sherds of painted ceramics from prehistoric cultures of the American Southwest. These sherds are very well suited to XRFI analysis. Paints can generally be detected and distinguished by the fluorescence intensities of their constituent elements. Spatial maps of element distributions yield the spatial distribution of pigments. Pigments can be distinguished that are (or have become) visually similar; layers that have been obscured by overpainting can be examined; and pigment residues can be distinguished from surface contaminants deposited after painting and firing. As a result, XRFI allows the painted motifs to be clarified and hidden features to be revealed. Furthermore, the very rapid scanning and high sensitivity elemental detection possible with synchrotron-based XRFI facilitate measurements on large collections of sherds, allowing an integrative rather than anecdotal analysis.     

Glass and metal analyses of gold leaf tesserae from 1st to 9th century mosaics. A contribution to technological and chronological knowledge

An archaeometric study was carried out on 40 gold leaf tesserae from mosaics in Italy dated 1st to the 9th century AD. Glass layers and gold leaf were both analysed by X-ray microanalysis. The main aim was the identification of the composition of the glass and of the gold leaf, in order to assess the variations in composition and nature of the tesserae in the examined period.