NON‐DESTRUCTIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OLD SOUTH ARABIAN COINS,FOURTH CENTURY BCE TO THIRD CENTURY CE

Studies on Old South Arabian (OSA) coinage are rare and state‐of‐the‐art materials analysis for them lags far behind that of ancient Greece and Rome. Understandably, numismatists responsible for preserving their collections discourage destructive analyses. We have selected coins of the aesthetically and technically developed Himyarite Royal Raydan series (early first to late second century ce ), so‐called Old and New Style Athenian Imitations, among others to provide a wide spectrum of information on OSA coinage. We used non‐destructive neutron diffraction to ascertain the metal compositions and corrosion products. Density determinations using gas‐pycnometry support these experiments. The results provide detailed information with regard to a small, apparently homogeneous, selection of 10 Himyarite period specimens and first insights into the actual and the original metal compositions of about 90 coins of the three main OSA numismatic groups. The analytical results make clear which OSA coins originally were struck and which ones were cast. The analyses provide not only detailed information concerning the manufacture of the selected representative coins, but also suffice to cast a shadow on the reliability of commonplace macro‐optical classification, which proves often to be inaccurate.     

On the Possible Origins of an Unusual (Mid to Late Holocene) Coastal Deposit,Old Punt Bay,South‐East Australia

An unusual coarse, shelly sedimentary unit is found elevated above present mean sea level in a sheltered pocket embayment at Old Punt Bay in south‐eastern Australia. The coarse sediments, diverse microfauna, and large shelly macrofauna of mixed affinity suggest that the deposit is the result of high‐energy deposition. The deposit was previously thought to have been deposited 1000–1300 cal bp based on one shell dated using ¹⁴C and amino acid racemisation. However, additional ¹⁴C dating indicates a likely age of ～2500 cal bp . Regardless of age constraints, the presence of rock‐encrusting oyster shells and large articulated bivalves, suggests that the depositional event must have been capable of removing and transporting coarse sediments (rock clasts), bivalves, and oysters shells from a variety of seaward environments and depositing them with little abrasion, something storm waves are unlikely to do. The deposit may be tsunamigenic. If a tsunami origin is accepted, the new dating results indicate that it is possibly coeval with a tsunami event previously reported to have affected several other sites along the coast of New South Wales at c. 2900 cal bp . Consequently, this deposit provides evidence for the event at a new site and importantly, a tighter constraint on the likely date of the events occurrence. It further adds weight to the developing catalogue of palaeotsunamis that may have affected the south‐eastern coast of Australia. Regardless of the deposit's origins, if viewed from a coastal planning perspective, this deposit indicates that this part of the coast has experienced large‐scale overwash events in the past that if repeated, would be catastrophic. There are serious implications for risk management.     

改革开放以后北京城镇居民食品消费生活的变化

改革开放以后的20年,北京城镇居民的食品消费生活经历了从勉强温饱到温饱再到小康状态的转变。在前一阶段,居民主要是追求吃的数量的扩充,主要特点是实现了从以“主食”消费为主向以“副食”消费为主的转化;在后一阶段,居民开始追求吃的质量的提高,营养、新鲜、方便、快捷的食品受到普遍欢迎。北京城镇居民食品消费生活的这种变化在某种程度上是中国居民生活水平普遍提高的反映,而中国绝大多数人的生活能够不断地得到改善,这一看似简单的现象正是中国渐进的社会主义改革不断取得成功的社会基础。     

Neoliberalism and the Aestheticization of New Middle‐Class Landscapes

Abstract: If according to Terry Eagleton (The Ideology of the Aesthetic 1990:28), the aesthetic is from the start “a contradictory, double‐edged concept”, how are seemingly innocent acts of viewing and consuming aesthetically pleasing landscapes implicated in the neoliberal politics of urban restructuring? Using contemporary Shanghai as a case study, this paper critically examines the role of the aesthetic in the politics of exclusion and urban segregation in post‐Socialist Shanghai where the restructuring and commodification of erstwhile public welfare housing have led to the rapid development of private “middle‐class” gated enclaves. A central objective of this paper is to excavate the underlying cultural politics of neoliberalism and demonstrate how the aestheticization of urban spaces in Shanghai has become increasingly intertwined with and accentuated by neoliberal ideologies and exclusionary practices in the city. Imbricated in the pristine neighborhoods of Shanghai's gated communities are the fault lines of social division and class distinction that are rapidly transforming urban China.     

A MULTI‐ANALYTICAL APPROACH FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF COMMODITIES IN A CERAMIC JAR FROM ANTINOE (EGYPT)*

This paper describes a multi‐analytical chemical study performed on the original, almost totally conserved, content of a small ceramic jar from the Antinoe archaeological site (fifth to seventh centuries ad, Roman Egypt) and now belonging to the archaeological collection of the Istituto Papirologico ‘Girolamo Vitelli’ (Florence, Italy). Scanning electron microscopy with an energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometer (SEM–EDX), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) were all used to characterize the inorganic components of the archaeological material. The organic substances were analysed using FTIR, direct exposure mass spectrometry (DE–MS) and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The inorganic component essentially consisted of halite (NaCl). Among the NaCl crystals, lamellar elements were identified. They were chemically characterized by carbonato‐apatite and showed a concentric morphology typical of the scales of small fish. The most prevalent organic constituents of the sample were monocarboxylic acids, α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids, and cholesterol and its oxidation products. The organic material composition was consistent with the occurrence of lipids of animal origin. In addition, diterpenes related to pine pitch were also identified. The overall results suggest that the material recovered in the small ceramic jar found in Antinoe is a residue of fish‐based pickles such as garum, muria, allex and liquamen, which were commonly used in Roman times.     

STUDY OF ROMAN ANCHOR FROM THE DEAD SEA SHORE*

A wooden Roman anchor was discovered at the retreating shore of the Dead Sea, north of Ein Gedi. The anchor's wood material was coated by a thick veneer of aragonite and gypsum crusts. The wood was dated by radiocarbon to the early Roman time in the Levant. Lead isotope analyses carried out on the Pb–Fe–Cu anchor material (remains of the anchor's metal parts) yielded ratios that indicate origin of the metal in Italian ores (maybe Tuscan). For the wooden part of the anchor a local tree was used.     

The treatment of leprosy in 19th‐century London: a case study from St Marylebone cemetery

A young adult male, context [825], exhibiting a suite of proliferative and erosive skeletal changes, was excavated from the old burial ground of St Marylebone, London, in 2005 by the Museum of London Archaeology Service (MoLAS). Although pathognomonic rhinomaxillary changes were absent, a number of lesions were of a type previously recorded in individuals suffering from lepromatous leprosy, including resorption of the alveolar process of the maxillae and the digits of the right hand, osteomyelitis in the left ulna and collapse of the left ankle. Whilst this infectious disease was widespread in medieval Britain, it had declined by the 19th century, and has been identified in only one other post‐medieval archaeological context. The right leg of [825] had been surgically amputated. This form of intervention was a recognised treatment for the complications of the disease, where neuropathic damage of limbs led to life‐threatening infection. The healing of the amputation demonstrates the success of the operation, and the skill of the surgeon. Although the identity of the affected individual is unknown, burial within St Marylebone cemetery implies a level of status not frequently associated with leprosy sufferers in the past. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigating self-reported food allergy prevalence in Waterloo Region,Canada

While food allergy prevalence has been studied at the national level, we know little of food allergy prevalence or perceptions of prevalence/management at the local level. This paper uses Waterloo Region as a case study to 1) document self-reported individual and household food allergy and sensitivity prevalence at the local level; 2) investigate perceptions of food allergy prevalence; and 3) explore perceived confidence in anaphylaxis management. Survey data were collected from January to March 2019. Respondents (n = 500) self-reported individual and household food allergy and sensitivity, estimated the percentage of Canadians with food allergy, and were queried about their knowledge of food allergy management. Prevalence estimates were weighted to the structure of the 2016 Canadian Census, and univariate and bivariate analysis were conducted. Prevalence of self-reported food allergy was 12.1% (95%CI, 8.8%-15.3%), and prevalence of self-reported food sensitivity was 26.3% (95%CI, 21.9%-30.7%). When asked to estimate the percentage of Canadians with food allergy, the mean perceived percentage was 35.1% (SD = 22.96). Self-reported prevalence of food allergy appears higher in Waterloo Region, and the estimated percentage of Canadians with food allergy is inflated. Understanding prevalence and perceptions at the local level is important for targeted allocation of public health resources to ensure safe spaces for individuals with food allergy.     

CALCAREOUS MICROFOSSILS IN BRONZE AGE AEGEAN CERAMICS: ILLUMINATING TECHNOLOGY AND PROVENANCE*

The calcareous skeletal remains of various microscopic organisms such as foraminifera and ostracods are a striking feature of thin sections of many archaeological ceramics from the Aegean Bronze Age. While the presence of these calcareous microfossils in pottery has been noted for some time, attempts to utilize them to further the aims of ceramic compositional analysis have been few in number. In the following paper, we take a first detailed look at the occurrence and utility of calcareous microfossils in archaeological ceramics. By presenting selected case studies from the Bronze Age of Crete, we demonstrate the potential of calcareous microfossils, especially the extremely small ‘nannofossils’ and the highly contextual geological information that they contain, in terms of the characterization and grouping of ceramics, the determination of their provenance and the reconstruction of ancient technology.