Production of the Roman Cement in Italy: characterization of a raw material used in Tuscany between 19th and 20th century and its comparison with a commercialized French stone material

An experimental approach in order to investigate the possibility that some Italian limestones were used for the production of Roman Cement is proposed. Three types of Pietra Alberese, a marly limestone used since Roman times for the production of “lime” in Tuscany (Italy), were selected. By burning of these stones, specimens of binders were realized. The characteristics of these binders were compared with the binder obtained by burning a French marly limestone commercially used for the production of Roman Cement.

All samples of carbonate stones were preliminarily characterized from the chemical, mineralogical, and petrographic point of view. The colorimetric coordinates were measured on both rock samples and hardened binder samples. The analysis carried out shows that Pietra Alberese with an high content of clay minerals develops a similar microstructure with respect to that developed by the French marly limestone used for the production of Roman Cement.     

New maps

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

The Periglacial Environment. By H. M. French. 22 × 15 cm., 309 pp., 67 figures, 50 photographs, tables, references. Longman, Harlow, 1976. Paper £5.50.

Glaciers and Landscape. By David E. Sugden and Brian S. John. 23 × 17 cm., 376 pp. Numerous illustrations. References. Index. Edward Arnold, London, 1976. Paper £5.95.

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

The Development of the West of Scotland 1750‐1960. By Anthony Slaven. 22 × 14 cm., 272 pp., 4 maps, 29 tables, bibliography, index. Routledge and Kegan Paul 1975. £6.50.

A Geography of 19th‐century Britain. By P. J. Perry. 22 × 14, 187 pp., plates, maps and diagrams. Batsford, London, 1975. £6.50 (£2.95 paperback).

SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY

Recreation in the Countryside—A Spatial Analysis. By J. T. Coppock and B. S. Duffield. 24 × 16, 262 pp., 34 figures, references, index. Macmillan, London, 1975. £8.95 (£3.95 paperback).

A Geography of Tourism. By H. Robinson. 21 × 13 cm., 47 pp., 47 illustrations, tables, index. Macdonald and Evans, London, 1976. Paper £4.25.

The Look of the Land. By John Fraser Hart. 23 × 16 cm., 210 pp., illustrations, index. Prentice‐Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1975.

REGIONAL

Southern Europe: the Mediterranean and Alpine lands. By Monica and Robert Beckinsale. 29 × 20, 334 pp., 107 maps and diagrams, 38 plates, tables, bibliography, index. U. of London Press, London, 1975. £10.50.

London. By David Gowing. Longman Revised Colour Geographies, Editor Rex Walford. 23 × 21, 48 pp. Longman, Harlow, 1976. 75p.

TECHNIQUES

Mathematics for Geographers and Planners. By A. G. Wilson and M. J. Kirkby. 20 × 18, 325 pp. Illustrations, tables, references, index. Clarendon/Oxford Press, London, 1975. £6.75 (£3.00 paperback).

Patterns in Human Geography: An Introduction to Numerical Methods. By David M. Smith. 22 × 14, 373 pp, Illustrations, diagrams and tables, Index. David &; Charles, Newton Abbot, 1975. £6.50.

CARTOGRAPHY

The Times Atlas of the World: Comprehensive Edition. 46 × 32, xi pp. and 123 plates. Index 223 pp. Times Books/Bartholomew, London and Edinburgh, 1975. £26.

EDUCATIONAL

Objective Tests in Geography for O‐Level and C.S.E.: The British Isles. By K. Briggs. 24 × 18., 101 pp. Hodder &; Stoughton, London, 1976. £1.35.

The Developing World: Geography Four. Living Together. By S. Crawford. 24 × 18, 128 pp. Longman, London, 1975. £1.50.

Industries in Britain. By M. P. Devereux. 27 × 22, 80 pp, 95 figures. Macmillan, London, 1974. 70p.

Three Giant Powers. By Martin Simons. 20 × 21 cm., 144 pp., many illustrations, index. Oxford University Press 1974. £1.25.

The U.S.S.R. By Harry Robinson. 14 × 22 cm., 250 pp., 32 illus., diagrams, index. University Tutorial Press, London, 1975. £1.80.

No. 26 Teaching Geography—Motorway. By E. Rawling (Geographical Association). Sheffield. 23 pp., 25×20, 1976. 55p.

No. 27 Teaching Geography—Analysis of Land Use Data. By R. Daugherty (Geographical Association). Sheffield. 25×20, 16 pp. 1976. 50p.

Place and People: 1. Village, Town and City. Ed. by S. Dunlop. 76 pp., 25×19. Heine‐mann, London, 1976. £1.25.

Atlas of Denmark—Series II, Vol. 2. Topographic Atlas Denmark. Edited by Ruth Helkier Jensen and Kr. M. Jensen. Pp.192. 34×25. The Royal Danish Geographical Society, Copenhagen, 1976. DKr. 195.00.

North America: Maps. Topographical Map Studies of Canada and the U.S.A. By R. Knowles and P. W. E. Stave. Pp. 96, 21 × 33. Longmans, 1976. £3.95.

Geography Project Workbooks, book 3—Britain's Trade and Communications. By S. C. Harrison, et al. Pp.32. 24×18. Longmans, 1976. 45p.

The New Certificate Geography Series: A Level. Monsoon Asia. 3rd edition. By H. Robinson. Pp.528. 22×14. Macdonald and Evans, London, 1976. £3.75 paperback.

A Geography of Britain. 3rd edition, up‐dated. By A. R. Toison and M. E. Johnstone Pp.259. 23×17. Oxford University Press, London, 1976. £2.50.

Elementary Geographical Fieldwork. By J. Hume Brown. Pp. 152, 20×13. Blackie Glasgow, 1976. £1.75.

Geographies: A certificate series: North America. 2nd edition. By F. J. Monkhouse and H. R. Cain. Pp.332. 21 × 14. Longman, Harlow, 1976. £1.50.

Sketch‐map Geographies: Book Seven: Economic Geography. By P. Speak and H. C. Carter. 2nd, up‐dated edition. Pp. 76. 25 × 19. Longman, Harlow, 1976. £1.25.     

The Weddell centenary and the problems of Antarctica

Most of the new industries established in Northern Ireland since 1945 have followed the traditional pattern of concentrating in the Belfast region. This has created serious problems in the remote rural fringes of the Province. To stimulate local initiative in these areas a Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) was set up in 1971 aimed particularly at encouraging small manufacturing firms. Grants, loans, small factories and advice are made available to help small enterprises at all stages of growth and development. The scheme has had some notable successes but the level of local initiative has been disappointing and since 1974 the unstable political situation has reduced the amount of aid distributed and the number of jobs created.     

Regularizing Extraction in Andean Peru: Mining and Social Mobilization in an Age of Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract: This paper examines the new forms of regulation and resistance accompanying the expanding extractive frontier in Andean Peru. It does so through an analysis of a process of community mobilization at the Pierina gold mine in the region of Ancash that was aimed at transforming the conditions under which area residents labored at the mine. The article documents the complex ways in which the emergence of neoliberalized forms of resource governance has affected the terrain of mining‐related sociopolitical struggle at Pierina, both allowing the mining firm to consolidate authority in the arena of mine–community relations, while also establishing certain conditions for residents to pursue their interests collectively. An analysis of the Pierina case suggests that efforts to forge more just and equitable political economies of mineral development must not only challenge the neoliberalization of resource governance, but also confront the underlying socio‐ecological contradictions of contemporary capitalist resource development.     

Assessing stakeholders’ perspectives towards the conservation of the built heritage of Suakin,Sudan

The conservation of built heritage is recognized as a vehicle for sustaining local identity and a powerful instrument for urban regeneration. The problem of how to engage local culture in this process, however, has received comparatively little attention, despite the recognition of ‘stakeholders’ and the importance of their involvement. This research examines how collaboration between stakeholders might be established to conserve and thus help regenerate the historic and largely abandoned port town of Suakin. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of Suakin’s stakeholder groups and supported through archival analysis and observational studies. The intention was to explore the stakeholders’ views of the ‘conservation drivers’, ‘conservation practice’, and ‘conservation challenges and enablers’ affecting Suakin. The stakeholders’ response provides a preliminary status to the various perspectives concerning the conservation of Suakin’s built heritage. The findings identify a number of major issues impacting Suakin’s conservation and reveal a potential for implementing a comprehensive and inclusive conservation approach. The research establishes the case for further research to determine best methods to enable stakeholders to collaboratively address the issues impacting Suakin’s conservation. This approach to stakeholder involvement represents a new step towards the conservation of Suakin and a new contribution towards the conservation process.     

Marketing Destinations with Prolonged Negative Images: Towards a Theoretical Model

Abstract

While there is a great deal of research on destination branding in general, the study of tourism marketing that deals specifically with destinations suffering from prolonged image problems is less well developed. We integrated theories from crisis communication, image restoration and destination marketing to examine media strategies used by such destinations to attract tourism, and then classified them. We utilized qualitative content analysis of tourism campaigns for destinations – primarily in problematic areas such as the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe – that appeared in international tourism magazines, destinations’ websites and video-sharing websites. We classified two approaches of media strategies: the ‘cosmetic approach’, relating to strategies that focus mainly on altering the destination's image and the ‘strategic approach’, relating to strategies that take comprehensive action, changing both the negative image and the problems causing it.     

Cultural development: a new policy paradigm in the cultural policies of the 1970s in Québec

The common expression of ‘cultural development’ appears in many cultural policy statements without it necessarily arousing questions about its precise meaning. Indeed, we usually spontaneously associate ‘cultural development’ to any governmental intervention that aims at stimulating cultural vitality. However, if we look more closely at the origin of this concept, we soon discover that its appearance on the eve of May 68, in France, corresponds to the rise of new concerns in cultural policy matters and to a radical redefinition of the state’s role in this domain. Still enjoying a strong influence, France’s political transformations were closely followed by some Quebecois politicians and socially engaged intellectuals who were participating, at that time, in the formulation of a new political vision in cultural matters in Québec in the 1960s and 1970s. The objective of this paper is thus to retrace the origin of the idea of cultural development and follow its evolution in Québec.     

Feature Review

Abstract

The emergence of the Tea Party has set off a new round of speculation on the “future” of the conservative movement. This essay discusses two issues, defense spending and immigration, on which the Tea Party may fuse a conservative-libertarian approach that might distinguish it from earlier conservative political movements. The essay notes that the twenty-first century has a developing school of conservative thought that can provide the intellectual groundwork for such a political combination between conservatives and libertarians. This school opposes both mainstream liberalism and mainstream conservatism and attempts to rework the conservative tradition to face contemporary challenges.     

Dancers in the Dark: Scientific Careers According to a Gender-Blind Model of Promotion

Abstract

The disparity between men and women in science is a hot topic in gender studies and a relevant target of scientific policies. The leaky pipeline metaphor illustrates the decreasing number of women along senior positions in academia; however many questions remain unanswered. What factors progressively diminish the number of women in scientific careers and why do they appear to be less successful than their male colleagues? In order to discover new insight, this work compares men’s and women’s career paths by taking into account academic and family milestones achieved throughout the life course. An innovative and interdisciplinary methodology (from bibliometrics, statistics, and sociology) has been constructed to examine men’s and women’s trajectories. Findings display gender differences in scientists’ trajectories. The evolution of scientists’ careers reveals linear careers for males, whilst women develop non-linear careers. Motherhood emerges as a problem for developing linear careers. And collegiate decisions of gatekeepers seem to systematically disfavour women scientists’ careers.     

Settlement and environmental history of a multilayered settlement mound in Niederröblingen (central Germany) – a multi-proxy approach

A multi-disciplinary palaeoecological approach on a sequence of dated archaeosediments was accomplished. The sediments derive from a multilayered prehistoric settlement mound in central Germany, representing the remnants of a prehistoric village. Based on the analysis of biological remains and geochemical/physical analysis of the settlement layers its environment was reconstructed. There is a trend to increasing anthropogenic activities and impact on the environment represented through a rise of indicators for productive surplus from the Early Neolithic (5300–4900 BC) until the Roman Times (400 AD). During the Early Neolithic, shifting flat settlements were situated in a locally opened landscape. The immediate surrounding of the floodplain was used by the settlers for their economic requirements (e.g. wood from the riparian forest). After a hiatus of ca. 1900 years, a multilayered settlement mount rose from Late Neolithic Times (3000 BC) to Roman Times. Since the Middle Bronze Age (approximately 1500 BC) the riparian forest was obviously replaced by agricultural fields and meadows and henceforward the hinterland used by the settlers probably grew in size. The continuing demand of wood was maintained by the acquisition of more distant sources. The onset of house constructions substituting wood by loam (wattle and daub) might be a possible societal response to this shortfall. This is reflected in the growing thickness and composition of the settlement layers, as well as in the archaeological record (e.g. tumbled wattle and daub house walls). The rising of the groundwater table and the start of severe floods of the adjacent river Helme during pre-Roman Iron Age (approx. 800–100 BC) might reflect a geomorphological response to the increased land use intensity at a regional scale.