The Transition to History in Southeast Asia: An Introduction

Studies of the transition from prehistory to history in Southeast Asia have traditionally relied primarily on documentary sources, which tend to emphasize foreign influences, rather than on the archaeological record, which suggests a series of indigenous developments. The papers in this journal issue and the next discuss strategies for using both documentary and archaeological evidence to study the transition to history and the emergence of early states in the region. These papers investigate how political units were structured and integrated in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South China, and illustrate how historical and archaeological data can cross-check each other to inform on Southeast Asian sociopolitical and economic developments during the early historic period.     

党的第三代领导集体理论创新的时代背景和重大意义

党的第三代领导集体形成以来的十多年间,国际国内形势都发生了重大的变化,时代的发展呼唤着理论创新。三个代表重要思想顺应了时代的要求,回答了在新的历史条件下建设一个什么样的党和怎样建设党的时代课题。三个代表重要思想是我们党的第三代中央领导集体的理论创新成果的最高概括,是科学社会主义理论在当代中国的新的表现形式,是与马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论一脉相承的统一的科学体系。     

Environment and Subsistence of the Early Inhabitants of Coastal Southwestern Nigeria

From where did the early inhabitants of the Badagry coastal area of southwestern Nigeria originate? Has the area been occupied from “ancient times,” as claimed by oral traditions? What was the nature of the environment and subsistence of these early inhabitants? Excavations at Apa, west of Badagry, provided answers to these questions. A radiocarbon date of 2670 ± 90 bp showed that human occupation there is at least 3000 years old, and implied occupation during the Late Stone Age. The occupation was in two phases: a prehistoric phase, during which Apa site 1 (Ap1) was occupied, and an historic phase, with occupation of Apa site 2 (Ap2). Sedimentological and archaeological data also showed that the environment at the beginning of occupation was similar to today. The presence of a groundstone axe, charred palm kernels, and charcoal at the Ap1 site is interpreted to imply the clearing and burning of vegetation, probably preparatory to planting and the exploitation of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) from about 2670 ± 90 bp. D'où sont venus les premiers habitants de la région côtiere Badagry du sud-ouest du Nigeria? Est-il vrai que la région a été occupé depuis les temps anciennes, comme confirme les traditions orales? Quelle étaient la nature de l'environnement et du subsistence de ces habitants préhistoriques? Des fouilles archéologiques à Apa, a l'ouest de Badagry, ont fourni des réponses nécessaires à ces questions. Un date radiocarbone de 2670 ± 90 bp a montré que les activités humaines de ce site date au moins de 3000 années, qui indique que l'occupation des habitants à c'endroit étais durant la periode de l'Age de la Pierre Recent. L'occupation de cette region était en deux phases: un phase prehistorique, la période pendant lequelle le site d'Apa 1 (Ap1) était occupé, et la phase historique, qui a marqué l'occupation du deuxième site d'Apa 2 (Ap2). Les données de la sedimentologie et de l'archéologie ont aussi montrent que l'environnement au commencement d'occupation était similaire de nos jours. On pense que la presence d'un hache “groundstone,” de l'amande de palmier et du charbon à la site d'Ap1 indiques la déstruction de la vegetation, preparant probablement la terre pour la semence et l'exploitation du l'huile de palme (Elaeis guineensis) d'environ de 2670 ± 90 bp.     

天津——近代北方经济的龙头

具有优越地理区位、便利交通条件和良好经济基础的天津,开埠后又利用通商口岸所特有的宽松环境、发展机会和广阔市场,逐步成为北方最大的对外贸易中心、工业中心和金融中心,成为近代北方经济的龙头,极大地推动了北方广大地区经济的现代化进程。真正充分发挥港口城市天津所固有的巨大经济优势和潜力,有利于今天北方市场经济的全面、健康、快速发展。     

The transformation of traditional Chinese guilds in modern times

As traditional business organizations that played an important role in China’s economy, guilds have faced unprecedented challenges in modern times due to the invasion of Western capitalism and the changes of the traditional Chinese economic structure. It was difficult to maintain the old guild rules, such as limitations on opening new workshops, recruiting new apprentices, etc. Thus, some guilds that insisted on maintaining the old rules fell into decline, while other guilds, either willingly or unwillingly, made reforms in their organization and structural function to adjust themselves to the new situations. The latter gradually transformed into the modern trade association. The different fates of traditional guilds proved that guilds had to reform properly and adapt themselves to new economic and social environments in order to survive in modern times. __________ Translated from: Jiangsu Shehui Kexue 江苏社会科学 (Jiangsu Social Sciences), No.2, 2004     

从传世之作论郑珍书画

郑珍是贵州文化史上的重要人物,不仅在经学、文字学、史学、诗歌等方面著述宏富,而且在书画创作上,也有较深的造诣。本文试以他的传世之作,来论述他在这方面的成就。     

从东西方历史建筑的差异看东西方文明

东西方历史建筑在建筑材料、建筑类型、空间布局、发展演变和留存时间等诸多方面存在差异。究其原因,二者在自然环境、经济模式、宗教思想、社会意识和自然观方面的不同特点是造成这些差异产生的主要原因,而这些差异也体现了东西方文明的不同风格。     

颛顼“绝地天通”与凌家滩“龟卜”

颛顼"绝地天通"历来被视为原始宗教的重大改革,从文献学、民族学角度来解读具有丰富的内涵。根据考古材料论定龙山文化时期骨卜的普化暗合"绝地天通"所反映的巫觋功能的专门化。这就科学确定了"绝地天通"的年代学意义。而含山凌家滩玉龟和玉版"龟卜"的种种迹象,说明在接近颛顼时代之前",原始八卦"也已经基本定型。     

The glass of Nogara (Verona): a “window” on production technology of mid-Medieval times in Northern Italy

The site of Nogara (province of Verona, Italy) provides valuable insights into the complexities of the glass industry in mid-Medieval times, due to its timing, which ranges mainly between the 10th and 11th centuries AD, and to the great quantity of glass findings, mainly tableware. In the present paper, the combination of archaeological, chemical and textural data allows us to identify production technologies in a time-interval perceived to be a period of technological transition for glass. In particular, the frequent occurrence of recycled natron glass and only a few glass samples made with soda plant ash indicate that recycling of earlier glass was common in inland Northern Italy in the 10th–11th centuries AD. In addition, blue and reticello decorations were obtained by recycling earlier glass mosaic tesserae, as shown by much Co, Cu, Sn, Sb and Pb and the presence of crystallised calcium antimonates. A few glass samples with chemical compositions intermediate between natron and soda plant ash glass were also identified, suggesting a gradual change in glass composition from natron-based towards soda ash-based production technology, which prevailed in the 13th-14th centuries. In conclusion, the difficulty in describing mid-Medieval glass as a well-defined entity, due to the great propensity for recycling earlier glass samples which causes variability in chemical compositions, particularly those of trace elements, is clearly documented here. In any case, this paper contributes to a new type of chrono-typological scanning and to more detailed knowledge of glass production technology during mid-Medieval times in Northern Italy, little found in the literature until now.     

New Indices for the Existing City-Centers Streets Network Reliability and Availability Assessment in Earthquake Emergency

During earthquake emergencies in existing city-centers, streets network permits inhabitants to reach safe areas, and rescuers to access damaged zones and help population. However, the network can suffer from blocks due to debris of collapsed or heavily damaged buildings. Understanding urban fabric modifications and classifying elements vulnerability are fundamental steps while dealing with risk-assessment and risk-reduction strategies. This article offers a first quick approach for assessing seismic vulnerability of paths network by considering interferences with building heritage damages. Quick data about existing urban fabric (e.g., buildings typology; streets and buildings geometries) are combined for developing new vulnerability indices for streets network. The earthquake macroseismic intensity is introduced for evaluating probable street blockages and summarizing the overall rating of risks in critical network locations, thus intensity that is not included in other current quick methods for streets-building interference is here taken into account. Risk-reduction strategies based on the proposed indices could minimize the interventions on architectural heritage, maximizing the safety of evacuees. These new indices could be combined with traditional assessment of buildings vulnerability, and evaluations on pedestrians’ and vehicles evacuation flows, for evaluating management strategies.