Livestock Trade during the Early Roman Period: First Clues from the Trading Post of Empúries (Catalonia)

Written sources show that livestock were traded during the Roman period. However, there is scarce information available to characterise this trade because of its invisibility in the archaeological record. In our paper, we shed light on this issue by applying both osteometric and genetic analyses on cattle remains from the Roman trading post of Empúries (Catalonia) to determine how livestock contributed to Roman trade and, thus, to the economy of the Empire. Analysis of 26 cattle metacarpals from Empúries has allowed us to document the presence of different cattle morphotypes in this city during its Early Roman occupation. The morphological and genetic differences seen in Empúries cattle can be explained through trade of different cattle varieties, more appropriate for milk production and/or traction than the local stock. Once arrived at the port of Empúries, these imported cattle would have then been distributed to surrounding villas. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Archaeomagnetic Study of a Roman Bath in Southern France

Absolute Thellier–Thellier archaeointensity determinations were conducted on 137 tiles and sedimentary blocks from five different structures from the ‘Site de la Molère’, southern France, to constrain the archaeological interpretation of a relative age difference between structures and add new data to the French secular variation database. We present 89 new archaeointensity and 20 new directional results, with averages of 57 (±8) μT in the second century ad and 68 (±7) μT in the third century ad . The overall data trend is consistent with the limited available data, indicating rapidly increasing field intensity from the second to the third century ad .     

Putting the Spotlight on Small Metal Age Pottery Scatters in Northern Calabria (Italy)

This paper presents the results of an in-depth multidisciplinary restudy of small Metal Age surface scatters recorded in earlier fieldwalking surveys in northern Calabria (Italy). Guided by a stratified sampling approach based on site types and topographic positions, high-resolution surface collections at the selected sites were combined with geophysical surveys, test pits, and soil studies to investigate both archaeological deposits and the site formation processes that have an effect on their detectability. This approach is shown to result in a better definition of archaeological ‘sites’, and to help fill in details of regional exploitation and settlement dynamics at the landscape scale. At this broader scale we are also able to model post-depositional processes and slope dynamics affecting the preservation of the archaeological record. With regard to methodology, our study has enabled the evaluation of diverse archaeological detection methods and the fine-tuning of field strategies for the study of Metal Age remains.     

Is it really bridging the gap? Fiber internet's impact on housing values and homebuyer demographics

Fiber internet expansion represents a path to improved economic vitality for Americans, but it is unclear who benefits from it and by how much. We examine the effects of subsidized fiber internet expansion on home prices and homebuyer demographics using data from Wisconsin and an IV approach to correct for fiber network endogeneity. We find fiber internet increases urban and rural housing values by 1.83% ($3,462) and decreases the likelihood a homebuyer is white by 2.88%, but in urban areas only. Fiber internet therefore does not appear to drive minority homebuyers away but may contribute to the urban-rural racial divide.     

黑水城元代汉文法律文书校勘

中国藏黑水城汉文文献中有一批元代法律文书,因其具有真实性、通俗性、丰富性等特点,故是研究语言文字、法律制度、历史文化等的宝贵资料。又因为此批文书存在内容残缺不全、字迹漫漶不清、文字讹脱衍倒、字形草俗并呈及词语疑难不解等方面的问题,所以整理本在释录方面难免会存在一些可资商榷的地方。今从中选取十八则释录可商的例子,通过复核图版,综合运用语言学、文字学、文献学等学科的方法,对它们进行仔细辨正,以期还原此批文书的真实面貌,促进学界对此批文书的深入研究。     

三星堆遗址二号坑出土部分青铜器表面附着丝绸残留物的发现与研究

四川省文物考古研究院等单位运用超景深显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、显微红外光谱等分析技术,对三星堆遗址二号祭祀坑出土的部分青铜器表面进行了显微观察和检测分析。显微观察结果表明,青铜器表面附着有经纬组织明显的纺织残留物,根据保存状况可以分为纺织实物、炭化物和泥化物;扫描电镜分析结果显示纤维表面光整、截面呈三角形;结合显微红外分析结果,可以确定残留物的原料为蚕丝。实验结果证实了三星堆文化时期丝绸的存在,也探明了丝绸的发现位置,根据赋存状况,推测丝绸与青铜器、金器共同构建了三星堆祭祀文化体系。     

A Study on the Whetstone-as-Funerary-Object Practice at the Jinsha Site,Chengdu

Whetstone-as-funerary-object was a common practice seen in tombs at the Jinsha site. Commonly found in the tombs at the Jinsha site, whetstones could have been a signifier of professional soldiers or violence groups in the ancient Shu culture, thus a product of the stratified ancient Shu society. Whetstones have been largely discovered in boat-coffin burials. The practice took form no later than the early Western Zhou dynasty, went on the decline in the late Spring and Autumn period, and came to an end in the Warring States period. The burial custom in question reflects the rise and fall of Jinsha as the central settlement area, and is a likely result of the two major transitions the ancient Shu society underwent over the period from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn period. The ancient Shu society experienced regime changes and went under the reign of reshuffling rulers in the late Spring and Autumn period; as a result, the emerging ruling elite abandoned the old whetstone-as-funerary-object practice, and embraced the new world.     

Stone Tool Production of the Longshan Culture at the Liangchengzhen Site in Rizhao of Shandong

The manufacture of stone tools was one of the most important craft production activities in prehistoric human society. Previously, lack of sound evidence had made it too early to confirm whether or not stone tool production during the Longshan cultural period had already transformed from a primitive self-sufficient household mode of production to a specialized mode of production. Excavation of the site of the Longshan cultural site at Liangchengzhen in Rizhao, Shandong from 1998–2001 through meticulous field methods such as sieving and floatation yielded a large number of lithic reduction tools, ranging from grinding stones, stone hammers, and polishing stones to raw materials, semi-finished products, and lithic debitage of various sizes, resulting from the lithic reduction process. This excavation suggests that the Liangchenzhen site was a settlement site where the complete process of lithic reduction was practiced. Through comparison with contemporary large-scale excavated sites of the Longshan culture, it is suggested that the Area 1 at the Liangchengzhen site was a lithic reduction locality with a relatively high degree of specialization which was used for hundreds of years. It is possible that stone tool production had already advanced to a stage of relatively high specialization during the Longshan cultural period in the Haidai region.     

略论二里头遗址的文化性质——兼与《中国文明与国家探源的思考》等文商榷

关于“文明与国家”是一个重大的学术课题。在《中国文明与国家探源的思考》等文中,对中国考古学以及二里头遗址的论述和评价,都存在很多问题。故撰写此文,提出与之商榷。     

杭州市萧山区茅草山遗址发掘报告

初步判断茅草山遗址的时代介于良渚文化与浙江历史时期文化之间,对于探讨浙江文明进程具有重要意义。