The Hemeila Riddle: Genealogical Reconfigurations of Pre-colonial Encounters in Southwestern Mauritania

This article will focus on a seldom-considered aspect of Saharan social contexts: the incorporation of European/Christian characters into tribal sociopolitical frameworks. Supported by data from my fieldwork, I will discuss contemporary portrayals of a mid-seventeenth-century woman, Hemeila, whose mother is recognized as a European Christian of Iberian origin. These two women are presently incorporated in different genealogical narratives from Southwestern Mauritania. The research dealt with in this article also relates to discussions of social hierarchy familiar to Mauritania’s Arabophone populations, with a particular focus on groups holding a “religious” (zwaya) status. Additionally, this article discusses the role of the anthropologist as a producer of social facts, which in this context has led to a direct intervention in the reassessment of Saharan historical traditions.     

Nonmetric morphological characters of deciduous teeth in Japan: diachronic evidence of the past 4000 years

The efficiency of nonmetric (discrete) characters of the deciduous dentition in assessing affinities of human populations was investigated in seven population samples from western Japan. The Neolithic Jomon (the Late and Latest stages, 4000–2300 BP ), the Aeneolithic Yayoi (2300–1700 BP , divided into materials from the Tanegashima Island and other western Japan materials), the protohistoric Kofun (1700–1300 BP ), the medieval Kamakura & Muromachi (800–400 BP ), the early modern Edo (400–130 BP ) and modern Japanese were compared for 17 traits. From the analyses of univariate and multivariate comparisons, close affinities between the Jomon and the Tanegashima Yayoi populations and between the other Yayoi, Kofun, Medieval, Edo and modern Japanese populations were indicated. This result coincided with the results obtained from the investigations of permanent dentition. The Jomon and Tanegashima Yayoi populations showed high frequencies of middle trigonid crest and cusp 6, while the other Yayoi and post‐Yayoi Japanese populations expressed high frequencies of shovelling, cusp 7 and distal trigonid crest. As simple tooth crowns are characteristic of their permanent teeth, the traits abounding in the Jomon and the Tanegashima Yayoi deciduous dentition were unique to their deciduous dentition. Different gene frequencies in juveniles and adults, or a heavy functional demand on their deciduous teeth, may be responsible for this difference. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Colonization and the Commodification of Nature

This paper explores some of the theoretical issues surrounding the commodification of nature and its value as a research topic. In particular it examines the relationship between European colonization, the rise of capitalism and the increased use of abstract space. An appeal is also made for adding environmental history to the research agenda of historical archaeology. Case studies from South Africa and Virginia illustrate the manner in which abstract notions of space and the environment contributed to the commodification of nature. The Virginia case study from Jamestown Island provides a particularly vivid example of how micro- and macro-level environmental changes can be linked to important political and economic events.     

试论古代埃及人的历史意识

古代埃及人认为,世界在创建之初创世之神就创建了神圣的宇宙秩序——玛特,它是自然界和人类社会的运行法则。它是一种抽象的观念,是我们理解古代埃及人思想特征的关键所在。以玛特观念为基础,古代埃及人形成了朦胧状态的历史意识,包括神人关系、社会历史发展的模式、创世与王权、历史的作用等。古代埃及人正是以此为基础认识过去,发现人类存在的意义。     

我国三次西部开发的回顾与思考

新中国对西部进行了两次大规模的开发 ,第一次是以 1 56项建设项目为核心对西部地区的建设 ,第二次是“三五”时期以“三线”建设为核心而进行的开发。世纪之交 ,党中央又一次作出了西部开发的战略决策 ,这是我国在新的历史条件下 ,对西部地区进行的第三次大规模的开发。我国前两次西部开发通过强有力的国家计划 ,集中有限资源(人力、物力、财力 )布局中国工业 ,使西部地区初步建立了现代工业。这两次开发虽然极大地改变了西部的落后面貌 ,有效地缩小了东西部之间的发展差距 ,但由于它们是在计划经济体制框架下进行的 ,在投融资、理财、调动各方积极性等诸方面均不能适应市场经济发展的要求。在社会主义市场经济不断完善的条件下 ,第三次西部开发需要新的思路和新的措施。在这方面 ,我国西部开发的历史为我们提供了宝贵的经验教训     

从学术史看华侨华人研究的学科发展

本文试图从学术史角度探讨华侨华人研究的学科建设。从国内外研究华侨华人的历史看 ,涉及的学科包括历史学、政治学、经济学、法学、社会学、人类学等诸多方面 ,尤其是西方对于华侨华人的学术研究 ,从一开始就不是历史学或经济学、政治学之类的单一学科的研究 ,而是综合性、全方位的研究 ,其覆盖面甚广。其特点在于研究对象的单一性 ,而不是学科或研究方法的单一性。因此 ,欲建立华侨华人学 ,必须包括诸学科的研究 ,即历史、经济、文化、政治、社会等各方面。尤其重要的是 ,这些多学科研究并非单指研究对象的改变 ,而是指研究的方法和手段 ,特别是研究的理论架构方面必须有所变化 ,以建立综合性的华侨华人学。     

基于历史发生学解读下的陕西历史文化资源创新开发研究

陕西历史文化分为周亲汉唐四大体系,这四大文化资源包括丰厚的陵墓遗存和独特的民间艺术;文化底蕴深厚的民俗民情和丰富的文物遗存。目前人们对这些资源的单个旅游价值研究较多,但对其文化价值关注较少。基于历史发生学解读下的陕西历史文化资源创新开发研究,旨在将陕西文化历史资源放在文化学研究领域,这将丰富对历史资源的文化价值重要性的理解。本文从历史发生学的角度,分析陕西历史文化丰富的资源遗存和风俗习惯特色。并对陕西历史文化资源的创新开发进行了分析。     

Earliest evidence of spinal tuberculosis from the Aneolithic Yayoi period in Japan

Tuberculosis has existed from early prehistoric days to modern times. The main causative agents of tuberculosis worldwide are Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) and M. bovis, along with M. africanum, M. cenettii and M. microti; these species make up the ‘M. tuberculosis complex’. This worldwide infection has been of special interest to palaeopathologists due to its characteristic bone lesions as well as its great antiquity. Historically, tuberculosis has been recognised in Japan for more than a thousand years. However, the origin and early prevalence of tuberculosis remain unknown. In the present study, we present the earliest evidence of skeletal tuberculosis found in the Aneolithic Yayoi period in Japan (ca. 300 BC to AD 300). The skeletal remains showing typical pathological changes of spinal tuberculosis were dated to between 454 BC and AD 124 by dendrochronological methods using coburied arrow-shield board and house columns made of Japanese cedar. We discuss the early prevalence of this infectious disease and its influence on the population history of the Japanese from prehistoric to Aneolithic times. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

作册般铜鼋所记史事的性质

作册般铜鼋是一件珍贵的商代末期青铜器。其铭文所记史事和器物造型所展现的史实是射礼,如果把它与田猎挂钩,则有许多疑窦;如果把它与射礼相联系,则颇能印证文献和西周金文的有关记载。可以说西周辟雍大池的水上射礼很有可能渊源于商代晚期的洹水水上射礼。周礼“三番射”中的某些仪节和必射四矢之寓意,在商代晚期就已经存在。射鱼也是当时常见的一种射礼,射鼋则是射鱼的一项重要射礼内容。本文还对鼋铭作了考释,并认定该器是铭功的庸器、再现商王射艺的实物模型。铜鼋的铭文与造型构思所反映的史事是商代末期王在洹水进行的一次水上射礼活动。     

历史研究的若干基本问题

历史研究有“经世致用”、“智识兴趣”、“人类自我认识”这三类基本目的,它们又各自导致种种优劣有别的不同史学。历史研究的基本目的决定了宏观思考至关重要,因为这意味着史事探究达到在总体上的统一性和揭示历史的深层含义,与此相关,理论对于具体的历史研究有优越的启示、梳理和升华功能,并且对于历史经验和教益能起到特别有力的推广作用。历史思索和论说的理论化包括(1)现成理论的连贯的运用,(2)理论性的创造式宏．观思考。成熟和高超的理论化是隐含的而非明示的,有机的而非教条的,倚重经典方法而非滥用社会科学。历史研究的基本目的,特别是经世致用,使当代史研究具有非常重大的意义。