Aviation Archaeology Offshore: The Recovery of a Rare Ju88 Aircraft Wreck during Work for the New London Gateway Port

Abstract

During dredging works for the new London Gateway Port in 2011, fragments of a German Ju 88 bomber were recovered from the Thames Estuary. Subsequent archaeological investigation by Wessex Archaeology, using geophysical survey and divers, resulted in the location of the wreck site and its subsequent recovery under licence in 2012. Post-recovery analysis has enabled it to be identified as a very rare prototype Ju 88T. The aircraft, flown by men of the secretive Luftwaffe special operations unit VOdL, was lost during a reconnaissance mission to record bomb damage at Chelmsford in 1943. The Norwegian fighter ace who shot it down, Marius Eriksen, subsequently achieved fame as a Norwegian skiing champion and actor. The recovery was unusual in that it was carried out as a staged archaeological investigation and in the context of offshore development, where ‘avoidance’ is the usual strategy.     

Ultramodern contraception

The measured success of family planning policy in the developing world rests on increases in the ‘modern’ methods of contraception. By extension, ‘traditional’ methods of contraception are equated with traditional mentalities and insufficient motivation to control fertility. But contraceptive use differentials in India suggest that in fact it is the most ‘modern’ women (those with a college education and living in urban areas) who are the most likely to use these traditional methods of birth control and to use them very efficiently as well. The paper locates this counter-intuitive preference among urban, educated women in what may be called ‘ultramodern’ attitudes to the body and to modern medicine and tries to situate such modernization in the contemporary developmental paradigm. Finally, the paper implies that population policy and contraceptive research may be unduly attributing contraceptive ineffectiveness to the users of traditional birth control today.     

Innovations of modern Chinese history studies since reform and opening-up

This paper reviews new developments in the study of modern Chinese history since 1979, especially key questions in modern Chinese history, together with innovations in content, structure and research methods. These new developments reflect the broadening of academic exchanges with foreign countries, the initiation of reforms, the influence of the modernization process, and far-reaching innovations in the discipline of modern Chinese history studies since the reform and opening-up of China.     

The long‐term effects of explosive munitions on the WWI battlefield surface of Verdun,France

This paper aims to characterise the varying magnitudes of landscape disturbance across the WWI battlefield of Verdun, France. Five study sites were surveyed to best reflect the varying degrees of disturbance under common similar environmental characteristics, e.g. bedrock, soil type and topographic position. Disturbance magnitude was determined by counting and measuring the dimensional attributes of craters in two 0.25 hectare plots at each of the five study sites. Additionally, a survey of microtopography was performed at each of the five study sites to record changes in elevation of damaged sites. The spatial character and variation in the magnitude of disturbance at the five disturbance study sites was linked to four variables: (1) location of armies in relation to the front; (2) stagnation of front lines; (3) topographic location of armies; and (4) geologic characteristics of the site.     

A geographical analysis of the sea‐salt industry of North‐East England

This paper traces the evolution of the environmental implications. Future prospects for tourism in Malta since 1955. Data derived from a questionnaire survey of tourists are used to demonstrate the problems of the industry: discussion focuses on its uneven impact on the Maltese islands, the over‐dependence on British visitors, the seasonality problem, the inadequacies of the infrastructure and the industry are briefly assessed along with marketing strategies.     

The Historical Snow Survey of Great Britain: Digitised Data for Scotland

Abstract

Mountain snowline is important as it is an easily observable measure of the phase state of water in the landscape. Changes in seasonal snowline elevation can indicate long-term trends in temperature or other climate variables. Snow-cover influences local flora and fauna, and knowledge of snowline can inform management of water and associated risks. Between 1945 and 2007 voluntary observers collected a subjective record of snow cover across Great Britain called the Snow Survey of Great Britain (SSGB). The original paper copy SSGB data is held by the Met Office. This article details the digitisation of the Scottish SSGB data, its spatial and temporal extents, and a brief example comparison of Met Office snow-lying gridded data. The digitised SSGB data are available from the Met Office authors.     

中英界碑的现状与保护

中英界碑包括陆路界碑、海关关碑和海域界碑,是英殖民主义者侵略和瓜分中国领土的历史见证.中英街上的陆路界碑是英国"展拓香港界址"并在"新界"北部地区实施勘界后,至今保留下来的最具有历史价值的文物.由于时间长久和自然、人为等因素的影响,中英街界碑遭受了不同程度的损伤和破坏.为了研究界碑的保护方法,对中英街上1～8号界碑的地理分布情况,风化、生物病害、表面污染与变色、机械损伤等病害主要类型和形成病害的相应原因进行了详细的调查、分析和研究,针对界碑保存现状和病害特征提出清洗、表面防护、防水、排水和环境整治等有效方法对界碑进行保护,以恢复其原有面貌,延长其保存寿命,使之更好地发挥爱国主义教育作用.中英街界碑的保护方法对中英海关和海域界碑的保护具有借鉴作用.     

四川天府大道北延线(德阳段)新石器时代晚期至商周时期遗址调查简报

2019年5月至6月,为配合天府大道北延线(德阳段)建设,四川省文物考古研究院对道路施工区域进行了考古调查,共发现5处新石器时代晚期至商周时期遗址、1处汉代遗址、1处宋代遗址、7处汉代至宋代墓地以及27处零星遗存点,其中5处新石器时代晚期至商周时期遗址是此次调查最重要的收获,对于认识三星堆遗址周边区域的聚落形态及其与三星堆遗址关系具有重要意义。     

David Warren Sabean. Landbesitz und Gesellschaft am Vorabend des Bauernkriegs: Eine Studie der sozialen Verhältnisse im südlichen Oberschwaben in den Jahren vor 1525

In conventional approaches to computer analysis of historical sources, one must represent the data in structured formats in which content and context are discarded. Extensible markup language (XML), developed for data transfer on the Internet, permits preservation of the full text of irregular historical sources without sacrificing the ability to conduct systematic analysis. Related querying tools offer most functions of a relational database management system, including data transformation facilities for coding, standardizing, and aggregating nominal data. An XML database permits multiple interpretations of the data because the unit of analysis and the coding schemes are not defined at entry. In a case study of probate inventories, the author demonstrates how structured analysis of domestic interiors can be performed and introduces approaches to studying semistructured data.