THE PROVENANCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF NEAR EASTERN GLASS: OXYGEN ISOTOPES BY LASER FLUORINATION AS A COMPLEMENT TO STRONTIUM*

The ability to make rapid measurements on small samples using laser fluorination enhances the potential of oxygen isotopes in the investigation of early inorganic materials and technologies. δ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values are presented for glass from two primary production sites, four secondary production sites and a consumer site in the Near East, dating from Late Antiquity to the medieval period. δ¹⁸O is in general slightly less effective than ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in discriminating between sources, as the spread of measured values from a single source is somewhat broader relative to the available range. However, while ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is derived predominantly from either the lime‐bearing fraction of the glass‐making sand or the plant ash used as a source of alkali, δ¹⁸O derives mainly from the silica. Thus the two measurements can provide complementary information. A comparison of δ¹⁸O for late Roman – Islamic glasses made on the coast of Syria–Palestine with those of previously analysed glasses from Roman Europe suggests that the European glasses are relatively enriched in ¹⁸O. This appears to contradict the view that most Roman glass was made using Levantine sand and possible interpretations are discussed.     

Situating design in the Canadian household furniture industry

This paper traces the process of design across the furniture commodity chain and argues that Canadian household furniture producers have been historically reluctant to designate resources that improve the styling of their products. They have emphasized commerce at the expense of art, and relied primarily on the United States for design inspiration. However, in recent years, a series of smaller, more innovative firms have adopted an aggressive design-led strategy. These firms have been more likely to forge tighter relationships with retailers and designers and to exploit place-based signifiers in the marketing and styling of their products.     

WOMEN AND GIRLS AS UPPER PALAEOLITHIC CAVE 'ARTISTS': DECIPHERING THE SEXES OF FINGER FLUTERS IN ROUFFIGNAC CAVE

Popular and scholarly literature usually assumes that prehistoric artists were adult men. We show in other publications that young children from the Palaeolithic fluted in Rouffignac Cave, France, and hence the incorrectness at least here of the usual assumption. Our research also shows that females as well as males fluted in Rouffignac. Our methods for demonstrating this are forensic based on physiological research of relative finger lengths of males and females. We examine the profiles of the flutings of seven individuals and show that two are probably male whereas the remaining five are probably female. This type of study leading to where we identify individuals can produce responses to social questions about the fluters both as a group and as individuals.