From Bukhara to Dushanbe: Outlining the Evolution of Soviet Tajik Fiction

This article offers an overview of Soviet Tajik Fiction under Stalinism (1920s–1950s) and during de-Stalinization (1950s–1970s) by contemplating the move from Bukhara to Dushanbe as a setting for Tajik stories and novels. In particular, it details the two main literary genres of the period, namely historical and psychological fiction. It argues that when tracing the main stages of evolution of Soviet Tajik fiction from the point of view of the setting one should mainly consider the works by Sadriddin Ayni, Jalol Ikromi and Fazliddin Muhammadiev.     

Rousseau intimiste et la fusion des cultures?

Rousseau est certainement un des écrivains français qui interroge le plus car la multiplicité de son oeuvre reflète une ambiguïté. C'est en effet l'homme du discours logique et de la rêverie, de l'oeuvre philosophique, politique, lyrique et intime: un long itinéraire ‘de la marche de la raison au tragique de la recherche d'un salut individuel’.¹ Ce qui nous intéresse ici, c'est l'aspect intime, c'est Rousseau intimiste dans son rapport avec la culture ou les cultures; sa démarche et son interrogation sur le monde sont au coeur de sa vie.     

Seismic refraction tomography surveys as a method for voids detection: an application to the archaeological park of Cava Ispica,Sicily, Italy

Geophysical surveys are commonly used in areas where the presence of ancient civilizations is historically documented. These investigations are able to detect through indirect methods the presence of bodies or structures in the subsoil measuring the variations of some physical parameters, obtaining information about archaeological remains without causing harm to them.

In the present study, we investigated the presence of anthropogenic buried cavities partially filled with rubble material, in an area located in the northern part of Cava Ispica, one of the most important archaeological sites located in south-eastern Sicily. The results of seismic refraction prospections, processed with tomographic methods, are presented and discussed. The entire valley contains prehistoric burial sites, Christian catacombs and residential units of various kinds. Despite the numerous searches made over past years, much still remains to be discovered.

The seismic refraction tomographic data, analyzed in 3D, revealed the presence of low velocity values (<400 m/s) areas that, considering the lithotypes locally present and the features of other archaeological structures discovered during previous surveys, can be ascribed to the presence of possible cavities. The obtained results show how such geophysical inspections represent an important preliminary tool for archaeological surveys.     

Marble Pieces in the Romanesque Portal of Glory of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. New Data through a Multi-Analytical Approach

ABSTRACT

Probably the most important Romanesque artwork in Spain, the Portal of Glory of Santiago de Compostela is essentially made in granite, the most abundant stone in the NW of Iberia, with the only exception of five marble pieces. Different hypothesis on the origin of these marbles have previously been proposed based on visual assessment or by directly assuming a local source. To shed light on their quarry provenance, a multi-analytical study was performed combining polarized-light optical microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy, XRPD, SEM-EDS and stable C and O isotopes. The comparison of the results with the available databases reveals the use of marbles from the Estremoz Anticline (Portugal) in the three exquisitely carved columns strategically placed in the central arcade, whereas the other two pieces are local marbles, illustrating a more complex consumption of this noble material than that initially expected.