Characterizations of palace lantern tassels preserved in The Palace Museum,Beijing, by UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF

Palace lanterns were important and highly visible decorations in the imperial palace in Beijing, China, during the Qing dynasty (1636–1912). Most lanterns had colourful tassels made of fibres. The study performed a comprehensive investigation of the materials and dyes used for palace lantern tassels preserved in The Palace Museum, Beijing. Eight samples with different colours, including yellow, green and red, from five palace lanterns were analysed. By using ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the compositions of the dyes were identified quickly, and thus the dyes' origins were explored. A X-ray fluorescence spectrometer assisted in the detection of whether a mordant was used during the dyeing process. As a result, the tassels were all made of silk, discovered through the use of microscopic observation and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis. Different dyeing techniques were found in these tassels: yellow tassels were dyed by cork tree or turmeric by a direct dyeing method; greens were dyed by pagoda bud with an iron mordant, or by the combination of cork tree and indigo using multi-dyeing method; and red tassels were coloured with different acid red industrial dyes. These results provide valuable data for the conservation of ancient textile tassels and contribute to the investigation of other hanging tags.     

Geochemical evidence for the manufacture,logistics and supply‐chain management of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army,China

Non‐invasive materials characterisation of reconstructed statues of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Army has revealed distinct micro‐geochemical patterning within the clay paste used in their manufacture. The significance of this is explored in terms of the production sequence, logistics and supply‐chain management involved in the construction of this enormous funerary assemblage. Of particular interest is a compositional distinction between figures marked with the names ‘Gong’ (宫) and ‘Xianyang’ (咸阳). These seem to represent the products of two workshops involved in the supply of ceramic objects for this ambitious, large‐scale building project undertaken by the Qin Empire during the third century bce .     

新发现鲁迅致曹靖华书简及《河南卢氏曹先生教泽碑文》手稿

《河南卢氏曹先生教泽碑文》是鲁迅为曹靖华之父曹植甫撰写的一篇碑文,碑文原稿连同附带的一封书信一直没有被外界发现和披露。近日碑文和书信手稿首度现身公众视野,从其内容、特征和相关记载分析,可以确定为鲁迅手书原稿无疑。这两件手稿的发现,为我们对比研究《教泽碑文》的原稿、清稿、初刊本、文集本、全集本等诸多版本提供了重要依据,解决了1986年所立碑文石刻文字的底本问题,同时也廓清了包括曹靖华本人在内对这篇碑文手稿回忆的不准确之处。     

Labor market and rural migrants in post-Mao China

"This paper seeks to analyze the social background of rural migrants and patterns of rural outmigration in post-Mao China. In the following, I will first discuss the data for this study. Next, I will briefly examine the Chinese government's policies on rural-to-urban migration and the general patterns of population movement since the early 1950s. Then I will study the dynamics of rural outmigration, analyze the data, and present findings. I will conclude this study with some thoughts on rural migration in post-Mao China." The data are from a large-scale survey conducted in 222 villages in 1986-1987.     

图们江“金三角”国际性城市体系发展构想

本文论述了图们江地区国际性城市体系建设的必要性,提出了城市体系等级结构、职能结构和空间结构的构建设想及管理原则,并初步估算了城市体系发展各项基础设施建设及投资规模。     

Investigating Human Migration and Horse‐Trading in Yelang (夜郎) Through Strontium Isotope Analysis of Skeletons from Zhougshui Sites,South‐West China (1300 bc – ad 25)

Yelang (夜郎), a mysterious state located in the south‐western area of early China and dating from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (1300 bc – ad 25), is a cultural interactive junction between the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau and the Yangtze River Basin. The Zhongshui Basin in Weining County, Guizhou Province, was one of the important distribution areas of the Yelang civilization. This area, which includes sites at Jigongshan (鸡公山; 1300 – 800 bc ), Hongyingpan (红营盘; 700 – 400 bc ) and Yinzitan (银子坛; 400 bc – ad 25), has provided a very integrated chronology, spanning from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age in the eastern Yunnan – western Guizhou area. To investigate human migration and horse‐trading at these Yelang sites, we conducted a strontium isotopic analysis on the teeth enamel of humans and horses unearthed from these three sites. The results indicated the following: (1) people at the earlier sites (Jigongshan and Hongyingpan) were all indigenous, whereas in the Yinzitan cemetery, there was a more immigrant population, and all the people who were buried in an upper limb flexed supine position were non‐local; and (2) most of the horses found at the Jigongshan and Yinzitan sites show different provenances, probably related to the famous Dian (滇) and Zuo (筰) horses recorded in historical documents, providing more clues for further study on horse‐trading in South‐West China during the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age.     

1866年《南部宅地法》土地分配方案及其失败原因

1866年《南部宅地法》为了解决美国黑人自由民的土地问题制定了相对有利的宅地申请条件。然而由于缺乏申请宅地以及从事农业生产的初始资本和其他借贷来源,美国联邦政府也没有在借贷方面为宅地申请者提供相应的扶持,绝大多数黑人自由民并没有利用《南部宅地法》提供的有利条件转变为独立的小农场主。这是1866年《南部宅地法》失败的深层次原因。     

曲颈壶小考

曲颈壶多被收录于宋、清时期的金石学著作中,时代一般定在周或汉,考古所见不多。据山西侯马虒祈M2129所出结合铜蒜头壶的考证,可知其年代为战国晚期至秦,是秦文化的典型性器物。     

Experimental investigation of carbon dioxide trapping due to capillary retention in saline aquifers

Capillary trapping is a physical mechanism by which carbon dioxide (CO₂) is naturally immobilized in the pore spaces of aquifer rocks during geologic carbon sequestration operations, and thus a key aspect of estimating geologic storage potential. Here, we studied capillary trapping of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), and the effect of initial scCO₂ saturation and flow rate on the storage/trapping potential of Berea sandstone. We performed two‐phase, scCO₂‐brine displacements in two samples, each subject to four sequential drainage–imbibition core‐flooding cycles to quantify end‐point saturations of scCO₂ with the aid of micro‐ and macro‐computed tomography imaging. From these experiments, we found that between 51% and 75% of the initial CO₂ injected can be left behind after the brine injection. We also observed that the initial scCO₂ saturation influenced the residual scCO₂ saturation to a greater extent than the rate of brine injection under the experimental conditions examined. In spite of differences in the experimental conditions tested, as well as those reported in the literature, initial and residual saturations were found to follow a consistent relationship.