Estimating meagre (Argyrosomus regius) size from otoliths and vertebrae

This study presents a method for predicting meagre (Argyrosomus regius) body size (total length) from otoliths and vertebrae recovered from archaeological sites. The method involves regression equations calculated from a reference collection of 36 meagre skeletons and 113 meagre otoliths (sagitta) and allows the simultaneous estimation of original body size and minimum number of individuals (MNI) from archaeological bone structures. We selected the following measurements to predict meagre body size: greatest dorso-ventral height, greatest mediolateral breadth, and greatest anteroposterior length of the vertebrae centra; maximum anteroposterior length, medial anteroposterior length, and dorso-ventral height of the sagitta. Our results show that the original body size of meagre can be accurately predicted from many bone measurements (r² range: 0.921–0.992). We exemplify the use of the regressions in the assessment of size variation and MNI of meagre from four Portuguese Mesolithic sites. We show that regression results provide additional insight into the significant role that this fish played in the subsistence of coastal fisher-hunter-gatherers, who targeted medium-sized animals but were also capable of acquiring rather larger specimens.     

我国社会主义建设中的公共性偏离与回归

凸现公共性是社会主义的应有之义和本质要求,然而,在社会主义建设过程中,公共性问题往往会被忽视或扭曲。文章指出了我国社会主义建设中的公共性偏多,认为社会主义公共性的回归要从国家、社会和公民三个层面展开。在国家层面,要凸现公共性,重构国家共同体认同;在社会层面,要培植公民领域,重构国家与社会的关系;在公民层面,要培育公民公共精神,构建公正有序的公共秩序。     

The use of predictive modelling to target Neolithic settlement and occupation activity in mainland Scotland

A central aim of Neolithic studies in Europe is to understand settlement or domestic activity of the first agriculturalists. In Scotland, the continued absence of unambiguous Neolithic settlement or domestic occupation activities on the mainland remains an unresolved issue. It is proposed that areas attractive for settlement and occupation activities may be identified by constructing GIS-based models of sites believed to be related to settlement or occupation activities, including chambered cairns, timber halls, and sites containing pit-digging episodes. Statistical analyses undertaken in this process suggest new insights into the locations of the chambered cairns, timber halls, and pits. Finalised models are constructed and desktop assessments are conducted to examine model performance. Research priorities for improving significant environmental variables driving the current models are identified.     

Geographic information systems in archaeological analysis: a predictive model in the detection of rural Roman villae

This paper describes the experimental model that formed the basis for the author's PhD thesis. The main goal of the work is the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in archaeological research. A survey of the state of the art was undertaken to enable an assessment of the model to be tried out and how implementation should be undertaken. The problem encountered then, and which still persists, is that data that are sufficiently reliable for archaeological purposes are hard to come by, in digital format.     

The effects of geographical distances on pottery assemblage similarities: a case study from Northern Iroquoia

A basic premise of archaeology is that the more frequently two human populations interacted with one another the more similar was their material culture. A corollary of this is that the closer two human populations are to one another geographically, the more frequently they will interact. This corollary has been expressed in the archaeological study of northern Iroquoia since the 1950s on the basis of historical ethnic territories. The expectation has been that after ca. A.D. 1000 to 1300 there was more interaction between village populations within these historical territories than between village populations located in different historical territories. Here I test this corollary with pottery decoration data from 114 northern Iroquoian village sites dating from c. A.D. 1350 to 1640. Results indicate that geographic distance has little effect on pottery assemblage similarity.     

Notes of papers read before the society through the Yangtse Gorges

Critics of spatial modeling make several damaging points: (1) results are often trivial; (2) they contradict a priori insights derived from theory or experience; and (3) they preclude an evaluation of the substantive coherence of theories. These critiques arise because analysts have selected criteria of statistical explanation over substantive interpretation. This paper reviews the trade‐off as exemplified by regression models. The paper then presents an alternative methodology, staged regression analysis, and discusses its three‐fold advantage over traditional regression models: (1) avoiding statistical‐substantive trade‐offs; (2) facilitating comparisons among spatial systems; and (3) evaluating and refining existing theory.     

Spatial analysis of bureaucrats’ attempts to resist political capture in a developing democracy: The distribution of solar panels in Ghana

Can civil servants in a developing democracy successfully resist political capture in the distribution of public goods? Existing research tends to highlight political patronage logics of distribution, and scholarship focuses primarily on politicians’ motivations. But service decisions are often made by bureaucrats, who sometimes explicitly try to avoid capture and allocate on the basis of need. Using qualitative interviews and spatial regressions with geo-coded data from a solar panel program in Ghana, we examine such a situation. We show that, despite considerable efforts to thwart it, national-level civil servants were unable to fully resist political capture. While solar panel distribution partially corresponded to need for electricity, we find that panels also went to areas where voter turnout was historically inconsistent, likely to motivate voter turnout. The direction of these relationships was consistent across subnational space, but the magnitudes varied considerably and were strongest in districts adjacent to Lake Volta. Qualitative data analysis reveals that this subnational variation reflects the logistics of space and the historical politics of place. The article contributes to theories of distributive politics and of voting behavior, and highlights the need for subnational disaggregation across space.     

公安县农村居民点用地分布影响因子评价——基于GWR的空间异质性分析

以湖北省公安县为研究区域,采取地理加权回归模型(GWR)以及构建综合影响分析模型,借助Arc GIS10.0空间分析功能,选取影响农村居民点用地分布的地形、河流、交通、人口密度、基本农田、水源保护区、自然保护区作为地理影响因子,分析每类因子影响下的公安县农村居民点用地空间异质性,以及各类因子对用地分布的综合影响程度。结果表明:①地形、河流、交通、人口密度、基本农田、水源保护区、自然保护区等地理因子深刻影响公安县农村居民点用地分布;②从地理因子的综合影响来看,公安县农村居民点用地可划分为极度影响、重度影响、中度影响、低度影响、较弱影响5种类型区;③未来农村居民点的用地整理与居民点布局的调整需要充分考虑各类地理因子的影响及其综合作用,促进农村居民点用地的集约、节约利用。     

乡村旅游对贫困山区农户多维贫困的影响研究

在分析乡村旅游对农户多维贫困影响机理的基础上,利用陕西4市22个乡村旅游扶贫村农户调查数据,采用内生转换回归模型,定量分析了乡村旅游对贫困山区农户多维贫困的影响。研究发现：多维贫困程度越深,农户参与旅游比例越低,乡村旅游不具有天然益贫性;参与旅游能够显著减缓农户的多维贫困。从单维贫困看,乡村旅游对调查地农户的经济、教育、生活水平和权利维度具有显著的减贫效应,其中对生活水平的减贫效应最大,健康维度效应不显著;参与和未参与乡村旅游的农户在多维贫困以及经济、生活水平维度的减贫影响因素存在着显著差异,而在教育、健康、权利维度的减贫影响因素差异不大。据此,从乡村旅游经营、精准帮扶、权益保障等方面提出对策建议。     

On the use of species-area curves to detect the effects of sample size

Archaeologists have long been concerned about sample size. To monitor the relationship between sample size and the magnitude of a variable of interest, archaeologists have constructed three distinct kinds of what in ecology are known as species area curves (SACs). Sampling to redundancy SACs involve adding successive samples cumulatively to determine if the information provided by new samples is unique or redundant with information provided by earlier (smaller) samples. Rarefaction SACs involve pooling multiple samples and then rarifying the pooled sample—making it smaller probabilistically—so that the originally large but rarified sample may be compared with originally small samples. Regression SACs determine if there is a significant statistical relationship between samples of different sizes and the magnitude of the variable of interest per sample. Each of the three SACs used by archaeologists has a distinct analytical purpose.