Identifying sword marks on bone: criteria for distinguishing between cut marks made by different classes of bladed weapons

Swords have been one of the major weapons used in violent conflicts for much of human history. Certain archaeological situations, especially those dealing with the recovery and analysis of battle casualties, may raise questions about what type(s) of bladed weapon was used in a particular conflict (e.g., the battle of Kamakura, Japan, AD 1333; the battle of Wisby, Sweden, AD 1361; the battle of Towton, England, AD 1461). Little work has been done, however, on developing criteria to differentiate sword cut marks from other types of cut marks, or to distinguish between marks created by different sword types. To develop such criteria, bovine tibiae (n = 7) were struck using six different types of bladed weapon and the resulting marks (n = 92) were analyzed. Eight traits describing the morphology of the cut mark – such as shape, the presence and unilateral/bilateral state of flaking and feathering, the presence of bone shards, associated breaks, etc. – are defined and related to blade type used. Sword marks were found to be easily distinguishable from knife marks. The variation in marks made by different sword types is significantly correlated with differences in blade weight (p < 0.0001), grip (p < 0.0113), and sharpness (p ≤ 0.0179). The criteria and analyses developed and implemented in this study will be of use to researchers in forensics and osteoarchaeology who want to infer bladed weapon type from marks on bones.     

篆刻艺术随笔（之四）——闲话刻技

篆刻是一门艺术,艺术要靠技术的精熟作支撑。因此,为须掌握字法和篆法。印章的章法,刊刻的刀法,各门精深熟练,才可能创作出佳品。     

说燕国泉货面文的所谓“明”字

在先秦古泉货文字的研究中,被称作"明刀"的燕国刀币,其面文是不是明字一直存在争议。本文赞同朱活先生把燕国泉货面文释为妟的观点,认为郾字可以写作,妟与匽是可以相互通用,燕泉货面文是妟字的异体,它的字义为安。     

Experiments with Lithic Tools: Understanding Starch Residues from Crop Harvesting

Stone knives were used widely in Neolithic East Asia, presumably in the harvesting of grain crops, but their function has not been clearly understood due to the lack of study of residues from these tools. To address this issue, starch grain analysis was employed to study the residues on the surface of ancient stone knives and large amounts of starches were recovered. The sources of these starches, however, were not well understood, because harvesting of crops involves the cutting of stems rather than direct contact with starchy seeds. To determine whether harvesting could deposit these types of residues, we designed a simulation experiment using stone flakes to harvest ears of wheat, rice and foxtail millet, then analysed the residues on both the flakes and in the plant tissues. A large number of starch grains were found in the stems, including both typical morphotypes from seeds and newly described types that occur only in stems, which can be used as indicators of harvesting. Our study demonstrates that starch grains from residues on the surfaces of archaeological stone knives can indicate not only that the tools were used to harvest ears, but also the type of crops harvested.     

重庆忠县大坟坝六朝墓葬发掘报告

大坟坝三座六朝墓葬是有封土的家族墓葬群,皆为刀把形墓葬,峡江地区东汉即流行用子母砖套接的曲折线形券顶式的刀形墓葬。三座墓清理出数量不等的陶器,有陶釜、甑、罐、盆和完整的炊器、日用器,其装饰绳纹富于原始特色。墓葬有打破关系,六朝墓里有东汉遗物,把前代墓葬遗物再放置新墓葬内,是否是该地区的一种葬俗,仍值得研究。