Norse Animal Husbandry in Liminal Environments: Stable Isotope Evidence from the Scottish North Atlantic Islands

ABSTRACT

This paper employs δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N analysis of bone collagen to explore animal management at large Norse settlement sites in the liminal environments of the Scottish North Atlantic Islands. The Norse period was a time of social, cultural and economic change; the need to feed an expanding population and the demand for trade meant that domestic stock were a crucial resource. Our results indicate that rearing animals in these challenging insular environments required careful management. At all sites, the diet and movement of domestic cattle and sheep were highly similar and carefully controlled and, despite many of the analysed settlements lying close to the coast, there was no use of shorefront grazing or fodder resources. In contrast, pig rearing strategies varied across the island groups. In the Western Isles pig diets were diverse, indicative of household or ad hoc management, whilst on Orkney all pigs consumed a more restricted diet based primarily on terrestrial protein. A comparison of red deer with domestic stock on the Western Isles indicates that both groups were exploiting similar grazing niches.     

安徽泗县刘圩汴河故道遗址发掘简报

2011年3～4月,安徽省文物考古研究所对安徽泗县刘圩遗址进行了抢救性发掘,揭示一批汉至唐宋遗迹。其中,唐宋汴河北堤的发现,在隋唐大运河泗县段尚属首次;宋代踩踏面及相关遗迹的发现反映了汴河漕运的繁华;北宋末至南宋初土坑墓的发现印证了相关文献记载的汴河废弃时代。     

晚明华北宗族与族谱的再造——以山东青州《重修邢氏宗谱》为例

山东青州邢氏原是务农的家族,在邢玠科举成功为官之后,转型为官宦之家,成为地方望族。从万历时的邢玠开始,到崇祯时的邢彤庭,邢氏从事宗族建设,制定并实践各种宗族制度,宗族乡约化、组织化。邢氏受到宋代程颐、程灏的宗会思想很大影响,通过"宗会"复兴"宗法"。这是宋以后宗族组织化的一种重要模式,以往的宗族研究重视不够。邢氏也编修了族谱,有家庙或者家堂,将御赐的祭田作为族田,还设置了宗学、义仓,族长实际上就是宗正。邢玠受到苏洵苏氏谱法以及睦族主张的影响较大,邢氏族谱着眼于睦族,收录大量宗族制度的文献,内容非常丰富,面貌大为改观,成为重要的民间文献。晚明不仅再造宗族,也再造了族谱,完成了中国近世宗族与族谱的基本形式。     

Current archaeological research in the Middle Atlantic region of the eastern united states

A major theme of current archaeological research in the Middle Atlantic region of Eastern North America is the recognition of cultural variability across space and through time. The most significant culture change experienced during the entire time frame of regional prehistory occurred ca. 5000 B.P., when there were major changes in regional environments. Before 5000 B.P., adaptations were characterized by small groups of mobile hunters and gatherers. After 5000 B.P., there were continued growth in regional populations and increases in sedentism, intensive use of a limited range of food resources, social group size, and social complexity.     

Radiocarbon dating of marine shell samples. The marine radiocarbon reservoir effect of coastal waters off Atlantic Iberia during Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic Periods

Radiocarbon dates on marine shells have not been used as extensively as charcoal or bone dates for the setting up of absolute chronologies because interpreting these dates is complicated by the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect. Nevertheless marine shellfish were used widely at least during the Holocene and their shells are abundant and usually well preserved in archaeological deposits located near shorelines. Consequently prior research concerning the oceanographic conditions and the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect of a particular coastal area is needed in order to set up reliable chronologies for that region. Values of regional marine radiocarbon reservoir effect – ΔR – of coastal waters off Atlantic Iberia, some of its variability along the Holocene and its correlation with the upwelling phenomenon were determined during previous research. More data related to the ΔR values for western Portuguese coastal waters during the Late Neolithic and the Chalcolithic, a time interval badly sampled in previous research, were recently obtained. These values can be compared with ΔR values already determined for the Gulf of Cadiz. Besides the importance of these values for a better knowledge of the palaeoceanography and palaeoclimatology of Atlantic Iberia, from now on archaeologists can set up reliable chronologies for Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic contexts using marine shell samples of that origin for radiocarbon dating.     

The Shuidonggou site complex: new excavations and implications for the earliest Late Paleolithic in North China

The initial Late Paleolithic, said to appear between 40 and 30 kya in eastern Asia, is defined by the appearance of many innovations. These archaeological indicators include the appearance of more refined stone tool making techniques (e.g., include the appearance of blade and microblade technology), complex hearth construction, use of pigments and personal ornamentation, as well as worked faunal implements such as bone and antler tools. We report here new findings from a multidisciplinary research project conducted at the Shuidonggou (Choei-tong-keou) site complex in northern China, a series of localities that date from the initial Late Paleolithic to the Neolithic.     

北魏石雕柱础考略

近年来,在北魏前期都城平城遗址发掘出土了数批石雕柱础。其体量虽小,但纹饰精美,工艺水平高超,具有较高的艺术和考古价值。本文从作品的雕造、艺术风格及具体功用方面作以考证。     

Sapwood estimates in the interpretation of tree-ring dates

Many timber finds lack some or all of the outer, sapwood rings formed in the years just before felling. In order to estimate felling date once the outermost remaining ring has been dated, it is necessary to estimate the number of sapwood rings originally present. Methods doing this for oak are reviewed in the light of an intensive study of living trees at one site and an extensive study of 175 samples from living trees in North Wales and northwest England. Some methods reported in the literature are found to be invalid. A method reported by Hollstein (1965) is most reliable, with modifications for known variations in sapwood number with position in the tree. At present the best available estimate is that a value of 30 sapwood rings be used (95% confidence limits: 19–50).