‘Rid grasse of bones’: A taphonomic study of the bones from midden deposits at the Neolithic and Bronze age site of Runnymede,Surrey, England

Runnymede has large samples of Neolithic and Late Bronze Age animal bones, with contrasting preservation conditions in both periods. The bone evidence has been used to interpret the formation of the site deposits. There are few articulated bones, and no joins were found in butchered bone, indicating that the area studied did not contain primary refuse. Various aspects of bone alteration have been analysed: (i) the proportion of bones with very good surface preservation was high in the in situ Neolithic excavation units and the basal Bronze Age midden, but bones in the upper units were mostly eroded. These units are reworked flood deposits. The greater degree of fragmentation of the bone in the reworked units has been quantified, using a system of recording the ‘zones’ present on each bone, which allows calculation of the fraction present. It is also demonstrated that the reworked units contain a lower proportion of identified bones and a higher proportion of teeth and iaws than the units with well-preserved bone, (ii) Quantification of canid gnawing shows, unexpectedly, that more was recorded on well-preserved bone. Thus recognition of gnawing depends on bone condition. This also confirms that most of the erosion of the bone surface is a post-depositional phenomenon. The sequence of activities is therefore interpreted as follows: meat was cooked and consumed, and the bones discarded for the dogs. At a later stage, larger bones were picked up and thrown away in the river or midden. Some ethnographic examples of periodic cleaning of farming settlements are cited.     

百年来甲骨文材料统计

甲骨文自1899年发现以来已有百余年,那么甲骨文材料究竟有多少?以往统计主要有两种说法:一种认为有10万片,另一种认为有15万片。统计数字的不同源于统计方法和认识上的不同,因此必须采取较科学的统计方法,才能得出较科学的统计结果。本文以国内外公私机构现藏甲骨实际数量为统计对象,在胡厚宣先生的统计基础上,结合最近发表的各种著作文章,最后统计出百年来甲骨文材料有13万片左右。     

说花园庄东地甲骨卜辞的“丁”——附:释“速”

最近公布的殷墟花园庄东地甲骨卜辞中,多次出现一位当时还活着的、称为“丁”的人物,从卜辞内容可以看出其地位甚高。本文主要通过指出这批卜辞中与历组一类占卜同事的一组卜辞,肯定了“丁”就是当时的商王武丁。以“丁”称呼时王武丁,究竟应该如何解释尚待进一步研究。同时,也可以进一步推定这批卜辞的时代,当为武丁晚期而非整理者认为的“武丁前期”。此外,这批卜辞中多次出现的一个整理者隶定作“”的字,应释为“速”,意为“召”、“召请”。旧有殷墟卜辞中一个或释读为“眚”、“软”、“喘”等的字,应释为“” ,读为咳嗽之“嗽”。     

Limb bones asymmetry and stress in medieval and recent populations of Central Europe

Monitoring the degree of asymmetry in different parts of the human body can contribute to population studies, as it may be connected indirectly with the social structure, living conditions, and also with biomechanical stress affecting the person. Analysis of asymmetry may also assess preferential use of the right or left of the body during specific activities. This study is based on the measurements of bones of the upper and lower limbs of skeletons derived from the remarkable medieval cemeteries of Mikulčice‐Kostelisko (78 male, 132 female) and Prušánky (66 male, 69 female) (9th–12th centuries AD), and a series of skeletons representing a recent population from Bohemia (143 male, 157 female). The objective was to assess directional asymmetry (DA), fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and antisymmetry (AS) of the dimensions of the evaluated bones, and to use these data to compare the characteristics of the medieval and recent populations. DA was recorded in most dimensions. In the upper limb, the humerus exhibited the greatest expression of asymmetry, and, with the exception of the clavicle, DA was always more pronounced on the right side. Conversely, DA was less prevalent in the lower limb bones. It was more pronounced on the transverse, sagittal and circumferential dimensions of the diaphyses and epiphyses than on the length, and in most cases it was on the left side. The FA values were very low, and almost negligible in relation to the size. Nevertheless, FA was markedly more frequent on the lower than on the upper limb. In contrast to the medieval population, the recent population had higher FA and DA values. Thus, we propose that people from this medieval population were subjected to lower developmental stress than the recent sample. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

论甲骨文的部首——中国最早的一批象形字

本通过检视甲骨字中独休象形而具备部属字关系的部首,归纳出126个理论上是甲中最早发生的部首字。     

Size differences between limb bones of recent and subfossil mute swans Cygnus olor

Limb bones of Mute Swan Cygnus olor from neolithic to bronze age Cambridgeshire peat were larger than those of a recent sample when compared biometrically. The decrease in overall size that this may indicate could be part of an evolutionary trend.     

Past human exploitation of birds on the Isle of Man

This paper makes comparisons between various sources—historical, ethnographic and archaeological—that relate to birds on the Isle of Man, in order to give a picture of the former uses of birds by the Manx people. Written references suggest that seabirds in particular were an important source of the essentials of life, and this is reinforced by recent archaeological evidence. The bird bones discussed are from excavations at St Patrick's Island off the west coast and Castle Rushen, Castletown. Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus were present in greater numbers than they are now, and two fragments of the now extinct great auk Pinguinis impennis were identified, confirming the presence of this species on the Isle of Man. The evidence points to over-harvesting of the shearwaters and members of the auk family. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

试论殷墟花园庄东地卜辞的行款

殷墟花园庄东地卜辞的行款表面上看较为复杂,但实际上仍遵循着一定的规律。这种规律表现为:卜辞基本守兆,在卜兆上方由内向外契刻,至兆干后再沿兆干外侧下行。由于卜辞字数不同,有的未至兆干即止,有的刻至兆干下方后再内行或外行。此外,相关卜兆的数量与排列方式、卜甲上卜辞条数的多寡、卜甲上可供刻字的空间等因素也会影响到卜辞的行款。了解、掌握花园庄东地卜辞行款与卜兆之间的密切关系,将有助于进一步认识王卜辞与其它非王卜辞的行款规律,对深入探讨商代后期的占卜制度也有裨益。     

释殷墟甲骨文中的“骝”

殷墟甲骨文中有一个从马、从牢的字．过去的学者一般都把它看作是“牢”字。本文根据新出土的新蔡葛陵楚墓竹简。认为它是一个从马、牢声的字,读作“骝”。