Microblade technology and the rise of serial specialists in north-central China

Though present before the Last Glacial Maximum, microblade technology is uncommon in the lithic assemblages of north-central China until the onset of the Younger Dryas (12,900–11,600 calBP). While it is clear that microblades here and elsewhere were connected with mobile adaptations organized around hunting, the attendant assumption that they served primarily in hunting weaponry is not. The archaeological record of north-central China, including excavations at Pigeon Mountain (QG3) and Shuidonggou Locality 12 (SDG 12) in Ningxia Autonomous Region, and Dadiwan in Gansu Providence, and a handful of bone/antler tools slotted for microblade inserts, indicate a more direct linkage to mobility. These data suggest the rise of microblade technology in Younger Dryas north-central China was mainly the result of microblades used as insets in composite knives needed for production of sophisticated cold weather clothing needed for a winter mobile hunting adaptation akin to the residentially mobile pattern Binford termed “serial specialist.” Limited time and opportunities compressed this production into a very narrow seasonal window, putting a premium on highly streamlined routines to which microblade technology was especially well-suited.     

Neotaphonomic measures of carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan as an analog for interpreting open-air faunal assemblages

Here I present a neotaphonomic account of natural bone accumulations that have resulted from carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan, a vast complex of seasonal water holes located in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Reconstructing the taphonomic histories of faunal assemblages from open-air archaeological sites is burdened with a host of interpretive complications, and this study is offered as a referential means for evaluating instances where stone tools and bone accumulations are associated in apparent archaeological contexts. While the presence of stone tools implies some involvement on the part of humans, open-air sites near water would also have served as prime locations for serial predation by large carnivores to ambush prey—a situation that, over time, can mimic archaeological bone accumulations. The taphonomic and zooarchaeological signatures of carnivore serial predation at Ngamo Pan show marked similarities with the open-air faunal accumulation from Kalkbank, a late Pleistocene site in Limpopo Province, South Africa, located along the margins of a relict pan. Many potential archaeological sites within the interior of southern Africa dating to the Middle Stone Age are known from open-air settings near permanent or ephemeral bodies of water, and the ability to decipher between hominin and non-hominin carnivore involvement with bone accumulations is paramount in determining the hunting and scavenging behaviors of our early ancestors. As much of our understanding of hominin subsistence during the Middle Stone Age is drawn from coastal cave locations, this study is intended to encourage a broadening of our perspective on the taphonomic histories of faunal accumulations dating to the Middle Stone Age by incorporating supplementary evidence provided by these open-air sites.     

Exploring gender and fear retrospectively: stories of women’s fear during the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ murders

The murder of 13 women in the North of England between 1975 and 1979 by Peter Sutcliffe who became known as the Yorkshire Ripper can be viewed as a significant criminal event due to the level of fear generated and the impact on local communities more generally. Drawing upon oral history interviews carried out with individuals living in Leeds at the time of the murders, this article explores women’s accounts of their fears from the time. This offers the opportunity to explore the gender/fear nexus from the unique perspective of a clearly defined object of fear situated within a specific spatial and historical setting. Findings revealed a range of anticipated fear-related emotions and practices which confirm popular ‘high-fear’ motifs; however, narrative analysis of interviews also highlighted more nuanced articulations of resistance and fearlessness based upon class, place and biographies of violence, as well as the way in which women drew upon fear/fearlessness in their overall construction of self. It is argued that using narrative approaches is a valuable means of uncovering the complexity of fear of crime and more specifically provides renewed insight onto women’s fear.     

Heinous spaces,perfidious places: The sinister landscapes of serial killers

This paper explores the internal and external landscapes of serial killers in the USA, offering a spatial perspective derived from contemporary modes of geographic theorizing. It opens by discussing the varying definitions of serial killers and their crimes. Second, it contextualizes serial killers by framing them within a culture that implicitly condones (mostly male) violence. Third, it investigates the motivations and psychological disorders that produce sadistic human beings devoid of empathy, morality or conscience. Fourth, it explores the spatiality of serial killers in six ways, including their changing rural and urban distribution; the highly gendered nature of serial killers, their victims and the spaces they frequent; the topography of race as it shapes their behaviour; the enormous spatial mobility serial killers exhibit; spaces of the body; and landscapes of fear that arise in the wake of their actions. The conclusion emphasizes the spatiality of serial killers as a significant part of their apprehension. Cet article explore les paysages internes et externes des tueurs en série aux Etats-Unis à travers une perspective spatiale dérivée des modes contemporains de théorisation géographique. Il débute par une discussion des différentes définitions des tueurs en série et leur crimes. Deuxièmement, il contextualise les tueurs en série en les situant dans une culture qui ferme généralement les yeux sur la violence, surtout la violence masculine. Troisièmement, l'article explore les motivations et désordres psychologiques qui produisent des êtres sadiques dénués d'empathie ou de conscience morale. Quatrièmement, le meurtre en série est étudié en rapport à l'espace selon les paramètres suivants: les changements dans la distribution rurale et spatiale des tueurs; le genre (masculin/féminin) des tueurs, de leurs victimes et des espaces qu'ils fréquentent; l'influence de la topographie raciale sur leur comportement; la très grande mobilité dans l'espace des tueurs en série; les espaces du corps; et les paysages de la peur qui découlent de leurs actions. La conclusion souligne comment l'utilisation de l'espace par les tueurs en série est un élément important de la peur qu'ils inspirent. Este papel explora los paisajes internos y externos de los asesinos de asesinatos en serie en los Estados Unidos, y ofrece una perspectiva espacial derivada de modos contemporáneos de teorizar de la geografía. Empieza por discutir las varias definiciones de lo que es un asesino de este tipo y sus delitos. Luego, pone en contexto a estos asesinos, colocándolos en un marco dentro de una cultura que, de forma implícita condona la violencia (por la mayor parte masculina). Y después investiga las motivaciones y los problemas psicológicos que producen seres humanos sádicos, carentes de empatía, moralidad o conciencia. Luego explora la espacialidad de los asesinos de seis modos, que incluye su cambiante distribución rural/urbana; lo importante que es gén ero en lo que se refiere a los asesinos de este tipo, a sus víctimas y a los espacios que frecuentan, la topografía de raza y el modo en que moldea su comportamiento; la enorme movilidad espacial exhibida por los asesinos seriales; espacios corporales; y paisajes de miedo de surgen como consecuencia de sus actos. La conclusión destaca la espacialidad de los asesinos que cometen una serie de asesinatos como una parte significativa de su prendimiento.     

四川大邑县高山古城遗址宝墩文化先民牙本质序列的碳氮稳定同位素分析

通过对成都平原新石器时代晚期(约4500BP)高山古城遗址出土人骨和牙齿进行稳定同位素分析,重建个体层面上先民的生活史,以及断奶行为、生活方式等重要信息。人骨同位素数据(δ13C:-19.6‰^-18.0‰)表明,该人群主要以C3类食物为食,这应当与当时较为发达的稻作农业相关。然而,该群体的个体牙本质序列的同位素数据(δ13C:-19.6‰^-15.0‰)较骨骼更高,显然这是因为C4类食物(粟黍作物)在其先民断奶过程和童年早期起到了重要作用。此外,个体牙本质序列氮稳定同位素比值的变化趋势,显示总体上先民的断奶行为在2.5~4岁之间完成。这一研究成果,为探讨稻粟混作区的粟作农业在先民生活方式中的重要地位以及其向南方传播和扩散的进程提供了新的研究视角。