Contribution to the geology of Failaka Island,Kuwait: Evidence from sedimentological and petrographic data from the NE part of the island

Kuwait–Georgian archaeological work at Failaka Island showed the need for geological study. Analysis of sediments related to drinking water-collecting cisterns was performed on a Late Islamic settlement (NE part of the island) in 2018. Field sedimentological, grain size and XRD analysis of the sediment profiles showed that the shallow (about 1 m deep) cone-shaped wells are dug in the loose, porous, cross-stratified calcareous coarse-grained quartz sandstones. Three upper layers of quartz sandstones in the profile have high infiltration rate and provide a rare yet ideal material for water retention. The fourth dense layer below, composed of very fine sand and silt fraction, tends to hinder water movement and forms a relatively impermeable water-resistant surface. Thus, the distribution patterns of clay content, grain sizes and porosity of the well-hosting sediments are favourable for freshwater infiltration and harvesting. An additional petrographic analysis was conducted on different types of rocks discovered on the archaeological site, used as building material and fragments of stone artifacts to identify their origin. It was established that archaeological building material is of local origin, whereas the source rocks for stone artifacts were imported.     

Study on the strontium isotope standard in pig teeth excavated from Zaoshugounao site,Shaanxi Province of China

In archaeology, strontium isotope analysis is developing into an efficient scientific technique for tracing the movement of prehistoric humans and animals. Determining the local bioavailable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio range is the key to distinguishing whether the human or animal is indigenous to the local area. It has been shown that the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in the enamel of pigs can be an excellent sample to determine the range of local strontium isotope ratio at the site. However, pigs may not be all local at the site, and there is no special study on whether pigs’ different ages and tooth types impact the local strontium isotope characteristics. In this paper, the tooth enamel of 19 pigs from the Zaoshugounao site for strontium isotope ratio (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) by multicollector–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. There were no significant differences in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of local pigs at different months and different molar types, which did not affect the determination of the local strontium isotope standard. Based on the local strontium isotope ratio range (0.711056–0.711476), we found that five pigs were non-local. The Jing and Wei river basins (in Guanzhong basin) and northern Shaanxi are likely sources of non-pigs.     

东下冯遗址冶铸遗存研究

本研究对东下冯遗址出土的17件第三期冶金遗物进行了金相和扫描电子显微镜-能谱分析。其中1件附渣冰铜块的检测表明该遗址的铜有独立于锡、铅料的来源。熔铜渣及铜块的分析表明第三期时已经使用锡青铜,同时还有铅青铜、铅锡青铜、砷铜等合金种类的应用。青铜合金通过向红铜中添加锡、铅物料(可能含砷)得到,与二里头等遗址类似。     

Indigenous myths and nation building in Latin America

In Latin America, ethnicity is equated with indigenity. It is an objective of this article to review the legacy of Anthony Smith regarding the vitality of the ethnic past and the myth of origin, as the core of his theory of nationalism based on the weight of ethnocentrism. To this end, we address two routes, the use of the ethnic past and ethnicity by nationalists and founders of the state and, how indigenous intellectuals, on the other, have found a reinvention of their identities through various myths of Amerindian origin. Ethnic myths and the use of the ethnic past have been accepted, denied or rejected by nationalists, while indigenous peoples adhere to their own myths or seek to reinvent them. Mythical information is a component of identity but also requires institutions to disseminate such information among the group.     

Report on the pottery from Tell Sufan in Nablus,Palestine

ABSTRACT

This research report aims to give detailed information on the pottery from the 1999 and 2013-16 excavation campaigns taking place at the Tell Sufan site in Nablus, Palestine. These were conducted by the Department of Antiquities at An-Najah National University (ANU) in Nablus. It is of note that this ancient pottery has never previously been the subject of research nor has any literature been published on it. Our methodology consists in: analysing the pottery by identifying it, typifying it, and giving it a function; providing chronological information on the site; comparison of the pottery with that from other sites in Palestine, using archaeological information from the site; and contextualising our findings with other historical and archaeological studies. Examination of the functional use of the pottery allows us to demonstrate human activity at the Tell Sufan site, giving information on the most prosperous phases of occupation in regard to economic aspects, through the late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Byzantine-Early Islamic periods.     

Flexural Behavior of Typical Chinese Traditional Timber Stitching Beams

In Chinese traditional timber buildings, stitching is very common. When the bearing capacity or the rigidity is inadequate, a timber beam is often strengthened with another beam using the stitching method. The timber stitching beams are mainly of two types—the small-top/big-bottom type and the big-top/small-bottom type. To study the bending behavior of these two types of timber stitching beams, including the failure mode, the flexural capacity, the strain distribution at mid-span section, and the maximum deflection, bending tests are carried out on 14 timber stitching beams with Chinese traditional conformation for seven pine beams and seven fir beams. The results show that the failure modes of the small-top/big-bottom type of stitching beams all show brittle fractures at the bottoms of the bottom beams. The failure modes of the big-top/small-bottom type of stitching beams all show brittle fractures at the bottoms of the top beams. The distribution of section strain along the height of each part of the beam basically obeys plane hypothesis. Based on the theoretical and experimental analysis, the calculation formulas of flexural capacity and maximum deflection of these two types of timber stitching beams made of pine and fir are presented.     

New Architectural Models and Building Tradition: A Dialogue in Early Modern Sardinia – The Jesuit Church in Sassari

Architecture in early modern Sardinia is characterized by a strong continuity with previous practices. In the second half of the 16th century, new models join the Gothic building tradition, linked in particular to trends in military engineering and Classicism of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The Jesuit church in Sassari offers an interesting example of the intertwining of these architectural modes, which originated with a sudden change of leadership at the site. Giovan Maria Bernardoni, an Italian Jesuit architect, initially modeled the church after the Gesù in Rome, and it was partially built under his direction. After his departure from Sardinia, local master builders finished the construction, following the Gothic tradition and possibly some external influences. This article analyzes the church, particularly focusing on the challenges presented by its articulated vaulting system completed between 1587 and 1609.     

浙江宁波镇海鱼山遗址Ⅰ期发掘简报

鱼山遗址位于浙江省宁波市镇海区九龙湖镇河头村,东距现海岸线直线距离约7.3公里。2013至2014年,宁波市文物考古研究所等单位对其进行了Ⅰ期发掘,分别发现河姆渡文化、良渚文化、商周和唐宋等四个不同时期的文化遗存。其中河姆渡文化二、三期,良渚文化晚期和商周时期堆积之间的自然淤泥层,对于研究沿海地区史前至商周时期文化面貌、人地关系等基础性问题提供了一批重要资料。     

略论安徽地区的岳石文化遗存

安徽地区的岳石文化遗存可分为分布区和影响区。皖北中北部地区可归入其分布区,命名为南城孜类型,皖西北亳州可归入安邱堌堆类型。沿淮及江淮中部一带为岳石文化的影响区,岳石文化的影响南界徘徊于江淮分水岭南北两侧。岳石文化对南部的影响通过江淮东部、江淮中部和皖西北三条路径来实现。皖北地区岳石文化的相对衰落可归因于环境问题带来的人口减少。