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).     

Early Evidence for Domestic Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in the Horn of Africa

Domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus L. 1758) are one of the most valued farm animals in the world today. Chickens are widespread and economically and socially significant in Africa. Despite their importance, little is known about the nature of their introduction and subsequent integration into African economies. One reason for this is the morphological similarity of domestic chickens to wild galliform birds in Africa such as guineafowl and francolin. Here, we present direct dates and morphological evidence for domestic chickens recovered from Mezber, a pre‐Aksumite (>800–450 BCE) rural farming settlement in northern Ethiopia. Key morphological markers differentiated these domestic chickens from francolins. The Mezber direct chicken element accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates of cal 820–595 BCE and indirect/charcoal AMS dates of cal 921–801 BCE constitute the earliest osteological evidence for chickens in Africa. Chicken bones in the domestic food waste of an early rural settlement at Mezber and their presence in later Aksumite urban contexts show that chickens were integrated into diverse Ethiopian highland settings. The Mezber specimens predate the earliest known Egyptian chickens by at least 550 years and draw attention to early exotic faunal exchanges in the Horn of Africa during the early first millennium BCE. These findings support previous archaeological, genetics and linguistic data that suggest maritime exchange networks with South Arabia through ports along the African Red Sea coast constitute one possible early route of introduction of chickens to Africa. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

倦勤斋建筑略考

倦勤斋位于紫禁城宁寿宫花园的最北部。本文通过对倦勤斋建筑及现存与之相关的图文档案的研究,考析倦勤斋的修建年代、建筑形制、内檐装修特点及使用情况,并指出其形制、装修与半亩园、敬胜斋的渊源关系。     

越文化青铜乐器初探

越文化青铜乐器有铙、甬钟、纽钟、镈钟、句鑃、铎、鼓等,除铙、部分甬钟的年代可拟定为商代晚期至西周时期外,其他皆集中在春秋晚期至战国中期,可分属于越建国前、越国两大时期。越建国前的乐器中,南方风格的铙占据着最重要的地位;而在越国时期的乐器中,出现了成组的中原风格的编甬钟、纽钟等,说明越国的上层贵族已华夏化。     

明代南京城墙建造年代考略

关于南京明城墙的建造年代,相关史料的记载或有疏漏、或相矛盾、或语义不详,造成了后世对明南京城墙建造年代的多种说法。本文根据史料并结合实地勘察,提出南京城墙建造的起至时间为元至正二十年(1360年)至洪武三十一年(1398年),前后共计39年。     

湟中、平安画像砖墓内容和年代考订

在青海省东部的平安县和湟中县 ,于1982年先后发现两处画像砖墓。本文对这两处画像砖墓的发掘过程、结构、造型、艺术风格以及有关的营造年代、画像题材、内容都在实地考查的基础上作了介绍     

Fruits in foundation deposits of two temples

Foundation deposits underneath the walls of two temples near Semna, Sudan (c. 1500-1480 BC), included dried plant material. Five fruit species are represented: Vitis vinifera (grape), Ficus carica (fig), Citrullus vulgaris (water melon), Phoenix dactylifera (date) and Ziziphus spina-christi. Of particular interest are the remains of tubers of Cyperus esculentus. The plants mentioned above are known as funeral gifts in Egyptian tombs.     

舒城九里墩春秋墓的年代与族属析论

舒城九里墩春秋墓的时代,发掘报告认为与寿县蔡侯墓相当,若从鼎、簠、敦诸器的细部特征来看,似乎较蔡侯墓略早一些,下葬时间约在公元前500年左右。墓内残存的部分青铜礼器,具有明显的楚文化风格和特征,说明墓主人与楚国和楚文化有着密切的联系。该墓主的身份,发掘报告认为属于侯王一类的贵族阶层,很可能是群舒中某一位君主,可备一说。从其墓葬形制、规模、部分随葬器物以及当时的历史背景分析,亦不能排除为吴国高级贵族的可能性。     

明建文二年殿试举行时间与参试人数考辨

在明代科举考试史上,由于政治上的原因,建文二年的殿试变得扑朔迷离,疑案在悬。三月初一日举行殿试,作为一项制度于洪武十七年推出后,在洪武朝后期得到了较好执行。建文二年三月初一日因有日食,殿试推至次日举行。参加该科殿试的贡士,除本年二月会试中式的109名新科贡士外,还包括洪武三十年的告殿贡士郭秩,总数应为110人。     

Sequencing Analytical Methods for Small Sample Dating and Dye Identification of Textile Fibers: Application to a Fragment from Seip Mound Group,Ohio

Examination of fibers from a colored fabric fragment from Seip Mound Group, Ohio, demonstrates the utility of sequencing analytical techniques: (1) minimally destructive pretreatment to remove humic acids followed by plasma-chemical oxidation, in preparation for accelerator mass spectrometric determination of radiocarbon age and (2) direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) of the pretreatment solution, for the determination of red colorants. Pretreatment followed by plasma-chemical oxidation provided the opportunity to date 3?mg of fiber using just 200?mcg of carbon. Examination of the pretreatment solution by DART-MS confirmed the composition of anthraquinones consistent with those from bedstraw root (Galium sp.). The date determined (1,805?±?35 B.P.) places the textile in the midrange of radiocarbon dates previously obtained for the Seip earthworks; identification of the dye plant shows that the Hopewell possessed a sophisticated knowledge of plants and their uses.