Continental Patterns in Stone Tools: A Technological and Biplot-Based Comparison of Early Late Pleistocene Assemblages from Northern and Southern Africa

The technology of the end products i.e. blades and points in Late Pleistocene stone artefact assemblages from Klasies River, South Africa, and the Nile Valley, Egypt, are compared. The comparison includes univariate and multivariate analysis of metrical attributes enhanced by graphical biplot displays. The end products in these assemblages are either dominantly points or blades and this is related to the core reduction strategy adopted. The MSA 11 from Klasies River and the Nubian Complex industry from the Nile Valley are point industries made in the Levallois tradition, while the MSA 1 from Klasies River and the Taramsan from the Nile Valley may be non-Levallois or adapted Levallois blade industries. Dating of the assemblages shows the changes between dominant core reduction strategies are sequential and time restricted in both South and North Africa. It is concluded that variability of the same kind occurs in Middle Stone Age and Middle Palaeolithic assemblages south and north of the Sahara in the early Late Pleistocene.Dans cet article, les technologies des produits recherchés, des lames et des pointes, pour certains ensembles lithiques de Klasies River, Afrique du Sud et la Vallée du Nil, Egypte, sont comparées. Cette comparaison implique des analyses univariées et multivariées de variables métriques biplot. Les produits recherchés sont bien des pointes que des lames, selon les stratégies dexploitation adoptées. Le MSA II de Klasies River et le Complexe nubien de la Vallée du Nil sont des industries à pointes issues de la tradition Levallois. Par contre, le MSA I de Klasies River et le Taramsien de la Vallée du Nil évoquent une technologie de production non-Levallois ou Levallois modifiée. Les éléments de datation disponibles indiquent que les changements dans la prépondérance des stratégies dexploitation senchaînent dans une séquence chronologique bien identifiable, aussibien dans lAfrique du Sud que lAfrique du Nord. On arrive à la conclusion quune variabilité du même caractère est attestée dans les ensembles du Middle Stone Age et du Paléolithique moyen au sud et au nord du Sahara, pendant le Pléistocène supérieur ancien.     

试论夏家店下层文化石城

夏家店下层文化石城主要分布在冀、蒙、辽三省、自治区交界处,对于其用途,有不同认识。本文在较全面梳理夏家店下层文化石城发现的基础上,探讨了夏家店下层文化石城的类型及其用途。总起来说,夏家店下层文化石城作为聚落单位来看,包含有服务于该城的祭祀遗存,但不能掩盖其强烈军事防御功能的本质。如果将夏家店下层文化石城作为一个整体来看,呈带状分布的全部石城就构建起了护卫中心区域的外围整体防御体系。     

线条的困惑

线条之于中国画,最初的功能只是框定形状,勾画轮廓。随着绘画的发展,线条被赋予更多的功能和内涵,不仅要清晰展示出画家所描绘的物体,还要显示出某种意蕴和精神,以昭示人类的某些情感,甚至被分门别类,与各类意蕴一一对应。如此,又不免有生搬硬套之嫌。线条在书法里挥洒自如;而在绘画里,则或得颜色、章法之助倍受赞誉,或被名士名流赋予诸多诠释。于是,线条不胜困惑。     

后博物馆时代——在传承与蜕变中构建多元的泛博物馆

自世界上第一家现代公共博物馆诞生至今,博物馆经过不断的传承与蜕变,已经发展到相当完善的高度,特别是当今新时代下其性能、功能、职能、效能等特征发生了较大的变化,因此可提出后博物馆时代和泛博物馆的概念,并藉此推动中国博物馆体系建设和博物馆学理论的发展。     

希腊罗马人对犹太教的误读

早在 19世纪 ,英国批评家马修·阿诺德就指出 :希腊主义 (Hellenism)的指导原则是“意识的自由生发”,强调“本着事物的真实面貌看待事物”,故重知 ,重学问 ;而希伯来主义的指导原则是“守良心的谨严”,强调“举止和顺从”,故重行 ,重道德。前者以世间极恶为蒙昧 ,因而关注人们清晰的思维 ,引导人们认知事物的本质与美 ;后者以世间极恶为罪 ,因而要人们不断意识到罪 ,以不断唤起人们的罪恶感。正因如此 ,前者产生了灿烂的哲学 ;后者诞生了虔诚的宗教 1。自阿诺德以降 ,人们普遍视希腊文明与希伯来文明为现代西方文明的两大源头。那么 ,希腊…     

A study of parametric versus non-parametric methods for predicting paleohabitat from Southeast Asian Bovid astragali

Studies of the African members of the family Bovidae have demonstrated the feasibility of using linear discriminant analysis to predict paleoenvironment based on measurements from postcranial skeletal elements. The use of discriminant analysis depends upon adherence to certain assumptions about the data set. In certain cases, these assumptions are violated, thus reducing the confidence of the results. The research presented here introduces the use of the non-parametric recursive partitioning method as a test of the linear discriminant method for predicting habitat from a collection of modern Bovid astragali from Southeast Asia. This study also provides a critique of the previous African studies. The results indicate that a combination of the parametric and non-parametric methods provides the highest prediction accuracy for Southeast Asian Bovids, though the independent methods do test favorably; thus providing an additional tool for archaeologists and paleoanthropologists in this region.     

科学发展观视野下政府职能转变的方向与途径

科学发展观是一种全新的政治诉求,蕴含着全新的价值取向,呼唤政府职能的进一步转换。科学发展观视野下我国政府职能转变的基本方向是强化公共服务职能以建设公共服务型政府,强化政府的可持续发展推动功能,在政府职能范围上注重收缩与扩展并举。应通过宣传教育在全社会推进政府观念的转型,通过促进公共职能履行主体的多元化来推进公共职能的转移,通过行政体制的完善和行政制度的健全促进政府职能的转变。     

“弓形器”用途与来源再考

在商周青铜器中弓形器是较为常见的器物之一,为其定名、究其用途,历来学者有不同的看法.本文依据田野考古、传世文献和历史学的有关资料,并结合以前学者所考证的成果,认为弓形器是商周时期贵族辅弓用的工具,即所谓的弼.     

Interpreting pachyderm single carcass sites in the African Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene record: A multidisciplinary approach to the site of Nadung’a 4 (Kenya)

Nadung’a 4 is one of the single carcass pachyderm sites recorded in East Africa during the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene. The site has yielded an abundant lithic assemblage in close association with the partial carcass of an elephant. Conjoined pedological, geoarchaeological, spatial, technological, and taphonomical analyses have been carried out to address the relationship between hominids and elephant. The resulting data are consistent with a non-fortuitous association between both categories of remains. The lithic artefacts do not match a classical Acheulean tool-kit, as would be expected for the time period ascribed to the site, and the functional patterns inferred from their analysis make this site radically different from other purported butchery sites. The implications of these original features are discussed.     

Two sides of the same coin—rocks, bones and site function of Picareiro Cave, central Portugal

The issue of site function rarely has been a main focus in the study of Portuguese Upper Paleolithic. This fact may be related to a lack of interest in this research area. More likely, however, it is due to the fact that there are relatively few Paleolithic sites with data that allow a serious study of site function. At Picareiro Cave, central Portugal, there are various data sets from level F/G dated to the latter Magdalenian that are adequate for this type of research. These are habitat structures, lithic artifacts, macro- and mesofauna, as well as 3D location of all artifacts and fauna larger than 1 cm. Based on the interpretation of the analytical results of each data set, it is possible to reconstruct site function of this particular level of Picareiro Cave. The morphology of one of the hearths, being very large in size, with the base prepared and a pavement surrounding it, as well as the condition and diversity of fauna, indicates that it was used for processing the meat of rabbits, red deer, and wild boar, probably through smoking and grilling. All of the evidence from the different types of data (lithic artifacts, habitat structures, use of space, and fauna) indicate that Layers F/G of Picareiro Cave are the result of a specific task, that of processing animal carcasses of rabbits, red deer, and wild boar.