Characterization of a Historical Cannonball from the Fortress of San Juan De Ulúa Exposed to a Marine Environment

Metallurgical analyses and chemical characterizations were carried out on historical cannonballs from the Fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, Veracruz, México. Cannonballs dating from the 18th and 19th centuries share metallurgical characteristics similar to those of material coming from a shipment of ammunition found in the wreck of a sunken French ship from the battle of Trafalgar. The analyses show that the base material is grey cast iron with a carbon equivalent of 4.94 and a ferritic–perlitic matrix, in which the high phosphorus content has led to the formation of iron phosphide compounds in conjunction with a homogeneous distribution of carbon graphite flakes of Type C. In addition, corrosion products from samples revealed the presence of various crystalline iron compounds (X‐ray diffraction), mostly highly chlorinated iron compounds identified as akaganeite. X‐ray fluorescence identified various characteristics of the corrosion products as a function of the sampling depth. FT–IR spectroscopy revealed that the main difference between the corrosion products (internal and external) is determined by the number of organic species. Differential scanning calorimetry corroborated that these corrosion products are thermally stable compounds at elevated temperatures.     

Structural Assessment of Companhia Aurífícia,a 19th Century Industrial Building Located in Northern Portugal

Companhia Aurifícia is located in Porto, Portugal, and was founded in 1864. It was a pioneer factory in the industrial production, casting, rolling, and stamping of metallic objects and laboured for about 150 years, in areas as jewelry, manufacture of parts in silver and gold or the production, and casting of various metals. In 1866, it began laboring in Rua dos Bragas, its present location, and in 2003 ceased all activities.Companhia Aurifícia is an industrial complex including several buildings, all located in the same block. It is a precious example of the industrial architecture in Porto, where the still existent retaining walls, structures, machinery, and decorative elements make it one of the last examples of 19^th century industrial life of the city.This article aims to evaluate the safety condition of one of the buildings included in this industrial complex, in order to propose the necessary strengthening interventions.     

Macropodoid endocranial casts from the early Miocene of Riversleigh,northwestern Queensland

Two macropodoid endocranial casts from the early Miocene of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland are described. The larger is associated with a fragmentary cranium and is attributable to the balbarine kangaroo Balbaroo. The smaller more complete specimen was found as an isolated endocast and cannot be confidently identified beyond superfamily level. The external neurocranial morphology of both specimens closely resembles that of plesiomorphic macropodoids and indicates a basal ‘macropodid-grade’ level of complexity. Development of the visual region of the neocortex suggests that crepuscular-nocturnal habits might have been present in early Miocene kangaroos.     

Early use and production of iron in the northern Shaanxi: A perspective on iron objects excavated from the Yuejiazhuang cemetery site

Yuejiazhuang is a cemetery site of Qin people in the Northern Shaanxi, China, and it is dated to the mid-late Warring States Period. Ninety-two iron objects were excavated from the Yuejiazhuang cemetery site, which provide an opportunity to understand the use and production of iron in the Northern Shaanxi. The metallurgical and statistical study has revealed that bloomery iron, cast iron, and steel made from cast iron were adopted in the Northern Shaanxi during the mid-late Warring States Period. In the meanwhile, cast iron and steel made from cast iron became dominant in the Northern Shaanxi.     

Endocranial lesions in non‐adult skeletons: understanding their aetiology

Reactive new bone on the endocranial surface of the skull in non‐adults has recently received a lot of attention in the palaeopathological literature. These features appear as layers of new bone on the original cortical surface, expanding around meningeal vessels, as isolated plaques, ‘hair‐on‐end’ extensions of the diploë or, as ‘capillary’ impressions extending into the inner lamina of the cranium. These lesions are commonly found on the occipital bone, outlining the cruciate eminence, but have also been recorded on the parietal and frontal bones, and appear to follow the areas of venous drainage. Although recognized as resulting from haemorrhage or inflammation, their precise aetiology is still a matter of controversy. This paper outlines their possible causes and examines their nature and distribution in a group of non‐adults from four archaeological sites in England. It is recommended that, when recording these lesions in the future, additional skeletal pathologies, the age of the child, and nature and distribution of the lesions also be taken into account. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations as a Possible Cause of Endocranial Bone Lesions and Associated Neurological Disorder

Endocranial bone lesions have attracted intensive scientific debate on their aetiology. In recent literature, the lesions were almost exclusively interpreted as of infectious origin. In this paper, we give new insight into the aetiology of endocranial lesions, distinguishing the lesions of vascular origin from those caused by tuberculosis or other conditions. The analysis is based on a rare case of a young female individual who displayed multiple endocranial lesions with ‘serpens endocrania symmetrica’ morphology. The lesions were associated with an uncommon branching pattern of the middle meningeal artery and marked side differences in teeth pathology. Postcranial skeleton showed signs of the left upper limb weakness. The macroscopic finding of the endocranial lesions along with the skeletal evidence of neurological damage, together with characteristic radiological and histological features, can lead to diagnosis of arteriovenous malformations. This study aims to improve understanding of the aetiology of endocranial bone lesions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

铁器文物腐蚀与保护的研究现状

影响铁器文物腐蚀的主要因素有氧化气氛、潮湿环境、土壤的酸碱性环境和可溶性环境.本文介绍了铁器腐蚀的主要产物以及研究铁器文物腐蚀的主要方法,综述了目前国内外对铁器文物腐蚀和保护研究的最新进展.     

论新识的一种周系铸铜工具

周公庙遗址出土的"圆锥体中空器"是一种铸铜工具,该类器物应属"周系"文化因素,其流行时代早于西周早期偏晚阶段.     

商周青铜器铸后制铭工艺考证

学界普遍认为商周时期青铜器的铸造铭文早于铸后制铭,并认为铸后制铭技术只出现在西周晚期以后。本文通过对商周时期若干铸后制铭青铜器的研究发现,铸后制铭可分为錾铭、刻铭与琢磨铭文三类,后两类的出现与应用不晚于铸造铭文。这些技术脱胎于夏商时期的玉器加工工艺,当与甲骨文的契刻技术同源,工匠至迟在商代晚期就已掌握,但出于生产效率与容错代价方面的考虑,选择了出现较晚但更为节省时间和人力的铸造铭文技术。铸后制铭因为其本身的缺陷,只作为一种边缘技术长期存在。