Dating the Ramat Saharonim Late Neolithic desert cult site

The Ramat Saharonim site, located in the central Negev desert, Israel, consists of four shrines in a shallow valley and 30 tumuli, aligned on two cuesta cliffs on the valley's sides. Previous assessments based on site surveys suggested a general chronological span from Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000–5500 BC) through the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BC). Excavations in one shrine and three tumuli revealed a well-constructed double wall at the shrine and seven primary adult burials in the three tumuli. Quartz from sediment samples post-dating the construction of the burials and shrine was dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) using the single aliquot regenerative dose (SAR) protocol, and charcoal and leather samples were dated by ¹⁴C. The OSL results for a burial in one tumulus are 7500 ± 700 to 6000 ± 600 years. In a second tumulus, OSL ages of 2000 ± 200–1800 ± 170 years and a ¹⁴C age on leather of 390–200 BC (2340–2150 cal BP) imply that this burial is Nabatean and that the site was used also in the Hellenistic period. Two ¹⁴C ages on charcoal from the shrine give an age between 5280 and 4710 BC (7230–6660 cal BP). OSL single aliquot ages for sediment from the shrine are highly scattered and far too old (60,000 to 12,000 years). The unlikely old ages are due to insufficient resetting of the OSL signal of some of the quartz grains when sand was blown onto the site. Indeed, single grain measurements for six samples of sediment postdating the shrine show a very large range of grain ages, but with a distinct young population in all samples. Ages calculated from these young populations average 5400 ± 800, in better consistence with the ¹⁴C dates and confirming our supposition that only some of the transported grains were reset at the time of deposition. The combined OSL and ¹⁴C dating shows that the shrines and tumuli are contemporaneous and attributes the complex to the Late Neolithic. This has clear ramifications for our understanding of the period and the rise of desert pastoral societies.     

《管子·轻重篇》粮价考略

<管子·轻重篇>有不少战国秦汉时期粮价的记载,但很少有人重视.本文对<管子·轻重篇>所载的粮价进行了较系统的考证,将之与其它文献和考古资料互相比照,发现<管子·轻重篇>反映的粮价,无论是低价、平价还是高价,都与有关文献和简牍资料的记载基本一致.因此,本文作者认为<管子·轻重篇>所记载的物价是有重要研究价值的.     

抗日战争时期国统区的粮食危机及其原因浅析

从1940年开始到1941年,国民党统治区爆发了一场空前规模的粮食危机.粮食缺乏和粮价高涨是这场危机的主要表现.粮食危机的出现原因主要是由于国统区粮食产量的大量减产、生产成本和销售成本的增加、通货膨胀和投机者囤积居奇所致.     

《报任安书》三题

文章讨论司马迁《报任安书》中的两个“不得已”与“曼辞以自饰”的意义以及与“从上雍”相关的结构分析问题。     

三年经济困难时期的紧急救灾措施

1959～1961年三年困难时期,党和国家认真总结经验,注意纠正错误,全力领导人民进行了救灾斗争,采取了精简城市人口、降低粮食征购量、紧急调运和进口粮食、节衣缩食"瓜菜代"、提高粮食收购价、大办农业等一系列措施,逐步扭转了局面,保持了社会秩序的相对稳定。     

Plant processing strategies and their affect upon starch grain survival when rendering Peltandra virginica (L.) Kunth,Araceae edible

There is a long history of human interaction with plants of the Aroideae subfamily (Araceae). Despite these plants' chemical defenses against animal and vegetal predation, humans have targeted their starchy corms, tubers and rhizomes for dietary purposes. In the Eastern Woodlands of North America, early Europeans described the Native population as utilizing the highly acridic Peltandra virginica (arrow arum) for subsistence needs. In order to render this resource edible, however, the acridic principle first needs to be eliminated. Our study investigates the affect these processing activities have on the integrity of arrow arum starch grains. Findings from this study demonstrate that environmental variables specific to individual processing procedures may be more influential on starch grain survival than simply the temperatures reached during cooking.     

清代中期直隶灾后跨省赈粮调度的定量重建与特征分析

本文基于历史文献资料,提取清代中期(1723-1850)直隶灾后朝廷组织的跨省赈粮调度相关记载,对逐年赈粮数量进行定量重建。结合同期水旱灾害强度,对其反映的政府救灾力度的总体变化趋势及时空分布特征进行分析,并进一步讨论其影响因素。结果显示,赈粮调度在雍正朝还并非常规赈灾措施,至乾隆朝成为常态,数量上达到顶峰,至嘉道时期则显著衰落;在空间上更偏重于直隶中部的近畿一带,南部则相对易被忽视。当其兴盛之时,在直隶灾后赈济中发挥的作用不可替代,其演变过程在一定程度上既是清王朝兴衰历程的缩影,亦受到各方面因素(如皇帝意志、灾害强度、区位条件、仓储状况、荒政效率等)的综合作用。从中总结的历史经验教训,也可作为当前防灾实践的参考。     

宋代粮商的粮食投机

宋代商人在发挥调剂余缺功能的同时,还存在严重的投机行为。宋代粮商的投机行为,多见于三个领域：一是向官府贩粜军需粮草过程中,利用各种非法手段,诈取官府钱物;二是在、城市粮食贸易中投机取巧,从城市居民和城郊农民身上攫取暴利;三是乡村中的地主家庭,趁粮食短缺之机,残酷地压榨农民。这些投机活动,既暴露了宋代粮商惟利是图、为富不仁的丑恶嘴脸,也从一个侧面反映出古代商人的投机性。     

国徽中的图案是谷穗还是麦稻穗

目前关于中华人民共和国的国徽图案有这样两种说法:一是国徽上的图案是谷穗,如《辞海》中指出:中华人民共和国国徽,中间是五星照耀下的天安门,周围是谷穗和齿轮。一是国徽上的图案是麦稻穗,如蒋建华主编的《中华人民共和国资料手册》中指出:中华人民共和国国徽的内容为国旗、天安门、齿轮和麦稻穗。那么,国徽上的图案到底是谷穗还是麦稻穗呢?     

内蒙古人口与粮食问题研究

内蒙古地处中纬度内陆地区,生态环境脆弱,干旱和半干旱面积占自治区总面积的80%以上。长期以来,形成的观念是内蒙古地广人稀、资源丰富,尤其是"文革"期间,在牧民不吃亏心粮口号的驱使下,将大向积林草地辟为粮田,导致草场的退化和土地的沙化。本文分析内蒙古人口发展和粮食生产的历史和现状,揭示在PRED系统中,人口增长与粮食生产面临的主要问题,结合内蒙古"九五"计划和2010年远景目标的要求,提出控制人口数量,提高粮食单产水平,实行退耕还草还林、降低耕地总量,保持人均粮食产量的动态平衡。