Assessing the Scale and Pace of Large Shell-Bearing Site Occupation in the Prince Rupert Harbour Area,British Columbia

Methodological advancements in geoarchaeology and spatial and chronological modeling are opening new avenues to interpreting large coastal shell-bearing sites. We document the developmental histories of two such sites around Prince Rupert Harbour, Canada, using systematic percussion coring, intensive radiocarbon dating, and 3D surface mapping with Total Station and LiDAR. We also re-analyze a third site (Boardwalk/GbTo-31) excavated and radiocarbon dated in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 2000s using archival field notes, site maps, and stratigraphic profiles georectified using LiDAR. We map the natural landform beneath the sites and document the degree to which people physically modified landforms through the deposition of massive shell accumulations. We model site development through time and space and use accumulation rates and OxCal modeling to test for intentional deposition events. All three sites demonstrate complex and heterogeneous occupation histories. At each we identify instances of very rapid deposition that effectively terraced and extended parts of the natural landform to create places for constructing houses, though these episodes take place within longer histories of slower quotidian deposition. The anthropogenic modifications to the coastline in this area are the result of these mixed processes associated with long histories of occupation.     

前视全景钻孔电视在龙门石窟防渗工程中的应用

影响龙门石窟雕刻艺术品长期保存的主要病害是渗水,卸荷裂隙往往切割洞窟、隙宽较大而成为洞窟渗水的主要通道。为查明洞窟卸荷裂隙的分布位置,最可靠的方法是在现场进行水平钻探。但受钻探施工的干扰,钻孔岩芯可能在钻探取芯的过程中造成折断或破裂,钻孔取芯率也会相对较低,因而仅靠观测岩芯难以确定卸荷裂隙的准确部位。为此,采用有潜在价值的钻孔电视方法,以识别不同的岩层,确定裂隙的分布情况及裂隙中的充填物。研究结果表明钻孔电视在龙门石窟防渗工程中取得成功的应用,说明这是一种值得在岩土文物保护工程中推广应用的新技术。     

Mapping of subsurface shell midden components through percussion coring: examples from the Dundas Islands

Following earlier examples of mapping the subsurface of shell bearing sites using augering, we employ percussion coring to identify early Holocene shell midden components at two types of sites on the Northwest Coast of North America. We describe a method for mapping subsurface components at shell bearing sites including basal deposits, paleosols and transitions between distinct cultural components. Our research was undertaken for the purpose of identifying early Holocene shell middens above the modern shore, and as components below large shell midden villages. Our results augment the developmental trajectory of shell middens on the Northwest Coast by suggesting that pre-5000 BP forms of these sites may be more common than previously thought. In light of these results, we argue that the Northwest Coast cultural historical sequence, which locates an increase in the number and rate of accumulation of shell middens beginning 5000 years ago, to be premature. However, there are insufficient data from shell middens in the early Holocene, a sampling problem that the percussion coring methods described here can address.     

城坝遗址M45出土一组乐器的分析研究

本文对四川渠县城坝遗址出土的錞于、钲、钟一组青铜乐器做了相关分析,研究发现:这组乐器属铜锡铅三元合金,錞于、钟含有微量砷;均采用范铸法分批、分部件浇铸而成,各部位合金比例不尽相同,錞于的合金比例差别较大。通过微痕信息观察,器身上的部分巴蜀符号为刻划成型而非铸造;器物用途可能仅为陪葬品而非实用器。     

Building Monks Mound,Cahokia, Illinois,a.d. 800–1400

Abstract

Cahokia (a.d. 800–1400), located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, was the largest settlement in ancient North America. Monks Mound occupies the center of Cahokia and provides both a modern and ancient focal point for the site. Past investigations of Monks Mound explored issues of mound chronology and use. Recent soil coring around the perimeter clarifies the geological context and degree of preparation necessary before the mound was built. The results suggest that the mound is not optimally positioned for stability and its location may ultimately accelerate deterioration. Moreover, evaluation of the mound features and fill indicates that maximization of the geotechnical potential of sediments was not a primary concern for the Cahokians. Although poorly engineered relative to modern standards, the suitability of the mound as a platform may have been secondary to other design choices made while building the largest single mound in ancient North America.     

汉代武陵蛮的敲击乐器

近年来,湘西、鄂西、川东等地出土了一批汉代的青铜敲击乐器,品种主要有留职■于、扁体钟和钲。其中湘西地区出土这类器物的数量较多,本文拟对这一地区的青铜敲击乐器作一介绍,并就有关问题谈点初步看法。 一、出土概况 湘西地区出土青铜敲击乐器最早可以追溯到宋代。宋代洪迈在《容斋续笔》上讲到慈利县在宋代出土过虎纽■于,直至２０世纪８０年代,以上三种敲击乐器才较多地见于报道。２０世纪８０年代初期,湖南各地出土的锌于有 ３６件,多为窖藏。①稍后报道了吉首县万溶江乡双合村黄土园出土的窖藏锌于,并统计湘西自治州范围内…     

城坝遗址M45出土一组乐器的分析研究

本文对四川渠县城坝遗址出土的錞于、钲、钟一组青铜乐器做了相关分析,研究发现:这组乐器属铜锡铅三元合金,錞于、钟含有微量砷;均采用范铸法分批、分部件浇铸而成,各部位合金比例不尽相同,錞于的合金比例差别较大。通过微痕信息观察,器身上的部分巴蜀符号为刻划成型而非铸造;器物用途可能仅为陪葬品而非实用器。     

Upper Paleolithic “Sounding Artifacts” from Mesin,Ukraine: Modification Marks

Upper Paleolithic musical instruments and the criteria whereby they may be distinguished have not received enough attention in Russian archaeology. A considerable number of presumed musical instruments have been found in Eurasia. The examination of such artifacts from Mesin has revealed modifications by humans that clearly indicate musical function. In terms of modern classification, they might be untuned percussion instruments of both resonator and nonresonator types.     

The Viking Age settlement pattern of Langholt,North Iceland: Results of the Skagafjörður Archaeological Settlement Survey

An archaeological survey of the Viking Age settlement pattern in the Langholt region of North Iceland suggests that being early in this sequence conferred tremendous advantages to the settlers of this previously uninhabited landscape. Many of the farms established during the settlement of Iceland (which began about a.d. 870) are in use today. However, accessing the Viking Age landscape is difficult. In Langholt the earliest layers of most farmsteads are buried under a thousand years of occupational debris, while the abandoned sites have been covered by extensive soil deposition. Here we report on our coring and test excavation results that outline Viking Age farmstead location, establishment date, and maximum size by the end of the Viking Age. There is a strong correlation between farmstead size and establishment date. This correlation suggests that during the rapid settlement of Iceland, the farmsteads established by earlier settlers were wealthier and that wealth endured.