Experimental interpretation of the presence of female genitalia in Early Bronze Age ‘frying pan'-type ceramics from the Cyclades*

Α new, testable, interpretation of the function of Aegean Early Bronze Age ‘frying pan' ceramics that combines some previously suggested uses is presented experimentally. The proposed function involves a well-documented natural phenomenon responsible for the rapid change in colour of a natural salt marsh or salt pan surface due to the explosive population growth of the extremophile Archaea Halobacterium salinarium when the salt concentration approaches saturation. The cyclical nature of the appearance of red pigmentation on the salt marsh surface every late summer or every few weeks in a domestic ‘frying pan' presents an obvious analogy with the female menstruation cycle and provides an explanation for the fact that several ceramic vessels used for this purpose bear the characteristics of the female body. Furthermore, the resulting red pigment lends itself for use as a cosmetic colorant.     

Twins in prehistory: The case from Olèrdola (Barcelona,Spain; s. IV II BC)

This paper details the discovery of two perinatal individuals interred simultaneously at the archaeological site of Olèrdola, Barcelona, Spain. Information from the excavation and from the subsequent anthropological study of the recovered skeletal and dental remains suggests that these individuals (OL–2000–8245 and OL–2000–8246) are the first documented case of twins in Iberian period. The possibility of a simultaneous perinatal twins burial at Olèrdola raises new questions concerning about the frequency of twins in prehistory and protohistory. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

曼生款竹节壶再研究

上海金山县征集到一件曼生款竹节壶,此壶与道光时期的竹节形砂壶更相似,应为同时期传器,其题铭羊豆意在隐喻壶佳;从其他万泉款传器的比较推断,此壶应为万泉早期作品。     

Cabotage at Aperlae in Ancient Lycia

Aperlae was a small remote maritime city in ancient Lycia with a millennial floruit (late 4th century BC through the late 7th century AD). The harsh terrain of its hinterland forced a reliance on the Mediterranean from its founding to its demise. The Aperlites stabilized and enhanced their urban waterfronts in modest ways over the centuries, but basically they maintained and sustained their intimate relationship with the sea without elaborate docking or harbour installations. Fishing, probably a primary industry, centred on the harvest of murex trunculus , the marine mollusk from which purple dye was made. This valuable commodity appears to have been produced in Aperlae for export to Andriake, the international emporium of nearby Myra, for transshipment to textile centres throughout the Mediterranean. There, coastal traders also acquired the necessities and luxuries the city needed but did not produce. Proxy evidence, impressive archaeological features on land and under the sea, speaks to moments of prosperity for Aperlae well beyond mere subsistence. Cabotage was this secondary port's enduring lifeline.     

A Discussion on the Emergence and Development of Ancient Chinese Artificial Barium Copper Silicate Pigments from Simulation Experiments

The ancient Chinese barium copper silicate minerals mainly comprise Chinese purple (BaCuSi₂O₆) and Chinese blue (BaCuSi₄O₁₀), which were widely used from the late Warring States Period to the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In order to clarify the raw material of the pigment, a series of simulation experiments was conducted to produce Chinese purple pigment under varying mineral conditions. The minerals that we applied in the experiment were quartz as the source of silicon, malachite and copper oxide as the sources of copper, barite and witherite as the sources of barium and lead oxide as the source of lead. Simulation experiments showed that the barium copper silicate minerals and the purple pigment can be produced easily when witherite is used as the barium‐containing raw material. From the perspective of mineral resources, the birth of the ancient Chinese pigment associated with a unique barium mineral resource. The Chinese copper‐based pigments are assumed to have been developed independently and are presumably an outcome of historical developments in glazing techniques.     

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.     

清宫紫金琍玛造像考述

清乾隆时期是宫廷藏传佛教艺术发展的一个重要里程碑,其标志是汉藏艺术的频繁交流。六世班禅于乾隆四十五年进京为乾隆帝祝寿,他带来的紫金玛造像为乾隆帝所重,并在宫中造办处仿做,其后,又对原配方加以改进,成造了具有宫中特色的紫金玛造像,成为清宫藏传佛教造像的珍品。本文根据清宫内务府造办处的档案将这段历史渊源作了详细的介绍,并概述了故宫和承德避暑山庄具有代表性的藏品。     

The Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology of Soap and Dye Making at Ijaye, Yorubaland

The study reports the use of ethnographic parallels to interpret excavated relics at Ijaye. Following some limited reconnaissance, archaeological relics, which included mounds and a ditch and embankment, were identified. Three test pits were dug on one of the mounds while an extensive excavation was carried out on another. The major excavation uncovered large pots placed on top of one another and arranged in a row. Ethnographic data were sought in some neighboring Yoruba settlements to understand the features uncovered in the excavations. Probable interpretation was soap and/or dye making.L'étude rapporte sur l'emploi des matières ethnographiques pour l'interprétation des vestiges trouvées à Ijaye. A la suite des prospections limitées, des vestiges archéologiques ont été identifiées, parmi lesquelles étaient des amas et un fossé et rempart. Trois sondages ont été effectués sur un des amas, et une fouille a été effectuée sur un autre. Des grandes jarres entassées les unes sur les autres ont été découvertes dans la fouille. Les données ethnographiques ont été recherchées en des villes voisinantes pour bien comprendre des vestiges retrouvées en fouille. L'interprétation probable était la fabrication du savon et/ou teinture.     

明清时期河南省部分经济作物的种植与分布

明清时期河南省油料作物主要有花生和芝麻两种,花生明中期传入中国,清代在河南广泛种植。芝麻汉代从西域传入,明清时期在河南广为分布。这两者今日在河南省的经济作物种植中仍占重要地位。染料作物中蓝草和红花均为传统作物,种植历史悠久,分布广泛。从明至清,种植之风方兴未艾。两者在清末均由于受到外来染料的冲击而中落,此后再也未能恢复到原来的水平。嗜食作物中的罂粟,清咸丰年间开始在河南省广泛栽种,后因国人的抗议,在民国年间禁种。烟草和茶叶的种植不惟明清时期就有一定的规模,且一直持续发展,为今日河南省以许昌为中心的烤烟基地和以信阳为中心的茶叶基地的建设和发展创造了条件、奠定了基础。     

袁世凯蓝呢礼服上蓝色染料的分析研究

文中采用拉曼光谱分析法和薄层色谱法,对河南博物院院藏衰世凯蓝呢礼服上蓝色染料的化学成分进行了分析.研究结果显示,衰世凯蓝呢礼服上蓝色染料的化学成分为合成靛蓝,说明了合成靛蓝染色布料在当时中国已经开始出现,这在科技史和考古学上具有重要意义.