|
| ||
|
|
||
Century AD (century + ad)
Kinds of Century AD Selected AbstractsYork and its Region in the Eighth and Ninth Centuries AD: An Archaeological StudyOXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 1 2001John Naylor The archaeological study of the early medieval economy, and especially the emporia, has traditionally focused on aspects of long-distance exchange. The paper highlights the need for a more regional focus, by assessing the role and impact of the emporia on the surrounding areas, using York and its region as the basis for the study. Coinage, pottery, and stone artefacts are examined through their regional distributions, and implications for trade and exchange (long-distance, regional and local) discussed. The concluding discussion suggests that York, whilst probably the main centre for long-distance trade, may have been only one of a number of trading centres, and that during the later eighth and ninth centuries, regional exchange may have become increasingly important with the rise of potential markets at a number of inland sites. [source] Stable isotopic evidence for diet at the Imperial Roman coastal site of Velia (1st and 2nd Centuries AD) in Southern ItalyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Oliver E. Craig Abstract Here we report on a stable isotope palaeodietary study of a Imperial Roman population interred near the port of Velia in Southern Italy during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were performed on collagen extracted from 117 adult humans as well as a range of fauna to reconstruct individual dietary histories. For the majority of individuals, we found that stable isotope data were consistent with a diet high in cereals, with relatively modest contributions of meat and only minor contributions of marine fish. However, substantial isotopic variation was found within the population, indicating that diets were not uniform. We suggest that a number of individuals, mainly but not exclusively males, had greater access to marine resources, especially high trophic level fish. However, the observed dietary variation did not correlate with burial type, number of grave goods, nor age at death. Also, individuals buried at the necropolis at Velia ate much less fish overall compared with the contemporaneous population from the necropolis of Portus at Isola Sacra, located on the coast close to Rome. Marine and riverine transport and commerce dominated the economy of Portus, and its people were in a position to supplement their own stocks of fish with imported goods in transit to Rome, whereas at Velia marine exploitation existed side-by-side with land-based economic activities. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Searching for schizophrenia in ancient Greek and Roman literature: a systematic reviewACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2003K. Evans Objective:, The aim of this study was to systematically examine ancient Roman and Greek texts to identify descriptions of schizophrenia and related disorders. Method:, Material from Greek and Roman literature dating from the 5th Century BC to the beginning of the 2nd Century AD was systematically reviewed for symptoms of mental illness. DSM IV criteria were applied in order to identify material related to schizophrenia and related disorders. Results:, The general public had an awareness of psychotic disorders, because the symptoms were described in works of fiction and in historical accounts of malingering. There were isolated instances of text related to psychotic symptoms in the residents of ancient Rome and Greece, but no written material describing a condition that would meet modern diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia. Conclusion:, In contrast to many other psychiatric disorders that are represented in ancient Greek and Roman literature, there were no descriptions of individuals with schizophrenia in the material assessed in this review. [source] Technical note: A revised radiocarbon date for a case of treponemal disease from Safed, Israel, from the 15th Century ADAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Piers D. Mitchell No abstract is available for this article. [source] Advances in Polychrome Ceramics in the Islamic World of the 12th Century ADARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2001R. B. Mason As part of a multidisciplinary programme of research on Islamic glazed pottery, the development of polychrome decoration during the 12th century AD has been investigated by examining polished sections through glazed pottery in an analytical scanning electron microscope. The two main decorative techniques used were underglaze and overglaze painting. The results suggest that true underglaze decoration, involving the application of pigment without any associated slip, was first developed in Syria, from where it spread to Iran, on to China and ultimately across wide areas of the world. In contrast, the overglaze technique used on mina'i ware was both very short-lived and confined to Iran. The analytical results suggest that the probable explanation for this was the technical problems associated with maturing the overglaze paint and the consequent risk of unsatisfactory products. [source] Mineralogical And Chemical Investigations Of Bloomery Slags From Prehistoric (8th Century Bc To 4th Century Ad) Iron Production Sites In Upper And Lower Lusatia, GermanyARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2001R. B. Heimann More than 400 fayalitic bloomery slags from prehistoric iron production sites in Upper and Lower Lusatia, eastern Germany, as well as bog iron ore samples and intermediary samples of the smelting process, were analysed by chemical and mineralogical techniques. While the precursor bog iron ores exploited in the two regions under investigation were very similar in composition, consisting of low-manganese/low-barium as well as high-manganese/high-barium types of ore, pronounced differences in slag composition were detected. Slags from 17 investigated sites in Upper Lusatia showed average P2O5 contents between 1 and 3 mass%, whereas slags from 15 investigated sites in Lower Lusatia were generally much richer in phosphorus, reaching values as high as 7 mass% P2O5. Since a reasonable correlation exists between calcium and phosphorus contents in the slags of the latter sites, it is conjectured that deliberate addition of CaO to the ore/charcoal charge of the bloomery furnace may have taken place in order to fix the phosphorus in the slags effectively. In many samples, this conjecture is being supported by the detection of a slag mineral Ca,Fe phosphate Ca9,xFe1+x(PO4)7 that presumably crystallized from a residual phosphorus-rich melt and shows a cotectic relationship to both Ca-rich fayalite and wustite, as well as to members of the solid solution series magnetite,hercynite. [source] Pigs, presses and pastoralism: farming in the fifth to sixth centuries ADEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 1 2009Tamara Lewit The fifth to sixth centuries were a time of significant change in rural settlement, land use, production levels and productive technology in many regions. Archaeological and related discoveries suggest that in western Europe, specialized market- and state-oriented production gave way to mixed animal husbandry and diversified farming more suited to local terrains. This was accompanied by a widespread transformation of rural settlement. In contrast, the eastern Mediterranean experienced rural settlement expansion, intensification of land use, increased market-oriented agricultural production, and a significant change in oil and wine press technology. These changes seem to reflect the socio-political context in both east and west during this pivotal period. [source] Defining the OE hearg: a preliminary archaeological and topographic examination of hearg place names and their hinterlandsEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 4 2007Sarah Semple The OE term hearg is interpreted variously as ,pagan temple', ,hilltop sanctuary' and even ,idol'. It is a rare survival in the English place-name record. When it can be identified, the place name is commonly considered to refer to a location of pre-Christian religious activity, specifically a pagan Anglo-Saxon temple. Taking inspiration from the extensive and methodologically well-advanced studies in Scandinavia, which have successfully related place-name evidence for cultic and religious sites with the archaeology and topography of these localities, this paper adopts and uses a similar methodology to investigate the archaeological and topographic character of a selection of hearg locations. The traditional interpretations of the place name are questioned and evidence is presented that these sites are characterized by long-lived, localized cult practice spanning the late prehistoric to early historic periods, but with activity reaching a zenith in the late Iron Age to Romano-British eras, rather than the fifth to seventh centuries AD. [source] Deep-water Archaeological Survey in the Black Sea: 2000 SeasonINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Cheryl Ward Recent archaeological survey by sidescan sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) resulted in the discovery of one of the best-preserved seagoing ships from antiquity in the anoxic waters of the Black Sea. Three shipwrecks from the 4th to 6th centuries AD, with cargoes of shipping jars from Sinop, Turkey, were found at depths of about 100 m; the fourth sits upright on the sea-bed, buried to deck level in sediment. A description of each site and identification of visible site components is followed by a discussion of directions and possible implications of future research. © 2004 The Nautical Archaeology Society [source] Limb bones asymmetry and stress in medieval and recent populations of Central EuropeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2008M. Kujanová Abstract Monitoring the degree of asymmetry in different parts of the human body can contribute to population studies, as it may be connected indirectly with the social structure, living conditions, and also with biomechanical stress affecting the person. Analysis of asymmetry may also assess preferential use of the right or left of the body during specific activities. This study is based on the measurements of bones of the upper and lower limbs of skeletons derived from the remarkable medieval cemeteries of Mikul,ice-Kostelisko (78 male, 132 female) and Pru,ánky (66 male, 69 female) (9th,12th centuries AD), and a series of skeletons representing a recent population from Bohemia (143 male, 157 female). The objective was to assess directional asymmetry (DA), fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and antisymmetry (AS) of the dimensions of the evaluated bones, and to use these data to compare the characteristics of the medieval and recent populations. DA was recorded in most dimensions. In the upper limb, the humerus exhibited the greatest expression of asymmetry, and, with the exception of the clavicle, DA was always more pronounced on the right side. Conversely, DA was less prevalent in the lower limb bones. It was more pronounced on the transverse, sagittal and circumferential dimensions of the diaphyses and epiphyses than on the length, and in most cases it was on the left side. The FA values were very low, and almost negligible in relation to the size. Nevertheless, FA was markedly more frequent on the lower than on the upper limb. In contrast to the medieval population, the recent population had higher FA and DA values. Thus, we propose that people from this medieval population were subjected to lower developmental stress than the recent sample. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Tooth wear in two ancient populations of the Khazar Kaganat region in the UkraineINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 1 2007W. H. Arnold Abstract Tooth wear is a common phenomenon in archaeological material. It has been related to the abrasiveness of diet and to the tribological attrition of teeth of individuals. Numerous investigations have been carried out in north and middle American samples as well as African anthropological material. Not much is known about tooth wear in European cultures. Eleven skulls from Chervona Gusarovka, and 14 skulls from the Upper Saltov sites of the Khazar Kaganat region (8th,10th centuries AD) in eastern Ukraine, with different diets were examined. A total of 208 teeth were studied for tooth wear, caries prevalence and periodontal status. Abrasion grades were determined according to a standardised classification and statistically evaluated. Periodontal status was measured using the distance between the enamel-cementum junction and alveolar crest and the gingival attachment level respectively. Tooth wear was significantly different (P,<,0.01) between the two populations. A low caries prevalence of 4.2% in the Chervona Gusarovka population and 1.7% in the Upper Saltov population was found. Significantly more alveolar crest bone resorption on the lingual side was found in the premolars and anterior teeth of the Chervona Gusarovka population. No significant differences were found regarding gingival attachment levels and gingival recession. It is concluded that the content and mode of food preparation influenced tooth wear, as reflected by the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal diseases in these ancient populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Roman Period fetal skeletons from the East Cemetery (Kellis 2) of Kellis, EgyptINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2005M. W. Tocheri Abstract Much can be learned about the religious ideology and mortuary patterns as well as the demographic and health profiles of a population from archaeological human fetal skeletons. Fetal skeletons are rare, however, largely due to poor preservation and recovery, misidentification, or non-inclusion in general burial populations. We present an analysis of 82 fetal/perinatal skeletons recovered from Kellis 2, a Roman Period cemetery dated to the third and fourth centuries AD, located in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt. Most of the fetal remains were individually wrapped in linen and all were buried among the general cemetery population in a supine, east,west orientation with the head facing to the west. Gestational age estimates are calculated from diaphysis lengths using published regression and Bayesian methods. The overall similarity between the fetal age distributions calculated from the regression and Bayesian methods suggests that the correlation between diaphysis length and gestational age is typically strong enough to avoid the ,regression' problem of having the age structure of reference samples adversely affecting the age distribution of target samples. The inherent bias of the regression methods, however, is primarily reflected in the gestational age categories between 36 and 42 weeks corresponding with the expected increase in growth variation during the late third trimester. The results suggest that the fetal age distribution at Kellis 2 does not differ from the natural expected mortality distribution. Therefore, practices such as infanticide can be ruled out as having a significant effect on the observed mortality distribution. Moreover, the Kellis 2 sample is well represented in each gestational age category, suggesting that all premature stillbirths and neonatal deaths received similar burial rites. The age distribution of the Kellis 2 fetal remains suggests that emerging Christian concepts, such as the ,soul' and the ,afterlife', were being applied to everyone including fetuses of all gestational ages. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A high-resolution pollen and geochemical analysis of late Holocene human impact and vegetation history in southern Cumbria, England,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009Paul M. V. Coombes Abstract The historic era, which in Cumbria begins with the Roman invasion of AD 71, is a frequently neglected period in palaeoecological research, but its study can bring benefits in improving knowledge of landscape history and in understanding the significance and limitations of palaeoecological records. Pollen and geochemical data are presented for late Holocene records from Deer Dyke and Hulleter Mosses in southern Cumbria. The records show initially low levels of anthropogenic impact, followed by a phase of forest clearance and mixed agriculture from the 7th to 11th centuries AD. The timing of these clearances suggests that they were initially Anglo-Saxon in origin, rather than Norse. Further clearances in the 16th century AD are interpreted as a response to monastic dissolution and late Tudor population pressures; the landscapes reached their contemporary form following extensive clearances in the 17th century AD. Silicon and titanium concentrations at Deer Dyke Moss were used to reconstruct past levels of atmospheric dust loading, which is broadly related to soil erosion. Geochemical influx was found to peak during periods of landscape transition rather than from established land use. This relationship with pollen data is thought to reflect the predominantly low levels of anthropogenic impact in the region, which changes as substantial woodland clearances during the 16th century AD and continuous land use pressure since then have greatly increased the supply of airborne dust. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Color and Golden Shine of Silver Islamic LusterJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2010P. Carolina Gutierrez Golden-like luster decorations on glazed ceramics from early Islamic times (9,12th centuries AD) consist of a nanocomposite submicrometric layer made of silver metal nanoparticles. The color and golden-like reflectivity of these decorations are dominated by the nonlinear optical response and Mie scattering of the silver nanoparticles. We demonstrate that the enhanced golden-like reflectivity occurs only for dense nanoparticulated layers and that they were obtained by adding PbO to the alkaline glaze. This resulted in reduced diffusivity of silver in the glaze leading to more concentrated and thinner luster layers that formed closer to the glaze surface. The result obtained adds new insights into the high technological level attained during Islamic times and also has important historical implications, giving both new clues concerning the lead enrichment of the glazes during this period, and some basis for the medieval Alchemy search for the production of "gold" from other metals. [source] Stable isotopic evidence for diet at the Imperial Roman coastal site of Velia (1st and 2nd Centuries AD) in Southern ItalyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Oliver E. Craig Abstract Here we report on a stable isotope palaeodietary study of a Imperial Roman population interred near the port of Velia in Southern Italy during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses were performed on collagen extracted from 117 adult humans as well as a range of fauna to reconstruct individual dietary histories. For the majority of individuals, we found that stable isotope data were consistent with a diet high in cereals, with relatively modest contributions of meat and only minor contributions of marine fish. However, substantial isotopic variation was found within the population, indicating that diets were not uniform. We suggest that a number of individuals, mainly but not exclusively males, had greater access to marine resources, especially high trophic level fish. However, the observed dietary variation did not correlate with burial type, number of grave goods, nor age at death. Also, individuals buried at the necropolis at Velia ate much less fish overall compared with the contemporaneous population from the necropolis of Portus at Isola Sacra, located on the coast close to Rome. Marine and riverine transport and commerce dominated the economy of Portus, and its people were in a position to supplement their own stocks of fish with imported goods in transit to Rome, whereas at Velia marine exploitation existed side-by-side with land-based economic activities. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Dissecting the molecular architecture and origin of Bayash Romani patrilineages: Genetic influences from South-Asia and the BalkansAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Irena Martinovi, Klari Abstract The Bayash are a branch of Romanian speaking Roma living dispersedly in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. To better understand the molecular architecture and origin of the Croatian Bayash paternal gene pool, 151 Bayash Y chromosomes were analyzed for 16 SNPs and 17 STRs and compared with European Romani and non-Romani majority populations from Europe, Turkey, and South Asia. Two main layers of Bayash paternal gene pool were identified: ancestral (Indian) and recent (European). The reduced diversity and expansion signals of H1a patrilineages imply descent from closely related paternal ancestors who could have settled in the Indian subcontinent, possibly as early as between the eighth and tenth centuries AD. The recent layer of the Bayash paternal pool is dominated by a specific subset of E1b1b1a lineages that are not found in the Balkan majority populations. At least two private mutational events occurred in the Bayash during their migrations from the southern Balkans toward Romania. Additional admixture, evident in the low frequencies of typical European haplogroups, J2, R1a, I1, R1b1b2, G, and I2a, took place primarily during the early Bayash settlement in the Balkans and the Romani bondage in Romania. Our results indicate two phenomena in the Bayash and analyzed Roma: a significant preservation of ancestral H1a haplotypes as a result of considerable, but variable level of endogamy and isolation and differential distribution of less frequent, but typical European lineages due to different patterns of the early demographic history in Europe marked by differential admixture and genetic drift. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Paleodemographic comparison of a catastrophic and an attritional death assemblageAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Beverley J. Margerison Abstract The aim of this contribution is to examine the effect of an indiscriminate epidemic on a population to assess whether or not a catastrophic event can be identified from examination of paleodemographic data. Using paleodemographic techniques, the death assemblage from the Royal Mint site, London, a Black Death cemetery dated 1349 AD, is compared with that from St. Helen-on-the-Walls, York, which dates from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries AD. The Royal Mint site represents a catastrophic cemetery, while that of St. Helen-on-the-Walls is of an attritional type. Certain features of the paleodemographic profile of the plague victims suggest that the population had been affected by factors other than natural wastage. Three factors are proposed which may define an indiscriminate catastrophic event in preindustrial populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 119:134,143, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The decline of eastern Arabia in the Sasanian periodARABIAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND EPIGRAPHY, Issue 1 2007Derek Kennet This paper lists and reviews the archaeological evidence for the Sasanian period in eastern Arabia (third,seventh centuries AD). Much of the published evidence is shown to be either erroneous or highly doubtful, leaving very little evidence that is reliable. It is argued that the paucity of evidence in comparison to the Hellenistic/Parthian period indicates that this was a time of marked and continuing decline in the number and size of settlements, the number of tombs and the amount of coinage in circulation, all of which probably result from a population that was both declining in size and participating less in the types of production and consumption that leave discoverable traces in the archaeological record. This is in contrast to the historical evidence, which, although patchy, is stronger for the Sasanian period than it is for the Hellenistic/Parthian period. The argument for decline challenges some generally accepted historical views of eastern Arabia at this time, which see the region as undergoing a notable period of growth. In conclusion, some brief consideration is given to the possible causes of the decline. [source] Two wooden coffins from the Shakhoura Necropolis, BahrainARABIAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND EPIGRAPHY, Issue 2 2004Søren Fredslund Andersen This article presents a detailed analysis of two wooden coffins from the 1st centuries BC/AD on Bahrain. New C14 dates are published of samples taken from the coffins, and their method of manufacture is reconstructed. The unexpected conservation of wood in a humid environment like Bahrain is explained. [source] ROMAN WINDOW GLASS: A COMPARISON OF FINDINGS FROM THREE DIFFERENT ITALIAN SITESARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2010R. ARLETTI Thirty-three samples of window glass and five glass lumps coming from three Italian archaeological sites,the Suasa excavations (Ancona, settled from the third century bc to the fifth to sixth centuries ad), the Roman town of Mevaniola (Forlì-Cesena, settled from the Imperial Age up to the fourth century ad) and Theodoric's Villa of Galeata (Forlì-Cesena, settled from the sixth century ad onwards),were analysed to track the changes in the chemical composition and manufacturing technology of window glass through the centuries. The aims of this study were: (1) to establish the origin of the raw materials; (2) to verify the chemical homogeneity among samples coming from different sites and/or produced using different techniques; and (3) to sort the samples into the compositional groups of ancient glass. The analysis of all the chemical variables allowed two groups to be distinguished: (a) finds from Mevaniola and Suasa; and (b) finds from Galeata. All the samples had a silica,soda,lime composition, but the analysis of minor elements,in particular, of Fe, Mn, and Ti,made it possible to split the samples into two groups, with the higher levels of these elements always found in the Galeata samples (HIMT glass). In conclusion, it can be asserted that the main differences between the samples are related to their chronology. [source] A MULTI-ANALYTICAL APPROACH FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF COMMODITIES IN A CERAMIC JAR FROM ANTINOE (EGYPT),ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2009E. RIBECHINI This paper describes a multi-analytical chemical study performed on the original, almost totally conserved, content of a small ceramic jar from the Antinoe archaeological site (fifth to seventh centuries ad, Roman Egypt) and now belonging to the archaeological collection of the Istituto Papirologico ,Girolamo Vitelli' (Florence, Italy). Scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM,EDX), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were all used to characterize the inorganic components of the archaeological material. The organic substances were analysed using FTIR, direct exposure mass spectrometry (DE,MS) and gas chromatography , mass spectrometry (GC,MS). The inorganic component essentially consisted of halite (NaCl). Among the NaCl crystals, lamellar elements were identified. They were chemically characterized by carbonato-apatite and showed a concentric morphology typical of the scales of small fish. The most prevalent organic constituents of the sample were monocarboxylic acids, ,,,-dicarboxylic acids, and cholesterol and its oxidation products. The organic material composition was consistent with the occurrence of lipids of animal origin. In addition, diterpenes related to pine pitch were also identified. The overall results suggest that the material recovered in the small ceramic jar found in Antinoe is a residue of fish-based pickles such as garum, muria, allex and liquamen, which were commonly used in Roman times. [source] FROM SUSA TO ANURADHAPURA: RECONSTRUCTING ASPECTS OF TRADE AND EXCHANGE IN BITUMEN-COATED CERAMIC VESSELS BETWEEN IRAN AND SRI LANKA FROM THE THIRD TO THE NINTH CENTURIES AD*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2008B. STERN In contrast with artefactual studies of long-distance trade and exchange in South Asia during the Prehistoric and Early Historic periods (Ardika et al. 1993; Gogte 1997; Krishnan and Coningham 1997; Tomber 2000; Gupta et al. 2001; Ford et al. 2005), few scientifically orientated analyses have focused on artefacts from the region's Historic period. During excavations at the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, a number of buff ware ceramics with a putative organic coating on the interior were recovered (Coningham 2006). Dated stylistically to between the third and ninth centuries ad, analysis of the coatings using gas chromatography,mass spectrometry (GC,MS) and stable isotope analysis (carbon and deuterium) confirmed that the coatings are bitumen,an organic product associated with petroleum deposits. There are no known bitumen sources in Sri Lanka, and biomarker distributions and isotopic signatures suggest that the majority of the samples appear to have come from a single bitumen source near Susa in Iran. The relationship between the bitumen coatings and the vessels is discussed, and it is suggested that the coatings were used to seal permeable ceramic containers to allow them to transport liquid commodities. This study enhances our knowledge of networks of trade and exchange between Sri Lanka and western Asia during Historic times. [source] ICP,MS ANALYSIS OF GLASS FRAGMENTS OF PARTHIAN AND SASANIAN EPOCH FROM SELEUCIA AND VEH ARDA,?R (CENTRAL IRAQ)*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2008P. MIRTI Forty-one glass fragments were analysed by inductively coupled plasma , mass spectrometry, determining 40 major, minor and trace elements, including rare earth elements. The fragments came from excavations carried out at the archaeological sites of Seleucia and Veh Arda,?r in modern Iraq, and were dated to the Parthian and Sasanian epochs. Analytical data indicate that all the samples are silica,soda,lime glasses. Magnesium and potassium oxide contents below 1% suggest that eight out of nine glasses from Seleucia, dating from between the first and the third century ad, could have been obtained by use of an evaporite as a flux; the same conclusion can be drawn for some of the Sasanian glasses dating from the fourth and fifth centuries ad. The other glasses from Veh Arda,?r, as well as the remaining sample from Seleucia, are characterized by higher contents of magnesium and potassium, which suggests recourse to plant ash; different magnesium and phosphorus contents allow one to separate these samples into two main groups, pointing to the use of different kinds of plant ash. Aluminium and calcium contents, together with trace element data, may indicate that different sands were used for preparing glasses of different composition. Samples from Seleucia and Veh Arda,?r are mainly blue,green and green to yellow,green, respectively; iron and manganese contents suggest that the furnace atmosphere was mainly responsible for the development of these hues. [source] THE COMPOSITION AND MANUFACTURE OF EARLY MEDIEVAL COLOURED WINDOW GLASS FROM SION (VALAIS, SWITZERLAND),A ROMAN GLASS-MAKING TRADITION OR INNOVATIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP?*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2005S. WOLF Archaeological excavations between 1984 and 2001 at the early Christian cemetery church in Sion, Sous-le-Scex (Rhône Valley, Switzerland), brought to light more than 400 pieces of coloured window glass dating from the fifth or sixth centuries ad. The aims of this paper are threefold: first, to characterize the shape, colour and chemical composition of the glass; secondly, to understand whether the production of the coloured window panes followed traditional Roman glazing techniques or was of a more innovative nature; and, thirdly, to provide some indications as to the overall design of these early ornamental glass windows. Forty samples of coloured glass have been analysed by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The results of the chemical and the technological studies showed that most of the glass was produced using recycled glass, particularly as a colouring agent. Some of the glass was made of essentially unmodified glass of the Levantine I type. The results taken together seem to confirm that raw glass from this region was widely traded and used between the fourth and seventh centuries ad. The artisans at Sion were apparently still making use of the highly developed techniques of Roman glass production. The colour spectrum, manufacture and design of the windows, however, suggest that they represent early examples of ornamental coloured glass windows. [source] Jesus and the eye: New Testament miracles of visionACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 6 2005Ahmad M. Mansour Abstract. Purpose:,To compile and appraise the accounts of the miracles of vision in the New Testament. Methods:,We carried out a critical analysis of the compilation of ocular miracles using past medical knowledge and historical reconstruction based on the accounts of the apostles and of various historians living in the first three centuries ad. Results:,Three blind adult male beggars residing on three different street locations were described. Two had previously had good vision that had declined over a long time and the third had been born blind. The manifestations of the ocular diseases in these cases were meagre, precluding any precise diagnosis. The healing methodology did not rely on physical examination, detailed history, or the use of medicines. Jesus' tools consisted of spitting, touching, praying and the use of words. Visual outcome reported as a complete cure was realized in all three incidents. Conclusions:,The accounts of miracles in the Gospels appear to be historically reliable, yet subject to different interpretations: faith in the miracle (the Christian perspective); sorcery (the Jewish perspective); mythology (the atheist perspective), and scientifically possible human action by a charismatic, compassionate, knowledgeable man (the scientific perspective: psychotherapy or suggestion). [source] Think Globally, Publish Virtually, Act Locally: A U.S.-Saudi International Museum PartnershipCURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005Paul Michael Taylor ABSTRACT This paper examines an on-going cooperative project between the National Museum of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, undertaken within the framework of the International Partnership Among Museums (IPAM) program of the American Association of Museums. The project,Written in Stone: Epigraphy from the National Museum of Saudi Arabia,is a virtual Web exhibition of inscriptions dating from the late second millennium B.C. to the nineteenth century AD. It is undoubtedly representative of many special-purpose cooperative projects (for exhibitions, research, or other purposes) that are taking place across international boundaries between pairs or groups of museums in various countries. Such collaborations provide examples of how partner institutions can take advantage of the opportunities that globalization and standardization of museum practices offer. [source] The origins of the theophoric week in the Germanic languagesEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 4 2007Philip Shaw The Germanic terms for the days of the week that contain the names of Germanic deities are often taken to result from Romano-Germanic interactions in the fourth century AD. Yet this need not be the case: the linguistic arguments underpinning this view are not decisive. A reassessment of these names suggests that an early medieval process of transfer in scholarly Christian contexts may be equally, if not more, plausible. [source] Upper Pleistocene-Holocene geomorphic changes dictating sedimentation rates and historical land use in the valley system of the Chifeng region, Inner Mongolia, northern ChinaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 11 2010Y. Avni Abstract This study focuses on the late Quaternary landscape evolution in the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia, China, its relations to the history of the Pleistocene-Holocene loess accumulation, erosion and redeposition, and their impact on human occupation. Based on 57 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of loess sediments, fluvial sand and floodplain deposits accumulated on the hill slopes and floodplains, we conclude that during most of the Pleistocene period the region was blanketed by a thick layer of aeolian loess, as well as by alluvial and fluvial deposits. The loess section is divided into two main units that are separated by unconformity. The OSL ages at the top of the lower reddish loess unit yielded an approximate age of 193,ka, roughly corresponding to the transition from MIS 7 to 6, though they could be older. The upper gray loess unit accumulated during the upper Pleistocene glacial phase (MIS 4,3) at a mean accumulation rate of 0·22,m/ka. Parallel to the loess accumulation on top of the hilly topography, active fans were operating during MIS 4,2 at the outlet of large gullies surrounding the major valley at a mean accumulation rate of 0·24,m/ka. This co-accumulation indicates that gullies have been a long-term geomorphic feature at the margins of the Gobi Desert since at least the middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, the erosion of the Pleistocene loess on the hills led to the burial of the valley floors by the redeposited sediments at a rate that decreases from 3·2,m/ka near the hills to 1,0·4,m/ka1 in the central part of the Chifeng Valley. This rapid accumulation and the frequent shifts of the courses of the river prevented the construction of permanent settlements in the valley floors, a situation which changed only with improved man-made control of the local rivers from the tenth century AD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Accounting for velocity anisotropy in seismic traveltime tomography: a case study from the investigation of the foundations of a Byzantine monumental buildingGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 1 2006L. Polymenakos ABSTRACT We estimate velocity anisotropy factors from seismic traveltime tomographic data and apply a correction for anisotropy in the inversion procedure to test possible improvements on the traveltime fit and the quality of the resulting tomographic images. We applied the anisotropy correction on a traveltime data set obtained from the investigation of the foundation structure of a monumental building: a Byzantine church from the 11th century AD, in Athens, Greece. Vertical transverse isotropy is represented by one axis of symmetry and one anisotropy magnitude for the entire tomographic inversion grid. We choose the vertical direction for the symmetry axis by analysing the available data set and taking into account information on the character of the foundations of the church from the literature and past excavations. The anisotropy magnitude is determined by testing a series of values of anisotropy and examining their effect on the tomographic inversion results. The best traveltime fit and image quality are obtained with an anisotropy value (Vmax/Vmin) of 1.6, restricted to the high velocity structures in the subsurface. We believe that this anisotropy value, which is significantly higher than the usual values reported for near-surface geological material, is related to the fabric of the church foundations, due to the shape of the individual stone blocks and the layout of the stonework. Inversion results obtained with the correction for anisotropy indicate that both the traveltime fit and the image quality are improved, providing an enhanced reconstruction of the velocity field, especially for the high-velocity features. Based on this enhanced and more reliable reconstruction of velocity distribution, an improved image of the subsurface material character was made possible. In particular, the pattern and state of the church foundations and possible weak ground material areas were revealed more clearly. This improved subsurface knowledge may assist in a better design of restoration measures for monumental buildings such as Byzantine churches. [source] The Tantura F Shipwreck, IsraelINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Ofra Barkai Tantura F is the first wreck excavated so far in the eastern Mediterranean dated to the beginning of the 8th century AD (the local early Islamic period), based on 14C and pottery analysis. Among the finds were the remains of about 30 ceramic vessels, two anchors, food remnants, fish-bones, a needle, a spoon and a glass vessel. Tantura F was c.15 m long and 5 m wide, and hull remains comprise keel, frames, planks, stringers, mast-step, and other internal components. Construction features clearly indicate frame-based construction, considerably earlier than it is generally thought to have been first employed. © 2006 The Authors [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||