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Aqueous cleaning of works of art on paper is one of the most important and delicate steps in a conservation process. It allows the removal of inorganic (metals) and organic substances, such as degradation products and other contaminants. These substances are responsible for yellowing, weakening, and loss of mechanical properties of paper. In this article, the cleaning effect of gellan gum was assessed on xuan paper, a traditional Chinese paper different in composition and papermaking technology compared to many Western papers. To assess the effect of gellan gum on xuan paper, its characteristics were studied before and after cleaning utilizing non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques. Results were compared to those obtained when treating Western papers and indicated that gellan gum can be applied effectively for aqueous cleaning of xuan paper. Zusammenfassung: Die wässrige Reinigung von Kunstwerken auf Papier ist einer der wichtigsten und heikelsten Schritte in einem Restaurierungssprozess. Sie ermöglicht die Entfernung anorganischer (Metalle) und organischer Substanzen wie Abbauprodukte und anderer Verunreinigungen aus dem Papier. Diese Substanzen können Vergilbung und den Verlust mechanischer Festigkeit von Papier verursachen. In diesem Beitrag wurde die Reinigungswirkung von Gellan Gum auf Xuan-Papier untersucht. Xuan-Papier ist ein traditionelles chinesisches Papier, das sich von historischen westlichen Papieren sowohl in der Faserzusammensetzung als auch in der Herstellung unterscheidet. Um die Wirkung von Gellan Gum auf Xuan-Papier zu bewerten, wurden die Eigenschaften des Papiers vor und nach der Reinigung unter Verwendung nicht-invasiver und mikro-invasiver Techniken untersucht. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit jenen einer Gellan Gum Behandlung von westlichen Papieren verglichen, und es konnte gezeigt werden, dass Gellan Gum effektiv zur wässrigen Reinigung von Xuan-Papier angewendet werden kann. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The e-paper collection of the German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, DNB) contains about 1.200 titles. These digital versions show the original layout of the printed newspapers and are archived as deposit copies. At the same time, the regional libraries are also entitled to receiving copies from the newspaper publishers, based on the laws of their federal states. After several years of preliminary works, a co-operation between the German National Library and, at the moment, eleven regional libraries from seven federal states has started: since January 2018, the collection of the German National Library is accessible from the premises of the participating regional libraries - of course only the e-papers of the respective federal states or areas are available. Thus, handing in and archiving newspapers twice will be avoided, also at federal state level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper "Late Tripolye Culture Settlement Spatial Patterning: Case study from the Gordineşti II-Stînca goală site, Northern Moldova" deals with the archaeological excavations at the Gordineşti II-Stînca goală site in Northern Moldova. The authors present the results of investigations into the structural patterning of residential structures, ground-penetrating radar surveys, and desk-based kernel density estimation (KDE) analyses in order to gain a better understanding of the spatial organization of the settlement. The results indicate the high archaeological potential of the site, with likely multiple systematically and functionally arranged residential structures. The paper emphasizes the importance of studying the spatial organization of settlements for understanding prehistoric societies. [Extracted from the article]

The article contains a list of contact persons of the DMV (German Mathematical Society) at various German universities and colleges. It also mentions some dissertation topics and their supervisors. Furthermore, scientific papers and research projects by mathematicians at various universities are listed. Information about the DMV, its board and presidency, as well as contact details and membership fees, are also provided. However, no further information is given about the content of the papers or research projects. [Extracted from the article]

The Museum of Modern Literature and the Schiller National Museum exhibit the collections of the German Literature Archive. That means: much paper, much pieces of writing and many invisible things - the nucleus of writing and thinking, the motivations and dynamic environments of inventing. The "flat ware" in the exhibitions is a liminal area between body and mind, material and sense, sign and language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A position paper on the topic of freedom of expression and the right to access political, ideological, and religious literature in libraries is presented.

This paper discusses two Coptic morphemes whose etymology has remained obscure to this day, namely the n-prefix of the so-called adjective verbs such as ⲛ-ⲁⲛⲟⲩ= „is good", as well as the particle ⲡⲉ that often accompanies the preterite converter. It is suggested that both of them came into existence by a false segmentation of contexts in which their predecessors typically used to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is conceived as a first step towards the Kemyt (re)contextualization. By exploring the specific layout and paratext of Kemyt, it intends to shed light on the scribes who wrote the many partial copies of this letter-like composition and in which circumstances. I first address the layout, the ink choices, and the writing orientation. I then turn my attention to the text structure: dividers, ending marks, as well as colophons, dedications, and underwriting. The dated ostraca and their frequent identification as school exercises are discussed before moving on to the textual revision practices and looking for an explanation to the low proportion of corrected texts despite faulty content. All this enabled me to highlight a set of scribal practices, in which scribes draw, some being proper to the Kemyt, some being common to the rest of the text production. These practices revealed a complex network, from beginning students to senior scribes, through assistant scribes and early career scribes, which contributed to the crafting and the transmission of scribal knowledge during the New Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On September 17, 2023, the Jewish Medieval Heritage in Erfurt was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee chaired by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. This brought a decades-long process to its provisional conclusion, in which research into the history of the Jewish community in Erfurt in the Middle Ages and its material evidence had been intensified in preparation for the World Heritage application and also during the evaluation, thus leading to a great increase in knowledge. This process should and must continue, but an (interim) conclusion can be drawn in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of the Graß or Graß and Barth publishing house in Breslau from the eighteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century. In particular, it tackles the role of women in the management and the involvement of the printing house in the dissemination of Haskalah literature, two chapters that are usually underrepresented in book history. In addition, the commitment of a Christian printer to Hebrew printing and his involvement with the Jewish Enlightenment will be addressed. The hitherto under-researched history of the Graßische Druckerei in Breslau will thus be embedded in cultural-historical questions about booklore, the Central European Haskalah and Gender Studies. Additionally, the paper examines the transfer of knowledge between the majority and minority population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a reply to George Pattison's magistral triology on a "Philosophy of Christian Life" – focusing on its second part: "A Rhetorics of the Words" (2019). The paper offers an analysis of the main concept, namely the 'call' or the 'vocation'. This leads to three basic questions concerning the lack of vocation's communal character in Pattison's account; his one-sided inclination to pessimism in his cultural critique; and, the only marginal role that other articulations than the call might play within a "devout life" and its ambivalent authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal has always been a source of conflict in academic and scientific libraries. Amid the increasing relevance of electronic resources, the disposal of e-books is becoming pertinent as well. Weighing up the pros and cons, every academic library should consider carefully whether it sides with the "Das frisst kein Brot/It doesn't consume space" team or the "Need to weed" team. The paper makes a proposal where to start the negotiation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a November 2008 further education conference at the Carl von Ossietzky Provincial and University Library in Hamburg, Germany on the theme "So That Paper Persists... Experiences With Mass Deacidification." The rationale, methodology, scope, and evaluated results of paper deacidification projects in various German libraries were reviewed.

The paper compares the different views of the two former presidents of the French National Library in the controversy over Google Books. Jean-Noël Jeanneney's criticism and rejection of any library collaboration with commercial enterprises such as Google is outlined, including his promotion for Europeana as a joint European alternative project. This is contrasted with his successor Bruno Racine's more open approach towards mass-scale digitisation in collaboration with commercial partners. The paper concludes with an outlook on the National Library's digitisation policy under the current management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is intended to put a spotlight on some of the more interesting sections of the Coffin Texts, originating from human error, visible in the variation between the witnesses. Besides showing the sections of text with these variations, explanations are provided on how the distinct variations could have occurred. For this paper, three topics of variation will be discussed: Variation due to errors caught by the scribes, variation due to redaction, by replacing pronouns with the name of the owner or changing double columns into singular columns or by abbreviating sections of text and finally variations due to homophony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ancient Egyptian herbal literature is sparsely documented, but recently an herbal treatise has been discovered that provides new information about ancient Egyptian medical practice. The treatise deals exclusively with a single plant and its seed, representing a specialized subtype of the herbal genre. There are also demotic papyri and isolated herbal entries that use similar constructions. The herbal books contain information about the use of herbs for treating snake bites and other injuries. It is believed that the herbal books belong to the Egyptian tradition and were already standardized in the New Kingdom. There are also indications of the use of non-native plants in Egypt. The social contexts of the herbal books are largely unknown, but they were likely used both in temples and in private households. It is believed that knowledge about plants was mainly transmitted orally, but was also documented in writing. The article also discusses the identification of plants and seeds in ancient Egyptian remedies. However, the exact identification of some plants remains unclear. The article also discusses the plant snw-p.t in ancient Egypt, which may have been imported from abroad. The article provides an overview of the herbal genre in ancient Egypt and presents various sources and texts on this topic. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents an update on a paper deacidification project at the Badische Landesbibliothek library

The article discusses importance of research-based pharmaceutical companies in Germany in the field of medical information in addition to the development and marketing of innovative drugs; and mentions role of pharmaceutical companies in the field of medical information.

The paper examines animal burials in the Middle Bronze Age in the South Caucasus, particularly in Armenia. The authors analyze the burial of animals from a symbolic perspective and hypothesize about their role in human burial practices. It is noted that the burials are characterized by an exceptional quantity and diversity of animal remains. The authors attempt to reconstruct the significance and main aspects of animal burials. The study focuses on five major necropolises in the Armenian Highlands and emphasizes the presence or absence of different groups of animals in the graves. It is found that the burial of animals in the graves was a frequent and recurring practice. Both domesticated and wild animals were found in the graves, with sheep/goats and cattle being the most common animals. However, there is also a variety of wild animals in some graves. The study shows that there can be local peculiarities in ritual practices. No pigs were found in the examined graves in Lori Berd, while horses were present in all the examined sites. However, there is no exclusivity regarding the presence of horses, which are not associated with specific burial situations. Dogs were only found in the Great Kurgan of Karashamb, while they were systematically absent in all other burial contexts. The preservation of the zoological evidence regarding animal body parts is an important aspect, as usually only selected parts of the animals were buried. There is also a variety of wild animals, including foxes, martens, hares, and bears. Mollusk shells were also found and could indicate long-term contacts in protohistoric times. However, the presence of horses in the graves does not imply their widespread use or riding. There is no evidence of the use of horse harnesses or horseback fighting during this time. The iconography of animals during this period is also discussed to identify possible parallels with the archaeological findings. The Middle Bronze Age has provided some significant iconographic evidence for objects made of gold and silver, fine jewelry, and decorations on vases. These representations likely had diverse and complex symbolic meanings. It was found that the representations on exceptional objects such as the two silver cups found in the Great Kurgan of Karashamb and Kurgan V in Trialeti, Georgia, are particularly significant. Hunting wild boars likely had a ritual significance in MBA society. There are differences between the animals found as offerings in the graves and the iconographic representations on gold and silver artifacts. There are also differences between the animal depictions on ceramic vessels and the animal remains in the graves. The symbolic-ritual traditions of these protohistoric societies are complex and can only be partially reconstructed. The significance of hunting for these societies is emphasized, as the abundance and diversity of the animal world in some graves can be seen as an archaeological indication of outstanding and elite individuals. There is a clear proportionality between rich grave goods and abundant animal bones, as seen in the Great Kurgan of Karashamb. Hunting was therefore a sign of strength and power for the elite class of the 2nd millennium BC. [Extracted from the article]

A call for papers for the German librarian conference to be held in Bremen, Germany from June 3-6, 2014 is presented which includes topics such as library administration, academic libraries, and library catalog management.

Bibliometrics is a current topic in many libraries. It is often associated with many questions, which are also repeated from time to time. In this article, the two authors have identified the 10 most frequently asked questions and try to answer them in separate and independent sections. They address questions about data providers such as Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions, but also PubMed, ArXiv, EconBiz, as well as bibliometric indicators such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), CiteScore (CS), Scimago Journal Rank (SJR), Source Normalized Impact per paper (SNIP). However, spotlights will also be put on related topics such as Open Access and Altmetrics e. g. Altmetric.com, Plum Metric and Article-Level-Metric (ALM). The organizational embedding, the question of how culture-changing topics affect science management and libraries as well as the aspect that libraries should take on an expert function on these data-driven topics complete the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The APE2022 took place as an online event again due to the pandemic situation. This time, the thematic focus was on the "record," the actual object of science. Various aspects and manifestations of the "record" were examined, with the observation that permanence can also mean change and adaptability. The differences between preprints and publisher versions were also discussed. One panel addressed the excesses in scientific publishing, particularly fake publications and paper mills. New dotcoms that showcase trends and innovations in science communication were also introduced. APE stands out for its critical examination of current developments and its special "spirit." [Extracted from the article]

The article "Issue 32(1)" in the Communications of the German Mathematical Society (DMV) covers various topics such as the DMV Student Conference 2024 in Ilmenau, the significance of mathematics in museums, job opportunities for mathematics graduates, and the name of the DMV. The president of the DMV emphasizes the need to attract more and younger members and to make greater efforts towards women and diversity. It also reports on the discussion about renaming the DMV, for which suggestions from members are being collected. The 2023 PISA study shows that the average mathematical and reading competencies of adolescents in many OECD countries have declined compared to the previous study in 2018. Scientific competence has also decreased. In Germany, the performance losses in all three areas are above average. The reasons for the deterioration are mainly attributed to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as language difficulties, interest, and motivation. The exhibition "From Newton to Einstein - a journey through space and time" was developed at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam and is now on display in Tübingen. The award winner Carla Cederbaum has also developed other projects, such as a book on mathematical magic tricks and the publication series "Oberwolfach-Snapshots of Modern Mathematics". Mathematicians Carolin Mehlmann and Thomas Richter from the University of Magdeburg participated in an expedition of the Polarstern to the Arctic Ocean to calibrate a new hybrid sea ice model. The hybrid sea ice model combines particle and continuum methods to better resolve the different sea ice regimes on different local scales. The text deals with the deformation theorem in differential geometry. It is shown that a manifold with boundary possesses a metric with certain properties if the double of the manifold carries such a metric. The question of whether the converse of this statement holds is also raised. The text deals with hypothesis testing and the problem of multiple error probability. Various methods for solving this problem are presented, including the Bonferroni correction and the development of better methods taking into account the dependency structure of the tests. It also addresses pseudoline arrangements, which have connections to combinatorics, geometry, and computer science. The text deals with various mathematical topics, including sorting networks, pseudoline arrangements, Rubik's cube, the PISA study, calculating machines, student studies, Felix Klein, and international cooperation in mathematics. Various concepts and applications are explained, such as the creation of sorting networks from pseudoline arrangements, the use of Markov chains to generate random pseudoline arrangements, and the development of calculation aids and calculating machines. The importance of student studies and international cooperation in mathematics is also emphasized. The text provides an insight into various mathematical topics and their applications. The article reports on Renate Tobies, a visiting scientist at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. She studied chemistry and mathematics and obtained her habilitation in the history of mathematics and natural sciences. Tobies has taught in various German cities and in Austria and was the managing editor of NTM History and Ethics of Natural Sciences, Technology, and Medicine. The article deals with a position paper by the professional societies DMV. [Extracted from the article]

This is a reply to George Pattison's magistral triology on a "Philosophy of Christian Life" – focusing on its second part: "A Rhetorics of the Words" (2019). The paper offers an analysis of the main concept, namely the 'call' or the 'vocation'. This leads to three basic questions concerning the lack of vocation's communal character in Pattison's account; his one-sided inclination to pessimism in his cultural critique; and, the only marginal role that other articulations than the call might play within a "devout life" and its ambivalent authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual subtitles show the spoken words of the audio track simultaneously in the original and as a translation when viewing audiovisual media. Since DVD players and TV sets usually do not have a function that allows dual subtitles to be switched on, the paper first describes how this can nonetheless be done by using a computer and special software. Then 36 empirical studies are reviewed that have investigated the effects of dual subtitles. The article comes to the conclusion that they are only of limited use for the classroom but have great value for self-directed learning outside the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperation between archives and libraries with regard to the cataloguing of autographs and papers has changed dramatically over the course of the last twenty years, mainly due to the use of electronic media. By now there are online data banks which contain information on the autograph and paper collections of the Federal Archives Koblenz and the Berlin State Library. Traditionally, there has been a gap in Germany between archives and libraries in this vital field. It is the task for the future to overcome this gap once and for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Conference of the Jülich Central Library's Research Center to be held in Jülich, Germany on November 5-7, 2012.

The titles of scientific articles have a special significance. We examined nearly 20 million scientific articles and recorded the development of articles with a question mark at the end of their titles over the last 40 years. Our study was confined to the disciplines of physics, life sciences and medicine, where we found a significant increase from 50 % to more than 200 % in the number of articles with question- mark titles. We looked at the principle functions and structure of the titles of scientific papers, and we assume that marketing aspects are one of the decisive factors behind the growing usage of question-mark titles in scientific articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eton-Myers collection contains 14 vessels and shards with black rims, which are characteristic of the early predynastic period in Egypt. In this study, five vessels from the collection were analyzed and their shapes and dates determined. The vessels were dated to different periods of Egyptian history, and it was found that the shapes of the vessels have changed over time. The study emphasizes the importance of archaeometric analysis in deepening the understanding of trade between Egypt and its neighbors in prehistory. [Extracted from the article]

The Mycenaean personal name a-ḳị-a2-ro is now given as the new reading for a[-•]-a2-ro in the tablet from Pylos Jn 478.3. This paper proposes a rendering of the name as Ἀγχίαλος, which is well attested in Homeric epos, and it is interpreted as a nickname derived from the place-name of origin of the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents editions of two small fragments of Christian papyri from the collection of the Bodleian Library, Oxford: Bodl. MS. Gr. th. g. 5 (P) and Bodl. MS. Gr. th. f. 16 (P). The first fragment deals with the two gates of heaven, the second with the subject of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the results of a materials science analysis of artifacts from Grave 89 at the cemetery of Karzec in central Poland. The findings suggest a possible specialization in the metallurgical craft of the Lusatian culture during the Late Bronze Age. Reference is also made to similar burials in the Lusatian culture. The analysis of the casting molds shows different stages of production and indicates increased mobility of the craftsman. The results of the investigations are presented in the form of spectra and tables. It is recommended to conduct further research using modern analytical methods to verify these hypotheses. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Opening of graves and turtles. The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis L.) from the cemetery of the Wielbark culture in Czarnówko and the question of posthumous interventions in the past" reports on the discovery of turtle remains in a grave of the Wielbark culture in Czarnówko. It investigates how this finding can be connected to the opening of graves and the presence of turtle remains. It is determined that about 90% of the graves in Czarnówko were manipulated after burial. Similar findings have also been made in other burial grounds in Central Europe. The presence of turtles in the graves is related to the phenomenon of grave opening, which has been observed in areas where body burial was practiced. [Extracted from the article]

Gebrauchsspuruntersuchungen sind eines der wichtigsten Forschungsthemen in der archäologischen Keramikforschung. Von besonderem Interesse sind in Gräbern beigegebene Gefäße, die nicht zur Verbrennungsprozess gehören, da sie normalerweise keiner detaillierten Funktionsanalyse unterzogen wurden. Ihre Funktion wird meist anhand der Form und Oberflächenbehandlung bestimmt. Daher wird im hier benannten chronologischen Kontext allgemein davon ausgegangen, dass Grabkeramik speziell für Bestattungszwecke hergestellt und nicht für andere Zwecke verwendet wurde. Dies gilt insbesondere für andere Keramikgegenstände als Behälter, wie z. B. zoomorphe Gefäße, Figuren und Rasseln, die bei Bestattungszeremonien eine bedeutende Rolle gespielt haben müssen. Der Artikel präsentiert die Ergebnisse morphologischer, stilistischer und chromatographischer Analysen von Gefäßen, die in Lausitzer Gräberfeldern in den Bestattungen deponiert wurden, und hier solche, die auf der Fundstelle 2 in Czernikowice, pow. Legnica, Polen, gefunden wurden. Die Keramikgegenstände stammen aus gut untersuchten Grabkontexten der Montelius-Periode IV und V. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die meisten der analysierten Gefäße Kontakt mit Substanzen pflanzlichen und tierischen Ursprungs hatten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay "A Gold Coin from Jastrzębniki, Kalisz District (PL). On Late Celtic Coinage in Central Europe" examines the continuation of gold coinage in Central Europe after the collapse of the Bohemian-Moravian oppida. The study focuses on three minting centers that imitated late Boii gold coins. These mints recycled popular shell staters with sun and moon motifs and also issued various small coins made of electrum alloys. The coins were circulated in the Oder and Vistula basins and likely had a regional prestige value. One reason for the disappearance of local coin traditions among the northern barbarian elites may have been the massive influx of Roman coins in the second century AD. [Extracted from the article]

The essay "Early agricultural settlement of the periphery of the loess uplands and its paleoecological context - a case study of the Iłża Piedmont (southern Poland)" examines the relationship between the settlement of prehistoric agricultural societies and the occurrence of local loess deposits in Central Europe. The results show that there was already a close connection between the settlement of these areas and the fertile soils, favorable geomorphological, and hydrological conditions in the early Neolithic period. The research findings indicate the flexibility and adaptability of early farmers, which allowed them to settle even less fertile areas outside the loess uplands. [Extracted from the article]

The article describes the archaeological excavations in Brzoza, Poland, which took place from 2015 to 2018. During this time, 11,000 flint objects were discovered, which are attributed to the Late Paleolithic techno-complex with flint points. The excavations focused on exploring a dune barrier to find cultural objects in the primary deposition area. The findings show similarities with the Ahrensburg and Sviderian cultures, as well as the Bromme culture. The results of the investigations suggest that the findings date back to the Late Paleolithic period and are likely from the Younger Dryas period. The Brzoza complex plays an important role in the research of the Late Paleolithic in northern Poland. [Extracted from the article]

Vor mehr als sechzig Jahren veröffentlichte J. Kostrzewski einen Artikel Ze studiów nad wczesnym okresem żelaznym w Polsce (Studien über die ältere Eisenzeit in Polen). Es war das Ergebnis jahrelanger Recherchen, Lektüren und Rückfragen, die in einer Zeit turbulenten ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts durchgeführt wurden. Diese Arbeit ist nach wie vor eine der grundlegenden Studien zur Chronologie von Ha C und Ha D in Polen. Ein wichtiger Teil dieses Textes war die Analyse der „kuyavischen Bronzen", die in der Literatur auch als „Stanomin-Schmuckstücke" bezeichnet werden, benannt nach dem Hort von Stanomin. Neue Funde und die Ergebnisse von 14C- und dendrochronologischen Untersuchungen haben unser Bild von den kulturellen Prozessen im früheisenzeitlichen Polen erheblich verändert. Die Datierung der „kuyavischen Bronzen" und die Deutung der mit ihnen verbundenen Phänomene war bislang kein Gegenstand einer umfassenden Studie. Im vorliegenden Text konzentriert sich der Autor auf diese Fundgruppe, da er diese als eine der wichtigsten Kategorien von Metallartefakten für die Kenntnis der chronologischen Variabilität der frühen Eisenzeit in Polen betrachtet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Verifying the chronology of Ukrainian Neolithic" examines the chronology of the Ukrainian Neolithic. The authors present AMS data from four sites to verify the validity of the chronologies for the Neolithic in Ukraine. They also discuss the role of the Linear Pottery culture and the Azov-Dnieper culture in the spread of agriculture and animal husbandry in Ukraine. The study shows that there are conflicting chronological scales and proposes a comprehensive re-dating and validation. The results have implications for the regional chronology of the Neolithic and emphasize the importance of cross-border collaboration in dating findings. [Extracted from the article]

Since their inception, public libraries in the United States have been understood to be free for all to use. Yet throughout their history, socio-political currents and developments limited or barred access for certain segments of the population. The paper looks at the accessibility for women and Black Americans during the 1850–1950 period, taking into account the image of women in the Victorian and New South era, as well as the Jim-Crow segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of an overview of articles in Info DaF in the 2010 s, this paper aims at tracing the development of research on the education and training of GFL teachers outside of Germany within this decade. It emphasizes the potential of international cooperation in facilitating progress in practice and research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first provides an overview of topics covered in Info DaF from the first decade of the twenty-first century that are considered to be of particular relevance and interest to practitioners and researchers in the field. Second, foreign language teacher education and its necessary reorganization in terms of content are focused on as important focal points in the contributions of Info DaF and in the professional discussions outside of Info DaF during this decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Four Coptic Letters from Thebes" publishes four Coptic letters from Thebes that were found on ostraka. The letters are kept in a warehouse called Abou El-Goud in Luxor. Although the exact origin of the letters is unknown, they were definitely written in the Theban area, particularly in a monastic environment. The letters address topics such as the shipment of wheat, the request for craftsmen, and the inquiry about a specific person named Samuel. The letters are written in Sahidic Coptic and likely date back to the 6th to 8th century. [Extracted from the article]

The study by Georgia Barker examines the representation of the tomb owner in wall paintings and burial models in ancient Egypt. In wall paintings, the tomb owner plays a dominant role, while in models, he rarely appears. The differences are attributed to technical characteristics and the location of the two media in the tomb. The representation of the tomb owner in the models is mainly limited to boats, accounts, and music. The study shows that the representation of the tomb owner depends on cultural and technical factors. [Extracted from the article]

The article describes hieratic ostraca from Gurna, which are kept in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. These ostraca probably date back to the 18th Dynasty and the Ramesside period and deal with various administrative topics. The article also provides information about the temple of Thutmose IV in Gurna and the archaeological mission of Edda Bresciani. Various titles and terms related to gemstone manufacturers and chariot builders are discussed. Additionally, ostraca are described that contain lists of goods and employee markings. The list also includes a variety of sources and publications on various aspects of ancient Egypt. [Extracted from the article]

This article is about differentiating the notion of cultural contact. Not every journey serves the exchange between different cultures when the travellers take on the role of an observer who does not or rarely interact with the observed, but rather projects his or her ideas and needs into them. Looking at the German authors Ernst Jünger and Edzard Schaper, the paper shows how this 'asymmetrical' cultural contact is realised in diaristic writings of both authors and what relationship of 'sentimental' observer and 'naïve' observed becomes visible in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates which formative assessment practices twelve German as a foreign language teachers in lower secondary school use for speaking and how they motivate them. Classroom observations and retrospective interviews revealed that teachers rarely give individual feedback on speaking performance because of time constraints, prefer implicit corrections such as recasts and try to encourage peer-feedback and self-corrections because the teachers consider them to be less demotivating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article (which is dedicated to the German professor Alfred Haverkamp) focuses on the expulsions of Jews in Europe during the Middle Ages. Several topics are discussed, including how the Prussian King Frederick II wrote letters protecting Jews after his ancestor Rupert II expelled the Prussian Jews, how the French Kings Philip II, August, and Louis VIII all mistreated the Jews when they first came into power, and how Jewish communities and Jewish individuals were often expelled without warning or reason during the Middle Ages.

This paper examines the main orthographic innovations of the early Islamic orthography in comparison to the Nabataean orthography and traces through new epigraphic evidence when and where these innovations came to be used. It is shown that a number of them clearly develop already in the pre-Islamic period. Besides this, the paper looks at the complexities of Arabic orthography and morphophonological spelling as it is reflected in the Quranic orthography as well as pre-Islamic inscriptions and argues that the early Islamic orthography represents the continuation of a developed Hijazi scribal tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Histories of Gregory of Tours are among the most important literary testimonies for the transition period from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages. The verdict on the Latin literature and language of the first centuries of the Frankish Empire has often been very negative. Krusch and Levison, who published today's still authoritative critical edition of the Histories, also assumed that Gregory's original text could only have been written in poor Merovingian Latin. This paper presents arguments for a new edition of the Histories from different perspectives. Gregory's testimonies in which he addresses his own linguistic and grammatical deficiencies or the necessity of writing in a simple language, have to be viewed and evaluated within the larger tradition of statements of this kind in (Late) Antiquity. They should, thus, not be read as evidence for the argument that Gregory's Histories were written in poor and incorrect Latin. An assumption of this kind, however, has influenced Krusch's and Levison's evaluation of the manuscripts of Gregory's Histories and is thus reflected in their reconstructed text, even though quite a few manuscripts offer a much better text. This approach has repeatedly been criticised by different scholars; my paper joins this criticism. In assessing the various manuscripts of Gregory's Histories, the editors have to make a decision regarding the presumed quality and state of Gregory's Latin. My paper, therefore, also offers a case-study of Gregory's stylistic and rhythmic arrangement of his text. The analysis of the so-called prose rhythm provides important evidence in favour of a positive assessment of Gregory's level of education and thus of his linguistic and grammatical proficiency. This can also be viewed as an argument for a new and appropriate edition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]