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Significant variations in climate exist between the northern and southern regions of China, resulting in varying degrees of decay observed in wooden relics unearthed from different areas. The preservation of wooden cultural artifacts in humid environments is influenced by numerous factors including regional environmental conditions (such as temperature, humidity, and biological mold), and site structural characteristics, among others, making the conservation efforts more specialized and intricate. This study utilizes the example of the unearthed wet outer coffin wooden cultural relics from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng to demonstrate a method involving the use of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) composite material for the reinforcement and protection of such artifacts. Through a comprehensive analysis of various analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), density increase rate, wood compression strength along the grain, hydrophobic property, and other micro and macro properties, it was determined that: The combination of PVAc and shellac as a reinforcement agent has been shown to enhance the mechanical properties of wooden cultural relics while also maintaining minimal color variation, increased biocompatibility, and durability. This method is particularly well-suited for fortifying and preserving damp wooden cultural relics that exhibit varying degrees of decay. The findings offer significant insights and potential avenues for further research on the preservation methods for large wooden cultural artifacts discovered in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River dating back to the Warring States Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other institutions excavated the tomb of Murong Zhi, the King Xi of Tuyuhun, located at Chashan Village, Qilian Town, Tianzhu County. A comprehensive archaeological survey of the Binggou and Dashui river valleys in Qilian Town in 2020 revealed the existence of 23 Tuyuhun royal tombs across four areas. Three tombs at the Changling-Machangtan area in Qilian Town, excavated in 2021, are identified as a probable section of the Tuyuhun Pengzi clan's family cemetery during the Tang dynasty. Through ongoing archaeological work, three large mausoleum areas have been confirmed in Wuwei's Nanshan district: Yanghui Valley, Great Khan Mausoleum, and Baiyang Mountain. The tomb distribution is characterized by being widely dispersed but mutually connected. Excavations also confirm that Tuyuhun tombs were constructed without aboveground mounds. Additionally, rare Tang artifacts were discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the walls of the Theban Tomb 123 (Luxor, Egypt) are the result and evidence of diverse histories developed over a span of 3400 years. They encapsulate, as overlapping layers, material and intangible transformations that reveal multiple uses, meanings, and ontologies which converged in the necropolis of Thebes. At this tomb, originally built for a scribe named Amenemhet, a detailed study of the stratigraphic matrix of one of the walls was undertaken. Forty-eight stratigraphic units have been documented and arranged in a Harris matrix through an exhaustive survey of the macroscopic evidence about the historical changes on the wall. The analysis performed reveals the complexity of these spaces and their multiple occupations across thousands of years and sheds light on the unambiguous visions of these places regarded as pristine relics of the pharaonic past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edmund Kean played the role of Richard III for almost twenty years, in which time the most enduring images of his performance included his sword. Theatrical legend has it that this sword was passed down through generations of Shakespearean actors and found its resting place in Laurence Olivier's tomb. The significance of the sword as a theatrical relic can be located in the archival traces of Kean's performance style, particularly in James H. Hackett's 1826 annotated copy of Richard III. The sword's role in the performance takes on even more significance as Kean aged and became more physically debilitated. A performer known for his dynamic physicality, Kean was also recorded as struggling with physical impairments as a child. Moving from a mythical 'overcoming' of bodily challenges to simulating disability onstage as Richard to actual physical debility later in life, Kean continued to use his sword to 'prop' him up, literally and figuratively, on the stage. The sword becomes a prosthetic object, an addition to the body that shapes its movement and becomes an extension of the body itself. I argue that Kean's sword throughout his career showed off his prodigious physical skill and then became enmeshed in his bodily decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an investigation of two recently discovered paper sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment from the Silla kingdom, this paper reveals that early Korea had more diverse forms of dhāraṇī practices than previously assumed. Through analyses of these incantation sheets, this paper contributes toward filling the gap in our current understanding of the material practice pertaining to the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment of medieval East Asia. Previously, all known traces of material dhāraṇīs from early Korea, with just a few exceptions, were related to the Sūtra of the Pure Light Incantation enshrined in the relic crypts of pagodas—a practice that has little connection to contemporaneous Chinese dhāraṇī practice. However, the newly discovered Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment sheets, whose date this paper infers to be between the eighth and ninth century, show that Unified Silla had a dhāraṇī practice closely linked to coeval Chinese practice. The Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment sheets from Silla show the modification and continuation of Chinese dhāraṇī practice. Unlike the Chinese amulet sheets of the Incantation of Wish-Fulfillment that were buried in tombs, the Silla amulet sheets were likely enshrined in one of the pagodas erected on Mount Nam in Silla's capital. At the same time, they were placed in the pagoda to wish for good afterlives of the soldiers who died at the battle, suggesting that they had a mortuary function similar to those buried in Chinese tombs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Reti Medievali is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Architectural remains include courtyards and large building complex foundations made of rammed earth, a barbican formed by enclosing walls, and remains of buildings constructed by the formwork of wooden planks. Keywords: Gongyi City of Henan Province; Shuanghuaishu site; three encircling trenches; residential area; Yangshao culture EN Gongyi City of Henan Province Shuanghuaishu site three encircling trenches residential area Yangshao culture 17 31 15 11/16/22 20221101 NES 221101 Postscript The original article , prepared by Wanfa Gu , Xu Wang , Yayi Hu , and Yingjun Xin , was published in Kaogu (Archaeology) 2021.7:99-106 with 42 figures. The enclosing wall Q1 is about 261m long and has a foundation trench of 1.1m to 1.7m wide, while Q3 is about 84m long and has a foundation trench of 1.2m to 1.9m wide. The foundation trench underneath the north wall is 1.2m to 2.2m wide and 0.4m to 0.8m deep; the foundation trench underneath the west wall is 1.2m to 2.2m wide and 0.5m to 1m deep; the foundation trench underneath the east wall, although subject to no trial excavation, is 1m to 1.6m wide. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Pengyang County; Ningxia; Yaoheyuan city site; high-ranking tombs; capital city of the Huo state; Western Zhou period EN Pengyang County Ningxia Yaoheyuan city site high-ranking tombs capital city of the Huo state Western Zhou period 53 64 12 11/16/22 20221101 NES 221101 Postscript The original article , prepared by Qiang Ma , was published in Kaogu (Archaeology) 2021.8:3-22 with 32 illustrations and five notes. Combined with the unearthed artifacts, its age can be dated to the late Western Zhou, which corresponds to the high-ranking burial area in the northeast, confirming that the age of the Yaoheyuan city site extended from the early to the late Western Zhou, which is also consistent with the information obtained from the investigation and excavation. Through the ongoing archaeological excavations in recent years, it is clear that the Yaoheyuan capital city of the state of Huo lasted from the early to the late Western Zhou until the eastward migration of the Zhou people to Luoyi. Yaoheyuan city site, high-ranking tombs, capital city of the Huo state, Pengyang County, Ningxia, Western Zhou period. [Extracted from the article]

Many degradation processes of cultural heritage objects are associated with unsuitable microclimatic conditions. One of the most ubiquitous deteriorations is the crystallization of salts in pores, which can accelerate the erosion rate of masonry historical relics. In this study, the microclimate of the burial tomb and exfoliation of sandstone in the Yongling Mausoleum of the Former Shu Dynasty in Chengdu were monitored for 1 year to determine the development of the degradation. We established a connection between the monitoring data and exfoliation variations of the stone with time. To predict the deterioration of the stone, a three-dimensional computational finite element model was used to simulate the detailed process of the thermo-hygrometric performance that led to salt crystallization and artwork deterioration. Two results were obtained. In the simulation of the microclimate, the temperature ranged from 15 to 22.6 °C, and the relative humidity was heterogeneous and varied between 60 and 100%. The other was the relationship between the microclimate and exfoliation. It was found that the exfoliation was more severe in the higher relative humidity areas where the water vapor frequently interacted with the relics. The crystallization and hydration of sulfate produced stress, which damaged the stone relics. These results provide a rationale analysis and a reference for better management of the environmental interactions and reduction of the environmental impacts in the subsequent scientific conservation of ancient Chinese cultural relics in tombs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 20th century, there have been many research achievementson the Mu family in Yunnan in the Ming Dy⁃ nasty. However, throughout the existing research, the research focuses on the overall situation ofthe Mu family, Mu Ying, de⁃ scendants of the Mu descendants and tombs of the Mu family. In terms of the use of documents and historical materials, official historical records are the main ones, and there are few references to inscriptions on steles, memorials, collected works, novels and unearthed cultural relics. From the point of view of the number of papers, there are three stages: the initial stage, the middle stage and the late stage. On the whole, there are still many deficiencies. This paper tries to find out the defects of the achieve⁃ ments by briefly summarizing the present research situation of the Mu family, and on this basis, to add the application of interdis⁃ ciplinary knowledge, aiming to improve the development of research path of the Mu family, and continue to bring forth new ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First Plantagenêt kings' veneration of saints and their relics constitutes a part of their politics to construct the «empire» and to strengthen their territorial power basis. First, interest for certain cults fits in with the search for dynastic legitimisation by celestial patronage, while Thomas Becket has become the kingdom's new saint patron. Some relic affairs reflect symbolic of power's translation (Edward the Confessor, Edmund, Martial and Valerie, the elevation of relics at Fécamp, the discovery of Arthur and Guinevere's tombs at Glastonbury). Kings' presence at significant translation ceremonials or their visits to shrines are linked to their territorial politics (St. Michel's Mount, Rocamadour, Grandmont, and the translation of St. Frithswyth at Oxford). At last, relics played an essential role in Richard the Lionheart's crusade expedition. The link between politics and relics cult can be explained by the belief in the virtus materially present in relics; in which their possession and exalting by the cult had to grant celestial protection of the kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological excavations carried out outside and inside the Church of St. Luke the Evangelist in Novska defined two burial horizons: a dominant late medieval horizon and an Early Modern, postOttoman horizon, which is defined only in the church interior. Only six graves can be reliably dated to the Early Modern burial horizon; standing out among the few finds there is a large rhomboid breverl found among dislocated ribs in the filling of grave 66. It is made of a copper alloy and decorated with the monogram of Christ on the front and the monogram of Mary on the back. Inside the breverl there are poorly preserved remains of paper and a wooden cross, which may have served to hold relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If so, then Clonmore is typical of most Irish sites in that reliquary foci were kept separate from the principal church, thereby underscoring the distinction between veneration of relics and communal celebration of the Eucharist.[90] There are some exceptions to this, of course, which follow the continental practice of placing relics within the principal church (usually in or near the altar). Exploring "the Angels" Graveyard': Relics, Sculpture and Ecclesiastical Power at Clonmore Politics aside, the two churches were near enough to each other to have been in direct competition for pilgrimage revenue.[114] Though it remains unclear as to the degree to which the relic cults of Clonmore and Ferns competed against one another, it is certain that the rise of Uí Chennselaig power in Leinster, and with it that of Ferns, heralded a slow decline in Clonmore's ecclesiastical status. Though it is unclear whether this collection is the one later claimed to be housed at Clonmore, certainly by the 12th century, Onchú and his collection of saints' relics were explicitly associated with Clonmore. [Extracted from the article]

A Hindu samādhi is a shrine that marks the final resting - place of a realised guru's body and reflects the traditional understanding that the realised sage's perfected body should not be cremated but rather should be preserved as a localised instantiation of sacred power. While some scholars speculate that the Hindu samādhi shrine tradition is borrowed from the Sufi dargāh (tomb - shrine) tradition, I argue that the Hindu samādhi burial practice has pre - dargāh roots resonant with the Buddhist stūpa and relic worship tradition. This article charts the development of this samādhi burial practice in regard to three important considerations: the act of taking samādhi , burying the body, and marking the burial site. It is this long - established burial practice that eventually blossoms into a full - fledged worship tradition in part by coming into contact with the Sufi dargāh tradition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the computer chip has radically altered human life at a global scale, and with increasing access to digital platforms it was inevitable that digitization would reshape popular culture. The video game industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in technological and entertainment industries, reaching an enormous audience. It is now estimated that some 2.5 billion people play games worldwide, with 211 million American adults, 52 percent of whom are college educated (see Rassalle in this issue) (fig. 1). Infographic of gamer demographics. From Entertainment Software Association. Source: https://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the International Arthurian Society is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper represents the second part of a more developed study and presents the exhumation of the precious relics of Saint Paisius Velichkovsky from his tomb, located in the Princely Church of Neamț Monastery, as well as the causes of depreciation of his bones, traditions from Neamţ related to the grave and exhumation - in light of the historical reality, the restoration of the tomb, as well as putting the relics in a reliquary for veneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Florence's final serious attempt, on the eve of national celebrations in honor of Dante and Italy, to retrieve Dante's bones from Ravenna. Breaking down the skillful diplomatic dance performed by the two cities in letters, resolutions, and meeting minutes, it shows how Italy's unification did not favor Florentine claims to Dante's bones; if anything, it gave Ravenna permanent possession of the poet's remains. Ravenna's "great refusal" of Florence's petition set the stage for future wrangling over relics of Italy's secular saint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tomb, body and relics of the Anglo-Saxon St Cuthbert (d.AD 68y) are best known for then miraculous preservation and migration across North East England in flight from Viking raiders throughout the period AD 795-995, before coming to rest at Durham Cathedral (Cramp 1980; Campbell 1991, 79). Their current display emphasizes their role as 'Treasures' of the Cathedral and as symbols of England's conversion and early Christianity. What are not mentioned are the modern interactions with the tomb that led to the creation of their modem display as a key attraction of the World Heritage Site. As this article will argue, post-medieval examinations and uses of the tomb have also been important in attempts to control and produce very particular meanings at the site of display. I offer an examination of nineteenth-century engagements with the tomb and body of St Cuthbert, showing how the saint's remains were a locus of conflicting claims of authenticity and ownership. Through antiquarian practices of exhumation and detailed publications of their findings, curator-custodians were engaged in a distinctively local struggle to produce an authoritative narrative for the saint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to group specimens of Tang Sancai of unknown provenance to the different kilns according to their chemical compositions, we studied the elemental abundance patterns of Tang Sancai body samples from different tombs, relics and kilns by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Our results indicated that the development process of Tang Sancai in the Prospering Tang period could be divided into at least two phases, withad 705 or so as the boundary between them. The results of factor analysis showed that the red-bodied samples were more likely to be produced near Xi’an, whereas the white-bodied Tang Sancai wares dating to beforead 705 were most probably produced at Huanye Kiln (also known as ‘Gongxian’ Kiln), and the figures were very likely made at an undiscovered kiln near Luoyang or an undiscovered part of Huangye Kiln. Among the white-bodied samples dated fromad 705 toad 755, both types of figures and wares were mainly produced near Xi’an and Luoyang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RACAR: Canadian Art Review / Revue d'art Canadienne is the property of Universities Art Association of Canada / Association d'Art des Universites du Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)