Search

The jiandiping 尖底瓶 amphora is a distinctive pottery type of the Yangshao culture (5000 − 3000 BCE), predominantly found along the middle course of the Yellow River, with a significant concentration in the Wei River Valley. Despite its widespread presence, the function of this vessel has remained elusive in scholarly discourse. This article investigates the amphora's spatial relationship to salt deposits and examines its physical characteristics, evaluating these aspects within the context of the Yangshao population's lifestyle in the Wei River Valley. By incorporating evidence from Shang dynasty oracle bone inscriptions and various ethnoarchaeological studies, we propose a new interpretation of the jiandiping amphora as a tool for salt processing. This study prompts a reevaluation of Neolithic cultural and technological practices, highlighting the Yangshao society's potential involvement in salt exploitation in the Wei River Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier PlenOctrees have shown to be an efficient representation for real-time rendering of dynamic neural radiance fields (NeRF). Despite its many advantages, this method suffers from artifacts introduced by the involved compression when combining it with recent state-of-the-art techniques for training the static per-frame NeRF models. In this paper, we perform an in-depth analysis of these artifacts and leverage the resulting insights to propose an improved representation. In particular, we present a novel density encoding that adapts the Fourier-based compression to the characteristics of the transfer function used by the underlying volume rendering procedure and leads to a substantial reduction of artifacts in the dynamic model. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our enhanced Fourier PlenOctrees in the scope of quantitative and qualitative evaluations on synthetic and real-world scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare hardness versus strain rate data from different kinds of indentation creep test can be challenging. It is often difficult to determine whether measured differences in material response along different loading paths, such as constant load creep or load relaxation, are real or merely arise as artifacts from the analysis. We argue that the difficulty lies in how indentation strain rate is defined. For traditional definitions of strain rate, such as ε ˙ h , which measures the rate of penetration, or ε ˙ A , which measures the growth of indent area, material response might seem path-dependent even when it is not. We introduce a new definition of plastic strain rate, ε ˙ irr , which is based on irreversible work and is well-posed in the sense that it gives the same results from different loading paths when deformation is path-independent. This property frees experimenters to isolate and explore deformation mechanisms that respond differently along different loading paths, which is useful for revealing the influences of time and strain rate on evolution of structure. ε ˙ irr is important for exploring path-dependence in high-hardness/modulus (≳ 0.02) materials like ceramics and polymers. For low-hardness-modulus materials other measures of strain rate suffice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blooming artifacts caused by calcifications appearing on computed tomography (CT) images lead to an underestimation of the coronary artery lumen size, and higher X-ray energy levels are suggested to reduce the blooming artifacts with subjective visual assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of higher X-ray energy levels on the quantitative measurement of adjacent pixels affected by calcification using CT images. In this two-part study, CT images were acquired from dual-energy CT scanners by changing the X-ray energy levels such as kilovoltage peak (kVp) and kilo-electron volts (keV). Adjacent pixels affected by calcification were measured using the brightened length, excluding the actual calcified length, as determined by the full width at third maximum. In a separate clinical study, the adjacent affected pixels associated with 23 calcifications across 10 patients were measured using the same method as that used in the phantom study. Phantom and clinical studies showed that the change in kVp (field of view [FOV] 300 mm: p = 0.167, 0.494, and 0.861 for vendors 1, 2, and 3, respectively) and keV levels (p = 0.178 for vendor 2) failed to reduce the adjacent pixels affected by calcification, respectively. Moreover, the change in keV levels showed different aspects of adjacent pixels affected by calcification in the phantom study (FOV 300 mm: no significant difference [p = 0.191], increase [p < 0.001], and decrease [p < 0.001] for vendors 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Quantitative measurements revealed no significant relationship between higher X-ray energy levels and the adjacent pixels affected by calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From at least 1750 until 1900, Euro-American settlers of New York and New Jersey appropriated the production of Indigenous North American shell beads, namely wampum. Excavations at the David Campbell House in northeastern New Jersey yielded deposits of worked shell coterminous with household assemblages dating from 1810 to 1850. Artifact analyses combined with merchant ledger manuscripts reveal the chaîne opératoire of settler beadmaking from 1770 to 1900, including temporalities of production, waste, and racial and gendered labor dynamics in transition to factory production. Conclusions warrant greater archaeological attention to the relationship between capitalist industrialization, settler-colonial dispossession, and Indigenous resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research examines the critical intersection between science and special education (SPED), particularly on the nature of science (NOS) in science methods courses. This study addresses this gap by investigating 10 preservice SPED teachers' NOS understanding, NOS implications for SPED, and the integration of NOS into their lesson plans in a science methods course. Quantitative and qualitative pre/post-course Students' Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry (SUSSI) response and course artifact analysis indicated that participants' NOS conceptions improved to be largely consistent with contemporary science education reforms; post-course, especially related to the NOS aspect of observations and inferences, and imagination and creativity in scientific investigations. Participants' strong growth in certain NOS aspects was reflected in their identification of implications of NOS in SPED, providing initial evidence that participants valued disabilities as a form of diversity instead of as a deficit or a barrier to learning science. This offers additional evidence of the potential of NOS to make science accessible for all. Quantitative rating of lesson plans showed substantive integration of inquiry, but NOS ideas were generally implicit, yet accurate in the lesson plans. Nevertheless, these findings represent some progress yet substantial additional growth opportunities. Additional research on supporting SPED preservice teachers' science instruction is needed to realize the potential of NOS to promote equity and social justice in science teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of an integrated research approach to the reconstruction of ceramic production technology on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic is considered based on the results obtained by modern methods. For the first time, the results of studying physicomechanical and physicochemical properties are summarized and an attempt is made to open up methods of technical analysis of ceramic artifacts. A unified scientific approach has been developed to the ceramics of various periods ranging from the 2nd millennium BC to our era up to the 10th – 12th centuries, and excavated in Kyrgyzstan, so as to determine the relationship between their microstructure and physical and mechanical properties. Ceramic technology, like no other industry, requires this kind of research because of the specificity of technical information associated with both natural and social factors. The lack of solid knowledge in the field of ceramics technology prevents the acquisition of important information about the history, culture, and economy of Kyrgyzstan as a nation-building entity. However, a comprehensive study of production techniques, types, compositions, and quality of ceramics would open up completely new prospects for confirming the antiquity of Kyrgyzstan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a story of becoming. In this creative non-fiction essay, I share a case study of an informal science program for high school aged youth that took place over 5-weeks one summer in an urban park in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. I conducted observations, interviews, and artifact analysis to explore how youth environmental interest and identity developed through relational processes between human and more-than-human beings. As a participant-observer, I tried to focus my attention on learning about learning. But I kept getting pulled from my research to something bigger, something messier. In my essay, I reflect on what it meant for our small group to become naturalists together, juxtaposing the diversity of our human cultures/histories/languages/selves with the diversity of the park, from the soil to the tree canopy. I then draw intimate connections between the twin losses of biological and cultural diversity. By using narrative storytelling, I invite the reader to come on a journey with me through the story of my own ideas, the ideas of the youth and educators I worked with, and the story of the land itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play is a developmentally appropriate practice for young children and enhances children's holistic development. However, recent educational policies and pressure to focus on academic goals and high-stakes testing have resulted in an emphasis on teacher-directed instruction, minimizing play-based child directed experiences in kindergarten classrooms. Research indicates that pre-service teachers' (PSTs) perceptions about teaching affect their future pedagogy in the classroom, therefore this phenomenological study aimed to explore PSTs' perceptions of play in kindergarten as they reflected on early childhood play experiences and more recent student teaching experiences. Data were collected through interviews, artifact analysis, document analysis, and field notes. Interview responses were transcribed, interpreted, and coded into themes, aggregating the data into small categories of information. The data analysis revealed PSTs' widespread conceptualizations of play, including misconceptions. The findings suggest the PSTs' incomplete understanding of play may result in deprived authentic, valuable learning opportunities for children in kindergarten classrooms. The findings of this study should be considered by all educational stakeholders to ensure that PSTs develop a comprehensive understanding of play, identify the connection between play and learning, and understand how play supports all children's development, resulting in integration of play in kindergarten classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seaways have played a significant role in the movement of people, goods and ideologies since prehistory; yet, the ephemerality of movement combined with the paucity of direct evidence for prehistoric seafaring has challenged more refined understandings of the role of early seafaring in anthropogeny. Advances in digital methodologies within archaeology, such as least-cost approaches, allow more nuanced models of movement to be generated but suffer from dichotomous approaches to land and sea. These disentangled land-sea perspectives have long been criticised as ineffectual for understanding past maritime cultures, and previous discussions of prehistoric seafaring more specifically have advocated the consideration of the unique character of maritime space in order to more closely actuate a seafarer's perspective. Drawing on these ideas, this paper argues that more nuanced approaches to past seafaring are not only necessary but also achievable through holistic perspectives, heuristic methods and scaled-down resolutions, which allow for a more contextualised understanding of the spatiality and temporality—i.e. the human-scale—of maritime movement. This will be demonstrated through an integrated land-sea least-cost method to model Neolithic seafaring around the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is not the intention of this paper to advocate solely for the methodology outlined here but rather to demonstrate the need to consider and understand the unique character of maritime space and its many influences on the practices being studied. Only through such contextualised cognition can the perspectives and ideologies of past seafarers and the role of seafaring in anthropogeny truly be understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study presents the development and evaluation of a numerical approach to simulate artifacts of metallic implants in an MR environment that can be applied to improve the testing procedure for MR image artifacts in medical implants according to ASTM F2119. Methods: The numerical approach is validated by comparing simulations and measurements of two metallic test objects made of titanium and stainless steel at three different field strengths (1.5T, 3T and 7T). The difference in artifact size and shape between the simulated and measured artifacts were evaluated. A trend analysis of the artifact sizes in relation to the field strength was performed. Results: The numerical simulation approach shows high similarity (between 75% and 84%) of simulated and measured artifact sizes of metallic implants. Simulated and measured artifact sizes in relation to the field strength resulted in a calculation guideline to determine and predict the artifact size at one field strength (e.g., 3T or 7T) based on a measurement that was obtained at another field strength only (e.g. 1.5T). Conclusion: This work presents a novel tool to improve the MR image artifact testing procedure of passive medical implants. With the help of this tool detailed artifact investigations can be performed, which would otherwise only be possible with substantial measurement effort on different MRI systems and field strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time is here for archaeologists to step up to the role of enabling communities to have a meaningful collaboration with our research. The papers in this volume exemplify this ability for archeologists to full engage with descendant communities to create projects that are applicable to the people whose identity is impacted by our work This paper takes the opportunity to comb through the methods presented in these case studies and develop a set of criteria by which the goal of community engagement can be had. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Julia entered as a student of Albert Spaulding, famous for his focus on analytical techniques in archaeology, which made Julia's background in analysis and computer applications particularly appealing. B I Many archaeologists have been leery about working with metal detectionists; however, you had a very useful collaboration with them on the site of Calaveras Big Trees State Historic Park. i b COSTELLO: It was Doug Scott who encouraged me to use metal detectionists. In 1978 an enormous cultural resources project related to the construction of the New Melones Reservoir in the "Gold Country" of California came online, and Julia was hired to lead the research into the historical archaeology, working together with a prehistorian, Harvey Crew. Knox Mellon was the state historic preservation officer at the time and had made a point of selecting Julia as the first person on the board to represent historical archaeology. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To quantify metal artifact reduction using 130 keV virtual monochromatic imaging (VMI) with and without orthopedic metal artifact reduction (O-MAR) in total hip arthroplasty. Methods: Conventional polychromatic images and 130 keV VMI of a phantom with pellets representing bone with unilateral or bilateral prostheses were reconstructed with and without O-MAR on a dual-layer CT. Pellets were categorized as unaffected, mildly affected and severely affected. Results: When 130 keV VMI with O-MAR was compared to conventional imaging with O-MAR, a relative metal artifact reduction in CT values, contrast-to-noise (CNR), signal-to-noise (SNR) and noise in mildly affected pellets (67%, 74%, 48%, 68%, respectively; p < 0.05) was observed but no significant relative metal artifact reduction in severely affected pellets. Comparison between 130 keV VMI without O-MAR and conventional imaging with O-MAR showed relative metal artifact reduction in CT values, CNR, SNR and noise in mildly affected pellets (92%, 72%, 38%, 51%, respectively; p < 0.05) but negative relative metal artifact reduction in CT values and noise in severely affected pellets (− 331% and -223%, respectively; p < 0.05), indicating aggravation of metal artifacts. Conclusion: Overall, VMI of 130 keV with O-MAR provided the strongest metal artifact reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documentary archaeology presents the challenge and opportunity for innovation in understanding the past. This article introduces the Lifecycle of Community, a flexible framework that addresses the challenge of integrating different evidentiary lines at different scales into meaningful narratives. Yama/Nagaya Village is presented as a case study to exemplify the process. The framework establishes a deeper narrative of the community, provides recommendations for future archaeological work conducted at the site as well as in artifact analysis, and contributes to the growing literature on the archaeology of a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic archaeobotanical research in the Bronze Age Aegean has greatly expanded our knowledge regarding staple crops and aspects such as palaeoecology, human diet and food production. However, some plant foodstuffs remain 'invisible' to conventional archaeobotanical methods. This study explores the use of plant ingredients in Minoan cuisine through the analysis of starch grains from cooking or cooking related vessels from two Minoan sites, Sissi and Malia. By combining available macrobotanical, textual and ethnobotanical data with newly acquired microbotanical evidence from cooking vessels, this study expands the list of plant species cooked and consumed in Minoan cuisine and enables a further exploration of food-related practices. In particular, we were able to document starch grains from staple crops (Triticeae), underground storage organs, tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum). The identification of previously unattested plant ingredients of Minoan cuisine broadens the horizon of food consumption practices and contributes to the discussion regarding the economic and social meaning of food consumption in Minoan communities during Final Palatial and Post-Palatial periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational thinking (CT) is a fundamental skill and an analytical ability that children in the twenty-first century should develop. Students should begin to work with algorithmic problem-solving and computational methods in K-12. Drawing on a conceptual framework (IGGIA) that combines CT and problem-solving, this study designed and implemented an interdisciplinary Scratch course in a primary school, examined the impact of the new problem-solving instructional approach (the adapted IGGIA) on pupils' CT skills and self-efficacy, and explored the gender differences in these two aspects. A pretest–posttest nonequivalent group design was conducted among 63 fifth-grade students in two computer science classes over 14 weeks. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through the administration of CT scales, Scratch artifacts analysis and focus group interviews. The results revealed that the adapted IGGIA (1) significantly improved the CT skills of primary school students; (2) had a significant positive impact on pupils' CT self-efficacy, especially on their critical thinking, algorithmic thinking and problem-solving; and (3) significantly enhanced girls' CT skills and self-efficacy. These findings indicated that problem-solving instructional approaches could promote both cognitive and noncognitive aspects of students' deeper computational learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of beads made of glass, gastropod mollusk shell, and fishbone from a Swahili occupation level on Ibo Island (northern Mozambique) is dated to the eleventh and twelfth centuries AD. The chemical composition of the glass beads and their chromophores, and the shell and fishbone materials, are studied to understand the local and trading provenance of these items. Representative samples of each material, including two flat glass shards, were characterized using optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) microanalysis attached, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometry, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Glass beads represent 60% of the bead assemblage. The shell and fishbone beads are 38.75% and 1.25%, respectively. Three groups of glasses were identified: (1) mineral-soda alumina glass beads associated with the recently identified m-Na-Al 6 group that come from Western India; (2) vegetal-soda alumina, represented by one flat glass shard probably from the Middle East, and beads of v-Na-Al glass of type A that came from Central Asia; and (3) conventional soda-lime silicate glasses, of modern chronology and probable European origin. Groups 1 and 2 show a variety of chromophores, both ionic and colloidal. A ruby-color bead was also identified as belonging to the Na2O-ZnO-SiO2 system and colored with cadmium sulfoselenide colloids, but this was of modern chronology. Shell beads were made from Lambis lambis gastropod mollusk shells and were locally produced. The fishbone beads may have been from a cartilaginous fish of the Chondrichthyes class, but it is difficult to specify the taxonomical level. The results of the analysis suggest that Ibo Island was integrated very early into the Swahili trade networks of the Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article examines seventy years of research and methodological approaches to the analysis of Mesolithic and Neolithic pottery in Sudan. It begins with the studies done by A. J. Arkell at the end of the 1940s, leading to the definition of the Khartoum Mesolithic and Khartoum Neolithic ceramic traditions. The article then discusses the application of the concepts of ware, fabric, decorative technique, and chaîne opératoire to the analysis of pottery and the use of new classification tools and archaeometric methodologies. The implication of the concepts of cultural encounter and the communicative role of material culture for ceramic studies and the insights that ceramics can provide for understanding the interrelationships between humans and the landscape are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the faunal remains from Middle Stone Age deposits of Magubike rockshelter was undertaken to contribute to the modern human behavior debate. Multivariate taphonomic analyses implicate hominins as the key taphonomic agent in the accumulation and modification of the faunal assemblage. Results also show they mainly foraged on large-sized animals as the key sources of meat and marrow. Small-sized animals were also exploited to maximize the foraging net return rates, but only in relatively small quantities. There is evidence that they transported and systematically processed fleshed or relatively complete carcasses. The majority of the cut-marked elements are the high-meat and marrow-bearing bones. The percentages of cut and percussion marks on long bone midshafts fall within the range of variations documented in experimental simulations that sought to replicate hominin primary (early) access to fully fleshed carcasses. There is also evidence that carnivores were scavenging bone fragments discarded by hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study a class of fast geometric image inpainting methods based on the idea of filling the inpainting domain in successive shells from its boundary inwards. Image pixels are filled by assigning them a color equal to a weighted average of their already filled neighbors. However, there is flexibility in terms of the order in which pixels are filled, the weights used for averaging, and the neighborhood that is averaged over. Varying these degrees of freedom leads to different algorithms, and indeed the literature contains several methods falling into this general class. All of them are very fast, but at the same time all of them leave undesirable artifacts such as "kinking" (bending) or blurring of extrapolated isophotes. Our objective in this paper is to build a theoretical model in order to understand why these artifacts occur and what, if anything, can be done about them. Our model is based on two distinct limits: a continuum limit in which the pixel width h → 0 and an asymptotic limit in which h > 0 but h ≪ 1 . The former will allow us to explain "kinking" artifacts (and what to do about them) while the latter will allow us to understand blur. Both limits are derived based on a connection between the class of algorithms under consideration and stopped random walks. At the same time, we consider a semi-implicit extension in which pixels in a given shell are solved for simultaneously by solving a linear system. We prove (within the continuum limit) that this extension is able to completely eliminate kinking artifacts, which we also prove must always be present in the direct method. Finally, we show that although our results are derived in the context of inpainting, they are in fact abstract results that apply more generally. As an example, we show how our theory can also be applied to a problem in numerical linear algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Umhlatuzana rockshelter has an occupation sequence spanning the last 70,000 years. It is one of the few sites with deposits covering the Middle to Later Stone Age transition (~40,000–30,000 years BP) in southern Africa. Comprehending the site's depositional history and occupation sequence is thus important for the broader understanding of the development of Homo sapiens' behavior. The rockshelter was first excavated in the 1980s by Jonathan Kaplan. He suggested that the integrity of the late Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age sediments was compromised by large-scale sediment movement. In 2018, we initiated a high-resolution geoarchaeological study of the site to clarify the site formation processes. Here, we present the results of the excavation and propose a revised stratigraphic division of the Pleistocene sequence based on field observations, sedimentological (particle size) analyses, and cluster analysis. The taphonomy of the site is assessed through phytolith and geochemical (pH, loss on ignition, stable carbon isotope) analyses. The results indicate a consistent sedimentological environment characterized by in situ weathering. The analysis of the piece-plotted finds demonstrates semihorizontal layering of archaeologically dense zones and more sterile ones. There was no indication of large-scale postdepositional sediment movement. We show that the low-density archaeological horizons in the upper part of the Pleistocene sequence are best explained by the changing patterns of sedimentation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of ochre has been documented in many Middle Stone Age sites of Southern Africa. However, the literature on the exploitation of ochre within the archaeological contexts of Later Stone Age (LSA) rock art sites is scarce. Despite the discovery of several painted shelters within the Erongo Mountains (Namibia), no archaeological study of ochre assemblages has been conducted in the region. Here, we present the archaeological ochre assemblage recovered from a LSA sequence at the rock art shelter of Leopard Cave (Erongo, Namibia), spanning ca. 5,700 to 2,100 cal. BP. The use-wear traces present on some ochre fragments and the stone tools bearing red residues are indicative of different stages of ochre processing at the site. The presence of other artifacts, such as ostrich eggshell and bone beads with red residues, and the existence of rock paintings in the cave are pointers to the importance of ochre for understanding the sociocultural behaviors of the LSA populations in central Namibia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shifting sociopolitical environment of colonial Mexico City (1521–1821) resulted in a reorganization of labor obligations and opportunities for the city's inhabitants. Bioarchaeological analysis of skeletal indicators of activity, in combination with historical documentary evidence, provide an avenue for understanding this change in daily-life activities. In particular, the intersection of different aspects of identity results in groups of individuals that shared similar kinds of biomechanical stress that may not have been identified using a traditional methodology of dividing data according to age and sex groups. Additionally, the kind of work a person performed may have had an impact on the social perception of identity in colonial life, which was based more on how a person lived than on physical appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interaction with mountain environments is generally perceived as an adaptation of local communities to the constraining ecological and morphological characteristics of their territory, a preconception challenged by many historians and ecologists yet still largely accepted for seasonally exploited uplands. Traditional upland seasonal practices are considered timeless and immutable as the mountain landscapes shaped by such practices. We combine the methodologies of landscape archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and historical ecology in order to examine the validity of this assumption. Our analysis of two case studies from the French and Italian Alps between the eighteenth and the twenty-first century shows that socioeconomic dynamics affect the resilience of local montane ecosystems and the historical character of upland landscapes, and reveals that historical social, economic, and ecological driving forces contributed to upland landscape change, so that the sustainability of 'traditional' mountain land-use should not be presumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews the history of seismometry in Iran and specifically the evolution of Iranian Seismological Center's (IRSC) seismic network and investigates the artifacts and systematic errors of this center's earthquake catalog. Our analysis indicates instability of magnitude estimation in the IRSC catalog to the extent that in the western and eastern parts of Iran, events with the same USGS reported mb magnitude could result in MN values 0.3 units apart. This catalog is contaminated with quarry and mine blasts, in which about 19% of the reported events are most likely not tectonic earthquakes. In addition, heterogeneity of magnitude of completeness as a function of space and time is observed. While Mc has gradually improved since 2006, its reduction in different parts of the country varies between 0 to 0.5 units of magnitude. In addition to artifacts, more than 54% of the reported events were located using a simplified velocity model and need to be relocated using more accurate velocity models. Moreover, in the hypocenter determination of about 7% of earthquakes, at least data from one station with wrong coordinates was employed. For these two groups of events, a clear dependence exists between the azimuthal gap and the value of the observed shift in the location parameters; with increasing the azimuthal gap, the shift increases. Investigations on the manually picked phases in the IRSC catalog show a large number of phase misidentification cases which are the other source of systematic errors. Examining the depth reported for events associated with mine blasts in a region in southern Iran implies systematic errors and high overestimation of depth for these events. The reported depth for most of these blasts is more than 10 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical analysis is an underused tool in historical archaeological investigations, despite the fact that much valuable information can be obtained from a chemical study of historical artifacts. Such analyses usually focus on the identification of materials, with the aim of elucidating their origins and historical uses. In a chemical sense, this proceeds through a number of stages, starting with simple observations and often ending with sophisticated measurements. It is work that can employ many different wet-chemical and instrumental methodologies, their use depending on both the analyst's insights and the availability of equipment in the laboratory. It is important to recognize which instruments cannot be done without in the analytical process and which may be too costly to warrant the investment. The diverse nature of the samples often leads to methodological challenges, underscoring the uncertainties inherent in the chemical analysis of historical artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years philosophers have become increasingly interested in topics at the intersection of philosophy, evolutionary theory, and archaeology - from cultural and cognitive evolution to naturalized metaphysics, to issues of inference, evidence, and methodology in archaeology. Ross Pain characterizes a closely related inference - I cognitive transition inference i - in his article "What Can the Lithic Record Tell Us About the Evolution of Hominin Cognition?" To block the move from music pluralism to music eliminativism, Killin's article makes a case for a Currie-style indifference realism about music. 1989: Edinburgh; Edinburgh University Press 25 Pain R. What can the lithic record tell us about the evolution of hominin cognition?. [Extracted from the article]

Located in the key junction between mainland China and Island Southeast Asia, Taiwan is of great significance for our understanding of the southeastward dispersal of rice agriculture in the prehistoric period. Until now, quite limited archaeobotanical work has been done in this region. In eastern Taiwan, no archaeological evidence of rice agriculture has been obtained, probably owing to the poor preservation conditions for plant macroremains. Here, we report a new discovery of 4200-year-old domesticated rice remains at the Chaolaiqiao site, which for the first time in detail demonstrates the ancient practice of rice agriculture in this area. Based on a combination of factors that include a rice-based plant subsistence strategy, the mid-Holocene limits to available farmland and the fast-growing Taiwan Neolithic population from settlement pattern data, we infer that this contradiction in eastern Taiwan between land-dependent agriculture and limited suitable farmland encouraged a population movement out of Taiwan during the Middle Neolithic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zooarchaeologists frequently measure taxonomic evenness to document subsistence change and to understand the response of faunal communities to paleoenvironmental change. Although the measurement of evenness is commonplace, there are numerous challenges involved. Evenness indices are sensitive to changing richness, and by extension sample size, and various indices respond differently to changing taxonomic abundances (i.e., changing evenness). To refine protocol for comparing assemblages of varied sampling effort and identify indices that may be more useful for zooarchaeological applications, we examine the quantitative behavior of the widely used Shannon evenness and Simpson indices and two others more commonly used by ecologists. These indices are examined in relation to varied richness, sample size, and taxonomic abundances. We show that although zooarchaeologists are concerned with identifying and correcting for the effects of sample size on evenness, it may be appropriate to instead focus on how richness modulates evenness. Based on our analyses, we recommend the Simpson index for most zooarchaeological applications, except when comparing evenness across assemblages that are very even. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archeological research has been trying to provide evidence relevant to understanding both the timing of and processes responsible for human colonization of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Hearth is one of the most extensive, important, and typical prehistoric humanity activity evidence on the QTP. However, there are a number of hearths lacking charcoal material because of the wind and water erosion. Fortunately, most of these hearths can be dated by luminescence dating on the remnant sediments around the hearth. In this study, 18 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples from 14 hearths in Yandongtai site (YDT) and Bronze Wire site (BW) in the northeast of Qinghai Lake area were systematically dated. The OSL ages range from 6.8 ± 0.7 to 14.4 ± 1.2 ka. There is a good agreement between OSL dating results and charcoal ages during the last deglaciation period, which indicates that OSL method has great potential in dating hearth on QTP. Combined with the previous dating results from other hearths, the age of hearths concentrates in 11-13 ka BP, i.e., the Younger Dryas (YD) chronozone. The increased number of hearths indicates reinforced colonization in the Qinghai Lake area during YD cold event, implying that the cold climate during YD event was not severe enough to hinder the inhabitation of prehistoric humanity at an elevation of 3.2 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archeological excavations of Amerindian sites on Dos Mosquises Island, Los Roques Archipelago, Venezuela, uncovered a wide range of evidence reflecting seasonal exploitation of local resources and multiple ritual depositions of large quantities of ceramic figurines, lithics, and faunal remains. Zooarchaeological analysis revealed the presence of modified and unmodified bones and teeth from numerous imported mammal species. Local geographic and environmental conditions preclude permanent establishment of terrestrial mammal populations and as such, there are no native mammalian taxa on the island itself or the surrounding oceanic archipelago. The presence of these faunal remains on Dos Mosquises can be attributed to the intentional movement of animal resources from the mainland to Los Roques by indigenous groups in the Late Ceramic Age (~AD 1200-1500). Despite attributions to a mainland source region, little else is known about the origins of these unique specimens. Here, we apply strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18O), and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses of tooth enamel from various archeologically recovered taxa including deer, peccary, tapir, ocelot, margay, opossum, fox, and weasel to investigate their geographic origins via comparisons with macro-regional models of precipitation δ18O and bioavailable 87Sr/86Sr. The 87Sr/86Sr results are highly variable both for the overall assemblage and between specimens within the same taxa, indicating origins from different geochemical environments of mainland South America. The combined archeological and isotopic evidence are consistent with origins within the late pre-colonial Valencioid Sphere of Interaction which encompassed the Lake Valencia Basin, surrounding regions, and several offshore island groups including Los Roques archipelago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantify and optimize metal artifact reduction using virtual monochromatic dual-energy CT for different metal implants compared to non-metal reference scans.Methods: Dual-energy CT scans of a pair of human cadaver limbs were acquired before and after implanting a titanium tibia plate, a stainless-steel tibia plate and a titanium intramedullary nail respectively. Virtual monochromatic images were analyzed from 70 to 190 keV. Region-of-interest (ROI), used to determine fluctuations and inaccuracies in CT numbers of soft tissues and bone, were placed in muscle, fat, cortical bone and intramedullary tibia canal.Results: The stainless-steel implant resulted in more pronounced metal artifacts compared to both titanium implants. CT number inaccuracies in 70 keV reference images were minimized at 130, 180 and 190 keV for the titanium tibia plate, stainless-steel tibia plate and titanium intramedullary nail respectively. Noise, measured as the standard deviation of pixels within a ROI, was minimized at 130, 150 and 140 keV for the titanium tibia plate, stainless-steel tibia plate and titanium intramedullary nail respectively.Conclusion: Tailoring dual-energy CT protocols using implant specific virtual monochromatic images minimizes fluctuations and inaccuracies in CT numbers in bone and soft tissues compared to non-metal reference scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of ceramic-making communities which employ traditional practices can provide insights into the raw materials and techniques used over the centuries in a particular territory. The archaeometric study of ceramic products and of the raw materials used in their production is an effective complement to the existing ethnographic information. This paper focuses on the brick and tile making tradition of Oristano, a town in Central-Western Sardinia (Italy). Applying a combination of techniques, it includes an extensive analysis of traditional handmade and early industrial bricks and tiles, and a study of the local clays that may have been used as raw materials. Although we were unable to study workshops in operation, we had access to the oral testimonies of local workers regarding traditional production processes. In this sense, this is an ethnographic case study that can be considered as a semiarchaeological situation. Studies of this kind, in conjunction with ethnoarchaeometric analyses, are also useful to test some of the theoretical and methodological approaches used in archaeometric research. In this regard, the present study also explores the compositional variability of the ceramic production within the same territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C dating of human remains from the necropolis overlaying the forum of the Roman city of Pollentia (Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean) has helped to solve the problem of the chronology of these burials. Traditionally, this necropolis was thought to date from the fourth century AD. Recent archaeological data suggested a later chronology with graves that follow funerary practices considered of the Late Antique Christian communities on the island. The results of the radiocarbon dating provide an unexpected dating from the tenth to the twelfth centuries, well into the Islamic period (AD 902/903-1229). The results are of extreme importance as they offer, for the first time, an absolute chronology for this necropolis. Furthermore, they may provide archaeological evidence of the existence of non-Muslim communities into the Muslim period on the island. This absolute chronology and its implications are a major breakthrough for the history of Pollentia, Mallorca and the Balearics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As new digital technologies now pervade the discipline of archaeology, the practice of creating digital 3D representations of artifacts has become widespread. The rapid growth and acceptance of these technologies into the discipline leaves us in a position where we must engage with how these tools fit our epistemologies. I propose that we look to a much older technology, photography, to inform the way that these digital artifacts are dealt with as we move into an increasingly digital field. In doing so, I will argue that the creation of a 3D digital artifact is a productive process, just as any form of media used to document and interpret the archaeological record. Through this production, the digital form is decoupled from the original physical artifact. The creation of a new representation of the artifact (in the form of a photograph or digital model) provides a new dimension to our interactions with these artifacts. The result of the digital movement in archaeology is a more interactive experience with artifacts, allowing researchers and the public alike digital access to archaeological collections. If the current trend continues, digital artifact modeling will become as indispensable to archaeology as traditional photography. It is therefore necessary for archaeologists to be aware of the subjectivities and biases that exist during this productive act as we move into a more integrated field of digital, representational technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of radiocarbon dating to determine the geochronology of archaeological sites is ubiquitous across the African continent. Accelerator mass spectrometry has made radiocarbon dating the most precise method to determine the death of living organisms that occurred within the last 50,000 years. However, the method is not without limitations and this review article provides Africanist archaeologists with cautionary insights as to when, where, and how to utilize radiocarbon dates. Specifically, the review will concentrate on the potential of carbon reservoirs and recycled organic remains to inflate apparent age estimates, diagenesis of carbon isotopes in variable pH ecologies, and hot-humid climates and non-climate-controlled archives that can compromise the efficacy of samples. Legacy radiocarbon ages must be critically examined for what method was used to generate the age, and calibration radiocarbon ages from critical periods of African prehistory lack precision to resolve significant debates. A multipronged dating strategy and careful selection of radiocarbon sample materials are advocated from the earliest stages of research design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State-of-the-art methods for disparity estimation achieve good results for single stereo frames, but temporal coherence in stereo videos is often neglected. In this paper, we present a method to compute temporally coherent disparity maps. We define an energy over whole stereo sequences and optimize their conditional random field (CRF) distributions using the mean-field approximation. In addition, we introduce novel terms for smoothness and consistency between the left and right views. We perform CRF optimization by fast, iterative spatio-temporal filtering with linear complexity in the total number of pixels. We propose two CRF optimization techniques, using parallel and sequential updates, and compare them in detail. While parallel updates are not guaranteed to converge, we show that, in practice with appropriate initialization, they provide the same quality as sequential updates and they also lead to faster implementations. Finally, we demonstrate that the results of our approach rank among the state of the art while having significantly less flickering artifacts in stereo sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Athenian Basin is a very interesting area from an archaeological point of view, since it is inhabited from Neolithic time. The human impact on the landscape is shown by the ancient constructions such as the Long Walls and the canalization of the rivers in the area of the Athenian Basin and Piraeus. The aim of the study is to detect the paleogeographical evolution of this area. In order to manipulate all the available information obtained from literature review (topographic maps, geological maps, ancient maps and references) and the stratigraphic data from 227 boreholes from the Athenian Basin, a GIS database was established. After the interpretation of the stratigraphy from the boreholes, six lithostratigraphic units were defined. Maps and 3D models were designed to represent the succession of the lithostratigraphy of each period. Paleogeographic maps were created in order to represent the landscape for each lithostratigraphic unit of the Athenian basin, and extract results for the temporal and spatial changes of the paleo-landscape and the involvement of the human impact on the depositional process in the Athenian Basin during Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a successful extraction and sequencing of ancient DNA from carbonized rice grains ( Oryza sativa) from six archaeological sites, including two from India and four from Thailand, ranging in age from ca. 2500 to 1500 BP. In total, 221 archaeological grains were processed by PCR amplification and primary-targeted fragments were sequenced for comparison with modern sequences generated from 112 modern rice populations, including crop and wild varieties. Our results include the genetic sequences from both the chloroplast and the nuclear genomes, based on four markers from the chloroplast and six from the nuclear genome. These markers allow differentiation of indica rice from japonica rice, the two major subspecies of Asian rice ( O. sativa) considered to have separate geographical origins. One nuclear marker differentiates tropical and temperate forms of subspecies japonica. Other markers relate to phenotypic variation selected for under domestication, such as non-shattering, grain stickiness (waxy starch) and pericarp colour. Recovery and identification of sequences from nuclear markers was generally poor, whereas recovery of chloroplast sequences was successful, with at least one of four markers recovered in 61 % of archaeological grains. This allowed for successful differentiation of indica or japonica subspecies variety, with japonica identified in all the Thai material and a mixture of indica and japonica chloroplasts in the two Indian assemblages. Rice subspecies was also assessed through conventional archaeobotanical methods relying on grain metrics, based on measurements from 13 modern populations and 499 archaeological grains. Grain metrics also suggest a predominance of japonica-type grains in the Southeast Asian sites and a mixture of japonica and indica in the Indian sites with indica in the minority. The similar results of grain metrics and ancient DNA (aDNA) affirm that grain measurements have some degree of reliability in rice subspecies identification. The study also highlights the great potential of ancient DNA recovery from archaeological rice. The data generated in the present study adds support to the model of rice evolution that includes hybridization between japonica and proto- indica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provenance of granite, basalt, and marble used in building the cruciform basilica of Abila of the Decapolis, northwestern Jordan, is investigated using chemical and petrographic techniques. The basilica is dated to the late fifth or early sixth century AD. The stones were characterized using macroscopic traits in combination with optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and stable oxygen and carbon isotope spectrometry. These data were compared to the published databases for marbles, granites, and basalts used in antiquity. The comparison showed that the basalts are most probably local. The islands of Marmara (Proconessos-1), Turkey, are the primary source of the white marbles, while Paros island (Paros-2), Greece, is a minor source. The source of the green Cipollino marbles is Styra in the island of Euboea (Greece). The pink and gray granites are likely microasiatic from the Çigri and Kozak Dâgs, respectively, northwest Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to archaeological investigation and preliminary excavation, the Yangjia Site, located in the northern Taihu Lake region, at Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, is a Neolithic archaeological site dominated by cultural remains attributed to the late Majiabang Culture (6270-5920 cal. a BP). Here a systematic archaeobotanical study was conducted to investigate vegetation landscape, environmental characteristics and rice agriculture in the prehistoric northern Taihu Lake area. The abundance, frequency and standard density of charred rice were the highest of all of the remains of the seed plants unearthed. In addition, a variety of wetland weeds, such as Haloragaceae, Cyperaceae, Carex sp., and Oxalis corniculata, were found. Pollen and phytoliths recorded that the evergreen-deciduous broadleaf mixed forest (represented by Quercus and Castanopsis) tends to decrease, while Poaceae was the most significant of the terrestrial herbs, water area expanded and water activities strengthened, indicating generally warm and humid conditions at the Yangjia Site during the late Majiabang Culture. All indicators of pollen, phytolith and macro-plant remains suggest that wild rice should be once distributed at or around the site before human occupation, after which rice agriculture progressed rapidly during the late Majiabang Culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists can learn a great deal from the distribution of cultural evidence at various scales ranging from large regions, through small communities, down to individual households. Since in many societies a significant proportion of the human experience takes place within and around houses, houses play a prominent role in discussions of habitus. Yet archaeologists have also experienced challenges in their attempts to understand this habitus, especially when so many archaeological remains pertain to short-term activities that occurred near the end of a house's use life, or even after, and may not even be typical. Focusing on the tiniest debris that accumulates over long periods may help us overcome these challenges, but many archaeologists have been reluctant to employ micro- refuse analysis because of the erroneous perception that the scale of effort it involves must be astronomical. The approach we demonstrate in this paper shows that careful consideration of sampling both in the field and in the lab makes it possible to detect robust patterns from persistent activities with a fraction of the effort that some previous analysts have employed. One of our key findings is that employing large numbers of volunteer counters, in combination with adequate quality assurance protocols, greatly facilitates this type of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A challenge in ICU EEG interpretation is identifying subclinical status epilepticus versus patterns on the ictal-interictal continuum versus other repetitive patterns. In the electrically noisy intensive care unit, identifying and eliminating interference and artifact allow accurate diagnoses from the EEG, avoiding unnecessary treatment or sedation.Methods: We present a case during Impella (Abiomed Inc, Danvers, MA) continuous flow left ventricular assist device use where the EEG artifact was initially misinterpreted as seizure by the resident and treated as status epilepticus because of the "focal" sharply contoured repetitive pattern. During percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), an 88-year-old developed ventricular tachycardia followed by ventricular fibrillation requiring chest compressions for 10 min, multiple defibrillations, and treatment with epinephrine, amiodarone, calcium, bicarbonate, and magnesium. The patient had an Impella placed during PCI with therapeutic hypothermia initiated after the cardiopulmonary arrest. His neurological exam demonstrated preserved pupillary, corneal, gag and cough reflexes and spontaneous respirations.Results: Long-term video EEG monitoring is included in our institution's hypothermia protocol. Initial baseline EEG performed 2 h after PCI showed a persistent rhythmic sharp discharge from the left central temporal region resembling left hemisphere status epilepticus. The sharp waves have an alternating repeating 2:1 relationship with the EKG rhythm strip. This is best seen in the left hemisphere, which we posit is related to the Impella's positioning across the aortic valve pointing toward the patient's left side. A chest x-ray confirmed the device's position immediately before EEG monitoring. Arterial pressure tracings were not available in the chart.Conclusions: There is a low-amplitude spiky artifact; however, there was no pacing at that time. It is possible that synergistic flow with systole/diastole reinforced the pulsatility with movement of the Impella, resulting in the alternating pattern. The patient's hemodynamic instability precluded extensive troubleshooting with the Impella device, but after EEG repositioning, the artifact was eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic artifacts are increasingly being used to address questions in evolutionary, i.e., historical, terms. The explicit assumption in such analyses is that lithic attributes reflect patterns of inheritance via social learning. However, both raw material and reduction factors are known to be potential sources of lithic variation. The cultural-evolutionary analysis of lithic variability must, therefore, reconcile heritable and nonheritable sources of variation under a single coherent framework. Moreover, there is a frequent assumption that conveniently measureable features, such as the relative shape of a biface at a specific point of its length, can be used as indicators of heritable variation. The use of such traits, however, is potentially questionable, especially in the light of controlled experiments that indicate that traits such as platform depths and angles influence the form of individual flakes. As such, it may be reasonable to consider whether such features represent more appropriate analytical units. Here, we contend that the solution to these problems lies in application of a 'quantitative genetics' approach, which was designed to solve directly analogous problems in biology. This approach explicitly models multiple sources of variation simultaneously. Moreover, it provides a logical rationale for how evolutionary forces (e.g., drift and selection) can operate when only part of this variation is potentially heritable. We outline specifically how quantitative genetic theory can be rewritten for use with lithic artifacts. Thereafter, we provide example analyses of data, which support our case. We conclude by summarizing the merits of this framework and outline future extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a discussion of recent advances in underwater photogrammetric survey, illustrated by case studies in Scotland and Denmark between 2011 and 2013. Results from field trials are discussed with the aim of illustrating practical low-cost solutions for recording underwater archaeological sites in 3D using photogrammetry and using this data to offer enhanced recording, interpretation and analysis. We argue that the availability of integrated multi-image photogrammetry software, highly light-sensitive digital sensors and wide-aperture compact cameras, now allow for simple work flows with minimal equipment and excellent natural colour images even at depths of up to 30 m. This has changed the possibilities for underwater photogrammetric recording, which can now be done on a small scale, through the use of a single camera and automated work flow. The intention of this paper is to demonstrate the quality and versatility of the 'one camera/ambient light/integrated software' technique through the case studies presented and the results derived from this process. We also demonstrate how the 3D data generated can be subjected to surface analysis techniques to enhance detail and to generate data-driven fly-throughs and reconstructions, opening the door to new avenues of engagement with both specialists and the wider public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documentation of maritime heritage is essential for its protection, and for reference in restoration and renovation processes. These functions become problematic in the case of historical ships and boats that lack lines drawings. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure for creation of lines drawings based on the shape analysis of surviving historical boats or their small-scale models with the help of reverse engineering (RE) techniques. The paper describes how digital photogrammetry and the iterative method were used to analyze the shape of three historical boats: Tomahawk, Refola and Nada. The application of the proposed procedure produced the lines drawings of the boats as its result. The accuracy of the 3D CAD model obtained with the photogrammetric technique was verified by comparing it against a more accurate 3D model produced with the help of a RE laser scanner. The examination of the resulting lines drawings proves that the digital photogrammetry process and the proposed iterative method are adequate tools for developing lines plans of boat models. The research offers the methodological basis for the creation of an archive of lines drawings of historical boats. Such an archive would provide reference for philologically correct restorations, and permit definition and classification of distinctive elements of various types of historical boats, particularly those produced in the Campania Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the advent of pipe stem-bore diameter and mean ceramic date formulas in the 1960s and 1970s, formula dating has been a widely accepted technique for the accurate estimation of median occupation dates of historical sites. The methods are based on fundamental concepts of archaeological analysis: horizon, tradition, and testing by repeated application. These principles allow extension of the methods to prehistoric cases in some circumstances. The formulas, however, produce single numbers that may be misleading in their apparent precision. Datasets from historical sites around the Chesapeake Bay and a synagogue site in Jamaica allow an assessment of the statistical precision of formula dates. The results suggest that archaeologists should report these dates with their standard deviations and not as single-number results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]