Search

Historical texts incorporate important characteristics that need to be assessed including genre, text structure and content. Often overlooked are characteristics of handwritten manuscripts commonly divided into legibility, readability and aesthetics. To determine the scientific feasibility of classification of handwritten texts an objective approach is developed to describe twenty handwritten pages of an 1819 Greek manuscript, that refers to the initiation to the Greek secret “friendly society” (Philike Hetaereia) organization, established as part of the Greek independence against the Ottoman Turks. It is investigated through a fractal and RGB image analysis approach. Fractal Minkowski Dimension was applied on the handwritten text and the RGB color analysis on the ink and paper and both were used as a non-invasive manner and revealed interesting results. The novel RGB image analysis and the fractal analysis of the manuscript identified respectively, five iron gall inks and four scribes from the ink content and handwritten styles, of the compact five lines text and whole text pages. The novel approach was verified with another old manuscript of known ink pigments, as well as with thirteen known handwritten texts of that period and four prints representing modern and similar period texts substantiating the findings of the novel methods.

The complexity in the styles of 1200 Byzantine icons painted between 13th and 16th from Greece, Russia and Romania was investigated through the Kolmogorov algorithmic information theory. The aim was to identify specific quantitative patterns which define the key characteristics of the three different painting schools. Our novel approach using the artificial surface images generated with Inverse FFT and the Midpoint Displacement (MD) algorithms, was validated by comparison of results with eight fractal and non-fractal indices. From the analyzes performed, normalized Kolmogorov compression complexity (KC) proved to be the best solution because it had the best complexity pattern differentiations, is not sensitive to the image size and the least affected by noise. We conclude that normalized KC methodology does offer capability to differentiate the icons within a School and amongst the three Schools.

This paper attempts to present and discuss the geomorphological and spatial analyses of Hygassos in the middle Mediterranean (a demos in ancient Bozburun Peninsula) through the application of GIS and photogrammetry, where necessary. The contextual data is composed of the settlement features and humanly constructed terrace relics. In search of the spatial and social territoria, the research questions greatly lean on the present geographical attributes and, the results of a recent survey concerning the ruins situated along a narrow valley in modern Selimiye-Kizilkoy and the Acropolis rising beside. The physical scope encompasses the khora of the Acropolis whose spatial coverage applies to ca. 27.26 km2. As the results show, the socio-economic transformation of Hygassos, under the observance of a major stronghold (Kaletepe), must have been quite dependent on the interplay of the topographical and natural factors, as well as the likely shifts from or to the Acropolis over time. However, ambiguities remain for the resilient western half territory (near immediate Losta Bay) which perhaps encroaches on the frontiers of neighbouring Tymnos. Unfavourable but cultivable areas were preferably used for household construction and terracing whereas the land exposed to maximum erosion was refrained for settling purposes.

Five temples of Apollo on Mainland Greece and Ancient Ionia (Asia Minor), namely Delphi, Didyma, Hierapolis, Delos and Rhodes, have been examined regarding their functioning through astronomical orientation. Recent research has shown that the rise, setting, orbit and observation of certain constellations in the celestial sphere, as well as the solar stands, can be directly related to the architecture of the temple, i.e. construction, orientation, and keeping a calendar of the most important Apollonian oracular temple at Delphi. Here this lunar-solar-stellar configuration has been applied to other significant temples of Apollo. It is shown that at Didyma, Hierapolis and Delphi, the celestial pattern, as well as the landscape, local geology and architecture are similar, but different in temples without oracular function (Delos and Rhodes). Measurements were carried out by in situ readings and by Google Map tools.

A new approach to dating ancient obsidian artifacts based on the modeling of water diffusion profiles is evaluated using multiple archaeological test cases of known age. Hydrogen profiles from hydrated obsidian surfaces have been collected by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The H2O concentration versus depth profiles are modeled and diffusion ages have been produced. SIMS based dates for fourteen obsidian specimens of well-known age, ranging from 300-7000 years old, have been compared with radiocarbon ages. The convergence between the two dating methods is excellent and validates the new dating approach.

The Thermoluminescence (TL)-like presentation method introduced to describe the isothermal decay of a thermoluminescence glow-peak, is extended in the present work for the case of the Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) decay curves. The Glow-Curve Deconvolution analysis extensively used to analyse TL glow-curves is successfully applied to find the individual components of the Optical stimulated decay curves. The method is successfully applied to both synthetic and experimental OSL decay curves of quartz, feldspar and mixed quartz plus feldspar aliquots. The potential use of the Peak Shaped (PS) TL-like presentation to extract qualitative and quantitative information from an OSL decay curves is also discussed.

The novel method of thermoluminescence (TL) dating of megalithic (cyclopean) limestone monuments and/or marble statues will be briefly reviewed. The problems and recent examples to be discussed include: (a) the determination of the accumulated archaeological dose, Dar, (b) the sample homogeneity, (c) the scattering in TL measurements, (d) the rate in solar bleaching of TL, and (e) dose-plateau inconsistencies. In retrospect, the solar bleaching of TL in some marbles refers to at least 30 mm depth, the scattering of TL measurements at best varies around ±10%, and the partial bleaching technique should be prudently applied for Dar determination. The extension of this method to date (by TL or OSL) for other rock types is discussed.

We present measurements of Thermoluminescence (TL) from Greek marble quarried at Paros, Naxos, Pendeli, Hymitos, Thassos, which have been known since ancient times. The results concern i) the solar bleaching of TL, ii) the solar transmission through marble thicknesses up to 16 mm, and iii) the implications for potential dating of ancient carved marble monuments/objects. The bleaching rate for marbles is very fast during the first hour of exposure. The solar penetration is at least 35 mm for long exposures. Beyond the 2 mm marble slab for exposure times 90–120 hours of sunshine, the residual bleached TL level is not reached. The bleached TL reaches a plateau which serves as the “zero time” upon which the archaeological TL dose subsequently builds up and gives the age of a marble monument.

Geophysical prospection employing magnetometry and electromagnetic measurements has been applied in and around two small sized pyramids of Hellenikon and Ligourio in Argolid, Greece. The magnetic anomalies appropriately assessed were interpreted as possible archaeological targets. Subsequent test excavations revealed the presence of room foundations and parts of walls, as well as a plethora of ceramic ware. Typological study of the ceramics classified them to as early as the proto-Helladic period and to as late as the first centuries A.D. The earlier periods have been also confirmed by a novel application of thermoluminescence (TL) dating of ceramics and the megalithic stones themselves. The present results question earlier attempts classifying these pyramids at the Classical period and favour much earlier periods.

The change in the darkness of the Great Red Spot (GRS) of Jupiter (1894–1974) has been analysed with Fourier (FFT), Maximum Entropy and Power spectrum (Blackman-Tukey window) (PSA) methods of spectrum analysis. Significance, non-randomness and stationarity tests assigned high variance to periodicities of 33 ± 4, 13–15, about 11, 9 and 3 yrs. The highest correlation between solar activity and GRS darkness was found for the 14th and 16th solar cycle. The periodicities obtained are interpreted as the combined eftects of solar activity, planetary resonances and internal jovian mechanisms.

Neutrino capture rate data from the Homestake chlorine experiment (1970–1990) has been spectrally analysed. The data were smoothed by a 4-month equally-spaced sequence and by a cubic spline polynomial approximation. Fourier (FFT), maximum entropy spectrum analysis (MESA), and power spectrum analysis (PSA) employing the Blackman-Tukey window were used. The significant periodicities obtained are: 1 ± 0.1, 1.4 ± 0.2, 2.4 ± 0.2, 5 ± 0.2, and 11 ± 1.5 years. A possible correlation with similar coincident periods in other solar-terrestrial phenomena is discussed.

A new method for the determination of the equivalent dose (ED) in minerals has been developed, based on the unstable part of luminescence which fades away at ambient temperatures. Optical stimulated luminescence employing green light emitting diodes is used in two cases; a reference quartz sample and an archaeological ceramic. In both instances the obtained (ED) with the new technique provides a satisfactory agreement within the expected errors.

For the period 1917–1987, Greek seismic activity exhibits a very significant positive correlation to the preceding global activity with a time-lag of 15 years. It seems that all Greece and the two characteristic areas in which we have separated it (Greece without Arc, and the area of the Greek seismic Arc), follow the global seismic activity but with a time-shift of 15 years. Moreover, it seems to exist an intrinsic interaction mechanism between the Greek seismic arc and the rest of Greece, which may be deduced by their different behavior exhibited when they are correlated with the global activity, as well as from the correlation between themselves, where a very significant positive correlation has been found with a time-lag of 3 years, for Greece without arc preceding. A quasi-periodic term of 30-yrs is also observed in these detailed four seismic time-series.

Two archeological ceramic sherds in a single quartz aliquot form have been dated success-fully for the first time, by the newly developed method of optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) with green light-emitting diodes (LED). Comparison with the conventional thermoluminescence (TL) method provided ages of the same order of magnitude. The ceramics come from two recently excavated sites at “Hellenikon” and “Ligourio” in Argolid, Peloponnese, Greece. One sherd dates from the end of 4th millenium B.C., while the other is classified around 7th c. B.C.. The new method of nuclear dating is described in the paper and appropriately evaluated.

The atmospheric activity of Jupiter exhibits quasi-periodic character attributed to the stochastic nature of the involved mechanisms. Periodicities between 4–33 years are obtained employing four spectrum analysis methods, (power spectrum employing the Blackman-Tukey window, maximum entropy, Fourier, autocorrelation), whilst, their significance and their stationarity has been established with the application of general statistical tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, one sample and two sample test, randomness test, chi-square, various orders of autoregressive process, analysis of truncated records).

A cross-correlation study for time-lags of ±5 yrs between eleven ground based ozone stations (1957–1985) forϕ = 40°N–75° N andλ = 30° E-114° W and five volcanic emissivity indices has shown their close connection: significant correlations well above 90% were obtained. Intepretation of these positive/negative correlations (γ) was based on the global wind circulation (aided also by a 2-D, 3-D representation betweenϕ, λ, γ), and the types of volcanic aerosols leading to heterogeneous chemical reactions with ozone.

A complete data set of globally distributed shallow (h ≤, 60 Km) earthquakes have been used for first time to test the possible existence of periodicities in the seismic energy release. Only main shocks of magnitude,M ≥ 7.0 were considered, which occurred in the whole Earth during 1898–1985. These magnitudes are converted in seismic energy, which is released during the occurrence of earthquakes, through Bath's formula. The detection of such kind of periodicities is important in seismology, because these patterns may lead to the prediction of large earthquakes. Statistical techniques, such as Maximum Entropy (ME), and two Fourier approaches, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Power Spectrum (PS) of truncated subrecords of the whole time series have been applied to examine the possible existence of such periodicities in seismic energy release. Furthermore, the even-spacing technique is used to validate our results and a type-curve has been constructed for the data set. The results exhibit a network of periodicities with predominant periods at 3(±0.5), 4.5, 6.5, 8–9, 14–20, and 31–34 years. Some periods were occasionally interrupted. The latter implies that our time-series is not stationary, in that, the spectral peaks drift when the data are viewed through different time windows. The fact that the signal is weak and embedded in less accurate older data could contribute to this effect. The question of stability/validity of the apparently cyclic behaviour of the annual global seismic energy release, is one which requires further investigation.

In archaeoastronomical orientation purposes, employing appropriate software, the star declination (D) is determined from the geographical coordinates of the site, the plate bearing of the horizon point (azimuth, Az), and the altitude of the horizontal point (skyline), with appropriate corrections. Errors to the second of a degree in latitude have not any apparent effect on D, errors in Az and latitude of the skyline, however, transmit significant respective percentage errors in D. This note discusses the impact of such error variation on all parameters involved in archaeoastronomical orientation, and presents the case of two small sized pyramidals in Greece.

Low level counting of alpha and beta particles has been carried out on a 5 long sediment core from the lake La Bouchet in France, spanning the past around 24 000 years. A total of around 60 data points were spectrally analysed with the successive approximations method. Several whole or quasi-periodicities were located for the two radioactivity data sets, in different time intervals; for the alpha counting, periods of 1000–1200, 2000, 6000 and 24 000 years and for the beta counting periods of 1000, 3000, 4000, 8000 and 24 000 years were obtained. The non-stationarity nature of the obtained periods are discussed in relation to (a) palaeoclimatic fluctuations impact on mineral carrying natural radiosotopes partitioning of the sediment deposition of the last glacial and (b) other solar-terrestrial agents.