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This article deals with visual expression in the form of subtractive rock markings from the Cockburn Ranges, situated within the Balanggarra Native Title determination in the east Kimberley, Western Australia. We present examples of subtractive rock marking diversity, ranging from cupules and abraded grooves, recursive cultural practises in the form of battering and scratching of extant artworks, figurative and non-figurative images, potentially random scratches and battering of the rock surface and tally marks. These kinds of visual expressions in rock art research have a tendency to fall under the radar when researchers discuss the meaning and significance of Aboriginal Australian rock art. We argue that the broad diversity of subtractive rock markings is employed through time and space, stretching from the Pleistocene through to the more recent past. The article presents two avenues for interpreting this often-neglected corpus of Kimberley rock art: rock art as an intergenerational cultural knowledge transfer and its connection to maintenance rituals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study looks at the metaphors for rocks in Isabella Hammad's novel The Parisian (2019). It seeks to demonstrate how Isabella Hammad employs rock analogies to describe and provide an understanding into her characters, Midhat, Jamil, and Fatima. Midhat, who studied abroad, has a hyphenated identity and is portrayed as a compromise—less resistant, delicate, and adaptable. The inverse of the properties of the rocks/stones. The other characters who have not fled Palestine, such as Fatima and Jamil, are portrayed as more strong, resilient, and unstoppable. Their characteristics are described as rocks or stones. Hammad compares Midhat's personality and qualities to those of other characters, such as Fatima and Jamil, using rock and stone metaphors. The work is examined through the prism of postcolonialism, specifically Edward Said's views on Orientalism. Hammad describes the characters using metaphors such as rocks and stones. According to the investigation, Jamil and Fatima's traits reflect those of stones and rocks. Midhat, on the other hand, has certain features that are diametrically opposed to those of stones and rocks. Hammad deliberately portrays Midhat in this manner to highlight the contrast between Palestinians who abandon their territory and indigenous who remain on their land, participate in revolts, and protect their homeland. To the researcher's knowledge, there have been few studies that evaluate and discuss Isabella Hammad's literary works, particularly her novel The Parisian (2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most common problems encountered in research on open-air petroglyph sites is determining the age of the imagery. Most images are not covered by calcite or other deposits which can be directly dated. Archaeological layers located under petroglyph panels may allow connections between imagery and datable cultural contexts to be established. When archaeological layers are lacking, the analysis of stylistic elements of petroglyphs themselves can be highly significant for temporal and cultural attribution. We regard style a Bos including not only artistic characteristics of images but also the ways in which rock panels were modified as well. Technological features can be important for understanding the broader concept of style in rock art. As illustrated by the open-air Kalgutinsky Rudnik site in the Russian Altai region, natural substrate characteristics often demanded specific technological adaptations that can be revealed by the analysis of anthropogenic and natural traces on rock surfaces. These data supplement the discussion of dating the earliest petroglyphs from the Kalgutinsky Rudnik rock art site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originally described in the late nineteenth century, Image Rock has long been thought destroyed. However, this carved image located in the Table Rock Wilderness area of the Cascade mountain range near Molalla, Oregon, was successfully relocated in order to analyze its content and assess its current condition. As one of only a handful of petroglyphs located in western Oregon, this site adds to our understanding of rock art in the region. Though now in a highly damaged and eroded state, historic records and folklore assist in the reconstruction and interpretation of this rare bas-relief petroglyph located within traditional Northern Molalla lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated rock varnish, a thin, manganese- and iron-rich, dark surface crust, on basaltic lava flows and petroglyphs in the Owens and Rose Valleys (California) by portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and femtosecond laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (fs-LA-ICPMS). The major element composition of the varnish was consistent with a mixture of Mn-Fe oxyhydroxides and clay minerals. As expected, it contained elevated concentrations of elements that are typically enriched in rock varnish, e.g., Mn, Pb, Ba, Ce, and Co, but also showed unusually high enrichments in U, Cu, and Th. The rare earth and yttrium (REY) enrichment pattern revealed a very strong positive cerium (Ce) anomaly and distinct negative europium (Eu) and Y anomalies. The light rare earth elements (REE) were much more strongly enriched than the heavy REY. These enrichment patterns are consistent with a formation mechanism by leaching of Mn and trace elements from aeolian dust, reprecipitation of Mn and Fe as oxyhydroxides, and scavenging of trace elements by these oxyhydroxides. We inferred accumulation rates of Mn and Fe in the varnish from their areal densities measured by pXRF and the known ages of some of the lava flow surfaces. The areal densities of Mn and Fe, as well as their accumulation rates, were comparable to our previous results from the desert of Saudi Arabia. There was a moderate dependence of the Mn areal density on the inclination of the rock surfaces, but no relationship to its cardinal orientation. We attempted to use the degree of varnish regrowth on the rock art surfaces as an estimate of their age. While an absolute dating of the petroglyphs was not possible because of the lack of suitable calibration surfaces and a considerable amount of variability, the measured degree of varnish regrowth on the various petroglyphs was consistent with chronologies based on archeological and other archaeometric techniques. In particular, our results suggest that rock art creation in the study area continued over an extended period of time, possibly starting around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition and extending into the last few centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Scandinavian petroglyphs have given rise to vivid interpretations, often related to Old Norse religion and Indo‐European mythology. However, we still do not know if, how or to what extent these images are really telling stories. In this paper, we shall analyse the ways in which Scandinavian northern and southern traditions (in Alta, Northern Norway and in Norrköping, Middle Sweden, respectively) depict hunting narratives. While the northern tradition may render several phases and procedural aspects of the hunt, the southern one tends to be more focused on the killing itself, or the confrontational aspects of the hunt. A preliminary observation is that the scenes differ in ways that reflect not only different hunting traditions, but also imply different foci of interest. Put in another way, they emphasize different aspects of the hunting activity itself, of what is relevant, worth telling, or 'tellable'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the Bulwandji Traditional Owners of Cape York Peninsula, Bunda Bibanji (also known as "Bare Hill") is part of bulurru – the Storytime, or the time of creation (Bottoms 1999: 1). Bunda Bibanji is the place where the culture hero, Kunandooran, turned into rock after his death by fire; it forms part of a complex cultural landscape. Bunda Bibanji also contains the largest rock art complex in the Cairns hinterland and has significant research potential for both rock art studies and understanding the occupation history of the region. Until recently, management of the site complex has focused on visitor management and its tangible scientific values, rather than its social and intangible cultural values. However, a major shift in management in recent years has aimed to enhance the Aboriginal social values of the place, potentially placing its scientific values at risk. This paper explores the tensions between managing scientific and cultural values at the Bunda Bibanji complex from both archaeological and Traditional Owner perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CEDRUS is the property of Mediterranean Civilisations Research Institute 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.)

Mount Cornón in the Fiemme Valley (Eastern Trentino, Northern Italy) was subject to intensive use in a local economy based on forestry, agriculture and animal farming. Through the centuries the shepherds working in this area left thousands of inscriptions on the rock using red ochre. There are initials, family symbols, acronyms, dates, names, livestock tallies, portrayals of animals, greetings and short anecdotes. What is surprising is the shepherds' ability to write before the first literacy schools in the valley were established. The resulting visual effect is that of a painted mountain, which looks like other rock art contexts of the Alps such as, for instance, Valcamonica in Lombardy or Monte Bego in France; but there the writings are engraved on the rocks. The ongoing historical-ethnographic and ethno-archaeological research on the rock art sites of Mount Cornón by the Museo degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina aims to reveal the circumstances of pastoral life in the Fiemme valley over the last five centuries and, thus, to discover the particular socio-economic and cultural context that brought the writings into being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces one of the largest rock art sites found in the central Dakhleh Oasis. Firstly, an overview of all the panels with petroglyphs is provided and the images briefly described. The panels' description contains basic information on their location and visibility, motifs and their compositional aspects, and chronology. This is followed by a brief summary of the presented data and a discussion situating the site in the broader context of Dakhleh and the surrounding Western Desert. Particular motifs and their arrangements, like a herd of giraffes, are further briefly discussed, and parallels from the Dakhleh region and the Nile valley cited in order to compare the CO178 rock art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of geometric recording data and representation of open-air rock art is intrinsically so heterogeneous that new online web platforms are required for a more efficient analysis to link all the geo-referenced information and facilitate its scientific study. From 2015 to 2018, three geometric documentation campaigns led by the Departamento de Ingeniería Topográfica y Cartografía of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) were completed in the area of Khatm al Melaha (Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) along the Gulf of Oman. More than 370 rock art engraved motifs were documented in this area close to the southwest border with the Sultanate of Oman. All those figures were picked in 149 stone blocks with different dimensions and morphologies, distributed along the slope of an isolated 58-meter-high elevation. The aim of this project was to establish a protocol for the recording, analysis, preservation and prevention of this set of open-air rock art engravings with the following actions: developing an aerial and terrestrial recording data documentation, creating and developing a web platform called threeDcloud for visualizing three-dimensional models and web mapping, and integrating a data base by means of different JavaScript open-source libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated rock varnish formed on sandstone and petroglyphs in the Hima area, southwestern Saudi Arabia. To characterize the rock varnish, we made in-situ measurements by portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and analyzed samples by femtosecond laser-ablation inductively coupled–plasma mass spectrometry (fs LA-ICP-MS). Detailed chemical analysis of the rock varnish samples and adjacent soil or aeolian dust yielded information about the varnish's geochemical context and formation mechanism. Untypically low positive Ce anomalies in the rock varnish samples correlated with negative Ce anomalies in the dust, supporting the hypothesis that the dust is the source of the varnish material. To study the varnish development, we made use of the fact that engraving the petroglyphs exposes a fresh bare sandstone surface without varnish, on which varnish regrows subsequently. We determined by pXRF the areal density of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) that had been deposited as rock varnish since the creation of the rock art. The rates of Mn deposition in the newly formed varnish were then estimated by correlating the areal density of Mn in Ancient Arabian and Old Arabic inscriptions with their known age ranges. The observed deposition rates showed substantial variability resulting from differences in exposure conditions of the rock surface, but were in a range comparable with that of our previous measurements in northwestern Arabia. This variability could be reduced significantly by referencing the measurements to the intact varnish adjacent to the individual petroglyphs. This normalization provided a much clearer relationship between varnish deposition and age, and enabled tentative ages to be assigned to rock art motifs without previously known ages. These tentative ages spanned most of the Holocene period and were consistent with the culturally or ecologically derived ages of the animal and human figures depicted in the rock art and the styles of scripts used in different periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Intersecciones en Antropología is the property of Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales 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.)

Copyright of Gallaecia: Revista de Arqueoloxia e Antiguidade is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones 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 text discusses aspects of hyperbolism in south Scandinavian rock art as a particular mode of material articulation. In the Late Bronze Age (900--500 BC), a limited number of extraordinary large-scale motifs begin to appear on the rocks. This hyperbolic mode is generally restricted to anthropomorphs, boats and encircling motifs up to ten times the normal size. The phenomenon is represented at most of the major rock art clusters of southern Scandinavia (Trøndelag, Østfold, Tanum, Scania, Norrköping, and Uppland), and is here examined in detail through a case study of the Boglösa area of central eastern Sweden. It can be shown that the increased size does not add detail to the motifs; the images are basically enlarged versions of pre-existing motifs. It is argued that the enlargement of certain motifs is not primarily about symbolic representation or increased visibility but is related to a function of the petroglyphs as magical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megalithic tradition which is a worldwide phenomenon has been practiced by the Mizo society in the North-eastern part of India till recently. Expressions of thoughts and memories were incised on the megaliths. It is a significant feature through which the early history of the Mizo society can be reconstructed. This article tries to highlight the various megaliths found in the villages of Farkawn and Khankawn, their associated folklores and features. It also attempts to draw attention to the fact that besides building megaliths in memory of deceased people it was also a medium for expressing individual human experiences and emotions of the Mizo society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integration of lithostratigraphy and general sedimentary facies character for non-marine rocks can be a powerful tool in understanding the sequence stratigraphic architecture of the subsurface latest Silurian to Early Devonian Winduck Interval in the Blantyre and western Neckarboo sub-basins, central Darling Basin. This study integrates wireline logs (gamma ray and resistivity), cores and cuttings data to determine the sequence stratigraphic subdivision of the study area. The lithostratigraphy of the Winduck Interval could be subdivided into three units (A, B and C, in ascending order) in the four available wells (Mount Emu 1, Kewell East 1, Booligal Creek 1 and Booligal Creek 2). Closer study of the sequence stratigraphy in the approximately 850-m-thick Winduck Interval revealed ten parasequences (A-J) in progradational to retrogradational parasequence sets and three main Winduck sequences, WKS1, WKS2 and WKS3. Use of the suggested sequence stratigraphic model of the Winduck Interval has the potential to refine existing lithostratigraphic schemes and, given the higher resolution and more detailed correlation, may significantly improve subsurface stratigraphic reconstructions and aid in prediction of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two unusual sets of artefacts, the base of a pointed-bottom pot and a cluster of impact-fractured armatures, from the upper deposits of excavations at Rhino Cave and Corner Cave, Tsodilo Hills, will be presented and a range of interpretations explored. These artefacts are directly associated with rock carvings or cupules. Previously unpublished local oral accounts relating to cave and open-air localities at Tsodilo Hills will also be presented. Recurrent components of ritual behaviours provide a perspective from which to interpret these archaeological finds. It will be argued that the sets of artefacts represent ritual offerings made at these sites during the hunter-gatherer/early pastoralist period (also commonly referred to as the Later Stone Age/Early Iron Age). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock sections mainly composed of quartz (coming from orthoquartzite, quartz metagreywacke, pegmatite quartz, vein quartz, chert, and flint) were subjected to experimental etching in 1 M NaOH solution at 80 °C. After 4 h-14 days, the rock sections were analysed using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive spectrometer. Representative areas were documented in backscattering mode and analysed using fully automatic petrographic image analysis (PIA). Specific features connected to alkaline etching were observed on the surface of the rock sections: dissolution gaps, accentuation of pre-existing microcracks, etched out parts of aggregates, and the formation of altered silica-rich layer, and alkali-silica gels, all influencing the greyscale spectrum of the BSE microphotographs. Using SEM-PIA, it was possible to quantify the area affected by alkaline etching (etched area) and to express it as a percentage of the total area analysed. A very good correlation was found between the etched area and alkali-silica reaction potential of investigated rocks measured according to an accelerated mortar bar test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new analytical criterion for brittle failure of rocks and heavily over-consolidated soils. Griffith's model of a randomly oriented defect under a biaxial stress state is used to keep the criterion simple. The Griffith's criterion is improved because the maximum tensile strength is not evaluated at the boundary of the defect but at a certain distance from the boundary, known as half of the critical distance. This fracture criterion is known as the point method, and is part of the theory of critical distances, which is utilised in fracture mechanics. The proposed failure criterion has two parameters: the inherent tensile strength, σ, and the ratio of the half-length of the initial crack/flaw to the critical distance, a/ L. These parameters are difficult to measure but they may be correlated with the uniaxial compressive and tensile strengths, σ and σ. The proposed criterion is able to reproduce the common range of strength ratios for rocks and heavily overconsolidated soils ( σ/ σ = 3-50) and the influence of several microstructural rock properties, such as texture and porosity. Good agreement with laboratory tests reported in the literature is found for tensile and low-confining stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare the laboratory slaking behavior of common clay-bearing rocks to their slaking behavior under natural climatic conditions observed during a 1-year experimental study. Five-cycle slake durability tests were performed in the laboratory on five claystones, five mudstones, five siltstones, and five shales. Twelve replicate specimens of each of these 20 rocks were also exposed to natural climatic conditions for 12 months. After each month of exposure, one replicate specimen of each rock was removed from natural exposure and its grain size distribution was determined. The results of laboratory tests and field experiment were compared in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th cycle slake durability indices (Id, Id, Id, Id, Id), grain size distribution of slaked material, and disintegration ratio ( D), where D is the ratio of the area under the grain size distribution curve of slaked material for a given specimen to the total area encompassing all grain size distribution curves of the specimens tested. Correlations of Id, Id, Id, Id, and Id with D values for laboratory specimens exhibit R values of 0.87, 0.88, 0.83, 0.75, and 0.70, respectively. However, the relationship between Id and D, determined after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of natural exposure, becomes weaker with increasing time of exposure, with R values of 0.65, 0.63, 0.63, and 0.25, respectively. The fifth-cycle slake durability index (Id) for laboratory tested specimens shows a better correlation with D values for naturally exposed specimens ( R up to 0.80). A comparison of grain size distribution curves of slaked material for laboratory specimens, after the 2nd cycle slake durability test, with those of specimens exposed to natural climatic conditions shows that the laboratory test underestimates the field durability for claystones, and overestimates it for siltstones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tectonic maps of Variscan Europe, allochthonous pieces of Cadomian basement clearly stand out with their predominant metabasic to ultrabasic elements, the so-called exotic terranes with ophiolites. Most of these domains are observed in basements of the Central Iberian Allochthone, the South Armorican domain, the nappe structures of the French Massif Central, the Saxothuringian Zone and the Bohemian Massif. Similar relics can be recognized in many Alpine basement areas, and correlations with supposedly more autochthonous basements, such as the Ossa Morena Zone and the Central Iberian basement, can be envisaged. All of these relics are thought to represent the interrupted trace of a former continuous or discontinuous structure, characterized by the presence of ocean-derived proto-Rheic rock suites. These can be interpreted as pieces of former magmatic arcs of Ediacaran to Cambrian age accreted to the Gondwana margin, which later were scattered as allochthonous units during the Variscan plate-tectonic processes. The presence of similar rock suites of Ordovician age in the Alpine realm is explained by the accretion of exotic China-derived basements and their collision with the Gondwana margin during the opening of the Rheic Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piedra del Sol is a free-standing rock in Chaco Canyon that marks June solstice sunrise. The petroglyph on the south face of Piedra del Sol in Chaco Canyon may depict the solar corona observed during the total solar eclipse of July 11, 1097 CE The southwest area of the rock contains features consisted with a sun watching station and faces December sol-stics sunset. During the 19th century, coronal mass ejection appears to have been observed during two total solar eclipses. The petroglyph on the south face appears to show a configuration of the solar corona that is consistent with a coronal mass ejection (CME). The hypothesis that a CME is depicted at Piedra del Sol is testable and can be disproven if the maximum of solar activity did not occur near 1097 CE. Recent studies indicate that 1097 CE was inded close to solar maximum. Miyahara et al. (2010) locate the maximum in 1098 CE based upon cosmogenic-isotopes. Vaquero and Trigo (2012) also found that 1098 CE was a maximum of solar cycle using a combination of documentary sources. The eclipse of 1097 CE occurred during a period of high solar activity, consistent with the in terpretation of the petroglyph as a representation of solar corona during the solar eclipse of that year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Burrup Peninsula and surrounding Dampier Archipelago, in Western Australia, contain the world's largest known gallery of rock art engravings (petroglyphs), estimated to number up to 1 million images. The peninsula is also the site of major industrial development and there are concerns that industrial emissions may adversely affect the stability and longevity of the rock art. We have studied the natural processes and rates of weathering and erosion, including the effects of fire, that affect the stability of rock surfaces and hence the longevity of the rock art, using cosmogenic nuclides. The concentration of 10Be in quartz yields erosion rates in the range 0.15–0.48 mm/1000 years on horizontal rock surfaces and 0.34–2.30 mm/1000 years on vertical rock faces. The former, largely caused by mm-scale surface flaking, are amongst the lowest erosion rates measured by cosmogenic nuclides anywhere in the world. The latter are inferred to represent a combination of mm-scale flaking and very rare centimetre- to metre-scale block falls, controlled by failure along joint planes. Such low erosion rates result from a combination of resistant rocks, low relief and low rainfall, favouring long-term preservation of the petroglyphs – long enough to encompass the known period of human settlement in Australia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Neoproterozoic Hedmark Group (Lower Allochthon), Valdres Group (Middle Allochthon) and Engerdalen Group (Middle Allochthon) contain allochthonous basement slices with tectonic and depositional contacts to sedimentary rocks. The basement slices were transported from the western margin of the continent Baltica during the Caledonian Orogeny. Zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes reveal that allochthonous basement rocks in the Osen-Roa Nappe Complex, forming the depositional substrate of the Hedmark Group, are related to the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB) in terms of age and petrogenetic history. The Kvitvola Nappe Complex of the Middle Allochthon, carrying the sedimentary Engerdalen Group, contains c.1620 Ma and 1180 Ma augen gneisses. The oldest augen gneiss has TIB-like Hf characteristics, while the younger gneiss is more juvenile. These basement rocks may originally have been separated by a major lithotectonic boundary. A sample from the basement slice, located stratigraphically beneath the Valdres Group in the Valdres Nappe Complex, is dated at c.1480 Ma and also has juvenile Hf composition. The apparent younging of basement ages from Lower to Middle Allochthon suggests age zonation at the SW Baltican margin. The juvenile 1180 Ma and 1480 Ma samples are probably derived from the same crust as what is today known as SW Norway or "Telemarkia". Crustal rocks of present-day SW Norway must have continued further to the northwest (according to present geography) and were probably bordered by TIB rocks in the NE. We also present new U-Pb and Lu-Hf data from the autochthonous basement in front of and tectonostratigraphically beneath the Osen-Roa Nappe Complex, sampled along a transect from the Romerike Complex across the Mylonite Zone to Lake Storsjoen. Hf isotopes show the juvenile character of the gneisses on the western side of the Mylonite Zone and typical TIB 3 compositions on the eastern side. Hafnium isotopes from the Hustad Igneous Complex in the Western Gneiss Region (WGR) show strong similarity with the TIB, which supports a genetic connection between the TIB and WGR. Hafnium isotopes from the late Sveconorwegian Fla granite show crustal contamination, which supports models where the TIB continues underneath the Gothian domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While concern for the conservation of cultural stone and rock art continues to grow, so the gap between knowledge of the processes causing deterioration and those assumed to be operating increases. At the same time, in many instances, cultural stone and rock art are considered within the same conceptual framework. From a geomorphological perspective, such stone and rock art can be affected by weathering in fundamentally different ways as a result of the environment they are in and that which they generate themselves. Further, knowledge of, and data regarding mechanical weathering processes, especially under accelerated climatic change, is far from adequate. A brief attempt is made to identify the geomorphological differences between rock art and cultural stone, and to see how these may affect conservation practices at this present time. It is suggested that the weathering environments may not only be quite different but that lack of adequate (appropriate) data may be potentially deleterious to conservation practices due to the (often) unsubstantiated assumptions regarding weathering that are adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to draw conclusions and ingest ideas on the rock art of the Swat Valley. It provides information on the physical landscape of the area, which include red-ochre figurations, several painted images of a bowman with additional limbs in the lower sector, an anthropomorph and hand figures of dancers. It relates that warriors, animals and bowmen are the common art subjects in the sites and that it also contains a small elongated cavity that contains a distorted and odd image of a dome-shaped shrine erected by Buddhists.

Abstract: Intermediate to acidic porphyries and dacites in the Awulale and Sanchakou area of the Xinjiang Tianshan region, China, conform to the definition of high-SiO2 adakite (HSA). These volcanic or subvolcanic rocks are characterized by high Na2O (Na2O>K2O), high Sr/Y (51–327), and strong depletions in HREE and HFSE (Nb, Ta, and Ti). Despite these characteristics, they are distinct from a suite of adakites in the same area that are inferred to be derived from partial melting of subducted slab. Differences between the two suites are evident mainly in their rock association, isotopic ages and compositions of Sr and Nd isotopes. The subducted slab-related adakites are associated with common island arc rocks, niobium-enriched basalt (NEB) and high-Mg andesite (HMA), formed in the late Carboniferous (320–334 Ma) and are characterized by relative high ɛ Nd(t) (+3.4−+11.6) and low (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios(0.7032–0.7063). In contrast, the Awulale and Sanchakou adakites were generated during the middle to late Permian (260–278 Ma), possess a wide range of low ɛ Nd(t) (+0.75−+5.69), a greater range of (87Sr/86Sr) i (0.7039–0.7054) and have young Nd model ages (T 2DM 472–699 Ma). In addition, their Mg# (35–56) and compatible element contents (MgO=0.93–2.22 wt.%; Cr=4.95–16.41 ppm; Ni=2.9–25.8 ppm) are relative low compared to the subducted slab-related adakites(Mg#=55–71; MgO=1.22–6.78 wt.%; Cr=24–132 ppm; Ni=2.28–45.61 ppm). Based on these characteristics, the regional association of igneous rocks, and evidence from a global geoscience transect (GGT), the Awulale and Sanchakou adakites represent a genetically distinct suite in the Xinjiang region. We proposed that the source of these adakites was basaltic rock underplated to the base of the lower crust, that partial melted at the rutile-bearing amphibole-eclogite facies (>650 °C and 1.5 Gpa minimum pressure (≥50 km)). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates optimum matrix-oil-recovery strategies in naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) for different wettabilities and rock types. We compare the recovery efficiencies of two cases: (a) primary countercurrent spontaneous imbibition followed by the diffusion of a miscible phase (secondary recovery) and (b) primary diffusion of miscible fluid without preflush of matrix by spontaneous imbibition. For these recovery strategies, the effects of the matrix shape factor, matrix wettability, and type of miscible displacing phase on the rate of recovery and development of residual-oil saturation were clarified experimentally. Cylindrical Berea-sandstone and Indiana-limestone samples with different shape factors were obtained by cutting the plugs 1, 2.5, and 5 cm in diameter and 2.5, 5, and 10 cm in length. The external surface except one end was coated with epoxy. Static imbibition experiments were conducted on vertically situated samples in which the fractures were at the bottom and matrix/ fracture interaction took place in an upward direction. Mineral oil and crude oil were used as oleic phases. Brine was selected as aqueous phase for the primary spontaneous-imbibition recovery. For primary- and secondary-miscible-displacement experiments, n-heptane was used as solvent. Wettability of water-wet Berea-sandstone samples was altered by aging to observe its effects on the dynamics of spontaneous countercurrent imbibition and diffusion. Parametric analyses were performed for the appraisal of the secondary- and tertiary-recovery potential of NFRs by immiscible-and miscible-fluid injections. The optimal recovery strategies (recovery rate, recovery time, and ultimate recovery) for different rock properties were identified and classified. In water-wet cases, starting the recovery with capillary imbibition followed by diffusion was found to be the optimal way (i.e., both effective and efficient). For limestone or aged-sandstone samples, starting the recovery by diffusion yielded a faster recovery rate and higher ultimate recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Solubilities for a wide range of siderophile elements (SE: Ni, W, Re, Ir, Os, Pt, Rh) have been determined in a haplobasaltic melt composition (An42Di58) using the mechanically assisted equilibration (MAE) technique. Here we present a review of the data obtained and the experience gained over the past decade using this approach. In particular, the major experimental and analytical challenges encountered (and inferred to result from so-called “nanonugget” formation) are described. After a general background overview of siderophile element solubility experiments, the experimental (MAE) and analytical techniques are described. Major element composition was routinely determined by electron microprobe analyses (EMP), whereas trace elements were determined using a wide variety of analytical techniques (Ni, W: INAA, EMP, ICP-AES; Re, Ir, Pt, Rh and Os: INAA, SIMS, dissolution- (diss-ICPMS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS)). The last technique, in particular, has demonstrated its powerful capabilities for micro-analyses, supplying information on both absolute trace element concentrations and on small scale heterogeneities in run products. All investigated SEs exhibit solubilities whose systematic variation with oxygen fugacity (fO2) is consistent with their presence as stoichiometrically dissolved oxide species in the melt phase. There is no indication of zero-valence species dissolved at any fO2 condition. In the case of highly-SE (HSE: Pt, Rh, Re, Os, Ir), INAA results appear to indicate a decrease of HSE solubility with decreasing fO2 down to a fO2 limit which depends on the investigated HSE. Below this limit, bulk HSE concentrations remain either constant with large variations or increase with further fO2 decrease. Duplicate analyses of samples by LA-ICPMS reveal increasing amounts of so-called nanonuggets with decreasing fO2, which lead to high HSE concentrations in the glass samples obtained by bulk analytical methods such as INAA. The formation of HSE (and potentially some SE) nanonuggets in low fO2 samples raises the question of whether nanonuggets are formed either during the quench by precipitation from precursor species dissolved homogeneously in the melts, or are precipitated in situ at high temperature due to true thermodynamic oversaturation. The combination of the MAE technique with LA-ICPMS micro-analytical methods has enabled us to extend our knowledge of the solubility behaviour of HSE to unprecedentedly low fO2 values. Clarification of the solubility mechanism for SE as well as the nanonugget issue, however, will undoubtedly require further novel experimental designs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sedimentary rock samples from the Ypresian Basin, in central-northern Tunisia, were analyzed by two well-proven organic geochemical methods: Rock-Eval (RE) pyrolysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. These techniques were uses to obtain independent parameters on organic matter composition, its thermal maturity, and environment of deposition. This study reveals a close concordance between Rock-Eval pyrolysis data and polycyclic biomarkers parameters such as hopanes and steranes. RE pyrolysis in conjunction with GC–MS analysis show that the Ypresian Basin sediments contain a variable but notable organic-rich facies during the Ypresian and prove an unequivocal evidence for Type-II organic matter, which lies dominantly prior to the peak stage of the conventional oil window (end of diagenesis-beginning of catagenesis). The case study from the Ypresian Basin shows that these methods remain undoubtedly suitable for a good assessment of the petroleum potential of source rocks and rapid geochemical characterization of sedimentary organic matter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents an up-to-date inventory of the known rock art/petroglyph sites in the United Arab Emirates. Descriptions of the forty-two rock art sites, material finds, manufacturing techniques, and motifs present on the petroglyphs are outlined in Table 1 . Evidence concerning chronological indicators and theories relating to the interpretation of particular motifs are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present the results of a ground-penetrating-radar survey of the conservation condition of two rock-art sites in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg (South Africa). The investigation depth in the local sandstone is comprised between 4 and 80cm, which is enough to determine whether the rock walls present any fissures that could make them unstable. The radar therefore allows the localisation of possible weakness areas and a precise mapping of the conservation state of the rock-art sites. Areas ready to detach can be recognised and the depth of alteration zones at the major discontinuities can be assessed. The non-destructive and easy-to-carry ground-penetrating radar appears as a tool particularly adapted to rock-art conservation investigations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The passage of a lightning discharge over the surface of a rock is shown to produce two roughly parallel loci of maximum anomalous magnetization, having opposite polarities, marking the edges of the discharge path. For an electron flow from sky to earth, the north-seeking end of a compass needle is attracted to the right-hand locus. Perpendicular to the path, the magnetization varies like that of the field induced in and around a long, straight cylindrical conductor by the flow of an electrical current. Magnetization due to lightning has been observed on the surfaces of rocks in the Providence Mountains of southern California. Petroglyphs on one of these rocks appear to be related to the magnetic anomalies. The present study suggests that a lodestone may have been used to detect and mark certain of these anomalies, rather than observing the actual lightning strikes or their physical traces on the surfaces of the rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of research on the performance of piles in rock is presented. It is demonstrated that the bearing capacity of a pile is determined not only by the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock in its bed, but also by such factors as the ratio of the diameter of the pile to the depth of its embedment, the ratio of the compression modulus of the rock mass to the elastic modulus of the concrete pile, and the conditions at the contact between the lateral surface of the pile and rock, as well as procedural characteristics of the work performed in installing the piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Satellite images and aerial photos are among continuous sources of data for mapping lineaments which frequently reflect surfaces of discontinuity in the rocks. The analysis of lineaments not only provides a method for detecting past tectonic trends but also helps in the exploration of minerals, oil and ground water and the seismic risk assessment for nuclear sites and repository studies as well. In the present study, lineaments have been extracted from the digital satellite scene (Landsat 7, ETM + data) for the Gebel Gharib-Dara area using GeoAnalyst PCI EASI/PACE software. In a small test area, the lineaments that were digitally extracted for different settings of the GeoAnalyst parameters were compared with the visually interpreted lineaments for optimal settings of the parameters for lineament extraction. The visual interpretation of the present false colour composite map (FCC) led to tentatively classify the rocks into 24 units to study the spatial distribution of the extracted lineaments. Lineament patterns in the form of lineament azimuth profiles (LAPs) are prepared and they are very characteristic for each unit. The NE lineament trend predominates over all the rock units while the NW trend characterizes those units located towards the Gulf of Suez. LAPs show that the younger granitic rock units of Gebel Gharib, Gebel Abu Khashaba and Gebel Dara (having relatively high radioactivity) are characterized by short amplitude of NW trends relative to the NE trends. Correlating lineament density maps (LDM) with aeroradiometry total count contour maps and other ground radiometric maps show that rock units with high radioactivity are also characterized by high lineament density and lineament intersection density. Using the same reasoning, new possible uranium targets have been located. The present study also shows that the younger granitoid is the only rock unit which has been classified into four sub-lithologic units—G1, G2, G3 and G4—and they probably have a compositional variation that needs further field checking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]