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International audience; The preventive excavation of an archaeological site located at the Gare Maritime of Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe, French West Indies) revealed a series of stone artifacts including finished beads and pendants, as well as pieces representing several stages of the chaîne opératoire. This work is an integrated study of the mineralogy and typo-technology of these objects. The artifacts have been recovered from layers interpreted as midden deposits of an early Saladoid coastal settlement dated to 250–400 cal. A.D. Non-invasive analyses by Raman spectroscopy have shown that the 50 artifacts belong to 13 different gemstones which are, in decreasing order of frequency: serpentine, amethyst, turquoise, sudoite, rock crystal, calcite, feldspar, diorite, jasper, aventurine, chlorite, paragonite and nephrite. All these materials’ mineralogy, and in particular the great diversity of the so called “green rocks”, could only be reliably determined through an analytical characterization. The diversity of lithic materials used and abandoned in the Gare Maritime site dump is the largest known to date in the Caribbean archipelago. The presence of seven objects in turquoise is particularly noteworthy in view of its rarity in the other known sites in the region. The chaîne opératoire for each of these raw materials could be approached for the first time in the Caribbean area by emancipating ourselves from the “greenstone” category, which has been too often used in the past because of the lack of reliable mineralogical identification. These results make it possible to integrate the Gare Maritime site into the group of Saladoid sites which have delivered a large set of ornamental elements. On the one hand, the various shapes of artifacts fit the regional cultural pattern, both for beads and pendants shapes, the latter being mainly stylized frogs. On the other hand, the use of 13 semi-precious stones in the lapidary production is exceptional for the region and confirms the use at this period of many exotic raw materials. The provenance of these materials, although difficult to pinpoint properly due to the incomplete mapping of regional resources, documents a mixture of regional and even distant (continental) origins, thus strengthening the idea of a pan-Caribbean network for the exchange of raw materials for lapidary art.

Located in northwestern Mexico, the site comprises 244 islands, islets, and coastal areas. Almost all major oceanographic processes occurring in the major oceans are also present in the Gulf of California, giving it a great importance for study. The area also represents a natural laboratory for speciation – it contains 39% of the world’s total number of species of marine mammals and a third of the world’s marine cetacean species. Most of the islands and coastal areas are part of the Sonoran Desert, and there is a dramatic contrast between the rugged and inhospitable islands and coasts and the brilliant reflection of the turquoise waters. High rocky cliffs and sandy beaches in countless forms and colors rim the islands and coasts. The diversity of marine life associated with spectacular submarine terrain and unusual water transparency turn the site into a globally renowned diver’s area.

In the current study, a set of 60 glass tesserae from two disrupted Roman mosaics located in Pordenone and Trento (northeastern Italy) are analyzed, with the aim of investigating the coloring and opacification techniques, with a focus on the causes of specific textural features. All the available colors and textures were selected for archaeometric analyses, in order to guarantee the full characterization of both assemblages and comparisons between the two sites. The applied analytical protocol comprises micro-textural and preliminary chemical characterizations of the tesserae by means of OM and SEM-EDS, mineralogical analysis of the opacifiers by XRD and chemical analysis of the glassy matrices by EPMA, in addition, on specific tesserae, micro-Raman spectroscopy, FORS, and EPR were also performed to clarify the type of opacifer, coloring ion and oxidation state, respectively. Results show that both the base-glass and the coloring/opacification techniques identified are consistent with the presumed Roman dating of the mosaics. All the tesserae are natron-based and chemically comparable with major Roman compositional groups, except for red samples. Antimony-based opacifiers are identified in most of the blue, turquoise, white, yellow and green tesserae, and copper-based opacifiers in the red ones, cobalt and copper are the most frequent ionic colorants used to obtain various shades of blue, turquoise and green colors. Despite the general comparability of both assemblages with the published data on glass tesserae coeval in age, the present study shows differences in the technological solutions used for obtaining the same color, and less common coloring and opacification techniques in three samples from Pordenone. The banded textures of some tesserae were also carefully investigated, and multiple factors influencing the changes in color (different distribution or relative abundance of opacifiers, crystal size, micro-texture, chemical composition of glassy matrix) are identified.

Archaeologists have long suggested that prehispanic states in Mesoamerica acquired turquoise through long-distance exchange with groups living in what is now the American Southwest and adjacent parts of northern Mexico. To test this hypothesis, we use lead and strontium isotopic ratios to investigate the geologic provenance of 43 Mesoamerican turquoise artifacts, including 38 mosaic tiles from offerings within the Sacred Precinct of Tenochtitlan (the Mexica or Aztec capital) and 5 tiles associated with Mixteca-style mosaics currently held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Most of these artifacts have isotopic signatures that differ from turquoise deposits in the American Southwest, but closely match copper deposits and crustal rocks in Mesoamerica. We thus conclude that turquoise used by the Aztecs and Mixtecs likely derives from Mesoamerican sources and was not acquired through long-distance exchange with the Southwest.

Islands conjure a picture of clear, turquoise water, glistening white sand and blissful days swinging in a hammock. Island destinations have long been a magnetic draw for people seeking escape, tro...

The progressive exploitation and destruction of nesting habitat in recent years, combined with the substantial pressure from legal and illegal removal of wild nestlings and adults, justifies the development of a comprehensive study on the reproductive biology of the Turquoise-fronted Parrot (Amazona aestiva). We analyzed breeding parameters in a wild protected population of Turquoise-fronted Parrots in the Chaco forest, Argentina, examining variation among years, over the course of the breeding season, and in relation to the age of the nest. Mean clutch-size per nesting attempt was 3.68 eggs. Hatching success (proportion of eggs laid that hatch) was 0.73. Fledging success (proportion of nestlings that fledge) was 0.88. The overall breeding success (mean number of fledglings per laying female per year) was 0.95. Clutch size did not vary among years but it decreased with the delay of the nest initiation date. Hatching failure was the greatest cause of egg partial losses, and brood reduction was the main cause of nestling partial loses. Brood reduction was positively correlated with clutch size and with egg-laying date. We did not find interannual variation in any of the clutch or brood size variables. Our results showed that the population of Turquoise-fronted Parrots in the dry Chaco forest has high values of clutch size and nestling survival, and low values of hatching success. However, some aspects of the breeding biology need more attention, especially if the species continues to be harvested. L'exploitation et la destruction progressives de l'habitat de nidification advenues ces récentes années, combinées à la pression élevée de captures légale et illégale d'oisillons et d'adultes sauvages, justifient la mise en place d'une étude globale sur la biologie de reproduction de l'Amazone à front bleu (Amazona aestiva). Nous avons analysé les paramètres de reproduction d'une population sauvage protégée de cette amazone dans la forêt du Chaco, en Argentine, examinant les variations interannuelles, tout au long de la saison de reproduction, en relation avec l'âge du nid. La taille moyenne de la ponte par tentative de nidification était de 3,68 oeufs. Le succès d'éclosion (proportion d'oeufs pondus qui ont éclos) était de 0,73. Le succès à l'envol (proportion de jeunes qui ont pris leur envol) était de 0,88. Le succès de nidification d'ensemble (nombre moyen de jeunes à l'envol par femelle nicheuse par année) était de 0,95. La taille de la ponte n'a pas varié d'une année à l'autre, mais était plus faible lorsque la date d'initiation du nid était retardée. L'échec de l'éclosion était la cause la plus importante de perte partielle d'oeufs et une couvée réduite était la cause principale de perte partielle d'oisillons. La couvée réduite était positivement corrélée avec la taille de la ponte et la date de celle-ci. Nous n'avons pas observé de variations interannuelles des variables relatives à la taille de la ponte ou de la couvée. Nos résultats indiquent que la population de l'Amazone à front bleu de la forêt sèche du Chaco montre des valeurs élevées de la taille de ponte et de la survie des oisillons, mais des valeurs faibles du succès d'éclosion. Néanmoins, nous pensons qu'il serait important de se pencher davantage sur certains éléments de la biologie de reproduction de l'espèce, particulièrement si elle continue d'être prélevée. Fil: Berkunsky, Igor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina Fil: Segura, Luciano Noel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina Fil: Ruggera, Román Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina Fil: Faegre, Sarah I. K.. University of Washington; Estados Unidos Fil: Trofino Falasco, Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentina Fil: López, Fernando Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; Argentina Fil: Velasco, Melina Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Herpetología; Argentina Fil: Kacoliris, Federico Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina Fil: Aramburu, Rosana Mariel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina Fil: Reboreda, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina

The “Chaco Phenomenon” has been a major research focus within Ancestral Puebloan archaeology, yet while most scholars agree that some kind of shared ideology and ritual permitted the creation of this distinctive network of pueblo villages throughout a vast region of the American Southwest, few have attempted to explain the specifics of Chacoan ritual practice. This paper uses a phenomenological approach to examine exotic imports in Chaco Canyon including turquoise, shell, cacao, copper bells, and macaws and argues for the importance of these objects’ unique sensory characteristics in crafting Chaco's compelling ritual environment. By skillfully employing striking new colors, sounds, and tastes in both “concealed” and “conspicuous” practices of ritual deposition and public performances, Chacoan religious personnel would have not only have demonstrated their spiritual prestige by having acquired such items, but also allowed ritual participants to hear, see, and taste a paradisiacal realm akin to the shared ...

In this study, we used various dyes from natural pigments such as tumeric, goldthread, indigo, pagoda tree flower, sappanwood, and safflower to make the Hanji wallpaper with super eight colors of yellow, orange, green, turquoise, violet, red, blue, and magenta. As a result of measuring the lightfastness, magenta dyed with sappanwood showed the worst effect, but blue dyed with only indigo showed the best effect. In terms of the spot test by water, red wallpaper dyed with safflower showed the clear spot, but blue, turquoise, and green dyed with indigo resulted in a little spot. The orange, violet, and magenta dyed with goldthread and sappanwood showed antibacterial activity, and the turquoise, green, and blue also has a little antibacterial activity. However, yellow and red didn't show the some result as expected. In the experiment for efficiency of formaldehyde removal, all Hanji wallpapers dyed with natural pigments showed the significant removal effect of formal-dehyde, especially turquoise and red were the highest. Keywords: Hanji (Korean traditional paper), wallpaper, natural dyeing, super eight colors, color therapy

Reactive colors such as turquoise have definite properties of larger structure results uneven shade problem for fabric with compact structure. In this research the uneven shade problem was resolved by using stripping process in the preparatory stage before dyeing with the help of Hydrose (Na2S2O4) treatment. Various test such as fabric strength, color fastness, color strength have been carried out to study the performance of experimental process. The obtained results shows that, stripping process at preparatory stage reflect significant effect on turquoise dye for even dye shade. As a result uneven shade will not be visualized due to the uniformly absorption of dye molecules into the fiber core. The morphological changes of the fiber in dyed fabric were studied by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

High-precision accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) (14)C dates of scarlet macaw (Ara macao) skeletal remains provide the first direct evidence from Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico that these Neotropical birds were procured from Mesoamerica by Pueblo people as early as ∼ A.D. 900-975. Chaco was a prominent prehistoric Pueblo center with a dense concentration of multistoried great houses constructed from the 9th through early 12th centuries. At the best known great house of Pueblo Bonito, unusual burial crypts and significant quantities of exotic and symbolically important materials, including scarlet macaws, turquoise, marine shell, and cacao, suggest societal complexity unprecedented elsewhere in the Puebloan world. Scarlet macaws are known markers of social and political status among the Pueblos. New AMS (14)C-dated scarlet macaw remains from Pueblo Bonito demonstrate that these birds were acquired persistently from Mesoamerica between A.D. 900 and 1150. Most of the macaws date before the hypothesized apogeal Chacoan period (A.D. 1040-1110) to which they are commonly attributed. The 10th century acquisition of these birds is consistent with the hypothesis that more formalized status hierarchies developed with significant connections to Mesoamerica before the post-A.D. 1040 architectural florescence in Chaco Canyon.

The archaeological record shows that turquoise was widely mined and highly valued by pre-Hispanic societies in the southwestern United States, and it has long been assumed that much of the turquoise noted in ancient Mesoamerica was traded from this region. However, little is understood about the acquisition and exchange of turquoise by Native American societies because the geological sources of most turquoise artifacts from archaeological sites in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico are not known. We evaluate the potential for Pb and Sr isotopic ratios to indicate the geological provenance of turquoise artifacts recovered from these regions. Pb and Sr isotopic measurements were made on 137 geological samples of turquoise from 19 mining districts across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These data reveal that isotopic signatures of turquoise deposits vary geographically according to regional and local differences in the geologic settings of turquoise mineralization. As an archaeological case study, we also report Pb and Sr isotopic data on 10 turquoise artifacts recovered from three late pre-Hispanic (ca. A.D. 1250–1400) ancestral Zuni sites located in the El Morro Valley of western New Mexico. These have isotopic signatures uniquely consistent with the turquoise deposits of the Cerrillos Hills, a location identified in Zuni traditional history as an ancient source of turquoise. These data thus establish Pb and Sr isotopic measurements as powerful tools for determining the sources of turquoise artifacts and provide a new framework for evaluating the role of turquoise in pre-Hispanic exchange networks across North America.

This study shows the first Raman Microscopy (RM) and SEM-EDX characterization of two 14th and 15th century lead-glazes and lustre ceramics from the Manises and Paterna workshops (Valencia, Spain) produced after the Aragon Christian conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (14th century). According to experts, these coetaneous ceramics were most probably involved in a process of technological transfer from the Islamic area of Southeast Spain to the Christian area of Valencia (East Spain) at the beginning of the 14th century; later on the celebrated Manises and Paterna workshops were formed. Although these ceramics have been studied widely in terms of production technology (ceramic body, glazes and lustre) using an array of diverse analytical techniques, until now a RM study has not been carried out. This paper presents results regarding the complex chemical composition of the glaze and lustre coloring agents and the quality of color manufacturing processes, elucidating firing conditions via spectral components analysis (i.e. Qn for stretching/bending components) and polymerization index (Ip), emphasizing chronology and pigment technology changes between both Valencian workshops. Coloring agents identified in glazes and lustres were cobalt present in blue glazes, copper in greenish glazes, copper and cobalt in the turquoise glaze and pyrolusite in black glazes. Tin oxyde was used as an opacifier in white glazes. Two lustre manufacture recipes were recognized mainly based on copper and silver compounds. Calculated firing temperatures were up to 1000oC for white glazes and up to 600oC for lustre and color glazes.

Through the long dreary days of another semester at school, I had become fixated on the idea of going to Lhasa. But how could I tell my parents? I decided to wait for the upcoming holiday, and thought long and hard about what I would say to them. When I got home from the boarding school where I was studying, my parents asked me about my studies. As she always did whenever I came from school for the holidays, Mother made a big meal of beef dumplings, my favorite food.

The archaeological excavations carried out between August 2007 and July 2008 in the necropolis of Campo de Hockey (transit Vth–IVth millennium BC) documented levels and structures of interest. We report the first data on the grave goods study, with a special focus on the “funerary” as social work investment. The correlations between the “grave goods” (such as social prestige values) and funerary structures can be established. The individual, double or triple characters of these burials imply social effort and sometimes involve an investment of community work. In the study of the necropolis, it has been observed that very few tombs have grave goods elements; this finding is of great interest because it confirms that incipient hierarchisation processes occurred in these Neolithic societies of South Iberia. We emphasise the analysis of so-called exotic products (amber, turquoise, variscite, sillimanite, etc.) as indicators of inequality, focusing on the correspondence between them and the most monumental or complex structures. We also note the importance of the exploitation of marine resources, which is obvious given the insular nature of the settlement, not only for food but also for ornamental purposes.

The Museum of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in Mexico City holds a collection of several thousands of polished stone artifacts that were excavated and identified as temple offerings. These can stratigraphically be related to the sequential construction stages (II-VII) of the ceremonial area of the Aztec capital from the foundation of the city in 1325 to 1521, when the Spaniards conquered the city. A non-destructive investigation of the elemental and chemical composition of these archaeological artifacts helps us to understand the provenance of these pieces, their use and the specific mineralogical choice for these artifacts as well as more information regarding trade routes relevant to the development of the Aztec empire. A mineralogical analysis of, in total, 450 stone artifacts was carried out using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). From this, eighty-five pieces were selected according to their excavation location, either in the Great Temple itself or in the surrounding buildings, as well as to represent the different construction stages of the area (this is part of a World Heritage Site). The resulting mineralogical and chemical information was related to possible mineral resources that were controlled and used as the empire expanded. Artifacts made from high-status semi-precious minerals, like jadeite and turquoise, are found to be concentrated in the central buildings and in the Great Temple itself, but also in the later construction periods of the area.

Based on CIE1976 L * a * b * uniform color space, we quantitatively measure d 52 pieces of green turquoise about L * , a * and b * under illuminant D65. These colors were divided well into seven categories by Kmeans clustering analysis and the conseque n ce from ANOVA illustrated that there was evident difference among every category ’ s L * , a * and b * . By Fisher discriminant analysis to summarize the difference among various categories, every category ’ s L * , a * and b * were substituted into seven linear discriminant functions to verif y the accuracy of clustering. The accuracy was 98.1% and met requirement to turquoise green color grading . Combing with naked eyes ’ observation, turquoise ’ s green color was graded into seven levels for light and chroma, consisting of Fancy Vivid(FV), Fancy Intense(FI), Fancy Deep(FDe), Fancy(F), Fancy Dark(FDa), Fancy Light(FL), Light(L).

Turquoise, Water, Sky: Meaning and Beauty in Southwest Native Arts presents an accessible discussion of the importance and utilization of turquoise by Southwestern cultures throughout the past 1500 years, albeit heavily focused on the modern era. Primarily meant for a lay audience, this short volume is divided into six chapters and interspersed by approximately 160 images and illustrations. While beautiful, these images greatly limit the amount of text in the book. Turquoise, Water, Sky begins with a discussion of the prehistoric use of the material and its meaning in both past and contemporary contexts. However, the majority of the volume presents an evolution of contemporary form of both Puebloan and Navajo stonework. This portion will likely be the most appealing aspect of the book for the intended general audience, but it has limited utility for archaeologists and others interested in lithic studies.

[EN] Archaeological excavation of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology (Polish Academy of Sciences, PAN) at several Iron Age sites located in West Poland and South Germany has allowed the recovery of an important set of coloured glass beads mostly decorated (6th-4th centuries BC). The present paper summarises the results obtained through the chemical and microstructural characterisation of such beads. The research was carried out by binocular microscope observations, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and visible spectrophotometry. The main objective was to attain information on the production technology and conservation state of these beads. The results indicated that all them were produced with soda lime silicate glass, even though two groups can be separated: (i) beads containing high MgO percentages made from plant ashes as an alkaline source, and (ii) beads containing low MgO percentages made from natron as an alkaline source. As regards decorations, opaque white was obtained from tin oxide, turquoise blue from Cu-ions, and opaque yellow from lead antimonate. Additionally, results showed microstructural and microcrystalline differences between some glass beads studied here and other glass beads from Mediterranean areas, dated in the same chronological period. This fact pointed out the valuable role given to these beads by Iron Age communities from Central Europe., [ES] La excavación arqueológica realizada por el Instituto de Arqueología y Etnología de laAcademia Polaca de Ciencias, en varios yacimientos de la Edad del Hierro situados en el oeste de Polonia y el sur de Alemania, ha permitido la recuperación de un importante conjunto de cuentas coloreadas de vidrio, la mayoría decoradas (siglos VI-IV a.C.). Este artículo recoge los resultados obtenidos tras la caracterización química y microestructural de dichas cuentas de vidrio. La investigación se llevó a cabo mediante observaciones de microscopía binocular, difracción de rayos X, microscopía electrónica de barrido, espectrometría de dispersión de energías de rayos X y espectrofotometría visible. El objetivo principal ha sido obtener información acerca de la tecnología de producción y del estado de conservación de estas cuentas de vidrio. Los resultados indicaron que todas las cuentas se produjeron con vidrios de silicato sódico cálcico, aunque se pueden clasificar en 2 grupos: 1) cuentas que contienen porcentajes elevados de MgO, elaboradas a partir de cenizas de plantas como fuente de componentes alcalinos; y 2) cuentas que contienen porcentajes bajos de MgO, elaboradas con natrón como fuente de componentes alcalinos. En lo que se refiere a las decoraciones, el blanco opaco se obtuvo a partir de óxido de estano, ˜ el azul turquesa con iones Cu2+ y el amarillo opaco con antimoniato de plomo. Por otro lado, los resultados demostraron la existencia de diferencias microestructurales y microcristalinas entre algunas de las cuentas de vidrio estudiadas y otras cuentas procedentes del área mediterránea, fechadas en el mismo periodo cronológico. Este hecho señala el valioso papel que se confería a este tipo de cuentas de vidrio en las comunidades centro europeas de la Edad del Hierro, The authors are indebted to the partial financing of bilateral projects PAN-CSIC (refs. 2008PL0012 and 2010PL0003). Likewise, the authors wish to mention the professional support of the TechnoHeritage network of Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

Five turquoise samples, belonging to the XVII century historical collection of the Real Museo Mineralogico (University of Naples Federico II), were investigated by a multi-methodological approach based on powder X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analysis in wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy mode, backscattered electron images from scanning electron microscopy in energy-dispersive spectroscopy mode, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy.The samples originate from Sinai (Egypt), Santa Fè S. Miguel (New Mexico), Saxony (Germany), Montebras Creuse (France) and Nishapur (Khorassan, Iran) and display different mineralogical compositions and various mineral associations. The study has shown the presence of: (1) four minerals of the turquoise group: turquoise, faustite, chalcosiderite and planerite; (2) other phosphates from different groups: wavellite, crandallite, goyazite, gorceixite, variscite, metavariscite, fluorapatite; and (3) other minerals: voltaite, adularia and quartz.The present investigation is intended to show the mineralogical and geochemical variability of the samples with particular attention to the mineralogical parageneses, textural analyses and trace-element concentrations.

Background Ombitasvir, paritaprevir with ritonavir, and dasabuvir (OBV/PTV/r ± DSV) ±ribavirin (RBV) are approved to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 and 4 infection. Here, we investigate the safety and efficacy of OBV/PTV/r + DSV ±RBV for HCV genotype 1, and OBV/PTV/r + RBV for HCV genotype 4, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 coinfected patients with or without compensated cirrhosis. Methods TURQUOISE-I, Part 2 is a phase 3 multicenter study. Patients with or without cirrhosis were HCV treatment-naive or -experienced, on an HIV-1 antiretroviral regimen containing atazanavir, raltegravir, dolutegravir, or darunavir (for genotype 4 only), and had plasma HIV-1 ribonucleic acid Results In total, 228 patients were treated according to guidelines. Sustained virologic response at posttreatment week 12 (SVR12) was achieved by 194 of 200 (97%) and 27 of 28 (96%) patients with HCV genotype 1 and genotype 4 infection, respectively. There were 2 virologic failures: 1 breakthrough and 1 relapse in a cirrhotic and a noncirrhotic patient with genotype 1b and 1a infection, respectively. One reinfection occurred at posttreatment week 12 in a genotype 1a-infected patient. Excluding nonvirologic failures, the SVR12 rates were 98% (genotype 1) and 100% (genotype 4). Adverse events were mostly mild in severity and did not lead to discontinuation. Laboratory abnormalities were rare. Conclusions The OBV/PTV/r ±DSV was well tolerated and yielded high SVR12 rates in patients with HCV genotype 1 or genotype 4/HIV-1 coinfection. The OBV/PTV/r ± DSV ±RBV is a potent HCV treatment option for patients with HIV-1 coinfection, regardless of treatment experience.

One of the most poignant moments in The Merchant of Venice is when Shylock learns that the turquoise ring he valued above anything was not only stolen by his daughter Jessica, but also traded for a monkey. This essay uses Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice as a lens for exploring the value of turquoise in the early modern period. Shakespeare’s deliberate use of a turquoise ring in his play is profoundly emblematic, meant convey cultural contentions and serve as a touchstone for questions of trade and exoticism. But the turquoise, coming from Persia and Arabia, was also a valuable stone in sixteenth-century England. It was worn by queens and also given as gifts to and from queens. Mary Stuart received a turquoise ring when she was being pressured to abdicate the throne of Scotland. For Queen Elizabeth, her turquoise jewelry worked as a symbol of expansion of empire and exchange.

The archipelago of the Tremiti Islands, situated in the centre of the Adriatic Sea, is considered, nationally and internationally, a very important geological and geomorphological laboratory, rich in Cenozoic stratigraphic, tectonic and, recently, geomorphological studies. Despite the small size of the islands, the present landscape of the Tremiti Islands and of the inner continental shelf shows an outstanding wealth of ancient and present terrestrial and marine landforms. They provide the islands with their intrinsic and distinctive value and beauty and that can be discovered walking on the islands, sailing around them or diving into the turquoise to blue sea.

Les Aztèques utilisèrent une quantité importante de minéraux bleus, généralement désignés comme turquoise pour confectionner, notamment, des offrandes. Notre étude propose de déterminer la composition chimique des minéraux bleus du disque de mosaïque de l’offrande 99 issu des fouilles du Templo Mayor de México-Tenochtitlán, ancienne capitale aztèque, et d’observer l’usage de ces minéraux dans la manufacture de cet objet. L’objectif est de proposer une première évaluation des différentes espèces minérales présentes à partir d’analyses in situ à l’aide de la fluorescence de rayons X en comparant les résultats obtenus à ceux d’une base de données minérale. La présente étude amène à préciser la théorie des « turquoises culturelles » proposée par Weigand et al. (1977) et reprise par Kim et al. (2003). Cette théorie suggère que la plupart des sociétés mésoaméricaines, au cours du temps, ont conféré une valeur symbolique à la couleur bleu-vert et ont employé des minéraux bleus, voire verts, pour confectionner, notamment, leurs objets d’offrandes. Toutefois, on peut aussi penser que la fabrication des objets pouvait s’effectuer sans préoccupation dans le choix de la matière première en mélangeant différentes espèces minérales de la famille des « turquoises culturelles ». Ce dernier point est discuté dans le cas des offrandes du Templo Mayor dont l’étude révèle l’absence de mélange intentionnel d’espèces minérales dans la confection de chaque objet et un usage quasi-exclusif des « turquoises minérales » comme matière première. The Aztecs used significant amounts of blue minerals, generally designated as turquoise, in their offerings. The aim of this work is to determine the chemical composition of blue minerals in the mosaic disc of the offering 99 discovered during the excavations of the Templo Mayor in México-Tenochtitlán, Aztecs former capital, and to study the usage of these minerals in the manufacture of this object. The objective is to propose a first evaluation of the different mineral species by performing in situ analyses using the X-ray fluorescence and comparing the obtained results to those of a mineral database. This study is based on the theory of the “cultural turquoise” established by Weigand and al. (1977) and resumed by Kim et al. (2003). It suggests that most of the Mesoamerican societies, along times, conferred a symbolic value to the green blue color and employed blue and green minerals to prepare offerings. Nevertheless, one can also think that the manufacture of the objects was carried out without giving a lot of importance to the choice of the raw material when mixing various mineral species from “cultural turquoise”. This last point is discussed in the case of the offerings of the Templo Mayor. The study reveals the lack of mixture of mineral species in the fabrication process of the analyzed objects and an almost exclusive usage of “chemical turquoise” as raw material.

Ancient turquoise Persian glazed ceramics, which are well known as Khar-Mohreh, belonged to several centuries ago. In this research, reproduction of ancient glazed bodies was performed, and the products were studied by different techniques. Experimental evaluations were focused on elemental, structural, morphological, and colorimetric characteristics. SEM micrographs illustrated a thin (10 μm) uniform composite glazed layer on a porous composite thicker layer (500 μm). The layers consist of microneedle-shaped and nanospherical particles of copper oxide distributed in an amorphous silicate medium. Modeling of this architecture was used for determination of the visual aspect of the ceramic via the reflectance coefficient. Structural and colorimetric results showed that the shape and distribution of copper oxide particles do not play a crucial role on the color of these ceramics.

In China, there are places that are rich in gem-quality turquoise resources, including north-west Hubei Province and the nearby Baihe County in Shaanxi Province, and many ancient mining sites, although the mining history remains a mystery. Based on the compositional data from reference samples of known deposits, a comparison of the major and trace element contents of archaeological turquoise may help with determination of artefact provenance. This paper discusses new evidence of provenance-tracking of turquoise in this area, obtained from geochemical analyses using REE and other trace elements of 22 turquoises and their surrounding rock samples from six ancient mines and three archaeological sites. The results indicate that the three archaeological turquoises from the tomb of the Middle Spring and Autumn Period (580–560 bc) and the Warring States Period (476–221 bc) in Hubei Province were made of raw material from north-west Hubei Province and the nearby Baihe County in Shaanxi Province. [Correction added on 29 October 2014, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, the correct dates for the Middle Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period have been added]

Two Cloisonné enamel architectural components from Fuwangge in the Forbidden City that were produced from Yangzhou (one production center) in Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 A.D.) were chosen and analyzed. A combination of Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy was successfully used to analyze eight colors in enamel glazes (yellow, white, pink, turquoise, yellow green, deep blue, red and deep green). Chemical composition results reveal that the enamel glaze matrix belongs to lead-potash-lime glass (PbO-K2O-CaO-SiO2). Based on Raman spectroscopy, lead-tin yellow types II, cassiterite, lead arsenate, fluorite and hematite were found as opacifiers and/or colorants. In addition, a detailed discussion of raw materials, such as fluorite and borax, might provide valuable information to trace manufacturing technology and provenance.

Thousands of turquoise artifacts have been recovered from archaeological sites in Chaco Canyon and other Ancestral Puebloan (formerly known as the Anasazi) sites across the San Juan Basin in northwestern New Mexico suggesting that turquoise was an important commodity in these ancient trade networks. Although the well documented group of turquoise deposits in the Cerrillos Hill have been the main contender for the geological source of Chacoan turquoise because they are the closest in proximity to the canyon, recent studies show that turquoise was obtained through long-distance trade networks that extended hundreds of kilometers to the west. To investigate Ancestral Puebloan turquoise procurement strategies and trade networks, we analyzed 74 turquoise artifacts from Puebloan sites in the San Juan Basin and the Virgin Puebloan area in southern Utah and the Moapa Valley in Nevada by a technique we developed that identifies the geological source of turquoise artifacts using the isotope ratios of hydrogen and copper and a comparative database that contains the isotope fingerprints of 22 turquoise resource areas. Here we present geochemical evidence of multiple turquoise trade routes into Chaco Canyon linking turquoise from the San Juan Basin with deposits along the Rio Grande Rift and resource areas in Nevada and the Mojave region of southeastern California. By linking Chacoan turquoise with the western turquoise resource areas, our data supports the proposal that the Virgin Puebloan may have played an important role in the movement of turquoise, shell, and salt to the San Juan Basin. Our turquoise sourcing technique establishes the foundation for future turquoise provenance studies in additional regions beyond the American Southwest including Mexico, South America, China, and Persia. The use of isotope ratios should be tested as unique discriminators for other complex minerals.

Figure 1. Abstract Turquoise, 2012; 6″ × 6″; acrylic inks. Mineral collectors who have attended the Cincinnati, Ohio, Geofair, held annually the first weekend in May, have likely seen the artwork o...

Variscite is a green, lustrous mineral similar to turquoise. While both variscite and turquoise are aluminum-bearing, hydrated phosphate minerals, variscite contains no copper. We applied three kinds of portable analytical instruments to a nondestructive, on-site analysis of Late Bronze Age (LBA) artifacts excavated from a royal tomb at Qatna, Syria, including a portable micro-Raman spectrometer, an X-ray powder diffractometer, and an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Variscite was positively identified as the raw material for a number of items from the Qatna tomb. Our analytical result is the first scientific evidence of the use of variscite for personal ornaments during the LBA in the Middle East. Because differentiating between variscite and turquoise is difficult with the naked eye, it is possible that variscite artifacts were misidentified as turquoise among Middle Eastern LBA items excavated from other archaeological sites.

A representative selection of early Islamic glazed ceramics from Egypt, with yellow and/or green as major colours and spanning the period from 8th to 11th centuries has been studied. Following the production of Coptic Glazed Ware in 8th century, in which lead stannate was used to produce an opaque yellow glaze side by side with brown and green transparent lead glazes, the lead stannate opaque yellow appears to have been lost in Egypt by the second half of the 9th century when new shapes were produced consequence of the Abbasid Iraqi influence. However, by the 10th century, polychrome glazed ceramics were being produced in the Fustat region using lead antimonate in the production of yellow, amber and green glazes which were applied side by side. At the same time, tin oxide began to be used for the production of opaque white and turquoise glazes. It is suggested that the rediscovery of lead antimonate was a result of experimental firings of available minerals, such as stibnite or a galena with stibnite impurities. Finally, with the Fatimid conquest of Egypt in 969 CE and the foundation of Cairo as the dynasty capital, the tradition for producing ceramics with yellow and green decoration over a white background spread from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) to Egypt. However, in Ifriqiya, the glazes were transparent and a whitened clay body provided the background whereas, in Egypt, lead antimonate was used for the yellow, and tin oxide for the white glaze which provided the background. From Egypt, the latter glaze technology spread to Tunisia, and from there to other Mediterranean regions. In conclusion, it is argued that the political and historic events in Egypt and the wider Islamic world seem to have provided the main driving force for the observed changes in both ceramic style and glaze technology.