2-D and 3-D processing and interpretation of multi-fold ground penetrating radar data:a case history from an archaeological site

A 2.5-D and 3-D multi-fold GPR survey was carried out in the Archaeological Park of Aquileia (northern Italy). The primary objective of the study was the identification of targets of potential archaeological interest in an area designated by local archaeological authorities. The second geophysical objective was to test 2-D and 3-D multi-fold methods and to study localised targets of unknown shape and dimensions in hostile soil conditions. Several portions of the acquisition grid were processed in common offset (CO), common shot (CSG) and common mid point (CMP) geometry. An 8×8 m area was studied with orthogonal CMPs thus achieving a 3-D subsurface coverage with azimuthal range limited to two normal components. Coherent noise components were identified in the pre-stack domain and removed by means of FK filtering of CMP records. Stack velocities were obtained from conventional velocity analysis and azimuthal velocity analysis of 3-D pre-stack gathers. Two major discontinuities were identified in the area of study. The deeper one most probably coincides with the paleosol at the base of the layer associated with activities of man in the area in the last 2500 years. This interpretation is in agreement with the results obtained from nearby cores and excavations. The shallow discontinuity is observed in a part of the investigated area and it shows local interruptions with a linear distribution on the grid. Such interruptions may correspond to buried targets of archaeological interest. The prominent enhancement of the subsurface images obtained by means of multi-fold techniques, compared with the relatively poor quality of the conventional single-fold georadar sections, indicates that multi-fold methods are well suited for the application to high resolution studies in archaeology.

Origin of Chinese ancient glasses;study on the earliest Chinese ancient glasses

The earliest Chinese ancient glasses before the West Han Dynasty (200 BC) from different regions are studied. The glass samples were unearthed from Hunan, Hubei, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Xinjiang of China. The chemical composition of these glasses samples is analyzed by proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). It is shown that the glass chemical compositions belong to barium-lead silicate BaO-PbO-SiO2, potash soda lime silicate K2O (Na2O)-CaO-SiO2 (K2O/Na2O > 1), soda potash lime silicate Na2O (K2O)-CaO-SiO2 (K2O/Na2O < 1) and potash silicate K2O-SiO2 glass systems, respectively. The origins of the earliest Chinese ancient glasses are discussed from the archaeological and historical points of view. These four types of Chinese ancient glasses were all made in Chinese territory using local raw materials. The glass preparation technology was related to the Chinese ancient bronze metallurgy and proto-porcelain glaze technology. The glass technology relationship between the East and the West is analyzed at the same time.

Mitochondrial genome evidence reveals successful Late Paleolithic settlement on the Tibetan Plateau

Due to its numerous environmental extremes, the Tibetan Plateau -the world's highest plateau-is one of the most challenging areas of modern human settlement. Archaeological evidence dates the earliest settlement on the plateau to the Late Paleolithic, whi

Zebu Cattle Are an Exclusive Legacy of the South Asia Neolithic

Animal domestication was a major step forward in human prehistory, contributing to the emergence of more complex societies. At the time of the Neolithic transition, zebu cattle (Bos indicus) were probably the most abundant and important domestic livestock species in Southern Asia. Although archaeological evidence points toward the domestication of zebu cattle within the Indian subcontinent, the exact geographic origins and phylogenetic history of zebu cattle remains uncertain. Here, we report evidence from 844 zebu mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences surveyed from 19 Asiatic countries comprising 8 regional groups, which identify 2 distinct mitochondrial haplogroups, termed I1 and I2. The marked increase in nucleotide diversity (P < 0.001) for both the I1 and I2 haplogroups within the northern part of the Indian subcontinent is consistent with an origin for all domestic zebu in this area. For haplogroup I1, genetic diversity was highest within the Indus Valley among the three hypothesized domestication centers (Indus Valley, Ganges, and South India). These data support the Indus Valley as the most likely center of origin for the I1 haplogroup and a primary center of zebu domestication. However, for the I2 haplogroup, a complex pattern of diversity is detected, preventing the unambiguous pinpointing of the exact place of origin for this zebu maternal lineage. Our findings are discussed with respect to the archaeological record for zebu domestication within the Indian subcontinent.

Population structure and history in East Asia

Archaeological, anatomical, linguistic, and genetic data have suggested that there is an old and significant boundary between the populations of north and south China. We use three human genetic marker systems and one human-carried virus to examine the north/south distinction. We find no support for a major north/south division in these markers; rather, the marker patterns suggest simple isolation by distance.

Fruits of Lithospermum officinale L. (Boraginaceae) used as an early plant decoration (2500 years BP) in Xinjiang；China

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环境变迁在中国文明形成中的作用

The formation of civilization, one of great marks in the history of human's society development, has been remained one of the hottest topics in the world. Many theories have been put ford to explain its causes and mechanisms. Although more attentions have been paid to its development, the role of environmental change should not be ignored. In this paper, the level of ancient farming productivity was analyzed, the mechanisms and the process of Chinese ancient civilization formation was explored, and some causes why Chinese ancient civilization shows many different features from other 5 ancient civilizations of the world was analyzed. The main results and conclusions are presented as followed. 1. Compared with the productivity level of other five ancient civilizations, the productivity of ancient China characterized by a feature of extensive not intensive cultivation was lower than that of other five ancient civilizations whose agriculture were based on irrigation. 2. The 5 5000 a B.P. cold event may have facilitated the formation of Egypt and Mesopotamian ancient civilizations and also have had an influence on the development of Neolithic culture in China. 3. The 4 000 a B.P. cold event, which may be the coldest period since the Younger Dryas cold event and signifies the changes from the early Holocene Climate Optimum to late Holocene in many regions of the world, resulted in the great migration of the Indo-European peoples from north Europe to other part of the World and the collapses of ancient civilizations in Egypt, Indus and the Mesopotamian and the collapse of five Neolithic cultures around central China. More important than that is the emergence of Chinese civilization during the same period. Many theories have been put ford to explain why it was in Zhongyuan area not other places whose Neolithic cultures seem more advanced that gave rise to civilization. For now no theory could explain it satisfiedly. Archaeological evidence clearly demonstrate that war was prevailed the whole China especially during the late Longshan culture period, so it seemed war has played a very important role in the emergence of China ancient civilization. Carneiro sees two conditions as essential to the formation of complex societies in concert with warfare, i.e. population growth and environmental circumscription. It was generally through that China couldn't evolved into the environmental circumscription and population pressure because China has extensive areas to live, but that depends on situations. The environmental circumscription area was formed due to the 4000a B.P. cold event and companied flooding disasters, while the population pressure is formed due to three factors; 1) population grow rapidly because of the suitable environment provided by the Holocene Optimum and thus laid its foundations for the ancient human population; 2) population pressure is also related to the primitive agricultural level characterized by extensive not intensive cultivation; 3) population pressure was mainly related to the great migrations of people to the same areas; 4) population pressure was also related to productivity decrease due to the 4 000a B.P. cold event. 4. When population pressure is formed, war is the most possible way to solve the intensions between population and the limited cultivated land and then resulted in the formation of civilization. In this way the climate change during the 4 000a B.P. cold event may have facilitated the emergence of Chinese ancient civilization. Their detailed relations could also be further understood in this way: The first birth places of China ancient civilization could be in Changjiang areas or (and) Daihai area, Shandong province rather than in central China and the emergence time of ancient civilization formed in central China should be delayed if the 4 000a B.P. cold event and companied flooding disasters didn't occurred.

均质弹性条件下多洞平面问题解析算法及其应用研究

The scholars in the world have been trying to find an effective analytic algorithm of multiple hole problems usually meet in engineering designs. Though some studies on circular or elliptic holes had been achieved under specific conditions, no efforts were made to any multiple hole problems that is most significant for engineering designs. The author has made further studies on any multiple hole problems, using complex variable function method and Schwarz alternating method. After solving a series of technological difficulties, the author obtains an effective analytic algorithm, and acquires stress field and displacement field with high accuracy, which can be conducted for arbitrary many iterations according to practical accuracy requirements. In addition, th solution of stress and displacement fields, even for multiple holes of complex shapes and smaller distances. Further, the author made preliminary studies on viscoelastic displacement solution for any double holes. In terms of the obtained displacement solution of any multiple holes, this paper studies displacement back-analysis for the excavations of two tunnels, and find that the back-analysis method is accurate. Additionally, the author presents the mathematical prove of inversion uniqueness for ground stresses, elastic modulus and Poisson ratio. The author believes that the accurate analytic algorithm provided in this paper will presents an effective way to stress and displacement analysis for any multiple hole problems, optimal arrangement of multiple holes, hole shape optimization of multiple holes, etc..