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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Gas hydrate associated with mud diapirs in southern Okinawa Trough

Many mud diapirs have been recognized in southern Okinawa Trough by a multi-channel seismic surveying on R/V KEXUE I in 2001. Gas hydrates have been identified, by the seismic reflection characteristics, the velocity analysis and the impedance inversion. Geothermal heat flow around the central of the mud diapir has been determined theoretically by the Bottom Simulating Reflectors (BSRs). Comparing the BSR derived and the measured heat flow values, we infer that the BSR immediately at the top of the mud diapirs indicate the base of the saturated gas hydrate formation zone (BSGHFZ), but not, as we ordinarily know, the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ), which could be explained by the abnormal regional background heat flow and free gas flux associated with mud diapirs. As a result, it helps us to better understand the generation mechanism of the gas hydrates associated with mud diapirs and to predict the gas hydrate potential in the southern Okinawa Trough. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.