Building WF16: construction of a PPNA pisé structure in Southern Jordan

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period in Southwest Asia is essential for our understanding of the transition to sedentary, agricultural communities. Developments in architecture are key to understanding this transition, but many aspects of PPNA architecture remain elusive, such as construction techniques, the selection of building materials, and the functional use of space. The primary aim of the research described within this contribution was to build a PPNA-like structure in order to answer questions about PPNA architecture in general, while specifically addressing issues raised by the excavation of structures at the site of WF16, Southern Jordan. The second aim was to display a ‘PPNA’ building to visitors in Wadi Faynan to enhance their understanding of the period. The experimental construction based on one of the WF16 structures showed that 1) required materials can be acquired locally; 2) a construction technique using mud layers as described in this paper was likely used; 3) flat, or very slightly dome-shaped, roofs are functional and can also be used as a solid working platform; 4) the WF16 small semi-subterranean buildings appear inappropriate for housing a nuclear family unit.

Recent work at the Lower Palaeolithic site of Corfe Mullen, Dorset, England

Changes in the geological interpretation of the history of the ancient Solent river basin have focused attention on the handaxes discovered in the Corfe Mullen area during quarrying before the Second World War. Recent geological research suggests that the fluvial terrace the handaxes are associated with may pre-date the Anglian glaciation. This is important because it contributes to the question of just when the Solent basin was first occupied by hominins, and how this relates to other areas of possible contemporary pre-Anglian occupation such as the Boxgrove Marine embayment. However, the artefacts were believed to come from the bluff of the river terrace and were thus not in situ. This paper explores that question and re-examines the context from which the handaxes at Corfe Mullen were discovered.

Glastonbury Abbey: archaeological investigations 1904-79

This volume reports on the results of the Glastonbury Abbey Archaeological Archive Project, a collaboration between the University of Reading and the Trustees of Glastonbury Abbey, funded principally by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project has reassessed and reinterpreted all known archaeological records from the 1908–79 excavations and made the complete dataset available to the public through a digital archive hosted by the Archaeology Data Service (http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1022585). The scope of the project has included the full analysis of the archaeological collections of Glastonbury Abbey by thirty-one leading specialists, including chemical and compositional analysis of glass and metal and petrological analysis of pottery and tile, and a comprehensive geophysical survey conducted by GSB Prospection Ltd. For the first time, it has been possible to achieve a framework of independent dating based on reassessment of the finds and radiocarbon dating of surviving organic material from the 1950s excavations. The principal aim of the Glastonbury Abbey Archaeological Project was to set aside previous assumptions based on the historical and legendary traditions and to provide a rigorous reassessment of the archive of antiquarian excavations. This research has revealed that some of the best known archaeological ‘facts’ about Glastonbury are themselves myths perpetuated by the abbey’s excavators.

The historic landscape of the Mendip Hills

When travelling north-east across the Somerset Levels and Moors the eye is drawn to the dark mass of the Mendip Hills, a Carboniferous Limestone ridge which rises abruptly from the flatness of its surroundings. The Historic Landscape of the Mendip Hills explores the archaeology and architecture of this remarkable corner of England, beginning with evidence for the first hunting groups who passed through the region over half a million years ago. Succeeding generations have left their mark on the Hills, from the enigmatic ceremonial structures of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, to the ancient farming landscapes and brooding hillforts of the Later Prehistoric period. Field archaeology, combined with architectural and historical enquiry, has also allowed a complex narrative to be constructed for more recent periods of history. This is a story dominated by adaptation and change, evidenced by the developing architecture of manorial centres and the shadowy remains of earlier structures fossilized within village houses. This volume presents a synthesis of the results of recent fieldwork undertaken by English Heritage and traces this region’s remarkable past, revealing ways in which it has shaped the landscape we see and value today.

How does a riverine setting affect the lifestyle of shellmound builders in Brazil?

The contact of inland and coastal prehistoric groups in Brazil is believed to have been restricted to regions with no geographical barrier, as is the case in the Ribeira de Iguape valley. The inland osteological collection from the riverine shellmound Moraes (5800-4500 BP) represents a unique opportunity to test this assumption for this region. Despite cultural similarities between riverine and coastal shellmounds, important ecological and site distribution differences are expected to impact on lifestyle. The purpose of this study is thus to document and interpret health and lifestyle indicators in Moraes in comparison to coastal shellmound groups. Specifically we test if the rare evidence of fish and mollusc remains in the riverine shellmound led to (a) higher caries rates and (b) lower auditory exostosis frequency and (c) if the small size of the riverine shellmound translates into reduced demographic density and thus rarity of communicable infectious diseases. Of the three hypotheses, (a) was confirmed, (b) was rejected and (c) was partly rejected. Bioanthropological similarities between Moraes and coastal shellmounds include auditory exostoses with equally high frequencies; significantly more frequent osteoarthritis in upper than in lower limbs; cranial and dental morphological affinities and low frequencies of violent trauma. However, there are also important differences: Moraes subsisted on a much broader protein diet and consumed more cariogenic food, but showed a stature even shorter than coastal groups. Thus, despite the contact also suggested by treponematoses in both site types, there was enough time for the people at the riverine site to adapt to local conditions. (c) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Dating archeological ceramics from the Valley of Vitor, Arequipa by the TL method

The age of some ancient pottery from the Valley of Vitor in the region of Arequipa, Peru, is determined by the thermoluminescence (TL) method. For dating, a 325 degrees C TL peak was used and irradiation with -dose from 5 to 50Gy was carried out for the additive method, and from 0.4 to 5Gy for the regeneration method. For these dose values, the TL intensity is observed to grow linearly, obtaining an accumulated dose of 1.62 +/- 0.09Gy and 1.36 +/- 0.03Gy for the additive and regeneration methods, respectively. The age (A) of the sample was calculated by the two methods, being A=867 +/- 195 years after Christ (AC) for the additive method and A=1050 +/- 157 years AC for the regeneration method. Both results are within 800-1200 years AC, which is the period of the Wari culture.

POSTMARITAL RESIDENCE PRACTICE IN SOUTHERN BRAZILIAN COASTAL GROUPS: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

The coastal plains of the States of Parana and Santa Catarina, in Southern Brazil, were first settled around 6000 B.P. by shellmound builders, a successful fisher-hunter-gatherer population that inhabited the coastal lowlands practically unchanged for almost five thousand years. Shellmounds were typically occupied as residential sites as well as cemeteries, and are usually associated with rich alimentary zones. Around 1200 B.P., the first evidence of ceramics brought from the interior is found in coastal areas, and together with ceramics there is a progressive abandonment of shellmound construction in favor of flat cold shallow sites. Here we consider if these changes were reflected in the postmarital residence practice of coastal groups, i.e., if the arrival or intensification of contact with groups from the interior resulted in changes in this aspect of social structure among the coastal groups. To test the postmarital residence practice we analyzed within-group variability ratios between males and females, following previous studies on the topic. and between-group, correlations between Mahalanobis distances and geographic distances. The results suggest that in the pre-ceramic series a matrilocal, postmarital residential system predominated, while in the ceramic period there was a shift toward patrilocality. This favors the hypothesis that the changes experienced by coastal groups after 1200 B.P. affected not only their economy and material culture, but important aspects of their sociopolitical organization as well.

Correlations between chemical composition and provenance of Justino site ceramics by INAA

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), have been used for the definition of compositional groups of potteries from Justino site, Brazil, according to the chemical similarities of ceramic paste. The outliers were identified by means of robust Mahalanobis distance. The temper effect in the ceramic paste was studied by means of modified Mahalanobis filter. The results were interpreted by means of cluster, principal components, and discriminant analyses. This work provides contributions for the reconstruction of the prehistory of baixo Sao Francisco region, and for the reconstitution of the Brazilian Northeast ceramist population of general frame.

Arranjos produtivo: análise da experiência do setor oleiro cerâmico de Iranduba (AM)

Diante da possibilidade de surgimento de um Arranjo Produtivo Local - APL em substituição a atual aglomeração industrial conhecida como Cluster na região do município de lranduba e de seus arredores, o estudo caracteriza o processo produtivo e administrativo das indústrias inseridas na área. O objetivo, portanto é identificar pontos necessários a transformação acompanhados pelas vantagens que a mudança pode trazer a toda a sociedade que depende do setor oleiro para sobreviver. Apesar de ocorrer cooperação entre as empresas oleiras de lranduba, os resultados do trabalho demonstram que não existe um foco de arranjo produtivo local, tão somente interação entre um aglomerado de empresas em função de necessidades focais. Nesse escopo, salientam-se como principais resultados a constatação de um sistema arcaico de produção baseado na estrutura familiar e a falta de direcionamento de políticas públicas que incentivem o surgimento do APL.

Cerâmica de Santo Antônio do Potengi: entre tradição e modernidade

In the Rio Grande do Norte, the craftsmanship is generating of economy, it involves a significant number of people and is diversified in its raw materials and particular type. As reference of the craft local, the ceramics supplied the primary necessities in the utilitarian domestic servants, acquired piety in the religious figures, were toy in infantile amusements and, finally, gained status of pure ornament. By its historical representation, the district of Santo Antônio do Potengi is considered the most important center of manufacture of craftpottery in the State. The work of the potters continues in that locality anchored between the familiar inheritance and the participation each more influential time of the public politics destined to the sector situation verified for visible alterations in the shape of the pottery from the decade of 1990 with the implantation of a cooperative destined to the collective production. We observe in this passage, that such actions in the measure where they objectify to structuralize conditions ideal to support the artisan making, do not benefit in significant way the social development them craftsmen. It is important not to lose of sight that exists some involved dimensions in this process and that these surpass the common interest for the object and the consequent economic connotation of its commercialization. They are knowledge that imply in the access to raw materials, in the peculiar of the formal aspects and productive methods, in the contextual relations organized to defend the survival of the activity

Obtenção de uma porcelana dielétrica a partir de matérias-primas do Rio Grande do Norte

The dielectric porcelain is usually obtained by mixing various raw materials proportions and is used in the production of electronic equipment for various applications, from capacitors of high and low Power to insulators for low, medium, high and extra high voltage, which are used in distribution lines and transmission of electricity.This work was directed to the s tudy of technological properties of technic porcelain, made from raw materials extracted from pegmatites found in the regions of Seridó and the Alto Oeste of Rio Grande do Norte, which are made of kaolin, quartz and feldspar, abundant and high quality in these regions. The technic ceramics were obtained by mixing in appropriate levels, kaolin, feldspar, quartz and clay, the last item from a pottery in the city of Sao Gonçalo do Amarante, Rio Grande do Norte. During the development the following characterizations correlated to raw materials were made: laser particle sizing, x-ray diffraction, DTA and TG. The compositions studied were formed by uniaxial pressing at a pressure of 50 MPa and sintered at temperatures ranging from 1150 to 1350ºC and levels (times) of sintering between 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The characterization of the samples were taken from the analysis of weight loss, linear shrinkage, porosity, stoneware curve, bulk density, flexural strength of three points, SEM and X-ray diffraction, TMA, Dielectric and cross Resistivity. The studied materials can be employed in producing the objects used in electrical engineering such as: insulators for low, medium and high-voltage electrical systems, command devices, bushing insulation for transformers, power capacitors, spark plugs, receptacles for fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs and others

Efeito da adição de feldspato e/ou resíduo de caulin em formulações à base de argila ilítica

The red pottery industry in Piauí state is well developed and stands out at the national context for the technical quality of its products. The floor and wall tile industry, however, is little developed since the state has only one company that produces red clay-based ceramic tiles. This thesis aims at using the predominantly illitic basic mass of the above mentioned industry, with the addition of feldspar and/or kaolin residue in order to obtain products of higher technical quality. Kaolin residue consists basically of kaolinite, muscovite mica and quartz; the feldspar used was potassic. In this experiment, basic mass (MB) was used for experimental control and fifteen formulations codified as follows: F2, F4, F8, F16, F32, FR2, FR4, FR8, FR16, FR32, R2, R4, R8, R16 and R32. All raw materials were dry-milled, classified, formulated and then humidified to 10% water. Thereafter, test samples were produced by unixial pressing process in a rectangular steel matrix (60.0 x 20.0 x 5.0) mm3 at (25 MPa). They were fired at four temperatures: 1080°C, 1120°C, 1160°C, with a heating rate of 10°C/min during up to 10 min in an electric oven, and the last one in an industrial oven with a peak of 1140°C, aim ing to confirm the results found in laboratory and, finally, technological tests were performed: MEA, RL, AA, PA, TRF and PF. The results revealed that the residue under study can be considered a raw material with large potential in the industry of red clay-based ceramic tiles, since the results found both in laboratory and in the industry have shown that the test samples produced from the formulations with up to 4% feldspar and those produced with up to 8% feldspar and residue permitted a reduction in the water absorption rate and an increase in the mechanical resistance while those samples produced with up to 4% residue had an increase in the mechanical resistance when compared to those produced from the basic mass and that the formulation with 2% feldspar and residue presented the best technological properties, lowering the sintering temperature down to 1120°C

Uso de resíduo e de minerais de pegmatito da região do seridó RN e de argilas portuguesas em formulações de grês porcelanato

In the State Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, the most significant deposits of minerals in the production of granite and pegmatite are Seridó region. Municipalities of Parelhas and Equador are the main responsible for the production of feldspar, quartz, kaolin and granite. The ceramic industries are always in search of competitiveness by investing in new products or improving existing techniques. The stoneware is a type of pottery that stands in the market because it presents technical and aesthetic characteristics superior to other existing products. Characteristics of the raw materials initially obtained with chemical analysis and mineralogical analysis are crucial in getting a product that satisfies the conditions in a manufacturing process and is, in principle, directly related to the firing cycle. This research aimed at developing new formulations for the mass production of ceramic stoneware. The raw materials initially characterized were feldspar, quartz, kaolin and granite. As part of the research was developed at the University of Aveiro, in Portugal, we used two clays used in the production of Portuguese ceramics. The raw material Brazilian and Portuguese and the final product, both in Portugal and Brazil, were analyzed for X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, granulometric analysis, dilatometric analysis, thermal analysis and analysis of scanning electron microscopy (MEV). The specimens prepared at the University of Aveiro (DECV) were sintered at 10000C and 12000C and the specimens prepared in UFRN were sintered at 10000C, 10500C, 11000C, 11500C, 12000C, 12500C and 13000C, but the best results and demonstrating the presence of the mineral mullite were at temperatures of 12000C, 12500C and 13000C. The results showed that the granite waste used may be considered raw material of excellent quality for use in the ceramic industry and coating floors and more accurately by the industry of stoneware. Physical and mechanical tests conducted on samples of the formulations F01 and F02 developed in UFRN showed a water absorption and mechanical strength suitable for the stoneware