What is this thing called Historical Archaeology?

Historical archaeology, in its narrow temporal sense -as an archaeology of the emergence and subsequent evolution of the Modern world- is steadily taking pace in Spanish academia. This paper aims at provoking a more robust debate through understanding how Spanish historical archaeology is placed in the international scene and some of its more relevant particularities. In so doing, the paper also stresses the strong links that have united historical and prehistorical archaeology since its inception, both in relation to the ontological, epistemological and methodological definition of the first as to the influence of socio-political issues in the latter. Such reflection is partly a situated reflection from prehistory as one of the paper’s authors has been a prehistorian for most of her professional life.

Phase II Archaeological Excavations at 99 Main Street, 18AP21 (Sign of the Whale), Annapolis, Maryland

Historical Annapolis Foundation (HAF) conducted terrestrial archaeological investigations at site 18AP21 in the city of Annapolis, Maryland. Excavations were carried out at this National Register site ostensibly as a Phase II project to evaluate the site and assess the need for further work. The site is at 99 Main Street in the center of downtown Annapolis, near the Annapolis waterfront. The project was carried out as part of the advanced work for the Annapolis History Center project, to be built in the adjoining buildings of 99 Main and 196 Green Streets. The buildings are the property of the Historic Annapolis Foundation and located in Maryland Research Unit 7. The excavations were undertaken by HAF, and funded by HAFF. The work was conducted for HAF and MHT, who holds an archaeological easement on the property. This preliminary phase of work included stratigraphic excavation of two testpit units. These two units revealed that the site of the existing 99 Main Street building was the location of three previous constructions. The current building at 99 Main Street, built in 1791, was preceded by an earlier brick dwelling, evidenced by a stout pier of bricks, which was attached to a wooden-sided structure that stood on a foundation of brick and stone. Ceramics indicate that these buildings date to the early-middle of the 18th century. A third structure of post-in-ground construction, evidenced by recovery of burned posts and wood fragments, likely existed prior to these, but evidence was scant. These excavations reveal that the site of 18AP21 holds potential for understanding Annapolis's early cultural developments, especially in the area of initial settlement and the origins of waterfront commerce. The assemblage of artifacts recovered includes a broad sample of common 18th century pottery such as creamware and Chinese export porcelain, and also includes some early colonial types such as tin-glazed earthenware and various red-bodied slipwares. The excavations do not provide conclusive evidence of the construction sequence. Consultation with MHT representatives indicates that further work at the site will likely be needed before modifications to the floor of the building can progress.

Gender and racial/ethnic differences in addiction severity, HIV risk, and quality of life among adults in opioid detoxification: results from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.

PURPOSE: Detoxification often serves as an initial contact for treatment and represents an opportunity for engaging patients in aftercare to prevent relapse. However, there is limited information concerning clinical profiles of individuals seeking detoxification, and the opportunity to engage patients in detoxification for aftercare often is missed. This study examined clinical profiles of a geographically diverse sample of opioid-dependent adults in detoxification to discern the treatment needs of a growing number of women and whites with opioid addiction and to inform interventions aimed at improving use of aftercare or rehabilitation. METHODS: The sample included 343 opioid-dependent patients enrolled in two national multi-site studies of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN001-002). Patients were recruited from 12 addiction treatment programs across the nation. Gender and racial/ethnic differences in addiction severity, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk, and quality of life were examined. RESULTS: Women and whites were more likely than men and African Americans to have greater psychiatric and family/social relationship problems and report poorer health-related quality of life and functioning. Whites and Hispanics exhibited higher levels of total HIV risk scores and risky injection drug use scores than African Americans, and Hispanics showed a higher level of unprotected sexual behaviors than whites. African Americans were more likely than whites to use heroin and cocaine and to have more severe alcohol and employment problems. CONCLUSIONS: Women and whites show more psychopathology than men and African Americans. These results highlight the need to monitor an increased trend of opioid addiction among women and whites and to develop effective combined psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments to meet the diverse needs of the expanding opioid-abusing population. Elevated levels of HIV risk behaviors among Hispanics and whites also warrant more research to delineate mechanisms and to reduce their risky behaviors.

Proposal for Construction of Brock’s Monument, Queenston, newspaper fragment, 1824

Brock’s Monument is owned by Parks Canada and maintained by the Niagara Parks Commission in collaboration with the Friends of Fort George and Niagara National Historic Sites. It is located in Queenston Heights Park atop the Niagara Escarpment. On March 14, 1815, Parliament passed an act to erect a monument to the memory of General Isaac Brock. A design by engineer Francis Hall was selected. He envisioned a 135 ft. tall Tuscan column, made out of stone with a winding staircase inside. By the spring of 1824, work had begun on the monument. In June of that year, the cornerstone was laid and William Lyon Mackenzie was in attendance at the ceremony. It was on October 13th, 1824 (the anniversary of Brock’s death) that 6000 people traveled to Queenston to inter the remains of Brock and Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell. This was the second burial for both. After 3 years the tower had reached 135 feet, but there was no inscription at the base, the fence around the observation deck had not been installed and there was no statue of Brock. Hall submitted a plan to finish the statue, but he was turned down and a simple ornament was placed where the Brock statue should have been. A massive blast of gunpowder destroyed the monument in 1840. It is alleged that an American sympathizer with the Upper Canada Rebellion set off the blast. Brock and Macdonell’s bodies were reburied in the Hamilton Family Cemetery in Queenston. The present monument was rebuilt in 1853. William Thomas (designer of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto) was the architect. Brock and Macdonell were once again laid to rest in separate vaults at the statue. In 1968, Brock’s Monument was declared a national historical site. In 2005, it was closed to the public due to safety concerns, but it reopened in 2010. Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/brocks-monument-queenston-heights

Polimorfismos del gen Butirilcolinesterasa responsables de reacciones adversas en pacientes consumidores de “cocaína”

La butirilcolinesterasa humana (BChE; EC 3.1.1.8) es una enzima polimórfica sintetizada en el hígado y en el tejido adiposo, ampliamente distribuida en el organismo y encargada de hidrolizar algunos ésteres de colina como la procaína, ésteres alifáticos como el ácido acetilsalicílico, fármacos como la metilprednisolona, el mivacurium y la succinilcolina y drogas de uso y/o abuso como la heroína y la cocaína. Es codificada por el gen BCHE (OMIM 177400), habiéndose identificado más de 100 variantes, algunas no estudiadas plenamente, además de la forma más frecuente, llamada usual o silvestre. Diferentes polimorfismos del gen BCHE se han relacionado con la síntesis de enzimas con niveles variados de actividad catalítica. Las bases moleculares de algunas de esas variantes genéticas han sido reportadas, entre las que se encuentra las variantes Atípica (A), fluoruro-resistente del tipo 1 y 2 (F-1 y F-2), silente (S), Kalow (K), James (J) y Hammersmith (H). En este estudio, en un grupo de pacientes se aplicó el instrumento validado Lifetime Severity Index for Cocaine Use Disorder (LSI-C) para evaluar la gravedad del consumo de “cocaína” a lo largo de la vida. Además, se determinaron Polimorfismos de Nucleótido Simple (SNPs) en el gen BCHE conocidos como responsables de reacciones adversas en pacientes consumidores de “cocaína” mediante secuenciación del gen y se predijo el efecto delos SNPs sobre la función y la estructura de la proteína, mediante el uso de herramientas bio-informáticas. El instrumento LSI-C ofreció resultados en cuatro dimensiones: consumo a lo largo de la vida, consumo reciente, dependencia psicológica e intento de abandono del consumo. Los estudios de análisis molecular permitieron observar dos SNPs codificantes (cSNPs) no sinónimos en el 27.3% de la muestra, c.293A>G (p.Asp98Gly) y c.1699G>A (p.Ala567Thr), localizados en los exones 2 y 4, que corresponden, desde el punto de vista funcional, a la variante Atípica (A) [dbSNP: rs1799807] y a la variante Kalow (K) [dbSNP: rs1803274] de la enzima BChE, respectivamente. Los estudios de predicción In silico establecieron para el SNP p.Asp98Gly un carácter patogénico, mientras que para el SNP p.Ala567Thr, mostraron un comportamiento neutro. El análisis de los resultados permite proponer la existencia de una relación entre polimorfismos o variantes genéticas responsables de una baja actividad catalítica y/o baja concentración plasmática de la enzima BChE y algunas de las reacciones adversas ocurridas en pacientes consumidores de cocaína.

Planktic foraminiferal turnover across the Paleocene-Eocene transition in the Bay of Biscay, North Atlantic

Planktic foraminifera across the Paleocene-Eocene transition at DSDP Site 401 indicate that the benthic foraminiferal mass extinction occurred within Subzone P 6a of Berggren and Miller (1988), or PS of Berggren et al. (1995) and coincident with a sudden 2.0? excursion in 6r3C values. The benthic foraminiferal extinction event (BFEE) and Sr3C excursion was accompanied by a planktic foraminiferal turnover marked by an influx of warm water species (Morozovella and Acarinina), a decrease in cooler water species (Subbotina), a sudden short-term increase in low oxygen tolerant taxa (Chiloguembelina), and no significant species extinctions. These faunal changes suggest climatic warming, expansion of the oxygen minimum zone, and a well stratified ocean water column. Oxygen isotope data of the surface dweller M. subbotina suggest climate warming beginning with a gradual 0.5? decrease in delta180 in the 175 cm preceding the benthic foraminiferal extinction event followed by a sudden decrease of 1? (4°C) at the BFEE. The delta13C excursion occurred over 27 cm of sediment and, assuming constant sediment accumulation rates, represents a maximum of 23 ka. Recovery to pre-excursion delta13C values occurs within 172 cm, or about 144 ka. Climate cooling begins in Subzone P 6c as indicated by an increase in cooler water subbotinids and acarininids with rounded chambers and a decrease in warm water morozovellids.

Surface time series of nitrate, silicate and chlorophyll a (1999-2011) and CTD profiles (1999) at the PhytoCly station, Bay of Calvi, Corsica, Mediterranean Sea

This work is based on a long time series of data collected in the well-preserved Bay of Calvi (Corsica island, Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean) between 1979 and 2011, which include physical characteristics (31 years), chlorophyll a (chl a, 15 years), and inorganic nutrients (13 years). Because samples were collected at relatively high frequencies, which ranged from daily to biweekly during the winter-spring period, it was possible to (1) evidence the key role of two interacting physical variables, i.e. water temperature and wind intensity, on nutrient replenishment and phytoplankton dynamics during the winter-spring period, (2) determine critical values of physical factors that explained interannual variability in the replenishment of surface nutrients and the winter-spring phytoplankton bloom, and (3) identify previously unrecognized characteristics of the planktonic ecosystem. Over the >30 year observation period, the main driver of nutrient replenishment and phytoplankton (chl a) development was the number of wind events (mean daily wind speed >5 m s-1) during the cold-water period (subsurface water <13.5°C). According to winter intensity, there were strong differences in both the duration and intensity of nutrient fertilization and phytoplankton blooms (chl a). The trophic character of the Bay of Calvi changed according to years, and ranged from very oligotrophic (i.e. subtropical regime, characterized by low seasonal variability) to mesotrophic (i.e. temperate regime, with a well-marked increase in nutrient concentrations and chl a during the winter-spring period) during mild and moderate winters, respectively. A third regime occurred during severe winters characterized by specific wind conditions (i.e. high frequency of northeasterly winds), when Mediterranean "high nutrient - low chlorophyll" conditions occurred as a result of enhanced crossshore exchanges and associated offshore export of the nutrient-rich water. There was no long-term trend (e.g. climatic) in either nutrient replenishment or the winter-spring phytoplankton bloom between 1979 and 2011, but both nutrients and chl a reflected interannual and decadal changes in winter intensity.

Subsurface time series of chlorophyll a at the PhytoCly station, Bay of Calvi, Corsica, Mediterranean Sea

The development of the winter-spring phytoplankton bloom was investigated in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica, Ligurian Sea, northwestern Mediterranean) in 1979, 1986, 1988, 1997 and 1998. A drastic reduction of phytoplankton biomass was evidenced over the last 2 decades, in relation to long-term changes in climatic and environmental conditions. Between 1979 and 1998, the monthly averaged chlorophyll a concentrations at 1 m decreased by about 80% during February, March and April. Simultaneously, major changes to hydrodynamic conditions include warmer water, overall decrease of salinity at 10 m depth, longer periods of bright sunshine and lower wind stress. The changes in environmental conditions were large enough to affect the vertical stability of the water column during the winter-spring period and to reduce nutrient replenishment of the surface layer prior to the usual period of phytoplankton growth. Until 1986, the main factor driving nutrient replenishment was the winter upward mixing of nutrient-rich deep waters, while the progressive reduction of mixing from 1988 induced nutrient limitation of surface waters in the last decade. The following hypotheses on changes in the development of the winter-spring phytoplankton bloom are made: (1) Until 1986, phytoplankton peaks took place in relatively high-nutrient waters and were diatom-dominated. (2) Between 1986 and 1988, decreasing Si availability led to Si limitation which caused a reduction in diatom abundance. This resulted in the disappearance of the diatom-dominated pulses and in lower phytoplankton biomass and was accompanied by a shift toward non-siliceous phytoplankton. (3) In 1988, 1997 and 1998, decreasing nitrate availability led to nitrate limitation, thus explaining the progressive reduction in non-siliceous phytoplankton biomass. Other, associated changes in benthos assemblages and ichthyofauna are documented. The conclusions from the Bay of Calvi are extended to the whole western Corsican coast. This confirms that the Mediterranean reacts rapidly to external perturbations, which are driven by climate change in that particular area.