20th Century Research Articles

The High-Resolution Archaeology of Shared Courtyards at Old Dongola (14th–16th Century a.d., Sudan): an Intensive Approach to Domestic Open Spaces

ABSTRACT Identifying the dynamics of domestic open spaces remains a challenging task. This research applies an adjusted theoretical framework of activity areas to characterize domestic open spaces in the 14th–16th century a.d. in Old Dongola, Sudan. Activity areas were defined as sedimentations of residues of recurring cycles of changing actions rather than stable components of space. To identify domestic space, this research utilizes high-resolution methods: analyses of multiple chemical elements, spatial distribution of objects, and botanical remains of courtyard occupational surfaces, combined with spatial statistics using local Moran’s I autocorrelation. The relationships between the remains of human and non-human actions are discussed in terms of the material affordances affecting their deposition within the archaeological layers. Application of these methods allowed for the identification of areas of domestic tasks related to high concentrations of elements, as well as clusters of tools located on their edges. Botanical data corroborated often vague identifications of activities based on geochemistry.

Study on the Cross-cultural Acceptance and Influence of Dickens' Literary Works

This research is entitled "The Reception and Effect of Charles Dickens' Works in cross-cultural Communication", which can analyze the reception of Dickens' works in China and its deep penetration into Chinese society, culture and literature in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Focusing on the period from 1895 to 1915, when Western ideas flooded into the land of China, Dickens, one of the leading figures in Western literature, whose passages were translated into China, immediately triggered profound reverberations. This paper begins with an overview of the initial transformation of Dickens' works in the Chinese environment, and studies the translation methods, publication history, and the reaction and experience of the early readers. Further, by depicting the Chinese society from 1895 to 1915, it reveals how Dickens's works interwoven dialogue with the ideological changes in China at that time, especially insight into how the intellectual elite reflected on and challenged the established social structure with Diellet's words, and further promoted social changes. Then this study also focuses on the localization process of Dickens' works in the Chinese cultural circle, focusing on the reshaping of themes, the adaptation of literary techniques and narrative techniques, and the driving force of these variations on the evolution of modern Chinese literature. Finally, individual texts such as Oliver Twist and A Tale of Two Cities are analyzed to deepen the insight of illusion and innovation in cross-cultural communication. The conclusion shows that China's absorption of Dickens goes beyond mere literary transaction, and actually reflects the confrontation and fusion of the blend of Chinese and Western. These imported works not only broadened the Chinese people's vision of literature and art, but also boosted the modernization of Chinese society and brought new vitality to the prosperity of Chinese literature. This study contributes a new view into the Sino-English cultural intersection in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and also provides a valuable reference for further research on the acceptance and influence of cross-cultural literature.

Methods of Terminology Development for Al-Tahtawi

Objectives: In the 19th century, a problem arose concerning the Arabic language in the cultural interaction between Arabs and the French. The French had an advantage in using a language adapted to the pace of scientific progress. In contrast, the Arabic language did not linguistically evolve compared to the French language, leading to terminology issues. This study aims to identify the translation methods and techniques used by Rifa'a al-Tahtawi in his writings to address these terminology challenges. The study highlights the role of translation in formulating and constructing terms, as the Arab culture in the 19th century witnessed continuous progress in this field. Methods: The study adopted an analytical approach, examining examples and other relevant studies to draw conclusions based on relevant sources. Results: Rifaa al-Tahtawi launched the project of developing terminology based on various translation techniques, including semantic and literal translations. The resulting methods included the revival of ancient words and its use for the average citizen, Arabization, and finally, generating new terms. This enriched the Arabic language with new scientific and progressive vocabulary. Conclusions: Thus, it can be concluded that a language remains alive through its interaction with other languages, and translation proved to be one of the primary channels for introducing terminology into the Arabic language.

Hacia una arqueología de la inmersión visual. Reflexiones sobre la pantalla en el estereoscopio de Wheatstone y el Sensorama de Heilig.

When we refer to the idea of visual immersion, we imagine a displacement towards a virtual space in which we immerse ourselves and with which we interact. Proposals associated with immersion, such as the topic of travel, were already presented in advertising images of the early twentieth century. In this article, we will establish that these notions of immersion have been developed since the middle of the 18th century, specifically with the creation of the lenticular stereoscope in 1851. Using medial archaeology as a methodological approach, we will demonstrate that devices such as the stereoscope (18th century) and the Sensorama (20th century) not only transformed the form of visualization, but also offered immersive experiences that linked the viewer to both physical and virtual spaces.

Navigating pedagogical dilemmas in interdisciplinary education: a reflective practice perspective

Interdisciplinary education is increasingly recognized as essential in higher education for addressing complex real-world issues. Although this paradigm shift began in the 20th century, challenges in interdisciplinary pedagogy persist, including classroom preparation, delivery, assessment, and feedback. One significant challenge is disciplinary distance, the disparities between disciplines that hinder effective interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Additionally, the varying degrees of disciplinarity—from intradisciplinary to transdisciplinary—complicate this landscape. Despite interdisciplinary pedagogy's potential to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving, it presents numerous dilemmas. As a graduate teaching assistant, I have faced several such dilemmas. This reflection discusses these interdisciplinary dilemmas and explores epistemological and pedagogical practices to navigate them. Leveraging my experience as a PhD researcher and educator, I examine how teachers with multidisciplinary backgrounds can navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary education.

Navigating pedagogical dilemmas in interdisciplinary education: a reflective practice perspective

Interdisciplinary education is increasingly recognized as essential in higher education for addressing complex real-world issues. Although this paradigm shift began in the 20th century, challenges in interdisciplinary pedagogy persist, including classroom preparation, delivery, assessment, and feedback. One significant challenge is disciplinary distance, the disparities between disciplines that hinder effective interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Additionally, the varying degrees of disciplinarity—from intradisciplinary to transdisciplinary—complicate this landscape. Despite interdisciplinary pedagogy's potential to enhance critical thinking and problem-solving, it presents numerous dilemmas. As a graduate teaching assistant, I have faced several such dilemmas. This reflection discusses these interdisciplinary dilemmas and explores epistemological and pedagogical practices to navigate them. Leveraging my experience as a PhD researcher and educator, I examine how teachers with multidisciplinary backgrounds can navigate the complexities of interdisciplinary education.

The Lombard <em>Broletto</em> and Communal Architecture in the Alpine Areas, 15th-19th Centuries.

The broletto, the medieval building that housed the communal administration of the Lombard cities, has long been the subject of studies that examine it from ethical, political, stylistic, and formal points of view. In recent years, focus in medieval studies has shifted to areas of the ‘margins of the communal world’, territories that, although relevant to historical change, have been neglected by historiography. In this contribution, I consider the architecture of buildings in fringe areas from the valleys in the Rhaetian and Bergamasque Alps that date to the communal age and that were significantly transformed between the 15th century and the early contemporary period. I begin with general remarks about the context and then use the communal palace of Clusone in Bergamo and the Palazzo Pretorio di Chiavenna (Sondrio) as case studies, drawing on unpublished documents in the municipal archives of the two cities.

Between Communes, Signorie and Papal Government: Public Palaces in the Papal State (Late 14th to Early 15th Centuries)

The takeover of the Papal State by the Pope himself during the 15th century brought an end to the domination of many powerful lordly families. Communal institutions were often reestablished, and controlled by a representative of the pope but just as the development of urban lordships had not seen the disappearance of communal institutions and their old public palaces, the arrival of the papal administration did not always lead to the construction of new buildings. Based on cases situated mainly in the two provinces of the Duchy of Spoleto and the March of Ancona, this article shows how different urban governments (both seigneurial and pontifical) of the late Trecento and early Quattrocento were able to use the buildings created by a power they were trying to replace or with which they had to collaborate for their own benefit. Communal palaces received special attention from the new rulers: they were part of urban identity and symbolized the idea of a government based on the consent of the people, necessary for the legitimacy of any kind of leadership.

Key changes across valley floors in mountain areas affected by different levels of human impact: a case study of the Ochotnica river catchment in the Polish Carpathians

AbstractThe goal of this paper was to present knowledge on changes in the morphodynamic structure of the Ochotnica River (Polish Carpathians) and transformations within its active river zone since the end of the 19th century. The study used a set of archival and contemporary cartographic materials and the results of three-fold field mapping of the morphodynamic structure of the riverbed. Direct and indirect human interference with the natural environment of the catchment and the fluvial system was taken into account in the analysis. Analysis of changes in the morphodynamic structure of the Ochotnica and its active river zone since the end of the 19th century indicated significant changes in the development trend of the riverbed. The contemporary structure of the Ochotnica is more complex than in the 1980s. There has been a fragmentation of the riverbed into sections with different morphodynamic sections. The proportion of erosive sections has increased, which explains the reduced in the width of the active river zone of the Ochotnica. The average width of the active river zone of the river between 1861 and 2022 has changed from 80 m to 18 m. Human impact has been identified as the main reason for the changes in the morphodynamic structure of the riverbed and its active river zone. Currently, only the unregulated sect ion is characterised by free lateral migration of the riverbed and the widest active river zone (∼ 28 m).

The Problem of the Sexy Cyborg: The Ethics of Cyborg Imagery

In this article, I discuss two popular tropes about the cyborg in speculative fiction visual media: apotheosis — the pinnacle of human form and function; and grotesquerie — the violation of that perfection through fascinating horror. I look at these tropes in service of discussing the effects of such images and cultural understandings on actual cyborgs. The everyday or common cyborgs that are disabled people; the ones with prosthetics, who use wheelchairs, hearing aids, beta blockers, and Ritalin, who have artificial valves, knees, and pacemakers. I argue that the imagery of perfection and horror that surround cyborgs in media reinforce problematic tropes about disabled people, specifically the tropes of the super crip, pity, and bitter cripple narratives, and the ugly is evil trope where physical disfigurements and disabilities are often shorthand for moral failing. I connect these tropes to longstanding beliefs that were foundational to the eugenics movement of the 19th and 20th centuries, and that still cause resistance to robust social services for disabled people.

‘Social defence’ and the resilience of the domestic war on terror: A genealogy of social security, national security, and defence

Abstract Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has moved attention within International Security back to Great Power Politics and interstate war, and away from phenomena like ‘foreign terrorist fighters’ and lone actor terrorism. Is the War on Terror paradigm receding? This paper argues that counter-radicalisation imaginaries and counter-extremism programming will all remain stubbornly present despite the shift back to interstate war. The resilience of domestic War on Terror policies will stem from their integration within local municipality activity and social policy during the second decade of the 21st century. These policy areas and levels are detached from the international security community, meaning that shifts in attention at the global level will have little effect upon localised national security practices. The paper then interrogates how counterterrorism agendas have so successfully entered the world of social policy and local public administration, using genealogical methods to trace how social security and crime prevention were historically prefaced upon defence. The paper traces the policy paradigm of ‘social defence’ which dominated mid-20th century international organisations, targeting non-criminal juveniles with pre-emptive interventions to prevent ‘dangerous persons’ imperilling society. Effectively, this untold history of crime prevention in Europe demonstrates the profound interlocking of national security, social policy and defence across the 20th century, with implications for the resilience of this triad.

Shāh Walī Allāh Dihlawi (d. 1762): The Hajj Journey and Intellectual Scholarship Between India and Arabia

Rather than simply claiming the “unorthodox” or “pluralistic” mindset of an early modern Muslim thinker, this intellectual micro-history aims to show the complexity of Shāh Walī Allāh’s (d. 1762) thought-world. This article follows him to Mecca and Medina for the Hajj pilgrimage. While pilgrimage is traditionally included in the fundaments of Islamic practice, it is also important to realize that the majority of Muslims have not historically participated in this pilgrimage. Due to the physical limitations of travelling as the Muslim community rapidly expanded in the 7th century onwards, we have nearly a thousand years until the 18th century where only a select few Muslims, usually wealthy enough to make the arduous journey, participated in the yearly practice. This created a complex culture of pilgrims in the Holy Cities with the cities functioning as informal circles of scholarship. Shāh Walī Allāh Dihlawī engages in this knowledge production process while carrying out the mandatory rituals associated with the Hajj pilgrimage. Thus, this article shows that the complex interplay of Walī Allāh with Meccan and Medinan scholars is a highly dynamic process with unexpected outcomes as specific sacred geography interacts with the conceptual (and genealogical) categories that scholarly pilgrims bring with them to this intellectual encounter. In doing so, we catch a glimpse of the 18th century through a very particular set of Indian Sufi eyes.

« Les sinistres seuils » : Sexualité et paranoïa dans la littérature templière

This paper aims to study one ramification of the Knights Templar modern mythology in which paranoid imagination intersects with the most sophisticated BDSM rituals. Since its dissolution at the beginning of the 14th century, the Order of the Temple has reappeared, through the ages, notably to fuel the development of conspiracy theories. In this monstrous bibliography, the work of American researcher Gershon Legman stands out by taking up the sexual accusations made against the order by the royal authorities during its famous trial in 1307. His focus on abjection points to the Templars as the true ancestors of the sexual heretics of the 20th and 21st centuries. As a proto-queer intellectual figure, Legman will inspire our comparative reading of two fictional scenes of Templar secret initiation. The comparison invites us to distance ourselves from traditional literary hierarchies. It also highlights the need of a reparative reading, as a complement to paranoid decipherment, in order to think not only of sexual violence but also of the resurgence of trauma within the queer counter-canon. From such a cultural anamnesis, we believe that a joyful literary exploration of the sexual byways becomes possible again.

Tracing metallurgical links and silver provenance in Balkan coinage (5th -1st centuries BCE)

AbstractLocal types of coinage testify to the emerging use of silver in the Balkan interior, possibly related to abundant ore deposits in the region. Here, we present Pb isotope data for silver coins minted by local tribes and settlements (anepigraphic coins attributed to the Derrones/Laeaei, Damastion, Pelagia, Kings of Paeonia) between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE. For comparison, we analysed coinage of the potential Greek emporia Dyrrhachium and Apollonia for their main element and Pb-Ag isotope compositions. Statistical data evaluation demonstrates close material connections between coins from the Balkan interior and identify a predominantly local raw material provenance. The majority of Damastion’s issues defines a tight cluster fitting Strabo’s (VII.7.8) account that the settlement possessed nearby silver mines in the Balkan interior. Novobërdë/Novo Brdo (Kosovo) can be plausibly hypothesised among the available reference data to have been one of the main ore districts supplying the mint. Mixing is evident for coins from the Kings of Paeonia and coinage attributed to the Derrones/Laeaei. Virtually identical end-members suggest that Paeonian regal coinage recycled tribal issues with contribution of metal obtained from Damastion’s hypothesised mines. Contemporaneous coinage struck by Dyrrhachium as well as end-members calculated for Thasos and the Macedon kingdom (Albarede et al. in Bullion mixtures in silver coinage from ancient Greece and Egypt, J Archaeol Sci 162:105918, 2024a) signal metal sourced from the Balkans, presumably the Macedonian/Paeonian border area. Comparison of data from Greek city-states and coinage issued by Apollonia and Dyrrhachium for the Romans demonstrates a change in the type and origin of raw materials and bullion composition, indicating a shift in monetary customs and possibly metal production technology.

An assessment of translating religious and magical aspects in "Arabian nights" into English

This thesis discusses the difficulties of translating "Arabian Nights" from Arabic to English, focusing on cultural and religious elements. It analyzes translation strategies from the 19th century to the present by using Katharina Reiss' text typology framework. English translations nevertheless influenced by historical biases and misconceptions. Modern translations show more cultural sensitivity but struggle to fully convey nuances. Market expectations often lead to domestication in translation approaches. The research emphasizes the tension between making the text accessible to Western audiences while keeping its cultural authenticity. It contributes to discussions on literary translation and cultural preservation, emphasizing the need for more complex, culturally aware approaches in translating works across diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes. This study provides insights to inform future translation efforts and cross-cultural literary studies, addressing the difficult balance between reader accessibility and cultural integrity in literary translation.

Conceptual Design of an Urban Pocket Park Located in the Site of the Occurrence of a Nineteenth-Century Chapel Using Representatives of Local Xerothermic Vegetation

The 19th century neo-Gothic chapel located in the Stradom district of Czestochowa, Southern Poland and built at the intersection of the main streets is a recognizable landmark of great historical value. Unfortunately, the current condition of the surroundings depreciates the charm of such a chapel, and thus does not encourage people to admire it. Therefore, in order to expose such a valuable object, we planned to create a conceptual design of a pocket park around this cultural monument. When choosing the location of any park, it is recommended to know the needs of the local residents, so we conducted a survey regarding their wishes. When designing the area, we intended to use species representing the vegetation characteristic of the Krakow–Czestochowa Upland located in Southern Poland. At the same time, we used a material typical of the area, namely limestone. Design principles around the chapel were taken into account, separating the sacred and profane zones with the intention of giving this site a unique character and creating the first urban pocket park of this kind.

Negotiating Collective Land Rights in the Andes: Insights from contrasting trajectories on the Bolivian-Chilean altiplano, 1880s–1930s

Abstract This article develops a historicising and comparative perspective on the transformation, formalisation, and negotiation of collective land rights in the Andean Highlands. It discusses and compares the trajectories of two highland areas situated across the Bolivian-Chilean border within the context of globally and nationally shifting frontiers of market and state integration since the late 19th century. The case studies demonstrate a striking divergence in the context of the breakthrough of liberal land legislation in Latin America. Communities in the Bolivian province of Carangas were able to resist privatising pressures, while communities of the Arica highlands, once annexed and incorporated in Chile after the War of the Pacific, adjusted to a more homogeneous regime that left little room for communal land relations. Despite the stark contrasts, this article questions simplistic dichotomic framings of the unchallenged “survival” of communal land rights in Bolivia versus complete “disappearance” of communal arrangements in Chile. Empirical archival and ethnographic data point to the social reconfigurations and creative strategies through which the community as a collective legal entity and daily practice transformed. The article sheds light on the causes and longer-term implications of these regional trajectories within the context of a globalising land regime.

Prokhanov’s missiology: A forerunner to Bosch’s Emerging Paradigm

This article examines the hypothesis proposed by missiologist Johannes Reimer that Ivan Prokhanov, the founder of the missionary movement in Russia in the early 20th century, anticipated and, to some extent, embodied the emerging missional paradigm articulated by David Bosch in 1991, approximately 60–70 years later. The article argues that Reimer’s intuition was largely correct, as Prokhanov significantly aligned with at least 9 of the 13 elements identified by Bosch. Furthermore, it suggests that the correlation between the views of Prokhanov and Bosch can be explained by their shared epistemological orientation towards the New Testament missional paradigm, particularly the paradigm of Matthew, Luke and Paul, as described by Bosch.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: According to this hypothesis, Bosch’s analysis of the historical development of missional theology traces the deviation from the apostolic paradigm established by these New Testament authors, with the emerging missional paradigm representing a partial return to that original framework. For Prokhanov, New Testament missiology was the foundational basis of his mission theology.

The aerosol pathway is crucial for observationally constraining climate sensitivity and anthropogenic forcing

Abstract. Climate sensitivity and aerosol forcing are two of the most central, but uncertain, quantities in climate science that are crucial for assessing historical climate as well as future climate projections. Here, we use a Bayesian approach to estimate inferred climate sensitivity and aerosol forcing using observations of temperature and global ocean heat content as well as prior knowledge of effective radiative forcing (ERF) over the industrial period. Due to limited information on uncertainties related to the time evolution of aerosol forcing, we perform a range of sensitivity analyses with idealized aerosol time evolution. The estimates are sensitive to the aerosol forcing pathway, with the mean estimate of inferred effective climate sensitivity ranging from 2.0 to 2.4 K, present-day (2019 relative to 1750) aerosol ERF ranging from −0.7 to −1.1 W m−2, and anthropogenic ERF ranging from 2.6 to 3.1 W m−2. Using observations and forcing up to and including 2022, the inferred effective climate sensitivity is 2.2 K with a 1.6 to 3.0 K 90 % uncertainty range. Analysis with more freely evolving aerosol forcing between 1950 and 2014 shows that a strong negative aerosol forcing trend in the latter part of the 20th century is not consistent with observations. Although we test our estimation method with strongly idealized aerosol ERF pathways, our posteriori estimates of the climate sensitivity consistently end up in the weaker end of the range assessed in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6). As our method only includes climate feedbacks that have occurred over the historical period, it does not include the pattern effect, i.e., where climate feedbacks are dependent on the pattern of warming which will likely change into the future. Adding the best estimate of the pattern effect from IPCC AR6, our climate sensitivity estimate is almost identical to the IPCC AR6 best estimate and very likely range.

The Process and Current Situation of Islam Localization in Senegal

Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula and spread to the Maghreb region inhabited by Berbers in the late 7th century and early 8th century, and then spread further to West Africa south of the Sahara from north to south. Around 850 AD, the first group of black Africans converted to Islam. They belonged to the Dya’ogo dynasty of the Tekur Kingdom, which is located in the Senegal River Valley in present-day Senegal. Currently, Senegal is one of the countries with the highest proportion of Muslim population in West Africa, with 94% of its people believing in Islam. Not only that, Senegal has also developed a unique Islamic system dominated by the Brotherhood. This article attempts to sort out the process of Islam localization in Senegal and explain the impact of the Brotherhood on contemporary Senegalese politics and economy.