Ancient Objects Research Articles

On the Sun’s distance from the center and the shape of the inner halo in the Galaxy: Gaia EDR3, HST and literature globular clusters

A statistical method is used to derive both the Sun’s distance r0 from the Galactic Center (GC) and the 3D geometry of the inner (< 25 kpc) halo. The spatial distribution of the 138 Gaia EDR3 globular clusters (GCs) with distances established on a combination of HST and literature data of Baumgardt and Vasiliev (2021) is explored. An estimate by using these ancient objects of the pressure-supported subsystem of the Galaxy with newly derived distances leads to the mean r0=7.81±0.14 kpc. The distribution of GCs within 25 kpc is almost spherically symmetric, and has the shape of an ellipsoid with a major axis of its symmetry slightly elongated toward the Sun and two minor axes of almost the same length. The obtained scale-length ratio of the major axis to the minor axis in the plane and to the vertical axis of the ellipsoid is ≈ 1:0.8:0.7. Based on the papers of a series, for practical use we argue to employ the following Sun’s distances from the GC and the plane: r0=8.15±0.15 kpc and z0=15±5 pc.

Отражение сакральности на ряде древних объектов Сибири

Based on the materials of sacred images in the “art” of the Eurasian nomads of the Scythian time, using the sum of modern research methods, it is possible to reconstruct the foundations of the world view, art, astronomy, mathematics and other branches of knowledge laid down in ancient objects. Such a reconstruction is possible on the basis of a new semantics of sacred images on objects from Siberia (from the barrow Arzhan-1, Siberian collection of Peter I, Novopyatnitsky treasure and other objects).

Archaeology of Mexico City: new studies in the study of the history of the ancient Aztecs

The article presents an overview of archaeological discoveries in Mexico City over the past few years. The research, which is carried out primarily by Mexican scientists, is based on both traditional methods of archaeology and the capabilities of modern science, in particular, electroresistive tomography and geophysics. The article uses primary data and their inclusion in the history of archaeological research in Mexico City is still ahead. Despite the preliminary nature of the assessments of these archaeological data, they allow not only to clarify the established ideas based on the many decades of work of archaeologists, but also to take them into account when further studying the past of the Aztecs and their capital Mexico City-Tenochtitlan. The paper presents the materials of recent excavations in the area of the Main Temple (Mexico City proper) and Greater Mexico City (the ancient territory around Lake Texcoco). In the center of Mexico City, archaeologists have discovered the remains of the room in which the Spaniards were, who first found themselves in the Aztec capital, fragments of pre-Hispanic stone basreliefs. It is also a find of the Great (Great) Tsompantli (traditional construction of skulls). The excavations of the Great Cuaushikalco as part of the ritual and sacred space and the ancient objects associated with it can be considered noteworthy. In the Greater Mexico City area, there are ongoing studies of an artificial tunnel, a cave (a symbol of the entrance to the world of the dead) inside the famous pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan. Here, on the territory of the ancient valley of Mexico, the study of the Preclassic period of its history continues (archaeological surveys in Zacatenco and Tlalpan with the oldest burials of unusual cone-shaped graves and intentional spiral arrangement of bodies). The post-classical period (the Aztec era) was enriched by excavations of salt mining sites, etc. The article notes that the new archaeological data generally confirm the well-known features of the Aztec society, without justifying, but also without belittling its own importance in world history and culture.

Новые возможности для публикационной презентации керамических сосудов пазырыкской культуры

Reviewing the publications, that reflect the finds of the Pazyryk culture ceramic vessels, and work with museum collections along with studying this category of ancient objects revealed the problem of adequate fixation and demonstration of available materials. To solve it, modern digital technologies, adapted to perform the necessary tasks, were involved. The article presents in detail the algorithm of the work performed along with the obtained results and suggests variants of illustrative presentation of an ornamented clay pot. As a sample a vessel from burial mound No. 23 of the Khankarinsky Dol site located in the territory of the North-Western Altai and investigated by the expedition of the Altai State University under the leadership of one of the authors of the article was used. During a comprehensive recording and further modelling, one of the technological methods of Pazyryk pottery manufacturing without a potter’s wheel was revealed. This fact allows paying attention to other similar finds, which amount more than 400 specimens in the database under formation. Th e implemented experience will be used in further work in the study of such massive archaeological sources of the Scythian-Saka time as ceramic vessels.

Devising criteria for the authenticity of historical cold weapons based on X-ray fluorescence analysis of their surface

This paper reports the results of studying the chemical composition of the surface of 4 objects of cold weapons of the 19th and early 20th centuries, made of iron – bayonet knives and sabers. This makes it possible to establish the signs of authenticity of cold weapon samples made of iron in that chronological period. An authentic procedure has been proposed for examining the chemical composition of the surface of historical objects of cold weapons by rubbing the samples with cotton wool swabs and their subsequent investigation. This makes it possible to explore objects of cold weapons, whose size is large, as well as simplify the very procedure for studying objects of historical and cultural value. Using the X-ray fluorescent chemical analyzer Expert Mobile, chemical elements were found at the surface of samples of cold weapons made of iron. The presence of such elements is the result of the process of re-crystallization and self-purification of metal during a long history of its life. Elements found in almost every rubbing sample were identified: calcium, ferrum, zinc, cuprum, and chlorine. The studies of cold weapons samples testify to the heterogeneity of the composition of patina formations on their surface, which confirms the authenticity of ancient objects. In addition, the studies have shown a difference in the chemical composition of surface layers of different parts of individual samples of antique cold weapons, which may indicate different times or different technology for their manufacture. The fluorescence spectra of the obtained rubbing of individual samples of cold weapons were compared with "pure" material, which made it possible to identify elements removed from the surface of objects. The study results are important indicators to confirm the authenticity of cultural monuments and the technology of their manufacture in the past.

Древние ритуальные объекты Окинского плоскогорья (Восточный Саян)

Sacral beliefs took one of the most important spheres in the life of ancient societies. The evidence of such beliefs can be recognized in stone constructions used for various ritual activities and differentiated by architectonic features depending on their functionality. Some of such constructions were found on the territory of the Oka region (Buryat Republic). One part of them has a four-angled, circular, or ring-shaped form and a diameter up to 2 m; the other had circular burial mound-like or flat configuration with a diameter of 3–6 m. The first excavations of the large stone mounds of the circular form were carried out in 1870 P.A. Rovinskiy near the Oka guard fort (archeological site Oka, locality 1 and 2). The researcher characterized excavated constructions as cenotaphs or sacrificial places. In 2020 A.V. Kharinskiy excavated other two large stone mounds at the Shasnur-3 archeological site. Based on materials from excavations reinforced with ethnographical data, we can regard circular mounds with the 3–6 m diameter in the Mountain Oka region as cenotaphs. One of the small ring-shaped stone settings was investigated by V.I. Tashak at the Zun Nomto-Gol-1 archeological site. Taking into consideration the ethnographical data, the setting from Nomto-Gol-1 as other stone settings with a diameter up to 2 m can be characterized as ancient sacrificial places devoted to the spirits — hosts of the local landscapes. Key words: ancient ritual objects, burial grounds, Eastern Sayan, Oka plateau

A 3D modeling workflow to map ultraviolet- and visible-induced luminescent materials on ancient polychrome artifacts

A 2D visualization approach for ensembles of images comprising RGB and luminescence photographs is traditionally used for studying the structure and chemistry of 3D polychrome ancient objects. Here, a method is presented for visualizing material composition of an object in 3D, providing artistic production information, conservation history, and virtual enhancement of faded, concealed and weathered decoration. The approach is based on the fusion of 2D luminescence forensic photographs with RGB images acquired using principles of structure-from-motion photogrammetry to build 3D models. Its potential is demonstrated in a study of a polychrome Hellenistic terracotta funerary head vase, in which three models of the vase were produced: (1) photorealistic; (2) visible-induced luminescence, mapping Egyptian blue and madder lake; and (3) ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence, revealing surface condition and previous conservation interventions. The workflow advances current approaches in modeling chemical signatures of luminescent pigments, extending their traditional 2D viewing platform into 3D.

Kesultanan Serdang dan Jejak Peninggalannya

This article aims to discuss the history of the Serdang Sultanate Palace. The Serdang Sultanate is one of the Malay Sultanates of East Sumatra, a fraction of the Deli Sultanate, which is centered in the Province of North Sumatra. The establishment of the Serdang Sultanate Palace began when Tuanku Umar Johan Pahlawan Alam Shah Vocational Junjungan built the Tanjung Puteri Palace. Tuanku Umar was the first Sultan of Serdang to build the Tanjung Puteri Palace in 1750. The Serdang Sultanate Palace is a relic of the Sultanate that was previously built to be a resting place or throne for the Serdang Sultanate at that time, in addition to being a resting place, the Serdang Sultanate Palace was also a place to perform various activities. Activities and government systems in carrying out any activities that are closely related to the Sultanate. This research uses the historical method with an archaeological approach. The historical method is used to describe events that occurred in the past. The archaeological approach is used to find information about the relics of the Serdang Sultanate Palace as historical relics. According to Grahme Clark, who wrote his theory in Archeology and Society, archeology is a systematic study of ancient objects as a tool to reconstruct the past.

Strategi Pengembangan Situs Manusia Purba Sangiran sebagai Daya Tarik Wisata Budaya

Tourism proved to contribute to the acceptance of local revenues and plays a role in alleviating poverty. Tourism also plays a role in efforts to improve the nation's identity and encourage awareness and community pride of the natural and cultural wealth. With tourism, a country or more specifically of local government where it is located will get revenue from the income of each tourism destination. Potential tourism attraction in Sangiran, Sragen has not been fully optimally managed, so that the existence of a tourism asset has not received the maximum response from visitors in the form of tourist visits.The problem in this research is how the potential of cultural tourism Sangiran site and what strategies are applied to the future development of Sangiran Site as a tour. This research aims to find the strategies in Sangiran tourism development according to the character as a world heritage site. This research uses SWOT analysis, to find strengths weaknesses factors, opportunities and challenges faced in the development of these attractions. This research is qualitative which look at research as a process, in order to gain a deep understanding with regard to community interaction in the area of research, Sangiran Site, Kalijambe, Sragen, Central Java Province.The results show that as rated the world's cultural heritage, tourism development positions Sangiran located in a strategic position if it is able to use optimally the power and opportunities that it has. One strength of tourist objects is because of the uniqueness and rarity, as shown by a collection of objects on display in the Museum of Ancient Man Sangiran. The cultural heritage objects, dating from prehistoric times, either in the form of early human fossils millions of years old, as well as other antique objects which the old is hundreds of years old is very important to understand the life of the ancestors of Indonesia in the past.Efforts to prevent the theft of Sangiran Site’s fossils, so in addition to the ongoing elucidation of the importance of cultural heritage, legal sanctions should be enforced, due to the exploitation of fossil violating Republic Act No. 11 the Year 2010 About the Cultural Heritage. Therefore, it is considered important and urgent, in order to be formed Awareness group as one component in society which have an important role and contribution in the development tourism of the Sangiran Site.

The Nature of Ethics of indigenous peoples of Colombia

This work aims to show the ancestral thinking, specifically what has been called by the West an “Environmental”, or “Natural” ethic, from the integrity and concern of natural forces and gods to the biocentric conception of life and reality, and cyclical representations of time and space. In ancestral communities such as the Pastos, Arhuacos and Nukak Maku we can find ontological conceptions which are related to the cultural modalities and ways of life underlining highs ethics for all living beings of the Planet. This legacy, which is still a living heritage in many places of our America, have social and cultural functions, and should not only be treated as antique objects, but also as systems of values (moral) that open an intercultural dialogue and illustrate different lifestyles, ways of being, and alternative paths through the decolonization process. These kinds of ethics belongs to a matrix which accepts diversity and differences as basic constituents of reality. Life, in its amplitude (not just human life), as a central articulator of the social, cultural and political dimensions of the community of origin is one of the primary proposals of Natural Ethics. In spite of the differences among the native communities considered in this article, the results of the research have found shared significant themes that result from the research which constitute the central elements of that ethic: life, death, space, time, responsibility, nature and ancestrally.

Disciplinating the Past - The Antiquarian Striving for Interpretative Supremacy

The establishment of archaeology as a separate discipline involved a disciplination of interpretation. The interpretative task was from now on supposed to be performed solely by professionals. This meant that the former antiquarian interest in ideas held by common people about ancient artefacts and monuments almost vanished in Sweden during the late nineteenth century. Today, with the archaeological focus on the interpretation of meaning, there is a renewed interest in the folklore surrounding ancient objects.

Archaeometrical Characterization of Romanian Late Bronze Age Ceramic Fragments

Knowledge of the past can provide information to protect the future and the potential of the technological development in the analytical sciences can be successfully applied for the study and conservation of cultural objects. In this context, in the present paper we propose an analytical methodology to characterize seven samples of ancient ceramic objects (dating to the Late Bronze Age). The samples were analyzed using optical microscopy, and all the samples presented a strong inhomogeneity on the surface, as suggested by the different colors of the ceramics. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results reveal a relatively heterogenous composition of the samples, as well as strong differences between the different surfaces of each sample. By comparative analysis of the diffractograms recorded for both sides of the same samples were observed some differences, especially in terms of relative concentration of the component minerals, and, in lesser content, in terms of new phases present in the samples. Corroborated results obtained by XRF and X-ray diffraction (XRD) offered information regarding mineralogical composition of the samples: for some of them illite/muscovite and plagioclase phases are present in higher quantities or a lower quartz content. The presence of these components was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The thermal analysis completes the analytical investigation of the ceramic samples. The thermal behavior of the sample conducted to some explanation regarding the observed differences, due to the raw materials (that the major clay mineral in the samples is represented by illite) or to environmental factors during their burial in the soil.

Stellar Metallicities from SkyMapper Photometry. II. Precise Photometric Metallicities of ∼280,000 Giant Stars with [Fe/H] &lt; −0.75 in the Milky Way

Abstract The Milky Way’s metal-poor stars are nearby ancient objects that are used to study early chemical evolution and the assembly and structure of the Milky Way. Here we present reliable metallicities of ∼280,000 stars with −3.75 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ −0.75 down to g = 17 derived using metallicity-sensitive photometry from the second data release of the SkyMapper Southern Survey. We use the dependency of the flux through the SkyMapper v filter on the strength of the Ca ii K absorption features, in tandem with SkyMapper u, g, i photometry, to derive photometric metallicities for these stars. We find that metallicities derived in this way compare well to metallicities derived in large-scale spectroscopic surveys, and we use such comparisons to calibrate and quantify systematics as a function of location, reddening, and color. We find good agreement with metallicities from the APOGEE, LAMOST, and GALAH surveys, based on a standard deviation of σ ∼ 0.25 dex of the residuals of our photometric metallicities with respect to metallicities from those surveys. We also compare our derived photometric metallicities to metallicities presented in a number of high-resolution spectroscopic studies to validate the low-metallicity end ([Fe/H] &lt; −2.5) of our photometric metallicity determinations. In such comparisons, we find the metallicities of stars with photometric [Fe/H] &lt; −2.5 in our catalog show no significant offset and a scatter of σ ∼ 0.31 dex level relative to those in high-resolution work when considering the cooler stars (g − i &gt; 0.65) in our sample. We also present an expanded catalog containing photometric metallicities of ∼720,000 stars as a data table for further exploration of the metal-poor Milky Way.

‘Globalizing the Local, Localizing the Global’: Writing Space in the Arab Gulf Region

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are taking the lead in the urbanization boom that is drastically transforming the spatial fabric of the Arab Gulf region. Embedded in the ambitious urban development projects launched by the UAE and Qatar is an endeavour to ‘bring the world to the Arab Gulf region’. To this end, these two states are engaged in a process of collecting and borrowing antique objects and canonized artefacts, as well as reproducing and duplicating some internationally celebrated architectural sites and spaces. While some consider these projects to be ‘part of strategies to prepare for the post-oil era’, others hold that ‘Arab Gulf States aim to strengthen or … creatively (re)construct identitarian patterns’.1 It can be argued that Arab Gulf cities should be looked at as ‘political actors’ due to ‘the functions they fulfill as spatial command posts for globalized capitalism’.2 The production and organization of social space, in this sense, cannot be seen as a ‘dead’ or passive category with no influence over various dimensions of lived experience, including thought, politics and economy. Juxtaposing the UAE’s and Qatar’s urbanization projects with the nineteenth-century phenomenon of world exhibitions and fairs, this article takes the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Villaggio Mall as case studies to investigate the modalities of knowledge generated through processes of cultural and spatial (re)production and the impact of the latter on the construction of personhood and lived experience in the Arab Gulf region.

Next-best-view regression using a 3D convolutional neural network

Automated three-dimensional (3D) object reconstruction is the task of building a geometric representation of a physical object by means of sensing its surface. Even though new single-view reconstruction techniques can predict the surface, they lead to incomplete models, specially, for non-commons objects such as antique objects or art sculptures. Therefore, to achieve the task’s goals, it is essential to automatically determine the locations where the sensor will be placed so that the surface will be completely observed. This problem is known as the next-best-view problem. In this paper, we propose a data-driven approach to address the problem. The proposed approach trains a 3D convolutional neural network (3D CNN) with previous reconstructions in order to regress the position of the next-best-view. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first works that directly infers the next-best-view in a continuous space using a data-driven approach for the 3D object reconstruction task. We have validated the proposed approach making use of two groups of experiments. In the first group, several variants of the proposed architecture are analyzed. Predicted next-best-views were observed to be closely positioned to the ground truth. In the second group of experiments, the proposed approach is requested to reconstruct several unseen objects, namely, objects not considered by the 3D CNN during training nor validation. Coverage percentages of up to 90 % were observed. With respect to current state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach improves the performance of previous next-best-view classification approaches and it is quite fast in running time (3 frames per second), given that it does not compute the expensive ray tracing required by previous information metrics.

HPLC and ToF‒SIMS Analyses of Toxicodendron vernicifluum Tree Sap Mixed with Other Natural Lacquers

Lacquer sap has been used by humans from antiquitywhen it was treated as a luxury item because of its desirable physical properties. In modern times, although access barriers are lower, lacquer is still considered to be rare and valuable. Thus, low quality, inexpensive Vietnamese and Myanmarese lacquers and cashew nutshell liquid are frequently added to the costly Toxicodendron vernicifluum lacquer sap from Korea, China, and Japan. However, these blended lacquers can diminish the quality of artisan works. The Toxicodendron vernicifluum lacquer saps mixed with other natural lacquers were characterized using time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF−SIMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). ToF-SIMS provided the chemical structure of the lacquer monomer, copolymerized dimers, trimers, etc. HPLC provided quantitative analysis of the components of a randomly mixed lacquer. These techniques can be used to control the quality of commercial lacquer sap for the Asian lacquer industry and the traditional conservation of ancient objects.

Находка каменной стелы с редким оформлением на могильнике Ршаан-Удзюр-Хад в Монголии

The article is intended to analyze and study a rare finding of a small stone stele found on a surface of archaeological site Rschaan-Udsuer-Had in Mongolia in the beginning of the 1980s. During the archaeological research consisting of the Soviet-Mongolian Historical and Cultural Expedition, the author had a chance to inspect this archaeological site, on the surface of which a low stele with an unconventional decoration was found. A narrow perpendicular stripe dividing the stone base into two unequal parts is embossed on the stone stele. A small circle is embossed on the front-end surface of a smaller part of the stone stele. Possibly, the stone stele may symbolize an ancient anthropomorphic character. Other various ancient objects were found in the site, related to different archaeological cultures. They include an ancient mound khirigsuur, menhirs, and plate entombment of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age located in the Central Asia. We have some reasons to suggest that the stone stele under study, divided by a perpendicular stripe and having an embossed circle on the front-end part, was used to schematically represent an ancient warrior, in whose memory it could be installed. In contrast to the “deer stones”, whereon different kinds of weaponry and military equipment including bows, arrows, gorytoses, swords, and daggers, are represented, this stele does not contain such images. It is possible that this rare finding of the stone stele should be related to pseudo anthropomorphic stone plates preceding ancient and medieval tradition of installing anthropomorphic stone statues.

The Invention of ‘National Antiquities’ in the Late Ottoman Empire. Archaeological Interrelations between Discourses of Appropriation, Preservation and Heritage Construction

In the late 19th century, the German Empire intensified its economic, military, and cultural activities on Ottoman territory. Within the field of archaeology, the Royal Museums in Berlin endeavoured to demonstrate their hegemony. Thus, they focused particularly on the acquisition of ancient objects from the Ottoman territory. The Ottoman authorities’ responses differed between political and cultural actors: While Sultan Abdülhamid II used Hellenistic and Byzantine antiquities as diplomatic gifts to improve his foreign relations to Berlin, the Müze-i Hümayun (Imperial Museum) appeared as an antagonist to foreign claims in the Ottoman Empire. Its directors, Osman Hamdi and Halil Edhem, aimed to rectify the discrepancy between political concerns and the will to preserve antiquities within the Ottoman realm. However, German archaeologists, museum representatives and diplomats strived to benefit from this discrepancy to obtain cultural objects for Berlin. The article argues that Prussia’s strategies of appropriating ancient objects for the Royal Museums correlated and entangled with the valorisation of antiquities in Istanbul.

СЛУЧАЙНЫЕ НАХОДКИ НА ТЕРРИТОРИИ АЛТАЙСКОГО КРАЯ И РЕСПУБЛИКИ АЛТАЙ

In the course of exploration and other special work, geologists often have to study large areas, and inspect natural and anthropogenic destruction. Over the years of work on the territory of the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic, one of the authors of the article had to repeatedly research various archaeological sites and ancient products. Information about this was transferred to the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography and Museology of Altai State University and will be reflected in the prepared publication. These materials reflect the connection with ancient burial objects of different cultures, record production sites where iron was smelted, and demonstrate an important single find. The article describes the circumstances of their discovery, makes the cultural-chronological attribution of the subject complex and presents the results of the analyzes. The illustrations complement the content of the interpretations carried out. The listed finds will be transferred to the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography of Altai ASU, and the indicated locations require additional research and possible excavations. Keywords: Altai Territory, republic of Altai, accidental find, knife, burial, ceramic vessel, Bystryanskaya culture, Pazyryk culture, x-ray fluorescence analysis, melting furnace

МАТЕРИАЛЫ ПО АРХЕОЛОГИИ В ФОНДАХ ИСТОРИЧЕСКОГО АРХИВА ОМСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

The paper examines the possibilities of using materials stored in state and departmental archives in archaeological research. Over the past three centuries, scientists, travelers, service people have collected a wealth ofinformation on archaeology, ethnography, geography, statistics of the Asian part of Russia and adjacent territories in general and Western Siberia in particular. Unfortunately, archaeologists rarely use this information, which contradicts the methodology requiring the use of different types of sources. At the same time, the source base of works is getting narrow. This is due to the fact that information about a number of objects of antiquity and the Middle Ages was completely or partially destroyed or forgotten, therefore information about them was preserved only in the archives. The documents stored in these institutions in terms of territorial coverage and chronological depth significantly exceed the volume of cases collected in archaeological museums of Siberian universities. Unfortunately, researchers rarely turn to such materials. Keywords: archaeological sites, ARCHIVAL materials, completeness of research