Course Of Expedition Research Articles

Testimonies of Spanish captives about the course of Francis Drake's circumnavigation

The publication is devoted to the events related to the second circumnavigation organised by the English privateer, naval commander and discoverer Francis Drake. The author pays special attention to sources of Spanish origin, represented by the materials of interrogations of Spanish prisoners who had been on board the English ship and personally communicated with English corsairs. The Spanish testimonies contain detailed descriptions of the actions of Drake and his companions on the Pacific coast of the New World, reports on the armament and composition of the English crew, and considerations about the goals of the expedition. A special place in the testimonies is occupied by reports on the damage caused and the booty captured by the English. The comparative-historical method allows, as a result of comparing Spanish and other sources, to identify new details about the course of the expedition, omitted for various reasons by the authors of English testimonies about Drake's voyage. Spanish sources are actively introduced into the scientific turnover during the XX century, changing the idea of the course of the first English circumnavigation expeditions. Despite the repeated information in the testimonies about the actions of English corsairs off the Pacific coast of the New World we can trace the dynamics of Drake's actions, understand how his plans changed as he moved along the coast. Witness testimony allows us to imagine the scale of the booty captured by the British during their plundering raid, to trace the peculiarities of corsairs in Spanish waters on the eve of the open Anglo-Spanish conflict. Numerous testimonies of the captives of the English corsair help to recreate the image of Drake and his companions, to determine the peculiarities of their perception by the subjects of the King of Spain.

ИНТЕГРАЦИЯ ЦИФРОВЫХ ИЗМЕРИТЕЛЬНЫХ ДАТЧИКОВ В БЕСПИЛОТНЫЕ НАДВОДНЫЕ АППАРАТЫ ДЛЯ МОНИТОРИНГОВЫХ РАБОТ В ПРИБРЕЖНЫХ РАЙОНАХ

Modern oceanological research in the coastal zone is not only a science-intensive task, but also a popular service with high practical significance. Modern unmanned surface vehicles (UAVs) allow one to move echo sounders, conductometers, samplers and other measuring instruments on the surface of the sea and carry out measurements without direct human involvement. Their use accelerates the organization and course of expeditions, expands the research area: due to their small size they can work in shallow areas with complex orography, where it is dangerous to use vessels with a crew. However, in the domestic oceanological practice there is no universal and cost-effective import substitution platform for solving such a wide range of tasks. This paper presents the results of the development of a universal parameter registration module, a mounting module for instruments and an automatic navigation unit for use in surface unmanned vehicles for hydrographic and oceanological research. The diagrams of the printed circuit board, algorithms of operation and examples of use in the coastal zone of the Black Sea and on some hydrological objects in expeditions of various duration are given. The developed module has a high potential for modernization, low cost and is easily replicated for use both as part of various unmanned complexes and in scientific and methodological tasks.

ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ ПРЕДАНИЯ, СЕМЕЙНЫЕ ХРОНИКИ, АВТОБИОГРАФИИ В УСТНОЙ ИСТОРИИ КОРЕННЫХ МАЛОЧИСЛЕННЫХ НАРОДОВ СИБИРИ

The article presents an analysis of the substantive components of oral history among the indigenous minorities of Siberia. The publication is based on feld materials collected by the author in the 1970s - 2010s in the course of expeditions to the Teleuts residing in SouthernSiberia, as well as to the Koryaks, Chukchi, and Chuvans representing the indigenous population of Kamchatka and Chukotka. The article examines the most important aspects of the oral history of these peoples, such as mythological traditions and biographies, autobiographies, genealogies, and family chronicles. Special attention is paid to the role of oral history in the formation and preservation of ethnic identity of smaller peoples.

Изучение Северного Урала в документальном наследии академика Е. С. Федорова

The article focuses on studying the role of scientific community in study of the development of the northern territories of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Expanding the source base of this area of research is one of the key tasks of the author. An integral part of the history of scientific knowledge is documentary heritage of scientists who conducted field research in the northern territories of the country. The turn of the 20th century was a defining period in understanding the North of Russia, when scientific and government circles heightened their interest in the resource potential of these territories. The article is based on thematic and chronological analysis of archival sources and published works of the famous scientist, crystallographer, mineralogist E. S. Fedorov (1853–1919); it reviews his expeditions involving geological examination of the Northern Urals. From 1884 to 1889, following the instructions of the Mining Department, the scientist conducted detailed study of this little-studied territory in search for mineral deposits and mapped the area. It has been established that informative sources on scientific activities of E. S. Fedorov in the Northern Urals are documents from his personal provenance fond stored at the St. Petersburg Branch of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The most informative is his correspondence with his wife L.V. Fedorova over the years of expeditions. E. S. Fedorov in detail described to his wife the course of expeditions and the living conditions in his trips. Memoirs of L.V. Fedorova “Our days, joys, and sorrows,” preserved in the fond and later published, deserve special attention: they detail E.S. Fedorov’s scientific work throughout his life. The author has analyzed publications of E. S. Fedorov presenting results of his northern expeditions. They include detailed diary entries made at the time, which are very useful, as they contain not only geological information, but also facts of the expedition’s activities, living conditions, E. S. Fedorov’s impressions of the trips. The analysis of sources permits to assess main tasks and results of E. S. Fedorov’s scientific research in the Northern Urals, to study the conditions of field work. It has been established that E. S. Fedorov’s research laid the foundations for further scientific development of the Northern Urals territory. The documentary heritage of the scientist is an important component in the history of scientific knowledge of the North of Russia.

New records of Cochylini moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the Balkans.

In the course of expeditions conducted on the Balkan Peninsula by Ignc Richter in 20042019, altogether 45 species of Cochylini moths were collected. The examination of the collected specimens revealed one new species of the genus Aethes: Aethes larissae sp. nov., from the North Macedonia. Additionally, a new subspecies, Aethes kindermanniana macedonica ssp. nov. is described from the North Macedonia too. Phtheochroa amasiana (Ragonot, 1894) and Cochylimorpha erlebachi Huemer Trematerra, 1997 are recorded from the Balkans for the first time. A male of Aethes eichleri Razowski, 1983 is collected for the first time, and DNA barcoding data of this species was obtained. We established a new synonymy: Aethes eichleri Razowski, 1983 syn. nov. of Aethes francillana (Fabricius, 1794). Illustrations of specimens and photographs of the genitalia of all described taxa are provided.

Peculiarities of the formation and transformation of cultural landscape of the historical settlements of Onezhskoye Pomorye

The object of this research is the historical,-cultural and natural environment of historical settlements of the Russian North. The subject of this research is the traditional dwelling as a factor of formation and transformation of the cultural landscape of Onezhskoye Pomorye. The goal lies in studying the peculiarities of formation and transformation of cultural landscape of the rural settlements Onezhskoye Pomorye based on the material of traditional dwelling. The research relies on the empirical data acquired in the course of expedition of the Scientific Center for Traditional Culture and Museum Practices of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences to Onezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Region (2018–2021);archival sources of A.V. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture (Moscow), experience of exploring the monuments of wooden architecture of the open-air museum “Malye Korely” (Arkhangelsk Region). The data were obtained by photofixation of the architectural monuments, schematic measurements, and ethnographic survey conducted among local residents using the method of interview. The research employs the original methodology developed by the Doctor of Culturology A. B. Permilovskaya on the architectural-ethnographic exploration of the sites of wooden architecture. Cultural landscape of Onezhskoye Pomorye (and the Russian North overall) primarily is the landscape of rural historical settlements. Northern settlements emerged in close connection with the natural landscape and transformed it into a cultural one. Special role in this process was played by the local population – the Pomors, who were guided by the principles of creating compact settlements, with closed type of dwelling to due to the harsh climate. The adaptive capabilities of traditional dwelling, reflected in its architectural design, allowed the people to survive in the severe conditions of the North. The dwelling is a reflection of natural space of the Russian North and the Arctic, passed through the “prism” of local mentality and carpenter's culture, coexistence of man and the surrounding natural environment, special marker of the North Russian identity, and intrinsic part of the North Russian cultural landscape.

Peasant house as a factor of formation of cultural landscape of the Russian North and the Arctic (on the example of Purnema settlement)

The subject of this research is the traditional dwelling in the natural and cultural space of the Russian North and the Arctic. The goal of this work is to examine the peculiarities of a peasant house in Purnema settlement as a factor of formation of the cultural landscape of Onezhskoye Pomorye. The dwelling is examines not as an isolated structure, but an integral part of the North Russian cultural landscape, one of the key elements of the traditional culture of Pomorye— the Russian variant of marine culture in the Arctic. The research is based on empirical data acquired in the course of expedition in 2020 on the territory of Onezhskoye Pomorye, settlement of Purnema, Arkhangelsk Region. The article emplopys archival sources of the State Museum of Architecture named after A.V. Shchusev (Moscow), wooden architecture sites in the open-air museum “Malye Korely” (Arkhangelsk Region). Empirical data was obtained via photographic evidence of architectural sites, schematic measurements, and ethnographic questionnaire of local residents, using the method of interview. The research also leans on methodology developed by the Doctor of Culturology A. B. Permilovskaya on the architectural and ethnographic survey of the wooden architecture sites. The conclusion is made that the architectural-construct peculiarities of the dwelling and type settlement demonstrate the specific lifestyle of the Russian people in the harsh forest zone and their adjustment to the local climate. In the conditions of the North and the Arctic, a peasant house manifests as a stabilizing factor of adaptation, which ensures sustainable coexistence of population and cultural landscape formed therein; and thus, the effectiveness of ethnosocial and environmental development of the Northern and Arctic territories of the Russian Federation.

The dynasty of iconographers Rogachevsky-Nikita in the context of the history of the Old Believer Romanian rural localities Zhurilovka and Sarikei

This article examines the iconographic heritage of the Old Believer Lipovan Rogachevsky-Nikita family in the context of history of Romanian rural localities. Based on the expedition material, analysis is conducted on the peculiarities of folk icon and local traditions that established in the Old Believer center of Romania. The reviewed documentary sourced were acquired in the course of expeditions and further personal contact with the family. The collected material contains history of the family of iconographers, their lifestyle and customs, conditions for fulfilling the orders that are closely related to the history of this rural locality and way of life of the Nekrasov Cossacks. The research is of applied nature in the area of art history, as well as of interdisciplinary in nature. The article employs the methods of stylistic and historical-cultural analysis; biographical method for reconstruction of biography of the family members and their artistic heritage. New records on the dynasty of Romanian iconographers are introduced, which expands  the information on the Lipovan icon and indicate regional peculiarities of its creation. The author also introduces the new names and monuments of iconography into the scientific discourse that allows clarifying the attribution. The artistic heritage of iconographers of the late XIX – early XX centuries is also introduced into the scientific discourse: Rogachevsky-Nikita; in the XX century – Egor Nikitovich Nikita and Roman Egorovich Nikita.

Comparative analysis of wishful thinking and curses of the Bezhta and Chamalal people

The subject of this research is small folklore genres, namely wishful thinking and curses. The goal of this article consists in the comparative analysis of most used emotional and expressive lexis in the Bezhta and Chamalal languages. Currently, in the context of irreversible process of narrowing and unification of linguistic palette of humanity, its preservation requires the creation of full descriptions of the living” languages. This list also includes the non-written Bezhta language (from Tsez subgroup) and Chamalal language (from Andi subgroup) – two of the 18 minority languages existing in Dagestan. The research employs field material collected by the authors during expeditions of 2018-2020). Analysis is conducted on wishful thinking and curses in different ontological situations of the Bezhta and Chamalal communities. The relevance of studying small folklore genres of Bezhta and Chamalal people is substantiated by uniqueness of the type, is observed to a different degree in the folklore of different peoples. The key research methods contain analytical (analysis of theoretical literature and factual material on the matter), continuous sampling, descriptive and comparative methods. The methods of field work were applied in the course of expedition to Bezhta and Tsumadinsky Districts of the Republic of Dagestan in terms of collection of the materials on paremiology of Bezhta and Chamalal languages.

An environmental imperative in the development of the national economy: increasing the potential of microalgae

Aim. To study the methodological basis for increasing the potential of applications of microalgae in the national economy, as one of the environmental imperatives in the development of new natural resources for future generations.Materials and Methods. The research was conducted on the basis of content analysis of Russian and foreign scientific publications and materials obtained in the course of expeditions and experimental and sociological research. The clustercognitive approach and economic-mathematical modeling were used for a more complete exposition of the topic.Discussion. According to imperatives of the green economy, environmental technologies will become leading factors in the development of the world economy. The most important incentive for entrepreneurs in the environmental market will be growing the demand of consumers and of governments. Promising areas include the use of microalgae in the production of foods beneficial to human health, feed additives in animal husbandry, poultry farming and fish farming, substances for improving water quality in reservoirs and the clean-up of oil spills. The issue of increasing the potential of microalgae at the regional level on the basis of a cognitive cluster approach is most relevant. The procurement of live microalgae biomass in amounts necessary to thoroughly supply world and national markets remains challenging in both technological and technical terms. Economic and mathematical models and sociological research, as well as the opinions of experts, allow us to justify business decisions in opening microalgae production facilities. Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis present promising prospects for entrepreneurial investment due to the high value of their metabolites.Conclusion. The increase in production and applications of microalgae is of major strategic potential in the development of the national economy, as the manufacture of bio-products and immune-stimulating drugs increases every year in response to climate change, pandemics, environmental pollution, food shortages and difficulties in accessing clean water. It is necessary to adopt legislative and regulatory instruments and organizational measures aimed at stimulating the investment of funding entities and entrepreneurs in the production of microalgae products in various sectors of the economy. International collaborations, industrial enterprises and space agencies (e.g. Roscosmos and NASA) are actively conducting research into the use of microalgae for the processing of organic waste in human living facilities in space as a source of both oxygen and food. The issue of creating clusters and applying mechanisms of public-private partnership aimed at increasing the profitability of bio-product manufacture from microalgae in various industries and sectors of the economy at the macro-and meso-level remains relevant.

Academician in Arctic expedition: reminiscences of B. L. Isachenko on the expedition in the Soviet ice-breaker “Georgiy Sedov” in 1930

The object of this research is the historical role of academic community in cognition and development of northern Russian territories. The subject of this research is the information value of the Arctic diaries of microbiologist B. L. Isachenko in the context of scientific development of Arctic territories in the early XX century. Detailed analysis is conducted B. L. Isachenko;s Artic diary, written in 1930 in the course of expedition in the ice-breaker “Georgiy Sedov”, and its potential scientific application. The authors not only assessed the content of the diary note, but also pursued correlation with the historical context of expedition work in the Arctic during the late XIX – early XX centuries. The conducted analysis is of great interest to the historians of science, as it allows viewing the key milestones of life and creative path of the academician, as well as his contribution to the development of the Arctic. Systemic approach is used analyzing B. L. Isachenko’s Arctic diary in the context of history of Arctic development, as well as political and academic objectives of the country in 1930s. The author examines the field diary of the scholar based on then formation approach for understanding the essence of the document through its informational nature and determining its role in the social and personal space. The novelty of this work consists in introduction into the scientific discourse of the unique archival document, as well as in detailed analysis and citation of the personal diary of B. L. Isachenko, written in 1930 during the Arctic expedition in the ice-breaker “Georgiy Sedov”. The content and emphasis of the document appeared to be more extensive than the scientific tasks solved by academicians in the course of expedition. The conclusion is made that diary of B. L. Isachenko clearly traces two thematic lines: records of external occurrences, and description of the ideas and concerns of the author. There are several factors that define information value of the source (scientific component; detailed breakdown of expedition rout and observations; description of daily routine during the expedition). The author demonstrates the ability to “walk” the Arctic route using diary notes, follow the impressions of the participant, and determine the scientific tasks set by the academician during the expedition.

A New Model of the Ninety East Ridge Formation, Indian Ocean

The comprehensive analysis of geological, geophysical, and geochemical data makes it possible to obtain the most complete picture of the geological structure of the central part of the Ninety East Ridge (NER), the Osborn Plateau, and the adjacent part of the Central Basin. This region has been established to be a complex tectonic structure. In respect of the revealed structural features of the major near-NS faults of Indrani, Indira, and Lanka, they are not transform faults. Based on the generalization of all available data on the northern and southern parts of the NER, supplemented by the studies of the NER’s central part, it is found out that the NER was constructed on the continental crust of an ancient continent, likely Lemuria. According to a new formation model, the NER is a relict fragment of this continent, preserved in the form of a block or an escarp, as an extended horst structure. This paper involves the primary data obtained by different Russian scientific and production organizations in the course of expeditions in the Central Basin during the 1980–1990s, as well as other data, including those obtained from foreign sources.

Sulfite-Reducing Clostridia and their Participation in Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide Formation in the Bottom Sediments of Water Objects and Streams of the ETR South

The article discusses the role of sulfite-reducing clostridia in methane and hydrogen oxide formation in bottom sediments. The examined materials have been accumulated in the course of expeditions carried out at 25 water objects and streams of the subarid zone of the Southern ETR with different mineralization and the degree of anthropogenic stress, as well as via an experiment aimed at detection of the ability of sulfite-reducing clostridia to produce reduced gases. In the majority of samples of bottom sediments in water objects of the Southern ETR, including mud sediments of lakes that are used for therapeutic purposes, the amount of sulfite-reducing clostridia exceeds the normative levels by an order of magnitude. The maximum abundance (106–107 CFU/g) was recorded in the nearshore zone of the southeastern part of the Taganrog Bay, thus implying fecal pollution. As a rule, the highest abundance is restricted to the higher (0–2 and/or 2–5 cm) layers. A close relationship was found to exist between the concentrations of methane and hydrogen sulfide, as well as the abundance of sulfite-reducing clostridia in the bottom sediments. The results of the laboratory experiment imply the ability of sulfite-reducing clostridia to produce methane and hydrogen sulfide. It is supposed that sulfite-reducing clostridia, as well as methanogens and sulfate-reducing microorganisms, participate in the generation of methane and hydrogen sulfide in situ in bottom sediments and therapeutic muds.

Орнаментированная булава – ударное оружие и символ власти военачальника у кыргызов Тянь-Шаня

Purpose. We analyzed an extremely rare finding of a mace with a small ornamental iron battle top fastened to a long wooden handle. This mace is a part of a collection of armament objects acquired by museum workers in the course of expeditions on the territory of Kyrgyzstan over the past decades. At present, this collection is stored in the Russian Museum of Ethnography in Saint Petersburg. During the previous historical period, when museum workers had been searching and gathering objects of traditional culture of different peoples on the territory of Central Asia, that finding was acquired together with other characteristic objects of traditional cultures from that region on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. Firstly, it was stored in the Museum of the Peoples of the USSR. We aimed at dating the artifact and identifying its purpose. Conclusion. We traced primary events in the history of studying different types of close combat strike weapons which were used by Kyrgyz warriors in Tian Shan during the Late Middle Ages and New Time. A result of the research conducted is a description of the ornamental iron battle top and the wooden handle of this mace decorated with carved rhomb ornaments. We date the artifact as belonging to the period of Late Middle Ages – New Time. According to the terms used for such types of weapons, the mace could have been used as a striking weapon; however, it its ornamental battle top is of a smaller size than that of traditional maces, so it could have been used as a symbol of power. Results. We conclude that this mace could have been a strike weapon in the course of close and hand-to-hand combats led by Kyrgyz warriors, but also it could have been used as a symbol of power by military commanders of the Kyrgyz forces.

Buried ferromanganese nodules of the Magellan Seamounts

Buried ferromanganese nodules and their stratiform accumulations (nodule horizons), which are widespread in sedimentary sequences of the Magellan Seamounts, have been studied in core obtained by shallow drilling on its guyots in the course of expeditions of the R/V Gelendzhik in 2001–2010. The study included description of morphological features, structure, and composition of buried nodules, the assessment of their geological age, and the analysis of host geological environments. It was revealed that nodule horizons are developed in areas with unstable hydroand lithodynamic conditions. The frequent changes of these conditions were responsible for the formation of such nodule horizons and overlying ferromanganese crusts. It is shown that the crusts and nodules developed at the surface of bottom sediments and nodules buried within them are characterized by the similar structure and composition, which indicates their belonging to the same ore formation, i.e., ferromanganese ores of seamounts. The age of buried nodule horizons is correlated with that of layers in ferromanganese crusts, on the one hand, and with the age of host sedimentary complexes defined in the Magellan Seamounts area. The buried nodules include both Cenozoic and Late Cretaceous varieties. The finds of Cenomanian nodule horizons provide grounds for the assumption that the formation of ferromanganese ores on gyuots of the Magellan Seamounts could start prior to the Senonian.

Bully for Science! The FASEB Centennial (1912–2012)

Bully for Science! The FASEB Centennial (1912–2012)

New data on the geological structure of the junction between the Cape Verde Seamount and the Cape Verde Basin, central Atlantic

The regions of conjugation of continental rise with abyssal oceanic basins at the margins of the Atlantic— a transitional zone between continental and oceanic lithospheres—are still poorly studied in geological terms. In the course of expeditions conducted by the Geological Institute (Moscow), the structure of this zone was studied at the continental slope of Africa, south of the Cape Verde Islands. In this area, the continental rise widens sharply making up a near-latitudinal promontory that divides the abyssal Cape Verde Basin in the south and the Canary Basin in the north. The study area is situated in the pinchout area of the system of transform fracture zones (TFZ) located south of the Fifteen Twenty TFZ [1, 2]. The near-latitudinal linear ridges and troughs on the bottom of the Cape Verde Basin are the eastern flanks of the Vema, Doldrums, Arkhangelsky, and Vernadsky TFZs of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Near the continental slope of Africa, these TFZs are cut off by the WNW-trending escarpment (Fig. 1). The bathymetric survey of a local area in the deepwater Cape Verde Basin that adjoins the southern margin of the Cape Verde Seamount (Figs. 1, 3) was carried out during Cruise 22 of the R/V Akademik Nikolai Strakhov in 2000. We have established an azimuthal unconformity between near-latitudinal depressions and ridges that extend from MAR, on the one hand, and the WNW-trending transversal Cabo Verde Escarpment, on the other hand [3]. The seafloor in the studied test area is complicated by volcanic edifices and by the anomalously deep (>6000 m) Strakhov Basin trending in the NW direction discordantly relative to other structural units. The previously unknown Neva deepwater channel was also found (Fig. 3). This paper has been prepared on the basis of the data collected during Cruise 16 of the R/V Akademik Ioffe in 2004. During this cruise, the sedimentary cover was studied with continuous seismic profiling (CSP). The structure of the upper part of the sedimentary cover and the bottom topography was investigated with a Parasound acoustic profilograph along a profile between 11.52 ° N × 22.67 ° W and 10.13 ° N × 24.07 ° W (Fig. 1). The structure of the upper part of the sedimentary cover in the Neva Channel and the Strakhov Basin was studied with the same method. The bedrock samples and cores of bottom sediments were recovered in the same place. Structure of the sedimentary cover (based on CSP data). The CSP profile across the junction of continen

Climatological data and superficial thermal balance in the wright dry valley (South Victoria Land-Antarctica)

The microclimate of the Wright Valley, one of the so-called dry valleys of southern Victoria Land, was investigated in the course of an Italian expedition (November 1976–January 1977) financed by Italy's National Research Council and furnished with logistical support by New Zealand's Scott Base (Carlo Stocchino, meteorologist, leader; Enrico Rossi, meteorologist, Italian Navy; Ivo Di Menno, technician; Walter Bonatti, climber). In the course of the expedition, the vertical temperature and the wind profiles of the surface layer of the atmosphere were measured at a single ground site in the Wright Valley. These measurements, combined with data on the principal meteorological parameters, made it possible to calculate the surface heat balance.

The microclimate of an Antarctic Dry Valley (Taylor Valley, Victoria Land)

Abstract The microclimate of Taylor Valley, one of the so‐called dry valleys of southern Victoria Land, was investigated in the course of an Italian expedition (Dec. 1, 1973 to Sept. 1, 1974) financed by Italy's National Research Council and furnished with logistical support by New Zealand's Scott Base. In the course of the expedition, vertical temperature profiles of the ground layer of the atmosphere were measured at a single ground site in Taylor Valley, and a helicopter was used for an infrared radiometric survey of the entire valley. The temperature measurements, combined with data on the principal meteorological parameters, made it possible to determine the thermal fields at the air‐ground interface and to calculate the surface heat balance. The technique, combining a radiometric survey with an in situ vertical profile of the ground‐layer temperature, may prove useful in other areas for which no systematic meteorological observations are available. (Dr. Stocchino participated in the fieldwork; Dr. Colacino collaborated in the analysis of the data. The paper was translated from an Italian‐language manuscript.)

Rampedi revisited: Another look at a Kgatla ward

Opening ParagraphObservation of the way in which local groups develop in a given society must ideally take place over a longer period than most researchers remain active in the field, particularly if changes over time are to be charted adequately. But longer-term studies remain relatively scarce and there are obvious difficulties in the way of them: younger anthropologists are often reluctant to look again at a society that has already been carefully studied, especially if the scholar who carried out the earlier field-work still survives; and changing theoretical perspectives and field-work techniques make it hard to match data from different periods. Bearing in mind the need to overcome these difficulties, we combine in this paper field data collected in the course of expeditions spanning more than forty years in an effort to trace the development of an important Kgatla grouping, the ward.