Early Chronology Research Articles

Wilhelm Müseler. “The Dating and the Sequence of the Persid Frataraka Revisited”

The author takes into consideration the coinage of Persis, an autonomous region in southern Iran during the Seleucid rule, later a vassal kingdom under the Arsacids. In particular, the first group of issues, those mint by of the so-called frataraka, local dignitaries who had not yet adopted the title of kings, is analysed. The author defends the early chronology that places the first frataraka, Ardaxsher in the first decades of the 3rd century BCE. The main reasons for this choice, that puts ...

What Happened in the Summer ofa.d. 122? Hadrian on the British Frontier — Archaeology, Epigraphy and Historical Agency

AbstractIn the summer ofa.d.122, Hadrian (a.d.117–38) visited Britain as part of his first major journey. It is broadly accepted that the construction of Hadrian's Wall was inaugurated on this occasion. Following recent advances in Upper Germany where thelimespalisade is now known to have been under construction when Hadrian visited the province, this paper re-examines the various strands of evidence for the early chronology of the Wall. It is argued that work started well beforea.d.122 and that it was in fact the ‘fort decision’ which resulted from the imperial visit. The revised sequence offers a fresh perspective on several classic Wall problems and prepares the ground for a new understanding of unique features like the milecastles and Vallum.

Short-term heat stress results in increased apoptotic signaling and autophagy in oxidative skeletal muscle in Sus scrofa

Prolonged environment-induced hyperthermia causes morbidities and mortality in humans and animals and appears to cause organ-specific injury and dysfunction. We have previously determined autophagic dysfunction and apoptotic signaling in oxidative skeletal muscle following prolonged hyperthermia. The aim of this investigation was to extend our knowledge regarding the early chronology of heat stress-mediated apoptotic and autophagic signaling in oxidative skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that 2, 4, and 6 h of hyperthermia would increase apoptosis and autophagy in oxidative skeletal muscle compared to thermoneutral (TN) conditions. Pigs were assigned to four groups (n = 8/group) and exposed to environmental heat stress (37 °C) for 0, 2, 4, or 6 h. Immediately following environmental exposure animals were euthanized and the red portion of the semitendinosus was collected. Markers of apoptotic signaling were increased following 2 h of heating but returned to baseline thereafter, while caspase 3 activity remained elevated 2–3 fold (p < .05) throughout the hyperthermic period. Heat stress increased (p < .05) markers of autophagic activation, and nucleation as well as autophagosome formation and degradation linearly throughout the heating intervention. In addition, 6 h of hyperthermia increased (p < .05) markers of mitophagy. These data suggest that apoptotic signaling precedes increased autophagy during acute heat stress in oxidative skeletal muscle.

Uzbrojenie z cmentarzyska kultury luboszyckiej w Sadzarzewicach, pow. Krosno Odrzańskie

The cemetery in Sadzarzewice (former Sadersdorf) is one of the most important archaeological sites in Lower Lusatia and it dates back to the pre-Roman and Roman iron ages. It was included into the Luboszyce culture by Grzegorz Domanski in his work from 1979. Along with two other cemeteries, located nearby in Grabice and Luboszyce, the Sadzarzewice complex constitutes the oldest chronological horizon of this taxonomic group, and the region is regarded as the starting point of its later expansion. Despite the site’s great significance for the prehistory studies of the Oder basin, its state of study is far from satisfactory. This is mostly due to the fact it was discovered and explored at the end of the XIXth century, that is in the time archaeological methods were still in development. Further complication was caused by the history of the region – nearly all of the artifacts were lost during WWII, and as an effect, the cemetery’s inventory is known only from a publication dating back to 1895. Nevertheless, during my research for my dissertation on the armament of the Luboszyce culture, I managed to identify a couple of those lost finds. This small group consisted of an ornamented spearhead, an untypical javelin- or arrowhead, and a shield grip. The total number of Roman iron age weapon and equestrian equipment finds from the cemetery is 41 – 4 swords, 2 sword scabbard belt loops, 2 axes, 6 spearheads, 2 javelin heads, 7 arrowheads, 4 shield bosses, 2 shield grips and 12 spurs. The artifacts from Sadzarzewice fit into the phase B2b–C2 (late 2nd–3rd cent. A.D.) range. Those weapons that were possible to date with considerable precision can be situated within the phase C1, some even can be as old as B2b, although there is no certain evidence of such early chronology. Another notable feature of the Sadzarzewice artifacts is the evidence of various interregional influences – either from the West (the Elbian circle) and East (the Wielbark and Przeworsk cultures) which phenomenon, although characteristic for the Luboszyce culture in general, is best observed in the early stages of this unit’s development.

Rock art and prehistoric soundscapes: Some results from Italy, France, and Spain

Under the axis of the SONART project—Sounds of Rock Art. Archaeoacoustics and post-palaeolithic Schematic art in the Western Mediterranean—a series of acoustic tests have been undertaken in seven rock art areas of Italy, France and Spain. The early chronology of this art—Neolithic and Chalcolithic—makes that no information exists about the reasons prehistoric peoples had to produce the art and the beliefs surrounding its creation. This means that in order to check whether sound is related to this cultural manifestation, formal methods need to be used. This also affects the analysis of sound for, in contrast to other areas of the world such as the circumpolar area, no legends or myths can be found to explain the link between art and special reverberation or echoes. Related to the latter, the results of our experiments to assess the direction of arrival (DOA) of echoes will be explained for the rock art landscapes of Valle d’Idivoro (Italy) and Baume Brune (France). The location of rock art in sites where the audibility of the landscape is exceptionally optimal will also be analyzed for the case of the Arroyo de San Serván landscape area in Extremadura (Spain).

Hendrick ter Brugghen’s Paintings of the Crucifixion in New York and Turin and the Problem of His Early Chronology

Hendrick ter Brugghen’s Paintings of the Crucifixion in New York and Turin and the Problem of His Early Chronology

Estado actual de las investigaciones en la localidad arqueológica Laguna de los Gansos (Diamante, Entre Ríos)

Las investigaciones arqueológicas desarrolladas en los últimos años en el Delta Superior del Paraná buscan ampliar el conocimiento sobre la arqueología regional, entendida como historia indígena de larga duración. En este artículo se presentan los resultados de los análisis arqueofaunísticos, cerámicos, bioarqueológicos, geoarqueológicos y radiocarbónicos realizados en la localidad arqueológica Laguna de los Gansos. En ésta se excavaron dos sitios (LDLG1 y LDLG2) emplazados a lo largo de un albardón al Oeste de la laguna homónima. En LDLG1 se hallaron abundantes fragmentos cerámicos lisos y decorados (incluyendo modelados zoomorfos) y material arqueofaunístico caracterizado por la elevada frecuencia de coipo, carpincho y ciervo de los pantanos. Este sitio representa una sucesión de ocupaciones cortas sobre un albardón que ocurrieron entre ca. 1200 y 1800 años 14C AP. En LDLG2 se recuperaron restos humanos (en entierros primario y secundario) datados entre 570 y 590 años 14C AP, junto a material cerámico, carbón y restos arqueofaunísticos. En suma, la localidad Laguna de los Gansos muestra una profunda historia de uso de las islas fluviales del Paraná y sus recursos acuáticos. Asimismo, su cronología temprana permite abordar la génesis y dispersión de Goya-Malabrigo a la luz de los nuevos modelos sobre etnogénesis.

Anchoring historical sequences using a new source of astro-chronological tie-points.

The discovery of past spikes in atmospheric radiocarbon activity, caused by major solar energetic particle events, has opened up new possibilities for high-precision chronometry. The two spikes, or Miyake Events, have now been widely identified in tree-rings that grew in the years 775 and 994 CE. Furthermore, all other plant material that grew in these years would also have incorporated the anomalously high concentrations of radiocarbon. Crucially, some plant-based artefacts, such as papyrus documents, timber beams and linen garments, can also be allocated to specific positions within long, currently unfixed, historical sequences. Thus, Miyake Events represent a new source of tie-points that could provide the means for anchoring early chronologies to the absolute timescale. Here, we explore this possibility, outlining the most expeditious approaches, the current challenges and obstacles, and how they might best be overcome.

Chronology of Early Heat Stress Mediated Changes in Oxidative Skeletal Muscle

We have previously reported that 24 hours of heat stress (HS) induced free radical injury in oxidative skeletal muscle. In addition, we found widespread aberrant intracellular signaling following 12h of HS. The aim of this investigation was to extend our knowledge regarding the early chronology of HS‐mediated intracellular signalling in oxidative skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that 2, 4, and 6 hours of HS would result in increased autophagy and decreased mitochondrial content in oxidative skeletal muscle compared to muscle maintained under thermoneutral (TN) conditions. To address this hypothesis, pigs were assigned to four groups (n=8/group) and housed under TN conditions (21°C) or exposed to HS (37°C) for 2, 4, or 6 hours. Next, animals were euthanized and the semitendinosus red (STR) was collected and analyzed. Compared to TN, relative protein abundance of autophagy initiators phosphoinositide 3‐kinase Class III and Beclin‐1 were increased by 57% and 56%, respectively (p&lt;0.05), following 6 hours of HS. At the same time point, relative abundance of the pre‐autophagosomal structure stabilizer, autophagy‐related protein 16‐1 (ATG16), was increased 59% (p&lt;0.05). Microtubule‐associated protein A/B light chain 3 (LC3)‐I was similar between all four groups but the autophagosome formation marker LC3‐II was increased by 94% (p&lt;0.05) following 6 hours of HS compared to TN. This resulted in a 2‐fold increase in the LC3II/I ratio (p&lt;0.05), which is indicative of increased autophagic flux, though sequstome‐1 (p62) protein abundance was similar between groups. In addition, the mitophagy marker, BCL2/adenovirus E1B protein‐interacting protein 3‐like (BNIP3), was increased by 41% (p&lt;0.05) following 6 hours of HS compared to TN. Relative protein abundance of TCA enzymes, electron transport chain components, and mitochondrial markers was similar between groups. These data demonstrate that short‐term HS induced autophagy/mitophagy. Together with our previous work we also suggest thatbetween 6 and 12 hours of HS the intracellular environment of oxidative skeletal muscle switches from one that promotes autophagy to one that inhibits it.Support or Funding InformationThis work supported by USDA grants 2014‐67015‐21627 and 2011‐67003‐30007.

Some Problems with Early Koguryŏ-Silla Relations Described in the Samguk sagi

According to the Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), exchanges between the kingdoms of Koguryŏ and Silla commenced with military engagements in the middle of the third century. The broader interregional circumstances of the time, evidenced by both historical and archaeological data, make such an early encounter between these two polities highly unlikely. In this paper I examine data from historical and archaeological contexts to identify contradictions in accounts of the mid-third-century circumstances of the Korean peninsula, demonstrating the anomalous nature of the early depictions of Koguryŏ-Silla relations found in the Samguk sagi. Further, I will discuss how the issue at hand points to a much more pervasive problem with the early chronology of the Silla records in the Samguk sagi, demanding a considerable degree of caution for scholars who use that resource for the study of the history of the Korean peninsula. Lastly, I will discuss briefly how current trends in Korean academia (involving forces that are not limited to the academic realm) pose a challenge for an open and critical evaluation of the chronology of the Samguk sagi.

Shakespeare’s Pauses, Authorship, and Early Chronology

This paper explores the implications of Ants Oras’s Pause Patterns in Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama: An Experiment in Prosody (Oras 1960) for the chronology and authorship of plays in early modern England. Oras’s brief monograph has been noticed by a relatively few scholars, mainly those interested in changes to Shakespeare’s pentameter line. Recent developments in the field, however, have rendered his data newly attractive. Compiled by hand, Oras’s figures on the punctuated pauses in pentameter verse offer computational approaches a wealth of information by which writers’ stylistic profiles and changes can be measured. Oras’s data for a large number of playwrights and poets, as well as his methodology generally, may prove instrumental in constructing a portrait of the aesthetic environment for writers of pentameter verse during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in England. In particular, pause percentages may lend context to our attributions of texts of uncertain authorship. A hypothetical chronology is offered for Shakespeare’s earliest writing, including his contributions to Arden of Faversham, 1 Henry VI, and Edward III.

Successor Eponyms, Debt Notes, Intercalation, and the Old Assyrian Calendar during Kültepe Level II: A Critical Reappraisal

The appearance of an annual chronology from Old Assyrian records in the form of eponym lists, more than a decade ago, has had a significant impact on the quest to anchor early second millennium chronology. Old Assyrian specialists have produced a series of refinements to the list of eponyms (year names).1 The editors of the Revised Eponym List (REL) support a chronology of the early second millennium Bc that is close (or identical) to the Middle Chronology, and militates against the high, low, and ultra-low chronologies, based on the relation between archaeological stratigraphy, texts, and dendrochronological results from the Warsama palace at Kultepe.2 Since its appearance, a number of authors have proposed minor (but

Estela funeraria de cronología omeya aparecida en Madrid (308/921)

The main aim of this article is the translation and study of a funerary inscription appeared in the historical centre of Madrid. It contains the epitaph of a man who died in the year 308/921. This inscription has a big historical interest because of its early chronology and because of being the first Arabic stele of the Andalusian period found in Madrid.

When were the walls of the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave heated? A chronological approach by thermoluminescence

Direct chronological data of the ancient heating of calcitic walls at the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave (Ardèche, France) were obtained at the Galerie des Mégacéros and at the Eboulis d'Entrée. Fragments of reddened limestone were extracted from the walls and were studied by thermoluminescence (TL). A novel measurement protocol of the equivalent dose (ED) was implemented and was optimized with respect to the nature of the material being dated (calcite), to the small quantities of sample available and to the relatively low heating of the rock surface in the past (close to 350 °C). The presence of a high level of free radon in the cave and 210Pb in large excess in samples implied the development of a specific irradiation model allowing the evaluation of the mean annual dose over time, taking into account possible scenarios of radon and daughters migration from the bedrock. The following dating results were obtained (in ka before the present and associated total estimated standard deviation):- Galerie des Mégacéros, 36.9 ± 2.3 ka.- Eboulis d'Entrée, 34.3 ± 2.9 ka.These data are in agreement with the calibrated radiocarbon dates of the most ancient periods of human occupation in their respective areas. TL dates indicate that the fires which altered the walls were lighted during the first paleolithic human occupation period. Eventually, TL dating of the heated surface of the bedrock opens a new window on the chronology of human activities in the Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave and it makes an alternative contribution to the demonstration of the early chronology of its rock art.

Media Now: A Historical Review of a Media Literacy Curriculum

The Elizabeth Thoman Archive at the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, has the last complete kit of one of the milestones in the early chronology of media literacy, the 1972 Media Now curriculum. This curriculum was the first of its kind, using self-contained lesson modules that were part of a larger series of kits, text references, and accompanying workbook. Its self-directed learning model gave students the opportunity to learn about the media, by doing, responding to, and reflecting on core concepts of media production. Using physical artifacts from the Media Now kit, historical documents, promotional materials, phone interviews with the founders and teachers of the curriculum, the authors were able to trace the development of Media Now from its historical and educational roots of the 1960s, to its full production, distribution, and training out of the facility at the Southwest Iowa Learning Resource Center (SILRC). The historical and educational impetus for creation of what started as a Title III innovation grant of the Elementary and Secondary Educational Act of 1965, matured to be a curriculum that was implemented in 600 schools across the U.S a testament to both its need and its success. However, as times and politics changed, federal and local government cut funding for Media Now. As we reviewed its original approach to curriculum design and pedagogy, we found that the Media Now story calls for a new examination of the creative materials and techniques used in the 1970s, in light of the current need for media literacy education in and outside of the 21st century digital classroom.

Against Chauvet-nism. A critique of recent attempts to validate an early chronology for the art of Chauvet Cave

We are in complete agreement with the new paper (2014) by Jean Combier, the foremost specialist in the Palaeolithic archaeology and imagery of the Ardeche region, and Guy Jouve, a physicist specializing in radiocarbon dating, as well as with their earlier article on this subject (Combier and Jouve, 2012). After nearly two decades of objections to the proposal that Chauvet’s black series art is Aurignacian, an honest scientific debate is surely overdue. The Chauvet research team have so far completely failed to address any of the varied problems that have been highlighted in a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals. We raise more of these here. Discovered in 1994, the >420 figurative and non-figurative images in the Chauvet Cave (Ardeche, France) constitute some of the finest examples of Upper Palaeolithic cave art known to science (Chauvet et al., 1996). The images were initially attributed on the basis of style, content and technique to the Mid and Late Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian, Solutrean and Early Magdalenian), but the results of a very preliminary radiocarbon dating program led to the rather hasty reassignment of many of the cave’s impressive ‘black series’ charcoal drawings to the Early Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian). If this assessment is valid, our whole understanding of the development of more than 25,000 years of Upper Palaeolithic art would be shown to be incorrect. www.em-consulte.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

The chronology of the earliest Upper Palaeolithic in northern Iberia: New insights from L'Arbreda, Labeko Koba and La Viña

Since the late 1980s, northern Iberia has yielded some of the earliest radiocarbon dated Aurignacian assemblages in Western Europe, probably produced by anatomically modern humans (AMHs). This is at odds with its location furthest from the likely eastern entry point of AMHs, and has also suggested to some that the Châtelperronian resulted from cultural transfer from AMHs to Neanderthals. However, the accuracy of the early chronology has been extensively disputed, primarily because of the poor association between the dated samples and human activity. Here, we test the chronology of three sites in northern Iberia, L'Arbreda, Labeko Koba and La Viña, by radiocarbon dating ultrafiltered collagen from anthropogenically modified bones. The published dates from Labeko Koba are shown to be significant underestimates due to the insufficient removal of young contaminants. The early (c.44 ka cal BP [thousands of calibrated years before present]) Aurignacian chronology at L'Arbreda cannot be reproduced, but the reason for this is difficult to ascertain. The existing chronology of La Viña is found to be approximately correct. Together, the evidence suggests that major changes in technocomplexes occurred contemporaneously between the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions of northern Iberia, with the Aurignacian appearing around 42 ka cal BP, a date broadly consistent with the appearance of this industry elsewhere in Western Europe.

Media Now: A Historical Review of a Media Literacy Curriculum

The Elizabeth Thoman Archive at the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, has the last complete kit of one of the milestones in the early chronology of media literacy, the 1972 Media Now curriculum. This curriculum was the first of its kind, using self-contained lesson modules that were part of a larger series of kits, text references, and accompanying workbook. Its self-directed learning model gave students the opportunity to learn about the media, by doing, responding to, and reflecting on core concepts of media production. Using physical artifacts from the Media Now kit, historical documents, promotional materials, phone interviews with the founders and teachers of the curriculum, the authors were able to trace the development of Media Now from its historical and educational roots of the 1960s, to its full production, distribution, and training out of the facility at the Southwest Iowa Learning Resource Center (SILRC). The historical and educational impetus for creation of what started as a Title III innovation grant of the Elementary and Secondary Educational Act of 1965, matured to be a curriculum that was implemented in 600 schools across the U.S - a testament to both its need and its success. However, as times and politics changed, federal and local government cut funding for Media Now. As we reviewed its original approach to curriculum design and pedagogy, we found that the Media Now story calls for a new examination of the creative materials and techniques used in the 1970s, in light of the current need for media literacy education in and outside of the 21st century digital classroom.

(Re)Considering the Pre-Burial Life of Grave Goods: Towards a Renewed Debate on Early Medieval Burial Chronology on the Continent

The reduction of the length of chronological phases is still a major issue in the current chronological debate in early medieval archaeology on the continent. Short phases imply a rapid and steady change of grave goods assemblages and are thought to support the assumption that the dead were buried with their inalienable personal possessions. This article explores the premises that relate to short phases and the chronological method of seriation, which excludes social variables as essential components of the dating process. Various modes of object exchange and transmission are therefore the next discussion in this article. It is suggested that the wide variety of movables from graves were more often subject to prolonged circulation than generally assumed. The discussion of exchange and transmission shows that the chronological debate can be extended with a theoretical component that reflects on the role of the pre-burial life of objects which contributes to the understanding of chronological results.

The early chronology of long vowels in Balto-Slavic

The attractiveness of projecting a variety of formations back in time lies in the freedom it allows the investigator to choose between different reconstructions in accordance with his theoretical preconceptions. The history of Indo-European reconstruction can to a large extent be seen as a gradual limitation of this freedom. It is therefore advisable to be cautious when a new theory enlarges rather than restricts the number of possible reconstructions.