Nearby Settlements Research Articles

Ceramic collections from the citadel of the Uzundara fortress have been dated as the first third of the 3rd century BCE

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

“…It is impossible to endure the above mentioned serious matters and grievous injuries…” Misunderstandings between István II. Koháry, General-Captain of Fiľakovo and the Nobility (1667-1682)

In the 17th century Fiľakovo was not only the base for the royal garrison, but at the same time the fort was the seat of three counties: Novohrad, Pest-Pilis-Solt and Heves and Külső-Szolnok earlier fleeing before the Ottomans. By the common sense and the practical reason, we could believe that the dependency on each other, the mutual national interest and the patriotic solidarity would bring about cooperation between the border soldiers and the nobility. The stark reality was, however, that they could not agree: mutual accusations, disagreements, atrocities, severe debates — occasionally with the intention to kill — characterised the relationship of the Fiľakovo troops and the nobility residing or temporarily staying in the border castle. The main problem was the lack of supplies for the army. As the border soldiers did not receive their dues, they procured food and goods needed for their living and clothing from the nearby settlements in the county, which was ever so often violent. The county nobility was deeply harmed by the attacks of the soldiers that not only hindered their living, but they saw it as the derogation of their ancient noble rights and their sanctity, which they could not tolerate. As a result the nobility had to limit the privileges of the Fiľakovo border soldiers that the other party could not stand, either. The war between the two social strata both regarding themselves privileged precipitated in legal debates: who is to accuse and punish the guilty and captured border soldiers? who has the right to call to account and punish the guilty captured soldiers? whose jurisdiction is stronger and in what case? Heves and Külső-Szolnok County sent their representatives either together with other counties or on its own to Pál Esterházy, Ferenc Nádasdy, then from 1670 to Ádám Forgách, Chief Judge of Hungary, but they could have even presented their grievances to the Emperor. The other frontline of the confrontation between the two parties manifested in the use of violence. People were treated roughly by the soldiers due to the mutual conflict, but the village inhabitants instigated by the County Magistrate did not hold themselves back when capturing a soldier. This way, there were often human casualties. When a person of noble origin committed an atrocity, no matter how significant it was he was treated carefully and judgement was very slow. This is shown in the study through the case of Menyhért Ebeczky, the Deputy-Lord-Lieutenant of Novohrad County and Noble Judge of Heves and Külső-Szolnok County from 1678.

Houselessness, Infrastructural Exclusion, and Stigmatization

At the feet of the Serra da Cantareira forest in São Paulo, land grabbers illicitly seize and sell land to houseless people. In 2019, I conducted fieldwork in a newly established squatter camp along the Tremembé River, inhabited mainly by Black and Brown women who had migrated from rural Brazil. Since they are considered illegal occupants by the authorities and live in an area at risk of flooding, they may soon be evicted without compensation. The criminalization of these houseless people by the government overlaps with the stigma attached to them by the residents of nearby settlements. They associate the squatters with alleged disruptive practices against nature (deforestation, pollution, and garbage accumulation), theft of electricity, and appropriation of federal subsidies. Stemming from hygienist discourses, racialized and gendered ideologies shape this environmental imagination.

A Late Etruscan Burial at Podere Cannicci (Civitella Paganico – Grosseto)

Abstract In March 2021, following some agricultural activities on a slight relief in the area of Civitella Paganico, the remains of a second century B.C.E. burial were excavated by the research team of the IMPERO Project (Interconnected Mobility of People and Economies along the River Ombrone). This paper details the results of the rescue excavations and presents the preliminary data on the nearby settlement of Podere Cannicci to contextualize its necropolis. Finally, the paper addresses some initial thoughts on the broader importance of the discovery in terms of settlement networks and spheres of cultural influences in this liminal area.

China, Hungary & India: Aditya Birla – carbon black

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

Gryphon Investors takes majority stake in Vivify

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

Measurements of uranium in urine samples of uranium workers and inhabitants of nearby settlements in Akmola Region, Kazakhstan

The main purpose is determine and evaluate uranium concentration in urine of the inhabitants of nearby settlement of uranium mining sites and workers of uranium processing sites. As uranium enterprises working in Stepnogorsk of Akmola Region and its exploitation could be a risk of radiation exposure for the workers as well as for the local population, monitoring of biosamples could allow information about the exposure to uranium for the workers and inhabitants. Workers and inhabitants of male genders were asked to collect 24 h-urine samples. The concentration of uranium in urine was measured in mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Uranium concentration in urine samples from workers values ranged from 0.05 to 12.5 μgL−1 , for Akmola region inhabitants values ranged from 0.10 to 0.60 μgL−1 . The results of concentrations of uranium in the urine of inhabitants living near SMCC were comparable to values reported in other studies. The concentration of uranium in the urine of the workers had slightly elevated values, comparable to the conditional norm of 0.9 μg/L.

The Lanzhou Brucella Leak: The Largest Laboratory Accident in the History of Infectious Diseases?

An inadequacy in sanitizing processes in a biopharmaceutical plant in Lanzhou, China, during July and August 2019, led to the aerosolization of Brucella that was subsequently spread through wind to nearby settlements and academic institutes, resulting in >10 000 human brucellosis cases, as of November 2020. The leak, possibly the largest laboratory accident in the history of infectious diseases, underlines the particular characteristics of Brucella that have made the pathogen a historical entity in biodefense research and a major cause of laboratory-associated infections. It further underlines the need for enhanced vigilance and strict regulatory interventions in similar facilities.

Pers/Akhaemenid Dönemi’nde Anadolu: Bölgeler Arası Karşılaştırmalı Bir Değerlendirme

The Persian/Achaemenid Period in Anatolia continued for more than 200 years. This period had an impact in many parts of Anatolia. However, the remains of this period vary regionally. Although the archaeological findings help us understand this period, Persian traces are still found in the researches carried out in a limited number of settlements in Anatolia. Traces of Persian archaeological data are better observed in Western Anatolia and its surroundings than in other regions. In the light of recent findings, it has been attempted to investigate the relations between these regions, particularly regarding ceramic findings. Therefore, the reflections of this period are observed more intensely in Western Anatolia and its surroundings, limitedly in Central Anatolia and its surroundings, and even less in Eastern Anatolia and its surroundings. Undoubtedly, one of the reasons for this situation is the distribution rates of archaeological researches by regions and the insufficient level of research regarding this period. In this article the Persian Period in Western, Eastern and Central Anatolia and their surroundings will be discussed by applying a comparative evaluation method. First of all, within the Persian Period, archaeological data retrieved in Eastern, Western and Central Anatolia and the nearby settlements will be presented together with sub-headings. Then, in the light of the available data, the problematic phenomena still under discussion among specialists will be evaluated by applying a causality based approach taking into account the information provided by ancient sources and limited epigraphic data. Thus, we attempt to explain different and common characteristics of archaeological findings from this period in the three regions and their surroundings.

Pottery of the steppe piedmonts of the Bactro-Sogdian Borderlands: The case of Iskandar Tepa (mid-2nd–1st c. BC)

Iskandar Tepa is a recently excavated rural settlement site in the steppe piedmonts of the Kugitang, the westernmost foothills of the Pamir-Alay Mountain range in south Uzbekistan. Archaeological and numismatic investigation suggests that the site might have belonged to the system of outposts or watch-posts serving the strategic needs of the last Greco-Bactrian rulers to control the Sogdian-Bactrian borderlands and especially to control the communication routes leading through this region. This phase was followed by the occupation of the site by newly arrived (semi)nomadic people who took control of northern Bactria's territory during the second half of the 2nd century BCE. A quantitative and typological examination was performed on the pottery recovered at the site aiming to provide a preliminary overview of the ceramic repertoire and complementary chronological data for accurate dating. Different wares of all functional categories were identified with a predominance of closed shapes of the table and common wares, and the pithoi or large storage jars. We established typological analogies with the ceramic prototypes found in other coeval and nearby settlements and also recognized variations among the sites. Complementary to the previous archaeometric studies on ceramics from northern Bactria, we also present the characterization of a small ceramic assemblage to investigate their provenance and technology using a combination of analytical methods (WD-XRF, XRD, and OM). Archaeometric results reveal various paste recipes associated with specific chronologies and functional purposes, whose provenance can be located in several pottery workshops within the Amu/Sherabad/Surkhan rivers floodplain. The study demonstrates that ceramic prototypes and exchanges evolved during the period of occupation of the site, which has been preliminarily fixed between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE.

Moving in Together?Synoikismosand Polis Formation at Sagalassos and in Southwest Anatolia

Topics such as polis formation and synoikismos have a rich background in classical studies, history, and archaeology. Such studies have mainly focused on the attestations of synoikismos events in literary sources and inscriptions. The archaeological side of such processes has not always been given equal weight. This paper presents a more encompassing view on patterns of synoikismos and polis formation by incorporating and assessing archaeological evidence in a model of push-pull interactions between local communities and the Hellenistic kingdoms in southwest Anatolia. This model will be applied on a case study of the origin of polis at Sagalassos and its relation with the nearby settlement at Düzen Tepe during its formative years in the Early to Middle Hellenistic period (3rd–2nd centuries b.c.). It will then situate this case in its wider context of settlement patterns and community formation in southwest Anatolia, focusing on the ancient regions of Pisidia, Lycia, and Pamphylia. The paper suggests that interactions between local communities and overarching central administrations offered suitable stimuli that resulted in local communities starting to participate in wider dynamics of economic and political importance. This ultimately resulted in observed patterns of polis formation and a potential synoikismos.

Caffeine and Paraxanthine as Tracers of Anthropogenic Wastewater in Coastal Lagoons in Yucatan, Mexico.

Due to karstic bedrock geology and poor wastewater management practices, anthropogenic activities are impacting water quality in Yucatan's aquatic systems. Specifically, raw wastewater inputs to the aquifer subsequently flow to coastal lagoons through groundwater fluxes. This study establishes the presence of anthropogenic wastewater by measuring caffeine and its metabolite, paraxanthine, in four of Yucatan's major coastal lagoons: Celestun, Chelem, Dzilam de Bravo, and Ria Lagartos. Concentrations of caffeine ranged from non-detected (ND) to 2390ng L-1 and paraxanthine from ND to 212ng L-1, which correspond with pollution threats from anthropogenic wastewater inputs. The potential sources are: (1) direct in situ discharges from nearby urban settlements; and (2) contribution from submerged groundwater discharges. Overall, results indicate the potential of caffeine as an environmental tracer of anthropogenic wastewater contamination for the region.

“Temple Feast” and “Village Day” within the discourse of modern Ukraine

The article presents the analysis of the transformational processes in preserving customs, rituals, and traditions of the Temple Feast and celebration of the Village Day in the socio-cultural space of present-day Ukraine. The Wake Ceremony has been and remains an important phenomenon of spiritual and traditional Ukrainian culture that occupies an important place in the minds of people, regulating their lives, activities and sacred practices. The holiday serves as an important stage in the temporal dimension of the year, regulating the change of periods for work and rest. The aim of the article is to reveal the role of the Temple Feast and the Village Day in the festive and ritual culture as well as social life of Ukrainians, on the basis of our own observations, partly by way of using scientific and fiction literature and Internet resources. The article shows that the holiday system has a direct impact on the organization of economic, political, and cultural life of every society. Celebration has a unifying function and carries an emotional loading, ensuring at the same time the transmission of traditions accumulated by generations, bringing people together on the basis of spiritual, aesthetic and creative interests. The practice of festive and ritual culture and social life of the Ukrainians has been enriched by a new form of celebration in the countryside, i. e. a joint celebration of the Temple Feast and the Village Day, that unites the members of the village community, and even several nearby settlements, thus playing an important role in strengthening moral and aesthetic standards and improving communication

The Gebelein Archaeological Project in 2019: Northern necropolis and the temple complex

Continued archaeological surveys at two sites in the Gebelein area, the Northern Necropolis and the temple complex, have contributed new data for a better understanding of the ancient remains. Geophysical anomalies detected in 2015 in the western part of the Northern Necropolis should now be interpreted most probably as tombs with mud-brick walls. Mounds of earth in the central part of the necropolis yielded numerous artifacts dating from between the Naqada I and the early Old Kingdom periods; they are likely to have been dumped from a nearby settlement site, probably the ancient town of Sumenu. Work in the temple complex was aimed at protecting the structure made of inscribed mud-bricks dating from the Twenty-first Dynasty.

The flora of pine forests of the vicinity of Hrafske village (Vovchansk District, Kharkiv Region)

The article presents the results of a study of the flora of pine forests in the vicinities of the villages Hrafske, Verkhnia Pysarivka, and Symonivka of the Vovchansk District of the Kharkiv Region. The flora of the investigated area includes at least 120 species of vascular plants of 47 families, five classes, and four divisions. The richest in the flora are the families Asteraceae (22 species; 18.3%), Poaceae (13 species; 10.8%), and Caryophyllaceae (10 species; 8.3%) that are characteristic of the pine forests of the Kharkiv Region. The presence of Crassulaceae (5 species; 4.2%) at the fifth position in the spectrum of dominating families is due to anthropogenic impact on the vegetation of the study area. Analysis of the flora ecological structure by three main abiotic factors (soil water regime, total salt regime, and light) has shown the typical conditions of the valley forests of the Kharkiv Region with a predominance of mesophytic and submesophytic (84 species; 70%), semieutrophic (64 species; 52.9%) and subheliophytic (88 species; 72.7%) groups of plants. In the coenotic structure of the flora of studied forests, the forest (38 species; 31.4%) and ruderal (37 species; 30.6%) fractions were the leading ones, while the third position was occupied by the psammophytic species (22; 18.2%). A high number of weeds in the flora composition is explained by urbanization. Fractional analysis of the flora has shown a predominance of native species (90; 75%), mainly apophytes (47; 39.2%), adapted to growing in disturbed habitats. The adventive fraction includes 30 species (25%), among which kenophytes and xenophytes predominate. Localities of three rare species (Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H.P. Fuch, Jurinea charkoviensis Klok., and Viburnum opulus (L.) Opiz.) were identified, which indicated conservation value of the study area. An index of the flora synanthropization (64.5%) is quite high due to ruderal species adapted to disturbed habitats. The studied valley forests are under anthropic pressure caused by nearby settlements via littering and deforestation, which results in flora impoverishment and the spread of alien plant species. Therefore, the forests in question require further monitoring.

Z badań nad Biłgorajem. Weryfikacja i dopełnienie

The article presents the state of research into the toponym Biłgoraj: initially incorrectly interpreted as a topographic name consisting of the segment Biel- “swamp” (>Ukrainian Bił-) and the morpheme -goraj “mountainous terrain”. Another interpretation of this toponym says that this name is memorial and physiographic in nature, with its first physiographic part coming from the local adjective *bieły (in general Polish biały “white”), shortened to Bieł- (>Ukrainian Bił-), referring to the first part of the name of the river *Bieła Łada < Biała Łada, which Biłgoraj is located on, and the second morpheme – the memorial one taken from the name of a nearby settlement Goraj, which was the seat of the ancestors of Adam Gorajski, the founder of Biłgoraj, a settlement also located on the river Biała Łada.

How Physicochemical Parameters of Water Change with Distance in a Lake: Case Study Lake Bunyonyiinkigezi

Pollution resulting from unsustainable agricultural and urbanization activities in the Ruhezamyenda and Bunyonyi catchments are threatening lake Bunyonyi. These have led to high chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity, turbidity, pH, iron (II) concentration and low dissolved oxygen (DO5). In this study we have investigated the how COD, turbidity, pH, concentration of iron, total suspended solids, total nutrients and DO5 of water changed with distance in lake. Water sampled from different distances in the lake filtered using Whatman paper at ambient temperatures was tested for COD, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total nutrients, iron, hardness and DO5. COD was 20.8±.0.03mg/L to 16 ± 0.03mg/L; total hardness was 16.5±0.2 mg/L to 18.6 ± 0.3 mg/L total nitrate was 103.5± 2 mg/L to 88 ± 3 mg/L; total phosphate was 100.8 ±.2.5 to 87± 3 mg/L; high TSS values from 3.4 ± 0.1 mg/L to 2.5 ± 0.1 mg/L showed contamination of water. As pH decreased from 8.3 ± 0.03 to 7.6 ± 0.04 revealed that bases were getting removed. The turbidity dropped from 25.7 ± 0.3 NTU to 20 ± 2 NTU due settling down of sediments. Iron (II) concentration ranging from 1.1± 0.1 to 0.8± 0.1 mgL-1 . Dissolved oxygen decreased from 7.9 ±0.3 mg/L to 4.8 ± 0.2 mg/L indicating surface water can uphold life of aquatic organisms. Total hardness ranged from 0.22± 0.05 to 0.19± 0.05 mg/L Electrical conductivity was high and ranged from 130± 5 to 150± 5 µS/cm indicating presence of electrolytes. Lake Bunyonyi water is not greatly polluted, but requires to be safe guarded against poor unsustainable agricultural practices, sewage draining from towns, schools and hotels in nearby settlements.

Urbanisation at Sannati (c. 300 bc–c. 300 ad): An Early Historic Buddhist Settlement in North Karnataka, India. A Comparative Perspective

Urbanisation has been studied almost from the middle of twentieth century by historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists and city planners who have interpreted it variously. An urban centre would engage with specific functions particularly with regard to the hinterland. In urbanisation comparatively small settlements and simple communities develop into specialised centres and complex societies. As the process of urbanisation is examined from an archaeological or historical viewpoint, the major parameters frequently applied to situate urbanisation are location and size of settlements, large structures, art, writing and standardised medium of exchange. The issue of urbanisation has been studied in detail with respect to Northern India as compared to Deccan and particularly Karnataka. Sannati (Taluk Chittapur, district Gulbarga) in North Karnataka is the main site of investigation. It is a Maurya-Satavahana settlement with some remains belonging to the megalithic Iron Age. Sannati and the nearby settlements of Kanaganahalli are rich in Buddhist structures, sculptures and other antiquities. The author has made an effort to understand if the early historic material culture showed maturity when compared with the antecedent cultures. How did the external powers, such as Mauryas and the Satavahanas influence local development? Did the socio-political order meet the benchmarks of urbanisation? The author in this study has tried to locate urban contours in North Karnataka, especially at Sannati even when compared with other urban landscapes in northern India and the Deccan.

Updated historical earthquake catalog of İzmir region (western Anatolia) and its importance for the determination of seismogenic source

Although destructive earthquakes have not occurred in the instrumental period except for the 30 October 2020 Samos earthquake (Mw = 6.6), the records show that there were significant earthquakes that caused great destruction in İzmir and its surroundings in the historical period. However, it is not yet clear which faults are causative for these earthquakes affecting İzmir and its surroundings. For this purpose, it has been attempted to determine new geological, seismological and environmental data by examining a large number of original sources, records and old international earthquake catalogs, other than the existing national catalogs used in seismicity studies in Turkey. In this context, a new local and updated historical earthquake catalog was prepared for İzmir and its immediate vicinity. The data obtained from the records show that the maximum intensity of some destructive historical earthquakes in the İzmir region was X. This means that the active faults in İzmir and its immediate vicinity have the potential to generate earthquakes of up Mw = 7.1 in the future. Details on historical earthquakes strengthen the possibility that these earthquakes may have been generated by active faults located near the İzmir city settlement. The isoseismic maps created for the first time using historical data, point out that the highest seismic intensity in the 178, 1688 and 1778 A.D. earthquakes caused destruction in the İzmir city center and nearby settlements indicate that they were concentrated at a relatively small area in the Bay of İzmir, and tectonically in the hanging-wall of the İzmir Fault. In the most likely scenario, all these damages observed may be attributed to the western segment of the İzmir Fault (Balcova segment) since it was defined as the only seismic source around the İzmir Bay in the updated active fault map of Turkey, of course, these data should be verified by performing detailed paleoseismological studies.

Results of the Water Quality Study Within the Luga­-Balt-­2 International Project

The authors noted the transboundary nature of anthropogenic impact on the environment, including that on water bodies, which needs to be studied in an international format. (Research purpose) To determine the water state of the Urpolanjoki River in the Mikkeli area in Finland and the Luga River in Russia in order to prepare proposals for improvement. (Materials and methods) Water quality was specified by 11 parameters by sampling and analyzing them in the laboratory. Additionally, 1South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences carried out online monitoring using the YSI 6920-V2 continuous water probe. The authors used standard methods of processing statistical, field data. (Results and discussion) The authors revealed good, stable during the entire monitoring period, water quality in the Urpolanjoki River. The authors showed that the water quality in the Luga River deteriorates downstream, in particular, due to the agricultural and livestock farms’ activities near the river basin. Thus, the Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus content at the upstream point is 10.8 milligrams and 119 micrograms per liter, respectively, and at the downstream point, it is only 1.6 milligrams and 28 micrograms, respectively. (Conclusions) It was determined that the analyzed indicators correspond to the category of good quality: the level of water oxygen saturation fluctuated within 88.76-117.83 per cent during the monitoring period; the color was 30 milligrams per liter on the platinum-cobalt scale, which means a low humus content in the water; the presence of solids in the water ranged from 1.1 to 2.4 milligrams per liter; the total phosphorus content in water is below 9.2 micrograms per liter, that is, within the normal limits. During the monitoring of the Luga River, a clear influence of nearby agricultural enterprises and settlements was detected.