Oil Lamps Research Articles

Brassicaceae seed oil identified as illuminant in Nilotic shells from a first millennium AD Coptic church in Bawit, Egypt

Burned greasy deposits were found inside shells of the large Nile bivalve Chambardia rubens, excavated in an eight- to tenth- century AD church of the Coptic monastery of Bawit, Egypt, and supposedly used as oil lamps. The residues were subjected to a combination of chromatographic residue analysis techniques. The rather high concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids, as analysed by gas chromatography (GC) in the methylated extract, suggest the presence of a vegetal oil. Analysis of the stable carbon isotopes (delta 13C values) of the methyl esters also favoured plants over animals as the lipid source. In the search for biomarkers by GC coupled to mass spectrometry on a silylated extract, a range of diacids together with high concentrations of 13,14-dihydroxydocosanoate and 11,12-dihydroxyeicosanoate were found. These compounds are oxidation products of erucic acid and gondoic acid, which are abundantly present in seeds of Brassicaceae plants. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis showed low concentrations of unaltered triglycerides, but revealed sizeable amounts of triglycerides with at least one dihydroxylated acyl chain. The unusual preservation of dihydroxylated triglycerides and alpha,omega-dicarboxylic acids can be related to the dry preservation conditions. Analysis of the stereoisomers of the dihydroxylated fatty acids allows one to determine whether oxidation took place during burning of the fuel or afterwards. The results prove that the oil of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) or radish (Raphanus sativus L.) was used as illuminant in early Islamic Egypt, and that not only ceramic lamps but also mollusk shells were used as fuel containers.

Flames of devotion: oil lamps from South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas

Fire and light have long symbolized the relationship of human beings to the universe and its creators. In South and Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, the lamp, as a bearer of light, came to be perceived as a vehicle through which the divine could be accessed. The design, construction, and use of the lamp in these regions have been synonymous with the faith of the devotee since ancient times. Today, the lamp continues to play a pivotal role in Hindu and Buddhist religious contexts, allowing the faithful to concentrate on the image or nature of the deity. The 76 remarkable metal lamps and incense burners illustrated in Flames of Devotion form the heart of a collection assembled by the preeminent scholar of Indian and Himalayan art Pratapaditya Pal and his wife, Chitralekha. They are noteworthy for their ingenious design and diverse crafting, as well as their iconographic richness. They represent fourteen states in India, a majority coming from Rajasthan and Gujarat in the west, the tribal areas in central Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In addition, stunning examples of lamps from Nepal and Tibet showcase the skill with which precious metals were employed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and a small selection of early incense burners and lamps from Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam show the role these objects played in the ancient imagination. In an engaging and highly informative text, architect and art historian Sean Anderson investigates why lamps have endured and remain omnipresent in Hindu and Buddhist practice. While examining the historical importance of the lamp, Anderson emphasizes that as altar and tool, icon and fine sculpture, it is an evocative reminder of an undying devotion forged with the most common yet enigmatic of materials: metal and fire. He considers as well the liminal space the lamp occupies between the secular and the sacred in societies where it is often used to mark every event of significance from birth to death.

A candle in the lab

This article describes some experiments performed to obtain the spectra of a candle, oillamp, 60 W incandescent lamp and fluorescent tube. A professional spectrometer was usedof a type unlikely to be available to schools so the spectral data are provided as aservice to the teaching profession. The brightness and rate of fuel consumption of acandle and oil lamp were also measured. The data obtained could provide thestarting point for a discussion, amongst other things, on greenhouse gas emissions.

Inscribed Oil lamps and other Kharoṣṭhī Inscriptions from Gandhāra

Inscribed lamps are rarely found in the region of ancient Gandhāra: just one each from Malakand, Taxila; Jamal Garhi and Chatpat site, two from Swat. To this list can be added another lamp, also found at Swat, which is presently in a private collection in England. To this we can add three more such lamps presently in private collections and the author is thankful to the owners for allowing him to publish these objects. Moreover, this paper also includes an inscribed slab and a unique seal bearing Kharoṣṭhī inscriptions; both come from the same region.

Methanol adsorption on soybean oil lamp created carbon nanomaterial

Adsorption of methanol on soybean oil lamp created carbon nanomaterial has been studied by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The BET surface area analysis shows decrease of surface area from 76 to 65 m 2/g, pore volume from 0.092 to 0.068 cm 3/g and pore diameter from 4.8 to 4.2 nm after methanol adsorption. XPS results show increase of carbon and oxygen content on the surface of carbon material. FTIR results show formation of carboxylate, hydroxyl and molecular water as a result of adsorption reaction of methanol on the carbon nanomaterial surface. TGA results show a shift in the major weight loss peak from 600 °C before methanol adsorption to 570 °C after adsorption. All results clearly indicate methanol adsorption and modification of the surface of carbon nanomaterial due to chemical interaction of methanol with the carbon surface.

Lucerne di periodo arabo (VII-IX sec.) rinvenute negli scavi di Umm al-Rasas – Kastron Mefaa e della regione del Nebo in Giordania

This concise study deals with the oil lamps and the pieces of oil lamps, found during the excavations carried out by the archaeologists of the SBF in and around Umm al-Rasas – Kastron Mefa‘a and in the area surrounding Mount Nebo in Jordan. Specifically it deals with the finds from the Umayyad and the Abbasid contexts. In general, the common typology during these periods is relatively identifiable, despite the fact that its origin is more or less directly related to the Byzantine models, especially the well-known “candlestick” oil lamps, very widespread during the 5th and 6th centuries, used throughout the following centuries, during the entire 7th century and up to the first decades of the 8th century. The contexts are all quite well identifiable from a chronological and stratigraphical point of view. The attempt to trace an evolutionary journey of the oil lamps of the Arabic period beginning with the specimens from the excavations at Umm al-Rasas and the surrounding area, has allowed for the evaluation of the various formal and decorative typologies, showing that beginning with the common “candlestick” oil lamp of Byzantine origin, later different types developed that were clearly characteristic of the Umayyad period, in particular the “rays and dots” type, followed by the Abbasid models: first of all the “vine spirals” that in their variants IIa and IIc of the classification of Arndt, is well documented in the last phase of Umm al-Rasas. More in-depth study and the publication of other excavations will undoubtedly allow for greater clearness of this chronological-typological course, described here as a general outline.

Le sanctuaire des Crêtes de Mabousquet (Montmirat, Gard)

ENG : Place of worship place, votive vases, ancient coins, fibulae, rings, terra-cota statuettes, oil lamps, votive altars. Latin inscriptions.

Radiocarbon Dating of Several Ancient Jewish Oil Lamps from Rome

In this paper, we discuss how the radiocarbon dating of soot on oil lamps can help determine the chronology of the Jewish catacombs of Rome. We also explore the ramifications of our work for the typological study of Roman period terracotta lamps.

Ask the experts

This study was designed to examine knowledge, attitude and practices with regards to burns prevention and first aid in the Indian community.A total of 83 caregivers aged 19 and 40 years (mean 29 years) participated in survey. Sixty-one percent of those who responded to the survey had some knowledge of first aid, mostly through health education at schools (59%). Very few (2%) received first aid education from health workers. Approximately 2/3 of responders (66–70%) were aware of applying cool running water to a burn and to stop drop and roll in case of a flame burn. However, the same number also listed a myriad of household remedies that they would use as first aid. 66–71% responders were aware of some situational risks in the home and community but only 27% considered young children to be at greater risk. 31% responders had an enclosed kitchen and 16% were still cooking on the floor. A large percentage (83%) cooked outside on a traditional wooden open fire. A quarter of the responders still used oil lamps on the floor and had little regard for the flammability of clothes.There was a weak positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (r-square 0.379) and attitude and practice (r-square 0.373), but no correlation between knowledge and practice (r-square 0.089).Our survey suggests that many responders have limited knowledge of effective first-aid techniques and live in high-risk environments. The major sources of first aid information were from school-based health education, social and electronic media. These resources can be utilized to further disseminate knowledge on first aid and practical prevention techniques.

Celilo Lives on Paper

GEORGE W. AGUILAR, SR. Celilo Lives on Paper INABOUT 1935, DURING MY earlychildhooddays,a scene likethe following was perceived. On entering my grandmother's old, three-room house, the first thing detected was the distinct fragrance of dried salmon heads and eels hanging in gunny sacks off the lean-to kitchen wall. A white flour sack containing dried snowbrush leaves used formedicinal purposes hung from a rusted spike among shadows from the dimly lit coal oil lamps. A wooden apple box nailed high on the eastwall was used as a small storage cabinet, and on top of the box was a piece of knookt knook (Indian face paint made from a fungus, usually from a Pacific Silver Fir). The largest room of thehouse was both living room and bedroom. Plastered over cracks in thewalls were World War I pictures from a discarded book. The frigid Northwest winter wind howled, and the glass windowpanes shuddered. Gusts of freezing air coming through cracks in thewall kindled the flames in thewoodstove to a frightening roar. Winter is the timewhen history is taught and legends told.Grandmother often recited stories thathad been handed down from thepeoples who passed on before her time, and she sometimes related childhood experiences of her own. These cherished memories sometimes come cascading down, and I'm reminded of the stories she told ofwhen the river ranwild ? of bountiful salmon runs that once existed on the Columbia River, of steamboat rides up theColumbia River, and of firstautomobile rides on theColumbia River Highway. Not knowing anything about the outside world, Grandmother's stories were intriguing tomy young mind. Some of those stories of her experiences and early lifehave faded away like the silenced Fivemile Rapids and Celilo Falls, which have been unheard for nearly half a century. One recollection takesme to the fall of 1935, when Uncle Henry brought Grandmother, Aunt Dorothy Polk, and me toCelilo Village. He resided there with Minnie and Abe Showaway andMinnie's mother, who lived at thevillage year-round, being permanent residents. Henry and Abe would bring several sacks of fall runChinook salmon for thewomen tobutcher, fillet,and prepare 606 OHQ vol. 108, no. 4 ? 2007 Oregon Historical Society This photograph ofdrying shedsat Celilo Village was likelytakenbeforethe 1920s, when Highway 30,which ran throughthe middle of thevillage,was constructed. Here, the water is lowand stabilized,most likely during the wintermonths.A light dusting of snow ison thehigh surroundinghills. for air drying. On the rickety homemade butchering table, several salmon were quickly filleted into thin slices and hung on the air drying racks. The brightest, premium salmon were hand-picked for sale or reserved for trade with visiting tourists. I listened to the conversation between Grandmother and Minnie's mother, an old blind lady, about historical events of many bygone times, places to get certain grasses used for drying salmon, and so forth. In general it was just plain old lady talk.The language spoken was the Columbia River Sahaptin. There were several other people sharing and living in this same dry shed, and everyone slept on the hard, flat basalt rocks. The other people were relatives and in-laws of the family. Each family group had itsplace in the open, four-walled dry shed, but therewere no wall partitions; they all slept in a row on thewestern wall of the dry shack. Each family slept, ate, and stayed within the confines of its area. The outhouse for this living group hung precariously over a six-foot bluff, and human waste was all over the solid rocks. The rocks were also splattered with discarded rotting fish guts, and therewere gobs and gobs of flies. Aguilar,Celilo Lives on Paper 607 Two men stand at thebottomoften- to twleve-foot boardmarkers at thehead of Fivemile Rapids. The water would riseas much asfifty feet in thisarea during winter snowmelt. The village ofTenino isa few hundredfeetfrom thebluffs. The drying shed, located north of themain thoroughfare, occupied a strategic location along the highway going through Celilo Village. Minnie's older brother often sat near a pole pillar of the shed, constructing nets and other fishing equipment. There was a discarded car seat outside theweather beaten drying shack, and children were ordered to...

The Performative Icon

The medieval icon was experienced not simply through sight, as in visual studies and museums today, but also through touch, sound, smell, and taste. Nor was it static: the icon became animated in its interaction with the faithful. Its rich, highly reflective materials and surface textures, combined with its setting—flickering candles and oil lamps, sounds of music and prayer, the fragrance of incense, and the approach and breath of the faithful—saturated the material and sensorial to excess. It led to a vision that transcended this materiality and gave access to the intangible: a taste of the divine.

Indoor microclimate, ozone and nitrogen oxides in two medieval churches in Cyprus

A number of indoor atmosphere parameters that may affect the preservation of artefacts in two churches in Cyprus, were studied. Temperature, relative humidity (RH), total ultra-violet and total solar radiation, that were continuously recorded during two campaigns (summer and winter), exhibited large diurnal and seasonal variations. Indoor concentrations of nitrogen oxides, determined at the same periods, also exhibited diurnal dependence on air exchange rate (AER) and on their indoor sources from the burning of candles and oil lamps. Indoor concentrations of ozone exhibited dependence on the AER and on the concentration of other indoor pollutants. On a large number of occasions these concentrations exceeded the proposed air quality standards for the preservation of works of art in both churches.

Ancient Jewish Style: Why were Ossuaries and Southern Oil Lamps Decorated?

This article aims to explore the social dynamics underlying the emergence of decorated ossuaries and “Southern” oil lamps in light of the anthropological-archaeological study of style. The great variety of motifs and endless combination of patterns correspond to Polly Wiessner's definition of “assertive” (individualistic) style. It is therefore suggested that the decorations derive from a tendency to express the personal identity of the owners of the lamps or the deceased buried in the ossuaries. Examination of the functions of the ossuaries and oil lamps also attests to their individualistic characteristics. Finally, the motivation for displaying personality through ornamentation is explained by social developments in Jewish society during the early Roman period.

The Glow of the Oil Lamp: A Childhood Remembered in Tranquillity

The Glow of the Oil Lamp: A Childhood Remembered in Tranquillity

Diagnostic investigations and historical-stylistic evaluation on the oil painting: "reading man by oil lamp light"

This investigation intends to verify the attribution of the oil painting (70x50,5 cm) portraying a reading man by oil lamp light, to Gerrit van Hontorst. The note refers not only to a stylistic and historical-artistical evaluation but also to the knowledge, through diagnostic techniques, of the application to characterize components of matter, and of the manufacture execution technique and preservation conditions. This investigation denies the attribution to the painter Gerrit van Hontorst, but it does not exclude a dating within the XVII century.

Synthesis and characterization of water-soluble carbon nanotubes from mustard soot

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) has been synthesized by pyrolysing mustard oil using an oil lamp. It was made water-soluble (wsCNT) through oxidative treatment by dilute nitric acid and was characterized by SEM, AFM, XRD, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The synthesized wsCNT showed the presence of several junctions and defects in it. The presence of curved graphene structure (sp2) with frequent sp3 hybridized carbon is found to be responsible for the observed defects. These defects along with the presence of di- and tri-podal junctions showed interesting magnetic properties of carbon radicals formed by spin frustration. This trapped carbon radical showed ESR signal in aqueous solution and was very stable even under drastic treatment by strong oxidizing or reducing agents. Oxidative acid treatment of CNT introduced several carboxylic acid group functionalities in wsCNT along with the nicking of the CNT at different lengths with varied molecular weight. To evaluate molecular weights of these wsCNTs, an innovative method like gel electrophoresis using high molecular weight DNA as marker was introduced.

Application of chemical, physical and chemometric analytical techniques to the study of ancient ceramic oil lamps

A chemical, mineralogical and morphological characterization of 54 fragments of oil lamps found in two Spanish archaeological sites ( Cordoba and Herrera de Pisuerga ( Palencia)) has been performed. Flame atomic absorption and emission spectrometry were used for the determination of Al 2O 3, CaO, Fe 2O 3, K 2O, MgO, MnO, Na 2O and TiO 2 as major constituents and Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn as minor and trace selected elements. Physical, mineralogical and morphological analyses were made by using dilatometry at constant heating rate for the thermal behaviour, X-ray diffraction spectrometry for the mineralogical composition and, in a group of selected samples, scanning electron microscopy and polarizing petrographic microscopy for the observation of thin layers and mineral identification. Separations of light and heavy minerals were carried out with bromoform and X-ray diffraction analysis was applied to both fractions. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to establish correlations between variables and to deduce factors which allow the gathering of oil lamp samples in groups as a function of their composition. The results of these analyses allow the comparison among pieces and the establishment of conclusions about several aspects of their manufacture, the origin of the raw materials and the provenance of the oil lamps (local or imported). They provide information supporting certain archaeological hypothesis. For example, some oil lamps found in Herrera de Pisuerga showed a clearly different physicochemical composition. They were probably brought from Italy by the Roman Legions together with their initial furniture household.

Raman spectroscopic study of a post-medieval wall painting in need of conservation

Raman spectroscopic studies of four specimens from an important angel wall painting in need of conservation work in a medieval church have provided some information about the pigments and pigment compositions which will influence possible future preservation and restoration strategies. Excitation of the Raman spectra at 1,064 nm in macroscopic mode and at 785 nm in microscopic mode revealed that the white pigment on the angel's wings was a mixture of barytes with calcite and lead white in minor composition. Although the specimens provided were not directly associated with coloured regions of the painting, yellow and blue microcrystals were found and they were identified as chrome yellow and lazurite, respectively. Red and brown particles were identified as cinnabar/vermilion and haematite. Several green particles were also found but could not be identified. The green and blue crystals could be related to neighbouring coloured regions of the artwork and the yellow colour could be identified as a background to the angel figure. Particles of carbon were found to be dispersed throughout the specimens and can be ascribed to soot from candles, heating stoves or oil lamps providing lighting in the church. No evidence for biological deterioration was found from the spectra. The unusual pigment palette is strongly suggestive of a later date of painting than was originally believed but there is a possibility that an earlier rendition exists underneath. Following a review of the spectroscopic data, a more extensive sampling protocol is recommended, from which some stratigraphic evidence could identify the underlying plaster and possible artwork.

Effects of evening light conditions on salivary melatonin of Japanese junior high school students.

BackgroundIn a previous study, when adult subjects were exposed to a level of 400 lux light for more than 30 min or a level of 300 lux light for more than 2 hours, salivary melatonin concentration during the night dropped lower than when the subjects were exposed to dim illumination. It was suggested that such light exposure in adolescents or children during the first half of subjective night in normal life might decrease the melatonin level and prevent the falling into sleep. However, there has been no actual study on the effects of light exposure in adolescents.MethodsEffects of exposure to the bright light (2000 lux) from fluorescent light bulbs during a period of three hours from 19:30 to 22:30 in one evening were examined on evening salivary melatonin concentrations from 19:45 to 23:40. The control group was exposed to dim light (60 lux) during these three hours. Both the dim light control group [DLCG] and the bright light experimental group [BLEG] consisted of two female and three male adolescent participants aged 14–15 y.ResultsThe salivary melatonin level increased rapidly from 3.00 pg/ml at 21:45 to 9.18 pg/ml at 23:40 in DLCG, whereas it remained at less than 1.3 pg/ml for the three hours in BLEG. Melatonin concentration by BLEG at 22:30 of the experimental day was lower than that at the same time on the day before the experimental day, whereas it was significantly higher in the experimental day than on the day before the experimental day in DLCG.ConclusionsBright lights of 2000 lux and even moderate lights of 200–300 lux from fluorescent light bulbs can inhibit nocturnal melatonin concentration in adolescents. Ancient Japanese lighting from a traditional Japanese hearth, oil lamp or candle (20–30 lux) could be healthier for children and adolescents because rapid and clear increase in melatonin concentration in blood seems to occur at night under such dim light, thus facilitating a smooth falling into night sleep.

"The 'egg shell - Thin' oil lamps from the Souk of Beirut"

"The 'egg shell - Thin' oil lamps from the Souk of Beirut"