Poor State Of Preservation Research Articles

Гражданская постройка («баня») в Переяславле и архитектура резиденций русских архиереев XI–XV веков

According to the Russian chronicles, metropolitan Ephrem initiated an intensive building program in the city of Pereyaslavl’ in the last quarter of the 11th century. Besides the cathedral, the chronicles mention stone walls, a gate with a church over it, a church near this gate, a bath-house and “other buildings”. This building program indicates that Ephrem of Pereyaslavl’ intended to erect an official residence for the metropolitans/bishops of the princedom. It is highly likely that the bath-house project was inspired byEphrem’s experience as a monk of an unknown Constantinopolitan monastery. The typika of the monasteriesin the Byzantine capital testify that it was the very time of the rising concern with the hygiene issues within the monastic society. It has been tentatively proposed that the civil building of the 11th century within the fortress of Pereyaslavl’ might be identified as Ephrem’s bath-house. This monument is in a poor state of preservation; however, the archaeologists were able to find six pieces of ceramic tubes, along with the fragments of elaborate decor of the building. The studied bath-houses of the middle Byzantine period throughout all EasternChristian countries demonstrate uniformity and consistency of their layouts. They are hardly matched with the civil building in Pereyaslavl’. Ceramic tubes being put aside, there is no archaeological evidence in favor of its functioning as a bath-house. Therefore, for today this secular building should be considered as a part of the palatial complex of the metropolitan. The study of this ensemble should be continued, being a key issue for understanding the first stage of evolution of the ecclesiastical residences in Old Rus’.

New Byzantine Seals from Mediaeval Sugdaia

The work introduces into scientific circulation five Byzantine seals originating from the excavations of recent years in Sudak of the South-Eastern Crimean expedition of the state Hermitage. 1. Private seal of Epiphany Kamateros (late eleventh century) is known to us Imperial functionary, known from other monuments sphragistics. It seems that the discovery of the seal of Epiphany is another evidence that the representatives of the noble Byzantine families sent their correspondence to their possessions in the Crimea. 2. Seal of the Leon, the imperial spatharocandidatos and stratigos of Cherson (mid ninth century) pointed out the close relationship Sugdaia and Chersonesos at this time. 3. Seal unknown by name, the imperial protospatharios and logothetes of genicon (ninth–tenth century) is another indication that Sugdaia levied Imperial taxes. 4-5. Two seals poor state of preservation. According to the invocative monograms can be dated eighth–ninth centuries.

Remarks on using tools with truncated edges in the Lublin-Volhynian culture on the example of materials from site no. 7 in Las Stocki, Puławy County

This article tackles the issue of the use of truncations by the population of the Lublin-Volhynian culture. The corpus of sources for their analyses is a group of 27 tools discovered during the research of the Las Stocki settlement, site 7. Microscopic observa-tion made it possible to separate a considerable group of artefacts bearing use-wear traces on their surfaces. The most numerous were items used for processing plant material and wood. Other activities, like processing stone/pottery, hide, and other unspeci-fied materials were recorded sporadically. Another research problem was the attempt to reconstruct the biographies of the stone tools. The analyses indicated that the materials were only partly useful in the research. This was caused by the poor preservation state of the artefacts and of the recorded use-wear traces. Tackling this issue gave the best results in the case of items used for cutting siliceous plants, which undoubtedly resulted from the distinct character of such use-wear patterns.

NEW MIDDLE MIOCENE OSTRACODES (CRUSTACEA) FROM KURDISTAN REGION, NORTHEASTERN IRAQ

The present paper is focused on new Ostracods species obtained from Fatha Formation (Middle Miocene) in Darbaikhan area, Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan province North Eastern of Iraq. Forty-eight Ostracode species belonging to thirty-one genera were described, including eighteen species previously described, twenty-six new species left under open nomenclature because of lack of specimens and/or poor state of preservation.

Un fragment de stèle inédit de Dendara

This article studies a fragment of a stele found by Clarence Stanley Fisher in 1915 at Dendara necropolis and most probably left in situ. Nevertheless, based on a photograph kept in the archives of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, it has been pointed out that the artefact, also known under the registration number D 628, presents a cut biography and a very damaged decorated scene. Despite its poor state of preservation, two themes have been recognized in the hieroglyphic text. The first is about the management of a grain silo, the second concerns the economic role of the owner for the funerary cult of his father. In addition to a phraseological analysis based on the terms mḫr/mẖr and šnwt, taking into account different information such as archaeological data, allowed an identification of the stele owner. It appears that he was a middle-ranking official who lived during the First Intermediate Period.

Beyond specimens: linking biological collections, functional ecology and biodiversity conservation

Several anthropogenic pressures are threatening biodiversity and may increase in the next years, altering ecological processes and ecosystem services. Biological collections offer a rich source of information to develop studies of functional ecology and biodiversity conservation. Key information related to morphology, physiology and life history could be obtained through functional traits provided by specimens in biological collections. Additionally, museum collections present a great potential for document changes of habitat disturbance, using response/effect framework, functional diversity measures, and fluctuating asymmetry approaches. Despite limitations of specimens in data such as abundance, imprecisions in specimen´s georeferencing, errors in taxonomic identification and the poor preservation state of some specimens, biological collections contain vast data banks, which could be useful in the contribution of key information for land use management and conservation planning.

Tailoring 3D modelling techniques for epigraphic texts restitution. Case studies in deteriorated roman inscriptions

Digital Image Modelling is becoming a standard approach in epigraphic studies, mostly expressed in the diffusion practice of research groups which want their materials being publicly accessible. However, there is an important lack of works which seek for the use of 3D tools to improve the epigraphic analysis and text reading. Therefore, this paper attempts to show the application of Photogrammetry Structure from Motion and Digital Image Modelling to 3D record and analyse inscriptions that are in poor state of preservation, aiming to resolve some text-restitution problems and contribute towards the definition of new methodologies in Roman epigraphy.

HEURESIBIOS SON OF SYRISKOS AND THE QUESTION OF TYRANNY IN OLBIA PONTIKE (FIFTH–FOURTH CENTURY BC)

This paper examines the ancient written, numismatic and archaeological sources that pertain to the political history of Olbia Pontike in the fifth and early fourth centurybc. Several Olbian inscriptions that mention a certain Heuresibios son of Syriskos have been connected with a possible episode of tyranny that may have taken place in the city of Olbia. Most of the inscriptions are in a poor state of preservation and their interpretation has often been based on uncertain reconstructions of the texts; therefore, a re-examination of these inscriptions is provided alongside an analysis of other evidence that provides a broader historical background to the political situation in Olbia during that time. Olbia's status in the Delian League and the Athenian political and cultural influence on Olbia are examined. It is argued that the introduction of a political cult of Zeus Eleutherios was a reaction to a political change in Olbia that resulted in the establishment of democracy. Lastly, the economic and political relationship of the Achaemenid Empire with the North Pontic region, especially in relation to local coinage, is discussed, which allows for a synthesis of the material gathered.

Les tumulus protohistoriques de Combe Bossue à Villard-de-Lans (Isère, France)

The mounds of Combe Bossue were discovered in 2014 during the fortuitous discovery of an assembly of seven bronze bracelets attributable to Hallstatt D1. A first intervention in 2015 followed by a second the following year made it possible to unearth an unprecedented protohistoric burial ensemble on the Vercors plateau. Two contiguous burial mounds were erected before the 6th century BC and probably served as a receptacle for as many burials whose soil acidity did not allow conservation. The rare regional comparisons concerning the architecture of these tumuli make it possible to propose a chronological attribution centered on the Bronze A and / or B. Subsequently a burial, probably feminine, was deposited on the eastern border of the two tumuli. In spite of its very poor state of preservation, the metal assemblage associated with the burial make it possible to associate it with the series of abundant adornment of female burials, characteristic of the Hallstatt D1-D2.

First record of non-marine ostracods from the Paleogene “hamadian deposits” of Méridja area, west of Bechar (southwestern Algeria)

A new non-marine ostracod fauna from the Paleogene “hamadian deposits” outcropping west of Bechar (southwestern Algeria) has been recovered from lacustrine to fluvial deposits of the Oued Méridja section and fluvial deposits on the southern edge of the Hamada de Méridja section. Recently, these sections have been dated as late Thanetian – early Ypresian (latest Paleocene to earliest Eocene) and Ypresian – earliest Lutetian (early to earliest middle Eocene), respectively, based on charophytes. The associated ostracod fauna recovered consists of relatively mostly moderately to badly preserved specimens and comprises 14 taxa, none of which could be identified to species level in view of its poor state of preservation; we have nevertheless been able to identify and describe the following taxa: Herpetocypris sp., Cyprinotus? sp., Heterocypris? sp. 1 and sp. 2, Cypris? sp., Ilyocypris sp., Cytheroidea indet. sp. 1 and sp. 2, Limnocytheridae indet. sp. 1, Cypridoidea indet. sp. 1, Cyprididae indet. sp. 1, and Ostracoda indet. sp. 1, 2 and 3. Only Heterocypris sp. 1 occurs in both sections. Although the fauna can as yet not be related to the few other contemporaneous faunas reported from the wider palaeogeographic area, it adds important new information to our poor knowledge on Eocene non-marine ostracods in North Africa and southern Europe. The Méridja sections and area are promising regarding the discovery of more, better preserved material and further studies, and one main limitation to the correlation of the fauna is the hitherto insufficient taxonomic knowledge on many faunal elements of Eocene non-marine ostracods to which our section contributes considerably.

Micropaleontological and taphonomic characteristics of mass transport deposits in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, Red Sea

Submarine mass transport deposits (MTDs) are a well-known phenomenon in tectonically active regions. Evidence for such deposits is commonly found in the continental slope sedimentary records, as distinct units with coarser grain size compared to the usual and continuous pelagic sedimentation. The Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba is located between the southernmost end of the Dead Sea transform and the spreading center of the Red Sea, and is considered as an active tectonic region.In this study, an innovative approach using symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBF) to identify MTDs in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (GEA) sedimentary record is presented. The abundance, size and preservation state of LBF shells were analyzed in two radiocarbon dated sediment cores collected at different deposition environments, at water depth of 532m and 316m.The microfaunal and taphonomic results show that the coarse units are characterized by a generally higher numerical abundance of LBF, dominated by Operculina ammonoides, Amphistegina papillosa and Amphistegina bicirculata. These benthic assemblages are found in deeper depths than their original habitat, ranging between 50 and 120m, in accordance with their symbionts light requirements. In the coarse units, LBF >1mm appear in high frequency, up to 161 specimens per g sediment, and poorly preserved shells are also abundant, containing up to 247 specimens per g sediment. In addition, these units also contain high numbers of yellowish and blackish colored LBF shells, as opposed to null in the non-disturbed units, and unlike their natural white color.The large shell size indicates that high energy is involved in the displacement of the sediments. The poor state of preservation also suggests a turbulent flow during transportation, which requires a high-energy triggering mechanism. The color alteration is probably associated with a diagenetic process related to increasing burial time/depth, also supported by the stratigraphic older ages of the MTDs, suggesting a long burial before the sediments were displaced. In addition, according to the dating of the record, some units correlate with historical and pre-historical earthquakes, reinforcing LBF species as a reliable proxy for mass transport events.

Kom el-Dikka 2014: human bones from Area U

Archaeological excavations of the medieval Islamic burial ground in the northern part of area U on the Kom el-Dikka site in Egyptian Alexandria, carried out from 2012 to 2014, yielded a total of 98 graves. Of these, 75 contained human skeletal remains. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) was 156. The article presents preliminary studies on this sample. The scope of the investigation was limited, however, owing to the poor state of preservation of the bone material.

Leiokarinosuchus brookensis, Pholidosaurus meyeri, or Anteophthalmosuchus hooleyi? What is this croc?

ABSTRACT Specimen NHMUK 28966 is a part of the skull of a crocodyliform from the Lower Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight. It was first described as Pholidosaurus meyeri but was attributed recently to a new genus and species, Leiokarinosuchus brookensis. The specimen is highly eroded, and most of the characters considered as diagnostic are likely the result of its poor state of preservation. All the observations are biased by the strong erosion of the skull, and consequently, no diagnostic character can be retained for this species. A review of the goniopholidid Anteophthalmosuchus hooleyi, also from the English Wealden, shows that NHMUK 28966 can be attributed to this species. Leiokarinosuchus brookensis is therefore a junior synonym of Anteophthalmosuchus hooleyi. In extant crocodylians, the growth of the occipital condyle is isometric whereas the growth of the foramen magnum is allometric relative to the skull table width. The slopes of the log-transformed data obtained for the holotype of A. hooleyi and BGS GSM 119453, a small specimen previously assigned to cf. Anteophthalmosuchus, are similar to those obtained for two extant species. This confirms observations of anatomical similarities and the attribution of BGS GSM 119453 to A. hooleyi. The new attributions clarify the taxonomic composition of the crocodylomorph assemblage from the Wessex Formation. It is clearly dominated by the large generalist goniopholidid A. hooleyi; the long-snouted morphology was represented by the medium-sized Vectisuchus leptognathus, whereas Theriosuchus sp., Koumpiodontosuchus aprosdokiti, and Hylaeochampsa vectiana are small dietary specialists. Citation for this article: Jouve, S. 2017. Leiokarinosuchus brookensis, Pholidosaurus meyeri, or Anteophthalmosuchus hooleyi? What is this croc?. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1297947.

Le site du Bronze moyen du Vrignoux à Aizenay (Vendée): stèles anthropomorphes et dépôt de parures annulaires

Un diagnostic archéologique réalisé par le service départemental de l’archéologie de Vendée a mis au jour un dépôt de parures annulaires enfoui dans un contexte particulier, topographique d’une part, mais surtout archéologique, au lieu-dit le Vrignoux à Aizenay. En effet, des fosses associées à ce dépôt livrent pour certaines de la céramique, et pour d’autres des fragments de stèles, réemployés comme éléments de calage. Deux autres stèles de petite taille, mais complètes, ont été découvertes, l’une dans un fossé parcellaire subactuel, et l’autre, mise à bas à côté de sa fosse d’implantation. Cet article propose, après une présentation du contexte de découverte et des structures du site, une description des stèles, à la fois sur un plan technologique – ce qui permet de démontrer qu’elles ont bien été façonnées – et sur un plan typologique. En l’absence d’élément de datation direct du contexte originel d’implantation de ces stèles, leur mise en perspective dans un cadre plus large, à l’échelle notamment du domaine atlantique où les découvertes de ces petites stèles anthropomorphes se multiplient, permet d’envisager une origine néolithique. L’étude céramique, la réalisation de plusieurs datations 14C et l’analyse du dépôt de parures annulaires convergent pour attribuer l’enfouissement du dépôt et la remobilisation des stèles entre la fin du Bronze moyen 1 et le début du Bronze moyen 2, soit entre la fin du XVIe et la première moitié du XVe siècle avant notre ère. Si l’interprétation du contexte dans lequel le dépôt a été effectué est discutée, on retiendra surtout, outre la probable pérennité du site, l’originalité des pratiques étudiées. En effet, le contexte du dépôt, en lien avec des structures bâties, est inédit dans la région. Ces pratiques sont mises en relation avec les remobilisations mégalithiques à l’âge du Bronze. Qui plus est, aux objets métalliques sont associées de la céramique et des datations 14C. Celles-ci suggèrent une attribution légèrement plus ancienne que ce qui était envisagé jusqu’ici pour ce type de parure annulaire à tige grêle, à section quadrangulaire ou biconvexe et extrémités indifférenciées, dont la répartition correspondrait aux contours d’un groupe régional spécifique, que le dépôt d’Aizenay contribue à mieux caractériser.

Solino in onciale

This paper deals with the recent discovery of a very old Latin fragment in the binding of a 16th century edition now kept in Tolmezzo, in North-Eastern Italy. Despite its poor preservation state, the analysis of its palaeographical features and the reading of its few lines have led to the conclusion that it is a 5th century fragment of Caius Iulius Solinus’ Collectanea rerum memorabilium in old-style uncials, with contemporary corrections in cursive script. The most ancient codices of Solinus’work known so far dating to the 9th century, this fragment is the only manuscript evidence of its circulation in the Late Antiquity. A copy and collation with Mommsen’s edition are also provided.

Mønter fra middelalderlige landbebyggelser – Et overset kildemateriale til belysning af bønders møntbrug

Coins from Medieval rural settlementsAn overlooked record of peasant coin useIt is much discussed among historians, numismatists and archaeologists whether peasants made use of coins in the Middle Ages, or whether they simply lived off their own products and turned to barter on the rare occasions when they had to acquire something. Written sources show that peasants sometimes paid taxes and rents in coin, sometimes in kind. Finds of coins (hoards, finds from church floors and, not least, metal-detector finds) clearly demonstrate that coins were available in large numbers in rural areas, at least from the 13th century onwards. But can we securely link them to peasants? They may have been handled by nobles or the clergy.A hitherto neglected category of evidence may help us in this respect, i.e. coins found in archaeological layers during excavations of villages or farms. These finds are rarer than one might think, but this is due more to modern bias than Medie­val reality. Because abandoned villages have often subsequently been cultivated, leading to destruction of the archaeological stratigraphy by the plough and leading to artefacts formerly in context now being in the top soil.It is not the aim of this paper to undertake an all-embracing analysis. Drawing on a limited number of rural sites on Zealand, in particular Tårnby, Store Valby and Hejninge, with well preserved archaeo­logical stratigraphies, its ambition is to demonstrate the potential of this type of evidence.The first part deals with the occurrence of coins. It turns out that coins are present in secure peasant contexts at many sites, on both ordinary and wealthy farms. In villages, they are in several instances occurring at all of the excavated farms. There are, however, a number of well-excavated village sites with no coin finds at all. This may be due to a poor state of preservation and inadequate excavation techniques, but in some instances at least it may reflect Medieval reality. The scope of the present paper is too limited for firm conclusions to be drawn, but different social and economic conditions may have resulted in more or less intensive coin use. Maybe the prosperous crop-growing peasants of the Køge-Roskilde area only sold their harvest once a year and then paid their rents, but did not use coins on an everyday basis. While the poorer peasants in northern Zealand had to engage in some timber trading, honey production etc., which led to them using coins more frequently. This is, however, just a hypo­thesis that needs to be tested by a larger scale study.The second part looks in more detail at the archaeological context. Each coin is assessed for whether it is contemporary with its context or not; the nature of its context is established (occupation layer, construction, destruction); the position of the find-spot within the farm is determined; it is then discussed whether the find-spot is where the coin was originally lost or deposited, or whether the coin has been moved during earthworks or other human or natural activities.It turns out that a large proportion of the coins derives from floors of the farm houses: in living rooms, kitchens and pantries. These are predominantly contemporary with the contexts. There are also coins from stables and courtyards, as well as from rubbish pits. Small purses containing a few coins are also recorded. The emerging picture is of intensive day-to-day coin use resulting in accidental coin losses within the farm, i.e. the private and production spheres of the peasants. One has to remember that coin finds are merely the residue, representing the coins that were not recovered by the people who lost them, and that most coins were not lost. Consequently, the level of monetary activity must have been considerable.Relatively few coins derive from secondary or disturbed contexts, most of which are linked to construction works. This is in sharp contrast to what we usually see at urban sites, where more intensive construction activity through the centuries has disturbed the archaeological contexts to a major degree. A few coins may be deliberate deposits, in a pit or beneath an entrance, intended to bring good fortune to the house, but none occur in an unambiguous context which would allow us to be certain of this interpretation.This paper shows the potential for using coins recovered from archaeological contexts at rural sites to demonstrate that peasants handled coins during the Middle Ages, at least from c. 1200 onwards. The scope of this survey is too limited for general conclusions to be drawn, and the sites without coins suggest that there may be chronological, geographical or social variations that we will only be able to understand if larger-scale investigations are embarked upon.Jens Christian MoesgaardNationalmuseetFotos: Tine Bonde Christensen Nationalmuseet

A review on the Late Villafranchian medium-sized canid Canis arnensis based on the evidence from Poggio Rosso (Tuscany, Italy)

The fossil canid material recovered from the Early Pleistocene site of Poggio Rosso offers the opportunity to revise the taxonomical status of the Arno River dog, Canis arnensis. To date, the identification of this species is still a matter of debate due, on the one hand, to the poor state of preservation of the type specimens, and on the other hand to the lack of homogeneous descriptions and a clear diagnosis. The fossils recovered from Poggio Rosso show a good state of preservation with little (if any) plastic deformation, allowing re-evaluation of the dental and cranial characters typical of this species, as well as the proposal, for the first time, of a precise and specific diagnosis. The anatomical and morphometric features of C. arnensis exclude a close taxonomical relationship with the coeval Canis etruscus, suggesting instead a closer affinity to modern canids. The C. arnensis arrived in Italy around 1.9 Ma as the result of a dispersal event, and Poggio Rosso is the first Italian site recording the occurrence of this species. The dispersal of C. arnensis represents the arrival of the first modern canids in Europe and is therefore a significantly important biochronological event in European faunal assemblages.

Differentiation of root canal morphology – a review of the literature

The morphological diversity of the inner anatomy of root canals in human permanent teeth is an issue mainly described in endodontics research. In recent years, it is a relatively new point in anthropological studies because it varies by sex, geographic and ethnic circumstances. An unusual number of root canals or their specific systems can differentiate populations around the world. The multiplicity of available methods for detecting root canal systems helps to better understand their complexity; however, most cannot be applied to anthropology due to limitations that occur in the bioarcheological material. Thorough knowledge of the heterogeneity and internal anatomy of the root canals supplies numerous classification systems proposed and improved over the years by many authors. A limited number of studies in the anthropological literature and future research will shed light onto the internal tooth morphology in historical populations. The aim of this paper is to describe various classification systems of root canals applied in endodontics. However, due to the often poor state of preservation and damage of archaeological derived remains, it seems that the best method is the approach that is the simplest and least complicated.

Hindu Iconography in the Gor Khatri Temple (Peshawar): Sacred Imagery Painted in the Śaiva Shrine

The work in hand is a primary attempt to explore iconography of divine images painted on mural surfaces of the Śaiva (or western) shrine in the Gor Khatri temple (Peshawar). Some of these images have gone due either to weathering condition or human vandalism, while there still survive a good number, although in a poor state of preservation, which need proper analysis in terms of their iconographic attributes leading to their identification. Quite in line with the thematic arrangement of these paintings, the temple was originally decorated with godly figures in stucco together with the now missing stone Śivaliṅga. This sacred decoration once imparted dazzling beauty to the entire temple complex.The paintings, forming the subject-matter of this work, were executed in tempera technique using variegated colour scheme, which closely compare with painted decoration of nineteenth/twentieth-century mosques and mausolea in and around Peshawar. It appears that the guilds of artists felt no reluctance in earning their subsistence to decorate religious buildings of the Muslims or the Hindus as their ancestors did long ago at changeover from Buddhism to Hinduism. This study is important with a view to preserve iconographic features of the surviving sacred imagery whatsoever for the coming generations.

On Site Investigation and Health Monitoring of a Historic Tower in Mantua, Italy

The paper describes the strategy adopted to assess the structural condition of the tallest historic tower in Mantua (Italy) after the Italian seismic sequence of May–June 2012 and exemplifies the application of health monitoring using (automated) operational modal analysis. The post-earthquake survey (including extensive visual inspection, historic and documentary research, non-destructive (ND) material testing, and ambient vibration tests) highlighted the poor state of preservation of the upper part of the tower; subsequently, a dynamic monitoring system (consisting of a few accelerometers and one temperature sensor) was installed in the building to address the preservation of the historic structure, and automated modal identification was continuously performed. Despite the low levels of vibration that existed in operational conditions, the analysis of data collected over a period of about 15 months allowed to assess and model the effects of changing temperature on modal frequencies and to detect the occurrence of abnormal behavior and damage under the changing environment. The monitoring results demonstrate the potential key role of vibration-based structural health monitoring, implemented through low-cost hardware solutions and appropriate software tools, in the preventive conservation and the condition-based maintenance of historic towers.