Stone Fences Research Articles

Collection of brooches from interments of the flat-grave cemetery with stone fences near the village of Kovashi

Collection of brooches from interments of the flat-grave cemetery with stone fences near the village of Kovashi

A Numerical Experiment on the Effect of Stone Fences on the Wind Stream Formation in Vernacular Architecture of Jeju

Purpose: A three-building thatched residence with stone fences representing the traditional housing architecture in Jeju has been studied with the help of simulation tools. The main goal of this study was to identify the role of stone fences on the overall wind flow through the three building structures. Especially, the physical dimensions of the fence (height, size and, the number of holes) along with its distance away from the building wall (façade) have been extensively studied concerning its effect on the formation of wind streams as the flow develops interacting with its surroundings (building elements, ground, etc.). Method: Stone fences installed along the periphery of a traditional residence (comprised of three buildings each with a thatched roof) can significantly influence the passage of wind through its internal region. Various cases have been explored while changing the key parameters influencing wind flows, such as height and holes of fences. Result: The results provide clear evidence that holes in stone fences provides a more uniform path for the wind flow as compared to a fence without any holes. Moreover, the wind speed can be greatly influenced by the change in fence height and the presence of holes in it.

Semiyarka IV burial complex of the Middle Bronze Age (Eastern Kazakhstan)

The paper is aimed at the analysis of the Middle Bronze Age materials from the Semiyarka IV burial ground in East Kazakhstan. In 2016–2018, two stone fences on the site were investigated by a joint expedition of the Altai and Pavlodar State Universities. The two fences contained human burials, inhumed in a wooden structure and in a composite stone cist box. The purpose of this work is to determine regional features and chronology of the Semiyarka IV funerary complex, as well as details of the ethnocultural development of the local population in the Middle Bronze Age. The research methodology includes analyses of the planigraphy and stratigraphy, compara-tive and typological study of the artifacts, anthropological investigation, examination of the pottery manufacturing technology, and radiocarbon dating. The technical and technological analysis of the pottery production was car-ried out using the method of A.A. Bobrinsky. Radiocarbon dates from wood and human bone samples were ob-tained by the liquid scintillation method in the archaeological technology laboratory of the Institute for the History of the Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The dates were then calibrated using CALIB 8.2 program and IntCal 20 calibration curve. The body of collected data allows us to conclude that the Andronovo burial ground of Semiyarka IV is distinguished by its syncretism which is manifested in two different cultural com-ponents. The first component, ‘Central Kazakhstan’, is represented by the architectural traditions of building stone fences and graves cemented with a clay mortar, as well as by the presence of chamotte in the pottery containing additives traditional for the population of Central Kazakhstan. The second component, ‘Siberian’, is represented by the tradition of building wooden crypts, and in the ceramics complex, by some peculiar ornamental patterns typical of the eastern Ob River valley. The site is dated to the turn of the 18th/17th –16th c. BC. The architectural similarities of the Semiyarka IV burial ground structures with the Yenisei sites suggest that their origin is associ-ated with the Irtysh River region. The migration period of the mobile Andronovo communities to the northeast is dated to the 17th c. BC.

Двойные загоны — новые памятники бронзового века в Северо-Западном Крыму: предварительные результаты геофизических, геохимических и микробиологических исследований

In the course of systematic exploration in 2007—2020, using natural-scientific approaches, more than 50 new settlements of the Bronze Age were discovered and investigated in North-West Crimea, for which borders, layouts were determined, and individual building complexes were identified. This became possible only with the use of an interdisciplinary methodology that combines the analysis of satellite images, magnetic survey and selective excavation. One of the most impressive results achieved thanks to the large-scale magnetic survey was the identification of double (in rare cases — single) oval stone structures with a maximum diameter of up to 50 m, interpreted as cattle corrals at 25 settlements. On the surface of the soil and on satellite images of a certain period of the year, these corrals appear only in denser grassy vegetation, since the stone fences of the corrals are completely submerged in the ground. Surface material is not found in corrals; it can only be found in burrows of rodents and foxes. This is the first time that such constructions have been revealed entirely. The most probable chronological position of these sites is the Late Bronze Age. The article presents the results of comprehensive studies of one of the characteristic double corrals, identified at the Bronze Age settlement Natashino 1. Based on the results of magnetic surveys, geochemical and microbiological analyzes of the cultural layer, it was possible to draw conclusions about the purpose of the corrals and the functional difference between their small and large parts.

Археологические раскопки на могильниках «Скальная» в 2021 году (Республика Хакасия)

In 2021, an excavation team from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS carried out rescue archaeological works at the “Skalnaya” burial complex (Askiz district of the Republic of Khakassia) as a part of the Preservation project of the archaeological heritage objects during the construction of the second railway line at the Kamyshta - Uytag section of the Krasnoyarsk railway. According to the project requirements, 3 burial mounds were examined; 4296 sq. m. were excavated to terrestrial deposits; 7 burials (grave pits) yielded more than 100 individual finds (items made of bronze, iron, clay, gypsum and organic materials). All collective human burials in earthen grave pits with wooden log cabins were constructed inside stone fences under overhead stone and wooden coverings. Objects from the crypts and the diagnostic features of the funeral rite allow these burials to be dated to the Podgornovskiy (Skalnaya 7) Saragashenskiy (Skalnaya 6) and “Tesinskiy” stages (Skalnaya 5). Single kurgan Skalnaya 5 is an elite complex. This is evidenced by a massive aboveground and intra-grave structures, clay-plaster death masks, and preserved grave goods. Despite the serious robbery, the burial is very valuable because of all the details of two-levelled burial bed (boards, posts, support beams and traces of their attachment) preserved in the crypt. Burnt wood from the burial structures of the mound was analyzed in 2021. Comparison with the other materials obtained enabled us to establish clear chronological frame for mentioned in this article sites. Fence slabs of the Tagar kurgans with various embossed decorations (humanoidfigures, animals, hunting scenes, etc.) are very important objects of study.

Памятники кабардинской знати конца XVII – середины XIX в. (мавзолеи и загородки из камня)

The data on cheshana stone buildings (mausoleums and cist-fences) in Kabarda, the end of the XVII – the middle of the XIX century is summarized in the paper. These historical and architectural monuments were built for the burials of the Adyghe nobility who practiced the Islamic rite of burial. The area of distribution of these types of monuments, their typology, chronology, origins of architecture, the reasons for the spread, evolution and decline of their construction are discussed in the research. A comparative analysis is carried out with overground stone crypt constructions of the late Middle Ages and New Times in the foothill and mountain regions of the North Caucasus. The author comes to the conclusion that the mausoleums and stone fences are particularly as the most complex monumental monuments of the Kabardian elite and the most important part of the historical and cultural landscape of the Kabardian-Pyatigorie region. These buildings during the end of the XVII century – 20s XIX century were peculiar markers of the territory of resettlement of the Kabardian ethnic group. The same role was played by more numerous, but less majestic burial mounds and ancient slabs (synyzh).

How do hedgerows influence soil organic carbon stock in livestock‐grazed pasture?

AbstractHedgerows have the potential to influence ecosystem function in livestock‐grazed pasture. Despite this, they are often ignored when quantifying farmland ecosystem service delivery. In this study, we assess the contribution of hedgerows to the ecosystem function of carbon (C) storage, with a particular emphasis on soil organic carbon (SOC). We measured SOC stock (kg C m−2), on an equivalent soil mass basis, at 0–0.15 m depth in pasture adjacent to 38 hedgerows (biotic) and 16 stone walls or fences (abiotic controls) across ten farms in the county of Conwy, Wales, UK. Pasture SOC stock (~7 kg C m−2) was similar adjacent to biotic and abiotic field boundaries, positively associated with soil moisture and negatively with soil bulk density (BD). For biotic boundaries, two further variables were significantly associated with SOC stock, distance from hedgerow (decrease in SOC stock) and slope orientation (upslope SOC stock greater than downslope). For pasture adjacent to hedgerows, a model combining the aforementioned variables (BD, soil moisture, distance from hedgerow, slope orientation) explained 78% of variation in SOC stock. This study demonstrates that whilst hedgerows do have subtle positive effects on SOC stock in adjacent pasture, SOC storage adjacent to field boundaries is influenced more by soil moisture content and BD than field boundary type.

Материалы могильника Кызылтау как отражение срубного компонента в формировании раннеалакульских древностей Центрального Казахстана

This article discusses the results of work at the Kyzyltau burial ground (Central Kazakhstan), where 4 barrows with stone fences and 2 fences without mounds containing 21 burials of the Bronze Age and 1 non-inventory burial of a later time were investigated. A representative series of 60 ceramic vessels of Early Alakul image and a collection of metal objects consisting of a sickle, arrowhead, jewelry, and an object in the form of metal brackets fixing a wooden part and a fragment of a wooden vessel with a copper covering were obtained. In barrows no. 6 and 13, the bones of horses were revealed: two animals were laid with limbs to each other on the overlap of the grave and four in a row with their hooves to each other’s back at the end wall of the grave. Such burials, of course, mark high-status funerary complexes, clearly emphasizing their belonging to the horizon of “chariot cultures”. The position of most of the dead and sacrificial horses in the eastern sector and some rather vague features in the pottery tradition, are considered from the position of Srubnaya culture influence. For the site, a radiocarbon date was obtained, made using accelerator mass spectrometry, which allows the site to be dated within the second third of the 19th – 18th centuries BC, confirming its belonging to the early phase of the Alakul culture of Central Kazakhstan.

Wooden Orthodox Church Architecture in A Country Landscape After World War II - In the Area of the Former Eastern Galicia

For hundreds of years, villages and small towns - dominating in the Polish landscape - were built in wood, with dominant monuments crystallizing in the form of iconic buildings. The attachment to the local tradition was prevailing - opposing foreign influences. Foreign influences usually underwent modification and specific “taming” in the existing cultural environment. Among the wooden temples of south-eastern Poland distinguish Greek Catholic churches, which are characterized by a great variety of architectural forms. Their specificity has its genesis in the place of their formation - it is the borderline of the Latin and Byzantine cultural circle. It was also here that the influences of numerous, ethnically diverse regions of Poland, Russia, Slovakia (Upper Hungary), Bukovina, Moldova, etc., were crossed. Forced displacement of the Rusins (Ukrainian) population from her previous places of residence, has condemned to leave and exterminate nearly 300 wooden temples - not counting many ruined villages. Few valuable wooden churches were surrounded by conservation and restored. Originally wooden churches, usually with roofs and walls covered with shingles, topped with intricately wrought iron crosses, were usually located on small hills, surrounded by old linden trees or oaks. They were accompanied by wooden or stone fences, wooden belfries and picturesque gates. The square of the church, some distance from the center of the village, accompanied the daily life of local communities. It was a constant and “homely” element of a rural or small-town landscape. In renovations or in the construction of a few new church buildings at the turn of the 20th and 21st century, new materials were increasingly sought after - especially using steel sheets to cover roofs and walls. Today, thanks to the support of the conservation authorities, the traditional cover is restored to the church. Some of the churches that survived the turmoil of war, today are deprived of care and only the most valuable objects are undergoing renovations. Thanks to joint efforts of Poland and Ukraine, the group of the most valuable surviving wooden orthodox churches was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Оформление курганного пространства в погребальных комплексах синташтинской и петровской культур

Purpose. A funeral rite is one of the most stable components of any archaeological culture. Even though it is the most conservative and stable element, ritual practices may vary depending on the culture. The causes of variation might be cognitive mechanisms and random errors which appeared while copying funerary traditions. In a society with a close cultural basis, reproduction of the same rituals may include different symbols. Their transformation will have either a cluster character or may be smooth. In the Sintashta and Petrovka cultures, the lines of evolutionary development are determined by such elements of the funeral rite as principles of organization and decoration of the kurgan space. We describe these elements in our article. Results. In conditions of population mobility whose cultural basis is close but the hierarchy is weak, reproduction of cultural stereotypes is most susceptible to variability. While studying interactions between the Sintashta and Petrovka archaeological cultures, we identify a definite link in their burial rites. They are characterized by a sustainable complex of individual items. In this article, we relate the rite features to the methods of constructing and planning of the enclosing kurgan structures, the ground and burials. A variability of the elements is due to a change in the ways of implementing actions aimed at sending the deceased to the other world. The ritual forms could have been changed intentionally, or it might have been an error while copying the mythological constructs with subsequent preservation of its meaning. The range of activities before creating a burial mound is determined by the methods of constructing and planning the surrounding structures, kurgan platforms and gravel pits. To analyze characteristics of each group considered, we used a database of 19 burial grounds – 61 kurgans representing the Sintashta culture (16 sites) and the Petrovka culture (45 sites). We consider the dimensions of mounds, types of fences (ditches, shafts, stone fences), their shape, planning of gravel pits and the design of the kurgan platform. Conclusion. The distribution of objects with different architectural elements and ways of kurgan space decorating indicate the presence of local traditions characteristic only for a certain area. Some variability is expressed by a change in the way how symbolic actions were implemented. Mounds with ditches are more common in the Tobol region, while stone fences were found only in Central Kazakhstan. Replacement of ditches on the weakly deepened fences might have been done intentionally, or it could have been a result of an error while copying the mythological construct, with subsequent preservation of its meaning.

Evaluation of factors that affect the spatial distribution of alien shrubs to monitor their invasion in a Pampa protected landscape in Tandil, Argentina

Invasive alien plants which replace native species represent a global threat that compromises biodiversity conservation by simplifying and homogenizing the landscape. The present study focuses on the problem of invasions in a mountainous area of the pampas (Tandil, Argentina) where several alien shrubs behave as invaders displacing a high diversity of native grassland. The aim of the study was to analyze, by means of geographical information system, the distribution of the most conspicuous alien shrub populations in relation to natural and anthropogenic factors in a protected area of landscape of the pampa region, in order to contribute to decision making and management based on knowledge. The selected working areas were those with spontaneous vegetation, conducting unsupervised classification of SPOT satellite images. A number of points in invaded areas were georeferenced in field to control the classification made by geographical information system. To measure the influence of the factors analyzed in the dispersal processes of the species spatial logistic regression techniques were used. Results showed that 20.40% of the study area was occupied by alien species of which 11.06% were tree plantations made by man and 9.34% corresponded to three alien shrub species distributed invading different landscape sections: Genista monspesullana occupied 307.85 ha, Rubus ulmifolius 237.82 ha and Spartium junceum 126.55 ha. In order to explain R. ulmifolius propagation all the analysed variables except quarries and pits were significant, but streets, roads and trails and stone fences had a stronger incidence. For S. junceum the significant explanatory variables were quarries and pits, altitude and slope. For G. monspesullana the explanatory variable was streets, roads and trails.

Contributions to the fern flora of Hungary with special attention to built walls

The aim of this study is to provide supplementary distribution records for fern species to the “Flora Atlas” of Hungarian vascular plants, published in 2015. Most of the data came from grid cells (according to the Central European Flora Mapping System) in the territory or in the surroundings of Budapest. During the work, special attention was paid to the man-made stone constructions (walls of buildings, stone fences, ruins etc.), because these objects are the most characteristic to the main study area of the survey. Te survey resulted in new biogeographical records for 15 fern species with altogether 54 new occurrences concerning 18 grid cells. Among the species, five are legally protected in Hungary: Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, A. scolopendrium, Gymnocarpium robertianum, Polystichum aculeatum and Thelypteris palustris, and further six are native members of the flora. Species with highest numbers of new records are Asplenium ruta-muraria (9), Asplenium trichomanes (7), Dryopteris flix-mas (7) and Polystichum aculeatum (7) (numbers in brackets indicate the number of grid cells from where the given species was frst reported). Surprisingly, four exotic fern species were also found: Adiantum capillus-veneris, Cyrtomium falcatum, Pteris cretica and Pteris cf. multifda appearing on walls of clinker brick buildings, permanently heated during the winter period (in the present cases in old public hospitals). Based on the results man-made stone constructions, especially the older ones, seem to be suitable habitats to establish for a wide variety of ferns, including rare and protected species. Therefore, these anthropogenic habitats deserve special attention during regional flora mapping projects.

The Epidemiological Relevance of Family Study in Chagas Disease

The Epidemiological Relevance of Family Study in Chagas Disease

Procedural Modeling Algorithm for Traditional Stone Fence Creator

In this paper, we present a procedural modeling algorithms to create Korean traditional stone fence using the fractal subdivision. The main process of the algorithm is to get the next step mesh by subdividing each triangle in the previous step triangular mesh. This process is repeated recursively. Dividing each triangle into four sub-triangles after choosing a random point on each side of the triangle and moving each vertices in the normal direction with random perturbations make the bumpy appearance of stone fences. In each step we remove flat vertices which does not influence the shape of the stone. The discrete curvature determines the flatness of a vertex. New triangles whose vertices are the vertices around the removed vertex are added to make a triangular mesh.

Farm Boundaries as Agroecological Systems

South-central Pennsylvania, framed by the great folds of the Appalachians to the north and west, by the Mason-Dixon Line to the south, and by the rise of hills that bound the lower Susquehanna River to the east, was claimed by settler-farmers of western European descent during the early and mid-eighteenth century. They utilized river and stream valleys to gain access to the fertile lowlands and rich uplands of the region, following in the steps of surveyors to mark farm boundaries with timber fences cut from the cloak of forest. The social and ecological imprint of these boundary structures has endured for hundreds of years.

Environmental Histories of the Mid-Atlantic

We hope that those of you interested in the history of Pennsylvania— of “Penn’s woods”—embrace the field of environmental history. This approach to the past examines the relationships human beings have had with the natural world: how and why humans have changed the environment, and how that changed environment has, in turn, reshaped human society. The basis for those relationships can range from the animate (such as elk) to the inanimate (oil), and even to the intangible (the pastoral ideal). As a scholarly approach to the past, environmental history emerged in the 1970s as a growing awareness of global environmental issues and an explosion of popular environmentalist movements swept through society. Perhaps this brief definition is old news to you, because by now environmental history has matured as a scholarly field.

MONITORING OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE IN NORWAY

Abstract. An overall societal aim is to ensure a sustainable use and management of agricultural landscapes. This requires continuous delivery of reliable and up-to-date information to decision-makers. To be able to deliver this information, a monitoring program for agricultural landscapes was initiated in Norway 13 years ago. The program documents and reports on land use / land cover changes from data captured through interpretation of true colour aerial photos using stereo instruments. The monitoring programme is based on a sample of 1000 squares of 1 × 1 km and the entire sample of squares is photographed over a five-year period. Each square is then mapped repeatedly every fifth year to record changes. Aerial photo interpretation is based on a custom classification system which is built up hierarchically, with three levels. The first level comprises seven land type classes: Agricultural land, Bare ground, Semi-natural open vegetation, Unforested wetland vegetation, Forest, Urban areas and Water. These land classes are further divided into 24 land types at level two, and approximately 100 land types at level 3. In addition to land type units we map both line elements like stone fences and point elements like buildings and solitary threes. By use of indicators that describe status and change focusing on themes of particular policy interest, we can report on whether policy aims are being fulfilled or not. Four indicator themes have been in focus hitherto: landscape spatial structure, biological diversity, cultural heritage and accessibility. Our data is stored in databases and most of the data quality check/structure process and analyses are now being made in open source software like PostGIS and PostSQL. To assess the accuracy of the photo-interpretation, ground truthing is carried out on 10 % of the squares. The results of this operation document the benefits of having access to photos of the same area from two different years. The program is designed first and foremost to provide reliable statistics at a national level but the aim is also to report at regional levels – for example for counties or for agricultural landscape regions. The national coverage and application of standardized methods enable frequent updating. This method is cost effective and enables us to quantify changes in landscape qualities as well as adapting the programme to take account of e.g. new findings on relevant indicators.

Kyorstovo 1: a new burial ground of the period of Roman influences in North-Western Russia

Archaeological evidence on the culture of the population of North-Western Russia in the period of Roman influences is extremely scarce (Кулешов, 2005; Juškova, 2006). An exception is the new group of sites of the culture of stone burial grounds with fences (Tarandgräberkultur) recently revealed in the South-West of Leningrad Oblast. The main area of this culture lies throughout what is now Estonia and northern Latvia. It is represented mostly by burial grounds while the settlement-sites are rare. The cemeteries contain collective burials both with inhumations and creations. The burials are arranged in one or several rows and are encircled by small rectangular stone fences attached to each other. The skeletal remains are found as a rule among layers of stones and limestone chips together with the grave offerings: bronze ornaments (fibulae, rings, bracelets, neck rings), beads, iron utensils (knives, grass cutters, awls) and occasionally weapons (spear and dart heads, shield-bosses).

Activvidad y uso del hábitat por parte del erizo europeo (Erinaceus europeus Linnaeus, 1758) en el Parque Natural de la Serrallada de Marina (Barcelona, Cataluña)

The activity and habitat selection patterns of seven European hedgehogs were studied using radio-tracking from 2005 to 2007 in a periurban area of Badalona (Barcelona, north-east Spain) which lies within the Serralada de Marina Natural Park. Euclidean distance methods were used to analyze habitat selection patterns. Our results suggest that European hedgehogs positively select cluttered forest areas as well as urban areas, and forage mainly in the ecotone without showing any tendency to penetrate into uniform habitat patches. In our case study, urban areas were represented by roads and traditional rural buildings, the former including stone walls and fences from a nearby irrigated golf course, where the animals were also found. Foraging areas (MCPs) were slightly larger among males than females, ranging from 3.03 to 28.01 ha among males, and from 3.47 to 9.89 ha among females. Hedgehogs began their activity shortly after sunset and stopped by dawn, showing a bimodal activity pattern.

A study of the quality and hygienic conditions of spring water in Mongolia

An assessment on quality and hygienic conditions of spring water was undertaken in Mongolia in 2004 with financial and technical support from the World Health Organization through AGFUND. A total of 127 springs, 99 from rural areas and 28 from Ulaanbaatar city were included in the study. The study included hygienic conditions, physical, microbiological and chemical parameters of springs. Based on the results of laboratory analysis, the quality of springs were classified into five degrees of contamination. The majority of springs studied and especially in UB city and the Central region had poor hygienic conditions such as low flow rate, turbidity or pollution sources in the vicinity of springs. 78% of the total studied springs did not have any protection or upgrade and 22% have only wooden, iron and stone fences. The water quality parameters such as hardness, total dissolved solids, oxygen demand, nitrogenous compounds, total microbial count, Escherichia coli were also significantly higher in springs located in UB city, the Central region and the East region. 47.6% of all studied aimag's (countryside) spring water were significantly polluted by more than three parameters especially E. coli, ammonia, oxygen demand, which indicated a recent contamination by human and animal excreta in water. The current study revealed that the majority of springs in peri urban areas close to UB city and the Central region had poor hygienic conditions. Different levels of contamination using both microbiological and chemical tests were found in studied springs. It is recommended that regular assessment of spring water quality be undertaken to create awareness among communities and local authorities for further protection and upgrading of spring water sources.