Stone Floor Research Articles

Results of the latest interdisciplinary research conducted in the Church of St. James in Sandomierz

The article is a summary of interdisciplinary research conducted in the 13th-century Dominican Church of St. James in Sandomierz in May 2022. The research included an archaeological survey located at the junction of the presbytery and the nave, followed by an architectural and historical-artistic analysis of the discovered walls and architectural details. The aim of the work was to obtain new materials regarding the beginnings and subsequent transformations of the church of St. James. In addition to traditional research and documentation methods, digital technologies were used, i.e. digital photography, laser scanning and photogrammetry. The stages of archaeological work recorded in this way could be incorporated into the existing digital 3D model of the entire monastery complex. Archaeological methods, as well as preserved source materials (textual and iconographic) were used to date individual structures. Due to later excavations (related to reconstructions and burials), the relationship between the layers recorded in the excavation did not create a clear sequence and cannot be the basis for findings regarding chronology. The initial dating was therefore based on the relationship between the walls and on the dimensions of the discovered bricks. It was established that the brick foundation marked as k. 43/44 may come from the 13th century and constitute a fragment of the unpreserved choir partition of the church – this hypothesis will require verification in the future. Additionally, a previously unknown, possibly medieval wall with a NS course (k. 3) on the line of pillars between the naves was uncovered, as well as a vaulted ceiling of the vestibule of the crypt under the Martyrs’ Chapel. The discovered architectural details include a fragment of a 13th-century ceramic molding, perhaps coming from the choir partition, and stone floor slabs. The discovered brick structures, architectural details and traces of numerous secondary excavations prove that the examined part of the church has undergone numerous transformations over the centuries and was intensively used for burials.

Character Formation of Muslim Children Through Indigenous Education in Stone Floor Elementary Schools

Background. This study examines the character formation of Muslim children through indigenous education at Floor IT Elementary School, Batusangkar, Tanah Datar Regency. The problem lies in the character formation of Muslim children.
 Purpose. From this problem, the question arises about the condition of the students' character and what efforts the teacher has made to shape the students' character at the Sekolah IT Floor Batu. This research is field research because the researcher directly visited the research subjects.
 Method. Data was obtained through direct observation and interviews with teachers at the school. After the data is collected, it is then processed by classifying the data and making notes about the results of observations and interviews.
 Results Next, the data is narrated descriptively. The research results are discussed using theories which are also supported by the arguments of the Koran and Hadith as well as several applicable government regulations. This research found an important understanding that Indigenous education is an educational method that is based on customs or customs that develop in society. Children's characters emerge due to the influence of the customs of the place where they live.
 Conclusion. To prevent the emergence of bad characters, teachers gather their students in one environment, so that teachers can accustom children to behave well. In this way, teachers can shape the character of Muslim children and familiarize children with behaving according to the character of Muslim children

Annual gamma-ray background dose rates in dwellings of rural Tumkur.

The exposure to high levels of ionising radiation can cause severe health risks including cancer. The monitoring of background radiation is a primary task of nuclear scientists and researchers in the present day. The aim of the present work is to measure effective annual dose rate due to gamma-ray background radiation in dwellings of selected villages around Tumkur. It is very important to monitor background radiation in dwellings to safeguard from the harmful effects of gamma-ray background radiation. The dose rates in dwellings were measured using a German-made portable gamma dosemeter, Gamma-Scout. The measured annual dose rates were in the range of 1.103-2.824mSv/y. From this survey, it was observed that the average annual dose rate for dwellings under study area with concrete ceiling and tiles floor are comparatively higher than the dwellings with griddle ceiling and stone floor.

Comprehensive analysis of the greenhouse solar tunnel dryer (GSTD) using Tomato, snake Gourd, and Cucumber: Insights into energy Efficiency, exergy Performance, economic Viability, and environmental impact

With the goal of sustainability, an innovative walk-in type Greenhouse Solar Tunnel Dryer (GSTD) with GI pipe and MS plate foundation, polycarbonate walls and roof, and cudappah stone flooring was developed and investigated. A comparison of GSTD and open sun drying was performed with tomato, snake gourd, and cucumber. The greenhouse drier drastically reduced the moisture content of the products, decreasing it from roughly 90 % to 2 % or less in 24 h. The developed GSTD was subjected to extensive energy, exergy, economic, and environmental assessments in order to examine its thermodynamic performance, economic viability, and environmental impact under forced convection by drying the three products chosen. The average efficiency of energy and exergy is 30.86 % and 14.76 %, respectively. The cost of utilizing GSTD to dry 1 kg of tomato, snack gourd, and cucumber was computed using the annualised cost technique to be 0.41, 0.1075 and 0.1232 USD, respectively. The lifetime savings range from 18,497 to 38,296 USD relying on the type of dried goods. The payback period for tomato is 1.34 years, snake gourd is 2.73 years and cucumber is 1.63 years. The lifetime carbon mitigation for tomato, snake gourd, and cucumber is 61.72 tonnes, 726.92 tonnes, and 175.74 tonnes, respectively, while the carbon credit earned is 1234.4 USD, 14538.4 USD, and 3514.8 USD.

Main characteristics of 11th -15th centuries bricks from monumental buildings of the Pechersk monastery in Kyiv

The relevance of the proposed work lies in the fact that the powerful collection of building materials has been assembled in the scientific funds of the National Preserve „Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” over a 100-year history of archaeological research into architectural monuments from the 11th-15thcenturies (the Dormition Cathedral, chapel of St. John the Baptist, Trinity Gatech church, a brick refectory, and a stonewall from the 12thcentury). It consists of bricks (plinthois), ceramic tiles and stone floor slabs, roof tiles, glass hutters, frescoes, mosaics, samples of stones and solutions, marble decorative elements, etc. Among the most massive and informative materials is a plinthoi. The study of its characteristics and historical and cultural significance is aimed at acquiring a body of knowledge about building materials. M. Kholostenko, G. Ivakin, O. Syromyatnikov, and D. Jolshin were engaged in the study of bricks from the Pechersk monastery. However, no generalizing work on construction materials of the 11th-15th centuries of these monuments of ancient Kyiv has been carried out till now.

Shattered glass of Beirut: collaboration between the Archaeological Museum (American University of Beirut) and international partners following the 2020 port explosion

The Archaeological Museum at the American University of Beirut (AUB) lies approximately 3 km west of the main port of Beirut, the site of the massive explosion that sent a catastrophic shockwave through the city on 4 August 2020. A display case containing Classical and early Islamic period glass vessels was smashed against the museum’s stone floor, shattering 72 vessels into thousands of shards. This paper overviews how the Archaeological Museum (AM) responded to the situation with international partners to document, collect, identify, study, conserve and restore the broken pieces, and how this process of recovery would ultimately imbue the vessels with new historical resonance. In particular, the paper presents a collaborative project with the British Museum (BM) that developed from broader international-AM efforts. The partnership had three objectives: (i) to reconstruct eight of the shattered vessels in conservation laboratories at the BM; (ii) to provide training for a museum professional from the AM as part of the restoration programme in London; and (iii) to conduct scientific analyses of the broken shards before conservation. A fourth objective was realized August–October 2022, when the reconstructed vessels were featured in a single-room exhibition at the BM titled Shattered Glass of Beirut, jointly developed by AM and BM curators, in which the vessels helped tell a broader story about the port explosion and its effects on the people of Lebanon.

Research on Green Consumption Based on Visual Evaluation Method—Evidence from Stone Flooring Industry

Blind consumption discovered in the real application of flooring does not produce the visually anticipated impression, leading to additional time costs and stone flooring waste. Consumers cannot clearly articulate their visual imaging needs when purchasing stone flooring. Due to consumers’ lack of understanding of the visual imagery style of decorative stone flooring, manufacturers are unable to produce more visual styles of stone flooring in response to consumer demand, which leads to an unorganized production process and the wasting of stone resources. Additionally, manufacturers are unable to receive feedback on market demand, which makes communication links between sales teams difficult. A total of 40 adjectives were considered the most appropriate in a pool of 110 adjectives for the visual imagery evaluation of stone after ten interior design professionals with experience in decorative stone applications had narrowed the selection. Following this, a general consumer semantic difference method questionnaire survey and questionnaire data factor analysis statistics were used to create 10 sets of visual imagery adjectives for marble flooring, which were then divided into 10 different types of marble flooring. Following the computer simulation drawing with the 10 groups of visual imagery adjectives design questionnaire, the consumers completed the visual imagery evaluation questionnaire survey. They received a 304-question valid questionnaire, and using the triangular fuzzy number operation in fuzzy theory, they arrived at 10 marble floors in the visual imagery evaluation score. In order to clarify the current consumer demand for stone floor imagery, the high sales volume of stone flooring on the market for visual style division, which can guide consumers according to their visual needs for an efficient choice, can enhance the efficiency of communication between consumers and sellers. It can also help enterprises clarify the market consumer demand for orderly production to achieve the purpose of green consumption and to ensure the sustainable development of the decorative stone flooring market.

A Mound of the Early Scythian Period near Shutnivtsi Village in Middle Dnister Region

The article is dedicated to the description of the mound no. 5 contents near Shutnivtsi village of Kamianets-Podilskyi region, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The monument was explored in 1999 by the Expedition of Kamianets-Podilskyi University and headed by A. F. Hutsal. The height of the mound was 0.5—0.6 m, the diameter — 8 m. The embankment consisted of soil with stones. Under the embankment, after rabotage, there were discovered the remains of stone structures concentrated above and around the grave. In section, they had a shape close to the square with dimensions of 5.5 × 4.5 m. Its outer contours were limited by large stones. They lay in three parallel rows close to each other. Between them and on top of them there were small stones. Under the mound there was found a burial vault with four pillars. It was located along the northwest-southeast axis. Its dimensions were 2.3 × 3.35 m, the depth was 0.95—1.0 m. The north-western wall of the burial chamber was obviously lined with stones. The floor of the crypt was paved with stone tiles. They were closely adjacent to each other, but in the southern part of the grave and in the western corner the tiles were taken away by robbers. There were pillar pits in each corner of the grave. They were round in section. Their bottom was paved with stone tiles. Depth: 0.97—1.15 m; diameter: 0.71—0.75 m. All the pits were filled with stones and grey earth, and below them there was clay, sand, and pebbles. Only wooden decay remained from the pillars. The thickness of the pillars was 0.2—0.3 m. They could have supported the wooden structure of the ceiling of the crypt. The burial chamber was heavily robbed. Almost all inventory was removed or stolen by them. Only some areas survived. In the northern corner of the crypt, on a stone floor tile, a part of the lower human jaw, four bronze pins and a piece of ocher were found. The clay ladle and fragments of the pot were found near the south-western wall. The bronze arrowhead was discovered in the eastern corner. Most of the objects were moved from their original place. Parts of the bones of the human skeleton were found in the burial pit. Fragments of several ladles, two pots and a bowl were examined in different places. About 265 glass beads and their fragments were also discovered in the grave. The mound can be dated to the early Kelermes period (middle — second half of the 7th century BC). It could have belonged to a wealthy family of one of the local communities. It can also be assumed that the people buried in the mound might have been the clergy of a religious body.

Analysis of the Impact of Flooring Material and Construction Solutions on Heat Exchange with the Ground in a Historic Wooden Building

The article deals with the issue of the influence of selected material and construction solutions for a floor in a historic wooden building on heat exchange with the ground. The scope of the work included continuous measurements of selected parameters of internal and external microclimate, which were later used for numerical analysis of selected calculation variants. The research was carried out in a historic wooden church located in southern Poland. The research period covered 2019, while all measurements were performed every 1 h. For the variant analysis, a building with a wooden and stone floor was adopted. The influence of the heating system on the heat exchange with the ground for wooden and stone floors was also analysed. As a result of a detailed analysis, it was found that the material and construction solutions, as well as the heating system, have a significant impact on the formation of heat exchange with the ground. The building with a wooden floor was characterised by significantly higher values of energy losses to the ground in relation to heat gains. During the year, the total energy losses to land amounted to 1005 kWh, while the gain was 47 kWh. The energy flow from inside the building to the ground in August was 2.4 times higher in variant 2 than in variant 1. In February, heat losses to the ground were 1.6 times higher in variant 2 compared to variant 1.

Necropol Gazigulu – Late Bronze–Early Iron Ages Site of the Khojaly-Gedabey Archaeological Culture in Bassin of Tovuzchay River

Large-scale rescue archaeological excavations were taken during construction of Gazigulu reservoir in western part of Azerbaijan Republic in Tovuz district of Azerbaijan in 2007-2009. Necropolis of the Late Bronze – Early Iron Ages (second part II – beginning I millenniums BC) was studied there. The site belonged to Khojaly-Gedabey archaeological culture. Gazigulu necropolis is situated at the plain, at the left bank of Tovuzchay River (the right inflow of Kura River). In total 18 burials were excavated at Gazigulu necropolis including 16 burials, which were identified as the graves with stone floors mound, another two burials were simple earth graves. The skeletons were buried in crouched / strong crouched position at left or right sides. Archaeological materials mainly,consist from the different types of ceramic vessels, metal wares and adornment. According to the author's definition, the Gazigulu burial rite was identical to the common burial traditions of population of the region during the period under study.

The Reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque: A Historian’s Perspective

The Reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque:A Historian's Perspective Edhem Eldem (bio) KEYWORDS Hagia Sophia, Turkey, Secularism, Nationalism, Kemalism, Erdoğan Almost two years ago, only days before the municipal elections that promised to challenge his party's hold over Istanbul, President Tayyip Erdoğan rekindled the debate over the reconversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, suggesting that he would challenge the decree that had transformed it into a museum.1 However, nobody really believed that he would carry out the measures that would make the "dream of the Muslim world" come true. This reconversion had been demanded for decades: first, by "marginal" groups rebelling against the Kemalist establishment; then, by some political parties who knew well that their claims would remain rhetorical; and finally, by Erdoğan's AKP (Justice and Development Party), especially after a proposal was brought to Parliament in 2013 by an MP from the MHP (Nationalist Action Party).2 Things had evidently taken a more serious turn, as it was felt that Erdoğan's populist and authoritarian ambitions were feeding increasingly on Islamist sentiments and rhetoric. After all, had two other Hagia Sophias not been converted into mosques in İznik (partly, 2011)3 and Trabzon (2013)4? Yet it simply did not make sense as the stakes were too high. The Hagia Sophia was too visible, too [End Page 243] famous, and the consequences would be disastrous: international opprobrium, loss of prestige, and, perhaps more importantly, tourism revenue. Erdoğan's general attitude confirmed this assumed cautiousness. To hopeful partisans, he simply pointed to the many neighboring mosques that first had to be filled before the Hagia Sophia's reconversion could be justified. And yet, on 10 July 2020, the improbable, indeed the unthinkable, did happen. The Hagia Sophia was converted back into a mosque by presidential decree, following a decision of the Council of State to cancel the 1934 decree that had turned it into a museum. Two weeks later, on Friday, 24 July, the re-consecration was performed before a packed audience of allegedly hundreds of thousands, despite the ongoing pandemic. While the event unleashed feelings of elation among AKP supporters and the Muslim-conservative public that were then relayed to the broader Turkish public by the partisan press and media, opponents displayed reactions ranging from disappointment to outright anger. Those members of the political opposition who did not openly approve of the move were very cautious in voicing criticism. Scholarly objections were severely curtailed by the lack of a proper platform and audience. Of course, the real outcry came from abroad, with the obvious exception of the Muslim world. Rather predictably, Greece, whose national sensitivities are often like a mirror image of Turkey's, was outraged and demanded the adoption of sanctions against Turkey. Political and cultural institutions throughout the Western world voiced their criticism by employing a more diplomatic vocabulary of sadness, regret, and concern. One of the rare but notable consequences of this move was that the International Association of Byzantine Studies (AIEB) revoked its decision to hold the next International Congress of Byzantine Studies in Istanbul in 2021, postponing the meeting until 2022, and changing the venue to Venice and Padua.5 The 24 July event was showy and aggressive, but it was carried out in conjunction with a series of statements that resembled a process of negotiation or bargaining. The government tried to reassure the concerned parties on some of the immediate issues, such as tourism and access to the Byzantine/Christian heritage of the monument. Promises were made that it would remain open to tourists—now free of charge—outside of prayer times; plans were made to find means to veil and unveil the frescoes and mosaics offensive to Muslims, ranging from traditional solutions such as curtains and screens, to the—somewhat dubious—use of sophisticated laser technology. Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu was said to have declared that Turkey was sensitive to the protection of the building's character, adding, rather enigmatically, "The function [End Page 244] can be this way or that way—it does not matter."6 No solution was proposed for the remarkable stone floor...

Relationship between Friction Coefficient and Surface Roughness of Stone and Ceramic Floors

Slips and falls are common occupational incidents worldwide. The friction on a floor surface is one of the critical environmental factors affecting the risk of a slip. In this research, we conducted friction measurements on stone and ceramic floor tiles under dry, wet, and water–detergent (WD) solution covered conditions using a horizontal pull slip meter (HPS). Our purposes were to quantify the slip resistance of commonly used stone and ceramic floors under different surface conditions and to validate the curvilinear relationship between the coefficient of friction (COF) and surface roughness of the floors proposed in the literature. The COF data were analyzed together with a surface profile parameter (Ra) of the floor samples. The results showed that the COFs of the stone floors were significantly (p < 0.0001) higher than those of the ceramic floors. All the floors under the dry conditions were slip resistant when adopting the ANSI 1264.2 criterion. Two and five ceramic floors were not slip resistant under the wet and WD solution covered conditions, respectively. Three polynomial regression equations were established to describe the relationship between the COF and Ra. The curvilinear functions of these models indicate that the three-zone (initial growth, steady-growth, and plateau) concept concerning the COF–Ra relationship in the literature was valid when static COF values measured using an HPS were adopted. In addition, the three-zone concept was valid not only on WD solution covered surfaces but also on dry and wet surfaces.

Degradation Phenomena of Wooden Pillars in the Main Hall of the Fengguo Monastery, Yixian, Liaoning, China - Scientific Investigation with XRD, IC, and FTIR Analysis -

The Main Hall of the Fengguo monastery in Yixian county, Liaoning province, China, is the best preserved and largest wooden Buddhist structure, typical of the Liao dynasty style, in China. However, some degradation to the timber frame of the Main Hall has been noted, and this is causing concern in terms of the long-term preservation of the structure. In this study, wooden pillars showing the degradation phenomena of whitening, for areas in contact with the stone floor, and extensive surface damage at higher locations(mostly above 1 m) have been examined. Samples taken from wooden pillar surfaces were analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), ion chromatography, and pH measurements. With respect to the whitening phenomenon, we found inorganic calcium precipitates and oxalate ions, along with higher pH values. These symptoms indicated that chemical changes were taking place in response to alkaline conditions, suggesting that alkaline mixtures with calcium content in the foundations may be responsible. Regarding the upper surface-damaged areas, no valid evidence for chemical degradation was found using FTIR analysis, while damaged areas exhibited the presence of more bat guano-related materials than which were apparent in undamaged areas. The occurrence of this surface-damaged phenomenon has therefore been attributed to physical damage caused by bat activity over long periods of time.

ANALYSIS OF THE DEFECTS OF THE FLOORS OF THE BUILDING - OBJECT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

In order to preserve the historical part of the city of Saratov, a survey of the building, which is an object of cultural heritage and refers to an architectural monument of federal significance, was carried out. During the inspection, defects in floor structures made of different materials and having different technical solutions were revealed. At different elevations, the supporting elements of the floors are made of wood, brick and reinforced concrete. The results of the survey with a description of the defects of wooden and stone floors. The analysis of defects allowed us to establish the causes of their appearance. Recommendations on troubleshooting are given. The described defects are characteristic of buildings of an old construction, therefore the results of this work can be used when conducting a survey of architectural monuments.

Behaviour of hard stones submitted to different foot traffic

Building stones when submitted to wear conditions can change their appearance and eventually lose the characteristics for which they were chosen, leading to expensive and undesired material replacement. The physical–mechanical properties of the stones should fit their application purposes to ensure the desired durability, as in covering floors submitted to intense foot traffic. This paper presents the results of the evaluation carried out of some properties of the stone floor, composed of honed finished slabs of granite (Branco Micaela) and gabbronorite (Nero Impala), applied in a commercial zone for 10 years. The assessment of colour, roughness and gloss were carried out in 105 slabs. Beyond the colour differences, granite is lighter than gabbronorite, though both stones have chromatic homogeneity. There are also differences in surface roughness and gloss, with Branco Micaela showing a higher roughness and a lower gloss. Mineralogical composition, mainly the presence of micas, and the grain size govern the polishing of the stones, which affect the roughness and gloss. Nero Impala has large minerals and shows better polishing, whilst Branco Micaela, with more contacts and detachable micas, is more susceptible to losing mineral fragments, consequently showing higher roughness and less gloss. There is a wear difference between the areas of high and low pedestrian foot traffic, though these differences do not significantly modify the aesthetic characteristics of the floor. The use of honed finishing proved to be a good option to prevent the undesirable evolution of surface characteristics.

A mosaic floor from the Late Bronze Age building II of Uşaklı Höyük, central Turkey

Abstract

Geoelectric assessment of groundwater aquifers at RONIZ area, Southeastern SHIRAZ, IRAN

In order to manage groundwater resources and presenting appropriate management strategies, the value of acquiring Knowledge of groundwater flow and volume estimate is obvious. Particularly, since in IRAN due to its climate conditions (dry and semi-dry), water resources for agriculture is strongly linked to groundwater resources. In this regard, vertical sounding with Schlumberger array is the most common and most useful geophysical method in groundwater exploration studies. In this study, to evaluate the Roniz aquifer located in 160 km south East of Shiraz, 97 electerical sounding was implanted. Field data in view of the log wells and area geological data was processed and interpretated by IPI2Win software and with its help the depth and Subsurface layers thickness in area was determined. Acquired Results from interpretation of sounding curves in the region shows four to five main layers, Which contains a dry alluvial layer average with electric resistance of 200 Ω-m and an average thickness of 20–60 m, Sandstone layer with electrical resistance of 340 Ω-m and an average thickness of between 10 and 15 m, Marl layer with electrical resistance 20–41 Ω-m and thickness of 20–30 m, Aquifer (lime) layer with the electrical resistance of 0.4–6 Ω m and a thickness of between 6 and 8 m, and lime stone floor from a depth of about 150 m down. In addition that with the help of these soundings, 13 wells were designed and are being exploited.

A Novel Method of Assessing Floor Friction in Cowsheds and Its Association with Cow Health.

Simple SummaryThe objective of this paper was to test a simple method of measuring the extent of the slipperiness of different types of floors in cow shelters. Excessively slippery floors, which are less abrasive, are known to reduce a cow’s ability to walk, lie down, and get up without slipping and causing injury to herself. A moderate level of friction between the cows’ hooves and the floor is required for cow comfort and prevention of foot disease and injuries. This study developed a rapid method that welfare assessors can use to measure the slipperiness of floors in cowsheds. The data obtained were then validated by comparing them with the various animal-based and resource-based welfare parameters assessed in each shelter. The analyses done in this study show that there is a link between excessively slippery floors and various parameters such as frequency of cleaning the floors, the gradient of floors, wounds on the bodies and joints of the cows, and the presence of dirty hind limbs. All of these ultimately affect the welfare of cows in shelters. These results suggest that this simple measure of floor friction could be useful in cow welfare assessments. Further work on the repeatability of this method is recommended.Measurement of friction of cowshed floors to determine slipperiness potential is important for cow comfort. Existing methods require elaborate equipment and procedures. A quick method for assessment of friction characteristics is proposed. Friction was measured in 54 cattle housing and yard facilities with earth, brick, concrete, and stone floors, and its association with cattle health parameters was investigated through assessment of 30 animals per facility. A 156 g cuboidal wooden block attached to a spring balance was pulled over 3 m, and the coefficient of friction was recorded as the force required to move the block at a constant speed. The coefficient of friction ranged from 0.3 to 0.7 and was lowest for concrete and highest for earth floors. A multivariate analysis found that cows were standing more and could be more easily approached when they were on floors with high friction levels. The proportion of cows with dirty hind limbs declined with increasing friction of the floor, probably reflecting the fact that they felt more confident to stand rather than lie on high friction floors. This simple measure of frictional characteristics of cattle floors offers promise to be included in welfare measures as an indicator of cow welfare.

A well-preserved Michelsberg Culture domed oven from Kortrijk, Belgium

Abstract

Glass ceilings and stone floors: an intersectional approach to challenges UK geographers face across the career lifecycle

ABSTRACTWhile there has been a steady growth of women working in geography in UK universities since the mid-Twentieth Century, there are continuing challenges in gendered career progression and professional interactions within the contemporary discipline. These range from problems associated with employment precarity and inflexible work practices, life choices and obligations in the domestic arena, discrimination and bullying, to less tangible gendered norms and cultures in the workplace. This paper discusses these challenges and inequalities in the light of a brief overview of sector-wide statistical data on appointments by gender and career-stage and with the analysis of some 250 in-depth responses to a nationwide qualitative survey of gender and career experience in UK universities (Maddrell, Avril, Kendra Strauss, Nicola J Thomas, and Stephanie Wyse. 2016. “Mind the Gap: Gender Disparities Still to Be Addressed in UK Higher Education Geography.” Area 48 (10): 48–56). While the term ‘glass ceiling’ still has significant relevance, findings show a more complicated picture which also includes ‘stone floors’ and stumbling blocks. It also shows how career experience varies by institution and individual: challenges in career progression can be compounded by institutional protocols and intersectional factors, and vary with career stage. The intersection of early-career job precarity, reproductive decisions and associated family responsibilities were particularly highlighted in this study. These ‘pinch points’ in career development disproportionately affect, but are not limited to, female early career scholars. Early career progress may be stalled in mid-career in multi-staged promotional systems such as that in UK universities; some from minorities face compound barriers; men with caring responsibilities may face prejudice. The paper concludes with suggested strategies for change, highlighting the importance of individual university and department protocols and practices; line manager and other senior colleagues’ attitudes and leadership in creating workplaces with an equality-driven ethos and structures that allow individuals to flourish.