Stone Object Research Articles

Advancements in Stone Object Restoration Using Polymer-Inorganic Phosphate Composites for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

Recent advancements in cultural heritage preservation have increasingly focused on the development and application of new composites, harnessing the diverse properties of their components. This study reviews the current state of research and practical applications of these innovative materials, emphasizing the use of inorganic phosphatic materials (in particular the hydroxyapatite) and various polymers. The compatibility of phosphatic materials with calcareous stones and the protective properties of polymers present a synergistic approach to addressing common deterioration mechanisms, such as salt crystallization, biological colonization, and mechanical weathering. By examining recent case studies and experimental results, this paper highlights the effectiveness, challenges, and future directions for these composites in cultural heritage conservation. The findings underscore the potential of these materials to enhance the durability and aesthetic integrity of heritage stones, promoting sustainable and long-term preservation solutions.

Deployment of Web-Based YOLO for CT Scan Kidney Stone Detection

This research aims to develop a kidney stone object detection system using machine learning techniques like YOLO and object detection, integrated into a Flask-based web interface to support early diagnosis by medical professionals. The trained model demonstrates strong pattern learning capabilities. Evaluation of the public dataset model reveals an average mean Average Precision (mAP) of 0.9698 for 'kidney stone' labels. This detection model exhibits high performance with an accuracy rate of 96.33%, precision of 96.98%, recall of 99.23%, and an F1-score of 98.1%. Clinical data evaluation shows that the YOLOv5-based detection system performs exceptionally well, with an average mAP of 0.9571, accuracy of 93.06%, precision of 95.71%, recall of 97.1%, and F1-score of 96.49%, indicating the model's capability to detect kidney stones with high precision and accuracy. Thus, both the evaluation on the public dataset and clinical dataset performance support accurate diagnosis processes and further treatment planning. Moreover, this research advances to the stage where the detection model can be directly utilized through implementation via Flask web deployment.

Acheulean Handaxes in Medieval France: An Earlier ‘Modern’ Social History for Palaeolithic Bifaces

Handaxes have a uniquely prominent role in the history of Palaeolithic archaeology, and their early study provides crucial information concerning the epistemology of the field. We have little conclusive evidence, however, of their investigation or societal value prior to the mid seventeenth century. Here we investigate the shape, colour and potential flake scarring on a handaxe-like stone object seen in the Melun Diptych, painted by the French fifteenth-century artist Jean Fouquet, and compare its features with artefacts from diverse (including French) Acheulean handaxe assemblages. Commissioned by a high-status individual, Étienne Chevalier, Fouquet's work (Étienne Chevalier with Saint Stephen) depicts an important religious context, while the handaxe-like object points to the stoning to death of an important Christian saint. Our results strongly support the interpretation that the painted stone object represents a flint Acheulean handaxe, likely sourced from northern France, where Fouquet lived. Identifying a fifteenth-century painting of a handaxe does not change what we know about Acheulean individuals, but it does push back the evidence for when handaxes became a prominent part of the ‘modern’ social and cultural world.

Антропоморфные изображения периода Яз-I

Two groups of unusual objects from contexts of the Early Iron Age Yaz-I period at the site of Maydatepa, southern Uzbekistan, are presented. The first group is interpreted as abstract anthropomorphic figurines. They are small rod-shaped clay objects (fired and unfired), with plastic noses and impressed eyes, sometimes with sparse additional ornaments. The second group is a collective find (and one separate individual object) from a closed pit context from the same site. The collective find consists of five, partly fragmentary, stele-like roughly hewn limestone objects, some of which have a marked off head. In view of the abstract clay objects, these small stelae can also be interpreted as anthropomorphic representations. The individual stone object is a stalagmite, which was brought intentionally to the site. Because of the natural grooved erosion at the top, which may represent hair, this object is included here. The entire collection contradicts the presumed lack of figurative art in the Early Iron Age Yaz-I communities, but it is also radically different from the preceding art of the Bronze Age.

Геометрические изображения на гальках и каменных плитках в палеолите Северной Евразии: сравнительный анализ и возможности интерпретации

This study is devoted to geometric images (also called “abstract” and “non-figurative”) on pebbles and stone tablets that are represented in the context of cave and open Paleolithic sites of Europe and Russia. Terms such as “geometric image” and “symbolic image” reflect different approaches to the study of non-figurative images - morphological and semiotic. Geometric images chronologically appeared earlier than figurative ones: the first evidence of nonutilitarian activity in the form of notches and strokes is known at the sites of the Acheulean time, and for the Middle Paleolithic their number reached several dozen. With the onset of the Upper Paleolithic, the heyday of Paleolithic art begins. Since the Magdalenian, there has been a sharp development of non-figurative art, which reached its apogee in the final Paleolithic. It was during this period that Azil pebbles appeared, and geometric images on stones became serial and standardized, primarily in Western Europe. Pebbles and stone tablets with signs are found on the territory of Central and Eastern Europe, the Urals and Siberia, up to Kamchatka. Some geometric images are found both in mobile and in rock art, but in most cases, it is impossible to consider the signs separately from the object on which they are applied. Pebbles and stone tablets are usually decorated with different motifs. They existed in different contexts and cultures: tablets were more often used as a base in the Magdalenian, and pebbles – in the Azilian. They probably had different meanings and were created for different purposes. The technique of image creation was also important: it is no accident that drawings made with paint rarely have analogies among engraved images, even within the one site. The application of the semiotic approach allows us to identify groups of images that can be considered elements of sign systems. The Azilian pebbles of Western Europe can be attributed to the sign systems. Stone objects with geometric images from Eastern Europe and Siberia do not form such a unity: they are represented by single artifacts, diverse in morphology, age, technique and the type of the stone object. Some objects found at the sites of the Northern Asia, from the Urals to Kamchatka, show similarities with European artifacts. However, such examples are rare, and similar stones with geometric images were found at sites very remote from each other, so it is too early to draw conclusions about their relationship.

Some Remarks on Social and Symbolic Significance of the Early Neolithic Longhouses Based on the Applications and Spatial Distribution of Ground Stone Type Tools. The Case of the Linear Pottery Sites from Lesser Poland

This article attempts to present some aspects of the spatial reconstruction, modes of use, and social relations in the longhouse settlements of the Linear Pottery culture (LBK) by means of a contextual distributional analysis of ground stone artefacts. Three LBK settlement complexes from Lesser Poland (southern Poland) were selected for analysis based on a considerable number of finds of ground stone tools yielded by the excavations. Accurate determination of the intended use of a stone object, as indicated by the traces of use on its surface, was of central importance. Based on the above data, the author has distinguished two types of household sectors in LBK settlements with longhouses, namely domestic and communal. It is argued that the inhabitants of a given longhouse used the domestic sector for their purposes, while the latter served the community. Significant differences in the proportions of ground stones were found between settlements and between the settlement phases of a village. This leads the author to consider whether there might have been specialized settlements for a particular microregion in addition to the function served by a single longhouse. Each settlement would have specialized in different household tasks.

Differential diagnosis of a calcified cyst found in an 18th century female burial site at St. Nicholas Church cemetery (Libkovice, Czechia).

During archaeological excavations in burial sites, sometimes stoned organic objects are found, in addition to human remains. Those objects might be of a different origin, depending on various factors influencing members of a community (i.e. diseases, trauma), which provides information about their living conditions. The St. Nicholas Church archaeological site (Libkovice, Czechia) in the 18th century horizon of the cemetery, yielded a maturus-senilis female skeleton with a stone object in the left iliac fossa. This object was an oviform cyst-like rough structure, measuring 54 mm in length, 35 mm in maximum diameter and 0.2-0.7 mm shell thickness. Within the object there were small fetal bones (long bones, i.e. femur and two tibias, two scapulas, three ribs, vertebrae and other tiny bone fragments). Methods utilized to analyze the outer and inner surface morphology of the cyst and its inside, included: X-ray, CT imaging, SEM, histological staining and EDS. The EDS analysis revealed the presence of primarily oxygen, calcium and phosphorus in bone samples, and oxygen and silicon, in stone shell. Based on the length of the femur (20.2 mm) and tibia (16 mm) shafts, the fetal age was determined as being in the 15-18 week of pregnancy. The differential diagnosis was conducted, including for the three most probable cases: fetiform teratoma (FT), fetus-in-fetu (FIF) and lithopedion. The possibility of fetiform teratoma was discounted due to the presence of an anatomically correct spine, long bones and the proportions of the find. Although the low calcium content in the shell (2.3% atom mass), the lack of skull bones and the better developed lower limbs indicate fetus-in-fetu rather than lithopedion, the analyses results are unable to conclusively identify the object under one of these two categories since there are insufficient such cases in excavation material with which to draw comparison.

A Late 4th millennium BCE cylinder-seal amulet from Tel Yaqush and its contribution to the understanding of EB I–II communities in the Central Jordan Valley

This paper deals with a unique stone object found at the Early Bronze Age site of Tel Yaqush in the Central Jordan Valley. The object is understood by the authors to be a cylinder-seal amulet with incised geometric motifs, locally produced by a non-specialist craftsman in imitation of specialized seals of local glyptic tradition. The paper presents the object as part of the emerging local glyptic tradition of the period and discusses its significance to the understanding of social and cultural trends as related to the EB I–II chronological horizon in the region. The attempt to imitate a specialized object used to impress pottery vessels from a centralized ceramic production centre elicits a profound discussion on the concept of imitation and its social roots. It may be studied and interpreted using a network approach, which provides a good analytical tool to explore the village of Yaqush and its interactions within EB I–II southern Levantine social systems. Yaqush’s singular object and its specific archaeological context, serve as a basis to explore the occurrences of the 31st–30th centuries BCE and discuss relations between the Jordan Valley communities, and the way they are maintained by cultural transmission through objects and practices in this period.

Materials analyses of stone artifacts from the EBA to MBA Minoan Tholos tomb P at Porti, Greece (Crete), by means of Raman spectroscopy: Results and a critical assessment of the method

Detailed analytical work based on mobile Raman microspectroscopy has been performed on a mortuary assemblage, comprising a group of 59 stone artifacts (vessels, implements and figurines) excavated in one of the richest burial sites in south-central Crete, Tholos tomb P at the Minoan site of Porti (ca. 2700–1700 BCE). Mineral identification was possible for over half of the objects examined and the results expand our understanding, originally obtained on the basis of visual and microscopic characterization of the objects. Patterns of variability in the stones investigated are correlated with the typological repertoire of the final products and compared with data from the neighboring site of Apesokari; further inferences on craft specialization issues are finally drawn. In all, the data obtained lead us to suggest that stone vessel manufacture at Porti was predominantly focused on the exploitation of local softstone outcrops. This hypothesis agrees with the current knowledge concerning the geological formation of the Asterousia area, on the northern fringes of which the site of Porti is located. In parallel, the capacity of mobile Raman microspectrometry to contribute to stone object characterization as regards their mineral composition is discussed along with advantages and limitations of the methodology followed. Raman analysis is preformed quickly, non-invasively, directly on the object and over several spots across its surface for probing heterogeneous mineral distributions. The mobile spectrometer permits measurements to be conducted on location, namely within the museum study facilities. A major limitation with respect to obtaining clean analytical information resulted from strong fluorescence emission observed in some of the measurements, which interfered with the Raman scattering signal. These emissions were attributed to organic materials present on the stone surface either as environmental contamination or as a result of previous, often undocumented, conservation treatments. Finally, the need to collect and thoroughly characterize local stone outcrops as well as archaeological stone objects has become evident and building a representative Raman spectral database will certainly facilitate future studies.

Weathering mechanism of red discolorations on Limestone object: a case study from Lingyan Temple, Jinan, Shandong Province, China

Red discolorations are an effloresce phenomenon detect on the surface of stone objects and considered as damage factor in both esthetic and conservation points of view. It is very difficult to remove and seldom report about their weathering mechanism. Recently, numerous of red discolorations have affected the limestone objects of Lingyan Temple in Shandong province, one of the most important building materials in China. In order to set up the appropriate conservation remedy, it is essential to identify the origin, characteristics, composition, and the formation process of red discolorations. Several analytical and investigation techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Micro-Raman spectroscopy (Raman), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to better understand the red discolorations. The results demonstrated that the discolorations on limestone surface have been caused by carbonic acid weathering process. The red discolorations consisted mainly of kutnohorite (Ca(Fe,Mg,Mn)CO3) and iron oxides. They showed tabular, lamellar, and granular morphologies, which originated from the in situ carbonic acid weathering of kutnohorite. After rainfall, the Ca, Mg, Mn ions with relatively high solubility were primarily leached from carbonatite phases. It was resulting in the sedimentation of red iron oxides through a chemical reaction and physical adhesion. Based on those analyses, a chelating agent (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt) was chosen to remove theses red discolorations on the stone object.

M\u04e7ssbauer spectroscopy as a useful method for distinguishing between real and false meteorites

In our paper four Mӧssbauer spectra of ordinary chondrites (previously classified by a classical method based on determining the ratio of ferrosilite (Fs) to fayalite (Fa) with an electron microprobe) are presented and discussed. These are the Mӧssbauer spectra of two ordinary chondrites type H (Pultusk and Grzempach), one ordinary chondrite type L (Hyattville) and one type LL (NWA 6287). These meteorites were compared, using their Mӧssbauer spectra with the following four other samples: a fragment of a rock that fell near Leoncin in Poland (sample No. 1), a fragment of a rock found in the vicinity of Pultusk in Poland (sample No. 2), a meteorite specimen bought on the meteorite exchange (sample No. 3) and a stone object whose decline was observed in Europe (sample No. 4). The spectrum of sample No. 1 is very similar to the spectrum of ordinary chondrite of type LL. This observation was confirmed using 4M method (previously created by us). The spectrum of sample No. 2 differs significantly from the spectrum of sample of the Pultusk meteorite. In the spectrum of sample No. 3, a clear signal from iron-nickel alloy and troilite can be observed. This fact allows us to state that sample No. 3 is a fragment of rock that was created in cosmic conditions. Sample No. 4 has a Mӧssbauer spectrum similar to the spectrum of terrestrial magmatic rocks. This observation does not clearly determine where the examined object comes from. This work demonstrates the usefulness of Mӧssbauer spectroscopy in recognizing samples that are fragments of meteorites.

Detioracja kamiennych obiektów budowlanych - główne czynniki i procesy

Deterioration of stone buildings – main factors and processes. A b s t r a c t. The condition of stone building objects is determined by many physicochemical factors and destructive processes. All stone materials are subject to natural aging, losing many of their primordial properties. The destructive processes and decline of the stone quality are termed the “deterioration” (Latin: deterior – worse). This definition is close to that of rock weathering. However, weathering and deterioration are two different concepts.Weathering is a large-scale process related to large rock masses located in a geological environment. By contrast, deterioration refers to processes destroying a stone material, which has already been treated with stonework. The most known field of research for the deterioration processes are all historical old monuments. It is assumed that the deterioration reaches such a depth as those influenced by changes that take place on the stone object surface during the adsorption of solar radiation and deep penetration of oxygen and carbonated water, coming from infiltration of atmospheric precipitation or surface water. The most prominent factors of deterioration are caused by temperature changes, crystallization pressure of salts dissolved in water, gaseous pollutants and dust contained in the air, wind, hail and snow action, adsorption of acidic chemical substances, and dust particles, activity of microorganisms, fungi and lichens living on surfaces of monuments.

Automated False Positive Reduction and Feature Extraction of Kidney Stone Object in 3D CT Images

Automated False Positive Reduction and Feature Extraction of Kidney Stone Object in 3D CT Images

An integrated 3D shape analysis and scientific visualization approach to the study of a Late Bronze Age unique stone object from Pyla-Kokkinokremos, Cyprus

Scientific visualization is a well-recognized method of inquiry into data across a wide range of disciplines. 2D still images have a long history of use in archaeology, mainly depicting artifacts, structures or plans of archaeological sites. 3D models have a relative long history in modern archaeology, mostly for presentations to the public, musealisation services or engagement in education programs. The article below aims at filling the gap, by presenting a chaine opératoire archaeological investigation of an artifact, by implementing methods of scientific visualization and shape analysis on the 3D digital and physical replicas of the object. The item is a unique stone object found at the Late Bronze Age site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos; the article details the methodological approach, implemented analysis pipeline and critical discussion of adopted methodology and the resulting archaeological interpretation.

The design of a legacy indicator tool for measuring climate change related impacts on built heritage

We are experiencing a period of climate change the extent and impact of which is uncertain. In the cultural heritage sector the need for monitoring to inform our understanding is widely agreed, yet there is a lack of consensus over what constitutes ‘monitoring for climate change’. This is due, at least in part, to the extended timescales involved. In this paper the design and implementation of one solution is described; a sustainable legacy indicator tool (LegIT) for the long term tracking of surface weathering effects on built heritage. The assessment of climate change impacts requires 30–100 years of data collection, equal to the period referred to as the ‘climate norm’ by meteorologists. The LegIT is a sacrificial stone object that registers changes in the severity and/or magnitude of weathering patterns on built surfaces, providing a legacy data source for future decision makers. To ensure its sustainability, careful thought was given to the choice of materials, data retrieval and archiving. The tool aims to track surface changes caused by recession, salt crystallisation and microbiological growth. The development and installation of the LegIT is the first long-term exposure trial to be initiated at heritage sites in Ireland and is intended as a legacy for future researchers.

An engraved artifact from Shuidonggou, an Early Late Paleolithic Site in Northwest China

Cognition and symbolic thinking are viewed as important features of modern human behavior. Engraved objects are seen as a hallmark of cognition and symbolism, and even as evidence for language. Accumulated evidences including engraved bones, ochre, ostrich eggshells and stone artifacts were unearthed from Africa, Europe, Levant even Siberia Paleolithic sites. But the archaeological evidence for this, including beads, ornaments, burials, performed objects and engraved objects, is rarely discovered in the Pleistocene of East Asia. The present paper reports an engraved stone object unearthed in the Early Late Paleolithic levels about 30 ka BP at the Shuidonggou site (SDG) in northwestern China. It was unearthed in the 1980’s excavation from Lower culture unit of SDG1 but was identified in 2011 when the first author of this article observed the collection from the 1980’s excavations stored in the Institute of Archaeology of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region for further detailed lithic analysis. This lithic artifact is the first engraved non-organic object of the Paleolithic period found in China. In order to clarify the details of the incisions and to document the human intentional modifications, we used a KEYENCE VHX-600 Digital Microscope to measure and observe all the incisions in 3-dimensional perspective. Comparing the natural cracks and analyzing many details of the incisions, we argue that incisions on this stone artifact are the result of intentional behaviors by ancient humans. Also, we exclude the possible other causes including animal-induced damages, post-depositional phenomenon and unintentional by-products. Combining all these features, we suggest that the incisions were made by an intentional behavior and were probably of a non-utilitarian character. Because the nature of most other engraved objects in China is debate, we cannot get a clear scenario of the emergence and progress of modern human behavior in North China. But we infer the possible existence of a counting or recording system, or other symbolic behaviors, which reflect considerably evolved cognitive capacities or modern human behavior in the Early Late Paleolithic of East Asia.

Byron and Andrić in Sintra: Searching for a Moment of Fervor and Forgetfulness

Byron and Andrić in Sintra:1Searching for a Moment of Fervor and Forgetfulness Dušan Pajin Oh! let that eye, which, wild as the gazelle's,Now brightly bold or beautifully shy,Wins as it wanders, dazzles where it dwells,Glance o'er this page, nor to my verse denyThat smile for which my breast might vainly sigh,Could I to thee be ever more than friend:This much, dear maid, accord; nor question whyTo one so young my strain I would commend,But bid me with my wreath one matchless lily blend.2 Ivo Andrić (1892-1975—Nobel Prize for literature, 1961), wrote some short stories, one of these being "Byron in Sintra." Andrić started the story with the fact that Byron visited Sintra in July 1809. On July 2, Byron embarked at Falmouth and sailed for Lisbon with John Cam Hobhouse. After Portugal, they crossed Spain, and via Gibraltar and Malta, reached Greece. In Greece Byron began Childe Harolde's Pilgrimage, which he continued in Athens. In March 1810, he sailed with Hobhouse for Istanbul, visited the site of Troy, and swam the Hellespont (following Leander, who swam the same route)—evening after evening—to meet his beloved hero. Byron's journey made a lasting impression on him. First the Portuguese and Spanish, and then the Greeks' free and open frankness, contrasted strongly with English manners of his class in those times. He delighted in the sunshine and the moral tolerance of the people. Byron was back in London by July 1811. [End Page 41] When I first read Andrić's story "Byron in Sintra" in the early 1980s, I knew nothing about these details from Byron's biography. I thought that the whole story was fiction—including the name of the place "Sintra." What was important for me, however, was the story itself, and specifically, the encounter between Byron and the "Little creature"—an anonymous Portuguese girl, whom he met by chance, walking through a park in Sintra.3 In this story Andrić explains that only Byron used to call the girl he met near Sintra "Little creature" (Serbian: Malo stvorenje), as no one else knew of the episode. He did not know her name, and it was his way to keep the sweet memory of her alive, for a year, or so; after that time, the "Little creature" started to fade "like a dream in the morning." The encounter of Byron and the "Little creature" happened when Byron went with his company from Lisbon to Sintra, and left them to go to a big park for a long walk by himself. Suddenly, on one of the paths, he met a girl who was standing beside a stone object. She was in a white dress, with a semi-African face, and with clever eyes, full of health and joy. They exchanged greetings. She was smiling and looking him straight in the eyes which, along with her lips, fascinated him. Suddenly he realized that he was ablaze from inside, and felt that on this green peak he had found all that he was ever seeking. Byron felt that in those moments he had all that our dreams promise, but actual life always denies it. While he was walking around her he was fascinated by her eyes, by the smell of her body, by her hair, and by her dress. He felt as if his senses were operating with great intensity, and at the same time enriching and nullifying him as a person. Now he could say what self-transcendence is. Suddenly, he heard the voices of his companions coming closer to the area, and he left the girl—who was a bit puzzled—without a good-bye. After a short walk, he joined his company and went back to Lisbon. He kept the memory to himself for about a year's time, with the scene coming back to him in certain moments when he felt the full sensual fever that he experienced in the actual encounter. And then, the Little creature started to fade away just like a dream as we reach morning. For Byron, ordinary life came back with its encounters, and animosities, as...

I The Inscriptional Beginnings of Literary Epigram

As was seen in the Introduction, the generic identity of epigram is governed by two senses of the Greek preposition epi: an epigram may be physically inscribed ‘on’ an object, or ‘on the subject of’ an object (or something else: a person, an event). This chapter is concerned with epigrams physically inscribed on a stone or other object. In spite of the fact that inscribed epigram comes first chronologically (beginning as early as the eighth century BCE), includes some of the most famous lines in Greek literature (such as those above), and numbers famous names such as Simonides among its exponents, it can sometimes be treated as the poor relation of literary epigram, which had its heyday in the Hellenistic period (see Chapter 2). There is a perception that epigram comes into its own once it has ‘escaped’, as it were, from its stone or other physical medium, and is thus at liberty to use its words to create a virtual object in the reader's mind (or not, as the poet chooses).

The Nuclear Disk in the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 4486A

Many ellipticals contain nuclear disks of dust and gas. Some ellipticals contain nuclear disks of stars that are distinct from the rest of the galaxy. We show that the dwarf E2 galaxy NGC 4486A contains both ‐ it is a “Rosetta stone object that tells us how nuclear disks evolve. Its pro perties suggest that, as accreted gas dissipates and settles toward the center, it forms stars and builds a stella r disk. Secular growth may explain not only the most distinct nuclear disks such as those in NGC 4486A but also some of the disky distortions that are commonly seen in elliptical galaxies. That is, density distribution s may grow secularly cuspier. This would result in chaotic mixing of stellar orbits in phase space and would tend to make an elliptical galaxy evolve toward a more nearly axisymmetric shape. Subject headings: galaxies: nuclei — galaxies: general

The kohl fountain in Prague — conservation of a stone object in prolonged contact with water

The kohl fountain in Prague — conservation of a stone object in prolonged contact with water