Traces Of Fire Research Articles

Growth-Ring Analysis of Diploknema butyracea Is a Potential Tool for Revealing Indigenous Land Use History in the Lower Himalayan Foothills of Nepal

Slash-and-burn is a farming practice of the indigenous communities in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. The traditional land-tenure system is based on a customary oral tradition. However, the government’s persistent denial of land rights has fueled the indigenous conflicts in the last few decades. Deliverance of scientific evidence-based arguments may underpin the ongoing conflict-resolution dialogues between the authorities and the indigenous communities. Dating growth rings of trees in a slash-and-burn system might help the indigenous people to find evidence of their historic land uses in the mountainous landscape. In this pilot study, we examined the potential of Diploknema butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam growth rings for documenting land use history of Nepalese indigenous farming practices, as this species is being preserved during the slash-and-burn practices. The species is an economically important and ecologically interesting (as it flushes leaves when everything is dry, and sheds leaves while everything is green) deciduous tree species belonging to Sapotaceae family and widely distributed in Sub-Himalayan tracts. Five stem discs were studied which were originated from the Kandrang valley of the Chitwan district, Nepal. For the first time, we revealed distinct growth rings in this species which are marked by fibers with thicker cell walls. Growth-ring anomalies, i.e., wedging and partially missing rings, were also found. Four out of five samples could be crossdated at a marginal level (GLK ≥ 60 and t ≥ 2.0) which is a confirmation of the annual nature of growth rings. One of the samples showed black spots of oxidized wood which are traces of fire, suggesting evidence of slash-and-burn practices in the study area since 1933. This study suggests a strong potential of D. butyracea for growth-ring analysis to reconstruct indigenous land use history in Nepal.

Grindstone: Grinding... and Human Sacrifice? Why?

Three features, dated to diverse periods of prehistory (Neolithic: Transdanubian Linear Pottery Culture; Bronze Age: Tumulus culture; Iron Age: Celtic Period) are presented in the current study. One of our main goals is to encourage the introduction of an otherwise generally accepted protocol for the investigation and sampling of similar phenomena to Hungarian archaeological research. The method focuses on the examination of 1, complete or partial human skeletal remains; 2, complete or partial animal skeletal remains;3, offerings according to social position; 4, tools for food preparation and equipment of the ritual feast; 5, traces of burning or fire; 6, patterns of the action sequence burning–fragmenting–scattering, together with material analyses for all samples. This way a categorization of the results might open a possibility for a more adequate interpretation. The features under study fall into category A in Joanna Brück’s classification system of human skeletal remains,1 but I regard the phenomena also containing grindstones a subcategory. The ritual in the course of which these were created might have been practiced for millenia in an unchanged form; its possible interpretation was described by István Tóth. According to our view such actions represent the liminal zone between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Fire and \u201cNoise\u201d in Late Paleolithic Camps: an Investigation of Issues in Locating Hearths

The acidic sandy environment of the Late Paleolithic sites on the North European Plain usually prevents preservation of not only organic debris such as burnt bones or charcoal but also heat-altered sediments or ash. Therefore, chemical analyses cannot be applied to identify traces of open fires. Instead, the detection of the location of hearths is approached through spatial statistics. This paper tests the utility of the methods which are most widely applied to solve the related research questions. Our analysis is accompanied by case studies on hearths at Late Paleolithic sites in Western Poland related to the Federmesser and Swiderian cultures. The discussion of the quadrant count method and kernel density analysis, ring and sector model, and nearest neighbor statistics show that the last named model is the most appropriate for locating Paleolithic hearths. A number of issues in the application of nearest neighbor statistics may be improved by the additional analysis of the vertical distribution of fire-affected artifacts and development of new approaches for identifying the areas affected by natural or human-made fires in the future.

The Community Land Model Version 5: Description of New Features, Benchmarking, and Impact of Forcing Uncertainty

AbstractThe Community Land Model (CLM) is the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and is used in several global and regional modeling systems. In this paper, we introduce model developments included in CLM version 5 (CLM5), which is the default land component for CESM2. We assess an ensemble of simulations, including prescribed and prognostic vegetation state, multiple forcing data sets, and CLM4, CLM4.5, and CLM5, against a range of metrics including from the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMBv2) package. CLM5 includes new and updated processes and parameterizations: (1) dynamic land units, (2) updated parameterizations and structure for hydrology and snow (spatially explicit soil depth, dry surface layer, revised groundwater scheme, revised canopy interception and canopy snow processes, updated fresh snow density, simple firn model, and Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport), (3) plant hydraulics and hydraulic redistribution, (4) revised nitrogen cycling (flexible leaf stoichiometry, leaf N optimization for photosynthesis, and carbon costs for plant nitrogen uptake), (5) global crop model with six crop types and time‐evolving irrigated areas and fertilization rates, (6) updated urban building energy, (7) carbon isotopes, and (8) updated stomatal physiology. New optional features include demographically structured dynamic vegetation model (Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator), ozone damage to plants, and fire trace gas emissions coupling to the atmosphere. Conclusive establishment of improvement or degradation of individual variables or metrics is challenged by forcing uncertainty, parametric uncertainty, and model structural complexity, but the multivariate metrics presented here suggest a general broad improvement from CLM4 to CLM5.

Landscapes and Throughscapes in Italian Forest Worlds: Thinking Dramatically about the Anthropocene

Phenomenological descriptions of landscapes, trees, and terraces, combined with oral history and historical ecology, find traces of industrialization, plant disease, and forest fires in central Italian forests. Plant form, landscape form, and forest structure can be described through drawings that give resolutely partial descriptions of more-than-human encounters. This kind of knowledge of the landscape is potentially unstable and remade by the details that it contains. By using multiple methods for attending to more-than-human landscapes, we can learn to notice multiple throughscapes, landscape patterns that overlap and lie through each other, but which are linked to different histories. Multiplying histories means that rather than being seen as a single era, the Anthropocene can be understood as having many beginnings and coexisting histories that give rise to multiple futures.

Terrazzo floor from the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw – mineralogical characterization, conservation and impact of fire

Abstract Samples of historical terrazzo floor from the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, dated back to the thirties of the twentieth century, have been analysed. Investigations by polarised optical microscopy, scanning microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and simultaneous thermal analysis were preformed. Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that terrazzo tiles were prepared on the basis of ordinary Portland cement and aggregate, dominated with crushed stone (marble, serpentinite, limestone and marl), accompanied by sparse quartz sand grains. The binding mass was colourised with the use of pigments containing iron ions. The occurrence of altered serpentinite and marble grains, the latter clouded and partly replaced with micrite, the presence of portlandite, indicate the terrazzo tiles were subjected to thermal impact. This is related to the fire that took place at the beginning of World War II. Based on this study, repair mortars were formulated, on one hand compatible with the authentic ones, on the other retaining traces of fire.

Experiments on Burn Pattern Characteristics of Polyamide and Ethylene/vinyl Acetate Floorings Ignited by Industrial Alcohol

Industrial alcohol, as one of the flammable liquids, is used commonly in arson. Due to its typical fluidity and particular volatility, particular burn patterns can be formed in fire scene. In order to provide references for fire investigators to collect trace evidences and identify fire cause accurately, the burn patterns on different flooring materials are investigated in this paper. Two common flooring materials, Polyamide and Ethylene/vinyl acetate floorings, were selected in the experiments to study the burn pattern characteristics by simulating the fire scene. By comparing the difference of the burning pattern with and without alcohol, rules of pattern characteristics on different material surface have been summarized. Meanwhile, fire extinguishing style was considered in this work. The results show that the burn pattern characteristics become remarkably different when the flooring materials loaded by alcohol. In addition, fire extinguishing style has a great impact on the burn patterns, such as the carbonized degree, the residual shape and the fire traces. It is believed that the results of this paper would provide guidance for investigation on arson which applied alcohol as the combustion improver.

Evidence of Holocene surface and near-surface palaeofires in karst caves and soils

Black deposits covering speleothems, cave walls and floors in Postojna Cave and Predjama Cave (SW Slovenia), and charcoal found in soil outside the Postojna Cave, were studied in order to establish their origin and age. SEM/EDS analysis of these deposits from both caves indicated that they are charred plant remains, very similar to oxidised charcoal in soil. Stable carbon isotope δ13C values of −29.41‰ (Črna Jama, P1), −26.9‰ (Predjama), and −25.1‰ (charcoal in soil) confirm their origin from biomass burning. Radiocarbon dating from Postojna Cave (Črna Jama (P1) 8394±35calyrB.P. and Pisani Rov 8235±25calyrB.P.) suggests that the oldest analysed black deposits formed in the Early Holocene (Mesolithic). The age is consistent with soil charcoal found at 1m depth in the surrounding area. Black deposits from Predjama were dated to 4095±25calyrB.P. (Eneolithic) and were caused by burning fires at the cave entrance, as supported by archaeological remains. Prehistoric (2375±20calyrB.P.) charcoal from the upper part of the soil profile (0.5 to 0.6m) and historic (1240±29calyrB.P. or 745calyrCE) black deposits from Postojna Cave (Črna Jama, P2) are related to forest fires, which are most likely human-induced. We interpret the oldest dated black deposits in Postojna Cave as traces of Early Holocene natural forest fires, since fire activity inside Črna Jama and Pisani Rov is not supported by archaeological remains. Favourable cave entrance morphology and microclimate allowed smoke to enter the cave during the winter period and deposit on speleothems. But an anthropogenic cause of forest fires cannot be excluded, since there are well-documented Mesolithic archaeological cave sites located close to the area. The study shows that black deposits on speleothems in caves are an important palaeoenvironmental record and proxy for Holocene climate.

Lokalizacja i interpretacja osadów po pożarach lasów – studium przypadku

Pożary lasów są częstym zjawiskiem w wielu krajach, w tym i w Polsce. Instytucjami odpowiedzialnymi za ich monitorowanie i kontrolę są nadleśnictwa. Ich zadaniem jest wykrycie oraz przeciwdziałanie skutkom pożaru lasu. Nadleśnictwa prowadzą od dłuższego czasu, od 2010 roku w formie cyfrowej (System Informacji Lasów Państwowych – SILP, Llas.2), bazy danych dotyczące klasyfikacji, wielkości i lokalizacji pożarów lasów. Informacje za lata 2010–2014 pozyskano z Nadleśnictwa Suchedniów (woj. świętokrzyskie). Przeważnie pożary były małe, często ograniczone do podszycia i pokrywy glebowej (poniżej 1 ha), dwa z nich zostały sklasyfikowane jako pożary średnie (ponad 1 ha). Na terenach popożarowych wykonano szereg płytkich wierceń geologicznych. W większości profili nie odnotowano żadnych śladów po pożarach (warstw węgla, pojedynczych węgli etc.). Takie ślady zachowały się na terenach zalewowych, pod krawędziami teras, gdzie warstwa po pożarze była przykryta deluwiami. Badania pH gleby leśnej wskazują na to, że pożary sprzed wielu lat nie pozostawiły żadnych znaczących zmian w poziomie pH, natomiast w miejscach, gdzie pożary miały miejsce kilka lat temu poziom pH był niższy. Wyniki badań współczesnych warstw pożarowych mogą być pomocne w paleogeograficznych i geoarcheologicznych rekonstrukcjach (np. O’Connor, Evans 2005). W profilach geologicznych powszechne są pojedyncze węgle, rzadziej warstwy. Ich obecność, zmienna ilość osadów budzi jednak szereg kontrowersji i problemów interpretacyjnych. Przykładem może być stanowisko w dolinie Druci (Białoruś), gdzie warstwa (0,2–0,35 cm) węgli popożarowych (datowanie 14C – osady młodsze niż 200 lat) jest przykryta piaszczystymi deluwiami (grubość 30 cm) z licznymi artefaktami neolitycznymi i z epoki żelaza. W tym przypadku miąższość warstwy pożarowej wielokrotnie przewyższa osady obserwowane na terenie Nadleśnictwa Suchedniów, sugerując wystąpienie bardzo dużego pożaru lasu (prawdopodobnie antropogenicznego). Po pożarze, na odsłoniętej powierzchni, doszło do intensywnej erozji gleby, co doprowadziło w krótkim czasie do przykrycia warstwy węgla przez deluwia zawierające redeponowane artefakty.

On the relationship between climate and Neandertal fire use during the Last Glacial in south-west France

Abstract Both environmental and cultural factors dictate how, when and where hunter-gatherers use fire in the landscape, as well as how well evidence for any one fire will preserve in the archaeological record. Variability in the production and preservation of anthropogenic fire traces can potentially skew our perception of fire use in the past. With this in mind, the research presented in this article weighs in on the debate concerning Neandertal fire use and fire making, specifically, the assertion that Neandertals were unable to produce fire for themselves (Sandgathe et al., 2011a, 2011b). This hypothesis is based on the inferred correlation between climatic deterioration, concurrent lowering of lightning-ignited fire frequencies, and reduced signals for fire use in layers presumably deposited during the Lower Pleniglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 4) at the Middle Palaeolithic sites of Roc de Marsal and Pech de l’Aze IV (Aquitaine Basin, southwestern France), the logic being that if Neandertals could produce fire at will, fire use signals would remain largely consistent throughout the deposits despite there being limited access to natural fires in the landscape during this colder period. This review challenges these assertions at multiple scales by looking at regional lightning and fire regime dynamics, comparing the fire signals observed at Roc de Marsal and Pech de l’Aze IV to those of other sites nearby and around France, and exploring the various environmental and cultural factors likely influencing these signals. Ultimately, the data suggests that estimated reductions in lightning frequencies and fire regime during the Lower Pleniglacial (and colder stadial periods, in general) were not adequate to severely limit Neandertal access to natural fire, while possible artefactual evidence for Neandertal fire making challenges the assumption that they were at all reliant on lightning-ignited fire. Moreover, at the nearby Neandertal site of Combe Grenal, the majority of the layers exhibiting evidence of fire use have cold climatic signals, suggesting the fire use trends observed at Roc de Marsal and Pech de l’Aze IV are potentially local expressions of changes in regional site use patterns, possibly brought on by increased reliance on highly mobile, migratory reindeer prey species and reductions in local woodfuel availability during cold periods. Other factors potentially reducing the archaeological visibility of cold climate fire use are discussed.

The Polish-Ruthenian Borderland in 1340 and the Fall of the „Zamczysko” Hillfort in Sanok-Biała Góra

The author discusses a hypothesis concerning the final stage of functioning of a small, medieval hillfort located on „Zamczysko” hill in Sanok-Biała Góra. Artefacts found during excavations and other stray finds are dated to the second half of the 13th and 14th centuries. Among them over 130 projectile heads were found, which confirms – apart of the traces of fire on the courtyard – that the hillfort was destroyed in the course of a warlike onslaught. The analysis of the political situation in the vicinity of Sanok in this time allows to relate connect these facts to the military activity of the Polish King Casimir III the Great. This ruler who succeeded to the throne of the Duchy of Galicia after Duke Bolesław Jerzy II had been poisoned by boyars in 1340, marched with his troops and occupied the western part of the duchy, including Sanok.

The Role of Sunken-Floored Buildings in LBK Farmstead

AbstractResearch into the development of LBK villages rarely focuses on those features that can be interpreted as sunken-floored buildings. The aim of this article is to draw attention to the presence of this type of feature and to analyse its significance in the context of village development based on several examples of LBK sites excavated in Małopolska (Lesser Poland). We believe that in many instances analysing the locations of sunken-floored buildings and their diversity in terms of their potential functions can lead to the identification of domestic/kitchen zones that centered around these features. Their location in the vicinity of longhouses, traces of fire, and the presence of pottery sherds and grain remains may indicate that sunkenfloored buildings served as an important additional ancillary space for the residents of longhouses and constituted part of the farmstead.

Robbery or Ritual Activities? Searching for a Reinterpretation and Genesis of the ‘Robbed Barrows’ of Sudovian Culture

One peculiarity of the Suwalska Group of Sudovian culture is the very large number of barrows with destroyed inhumation graves. Since the 1950s, this fact has been interpreted as the result of the robbery of grave goods, which took place in late Antiquity. Common features in the ‘robbed graves’ observed in cemeteries at Osowa site I, and the villages of Szwajcaria and Żywa Woda, were: 1) the concavity of the top of the barrow and the lack of stones in the stone lining on the barrow surface; 2) traces of the ‘robbery trench’; 3) the multilayer stone pavement (concentration) over the skeleton grave; 4) the complete or partial lack of human bones in the grave, especially the lack of a skull and bones of the post-cranial skeleton, with the exception of the legs; and 5) traces of fire in the grave pits and on the stone pavements. These features and the almost complete lack of human bones in the stratified layers of the barrows, formed as a result of ‘robbery’, lead us to the conclusion that they were material traces of ritual practices connected with opening the barrows and relocating human bones and grave goods from inhumations. The basis of these activities was probably the principle of the proper burial of the dead. The real moment of death was not the end of the vital functions, but the complete decomposition of the body. After that, the re-deposition and secondary burial of bones took place. Key words: West Balts, Roman Period, robbed barrows, ritual activities. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ab.v23i0.1301

Early Neanderthal constructions deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwestern France.

Very little is known about Neanderthal cultures, particularly early ones. Other than lithic implements and exceptional bone tools, very few artefacts have been preserved. While those that do remain include red and black pigments and burial sites, these indications of modernity are extremely sparse and few have been precisely dated, thus greatly limiting our knowledge of these predecessors of modern humans. Here we report the dating of annular constructions made of broken stalagmites found deep in Bruniquel Cave in southwest France. The regular geometry of the stalagmite circles, the arrangement of broken stalagmites and several traces of fire demonstrate the anthropogenic origin of these constructions. Uranium-series dating of stalagmite regrowths on the structures and on burnt bone, combined with the dating of stalagmite tips in the structures, give a reliable and replicated age of 176.5 thousand years (±2.1 thousand years), making these edifices among the oldest known well-dated constructions made by humans. Their presence at 336 metres from the entrance of the cave indicates that humans from this period had already mastered the underground environment, which can be considered a major step in human modernity.

Dating fire events in Pinus heldreichii forests by analysis of tree ring cores

Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii Christ, also known as Pinus leucodermis Antoine) is a relict species found in isolated locations in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula and Southern Italy. The forests are of high conservational value because they are extremely rich in rare and endemic species of plants and fungi. Yet, the natural history and disturbance regime of P. heldreichii ecosystems is not well understood. Fire traces show that fires played a major role, but there is very limited historical data. Therefore proxy methods to reconstruct past events have to be used. The analysis of tree rings provides such an opportunity. To our knowledge, there have been no attempts to use tree ring cores from P. heldreichii trees to date fire events. Our aim was therefore to test if tree ring cores collected with an increment borer could successfully be used to date fires and verify other tree ring indicators caused by the fire events. We tested an approach that was based on extracting multiple cores from fire-scarred trees and nearby standing trees without injuries. A total of 136 cores from 99 trees were collected from which we dated all 34 cores with fire scars. We found the exact fire years for 29 of the samples, and the remaining 5 samples were approximately dated. Up to 83% of all sampled trees had additional growth reactions, mostly suppressions lasting 5–10 years after the fire years.

Research on Burn Pattern Characteristics of Two Typical Flooring Materials Loaded by Gasoline

Gasoline, as one of the flammable liquids, is used commonly in arson. Due to its typical fluidity and permeability, particular burn patterns can be formed in fire scene. In order to provide references for fire investigators to collect trace evidences and identify fire cause accurately, the burn patterns on different flooring materials are investigated in this paper. Two new kinds of flooring materials (Rubber pad and EVA mosaic floor) were selected in the experiments to study the burn pattern characteristics by simulating the fire scene. By comparing the difference of the burning pattern with and without gasoline, rules of pattern characteristics on different material surface have been summarized. Meanwhile, fire extinguishing style was considered in this work. The results show that the burn pattern characteristics become remarkably different when the flooring materials loaded by gasoline. In addition, fire extinguishing style has a great impact on the burn patterns, such as the carbonized degree, the residual shape and the fire traces. It is believed that the results in this paper would provide important guidance for investigation on arson which applied gasoline as the combustion improver.

Research on Burn Pattern Characteristics of Polypropylene fiber and Polyvinyl chloride coil Flooring Materials Loaded By Gasoline

Gasoline, as one of the flammable liquids, is used commonly in arson. Due to its typical fluidity and permeability, particular burn patterns can be formed in fire scene. In order to provide references for fire investigators to collect trace evidences and identify fire cause accurately, the burn patterns on different flooring materials are investigated in this paper. Two polymer flooring materials (Polypropylene fiber and Polyvinyl chloride coil) were selected in the experiments to study the burn pattern characteristics by simulating the fire scene. By comparing the difference of the burning pattern with and without gasoline, rules of pattern characteristics on different material surface have been summarized. Meanwhile, fire extinguishing style was considered in this work. The results show that the burn pattern characteristics become remarkably different when the flooring materials loaded by gasoline. In addition, fire extinguishing style has a great impact on the burn patterns, such as the carbonized degree, the residual shape and the fire traces. It is believed that the results in this paper would provide important guidance for investigation on arson which applied gasoline as the combustion improver.

Analysis of Morphology Characters on Fuse Residuum of Knife Switch in Fire Ground

In this paper, the integrated experimental system of material evidence for fire trace was used to make fuse residuum by simulating overload and short circuit of electric circuit, bad connection and fire. The scanning electron microscope can be utilized to observe and analyze the morphology characters on fuse fesiduum. The results indicate that in the condition of the overload and short circuit of electric circuit, bad connection and fire, the melted trace,s morphology is different, besides the amount of the oxide on the fuse residuum's surface is various. When the electric circuit is overload, there is no port in the fuse fesiduum. But there is some bled in the fuse fesiduum of the short circuit and fire. The dimple of fuse fesiduum is different.

Review of the Research on the Identification of Electrical Fire Trace Evidence

In this paper, we review the research results about the identification of the electrical fire trace evidence and the fire reason recognition. We point out the existing problems and put forward the corresponding suggestions to promote the development of the cause of the fire investigation and make it better to serve for the work of fire investigation.

Thermal characterisation of Bronze Age hearths from the cave of Les Fraux (Dordogne, France) by thermoluminescence and magnetic susceptibility techniques

In the cave of Les Fraux (Dordogne, France) numerous traces of fires are visible in the galleries. A multidisciplinary investigation was carried out to study these fires. This paper presents the methodology applied for the hearth study. It is based on the examination of the thermoluminescence (TL) of quartz and the magnetic susceptibility of iron oxides. First of all, magnetic susceptibility was measured on the surface of hearths. Based on both susceptibility mapping and visible sediment characteristics, small sediment samples (1-2 g) were taken. Subsequently, quartz grains were extracted from the sediment samples. Fourteen thermal references were obtained by heating (from 200 to 650°C) fractions of the pristine unfired cave sediment. Comparing the TL signal of anciently heated quartz to the reference samples allowed to obtain the maximum equivalent temperature attained for each sample extracted from ancient fires. Consequently, the correspondence between magnetic susceptibility and temperature allowed for the reconstruction of a paleotemperature map of the study area. This research provides information about fire intensity in the cave, which can help to understand its function.