1,720,969 research outputs found
Land gastropod piercing during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in the Haua Fteah, Libya
Get PDFLand snail shell is a frequent constituent of archaeological sites, but it is rarely clear whether it represents food refuse, the remains of scavengers, or evidence for natural processes. Piercing of land snail shells enables the animal to be extracted from the shell and thus provides direct evidence for human consumption. We report pierced land snails from the Haua Fteah, Libya. The earliest pierced land snail shell in the Haua Fteah pre-dates the Last Interglacial, while the most recent is Late-Classical in age, but the largest quantities are in layers of Late-Glacial and earliest Holocene age, where they are associated with atypical microliths which may have been used to pierce shells to enable easy extraction of the animal
Studying Palaeolithic macro-lithic tools’ uses by combining functional and spatial analyses. Preliminary results from Grotta di Fumane (Italy)
Get PDFL\u27analisi spaziale e l\u27uso di software GIS rivestono un ruolo essenziale in alcuni ambiti della ricerca. È piuttosto significativo, ad esempio, il contributo svolto nella definizione funzionale dello spazio all’interno di un contesto antropico, la valutazione della densità dei manufatti e il loro posizionamento. Attraverso uno studio di tipo spaziale è possibile indagare, con maggiore dettaglio, alcuni aspetti organizzativi e comportamentali dei gruppi preistorici. Tuttavia, queste tecniche di analisi spesso vedono il loro impiego circoscritto all’indagine di contesti archeologici su ampia scala. Ancora embrionale, risulta l’applicazione dell’analisi spaziale sui manufatti, nello specifico litici, nonostante siano noti in letteratura importanti contributi sull’argomento (ad es. de la Torre et alii 2013; Bird et alii 2007). In questa sede discuteremo il potenziale di un approccio integrato che combina analisi tecno-funzionale e spaziale per la comprensione della tecnologia in pietra non scheggiata del Paleolitico.Sono stati analizzati percussori e ritoccatori provenienti dal sito di Grotta di Fumane e relativi ai livelli Aurignaziani. In particolare, ci si è avvalsi dell’analisi tecno-funzionale e della sperimentazione, parallelamente all’impiego dell’analisi spaziale e dell\u27uso di software GIS.I macrolithics analizzati dal punto di vista tecnologico non presentano alcuna modificazione. Ciò potrebbe suggerire dei criteri di selezione basati sulla loro morfologia e materia prima. L’attività sperimentale si è resa necessaria ai fini di ricostruire la chaîne opératoire, oltre che per analizzare il legame esistente tra la traccia e il gesto che l’ha determinata.Il protocollo sperimentale adottato ha coinvolto varie attività: dalla sbozzatura, all’abrasione della cornice, messa in forma del volume del nucleo a operazioni di mantenimento del piano di percussione. Lo strumentario in selce ottenuto, riprodotto secondo la tecnologia individuata nei livelli Aurignaziani di Grotta di Fumane, è stato ritoccato impiegando diverse gestualità. In seguito, utilizzando ArcGIS 10.4 sono state analizzate la densità delle tracce d’uso e la loro distribuzione mediante la formulazione di "mappe di distribuzione", relative a ciascuna delle attività di ritocco e percussione eseguite a livello sperimentale. Queste sono state successivamente confrontate con quelle acquisite dall’elaborazione dei campioni archeologici. Comparando i dati ottenuti è stato possibile determinare la presenza, nel sito di Grotta di Fumane, di percussori, utilizzati in diverse fasi di lavorazione del nucleo, e di ritoccatori. Quest’ultimi presentano tracce riconducibili a differenti tipi di ritocchi, ovvero ritocchi con morfologia scagliata e ritocchi paralleli. Queste tracce presentano differenti tipi di densità e distribuzione, visibili sulle mappe, indicative delle diverse attività svolte.Grazie all’unione del metodo funzionale e spaziale è stato possibile fornire una serie di dettagli sulle modalità e scelte di utilizzo degli strumenti litici provenienti da Grotta di Fumane. Allo stesso tempo, l’analisi dei macro-lithics Aurignaziani della Grotta di Fumane e’ stato il punto di partenza per elaborare una metodologia integrata per lo studio e la comprensione la cui applicazione su vasta scale permetterebbe di comprendere più a fondo vari aspetti della tecnologia antica. I risultati ottenuti mettono in luce le potenzialità di tale approccio combinato, che potrà essere esteso all’indagine di altri manufatti quali, ad esempio, gli strumenti da macinazione e la litica scheggiata. Nella sua applicazione alla distribuzione dei residui, il medesimo approccio consentirà di migliorare notevolmente la nostra attuale conoscenza del comportamento umano antico.Studying Palaeolithic macro-lithic tools’ uses by combining functional and spatial analyses. Preliminary results from Grotta di Fumane (Italy)The application of spatial analysis and the use of GIS software plays a major role in the archaeology field. Analyzing the use of space in a given context, define artefact densities and orientation patterns represent only few examples through which it is possible to achieve relevant data and investigate more in details aspects of human behavior and/or features concerning site formation processes. If, on the one hand, the application of spatial analysis at an intra-site level is ordinary, its exploitation at a micro scale, for example in the study of ancient tool function is yet rare, despite the promising results obtained by several studies in which a combination of spatial analysis and use wear was attempted (e.g. de la Torre et al 2013; Bird et al 2007). In this presentation, we will discuss the potential of an integrated approach combining techno-functional and spatial analyses for understanding of non-knapped Paleolithic technology.Within the scopes of the HIDDEN FOODS - ERC Starting Grant Project (GA 638296) the repertoire of Aurignacian macro-tools from Fumane Cave have been analyzed and interpreted as retouchers and hammerstones through an integrated methodological approach combining experimental archaeology, use wear and spatial analyses. To date, literature about lithic technology has rarely focused on the distinctive features of hammerstones and retouchers, which were probably completely ignored in the past and still misinterpreted during the excavations. In order to better understanding technological choices behind the use of macro-tools from Fumane Cave, we designed a dedicated experimental framework and based on the different retouch and percussion techniques identified at the site, it was possible to detail both the morphological features of the use wear associated to each gesture and their spatial distribution patterns. The experimental framework allowed the reconstruction of the chaîne opératoire, and to analyze the connection between the trace of use and the gesture that determined it. The experiments carried out included a series of percussion and retouch activities (e.g. striking platform adjustment, core adjustment, parallel retouch, scaled retouch) resembling the one identified on the archaeological specimens unearthed at the site. Spatial analysis was performed using ArcGis 10.4. Use wear density and directional distribution analysis permitted to create “distribution maps” related to each of the retouch and percussive activities performed, which were then compared with the ones originated by the analysis of the archaeological specimens. Moreover, correlating the experimental use wear and spatial maps and the traces and spatial patterns identified on the archaeological specimens it was possible to suggest that macro lithic tools at Fumane Cave were used in different phases of core reduction and to exploit two kinds of retouch techniques: parallel and scaled. Accordingly, we were able to provide detailed information regarding the activity and the gestures performed resulting in a clear interpretation of their use. The analysis of macro-lithic tools from Fumane Cave was the starting point for elaborating a combined methodological framework for studying and understanding various aspects of ancient technology. On the basis of the results here presented we believe that the application of such approach to other artefact categories (e.g. ground stones and knapped stones), as well as its extension to other aspects concerning their use (e.g. residues distribution), might provide new data and considerably enhance our current knowledge of ancient human technological behavior and choices
Origins and evolution of Modern Humans Behaviour: a view from North Africa
No full textThis special issue of Quaternary International, entitled “Origins
and evolution of Modern Humans Behaviour: a view from North Africa”',
is the result of the A22 Session organised by Nick Barton,
Abdeljalil Bouzouggar and Nabiha Aouadi for the XVII world UISPP
Congress in Burgos (Spain).
The session A22 was focused on the general theme of the
concept of Modern Behavior and his origin and development in
North Africa, with a special focus on Maghreb. Among the oral communications
presented during the session, six authors have agreed
to present a paper on this Quaternary International Special Issue
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
"David Lubell (ed.), Holocene Prehistory in the Telidjene Basin, Eastern Algeria: Capsian Occupations at Kef Zoura D and Ain Misteheyia." (2017):
No full textThis important Volume assembled and edited by David Lubell represents a significant contribution to the understanding of human settlements in the Maghreb during the Holocene. Specifically, the focus of the book is the Capsian, a cultural horizon spread in Northern Africa along the Mediterrenean coast and the immediate inland area from Morocco to Libya, where it appears alongside the local variant called Libyco-Capsian (McBurney 1967)
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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