224 research outputs found

    Pleistocene vertebrate trace fossils from the Cape south coast of South Africa: inferences and implications

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    Palaeoichnology, the study of fossil tracks and traces, has had a relatively late start on the Cape south coast of South Africa. Since its inception in 2007 the Cape south coast ichnology project has led to the identification of 326 Pleistocene vertebrate ichnosites in aeolianites (cemented dunes) and cemented foreshore deposits between the community of Arniston in the west and the Robberg Peninsula in the east, a distance of approximately 350 kilometres. As a result, significant palaeoevironmental, palaeocological and palaeoanthropological inferences have been made. This thesis brings together this corpus of work, and attempts to answer the question of how ichnology can inform the understanding of the Cape south coast Pleistocene environment, and how the trace fossil record can complement the body fossil record. Achieving this objective involves the development of a definitive regional account. This includes descriptions of the regional geological context, Quaternary sea-level changes, and the state of knowledge of the region’s Pleistocene palaeoenvironment, palaeoanthropology, and body fossil record, along with an understanding of the roles of substrate and taphonomy in regional ichnology. A discussion of geochronology includes the age results from specimens submitted for dating through optically stimulated luminescence – dated deposits range in age from Marine Isotope Stage 11 through Marine Isotope Srage 3. The body of the thesis is formed by systematic descriptions of the vertebrate ichnosites, accompanied by interpretation and comments. Three databases have been compiled: ichnosites, photographs, and photogrammetry images. In synthesizing this data, four underlying questions are addressed: what is the global relevance of the Cape south coast ichnosites, how can these studies complement the vertebrate body fossil record, how can they contribute to the understanding of Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and palaeocology, and how can they contribute to palaeoanthropology? The Cape south coast is of global ichnological importance. Unanticipated findings which augment the sparse reptilian body fossil record include tracks and traces of crocodiles, monitor lizards, very large tortoises (the first of their kind in the global record), and hatchling sea turtles. Two new ichnogenera have been erected to describe the sea turtle tracks, each containing a new ichnospecies: ustralochelichnus agulhasii and Marinerichnus latus. Avian ichnosites are the oldest in southern v Africa, and include the presence of tracks of larger-than-expected birds, which may represent large chronosubspecies or may suggest the possibility of extinctions which are not evident from the body fossil record. Unique examples of the non-hominin mammalian ichnosites include sand-swimming traces that resemble those of the ‘Namib mole’: as a result a new ichnogenus (Natatorichnus) has been erected, containing two ichnospecies, N. subarenosa and N. sulcatus. The first elephant trunk-drag impressions and the first pinniped ichnosites in the global record have been identified. The role of elephant tracks as precursors to coastal potholes was previously unsuspected. Equid tracksites indicate a widespread presence of the extinct giant Cape horse (Equus capensis). The identification of a giraffe tracksite represents a major range extension. In particular, tracks and traces of giraffe, crocodiles, breeding sea turtles, and sand-swimming golden moles have significant palaeoenvironmental implications.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202

    Aiding the conservation of two wooden Buddhist sculptures with 3D imaging and spectroscopic techniques

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    The conservation of Buddhist sculptures that were transferred to Europe at some point during their lifetime raises numerous questions: while these objects historically served a religious, devotional purpose, many of them currently belong to museums or private collections, where they are detached from their original context and often adapted to western taste. A scientific study was carried out to address questions from Museo d'Arte Orientale of Turin curators in terms of whether these artifacts might be forgeries or replicas, and how they may have transformed over time. Several analytical techniques were used for materials identification and to study the production technique, ultimately aiming to discriminate the original materials from those added within later interventions

    The relationship between humans and elks (Alces alces) in Northern Europe c. 12 000–1200 calBC

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    The subject of this dissertation is the relationship between humans and elks in Northern Europe during the period 12 000–1200 calBC. The elk (Alces alces) was of extraordinary importance to northern populations for several millennia, being not only the most important game animal in the boreal forest zone, but also an animal of notable symbolic significance. By bringing together different sources of evidence, and taking a long-term perspective, this study aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the elk’s significance to prehistoric human populations. The study explores the rise and decline of elk symbolism, its various manifestations in the boreal forest zone, as well as the qualities of prehistoric beliefs and activities related to the elk. The study material consists of osteological remains of elk, elk-related depictions in hunter-gatherer rock art, as well as elk-related portable artefacts. The main research methodology used is based on relational analogies deduced from widespread general notions that stem from societies where elks have been hunted. Additional research methods include a comprehensive study of earlier literature, fieldwork at rock art sites, museums and archaeological collections, as well as consul-tations with elk hunters and biologists. The study shows that the key reasons for the elk’s multimillennial special significance, and the birth of elk symbolism, were the elk’s solitary behaviour, the high efficacy and prestige status of elk hunting, as well as the versatility and unpredictability of the elk as a resource. A central argument in the study is that there were two fundamental reasons for producing elk representations in rock art and on artefacts: to gain success in hunting and to guarantee the reproduction of elks for hunting. Another central argument is that the elk cow embodied the “game ruler” or “animal master spirit” of elks, which had ultimate control over not only rebirth and fertility, but also hunting success. The focus on the elk cow as a life-giver seems to have been a key theme that persisted for several millennia in Northern Europe. It is also argued that elk figures in rock art represent elks as individuals. Figures depicted at ordinary rock art sites signalled the presence of humans in the landscape and their relationship to the local elks, whereas those found at large rock art concentrations were linked to meetings between hunter-gatherer groups. Elk-related artefacts, it is argued, were used by different kinds of individuals and in different settings but were still related to various stages of the elk hunting process. The study suggests that all hunters had a personal relationship with the elk and/or its game ruler, but differences existed in the degree of its closeness, and these differences were reflected in human societies. Consequently, the most skilful elk-hunters became the most respected authorities in elk hunting groups. In time, these individuals came to be regarded as mythical forefathers that were also depicted in rock art. The decline of elk symbolism in the region of study is explained as resulting from multiple factors, including changes in climate, the introduction of a new set of beliefs related to pastoralism, as well as an increased focus on other animal species. Keywords: Alces alces, animal art, elk, elk-head boats, elk-head staffs, elk hunting, ethology, human-animal relations, hunter-gatherers, hunting, Northern Europe, portable art, prehistoric art, rock art, Stone Age, zoomorphic artVäitöskirjan aiheena on ihmisen ja hirven välinen suhde Pohjois-Euroopassa aikakaudella 12 000–1200 eKr. Hirvi (Alces alces) oli poikkeuksellisen tärkeä eläin pohjoisille kansoille vuosituhansien ajan. Se oli paitsi pohjoisen havumetsävyöhykkeen tärkein saaliseläin myös huomattavia symbolisia merkityksiä kantanut eläin. Tutkimus pyrkii eri aineistoja yhdistämällä antamaan kokonaisvaltaisen käsityksen hirven merkityksestä esihistoriallisille väestöryhmille pitkällä aikavälillä. Se käsittelee hirvisymboliikan syntyä, hiipumista ja erilaisia ilmentymiä pohjoisella havumetsävyöhykkeellä sekä hirveen esihistoriallisena aikana kytkeytyneitä uskomuksia ja käytäntöjä. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu hirven osteologisista jäänteistä ja hirven kuvauksista pyyntikulttuurien kalliotaiteessa ja esinelöydöissä. Pääasiallisena tutkimusmenetelmänä toimii hirvenpyyntiä harjoittavien yhteisöjen parista johdettujen relationaalisten analogioiden käyttö. Muita tutkimuksessa hyödynnettyjä menetelmiä ovat kattava kirjallisuuskatsaus, kalliotaidekohteilla, museoissa ja arkeologisissa kokoelmissa suoritettu kenttätyö sekä hirvenmetsästäjien ja biologien konsultaatio. Tutkimus osoittaa hirven monituhatvuotisen erityisaseman ja hirvisymboliikan syntymisen selittyvän useilla taustatekijöillä, joista päällimmäisiä olivat hirvenpyynnin tehokkuus ja arvostus sekä hirven monipuolisuus ja ennustamattomuus resurssina. Työn keskeinen argumentti on, että hirvien kuvaamiselle esihistoriallisessa taiteessa oli kaksi perustavanlaatuista syytä: pyyntionnen saavuttaminen sekä metsästettäviksi soveltuvien hirvien lisääntymisen turvaaminen. Tutkimuksen valossa naarashirvi ilmensi hirvien ns. lajinhaltijaa, jonka vastuulla oli paitsi jälleensyntyminen ja hedelmällisyys myös saalistuksen onnistuminen. Hirvilehmän asema elämänantajana vaikuttaa olleen merkittävä teema, joka säilyi Pohjois-Euroopassa keskeisenä vuosituhansien ajan. Pohjoisessa kalliotaiteessa hirvenkuvia esiintyy runsaasti, ja ne ovat parhaiten ymmärrettävissä yksilöllisiä eläimiä esittävinä. Tavanomaisille kalliotaidekohteille tehdyt hirvenkuvat selittyvät niin vieraille väestöryhmille kuin hirville itselleen osoitettuina ilmaisuina alueen ihmisten ja hirvien välillä vallinneesta suhteesta. Suurille kalliopiirroskeskittymille tehdyt hirvenkuvat kytkeytyvät sen sijaan ensisijaisesti eri alueiden pyyntiyhteisöjen välisiin tapaamisiin. Erilaisille hirveä esittäville esineille on vuorostaan yhteistä niiden kuuluminen hirvenmetsästysprosessin eri vaiheisiin. Tutkimuksen perusteella on oletettavaa, että jokaisella hirvenmetsästäjällä oli henkilökohtainen suhde hirveen ja/tai tämän lajinhaltijaan, mutta suhteiden laadussa oli eroavaisuuksia, jotka heijastuivat pyyntiyhteisöissä. Taitavimmat hirvenmetsästäjät kohosivat yhteisöjensä arvostetuimmiksi ja arvovaltaisimmiksi jäseniksi. Ajan saatossa tällaisia henkilöitä alettiin pitää myyttisinä esi-isinä, joita kuvattiin myös kalliotaiteessa. Hirvisymboliikan hiipuminen tutkimusalueella selittyy tutkimuksen valossa lukuisten tekijöiden yhteisvaikutuksella, ja näihin lukeutuvat ilmaston muuttuminen, maanviljelykseen kytkeytyvien uskomusten leviäminen sekä muiden eläinlajien merkityksen kasvaminen. Avainsanat: Alces alces, eläintaide, eräkulttuuri, esihistoriallinen taide, esinelöydöt, etologia, hirvenmetsästys, hirvenpääsauva, hirvenpäävene, hirvi, ihmis-eläinsuhteet, kalliotaide, kivikausi, metsästys, metsästäjä-keräilijät, Pohjois-Eurooppa, pyyntikulttuur

    Pleistocene vertebrate trace fossils from the Cape south coast of South Africa: inferences and implications

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    Palaeoichnology, the study of fossil tracks and traces, has had a relatively late start on the Cape south coast of South Africa. Since its inception in 2007 the Cape south coast ichnology project has led to the identification of 326 Pleistocene vertebrate ichnosites in aeolianites (cemented dunes) and cemented foreshore deposits between the community of Arniston in the west and the Robberg Peninsula in the east, a distance of approximately 350 kilometres. As a result, significant palaeoevironmental, palaeocological and palaeoanthropological inferences have been made. This thesis brings together this corpus of work, and attempts to answer the question of how ichnology can inform the understanding of the Cape south coast Pleistocene environment, and how the trace fossil record can complement the body fossil record. Achieving this objective involves the development of a definitive regional account. This includes descriptions of the regional geological context, Quaternary sea-level changes, and the state of knowledge of the region’s Pleistocene palaeoenvironment, palaeoanthropology, and body fossil record, along with an understanding of the roles of substrate and taphonomy in regional ichnology. A discussion of geochronology includes the age results from specimens submitted for dating through optically stimulated luminescence – dated deposits range in age from Marine Isotope Stage 11 through Marine Isotope Srage 3. The body of the thesis is formed by systematic descriptions of the vertebrate ichnosites, accompanied by interpretation and comments. Three databases have been compiled: ichnosites, photographs, and photogrammetry images. In synthesizing this data, four underlying questions are addressed: what is the global relevance of the Cape south coast ichnosites, how can these studies complement the vertebrate body fossil record, how can they contribute to the understanding of Pleistocene palaeoenvironments and palaeocology, and how can they contribute to palaeoanthropology? The Cape south coast is of global ichnological importance. Unanticipated findings which augment the sparse reptilian body fossil record include tracks and traces of crocodiles, monitor lizards, very large tortoises (the first of their kind in the global record), and hatchling sea turtles. Two new ichnogenera have been erected to describe the sea turtle tracks, each containing a new ichnospecies: ustralochelichnus agulhasii and Marinerichnus latus. Avian ichnosites are the oldest in southern v Africa, and include the presence of tracks of larger-than-expected birds, which may represent large chronosubspecies or may suggest the possibility of extinctions which are not evident from the body fossil record. Unique examples of the non-hominin mammalian ichnosites include sand-swimming traces that resemble those of the ‘Namib mole’: as a result a new ichnogenus (Natatorichnus) has been erected, containing two ichnospecies, N. subarenosa and N. sulcatus. The first elephant trunk-drag impressions and the first pinniped ichnosites in the global record have been identified. The role of elephant tracks as precursors to coastal potholes was previously unsuspected. Equid tracksites indicate a widespread presence of the extinct giant Cape horse (Equus capensis). The identification of a giraffe tracksite represents a major range extension. In particular, tracks and traces of giraffe, crocodiles, breeding sea turtles, and sand-swimming golden moles have significant palaeoenvironmental implications.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202

    3D Information Technologies in Cultural Heritage Preservation and Popularisation

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    This Special Issue of the journal Applied Sciences presents recent advances and developments in the use of digital 3D technologies to protect and preserve cultural heritage. While most of the articles focus on aspects of 3D scanning, modeling, and presenting in VR of cultural heritage objects from buildings to small artifacts and clothing, part of the issue is devoted to 3D sound utilization in the cultural heritage field

    Before American History

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    Before American History juxtaposes Mexico City’s famous carved Sun Stone with the mounded earthworks found throughout the Midwestern states of the U.S. to examine the project of settler nationalism from the 1780s to the 1840s in two North American republics usually studied separately. As the U.S. and Mexico transformed from European colonies into independent nations—and before war scarred them both—antiquarians and historians compiled and interpreted archives meant to document America’s Indigenous pasts. These settler-colonial understandings of North America’s past deliberately misappropriated Indigenous histories and repurposed them and their material objects as "American antiquities," thereby writing Indigenous pasts out of U.S. and Mexican national histories and national lands and erasing and denigrating Native peoples living in both nascent republics.Christen Mucher creatively recovers the Sun Stone and mounded earthworks as archives of nationalist power and Indigenous dispossession as well as objects that are, at their material base, produced by Indigenous people but settler controlled and settler interpreted. Her approach renders visible the foundational methodologies, materials, and mythologies that created an American history out of and on top of Indigenous worlds and facilitated Native dispossession continent-wide. By writing Indigenous actors out of national histories, Mexican and U.S. elites also wrote them out of their lands, a legacy of erasure and removal that continues when we repeat these eighteenth- and nineteenth-century settler narratives and that reverberates in discussions of immigration, migration, and Nativism today

    Reindeer Husbandry - Adaptation to the Changing Arctic, Volume 1

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    Reindeer Husbandry: Adaptation to the Changing Arctic, Volume 1 is the first of two books published by Springer Nature. This first book consists of ten peer-reviewed chapters with each chapter reviewed by two to six renowned international researchers and scientists. The authors express their immense gratitude to the reviewers and deeply acknowledge their unique contribution. This book addresses the critical issue faced by Indigenous peoples in the Arctic: climate change, the ways in which it affects their societies and livelihoods, environment, and economies. It is important that all available forms of knowledge – academic, traditional, Indigenous, and local – are included when addressing the adaptation and resilience of reindeer husbandry in the Circumpolar North. The two volumes provide novel insights into the Arctic Indigenous reindeer herding communities and how resilience can be built locally through the use of traditional knowledge and co-production

    50 Years World Heritage Convention: Shared Responsibility – Conflict & Reconciliation

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    This open access book identifies various forms of heritage destruction and analyses their causes. It proposes strategies for avoiding and solving conflicts, based on integrating heritage into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It reflects on the identity-building role of heritage, on multidimensional conflicts and the destruction of heritage, and considers conflict-solving strategies and future perspectives. Furthermore, it engages theoretically and practically with the concepts of responsibility, reconciliation and sustainability, relating mainly to four Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. SDGs 4 (education), 11 (e.g. World Heritage), 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the goals). More than 160 countries have inscribed properties on the UNESCO World Heritage list since the World Heritage Convention came into force. Improvements in the implementation of the Convention, such as the Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List, have occurred, but other conflicts have not been solved. The book advocates for a balanced distribution of properties and more effective strategies to represent the global diversity of cultural and natural heritage. Furthermore it highlights the importance of heritage in identity building

    Natural Sciences in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

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    A Special Issue of the international journal Sustainability under the section Sustainability of Culture & Heritage has been made, entitled Natural Sciences in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage. The bridge between science/technology and the humanities (archaeology, anthropology, history of art, and cultural heritage) has formed a well-established interdisciplinary subject with several sub-disciplines; it is growing exponentially, spurred by the fast development of technology in other fields (space exploration, medical, military, and industrial applications). On the other hand, art and culture struggle to survive due to neglect, lack of funding, or the dangers of events such as natural disasters and war. This volume strengthens and exerts the documentation of the sustainability of the issue that arises from the outcome of resulting research and the application of such a duality link. The sustainable dimension emerges from society, education, and economics through the impact of cultural growth, all of which produce a balanced society, in which prosperity, harmony, and development are merged at a sustainable local/regional/national/social level. A wide range of subjects linking the applied natural sciences with archaeology and the cultural heritage of innovative research and applications are presented in this volume

    Parks and Protected Areas: Mobilizing Knowledge for Effective Decision-Making

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    Parks and protected areas provide important services to nature and society. Park managers make difficult decisions to achieve their diverse mandates, and need current, relevant, and rigorous information. However, effective use of research provided by social scientists, natural scientists, local people, or Indigenous people is an ongoing challenge. Through case studies, this book examines knowledge mobilization in parks and protected areas, with a focus on successes and failures, barriers and enablers, diverse theoretical frameworks, and structural innovations. This book embraces the generation and use of knowledge, especially natural science, social science, local knowledge, and Indigenous knowledge, in relation to policy, planning, and management of parks and protected areas
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