Shir, Syrien

The late Neolithic site of Shir is one of the few settlements of the 7th millenium BC in Syria, which was extensively investigated. The analysis of the stratigraphy of the excavations in the southern area of the site proved, for the period between c. 7000 and 6500/6400 cal BC, the existence of a a complexcommunity whose subsistence was based both on the use of wild resources of the surrounding habitats, as well as on agricultural cultivation and grazing. However, despite the seemingly favorable settlement conditions, pathological investigations of the burials of the settlement show a high infant mortality rate. Due to the favorable raw material situation in the immediate vicinity of the settlement, a household-based production of the entire range of tools and objects necessary for everyday needs can be assumed. In addition, imported raw materials and the existence of special objects testify to the site’s integration into the regional and supraregional trade networks and to craft specialization

Eh-Sayyeh, Jordanien: Die Arbeiten des Jahres 2013

The site of eh-Sayyeh is one of the few previously known settlements of the Neolithic period in northern Jordan. Former research in the 1990s revealed a settlement sequence of the 8th to the 6th Millennium BC. The assemblage of Early and Late Neolithic layers allows investigations into the transition between these periods and the earliest appearance of pottery. The main objective of the project is a detailed stratigraphic-chronological analysis of selected settlement areas and the comparison of these results with developments in the northern Levant

Mushash 163, Jordanien. Die Grabungskampagnen 2015/2016 // Die lithischen Kleinfunde

Fieldwork in 2015/2016 (K. Bartl)The Neolithic site Mushash 163 in the western desert steppe (badia) of Jordan has been investigated since 2014 in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. During the excavations in the years 2015 and 2016, four round structures were recorded, which date back to the period between 8800 and 8400 cal BC, that is, the end of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) (9800–8600 cal BC) and the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (EPPNB) (8600–8300/8200 cal BC). This period, which has been documented rather little in the southern Levant, is of particular importance for the understanding of the process of neolithization, since it is associated with the beginning of domestication in the northern regions of West Asia. The work at the site of Mushash 163 aims to shed new light on this crucial period (of transition) in the southern Levant. The lithic material (D. Rokitta-Krumnow)The site of Mushash 163 is one of the very few Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlements in the Jordanian desert steppe and is investigated since 2014. The main objective is the study of the stratigraphical-chrononological sequence and the structure of this 9th millennium BC site. By evaluating the lithic material, simplified production techniques could be demonstrated, which were applied mainly at household level. The manufacture of special types of tools, for which particular knowledge is required, is comparatively rare. However, the high number of borers in the tool kit indicates a certain specialization in the tool production at the site

Archaeological Survey in the Hama Region 2003–2005

As in many other regions of the Levant, extensive settlement began in the middle of the 3rd mill. bc in the surroundings of the city of Hama as well. From that point in time onwards continuous use of this most important settlement area in the region, that is, the river valleys and the immediately bordering areas, is evidenced. Particularly noteworthy are the enduring concentration of habitation at a few large settlements near the rivers, on one hand, and, on the other, the widely absence of settlement traces in the relatively barren limestone regions to the west. The use of the latter area began rather late, to greater extent only in Late Roman/Early Byzantine times, when numerous smaller settlements arose there. This pattern continues into the Middle Islamic period, whereas it has not been evidenced yet in Early Islamic times. The absence of evidence from further periods of time, such as Iron Age I and III, does not necessarily reflect the original data, but is likely due to insufficient knowledge about the material culture of these temporal units. In view of the extraordinarily favourable abundance of natural resources in the Hama region, times of complete absence of settlement are hard to imagine.Comme dans beaucoup d’autres régions du Levant, l’expansion des installations humaines commence au milieu du IIIe mill. av. n. è. dans les environs de la cité de Hama. À partir de cette date, une occupation continue est documentée dans la zone la plus importante de la région, c’est-à-dire les vallées des rivières et leurs bordures immédiates. Particulièrement signicatifs sont, d’une part, la concentration permanente de l’habitat dans quelques grands sites proches des rivières et, d’autre part, l’absence notable de trace d’établissement dans les régions calcaires plutôt arides de l’Ouest. La mise en valeur de ces dernières a commencé très tard, en règle générale seulement à la fin de la période romaine et au début de la période byzantine, où de nombreux petits établissements s’y développèrent. Ce modèle continua au milieu de la période islamique, alors qu’il n’est pas encore documenté à son début. L’absence de données pour d’autres périodes, comme les âges du Fer I et III, ne reflète pas forcément la réalité du terrain mais s’explique vraisemblablement par l’insuffisance des connaissances actuelles sur ces unités temporelles. Vu l’extraordinaire richesse en ressources naturelles de la région de Hama, il est difficile d’imaginer des périodes sans aucune installation humaine.ملخص: كما هو الحال في كثير من مناطق بلاد الشام، بدأت حركات الاستيطان البشري بالتوسع في منتصف الألفية الثالثة قبل الميلاد في محيط مدينة حماة. وقد تم، ابتداءً من هذا التاريخ، توثيق عملية استيطان مستمرة في الجزء الأكثر أهمية في المنطقة، أي في وديان الأنهار وضفافها المباشرة. ومن الجدير بشكل خاص إلقاء الضوء على تمركز دائم للسكان في بعض المواقع الكبيرة والقريبة من الأنهار من جهة، وغياب ملحوظ لآثار المستوطنات في المناطق الكلسية والجافة نوعا ما في الغرب من جهة أخرى. ولم يتم تطوير هذه المناطق الأخيرة إلا في مراحل متأخرة، وبشكل عام، بدأ العديد من المستوطنات الصغيرة تأخذ بالتطور فقط في نهاية الفترة الرومانية وبداية الفترة البيزنطية. استمر هذه النمط حتى منتصف الفترة الإسلامية، في حين أنه لم يتم توثيقه في بدايتها. إن عدم توفر معطيات لفترات أخرى مثل عصر الحديد الأول والثالث لا يعكس بالضرورة الواقع فعلياً على الأرض لكن يمكن تفسيره بعدم كفاية المعارف الحالية حول هذه الوحدات المؤقتة. وبالنظر إلى الثروة غير العادية من الموارد الطبيعية في منطقة حماة، فمن الصعب تصور فترات زمنية خالية من أي استيطان سكاني والتي من الممكن أن تتفسر بلا شك بالصراعات آنذاك

All-inorganic core-shell silica-titania mesoporous colloidal nanoparticles showing orthogonal functionality

Colloidal mesoporous silica (CMS) nanoparticles with a thin titania-enriched outer shell showing a spatially resolved functionality were synthesized by a delayed co-condensation approach. The titaniashell can serve as a selective nucleation site for the growth of nanocrystalline anatase clusters. These fully inorganic pure silica-core titania-enriched shell mesoporous nanoparticles show orthogonal functionality, demonstrated through the selective adsorption of a carboxylate-containing ruthenium N3-dye. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy indicate the strong interaction of the N3-dye with the titania-phase at the outer shell of the CMS nanoparticles. In particular, this interaction and thus the selective functionalization are greatly enhanced when anatase nanocrystallites are nucleated at the titania-enriched shell surface

Transitkunst. Studien zur Literatur 1890-2010

Die Chiffre „Transit“ vereinigt mit Aspekten wie Mobilität, Flüchtigkeit und Vorläufigkeit zentrale Begriffe des Zeiterlebens zwischen 1890 und 2010. Vor dem Hintergrund mehrerer Krisen und Katastrophen sowie tiefgreifender Umwandlungsprozesse erscheint das Leben als Durchgangsstadium, in dem sich nur noch ein temporäres, fragmentarisches Netz von Orientierungspunkten entwerfen lässt. Das Transitäre durchdringt nahezu alle Facetten des Individuums und seiner Lebensbereiche: vom Wahrnehmen der Inkohärenz in der Folge gesellschaftlicher Umwälzungen, über den Verlust ‚sicherer‘ Orte bis zum Erfahren der eigenen Identität als provisorisch. Die Reaktion auf solche Übergangszustände ist oft eine Intensivierung der Suchbewegungen nach Sicherheit, Nähe und Glück, die jedoch selbst zunehmend transitive Zwischenstellungen markieren. Die Literatur zeichnet sich unter dieser Perspektive durch die Adaptation transittypischer Themen und Inhalte aus, desgleichen durch die autoreflexive Übertragung von Konzepten wie Momenthaftigkeit, Unvollständigkeit und Flexibilität in das eigene narrative Programm. Die Beiträge des Bandes nähern sich verschiedenen Formen eines solchen inhaltlichen und/oder formalen ‚Dazwischen‘ an. Die Idee des Transits erweist sich dabei für diese vielfältigen literatur- und kulturwissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen als ebenso funktionale wie inspirierende Klammer, der es gelingt, im bewussten Einlassen auf das im Durchgang Begriffene die heterogenen Facetten des 20. Jahrhunderts zu verbinden: zu einer Art Zeitbild und Ästhetik des Transits

Mushash 163, Jordanien. Die Grabungskampagnen 2017

The early Neolithic site of Mushash 163 is one of the few known settlements of the Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic A/PPNA (9800–8800/8700 calBC) and Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B/EPPNB (8700/8600–8300/8200 calBC). A geophysical survey carried out in 2013 showed a settlement size of about 45 × 65 m with a large number of round houses. During five short field seasons on the years 2014–2017, where multiple soundings were conducted, which confirmed the geophysical data and led to a variety of new information for the 9th millennium BC determined

Shir, Syrien: Siedlung und Umland des 7. Jts. v. Chr. in der nördlichen Levante

The Late Neolithic settlement of Shir is one of the few archaeological sites in Syria, where a settlement sequence for the entire 7th Millennium BC is present. The data generated between 2005 and 2010 allow detailed insights into settlement layout, architecture development, burial customs and economic basis. In addition, the findings of lithics, ceramics and objects enable comprehensive analyzes on raw materials, technologies, use concepts, and interregional contacts in the early Late Neolithic period