Indian Glass in The Middle East? Medieval and Ottoman Glass Bangles from Central Jordan

Ecrit en collaboration avec Julian Henderson, professeur d'archéologie à l'université de NottinghamThis article is dealing with the question of cultural identity and economic organization of central Jordan through the study of material culture. The typological and chemical analyses of an archaeological glass bangles corpus excavated at Khirbat Faris and Tell Abu Sarbut dated of medieval and ottoman times propose interesting data

The exploration of Sr isotopic analysis applied to Chinese glazes: part one

Ash glaze and limestone glaze are two major glaze types in southern Chinese ceramic technology. In this study strontium isotope compositions were determined in ash glaze samples from the Yue kiln dated to between the 10th and 12th centuries AD, limestone glaze samples from Jingdezhen dated to between the 15th and 18th centuries AD and ceramic raw materials from Jingdezhen. The Sr isotopic characteristics of limestone glaze and ash glaze are completely different. The Sr isotope characteristics of limestone glaze is characterised by low Sr concentrations, large 87Sr/86Sr variation, and a two component mixing line. On the other hand the strontium isotope characteristic of ash glaze samples is characterised by a consistent 87Sr/86Sr signature and high Sr concentrations with a large variation. The different Sr isotope compositions for the two types of glazes are a reflection of the various raw materials involved in making them. The Sr isotopic composition has been altered by the refinement process that the raw material was subjected to. It was found that the mineralogical changes caused by the alteration are reflected in the Sr isotope results. The potential of Sr isotopic analysis of Chinese glazes is evaluated according to the results produced by this, the first such stud

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Phase Two Create Project Evaluation.

The  Social  Research  &  Regeneration  Unit  at  the  University  of  Plymouth  was  commissioned  by  Plymouth  2020  Partnership  to  evaluate  the  Community  Renewal  Education  And  Training  Enterprise  (CREATE)  project  as  part  of  Plymouth’s  overall Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) Phase Two Evaluation.  The CREATE evaluation was conducted between the autumn of 2005 and January 2006.  This report summarises  the main research findings

Workforce Development in the South West Voluntary and Community Sectors:Skill Shortages Study

The Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation, now the National  Workforce Development Hub, describes the Voluntary and Community  Sector  as  diverse  and  covering  a  variety  of  different  organisations.  Organisations range from traditional charities, to companies that trade to  support their social aims, through to informal community organisations.  The sector also includes federations, or networks of local groups working  under national umbrellas.  Voluntary and community sector organisations  provide  a  wide  range  of  services  and  activities  and  many  of  the  organisations are involved in the delivery of learning, whether through  accredited training or informal learning.  The Government has increasingly recognised the importance of Voluntary  and  community  sector  organisations  and  the  key  role  that  they  play  nationally,  regionally  and  locally.    Initiatives  to  support  the  sector,  underpinned by funding, have been undertaken and the Government has  been  active  in  encouraging  and  commissioning  research  and  strategic  planning  in  the  sector,  in  particular  emphasising  the  importance  of  developing the skills, capacities and potential of the workforce.  Sector organisations generally display a strong commitment to training  and workforce development.  However, in spite of this commitment and  the presence of a high proportion of well‐qualified workers, skills gaps,  that is skills lacking in the current workforce, and skills shortages caused  by recruitment difficulties, are present in the sector.  There are also skills  gaps and shortages in the volunteer workforce

An archaeometric study of Hellenistic glass vessels: evidence for multiple sources

In the present study, 53 glass fragments from core-formed vessels and 3 glass beads are investigated using SEM/EDX, EPMA and LA-ICP-MS. All samples were excavated in the Latin settlement of Satricum in central west Italy and apart from two, were found in the so-called fourth–third c. BC Hellenistic Votive deposit, also known as Votive Deposit III, discovered in front of the sanctuary of Mater Matuta on top of the acropolis. The analytical results indicate that the glass from Satricum is a typical soda-lime-silica type with natron used as a flux. Its chemical compositions display a relatively low compositional variation. Small differences in the concentrations of major and minor oxides (SiO2, Al2O3, CaO and Fe2O3) and in trace elements (Sr, Zr and Nd) between individual samples suggest the use of different types of raw materials, especially sand. In turn, this suggests that the glass derived from more than one glass making centre. The combined investigation of colourants (Co, Cu and Mn) reinforces and confirms the idea that glass from Satricum was made using different manufacturing traditions during the Hellenistic period

Interventions to increase use of services; Mental Health Awareness in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Mental health services in Nigeria consist mainly of large government psychiatric hospitals and there are very few mental health professionals to serve the large population of the country. However, more recently, community mental health services, which have been shown to improve access to care and clinical outcomes are beginning to develop in some locations. Despite efforts to promote more accessible services, low levels of knowledge about effective treatment of mental disorders means that even where these services are available, a very small proportion of people utilise these services. Therefore interventions to increase service use are an essential component of health system. METHODS: This intervention was designed to increase use of a mental health services through the work of community-based Village Health Workers. Fifteen Village Health Workers in each Local Government Area (district) were selected and trained to create mental health awareness in communities. Their function also include identification and referral of persons with mental illness to trained mental health nurses in the clinics. Attendance data prior to and after intervention were collected and compared. RESULTS: The incident rate for initial period of intervention is five times higher than the baseline rate (95% CI; 3.42-7.56; p < 0.001) though this diminished in the long term, levelling off above initial baseline. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that addition of awareness raising using volunteers in communities as part of health programme implementation can increase services use by a population. Mechanisms such as informing populations of the existence of a service which they were previously lacking; explanation of causation of mental illness and achieving community leaders' support for a new service can make investment in services more efficient by increasing attendance

Hunting colours: origin and reuse of glass tesserae from the Wierum terp

Mosaic glass tesserae were imported to Dutch sites during the Early Medieval period, probably to address the demand for coloured glass needed in ornamental bead manufacture. Although challenging, because of the uncertainty of the material’s context, the Wierum Early Medieval collection represents an extraordinary opportunity, being the most significant find of glass tesserae in the Netherlands to date. The combined use of electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (HH XRF) allowed us to examine glass tesserae and other vitreous samples from the site. Low levels for magnesium and potassium oxides (<1.5 wt%) and the chemical components linked with the silica source, fluxes, opacifiers and chromophores are compatible with an older Roman soda-lime-silica glass production. Alumina and calcium oxide contents together with the adoption of antimony-based opacifiers are compatible with mosaic tesserae of a first to third century AD Roman tradition. We assume that these tesserae were collected during the spoliation of a lavish building and reused for glass objects produced locally. The hypothesis seems to be confirmed by the presence in the collection of tesserae still embedded in mortar, stone tesserae fragments and a rounded fragment of Egyptian blue

The use of electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for the investigation of 8th–14th century plant ash glasses from the Middle East

This is the first broad survey using major, minor and trace element analysis of 8th-15th AD plant ash glass from the Middle East across a 2000 mile area stretching from Egypt to northern Iran. This was part of the ancient Silk Road that extended from the Middle East, through central Asia to China. Up to now, some compositional distinctions have been identified for such glasses mainly using major and minor element oxides and radiogenic isotopes. Our new trace element characterisation is for glass found in selected cosmopolitan hubs, including one where there is archaeological evidence for primary glass making. It provides not only far clearer provenance definitions for regional centres of production, in the Levant, northern Syria and in Iraq and Iran, but also for sub-regional zones of production. This fingerprinting is provided by trace elements associated with the primary glass making raw materials used: ashed halophytic plants and sands. Even more surprising is a correlation between some of the sub-regional production hubs and the types of glass vessels with diagnostic decoration apparently manufactured in or near the cosmopolitan hubs where the glass was found such as colourless cut and engraved vessels (in Iraq and Iran) and trail-decorated vessels (in the Levant). This therefore provides evidence for centres of specialisation. Our trace element characterisation provides a new way of defining the Silk Road by characterising the glass that was traded or exchanged along it. Taken together this data provides a new decentralised model for ancient glass production

Health and Nutrition Service Delivery to Refugess in the Somali Democratic Republic, 1980.

Nutrition and Feeding Case Studies. (421) Africa/East Africa/Somalia. (801.4H)The digital Cuny Archive was made available in part through funding assistance from USAID.The following article summarizes some of the principal areas of activity of the authors who worked as INTERTECT nutrition and public health consultants to the Brandi Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Comalia between March and September, I960.INTERTEC

Cold gas in the Intra Cluster Medium: implications for flow dynamics and powering optical nebulae

We show that the mechanical energy injection rate generated as the intra-cluster medium (ICM) flows around cold clouds may be sufficient to power the optical and near infra-red emission of nebulae observed in the central regions of a sample of seven galaxy clusters. The energy injection rate is extremely sensitive to the velocity difference between the ICM and cold clouds, which may help to explain why optical and infra-red luminosity is often larger than expected in systems containing AGNs. We also find that mass recycling is likely to be important for the dynamics of the ICM. This effect will be strongest in the central regions of clusters where there is more than enough cold gas for its evaporation to contribute significantly to the density of the hot phase.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA