Rethinking Iberian ‘warrior’ stelae: a multidisciplinary investigation of Mirasiviene and its connection to Setefilla (Lora del Río, Seville, Spain)

Iberian ‘warrior’ stelae have captured the imagination of researchers and the public for more than a century. Traditionally, stelae were considered ‘de-contextualised’ monuments, and research typically focused on the study of their iconography, paying little or no attention to their immediate contexts. As a result, despite the large number of these stelae known to date (c. 140) and the ample body of literature that has dealt with them, fundamental questions remain unanswered. This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of a multidisciplinary and contextual approach to push forward the research agenda on these monuments through a case study. Firstly, we introduce the Mirasiviene stela and the methods deployed for its investigation, which include a variety of digital imaging techniques, petrography, pXRF, intensive survey and multiscalar spatial analysis. Secondly, we discuss the results in relation to three main topics: stela biography, social practices and landscape context. Comparisons to the well-known nearby Bronze Age and Iron Age site of Setefilla are made throughout the discussion. Ultimately, this paper makes a case for the stelae of Mirasiviene and Setefilla being polyvalent monuments made by local artisans, that served both as landmarks and memorials in connection with dense late second and early first millennium BCE settlement patterns in the region. Probably linked to elites, ‘houses’ or kin groups of this time, stelae were set in symbolically charged places, liminal spaces nearby water, burials and pathways, attracting a range of ritual activities throughout the centuries. The study of the newly discovered Mirasiviene stela shows that multidisciplinary, cutting-edge non-destructive archaeology can shed significant new light on these prehistoric monuments, thus providing a glimpse of what in our opinion is a paradigm shift in the research of similar monuments throughout Europe.The research was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Education (Programa Nacional de Movilidad de Recursos Humanos del Plan Nacional de I-D+i 2008-2011) (post-doctoral grant awarded to MDG) and the Polish National Science Centre (grant number DEC-2017/ 25/B/HS3/00635) (awarded to MK)

Learning Bayesian network classifiers for multidimensional supervised classification problems by means of a multiobjective approach

A classical supervised classification task tries to predict a single class variable based on a data set composed of a set of labeled examples. However, in many real domains more than one variable could be considered as a class variable, so a generalization of the single-class classification problem to the simultaneous prediction of a set of class variables should be developed. This problem is called multi-dimensional supervised classification. In this paper, we deal with the problem of learning Bayesian net work classifiers for multi-dimensional supervised classification problems. In order to do that, we have generalized the classical single-class Bayesian network classifier to the prediction of several class variables. In addition, we have defined new classification rules for probabilistic classifiers in multi-dimensional problems. We present a learning approach following a multi-objective strategy which considers the accuracy of each class variable separately as the functions to optimize. The solution of the learning approach is a Pareto set of non-dominated multi-dimensional Bayesian network classifiers and their accuracies for the different class variables, so a decision maker can easily choose by hand the classifier that best suits the particular problem and domain

A solutrean site in the Western Betic Range: El Higueral- Guardia cave (Cortes de la Frontera, Málaga, Spain)

En el verano de 2011 se iniciaron trabajos de sondeo en la cueva del Higueral-Guardia (Málaga, España). Los sondeos han determinado la existencia de una importante secuencia con niveles del Paleolítico superior y medio todavía en estudio. No obstante, la actividad perpetrada por los clandestinos en la cueva, ha limitado significativamente las posibilidades de interpretación de los niveles solutrenses. En este trabajo pretendemos, además de realizar una presentación preliminar de los datos obtenidos, establecer una discusión sobre el valor que este tipo de registros puede tener de cara a establecer interpretaciones de rango mayor. Aspectos como la intensidad de la ocupación, la diacronía del registro, o la funcionalidad del sitio son discutidos en este sentidoIn the summer of 2011 several test pits were made in the Higueral-Guardia Cave (Málaga, Spain). The sondages have determined the existence of an important Upper and Middle Paleolithic archaeological sequence, still under study. However, the illegal digging activity in the cave have significantly limited the possibilities of interpretation of the Solutrean levels. In this paper we present some preliminary results of the field work, and at the same time, establish a discussion about the value of such records in order to establish deeper anthropological interpretations. Aspects such as the intensity of the occupation, the diachronic value of the archaeological record, or the functionality of the site are discusse

Aportaciones Metodológicas de la Investigación a la Docencia

La presente ponencia constituye un ejercicio de aplicación de la metodología de investigación a la docencia. De este modo se identificarán las principales actividades de la metodología investigadora, y se verá cómo éstas se pueden utilizar para construir en torno a ellas una asignatura. Se realizará también un análisis de las capacidades, habilidades y conocimientos generales que potencia este tipo de metodología

A sensitivity study of bias and variance of k-fold cross-validation in prediction error estimation

In the machine learning field the performance of a classifier is usually measured in terms of prediction error. In most real-world problems, the error cannot be exactly calculated and it must be estimated. Therefore, it’s important to choose an appropriate estimator of the error. This paper analyzes the statistical properties (bias and variance) of the k-fold cross-validation classification error estimator (k-cv). Our main contribution is a novel theoretical decomposition of the variance of the k-cv considering its sources of variance: sensitivity to changes in the training set and sensitivity to changes in the folds. The paper also compares the bias and variance of the estimator for different values of k. The empirical study has been performed in artificial domains because they allow the exact computation of the implied quantities and we can specify rigorously the conditions of experimentation. The empirical study has been performed for two different classifiers (naïve Bayes and nearest neighbor), different number of folds (2, 5, 10, n) and sample sizes, and training sets coming from assorted probability distributions

Sorprendente, colorido, suave, raro: recursos líticos y preferencias culturales en la arquitectura, escultura y artefactos portables del monumento tipo tholos de Palacio III (Sevilla, España)

The investigation of the Iberian megalithic phenomenon has only recently begun to benefit from the expansion of the technical and scientific potential of modern archaeology. There are still very few Iberian megaliths for which high resolution scientific research has been carried out, providing detailed data on their design, uses and biographies. This paper presents the results of the multi-disciplinary study of the Palacio III tholos, part of a larger megalithic complex located in Almadén de la Plata (Seville). This study is based on a wide-spectrum methodology that integrates geoarchaeology, techno-morphological and functional analysis of portable material culture and graphic analysis, all combined within a meticulously contextual perspective. The results provide a wealth of data on how, through a series of carefully constructed cultural choices, this monument represents a true place of encounter between the locally available geological resources and other resources that were only accessible through contact with neighbouring communities. Whether in its raw state, finely carved in the form of engraved and painted sculptures or transformed into artefacts of high technical and personal value, the materiality of the stone in the Palacio III tholos acquires multiple cultural dimensions that only a modern scientific approach is able to reconstruct.Solo recientemente la investigación del fenómeno megalítico ibérico ha comenzado a beneficiarse de la ampliación del potencial técnico y científico de la arqueología moderna. Todavía son muy pocos los megalitos ibéricos para los que se han realizado investigaciones científicas de alta resolución, capaces de aportar datos detallados sobre su diseño, usos y biografías. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del estudio del tholos del complejo megalítico de Palacio III (Almadén de la Plata, Sevilla), abordado mediante una metodología multidisciplinar que integra la geoarqueología, el estudio tecnomorfológico y funcional de la cultura material portable y el análisis gráfico, dentro de una meticulosa valoración contextual. Los resultados aportan datos muy novedosos respecto a cómo, a través de una serie de elecciones culturales cuidadosamente construidas, este monumento representa un verdadero lugar de encuentro entre los recursos geológicos localmente disponibles y los recursos accesibles mediante contacto con otras comunidades. Bien en su forma bruta, bien labrada en forma de esculturas grabadas y pintadas o transformada en artefactos de alto valor técnico y personal, la materialidad de la piedra adquiere en Palacio III múltiples dimensiones culturales que solo a través de la moderna investigación científica es posible reconstruir.This study has been funded by the project of “Nature, Society and Monumentality: High Resolution Archaeological Investigations on the Megalithic Landscape of Antequera” (HAR2013-45149-P) (2014-2017), sponsored within the National R&D Plan of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spanish Government)

Performance of self-compacting mortars with granite sludge as aggregate

Waste produced in the extraction and processing of granite stone severely damages the environment when it is deposited in landfills. This research aims to use granite sludge as an alternative to conventional aggregates (natural sand and siliceous filler) in self-compacting mortars production. In a previous stage, the granite sludge was characterised by chemical and mineralogical composition, specific gravity, scanning electron microscopy, particle size distribution and environmental evaluation by leaching test. Subsequently, three replacement percentages (0%, 20% and 40%) by volume of conventional aggregate with granite sludge were evaluated for their self-compactability properties. Compressive and flexural strength at 7, 28 and 91 curing days were measured. The mineralogical phases using X-ray diffraction techniques, microstructure by mercury intrusion porosimetry, shrinkage and mass loss, water absorption by capillarity, water absorption capacity, bulk and skeletal density, open porosity for water and wettability of hardened mortar specimens were all studied. The granite sludge incorporation did not affect the cement hydration phases, although the microstructure of the self-compacting mortars was slightly modified. The morphology of the granite sludge particles reduced the filling effect of pores and required a slight increase in the w/c ratio to maintain the self-compacting parameter. This fact justifies the slight increase in porosity, the lower bulk density and the slight decrease in the mechanical strength of mortars with granite sludge. The durability properties were also slightly affected compared to the self-compacting reference mortar. From an engineering point of view, the results show the feasibility of incorporating up to 40% of granite sludge in self-compacting mortar. This study explores a sustainable alternative to conventional aggregates in the manufacture of self-compacting mortar by reducing the consumption of raw materials and avoiding granite sludge landfill

SROI Methodology for Public Administration Decisions about Financing with Social Criteria. A Case Study

: The measurement of impacts has been considered one of the best methodologies to evaluate the level of achievement of social entities’ objectives as well as of their contribution to resolving social problems. Those methodologies can guide public policies and subsidies granting, as they help to identify the organizations producing a higher social value, and the effects of their projects. Our research focused on the effectiveness and the efficiency of social entities, measured through their capacity to generate impacts on their stakeholders. The research was realized through the analysis of a case study: the special education center for disabled youths, CEE-SA, in Spain. The social return on investment (SROI) methodology has allowed us to monetarize the social value created for stakeholders through the activity carried out by CEE-SA, and it provides information about the whole value creation process that is generated, for which the analysis and follow-up through the indicators offers a contribution to its management system. This case study can serve as a reference in assessing the management processes of similar entities and can also highlight SROI usefulness for public administrations as an assessment tool for subsidies granted on social criteria. The originality of this research relies on the new SROI methodology provided for the assessment of public financing decisions, especially in a field that remains as under-researched as special education schools

The Study of Soil Temperature Distribution for Very Low-Temperature Geothermal Energy Applications in Selected Locations of Temperate and Subtropical Climate

The publication presents the results of research on soil temperature distribution at a depth of 0.25–3 m in three measurement locations. Two boreholes were located in Białystok in the temperate climatic zone and one measuring well was installed in Belmez in the subtropical climatic zone. Measurements were made in homogeneous soil layers in sand (Białystok) and in clay (Białystok and Belmez). Based on the results of the measurements, a simplified model of temperature distributions as a function of depth and the number of days in a year was developed. The presented model can be used as a boundary condition to determine heat losses of district heating pipes located in the ground and to estimate the thermal efficiency of horizontal heat exchangers in very low-temperature geothermal energy applications