Primers resultats de l'estudi de la ceràmica terra sigillata de Baetulo: circulació ceràmica i aportacions cronològiques a la ciutat

Les actuacions arqueologiques portades a terme des dels anys se tanta a la ciutat de Badalona, han permes posar al descobert una part important d'estructures corresponents a la ciutat romana de Baetulo. A partir d'aquestes excavacions, l' analisi específica de la ceramica terra sigillata documentada en determinats contextos estratigrafics, on aquest tipus ceramic és l'element basic de datació, ens ha permes realitzar una revisió de les cronologies proposades inicialment per a aquests estrats i per a les estructures associades. Aquesta revisió, que afecta el període que va del regnat d' August fms a epoca flavia, ha suposat la clarificació del material de terra sigillata recuperat i, en alguns casos, la modificació de la interpretació de la seqüencia estratigrafica i la se va datació

Aplicaciones del álgebra lineal en internet: motores de búsqueda

Las nuevas tecnologías han traído un aumento sin precedente en la cantidad de información disponible. Sin embargo, toda esta información resulta inútil sin técnicas eficientes que permitan localizar aquello relevante para nuestros intereses y realizar búsquedas que van desde libros en una biblioteca, noticias y la consulta de existencia de un producto en tienda, hasta la búsqueda de información sobre temas específicos en internet. La creciente necesidad de organizar y ordenar la intimidante cantidad de información representa un reto importante y demanda motores de búsqueda que sean poderosos, rápidos y eficientes. En este trabajo mostramos conceptos básicos de los motores de búsqueda, centrándonos en un modelo particular que incorpora conceptos de Álgebra Lineal para realizar el manejo de la información. Incluiremos la idea del Índice Semántico Latente, que permite mejorar los resultados de una búsqueda. Este tema representa un ejemplo sencillo y motivante de modelo matemático, que sin duda puede usarse en un curso de Álgebra Lineal. La herramienta matemática usada es simple para problemas pequeños: vectores, matrices y producto escalar, mientras que para problemas grandes, se tocan temas como reducción de dimensión por medio de subespacios vectoriales de dimensión baja, factorizaciones matriciales, bases de subespacios, ortogonalidad y factorizaciones matriciales como SVD. Las bases de datos crecen continuamente, esto plantea nuevos retos computacionales y matemáticos, por lo cual es un área de investigación en constante desarrollo

Analyzing technical choices: improving the archaeological classification of Late Republican Black Gloss pottery in north-eastern Hispania consumption centers

In order to improve archaeological classifications of Late Republican Black Gloss pottery, an assemblage from two consumption sites in north-eastern Hispania has been physicochemically characterized to identify its provenance and to gain an idea of its manufacture process. The study has been organized according to a multiphase sampling (Buxeda and Madrid 2016, 20). In the first phase, chemical characterization by means of Wavelength Dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and mineralogical characterization by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed. In the next phase, a subsample was microstructurally characterized by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), thanks to which the sintering/vitrification stage of the matrix and the gloss were determined. The combination of both disciplines, archaeology and archaeometry, enables us to identify four meaningful ceramic groups: Campanian A, Cales 1, 2, and 3. The study also allowed us to infer that all of them must be related to the Campanian region and assignable to three different chronological periods. The Campanian region thus seems to have been the primary source that supplied the settlements considered. The study also allows us to appreciate that the classification criteria used by the archaeologists working at those sites reflect the technical choices made by the potters and that, in many cases, they can only be detected and therefore interpreted by means of archaeometry

Hacia una metodología epistémico-polifónica: El epistolario como dispositivo afectivo para la producción de conocimientos situados

This paper experiments (with) the epistolary as an epistemic-polyphonic methodology, articulating discontinuous narratives in which we elaborate shared experiences in relation to our philosophical, research and teaching practices. At the same time, through it, we explore writing as an instance for a dialogic/conversational metacognitive exercise in which to weave and unweave meanings, weaving/mapping a territory where we work actively (but not immediately) on a temporal dimension that seeks to resist to the discursive urgency of the cognitariat. And this with the aim of putting in tension/our considerations about concepts such as politics and writing, but also temporality and cisheterosexuality.Este trabajo experimenta (con) el epistolario como metodología epistémico-polifónica, articulando narrativas discontinuas en las que elaboramos las experiencias compartidas en relación a nuestras prácticas filosóficas, de investigación y docencia. A su vez, a través de él, exploramos la escritura como instancia para un ejercicio metacognitivo dialógico/conversacional en el cual tejer y destejer sentidos, entramando/cartografiando un territorio donde se trabaja activamente (más no inmediatamente) sobre una dimensión temporal que busca resistirse a la urgencia discursiva del cognitariado. Y ello con el objetivo de poner en tensión/nuestras consideraciones acerca de conceptos tales como política y escritura, pero también temporalidad y cisheterosexualidad

The case of Black and green tin glazed pottery from Barcelona between 13th and 14th century: analysing its production and its decorations

Black and green tin-glazed pottery is known to be one of the true majolica manufactures at Barcelona during the end of the medieval period. This pottery means the evolution of a production process for achieving opacified decorated tableware, started one century before, with the elaboration of what is known as archaic majolica. Black and green implies a new high variety of decorative motifs made in black, or in black and green, on a white opacified glaze prepared following a recipe adapted by potters to prepare the base glaze and to applicate the pigments for attaining the decorative patterns, characteristics of this period. Originally thought as imported from Valencia workshops, the development of different archaeometric projects conducted in the core of the ARQUB team, allows verifying an origin in Barcelona. Besides, recent excavations dated back to the 14th century provided a great number of Black and green sherds with new decorative motifs unknown up to now, allowing the specialists to create a new corpus of decorative patterns, which is still in progress. Based on insights obtained from those first archaeometric studies and considering the advances on the classification of decorations based on archaeological arguments, a new sample of Black and green sherds was selected for this study. The aim was to observe whether decoration and technique of manufacture could in some way be related, understanding the technical process as the selection and application of raw materials and the firing temperature at which this pottery was made. To achieve these objectives, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM-EDX) have been performed. The results allow verifying the groups previously defined and to identify a new chemical group, probably related to a recipe for the body-paste different from the others. On the other hand, the study enabled us to observe differences also in know-how in firing, which in some cases seem to be connected with differences in the decorative motives, suggesting, perhaps, the discrimination of artisans

The Mortars from rock-cut hydraulic structures of as-Sila (Sela) in Southern Jordan: Mineralogical characterization and Radiocarbon dating

One of the aims of the 2016 campaign in as-Sila was to conduct a survey in order to identify cisterns, channels and structures related to water use at the top of the settlement, using the 2015 survey map of the site as a base. The investigations have revealed a complex and sophisticated hydrological network with a great diversity of water structures (carved in the sandstone and designed for the collection, storage, transport and distribution of rainwater). All the structures have been identified and described using a total station, their location associated with the general topography of the site, and the contexts photographed. This study presents the results of recent analyses of lime-based mortars from rock-cut hydraulic structures collected during the 2016 archaeological campaign at the site of as-Sila/Sela, in the governorate of Tafilah in southern Jordan. Mineralogical and petrographic analyses were performed on 16 samples of mortars by means of x ray diffraction (XRD) and thinsection petrography (OM), and 12 AMS radiocarbon dates were taken from them. In spite of the difficulties in dating lime-based mortars and the problems inherent in the interpretation of the data, here we present the most complete analysis currently available of mortars from an archaeological site in southern Transjordan

Exploring the technique of glazing used by the potters of Barcelona

The application of glazes on pottery became common in Western Europe from the late 12th century / early 13th century onwards. However, the process of 'glazing' entails different degrees of complexity which might involve a great variety of raw materials. Accordingly, simple glazing process consists of a single layer applied over the surface of the body, becoming a shiny and transparent coat after firing. The addition of pigments would result in a coloured glaze that can be translucent or even opaque. The more complicated sequence occurs in decorated glazed pottery, where opacifiers, pigments and metals are added to produce an opaque white glaze to enhance the decoration. This glaze is applied to the bisque pottery and manufactured, usually, in a second or third firing. To deepen our knowledge of the glazing technique, we have studied glazes from coarse pottery, cooking ware, polychrome coarse pottery and majolica from Barcelona (13th to 18th centuries AD). The application of the glaze, the thickness, and the composition of glazes (including opacifiers, pigments and/or metals) have been examined, through Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). This study has revealed the high diversity in the glazing technique

Proyecto Cosa: intervenciones arqueológicas de la Universidad de Barcelona en la ciudad romana

El volumen que aquí presentamos recoge los resultados del proyecto de investigación que durante siete campañas (2005-2011) se ha desarrollado en la ciudad romana de Cosa (Ansedonia, Italia). El proyecto liderado por la Dra. Mercè Roca Roumens, Catedrática de Arqueología de la Universitat de Barcelona, ha contado con la colaboración de diversas instituciones tanto públicas como académicas y de investigación que serán señaladas de acuerdo con su participación en cada campaña. Por otro lado, el proyecto ha contado con la subvención durante todo su periodo del Ministerio de Cultura en el marco del programa de ayudas para proyectos arqueológicos en el exterior (IPHE/AMN/cmm). Además durante el periodo 2006-2008 contó con la subvención de la Generalitat de Catalunya en el marco del programa EXCAVA (2006EXCAVA00005). Finalmente el proyecto ha contado con el respaldo de la Escuela Española de Historia y Arqueología de Roma y con la colaboración y autorización de la Sopritendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana. El proyecto nace de la voluntad de comprender y profundizar en la organización urbanística y arquitectónica de una de las colonias más antiguas de la península itálica, como es la ciudad romana de Cosa, fundada durante la primera mitad del S.III aC, siendo por ello un ejemplo de la propia romanización dentro de la península itálica de un territorio de larga tradición etrusca. Las características urbanísticas y arquitectónicas que la ciudad presenta son susceptibles de haber sido tomadas como modelo en los asentamientos correspondientes a la primera romanización en Hispania. Estas características junto a la variedad de la cultura material recuperada nos ofrecen un marco idóneo también para plantear e intentar resolver cuestiones relacionadas con el comercio entre ambos territorios en este periodo.(IPHE/AMN/cmm) / (2006EXCAVA00005