ANÁLISE E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA COLONIZAÇÃO MICROBIOLÓGICA DOS ABRIGOS COM PINTURAS RUPESTRES PRÉ-HISTÓRICAS EM PORTUGAL

A investigação sobre a interface entre os substratos e os líquenes, sugere que o desgastede minerais pode ser acelerado pelo crescimento de algumas espécies de líquenes. No âmbito do Projeto RupScience (PTDC/HIS-RQ/101299/2008) - " Análise de cadeias operacionais, Arqueometria e Cronologia das pinturas rupestres: Abordagemtecnológica de materiais em contextos de Portugal e Espanha", Foi realizada a identificação e descrição das espécies de líquenes observados em abrigos rochosos com diferentes litologias associadas à arte rupestre pintada em Portugal

ANÁLISE E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA COLONIZAÇÃO MICROBIOLÓGICA DOS ABRIGOS COM PINTURAS RUPESTRES PRÉ-HISTÓRICAS EM PORTUGAL

A investigação sobre a interface entre os substratos e os líquenes, sugere que o desgastede minerais pode ser acelerado pelo crescimento de algumas espécies de líquenes. No âmbito do Projeto RupScience (PTDC/HIS-RQ/101299/2008) - " Análise de cadeias operacionais, Arqueometria e Cronologia das pinturas rupestres: Abordagemtecnológica de materiais em contextos de Portugal e Espanha", Foi realizada a identificação e descrição das espécies de líquenes observados em abrigos rochosos com diferentes litologias associadas à arte rupestre pintada em Portugal

Pinturas Rupestres: Matérias-primas, Técnicas e Gestão do Território

Um dos aspetos mais interessantes nos variados estudos dos pigmentos utilizados para a realização de pinturas rupestres é a seleção e manipulação das matérias-primas. Para estes estudos têm que ser consi-derados os aspetos geológicos, relacionados com a disponibilidade de matérias-primas, os aspetos culturais, resultantes das diferentes tradições adotadas e finalmente, os aspetos relacionados com a conservação, ou seja, a possibilidade de encontrar somente parte dos pigmentos originalmente utilizados (p. ex: os componentes inorgânicos).Os estudos dos pigmentos das pinturas rupestres repartem-se sobretudo entre dois campos: análises para a identificação dos componentes químico-mineralógicos e dos processos de preparação utilizados nos pigmentos. No projeto RupScience (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/101299/2008) - "Análise das cadeias operatórias, arqueometria e cronologia das pinturas de Arte Rupestre" o objetivo da investigação é a identificação de eventuais inovações tecnológicas, essencial para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de adaptação das sociedades humanas, nomeadamente a determinação das matérias-primas que foram utilizadas nos pigmentos e das alterações que sofreram, questionando também sobre o seu estado de conservação. Nas análises arqueométricas realizadas nos vários ambientes (Península Ibérica e África: Etiópia, Angola), com auxílio de um espectrómetro micro Raman e da microfluorescência de raio-x em amostras de pigmentos e ocres naturais, pode-se verificar que existem alguns elementos que são recorrentes (óxidos de ferro, sobretudo a hematite) e outros que são específicos de áreas geográficas particulares.One of the most interesting aspects of the various studies of rock art pigments is the selection and manipulation of raw materials. These studies consider the geological aspects, related with the availability of raw materials, cultural aspects, resulting from different traditions adopted, and finally, aspects related to conservation - the possibility to find only part of the originally used pigments (eg: the inorganic components). On RupScience project, (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/101299/2008) - "Analysis of Operational Chains, Archaeometry and Chronology of Rock Art Paintings", the objective focus is to understand the technological innovations, essential for the development of human societies adaptation strategies, in particular the determination of the raw materials that were used in pigments and what changes have suffered; also questioning about the conserva-tion aspects. The archaeometric analyses carried out in different environments (the Iberian Peninsula and Africa: Ethiopia, Angola), using a micro Raman spectrometer and X-microfluorescency on pigment and ocher samples, showed that there are some elements that are recurrent (iron oxides, mainly hematite) and others that are specific in particular areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification of organic material in Los Buitres 1 rock art shelter, Badajoz, Spain

This research aimed to characterize the chemical and mineralogical nature of prehistoric painted figures from the Los Buitres 1 rock shelter and to identify organic material from the pigment samples. MicroRaman spectroscopy and ATR-FTIR analysis were made. Four pigment samples were selected: three red and one dark-red granules of pigment. Micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied to determine the mineralogical composition of selected samples while ATR-FTIR was applied in order to identify organic material present in each. Samples 1 and 2 are almost identical and registered montmorillonite being present. Analyses by ATRFTIR points to organic components in sample 3 while sample 4 was identified as burnt umber. A comparison with a nearby shelter with the same organic compounds in the same type of figure causes some alarms to sound due to the possibility that a real pigment recipe has been in use in the same region for the same time spectrum.El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido caracterizar la naturaleza química y mineralógica del pigmento empleado en los motivos esquemáticos prehistóricos de la cueva de Los Buitres 1 (Capilla, Badajoz), y tratar de identificar la presencia de materia orgánica en su composición. Para ello se han realizado análisis de espectroscopia Micro-Raman y ATR-FTIR sobre cuatro muestras de pigmento, tres de pigmento rojo y una más también roja, aunque de tonalidad más oscura. Se aplicó la espectroscopia Micro-Raman para determinar la composición mineralógica de las muestras seleccionadas, mientras que el ATR-FTIR se aplicó para determinar la presencia de materia orgánica presente en cada una de ellas. Destacar que las muestras 1 y 2 son casi idénticas y registraron la presencia de montmorillonite. Por su parte, los análisis por ATR-FTIR señalaron la presencia de componentes orgánicos en la muestra 3, mientras que la muestra 4 se caracterizó como ocre oscuro quemado. La comparación con los pigmentos empleados en el arte rupestre esquemático de un abrigo cercano, en donde han sido identificados los mismos componentes orgánicos en similares tipologías figurativas, invita a considerar la posibilidad de que nos encontremos con una suerte de “receta” para preparar el pigmento que debió estar en uso en este territorio durante un periodo cronológico concreto

Caracterização de pigmentos em arte rupestre

A arte rupestre é o estudo dos padrões de antropização da paisagem e pode ser um importante contributo para uma aproximação ao universo sócio-cultural das comunidades pré-históricas. A arte esquemática pintada é parte do ciclo artístico pós-Paleolítico e uma das suas características é o tipo de técnica de execução. Um conjunto de diferentes estudos complementares está a ser realizado em vários abrigos pintados em Portugal. Ainda que o foco principal seja a caracterização mineralógica dos pigmentos identificados, o projecto abrange a caracterização das matérias-primas e uma contextualização geológica e arqueológica dos processos de produção dos pigmentos; assim como permitirá, realizar a identificação dos microrganismos que se sobrepõem nos painéis pintados e o estudo dos processos de degradação das pinturas. Algumas das técnicas seleccionadas para atingir os objectivos definidos são a espectroscopia Raman, a Microfluorescência-X e a microestratigrafia das pinturas.Rock art is the study of landscape anthropization patterns and it can be an important contributes towards an approach to prehistoric communities' socio-cultural universe. Painted schematic art is part of the post-Palaeolithic artistic cycle and one of its main features is the type of execution technique. A series of different but complementary studies are being performed in several Portugal painted rock shelters. Although the main focus is the mineral characterization of identified pigments, the project also involves the study of the paintings degradation processes, identification of micro-organisms superimposed to the painted panels, characterization of raw materials and a geological and archaeological contextualization of the pigments’ processes of production. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Microfluorescence and the paintings microstratigraphy are some of the techniques selected to achieve the defined objectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quartzite pebble technology in the final Middle Pleistocene of the Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (High Ribatejo, Central Portugal)

The lithic assemblage of Ribeira da Ponte da Pedra site (OIS8-9) was produced, almost exclusively, through the exploitation of good quality quartzite fluvial pebbles with a regular morphology. Quartzite fluvial pebbles are the most common raw material found in the Middle Pleistocene occupation sites in Portugal. Such feature results from the easy availability of these pebbles in the valleys where the great majority of the archaeological sites within this chronology are located, and also because of the quartzite’s physical properties and suitability for knapping. In a techno-typological point of view, its lithic assemblage is characterized by the application of two main reduction sequences that result in abundant worked pebbles, retouched pebbles, cortical and semi-cortical flakes, retouched flakes, a few cores and rare bifacial artefacts. Some artefacts present irregular and variable edge modifications described as ‘atypical’ edge modifications that could edge damage resultant from their utilization. From a strictly technical point of view the assemblage can be described as quite simple, however we can envisage an inherent complexity starting in an accurate selection and exploitation of the quartzite pebbles, whose regular morphology allows a ‘predetermined’ production of regular blanks through simple actions. In order to better understand patterns of raw material selection and technical schemes adopted in the exploitation of the quartzite pebbles we compared a sample of pebbles collected in the same deposits identified in the site (t4 fluvial terrace deposits) with worked pebbles that have 1 or 2 removals that had not altered significantly the original morpho-volumetry of the pebbles. The goal of this comparison was to verify if there was a selection of the fluvial pebbles based on texture and morpho-volumetry and if so, relate such selection with the technical schemes identified by technological study of the assemblage

Pigment in Western Iberian Schematic Rock Art: An analytical approach

This paper explores the processes involved in the production of prehistoric paintings using inorganic pigmentation. The focus for discussion involves a number of rock-shelter sites that contain rock art within the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, with particular reference to the sites that contain Schematic rock art. A direct date cannot be obtained on rock art that is made with inorganic pigments. However, sampling and subsequent analysis has clearly shown that pigments were produced using tried and tested recipes that involved the use of sometimes organic binders. This paper will explore the chemical and mineralogical qualities of sampled pigments from a selected number of sites within Spain and Portugal and suggest that pigmentation was more than just applying paint to rock.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Workshop Report

Climate is the planetary response of the atmospheric circulation to changes in its composition, the solar system configuration, Earth’s rotation, and the distribution of the oceans and continents. As a result, it is continuously evolving, expressed at a global scale by subsiding and uplifting convection cells. These changes have long been recognized and documented in geologic objects of all ages. There are climate signals in many rocks, different geologic features, fossil fragments and imprints, prehistoric remains, and historical reports that can be analyzed and interpreted in order to learn more about past climate changes. Lessons from the past support the view that change is the rule, not the exception, as evidenced by strongly contrasting and chaotic extremes, defined by the whole ensemble of extra-planetary, external, and internal geodynamic controls.Instituto Terra e Memória, Centro Geociências U.Coimbra_ UID_73info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

International genome-wide meta-analysis identifies new primary biliary cirrhosis risk loci and targetable pathogenic pathways.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a classical autoimmune liver disease for which effective immunomodulatory therapy is lacking. Here we perform meta-analyses of discovery data sets from genome-wide association studies of European subjects (n=2,764 cases and 10,475 controls) followed by validation genotyping in an independent cohort (n=3,716 cases and 4,261 controls). We discover and validate six previously unknown risk loci for PBC (Pcombined<5 × 10(-8)) and used pathway analysis to identify JAK-STAT/IL12/IL27 signalling and cytokine-cytokine pathways, for which relevant therapies exist