Towards timing and stratigraphy of the Bronze Age burial mound royal tomb (Königsgrab) of Seddin (Brandenburg, northeastern Germany)

This study uses an integrated multi-method geoarcheological and geochronological approach to contribute to the understanding of the timing and stratigraphy of the monumental burial mound royal tomb (Königsgrab) of Seddin. We show that the hitherto established radiocarbon-based terminus post quem time frame for the construction of the burial mound of 910–800 BCE is supported by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The radiocarbon samples were obtained from a substrate directly underneath the burial mound which supposedly represents the late glacial/Holocene soil that was buried below the structure. We use sedimentological (grain-size analyses) and geochemical analyses (element analyses, carbon, pH, and electric conductivity determinations) to reassess and confirm this hypothesis. In addition to the burial age associated with the last anthropogenic reworking during construction of the burial mound, the OSL dating results provide new insights into the primary deposition history of the original substrates used for the structure. In combination with regional information about the middle and late Quaternary development of the environment, our data allow us to provide a synoptic genetic model of the landscape development and the multiphase stratigraphy of the royal tomb of Seddin within the Late Bronze Age cultural group “Seddiner Gruppe” of northern Germany. Based on our initial experiences with OSL dating applied to the sediments of a burial mound – to the best of our knowledge the first attempt in Europe – we propose a minimal invasive approach to obtain datable material from burial mounds and discuss related opportunities and challenges

A geoarchaeological perspective on the challenges and trajectories of Mississippi Delta communities

Recent geochronology of the Mississippi Delta of coastal Louisiana, USA, provides a high-resolution record of land growth that facilitates the study of ancient settlement patterns in relation to delta evolution. We use stratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to show that two Late Holocene earthen mounds were constructed several hundred years after the land emerged from open water. This multi-century pause allowed natural processes of overbank and crevasse splay deposition to elevate the land surface, reduce flood risk, and foster desirable environmental conditions prior to human occupation. These results are applied to obtain new age constraints for a large number of at-risk or lost archaeological sites with little-to-no absolute chronology. We use our findings to comment on prehistoric, contemporary, and future human-landscape interactions in the Mississippi Delta and other deltaic environments.</p

The bleaching limits of IRSL signals at various stimulation temperatures and their potential inference of the pre-burial light exposure duration

Infrared Stimulated Luminescence (IRSL) techniques are being increasingly used for dating sedimentary feldspars in the middle to late Quaternary. By employing several subsequent stimulations at increasing temperatures, a series of post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) signals with different characteristics (stability and bleachability) can be obtained for an individual sample. It has been experimentally demonstrated that higher-temperature pIRIR signals are more stable, but they tend to exhibit larger residual doses up to few tens of Gy, potentially causing severe age overestimation in young samples. In this study we conducted comprehensive bleaching experiments of IRSL and pIRIR signals using a loess sample from China, and demonstrated that non-bleachable components in the IR (and possibly pIRIR) signals do exist. The level of such non-bleachable signal shows clearly positive correlation with preheat/stimulation temperature, which further supports the notion that lower temperature pIRIR are advantageous to date young samples and sediments especially from difficult-to-bleach environments. These results display a potential in constrain the pre-burial light exposure history of sediment utilizing multiple feldspar post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) signals. For the studied loess sample, we infer that prior to its last burial, the sample has received an equivalent of &gt;264 h exposure to the SOL2 simulator (more than 2,000 h of natural daylight)

Heterogeneous sea-level rises along coastal zones and small islands

Coastal zones and many small islands are highly susceptible to sea-level rise (SLR). Coastal zones have a large exposed population and integrated high-value assets, and islands provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of people worldwide. The coastal zones and small islands affected by SLR are likely to suffer from submergence, flooding and erosion in the future. However, very few studies have addressed the heterogeneity in SLR changes and the potential risk to coastal zones and small islands. Here we used the mean sea level (MSL) derived from satellite altimetry data to analyse the trends and accelerations of SLRs along global coastal zones and small islands. We found that except for the Antarctic coastal zone, the annual MSL within 50 km of the coasts presented an increasing trend of 3.09 ± 0.13 mm a−1 but a decreasing acceleration of −0.02 ± 0.02 mm a−2 from 1993 to 2017. The highest coastal MSL trend of 3.85 ± 0.60 mm a−1 appeared in Oceania, and the lowest trend of 2.32 ± 0.37 mm a−1 occured in North America. Africa, North America and South America showed acceleration trends, and Eurasia, Australia and Oceania had deceleration trends. Further, MSLs around global small islands reflected an increasing trend with a rate of 3.01 ± 0.16 mm a−1 but a negative acceleration of −0.02 ± 0.02 mm a−2. Regional heterogeneity in the trends and accelerations of MSLs along the coasts and small islands suggests that stakeholders should take discriminating precautions to cope with future disadvantageous impacts of the SLR

Soy-isoflavone-enriched foods and inflammatory biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women: interactions with genotype and equol production

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Perturbed Rotations of a Rigid Body Close to the Lagrange Case under the Action of Unsteady Perturbation Torques

Perturbed rotations of a rigid body close to the Lagrange case under the action of perturbation torques slowly varying in time are investigated. Conditions are presented for the possibility of averaging the equations of motion with respect to the nutation angle and the averaged system of equations of motion is obtained. In the case of the rotational motion of the body in the linear-dissipative medium the numerical integration of the averaged system of equations is conducted

Revised age and stratigraphy of the classic Homo erectus-bearing succession at Trinil (Java, Indonesia)

Obtaining accurate age control for fossils found on Java (Indonesia) has been and remains challenging due to geochronologic and stratigraphic uncertainties. In the 1890s, Dubois excavated numerous faunal fossils—including the first remains of Homo erectus—in sediments exposed along the Solo River at Trinil. Since then, various, and often contradictory age estimates have been proposed for the Trinil site and its fossils. However, the age of the fossil-bearing layers and the fossil assemblage remains inconclusive. This study constructs a chronostratigraphic framework for the Trinil site by documenting new stratigraphic sections and test pits, and by applying 40Ar/39Ar, paleomagnetic, and luminescence (pIRIR290) dating methods. Our study identifies two distinct, highly fossiliferous channel fills at the Trinil site. The stratigraphically lower Bone-Bearing Channel 1 (BBC-1) dates to 830–773 ka, while Bone-Bearing Channel 2 (BBC-2) is substantially younger with a maximum age of 450 ± 110 ka and an inferred minimum age of 430 ± 50 ka. Furthermore, significantly younger T2 terrace deposits are present at similar low elevations as BBC-1 and BBC-2. Our results demonstrate the presence of Early and Middle Pleistocene, and potentially even late Middle to Late Pleistocene fossiliferous sediments within the historical excavation area, suggesting that Dubois excavated fossils from at least three highly fossiliferous units with different ages. Moreover, evidence for reworking suggests that material found in the fossil-rich strata may originate from older deposits, introducing an additional source of temporal heterogeneity in the Trinil fossil assemblage. This challenges the current assumption that the Trinil H.K. fauna –which includes Homo erectus-is a homogeneous biostratigraphic unit. Furthermore, this scenario might explain why the Trinil skullcap collected by Dubois is tentatively grouped with Homo erectus fossils from Early Pleistocene sediments at Sangiran, while Trinil Femur I shares affinities with hominin fossils of Late Pleistocene age

Rapid establishment of the European Bank for induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC):The Hot Start experience

A fast track “Hot Start” process was implemented to launch the European Bank for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC) to provide early release of a range of established control and disease linked human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines. Established practice amongst consortium members was surveyed to arrive at harmonised and publically accessible Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) for tissue procurement, bio-sample tracking, iPSC expansion, cryopreservation, qualification and distribution to the research community. These were implemented to create a quality managed foundational collection of lines and associated data made available for distribution. Here we report on the successful outcome of this experience and work flow for banking and facilitating access to an otherwise disparate European resource, with lessons to benefit the international research community. eTOC: The report focuses on the EBiSC experience of rapidly establishing an operational capacity to procure, bank and distribute a foundational collection of established hiPSC lines. It validates the feasibility and defines the challenges of harnessing and integrating the capability and productivity of centres across Europe using commonly available resources currently in the field

Lumineszenz-Datierung von Küstensedimenten der südlichen Ostsee und Nordsee Küste

A better understanding of coastal sedimentary processes and the relating controlling environmental parameters (e.g. climate, sea-level, sediment supply, and vegetation cover) is crucial for developing concepts of enhanced coastal protection. Past changes of the environmental parameters are recorded in coastal sedimentary archives. Thus, Holocene barrier-spits are an important natural laboratory to investigate the cause-effect relationship between developments of coastal sedimentary systems (e.g. beach plains, foredune plains) and the controlling environmental parameters and furthermore to study the regional and local significance of e.g. supraregional sea-level or climate fluctuations. This task requires, in addition to investigations of the coastal sedimentary setting, a reliable estimation of depositional ages from different sedimentary settings. The main objective of the thesis is to establish significantly improved chronologies of three barrier-spits located at the southern Baltic Sea (Świna-barrier, Darss-Zingst) and the southern North Sea coast (northern spit of Sylt) by means of luminescence dating. The second main objective is to improve the applicability of luminescence dating methods for the reconstruction of Holocene coastal evolution in general. The luminescence dating of the very detailed foredune succession at the Świna-barrier reveals that progradation of the foredune plain and thus development of the Holocene barrier-spit started subsequently after the main phase of the Littorina transgression when the fast sea-level rise decelerated (after ~5500-5000 BC). The minor sea-level fluctuations after 5000 BC are not recorded in the investigated sediment sequences of the southern Baltic Sea. However, the data reveals that the late Subatlantic transgression (~800 AD) caused a significant decrease of the progradation dynamics at the Świna-barrier and an alteration of the sediment dynamics in Darss-Zingst. Furthermore, the data indicate that the formation of foredunes and swash-bars (i.e. foredune or beach plain progradation) likely correlates to warmer, milder and calmer phases within the mid- to late-Holocene, whereas time gaps within the chronology of the Świna- barrier foredune progradation (i.e. periods of an erosive or stagnant foredune plain) correlate to phases of enhanced aeolian activity (at ~2200 BC, ~900 BC, ~100 AD, ~600 AD, ~1000 AD, and ~1550 AD) and in four out of six cases to general climatic shifts (at ~2200 BC, ~900 BC, ~600 AD, and ~1550 AD) to colder and stormier conditions within the Holocene. It is well proven for the investigated Holocene coastal sediments that optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of quartz applying the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol is a reliable dating method. Single-grain quartz OSL makes it possible to date incomplete bleached sediments as well as sediment mixtures. Moreover, it is shown for the investigated sediments that the measurement of approved small aliquots of quartz can be used as reliable proxy for single-grain measurements. Nevertheless, in a few regional and sedimentary settings quartz is not suitable as luminescence dosimeter. The thesis shows that feldspar can be used as an alternative dosimeter if the post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) signal and a modified pIRIR measurement protocol are used for dating. However, residual doses and thermal transfer are more significant for the pIRIR signal than for quartz OSL and the conventional IRSL feldspar signal. Furthermore, luminescence signal zeroing of the pIRIR is slow and thus the probability of incomplete bleached feldspar is significantly higher than for quartz OSL. However, distinct populations of well-bleached feldspar grains within incomplete bleached sediment samples are detected by single-grain pIRIR measurements.Ein besseres Verständnis von küstennahen Sedimentationsprozessen und den bedingenden natürlichen Steuerungsfaktoren (z.B. Klima, Meeresspiegel, Sedimentverfügbarkeit und Vegetationsbedeckung) ist Grundvoraussetzung für die Entwicklung von verbesserten Küstenschutzkonzepten, da die Veränderlichkeit der natürlichen Steuerungsfaktoren in der Vergangenheit in Küstensedimentarchiven dokumentiert ist. Holozäne Nehrungssysteme sind somit ein wichtiges natürliches Labor, um die Wechselbeziehung zwischen der Entwicklung von küstennahen Sedimentsystemen (z.B. Strandwallsysteme) und den natürlichen Steuerungsfaktoren zu untersuchen. Darüber hinaus kann die regionale und lokale Wirksamkeit von überregionalen Meeresspiegel‐ und Klimaschwankungen erforscht werden. Dazu ist neben der Untersuchung der Küstensedimentsysteme eine verlässliche Altersbestimmung verschiedener küstennaher Sedimente unbedingt erforderlich. Das Hauptziel dieser Arbeit ist es mittels der Lumineszenz‐Datierungsmethode, einen nachhaltig verbesserten geochronologischen Rahmen für drei Nehrungssysteme der südlichen Ostseeküste (Świna‐Pforte, Darss‐Zingst) und der südlichen Nordseeküste (nördliche Nehrung Sylt) aufzustellen.Ein zweites Hauptaugenmerk liegt auf der Verbesserung der Anwendbarkeit der Lumineszenz‐Methode zur Rekonstruktion holozäner Küstenentwicklungen. Die Lumineszenz‐Datierung der sehr detaillierten Abfolge von überdünten Strandwällen der Świna‐Pforte zeigt, dass die Progradation des Strandwallsystems und somit auch die Entwicklung des Nehrungssystems unmittelbar nach der Hauptphase der Littorina‐Transgression, als sich der zunächst schnelle Meeresspiegelanstieg verlangsamte (nach ca. 5500‐5000 v. Chr.), startete. Die kleineren Meeresspiegelschwankungen nach 5000 v. Chr. sind dagegen in den untersuchten Sedimentsequenzen der südlichen Ostseeküste nicht dokumentiert. Nur die jungsubatlantische Transgression um ca. 800 n. Chr. verursachte eine nachweisbare Verringerung der Progradationsdynamik an der Świna‐Pforte und eine Umstellung der Sedimentdynamik auf Darss‐Zingst. Des Weiteren lassen die Daten schließen, das die Bildung von überdünten Strandwällen und somit die Progradation eines Strandwallsystems, sehr wahrscheinlich mit wärmeren, milderen und ruhigen klimatischen Phasen innerhalb des mittleren bis späten Holozäns korreliert. Die Zeitlücken in der Chronologie der Strandwallprogradation der Świna‐Pforte, das heißt ein stagnierendes oder erosives Strandwallsystem, hingegen, korrelieren mit Phasen erhöhter äolischer Aktivität (um ca. 2200 v. Chr., 900 v. Chr., 100 n. Chr., 600 n. Chr., 1000 n. Chr. und ca. 1550 n. Chr.), die in vier von sechs Fällen (2200 v. Chr., 900 v. Chr., 600 n. Chr. und ca. 1550 n. Chr.) mit generellen klimatischen Verschlechterungen innerhalb des Holozäns in Verbindungen stehen. Es ist erwiesen, dass die Optisch Stimulierte Lumineszenz (OSL) von Quarz unter Anwendung des „single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose“ (SAR) Messprotokolls eine verlässliche Methode ist, um die zu untersuchenden holozänen Küstensedimente zu datieren. Die Analyse von Quarz‐Einzelkörnern ermöglicht darüber hinaus die Datierung von schlecht gebleichten Sedimenten oder Sedimentgemischen. Des Weiteren konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Messung von überprüften kleinen Quarz‐Aliquots als ein zuverlässlicher Proxy für die Messung von Quarz‐Einzelkörnern genommen werden kann. In einigen Regionen oder sedimentären Umgebungen ist die Verwendung von Quarz als Lumineszenz‐Dosimeter eingeschränkt oder unmöglich. Die vorgelegte Arbeit zeigt, dass Feldspat als alternatives Lumineszenz‐Dosimeter verwendet werden kann, wenn das post‐IR IRSL (pIRIR) Signal und ein modifiziertes pIRIR Messprotokol zur Anwendung kommt. Jedoch haben „residual doses“ und „thermal transfer“ eine größere Signifikanz für das pIRIR Feldspatsignal als für das Quarz‐ (OSL) und das konventionelle (IRSL) Feldspatsignal. Darüber hinaus, ist die Signalnullsetzung des pIRIR Feldspatsignales langsamer und somit ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit von schlechter Bleichung signifikant erhöht im Vergleich zur Quarz OSL. Dennoch konnten Alterspopulationen von gut gebleichten Feldspatkörnern in schlecht gebleichten Sedimenten mittels der pIRIR Einzelkorndatierung identifiziert werden

Grain-size statistics on sediment cores from residual dune ridge (North Sea, Island of Sylt)

Samples for grain-size analyses from residual dune ridges were obtained using a vibracore system equipped with a window sampler (diameter 50 mm, probe length 100 cm). The spectrum of the sediment grain sizes was measured using a Sympatec Helos KF Magic laser particle-size analyser (measuring range 0.5/18-3500 µm). Prior to measurement, samples were treated with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid to oxidize the organic fraction and to dissolve carbonate particles, respectively. For measurement, samples were suspended in water using tetra-sodium diphosphate decahydrate as dispersing agent. Grain-size statistics were calculated using Gradistat (Blott and Pye, 2001) and are based on the graphical method (Folk and Ward, 1957) as applied to the metrical scale (see Blott and Pye, 2001 for details and equations)