Correlation of gravimetric and satellite geodetic data Interim progress report, 11 Sep. 1967 - 29 Feb. 1968

Gravimetric and geodetic data correlation for satellite position prediction accuracy with error analysi

Tell Shiyukh Tahtani, Syria Report of the 2006-09 Seasons

The Italian excavations at Shiyukh Tahtani have recently resumed, revealing a long occupation sequence on the mound’s eastern slope (Area CD). In Trench D23, on the summit, an Iron Age level II building contained a rich array of pottery, sheep knuckle bones, clay ‘bobbins’ and an unstratified Egyptian scarab of Menkheperre. An earlier massive building (LBA ?) was also excavated below the Iron Age II occupation. Halfway down the slope the lower level of a large burnt complex of Middle Bronze I date contained rich finds and various burials characterized by peculiar rituals. Finally, in a deep trench down below the slope, EB I-II remains included niched mud-brick architecture of fine Mesopotamian tradition as well as many pot burials of the Carchemish ‘champagne-­cup culture’. All these finds enhance the knowledge about the Bronze and Iron Age civilization of the Syrian Euphrates

Correlation of gravimetric and satellite geodetic data, part 2 Interim scientific report, 11 Sep. 1967 - 29 Feb. 1968

Graphical output from computer correlated gravimetric and satellite geodetic dat

A compositional and technological reassessment of the function of potters’ marks on Early Bronze Age sherds from Tell el-‘Abd, Syria

A highly distinctive feature of the Early Bronze Age ceramic assemblage of the site of Tell el-‘Abd in northern Syria is the presence of large numbers of pots that were incised with a diverse range of symbols prior to firing. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the function of such ceramic “potters’ marks”. One is that they functioned as a signature or trademark used by potters or workshops to identify their work. Another possibility is that they were used for quality control or accounting purposes during manufacture. Alternatively, they may have signified vessels intended for specific customers, or the size or contents of the vessels. In the case of the Tell el-‘Abd potters’ marks, distinguishing between these possibilities has proven difficult based upon their macroscopic examination and archaeological context alone. The present research, therefore, attempts to shed further light on the function of the potters’ marks by studying the clay paste recipes of 33 ceramic samples using scientific methods. Thin section petrography, instrumental geochemistry and scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterise and classify sherds according to their raw materials and manufacturing technology. This has been compared to the type of potters’ mark and other archaeological information in order to test the hypotheses that the distinctive ceramic markings signified ceramics made at different production centres or distinguished between different artisans operating at the same workshop

A compositional and technological reassessment of the function of potters' marks on Early Bronze Age sherds from Tell el-'Abd, Syria

A highly distinctive feature of the Early Bronze Age ceramic assemblage of the site of Tell el-‘Abd in northern Syria is the presence of large numbers of pots that were incised with a diverse range of symbols prior to firing. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the function of such ceramic “potters’ marks”. One is that they functioned as a signature or trademark used by potters or workshops to identify their work. Another possibility is that they were used for quality control or accounting purposes during manufacture. Alternatively, they may have signified vessels intended for specific customers, or the size or contents of the vessels. In the case of the Tell el-‘Abd potters’ marks, distinguishing between these possibilities has proven difficult based upon their macroscopic examination and archaeological context alone. The present research, therefore, attempts to shed further light on the function of the potters’ marks by studying the clay paste recipes of 33 ceramic samples using scientific methods. Thin section petrography, instrumental geochemistry and scanning electron microscopy have been used to characterise and classify sherds according to their raw materials and manufacturing technology. This has been compared to the type of potters’ mark and other archaeological information in order to test the hypotheses that the distinctive ceramic markings signified ceramics made at different production centres or distinguished between different artisans operating at the same workshop

An interdisciplinary approach to the study of kiln firing: a case study from the Campus Galli open-air museum (southern Germany)

Pottery kilns are a common feature in the archaeological record of different periods. However, these pyrotechnological installations are still seldom the target of interdisciplinary investigations. To fill this gap in our knowledge, an updraft kiln firing experiment was run at the Campus Galli open-air museum (southern Germany) by a team consisting of experimental archaeologists, material scientists, geoarchaeologists, and palaeobotanists. The entire process from the preparation of the raw materials to the firing and opening of the kiln was carefully recorded with a particular focus on the study of the raw materials used for pottery making, as well as on fuel usage. The temperatures were monitored by thermocouples placed at different positions in the combustion and firing chambers. In addition, thermocouples were installed within the kiln wall to measure the temperature distribution inside the structure itself. Unfired raw materials as well as controlled and experimentally thermally altered ceramic samples were then characterised with an integrated analysis including ceramic petrography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Our work provides data about mineralogical and microstructural developments in both pottery kiln structures and the ceramics produced in this type of installations. This is helpful to discuss the limits and potential of various scientific analyses commonly used in ancient ceramic pyrotechnological studies. Overall, our work contributes to a better understanding of updraft kiln technology and offers guidelines on how to address the study of this type of pyrotechnological installations using interdisciplinary research strategies

GSK-3 Activity Is Critical for the Orientation of the Cortical Microtubules and the Dorsoventral Axis Determination in Zebrafish Embryos

The formation of dorsal-ventral (D–V) axis is the earliest event that breaks the radial symmetry and determines the bilateral body plan of a vertebrate embryo, however, the maternal control of this process is not fully understood. Here, we discovered a new dorsalizing window of acute lithium treatment, which covers only less than 10 minutes after fertilization. Lithium treatment in this window was not able to reverse the ventralized phenotype in tokkeabi (tkk) mutant embryos, and its dorsalizing activity on wild-type embryos was inhibited by nocodazole co-treatment. These evidences indicate that the underlying mechanism is independent of a direct activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, but depends on the upstream level of the microtubule mediated dorsal determinant transport. In order to identify the target of lithium in this newly discovered sensitive window, GSK-3 inhibitor IX as well as the IMPase inhibitor L690, 330 treatments were performed. We found that only GSK-3 inhibitor IX treatment mimicked the lithium treatment in the dorsalizing activity. Further study showed that the parallel pattern of cortical microtubules in the vegetal pole region and the directed migration of the Wnt8a mRNA were randomized by either lithium or GSK-3 inhibitor IX treatment. These results thus revealed an early and critical role of GSK-3 activity that regulates the orientation of the cortical microtubules and the directed transport of the dorsal determinants in zebrafish embryos

Bronze Age pottery from the Carchemish region at the British Museum. The Woolley-Lawrence collection. Report

(not requested