Luminescence investigations at Quendale (Broo Peninsula, Shetland)

This report is concerned with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) investigations of sediment samples collected from ongoing University of Southern Maine archaeological excavations at the Links of Quendale, southern Shetland, investigating the early-modern township of Broo. 11 sediment samples were submitted to the luminescence laboratory at SUERC for OSL dating by Ian Simpson. This report summaries the protocols, and laboratory analysis, employed in quartz single aliquot regenerative (SAR) OSL dating, as used to construct an OSL chronology for wind-blown sands in proximity to the Broo excavations, in association with archaeological structures (5 samples), and for sands in the coastal and inland dune systems (6 samples). The chronology established for the inland sands, in contexts associated with the Broo 2 building and enclosure, spans from AD1540 ± 40 (SUTL2441) through to AD1810 ± 25 (SUTL2519), encompassing the archaeological period of interest. The dates obtained for sands within the enclosed and unenclosed areas to the immediate east and southwest of the excavated Broo site, are AD1760 ± 30 - AD1760 ± 25, and AD1810 ± 25 (SUTL2517-2518 and 2519, respectively), are consistent with the expectation that the clean sands which infill these structures, post-date the period in which the Broo township was abandoned. The coastal sand accumulations, as so far dated, yielded luminescence ages of 2380 ± 230 BC (SUTL2526), 1510 ± 270 BC (SUTL2527), AD 1030 ± 80 (SUTL2528), AD 1690 ± 50 (SUTL2529), AD 1720 ± 20 (SUTL2530) and a mixed-age sample with youngest component at AD 1955 ± 15 (SUTL2531), implying periods of sand mobilisation, synchronous with sand deposition in Orkney and northern Scotland, in the late Neolithic, the Early Bronze Age, the Norse period, the early-modern, and modern periods. This work suggests that the present-day physio-geographical setting of the Quendale Links, comprised of the coastal sand barrier, and the inland dune fields, is a product of a prolonged history of sand mobilisation, erosion and deposition from the Neolithic to the present day. Furthermore, the emerging temporal framework, coupled with the spatial distribution of dune forms across the Links, raises questions as to whether Little Ice Age storms were responsible for deposition, or erosive destruction of older dune-forms, and the re-mobilisation of this sediment. To test these ideas, profiling methods, both field- and laboratory- based, could be employed to obtain a more complete temporal and spatial characterisation of the dune systems and excavated sequences. Further OSL sampling and dating would be needed to define the vertical and lateral chronostratigraphies of the environmental features in the landscape and their relationships to archaeological structures

Geochronologies from the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site: Optically Stimulated Luminescence measurement of monument foundation sediments and radiocarbon measurement of timbers

Nepal was struck by two major earthquakes on the 25th April and the 12th May 2015, which devastated large areas of the county, with substantial loss of life and livelihoods, and destroying both rural and urban infrastructure and property. The earthquakes and associated aftershocks damaged and destroyed much of Nepal’s unique cultural heritage, including monuments within the Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage Site of Universal Outstanding Value. These damaged monuments are currently subject to a major program of consultation, reconstruction and conservation. As part of this, geoarchaeological investigations are underway on the foundation sediments of the collapsed monuments within the damaged Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka and Bhaktapur and the temple complex of Pashupati. This report summaries: a) the OSL investigations on foundation sediments to the Changu Narayan and Vatsala Temples (Bhaktapur) and Jaisideval, Kathamandap, Pashupati and Trailokya Mohan Temples (Kathmandu; Table 1).; b) the radiocarbon measurements from timbers salvanged from the Kasthsmandap monument

Evidencing Local Climate Change And Its Implications for Subsistence Agriculture Planning In Huambo Province Angola, Southern Africa

Intensifying climate change is becoming increasingly apparent in Southern Africa withmodified precipitation patterns and increases in temperature affecting growing seasons, agricultural production, and food security for small-scale farmers. While there is a strong commitment from agricultural extension services to plan the management of climate change impacts in the region, these endeavors are hampered by a lack of knowledge on how climate scenarios will develop at a scale relevant to local communities. In this paper, we construct new scenarios for climate change in Huambo province, Angola, based on colonial and postcolonial local climate data sets. In so doing we highlight the role that this type of archived – physical - data can have in constructing future climate scenarios and which can form a foundation for local land evaluations and community adaptations.Our case study is the province of Huambo in Angola, particularly sensitive to climate change with a rainy and dry season, and over 85% subsistence farming is typical of many areas of the region. The climate data sets used run from 1960 to the present day and include temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. Trend detection, climatic variability, and temperature and precipitation projection were determined by the statistical reduction methods using regression, correlation and time series analysis; statistical prediction methods included integrated autoregression models and moving average (ARIMA). Our findings suggest a continuing increase in temperature, decline in rainfall, increase in the length of the dry season and reduction on the number of rainy days, the impact of which will vary with soil water Clmateholding capacity and agricultural land management mitigation measures

Spitzer observations of extragalactic H II regions - III. NGC 6822 and the hot star, H II region connection

Using the short-high module of the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have measured the [S IV] 10.51, [Ne II] 12.81, [Ne III] 15.56, and [S III] 18.71-micron emission lines in nine H II regions in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822. These lines arise from the dominant ionization states of the elements neon (Ne$^{++}$, Ne$^+$) and sulphur (S$^{3+}$, S$^{++}$), thereby allowing an analysis of the neon to sulphur abundance ratio as well as the ionic abundance ratios Ne$^+$/Ne$^{++}$ and S$^{3+}$/S$^{++}$. By extending our studies of H II regions in M83 and M33 to the lower metallicity NGC 6822, we increase the reliability of the estimated Ne/S ratio. We find that the Ne/S ratio appears to be fairly universal, with not much variation about the ratio found for NGC 6822: the median (average) Ne/S ratio equals 11.6 (12.2$\pm$0.8). This value is in contrast to Asplund et al.'s currently best estimated value for the Sun: Ne/S = 6.5. In addition, we continue to test the predicted ionizing spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from various stellar atmosphere models by comparing model nebulae computed with these SEDs as inputs to our observational data, changing just the stellar atmosphere model abundances. Here we employ a new grid of SEDs computed with different metallicities: Solar, 0.4 Solar, and 0.1 Solar. As expected, these changes to the SED show similar trends to those seen upon changing just the nebular gas metallicities in our plasma simulations: lower metallicity results in higher ionization. This trend agrees with the observations.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures. To be published in MNRAS. reference added and typos fixed. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0804.0828, which is paper II by Rubin et al. (2008

The impact of hydrogenation conditions on the temperature and strain discrimination of Type i and Type IA Bragg grating sensors

We report experimental findings for tailoring the temperature and strain coefficients of Type I and Type IA fibre Bragg gratings by influencing the photosensitivity presensitisation of the host optical fibre. It is shown that by controlling the level of hydrogen saturation, via hot and cold hydrogenation, it is possible to produce gratings with lower thermal coefficients. Furthermore, there is a larger difference between the Type I and Type IA thermal coefficients and a significant improvement in the matrix condition number, which impacts the ability to recover accurate temperature and strain data using the Type1-1A dual grating sensor

Protecting Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Intrinsic and Utilitarian Values

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), originally introduced as Areas of Special Scientific Interest with the 1949 National Parks and Access to Countryside Act, provide the foundation for a major set of mechanisms protecting sites of high conservation value in Great Britain. The vast majority of these sites are in private ownership. The mechanisms by which SSSIs are protected from urban industrial development, which requires planning permission, and rural development (agriculture, forestry) which does not require planning permission, are contained within an assortment of legislation (listed separately in the references). This legislation reflects the piecemeal fashion in which SSSI protection has evolved. This paper gives an overall outline of the current mechanisms by which development can take place and the extent to which SSSIs are protected. In particular we concentrate upon the threat of potentially damaging operations arising from rural development. Two models of SSSI protection are proposed and contrasted with the current process. Our analysis pinpoints tension between intrinsic and utilitarian value systems as the reason for current unease with the existing procedures. On the basis of this analysis, possible improvements on the existing situation are advanced

Deep anthropogenic topsoils in Scotland : a geoarchaeological and historical investigation into distribution, character and conservation under modern land cover

Deep anthropogenic topsoils – those augmented through long-term additions of mineral bulk among fertilising agents – retain in both their physical and chemical make-up significant indicators for cultural activity. This project researched the geographical distribution and historical context of deep anthropogenic topsoils in Scotland and the Isles, and used this information to investigate the impact of current land cover upon the cultural information they retain. In so doing, the project investigated the potential for conservation of this significant cultural resource. A review of the historical information available on agricultural and manuring practices for Scotland identified several factors likely to affect deep topsoil distribution and frequency. These were: the availability of bulk manures to Scottish farmers, the significance of the seaweed resource in determining fertiliser strategies in coastal areas, and the influence of urban settlement and associated patterns of domestic and industrial waste disposal on the location of deep topsoils. Evidence for widespread deep topsoil development was limited. The primary data source used – the First Statistical Account of Scotland – was manipulated into a spatial database in ArcView GIS, to which geographical data from the Soil Survey of Scotland and national archaeological survey databases were added. This was used to devise a survey programme aiming both to investigate the potential factors affecting soil development listed above, and to locate deep topsoil sites for analysis. Three sites were identified with deep topsoils under different cover types (woodland, arable and pasture). The urban-influenced context of two of these highlighted the significance of urban settlement to the location of Scottish deep topsoils. Analysis of pH, organic matter, and total phosphorus content showed a correlation between raised organic matter and a corresponding increase in phosphorus content in soils under permanent vegetation. By contrast, soils under arable cultivation showed no such rise. This was attributed to the action of cropping in removing modern organic inputs prior to down-profile cycling. The potential for pasture and woodland cover to affect relict soil signatures was therefore observed. Thin section analysis aimed to both provide micromorphological characterisation of the three deep topsoil sites and investigate the effect of modern land cover on micromorphological indicators. Distinctive differences in micromorphological character were observed between the rural and urban deep topsoils, with the latter showing a strong focus on carbonised fuel residues and industrial wastes. All sites showed a highly individual micromorphological character, reflective of localised fertilising systems. There was no correlation between land cover type and survival of material indictors for anthropogenic activity, with soil cultural indicators surviving well, particularly those characteristic of urban-influenced topsoils. Suggestions for preservation strategies for this potentially rare and highly localised cultural resource included the incorporation of deep anthropogenic topsoil conservation into current government policy relating to care of the rural historic environment, and the improvement of data on the resource through ongoing survey and excavation.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceHistoric Scotland : University of StirlingGBUnited Kingdo

Role of neostigmine and polyvalent antivenom in Indian common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) bite

SummaryBungarus caeruleus (Indian common krait) bite during monsoons is common in Northwest India. This study was undertaken to find the effectiveness of neostigmine and polyvalent antivenom in improving neuromuscular paralysis following bite. All the consecutive patients admitted between June 2007 and December 2008 with common krait bite, identified either from brought snake or circumstantial evidence were studied. Ten vials of polyvalent antivenom and three doses of 2.5mg neostigmine at 30min intervals after administration of 0.6mg of atropine were administered I.V. and patients were assessed for any improvement in neuroparalysis. Seventy-two patients were admitted during the study period. All the patients except two came from rural areas and were brought between June and September. Sixty-two patients were bitten during the day while clearing bricks, cutting grass or walking. The mean time interval between bite and arrival to hospital was 4.5h. None of the patients showed any improvement following treatment and all patients developed respiratory paralysis, requiring assisted ventilation. Seventy survived and two died. Neostigmine is ineffective in reversing or improving neuroparalytic features in patients with B. caeruleus bite even at higher dose than normally recommended

Protecting Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Intrinsic and Utilitarian Values

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), originally introduced as Areas of Special Scientific Interest with the 1949 National Parks and Access to Countryside Act, provide the foundation for a major set of mechanisms protecting sites of high conservation value in Great Britain. The vast majority of these sites are in private ownership. The mechanisms by which SSSIs are protected from urban industrial development, which requires planning permission, and rural development (agriculture, forestry) which does not require planning permission, are contained within an assortment of legislation (listed separately in the references). This legislation reflects the piecemeal fashion in which SSSI protection has evolved. This paper gives an overall outline of the current mechanisms by which development can take place and the extent to which SSSIs are protected. In particular we concentrate upon the threat of potentially damaging operations arising from rural development. Two models of SSSI protection are proposed and contrasted with the current process. Our analysis pinpoints tension between intrinsic and utilitarian value systems as the reason for current unease with the existing procedures. On the basis of this analysis, possible improvements on the existing situation are advanced

The identification and significance of inputs to Anthrosols in North-West Europe

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in soils which are the result of past land management practices involving substantial additions of mineral and organic matter. However, there is still a substantial lack of detailed information on their formation. Anthrosols are distinguished by the presence of a deep top horizon and such soils were investigated at sites in Scotland, Denmark and The Netherlands. Field data and samples were collected from eight sites under arable cultivation, meadowland and woodland. Particle size distribution, pH, loss on ignition, ECEC, base saturation and total P were measured. Carbonaceous particles were identified through micromorphological analysis and the determination of O:C ratios using an electron microprobe. Despite the use of different inputs in recent centuries and different current land management, the resultant anthropogenic soils are remarkably similar in field and analytical properties. Nevertheless, subtle changes in particle size can be explained by parent material influences, material imported by farmers and by inputs by other processes such as by wind. The results from microprobe analysis demonstrate the importance of carbonaceous particles in storing phosphorus. Thus the inherent fertility of these Anthrosols can be explained in part by the application of carbonised material in the past