Loring-Greenough House, North Yard Archaeogeophysics, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

An archaeogeophysical survey was carried out in May 2010 using Geonics EM-38 RT and a Malå Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system with a 500 MHz antenna over an 28x26 m grid immediately northeast of the Loring-Greenough house in Jamaica Plain, MA. Three major anomalies were identified. These anomalies have not been ground truthed, but they appear to be archaeological features. First, we suggest that there is builders trench just north of the house. Second, we suggest that there could be three east-west garden paths or other landscape features about 30 cm below the surface crossing the entire length of the survey grid. Third, we suggest that there could be a buried foundation or cellar hole 110 cm below the ground surface and 20 m north of the house. We recommend additional archaegeophysics be performed at the Loring-Greenough house, as well as a program of exploratory archaeological investigations with the goal of better understanding the past landscape around the house

Archaeological Site Examination of the Field East of the Grapery/Greenhouse, Drive Circle, Straight Walk, and South Lawn at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

A landscape restoration plan for the 45-acre historic estate of Massachusetts governor and United States senator, Christopher Gore and his wife Rebecca, recommended archaeological investigations to identify the location, character, and integrity of Gore-period features that could potentially be included in restoration efforts. Investigations began in 2004, focusing on better known landscape elements including the carriage drive, carriage house foundation, greenhouse, vegetable and flower gardens, and the site of the grapery/fruitwall (Smith and Dubell 2006). The 2008 investigations focused on the new site of the carriage house (reported under separate cover) and on lesser known elements of the estate that functioned in the daily running of Gore’s farm. Transects of staggered shovel test pits at 5, 10 and 20 meter intervals, along with 1×1 m excavation units and trenches, were employed in the archaeological site examination. Investigation of the drive circle north of the mansion showed the centrally-located well to have a wide builder’s trench of large cobblestones covered at the ground surface by a hard-packed layer of silty sand with gravel and clay, potentially to prevent contaminants in the immediate vicinity from entering the water. Identified by subsurface testing and ground penetrating radar was a well access walk that joined a straight-edged carriage drive south of the well. Also revealed was a possible square fieldstone feature that surrounds the well. The bedding of Gore’s historically documented straight walk east of the library was also found. A possible landscape feature of unknown form or function was found at the east terminus of the walk, and the walk’s eastern extension was determined to have been removed in the 1930s during mining of topsoil. Testing of the field east of the grapery identified additional boundaries of the 1930s soil removal and an area measuring approximately 60 × 100 m that is not archaeologically sensitive that is suitable for planting crops to interpret Gore’s agricultural use of the property. Examination of the south lawn revealed much of the area to have been plowed in the past and to have been subjected to fertilizing during the Gore period. A number of Gore-period and non Gore-period features were identified, including two dry wells, drainage pipes, post holes, buried fieldstones of unknown association, a deposit of reddened soil and stones of unknown function, golfing features associated with the use of the property by the Waltham Country Club during the 1920s, and a possible cellar or cesspool filled with Gore-period masonry from late 19th-century cellar and chimney alterations. Investigation of a known cistern revealed similar surface treatment to the drive circle well. Results of the south lawn work also identified an area on the flat, central section of the lawn that is not archaeologically sensitive and can be used for interpretative crop cultivation. An EM-31 conductivity meter survey identified a zone of the south lawn that appears to be the site of numerous anomalies, possibly related to the house’s heating, cooling, or water systems. Recommendations specific to each area consist of examining the square feature surrounding the well in the drive circle and determining the nature of drive bedding that adjoins the well access walk, exploring the east end of the straight walk to determine the nature of the feature at that location, further investigating the south lawn cellar or cesspool feature to determine its function and age, and testing several other south lawn features to determine age and function

Recursive Use of GPR, Excavation, and Historical Maps at Gore Place, Waltham, Massachusetts

Gore Place is the early 19th-century house and estate of Massachusetts governor Christopher Gore and his wife Rebecca. The Gores were active in scientific agriculture and cultivated grains, fruits, and vegetables on the property. As part of the landscape restoration, the Gore Place Society wished to know the exact location and preservation status of Gore’s stable and greenhouse. To determine these, we recursively combined historic map georeferencing, ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey, and excavation. We used an initial GPR survey to guide our excavation, then using the GPR-slice images and data from the excavations, a series of historical maps were re-georeferenced, allowing for much better interpretation of the GPR-slice images. Interpreting GPR, excavation, and documentary data in this integrated, sequential package yields more information with less excavation than traditional methods

Prospective randomized controlled pilot study on the effects of almond consumption on skin lipids and wrinkles.

ObjectiveAlmonds are a rich source of fatty acids and antioxidants, and their supplementation is known to significantly modulate serum lipids. The effects of almond on the skin's lipid barrier and the appearance of wrinkles have not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of almond consumption on facial sebum production and wrinkles.MethodsThis was a prospective, investigator-blinded, randomized controlled trial in which subjects consumed 20% of their daily energy consumption in either almonds or a calorie-matched snack for 16 weeks. This study was completed at the UC Davis Dermatology clinic. Participants were a volunteer sample of generally healthy postmenopausal females with Fitzpatrick skin types 1 and 2. A facial photograph and image analysis system was used to obtain standardized photographs and information on wrinkle width and severity at 0, 8, and 16 weeks. Measurements of transepidermal water loss and sebum production were also completed at 0, 8, and 16 weeks.ResultsFifty healthy postmenopausal females were recruited, 31 participants were enrolled, and 28 completed the study. Under photographic analysis, the almond group had significantly decreased wrinkle severity and width compared with the control group at 16 weeks (p < .02). Changes in skin barrier function were nonsignificant, measured by the transepidermal water loss (p = .65) between the almond and control groups relative to baseline after 16 weeks. No adverse effects were reported.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that daily almond consumption may reduce wrinkle severity in postmenopausal females to potentially have natural antiaging benefits

Continuity of Lithic Practice from the Eighteenth to the Nineteenth Centuries at the Nipmuc Homestead of Sarah Boston, Grafton, Massachusetts

Stone tools have been found at all Nipmuc-related house sites in central Massachusetts dating from the 17th through 20th centuries. This article explores in detail the lithic assemblage recovered from the kitchen midden of the late 18th and early 19th century Sarah Burnee/Sarah Boston farmstead in Grafton, Massachusetts. Quartz and quartzite lithics were found in similar concentrations as historic ceramics within the midden suggesting that these tools were in active use within the household. Ground-stone tools of ancient origin indicate curation and reuse of older materials, and knapped glass and re-worked gunflints suggest knowledge of flintknapping. This article argues that despite colonial rules forbidding traditional Native practices, this and other Nipmuc families continued to practice the production and use of lithics for at least 300 years after the arrival of Europeans

Sub-femtosecond determination of transmission delay times for a dielectric mirror (photonic bandgap) as a function of angle of incidence

Using a two-photon interference technique, we measure the delay for single-photon wavepackets to be transmitted through a multilayer dielectric mirror, which functions as a ``photonic bandgap'' medium. By varying the angle of incidence, we are able to confirm the behavior predicted by the group delay (stationary phase approximation), including a variation of the delay time from superluminal to subluminal as the band edge is tuned towards to the wavelength of our photons. The agreement with theory is better than 0.5 femtoseconds (less than one quarter of an optical period) except at large angles of incidence. The source of the remaining discrepancy is not yet fully understood.Comment: 5 pages and 5 figure

Results of Archaeogeophysical Surveying at the Great Friends Meeting House in Newport, Rhode Island

Archaeogeophysical surveys were carried out in October 2010 over a 30 x 50 m grid that was established immediately to the north and west of the north end of the Great Friends Meeting House (GFMH) in Newport, RI. The surveys were conducted using a Geonics EM-38 RT ground conductivity meter and a Malå X3M Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system that was equipped with 500 and 800 MHz antennas. In addition, a resistance survey was performed over a much smaller central area using a Geoscan RM15 resistance meter. From this work three types of geophysical anomalies have been identified: those associated with individual features, structures, and graves. There may be one large structure to the north of the GFMH with a similar alignment. Forty-two anomalies were identified that are consistent with graves. There are many more anomalies that have not been specifically interpreted as graves because they did not meet enough of our criteria but may indeed be graves. We recommend that additional archaeogeophysical surveys be performed as well as a series of follow-up excavations to ground truth the interpretations

Preliminary Report: Evaluating the Potential of Archaeogeophysical Surveying on Viking Age and Medieval Sites in Greenland, 2 – 16 August, 2010

The primary goal of this research is to begin to overcome biases in the Greenlandic Norse archaeological record. Assessing the establishment dates and organization of Norse sites in Greenland is difficult because substantial cultural deposits can be hidden under deep windblown sand deposits as well as later occupations. Shallow geophysical methods were used to help recover information on the nature, extent and depth of subsurface cultural deposits. Assessing these site characteristics is a first step in overcoming the bias towards the later, the larger, and the more visible sites in the archaeological record. Norse Greenland presents a relatively visible medieval landscape with many ruins preserved on the surface. Survey archaeologists have taken advantage of these conditions to do comprehensive surveys of Norse settlements producing inventories of farm buildings and settlements (Guldager, et al. 2002; Keller 1990). Coring surveys and excavation at known sites have demonstrated that some sites are buried under significant aeolian deposits and that areas within many other sites can be deep and contain ruins that are not visible on the surface. In many cases Viking Age deposits cannot be accessed by archaeological excavation, as this would damage later occupational phases. In these cases, application of archeogeophysics may be the only way to assess this unique cultural history. The identification, characterization, and dating of these subsurface architectural remains are critical to systematic survey programs and to the production of regional settlement patterns and chronologies that can help explain the ecological and political dynamics of Norse colonization, land use, and the eventual demise of Norse Greenland. Over the past 10 years the Skagafjörður Archaeological Settlement Survey (SASS) has developed an intensive subsurface survey protocol to systematically recover, date, and characterize Viking Age landscapes in Iceland. While we believe the SASS subsurface protocol can be effective in Greenland there are many questions that must be resolved before any wide-scale application of the methods can be developed. The project set out to address two basic questions: (1) what is the actual subsurface record at Norse sites, and (2) which methods work best and how are they most effectively employed? In this initial investigation, we tested and adapted this protocol to conditions in Greenland. We hope that the preliminary test of these methods will significantly expand the range of sites and periods accessible to researchers working in Greenland and allow for new questions regarding the long-term political and environmental histories of the region. The successful integration of archaeogeophysics with archaeological survey and excavation will result in a more holistic approach to the preservation of Norse archaeological sites in Greenland. These sites suffer from increased modern impacts resulting from mineral exploitation, sheep farming, and tourism. Additionally, there is now total summer sub-surface thaw and conditions that were once ideal for preserving organic remains are now deteriorating, especially in well-drained areas. In the coming years the Greenland National Museum will begin a program of scheduling and protecting some of these sites. We believe that the application of archaeogeophysics could be a great asset in determining which sites are in danger and worthy of preservation

Egg on Hegranes: Geophysical Prospection, Coring, & Test Excavations—Report 2016

This report describes the 2016 archaeological work at the farm of Egg is in the southernmost part of Hegranes, North Iceland

Growing Things Rare, Foreign, and Tender : The Early Nineteenth-Century Greenhouse at Gore Place, Waltham Massachusetts

Excavations and ground penetrating radar at Gore Place in Waltham, Massachusetts, uncovered part of an early 19th-century greenhouse (ca. 1806 to the early 1840s) constructed by Christopher and Rebecca Gore. Documentary, archaeological, and geophysical data suggest that the greenhouse was a formal space intended to display exotic plants and that it was built in the relatively new lean-to style, with a tall back wall and a short front wall. The artifact assemblage included tools and small finds related to the greenhouse operation, as well as the remains of at least 149 planting pots. The greenhouse was constructed during a period of intense interest in agricultural experimentation by members of the Massachusetts commercial and political elite, including Gore. Scholars have argued that these men used the positive associations of agriculture to offset some of the contemporary negative connotations of commerce. This article examines the greenhouse in the light of this scientific agricultural movement but also argues that the greenhouse was an extension of the social space of the house and posits that Rebecca Gore may have played a significant role in managing it