1,352 research outputs found
Bone modification and the conceptual relationship between humans and animals in Iron Age Wessex
archaeological records. As a result of the manner in which human and animal remains are traditionally studied and
reported on, the analysis of taphonomic processes which affect the character of specimens between death and
incorporation into forming deposits is often confined to butchery, burning and fragmentation. This paper argues that
current methods of osteoarchaeological analysis fail to recognise the potential of a substantial and easily accessible
source of information in paying little attention to the processes of weathering, gnawing, trampling, abrasion and
longitudinal/spiral fracturing. More detailed taphonomic assessments have tended to focus on one specific process to
answer a particular research question rather than taking a holistic approach to pre-depositional affects (e.g. Outram
2001). Consequently biographies of skeletal material are only partially complete, as the period in the material existence
of bone prior to subterranean deposition is not fully investigated. The aforementioned taphonomic processes can
provide substantial evidence for human decision making regarding the treatment of different classes of remains.
This research explores the potential of holistic taphonomic analysis in a sample of c.9500 human and faunal specimens
from the Iron Age sites of Winnall Down and Danebury. These sites were selected as they are located in the heart of
Wessex, an area about which there has been considerable discourse and disagreement regarding the nature of human
and animal bone treatment in the Iron Age. Through comprehensive taphonomic analysis, highly regulated, socially
circumscribed behaviours surrounding bone handling were revealed. These results are suggestive of separate practices
relating to the treatment of human and faunal remains with the latter exhibiting significantly greater evidence of
exposure. The analysis of bone modification in features containing both human and faunal remains reveals a blurring
of the boundary between human and animal identities, as the treatment of the two classes of material differs to a
significantly lesser degree than when analysing the entire assemblage. Therefore each class of material is subjected to
a more closely related mode of treatment. This might be seen as indicative of a conceptual proximity of human and
faunal remains
Patterns in the modification of animal and human bones in Iron Age Wessex: revisiting the excarnation debate
Social practices concerning the treatment of human and animal remains in the Iron Age have long been a focus of debate in archaeological literature. The absence of evidence of a formal burial rite and the regular retrieval of human remains from ‘special’ deposits or ABGs has led to widespread discussion surrounding what majority rite was practised in Iron Age Wessex and excarnation has been a popular explanation. The deposition of unusual configurations of faunal remains, often associated with human remains may be suggestive of an interrelated pre-depositional and depositional practise between the different classes of remains.
This paper explores how a holistic analysis of bone taphonomy can contribute to the understanding of social practises surrounding the pre-depositional treatment of humans and animals. In a case study of the sites of Winnall Down and Danebury, it was demonstrated that humans and animals were treated significantly differently. Human remains exhibited far less modification than faunal material, suggesting that excarnation was unlikely to have been the majority rite. However, results indicate that either exposure in a protective environment or exhumation was practised so that partial or total disarticulation could occur with little taphonomic modification. Taphonomic analysis of faunal material demonstrates that it is not only humans and animals that were treated differently, as dog and horse remains exhibit significantly different patterns of modification to other animals. Results are indicative of rigidly controlled culturally constituted social practices relating to the treatment of different classes of bone
Dynamical segregation of galaxies in groups and clusters
We have performed a systematic analysis of the dynamics of different galaxy
populations in galaxy groups from the 2dFGRS. For this purpose we have combined
all the groups into a single system, where velocities v and radius r are
expressed adimensionally. We have used several methods to compare the
distributions of relative velocities of galaxies with respect to the group
centre for samples selected according to their spectral type (as defined by
Madgwick et al., 2002), bj band luminosity and B-R colour index. We have found
strong segregation effects: spectral type I objects show a statistically
narrower velocity distribution than that of galaxies with a substantial star
formation activity (type II-IV). Similarly, the same behavior is observed for
galaxies with colour index B-R>1 compared to galaxies with B-R<1. Bright
(Mb-19) galaxies show the same segregation. It is not
important once the sample is restricted to a given spectral type. These effects
are particularly important in the central region (Rp<Rvirial/2) and do not have
a strong dependence on the mass of the parent group. These trends show a strong
correlation between the dynamics of galaxies in groups and star formation rate
reflected both by spectral type and by colour index.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Long term changes in aquatic plant communities in English lowland lakes
This thesis looks into the use of historical macrophyte records to assess long term changes in macrophyte communities in lakes and potential reasons for these changes. In particular it uses historical records to assess changes in macrophyte communities in the Norfolk Broads and West Midland Meres, two sets of lowland, eutrophic lakes in England. It provides a critical examination of the use of historical records, highlighting some of the constraints common to such data such as variations in recording effort, and bias in species recording and site selection. Having acknowledged these issues we then go on to develop a robust way to interpret such data, using a “change index” based on species persistence over the last 200 years within individual lakes. Species with high change index values, which represented species which had persisted or increased within the lake districts, were those known to be characteristic of eutrophic lakes. Conversely species with low index scores, which had declined in both the broads and meres over the last 200 years, included species associated with less fertile conditions but also a selection of typically eutrophic species. Averaging of change index scores in present day survey data served to identify the historically least changed lakes and to rank lakes in order of degree of botanical change over the last century.
We then analysed the ecological basis of the change index in order to better understand the processes behind the decline of some species and survival of others in the Norfolk Broads and West Midland Meres. Functional groups determined from morphological and regenerative traits displayed significant differences in change index values in both groups of lakes, but declining taxa occurred across a wide range of plant growth forms. Non-hierarchical clustering of species based on their ecological preferences, obtained from published literature, resulted in groups with distinct change index values, indicating that changes in the status of species could be partly explained by these preferences. Of these, trophic preference was consistently the most important, with species of less fertile habitats consistently experiencing the greatest declines. However, some characteristically eutrophic species have also declined significantly, particularly in the broads. In these cases increasing loss of shallow water, low energy habitats in the broads, or loss of fluctuating water levels and less alkaline backwaters in the meres, appear to have been contributory factors.
In addition to the change index approach, we also used historical records at a site level to complement palaeolimnological analysis and investigate the change in macrophyte community composition and structure at Barton Broad, Norfolk. Sediment samples were extracted from the bottom of the broad and analysed for sub-fossil remains and pollen of macrophytes. The historical records and palaeolimnological analysis combined showed that early communities did not consist entirely of low growing, oligotrophic and mesotrophic species as previously thought, but in fact comprised a mixture of these and other more characteristically high nutrient species associated with taller, or free-floating growth habit. As eutrophication progressed throughout the last century, the community was increasingly dominated by these latter growth forms. Diversity was maintained, however, since encroaching reedswamp generated a mosaic of low energy habitats which supported a range of species unable to withstand the hydraulic forces associated with more open water habitat. When the reedswamp disappeared in the 1950s, many of the dependent aquatic macrophytes also declined resulting in widespread macrophyte loss.
The thesis demonstrates not just the complexities of using historical records, but also ways in which these can be overcome to make useful observations about macrophyte community change and lake ecological integrity to inform conservation and lake management, both on a site and lake district level
Flesh on the Bones: Animal Bodies in Atlantic Roundhouses
This volume presents the state of research across Europe to illustrate how comparable interpretative frameworks are used by archaeologists working with both prehistoric and historical societies
Correlating galaxy morphologies and spectra in the 2dFGRS
The correlation between a galaxy's morphology and its observed optical
spectrum is investigated. As an example, 4000 galaxies from the 2dF Galaxy
Redshift Survey, which possess both good quality spectra and have visually
determined morphologies are analysed. Of particular use is the separation of
Early and Late type galaxies present in a redshift survey since these can then
be used in their respective redshift-independent distance estimators (Dn-sigma
and Tully-Fisher). It is determined that galaxies in this sample can be
relatively successfully separated into these two types by the use of various
statistical methods. These methods are briefly outlined in this paper and are
also compared to the default 2dFGRS spectral classification (eta). In addition
it is found that the 4000Ang break in the spectrum is the best discriminant in
determining its morphological type.Comment: LaTex, 12 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
The 2dF gravitational lens survey
The 2 degree Field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey will involve obtaining
approximately 2.5 x 10^5 spectra of objects previously identified as galaxy
candidates on morphological grounds. Included in these spectra should be about
ten gravitationally-lensed quasars, all with low-redshift galaxies as
deflectors (as the more common lenses with high-redshift deflectors will be
rejected from the survey as multiple point-sources). The lenses will appear as
superpositions of galaxy and quasar spectra, and both cross-correlation
techniques and principal components analysis should be able to identify
candidates systematically. With the 2dF survey approximately half-completed it
is now viable to begin a systematic search for these spectroscopic lenses, and
the first steps of this project are described here.Comment: PASA (OzLens edition), in press; 4 pages, 0 figure
A Proposed Paradigm of Personality as Explored Through the Relationship Between Moral Reasoning and Cognitive Flexibility
Problem. Personality, a construct representing the dynamic integration of the individual, remains complicated, both in theory and in research. The purpose of this study was to explore a conceptual paradigm of personality through the relationship between cognitive flexibility and moral reasoning. Researchers had not looked at the relationship between cognitive flexibility, as measured by the Stroop Color and Word Test, and moral reasoning, as measured by the Defining Issues Test (DIT). This study focused on the relationship between cognitive flexibility and moral reasoning. It looked for more than an understanding of the relationship, however, thus affording beginning research in the development of the proposed paradigm.
Method. The DIT and the Stroop Test were administered to freshman and sophomore college students. Chi-square and descriptive analyses of the data from 133 subjects were calculated.
Results. Four directional research hypotheses predicted a necessary-but-not-sufficient relationship between cognitive flexibility and moral reasoning. Two hypotheses used the P score on the DIT while the other two involved the D measure. The findings supported two out of the four hypotheses: one on the P scores (x2 = 3.27) and one on the D scores (x2 = 3.5) from the DIT. While the other two research hypotheses were not supported by the analyses, trends suggested by the data were studied by a number of t tests. These tests revealed significantly higher DIT means in the flexible group than the not flexible group in the third quartile D grouping (t = 1.092 with 43 degrees of freedom and p \u3c .05) and in the upper quartile P grouping (t = 2.502 with 23 degrees of freedom and p \u3c .01). It is believed that this study contributes direct and indirect support of a necessary-but-not-sufficient relationship between cognitive flexibility and moral reasoning. It may be said that cognitive flexibility is a prerequisite for higher moral development. It is not, however, the only component needed for such development. The relationship between cognitive flexibility and moral reasoning can be taken as evidence for an interaction between the subsystems and cognitive mosaics within the context of the proposed paradigm. In summary, this study provides beginning work on a personality paradigm and contributes both implications and applications of the findings
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