CLARIFYING THE AGE OF INITIAL SETTLEMENT HORIZON IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS AND THE IMPACT OF HARD WATER: A RESPONSE TO CARSON (2020)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fiona Petchey ◽  
Geoffrey Clark

ABSTRACT This paper is a response to criticism by Carson (2020) concerning the age of the Unai Bapot archaeological site in the Mariana Islands. Of specific contention are supposed errors in the marine radiocarbon (14C) research reported by Petchey et al. (2017). According to Carson, this work produced marine reservoir offsets (ΔR) of “suspiciously wide variance from each other … and those results were incompatible with the site’s reported stratigraphy and dating (Carson 2008) as well as with other previously calculated marine reservoir corrections in the Mariana Islands (Carson 2010: 3).” This statement is misleading on all three points. Our reply discusses the problems encountered when dating shells from near-shore “marine” environments where terrestrial input, in particular hard water, may complicate date interpretation. We outline a cautionary tale relevant to any researcher using “marine” shell dates to develop regional archaeological chronologies in regions dominated by limestone.

1985 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Batten ◽  
P. J. R. Uwins

Abstract. Samples from 12 wells situated mainly in the northern part of the Cyrenaica Shelf of northeast Libya have yielded palynomorph assemblages of Aptian, Albian or Cenomanian aspect. The Aptian assemblages are dominated by land-plant remains and contain relatively few dinoflagellate cysts. By contrast, the latter are generally common in those from the Albian and Cenomanian samples. Deposition in near-shore marine environments is indicated for most of the Aptian succession whereas more open marine conditions are generally suggested for the younger strata. In places, however, a substantial terrestrial input was maintained during the accumulation of the Albian sediments.Dinoflagellate cysts typically recorded from Aptian palynological preparations include Aptea anaphrissa, Cyclonephelium sp. 1, Hystrichosphaerina schindewolfii, Muderongia simplex microperforata and Occisucysta spp. Several species of Cribroperidinium, but especially C. edwardsii and C. orthoceras, usually form an important part of the Albian assemblages; Kiokansium hydra is also often present. Skolochorate cysts referable to Coronifera and Florentinia are abundant in both these and the Cenomanian preparations, with Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides and several species of Canningia, Cyclonephelium, Oligosphaeridium, Spiniferites and Subtilisphaera being among the most numerous of the associated forms. In general the assemblages compare closely with those of similar age described by Below (1981, 1982) and Williams (1978) from onshore and offshore Morocco respectively.Although miospores are common in the Aptian preparations, they show relatively little morphological diversity. Smooth walled triradiate specimens, Classopollis and Inaperturopollenites are often the dominant forms. Angiosperm pollen grains are generally scarce and bisaccates only rarely encountered. A few of the Albian . . .


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1791
Author(s):  
Carmen Fattore ◽  
Nicodemo Abate ◽  
Farid Faridani ◽  
Nicola Masini ◽  
Rosa Lasaponara

In recent years, the impact of Climate change, anthropogenic and natural hazards (such as earthquakes, landslides, floods, tsunamis, fires) has dramatically increased and adversely affected modern and past human buildings including outstanding cultural properties and UNESCO heritage sites. Research about protection/monitoring of cultural heritage is crucial to preserve our cultural properties and (with them also) our history and identity. This paper is focused on the use of the open-source Google Earth Engine tool herein used to analyze flood and fire events which affected the area of Metaponto (southern Italy), near the homonymous Greek-Roman archaeological site. The use of the Google Earth Engine has allowed the supervised and unsupervised classification of areas affected by flooding (2013–2020) and fire (2017) in the past years, obtaining remarkable results and useful information for setting up strategies to mitigate damage and support the preservation of areas and landscape rich in cultural and natural heritage.


2003 ◽  

Monograph is prepared on the basis of the materials collected in near-shore waters of Crimea in 2003, and the retrospective data. Modern condition of biological diversity in near-shore zone of Crimea is shown on the basis of analysis of qualitative and quantitative composition of micro- and zooplankton, phyto- and zoobenthos, ichthyofauna and parasite fauna; the recommendations on conservation of biological diversity are given. Responses of biota on the appearance of new species in communities and on the impact of some anthropogenic factors are analyzed. Characteristics of the Black Sea plankton bioluminescents and the bioluminescence field forming by them in neritic zone of Crimea are shown. Lists of species of main groups of flora and fauna from the different regions of near-shore waters of Crimea are made.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512094823
Author(s):  
Melissa Aronczyk

This essay examines the troubling logic of digital media ecosystems, which devalue socially relevant information to maintain brand reputation. At a time when the value of news to provide essential and reliable information is made dramatically apparent, advertising technologies privilege the safety of brands over the safety of individuals. The essay reviews the logic of current digital advertising infrastructure, focusing on the impact of automated technologies on the decline of professional journalism.


The Holocene ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 742-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Weiberg ◽  
Andrew Bevan ◽  
Katerina Kouli ◽  
Markos Katsianis ◽  
Jessie Woodbridge ◽  
...  

This paper offers a comparative study of land use and demographic development in northern and southern Greece from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. Results from summed probability densities (SPD) of archaeological radiocarbon dates and settlement numbers derived from archaeological site surveys are combined with results from cluster-based analysis of published pollen core assemblages to offer an integrated view of human pressure on the Greek landscape through time. We demonstrate that SPDs offer a useful approach to outline differences between regions and a useful complement to archaeological site surveys, evaluated here especially for the onset of the Neolithic and for the Final Neolithic (FN)/Early Bronze Age (EBA) transition. Pollen analysis highlight differences in vegetation between the two sub-regions, but also several parallel changes. The comparison of land cover dynamics between two sub-regions of Greece further demonstrates the significance of the bioclimatic conditions of core locations and that apparent oppositions between regions may in fact be two sides of the same coin in terms of socio-ecological trajectories. We also assess the balance between anthropogenic and climate-related impacts on vegetation and suggest that climatic variability was as an important factor for vegetation regrowth. Finally, our evidence suggests that the impact of humans on land cover is amplified from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) onwards as more extensive herding and agricultural practices are introduced.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13
Author(s):  
Ivan Robert Bernadus Kaunang

This study discusses the history of the pagoda formation and its distribution along with the presence of Chinese existence in Manado. This study also discusses the factors and the impact of the pagoda in Manado. The first pagoda in Manado was beginning to exist in 1819, and in a fairly long period until 2018, the development and distribution were very slow despite the presence of Chinese in this area since the 17th century. This study was carried out using historical methods and analysis. The data obtained were processed using a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of the study show that the presence of the pagoda together with the initial settlement of Chinese people brought by the Dutch VOC was aimed to build the fort of Fort Amsterdam. Although it impressed by the slow erection and distribution of pagodas in Manado, the causal factors and the impact are interesting in relation to interfaith, interethnic relations, urban expansion, religious space contestation, opening wider economic access and become tourism destinations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 186-198
Author(s):  
Leslie A. Watson ◽  
Jonathan S. Stark ◽  
Glenn Johnstone ◽  
Erik Wapstra ◽  
Karen Miller

AbstractUnderstanding the distribution, abundance and habitat preferences of species in the Southern Ocean provides a foundation for assessing the impacts of environmental change and anthropogenic disturbance on Antarctic ecosystems. In near-shore waters at Casey and Davis Stations, photoquadrat surveys were used to determine sea anemone distribution and abundance, habitat preferences, associations with other species and the impact of human disturbance on sea anemone distribution. Two distinct sea anemone morphotypes were found in this study: large sea anemones that require hard substrate for attachment and small, burrowing sea anemones found in muddy sediment. The large sea anemones were found in rocky habitats, with the exception of some sedimentary habitats where other biota were used as substrate. The large sea anemones were associated with a diverse community of epibenthic species found in rocky habitats. The burrowing sea anemones were associated with a less diverse assemblage of sediment-dwelling epibenthos. At Casey Station, sea anemones were more abundant in habitats adjacent to a former waste disposal site than at control sites. The reason for this is not yet known, but may be due to high organic matter inputs or, alternatively, a longer sea ice duration providing protection from ice scour.


2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (7) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Bouvy ◽  
Enora Briand ◽  
Maimouna M. Boup ◽  
Patrice Got ◽  
Christophe Leboulanger ◽  
...  

Coastal ecosystems are frequently submitted to anthropogenic pressure but little is known about how the dynamics of aquatic communities can be altered. The impact of urban and industrial discharges on microbial plankton was studied in Hann Bay near Dakar (Senegal) on the Atlantic Ocean. Spatial patterns were studied using three transects, with a total of 20 stations, during two periods in May and November (before and after the seasonal upwelling), revealing a clear contrast between near shore stations and the intermediate and seaward stations. In November, phytoplankton were associated with dissolved nutrient availability (e.g. with nitrate, r = 0.76) whereas in May, phytoplankton were more correlated with microbial variables (e.g. with heterotrophic nanoflagellates, r = 0.63). Most samples (40) failed to meet the quality levels for the faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) defined by the European Union bathing water quality directive. The topography plays a major role in water circulation explaining the presence of FIB at the seaward stations. The high prevalence of FIB during the two periods suggests chronic pollution and a potential risk to recreational swimmers and fish consumers in Hann Bay. Thus, as demonstrated in various temperate systems, the decline of water quality constitutes a serious problem in many West African countries.


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