scholarly journals Archaeology and the origins of human cumulative culture: a case study from the earliest Oldowan at Gona, Ethiopia.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich Stout
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Cumulative Culture ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Replication Experiment ◽  
Technological Analysis

Homo sapiens’ capacity for the inter-generational accumulation of complex technologies, practices, and beliefs is central to contemporary accounts of human distinctiveness. However, the actual antiquity and evolutionary origins of cumulative culture are not known. Here we propose and exemplify a research program for studying the origins of cumulative culture using archaeological evidence. Our step-wise approach disentangles assessment of the observed fidelity of behavior reproduction from inferences regarding required learning mechanisms (e.g. teaching, imitation) and the explanation of larger-scale patterns of change. It is empirically grounded in technological analysis of artifact assemblages using well-validated experimental models. We demonstrate with a case study using a tool-making replication experiment to assess evidence of behavior copying across three 2.6 million-year-old Oldowan sites from Gona, Ethiopia. Results fail to reveal any effects of raw material size, shape, quality, or reduction intensity that could explain the observed details of inter-site technological variation in terms of individual learning across different local conditions. This supports the view that relatively detailed copying of tool-making methods was already a feature of Oldowan technological reproduction ~2.6 mya. We conclude with a discussion of prospects and implications for further research on the evolution of human cumulative culture.

scholarly journals Environmental Potentials of Asphalt Materials Applied to Urban Roads: Case Study of the City of Münster

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6113
Author(s):  
Mayara S. Siverio Lima ◽  
Mohsen Hajibabaei ◽  
Sina Hesarkazzazi ◽  
Robert Sitzenfrei ◽  
Alexander Buttgereit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Cumulative Energy ◽  
Cumulative Energy Demand ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Asphalt Materials ◽  
Pavement Structures

Life cycle assessment (LCA) tools have been used by governments and city administrators to support the decision-making process toward creating a more sustainable society. Since LCA is strongly influenced by local conditions and may vary according to various factors, several institutions have launched cooperation projects to achieve sustainable development goals. In this study, we assessed the potential environmental enhancements within the production of road materials applied to the road network of Münster, Germany. We also compared traditional pavement structures used in Münster and alternative options containing asphalt mixtures with larger amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Although the case study was conducted in Münster, the data collected and the results obtained in this study can be used for comparison purposes in other investigations. In the analysis, we considered all environmental impacts from raw material extraction to the finished product at the asphalt plant. Two environmental indicators were used: non-renewable cumulative energy demand (nr-CED) and global warming potential (GWP). The results show that using RAP increases the consumption of energy but potentially decreases the environmental impacts in terms of the nr-CED and GWP associated with the production of asphalt materials.

On Identifying Stone Tool Production Techniques: An Experimental and Statistical Assessment of Pressure Versus Soft Hammer Percussion Flake Form

2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Briggs Buchanan ◽  
Veronica Mraz ◽  
Metin I. Eren
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Stone Tool ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Minimal Loss ◽  
Production Techniques ◽  
Replication Experiment ◽  
Discriminant Analyses

Identifying stone tool production techniques in the archaeological record can inform on prehistoric economy, time budgets, shared cultural practices, and the spatiotemporal occurrence of technological innovations and adaptations. The pressure flaking technique is one such innovation that appears on every continent Homo sapiens colonized. Pressure flaking has long been associated with the ability of flintknappers to produce small, regularly shaped flakes that were used to maintain particular edge shapes and resharpen dull tool edges with minimal loss of raw material. Despite the importance of pressure flaking, a method for supporting the identification of pressure flakes in the archaeological record is lacking. Here, we present a stone tool replication experiment that statistically compares flakes derived from bifacial pressure flaking and soft hammer percussion flaking. Our analyses show that pressure flakes are on average lighter, shorter, narrower, and thicker than soft hammer percussion flakes. Discriminant analyses indicate that pressure flakes can be correctly classified at a rate of 70 percent in a mixed sample. Furthermore, our findings validate the assumption that pressure flakes are less variable in form compared to soft hammer percussion flakes. Based on our results, we suggest quantitatively reevaluating the presence of pressure flaking in the global archaeological record.

scholarly journals Estimation of Damage Induced by Single-Hole Rock Blasting: A Review on Analytical, Numerical, and Experimental Solutions

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Mahdi Shadabfar ◽  
Cagri Gokdemir ◽  
Mingliang Zhou ◽  
Hadi Kordestani ◽  
Edmond V. Muho
Keyword(s):  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Rock Blasting ◽  
Discussion Section ◽  
Reliability Models ◽  
Fine Grain ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Engineering Projects

This paper presents a review of the existing models for the estimation of explosion-induced crushed and cracked zones. The control of these zones is of utmost importance in the rock explosion design, since it aims at optimizing the fragmentation and, as a result, minimizing the fine grain production and recovery cycle. Moreover, this optimization can reduce the damage beyond the set border and align the excavation plan with the geometric design. The models are categorized into three groups based on the approach, i.e., analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches, and for each group, the relevant studies are classified and presented in a comprehensive manner. More specifically, in the analytical methods, the assumptions and results are described and discussed in order to provide a useful reference to judge the applicability of each model. Considering the numerical models, all commonly-used algorithms along with the simulation details and the influential parameters are reported and discussed. Finally, considering the experimental models, the emphasis is given here on presenting the most practical and widely employed laboratory models. The empirical equations derived from the models and their applications are examined in detail. In the Discussion section, the most common methods are selected and used to estimate the damage size of 13 case study problems. The results are then utilized to compare the accuracy and applicability of each selected method. Furthermore, the probabilistic analysis of the explosion-induced failure is reviewed using several structural reliability models. The selection, classification, and discussion of the models presented in this paper can be used as a reference in real engineering projects.

From converts to cooperation: Protestant internationalism, US missionaries and Indian Christians and ‘Professional’ social work between Boston and Bombay (c. 1920–1950)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Michael Phillipp Brunner
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
North America ◽  
Social Gospel ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Historical Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Concerns ◽  
High Phase

Abstract The 1920s and 30s were a high phase of liberal missionary internationalism driven especially by American-led visions of the Social Gospel. As the missionary consensus shifted from proselytization to social concerns, the indigenization of missions and the role of the ‘younger churches’ outside of Europe and North America was brought into focus. This article shows how Protestant internationalism pursued a ‘Christian Sociology’ in dialogue with the field’s academic and professional form. Through the case study of settlement sociology and social work schemes by the American Marathi Mission (AMM) in Bombay, the article highlights the intricacies of applying internationalist visions in the field and asks how they were contested and shaped by local conditions and processes. Challenging a simplistic ‘secularization’ narrative, the article then argues that it was the liberal, anti-imperialist drive of the missionary discourse that eventually facilitated an American ‘professional imperialism’ in the development of secular social work in India. Adding local dynamics to the analysis of an internationalist discourse benefits the understanding of both Protestant internationalism and the genesis of Indian social work and shows the value of an integrated global micro-historical approach.

scholarly journals New indices to characterize drawing behavior in humans (Homo sapiens) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lison Martinet ◽  
Cédric Sueur ◽  
Satoshi Hirata ◽  
Jérôme Hosselet ◽  
Tetsuro Matsuzawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Ontogenetic Development ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Spatial Measures ◽  
Development And Evolution ◽  
Cave Art ◽  
Drawing Skills

AbstractTechniques used in cave art suggest that drawing skills emerged long before the oldest known representative human productions (44,000 years bc). This study seeks to improve our knowledge of the evolutionary origins and the ontogenetic development of drawing behavior by studying drawings of humans (N = 178, 3- to 10-year-old children and adults) and chimpanzees (N = 5). Drawings were characterized with an innovative index based on spatial measures which provides the degree of efficiency for the lines that are drawn. Results showed that this index was lowest in chimpanzees, increased and reached its maximum between 5-year-old and 10-year-old children and decreased in adults, whose drawing efficiency was reduced by the addition of details. Drawings of chimpanzees are not random suggesting that their movements are constrained by cognitive or locomotor aspect and we cannot conclude to the absence of representativeness. We also used indices based on colors and time and asked children about what they drew. These indices can be considered relevant tools to improve our understanding of drawing development and evolution in hominids.

Learning during developing and implementing new bank offerings

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Stevens ◽  
Sergios Dimitriadis
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Informal Development

PurposeKnowledge of the management issues for developing new bank offerings efficiently is limited. Furthermore, recent research suggests that organisational learning can contribute greatly to the success of innovation projects. The aims of this paper are to provide a detailed description of the development process of a new financial product and to identify learning actions that may contribute to its effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachReports findings from a qualitative, longitudinal case study of a well‐known French bank.FindingsThe results revealed an informal development process consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make.Research limitations/implicationsThough observations fit with the theoretical model, the findings cannot be generalized due to the use of a qualitative methodology. Thus, selecting a development project that brings variance to the scope and degree of innovativeness could enrich the observed learning mechanisms. Second, as services are very heterogeneous, further research should be done on the development processes of different new services, for example standardised versus customised. Third, mechanisms of adoption or avoidance of learning procedures remain to be explored extensively. Understanding the reasons of choice and adoption of learning strategies according to the environment and nature of the project could lead to further managerial recommendations.Practical implicationsImplications for banks to encourage learning during innovation are discussed and several opportunities for further research are suggested.Originality/valueAn informal development process is revealed, consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make. Multiple learning actions and strategies are identified that enhance process effectiveness and efficiency.

NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT BUILDINGS AND CITIES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Widera
Keyword(s):  
Urban Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
End User ◽  
Material Consumption ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Sustainable Urbanization ◽  
And Performance

The paper addresses the topic of nature-based solutions applied in the architectural and urban design. These ideas are analyzed in the context of the opportunities they create for the humanity in terms of the sustainable growth and environmental protection. Nature-based solutions are inherently taken from nature. The first part of the paper presents their tremendous potential to be energy and resource-efficient, and resilient to change. In the second part of the research particular concepts driven from nature (copied form nature or inspired by nature) proposed for the buildings and cities are described and evaluated. The author discusses their functional usefulness, spatial appropriateness, adaptation to local conditions, end-user comfort, environmental benefits and the possibility of duplication. Nature-based solutions applied in urban planning can make cities more climate resilient and contribute to ecosystems restoration. The paper describes how sustainable urbanization can stimulate economic growth, make cities more attractive and enhance well-being of the inhabitants. It is also explained how particular buildings can benefit from the concepts driven from nature e.g. by increasing their energy efficiency and performance in terms of raw material consumption. In purpose to properly response to the climate challenge, humanity has to establish a new kind of partnership with nature. Using nature-based solutions should be considered as an important part of this approach. The concepts presented in this paper show some of the most promising options, such as integration of living systems with built systems and innovative combinations of soft and hard engineering. In conclusion some of the most promising nature-based solutions for climate resilient buildings and cities are indicated

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