Sahelian frameworks

Author(s):  
Anne Haour

This chapter provides an overview of the current state of archaeological research in the central Sahel. Archaeological research on the central Sahel is still in its infancy while historical research is a little better advanced, focusing on the local dynastic lists and on their critique. Most of the published archaeological work about Sahel is still descriptive in nature rather than synthetic, highlighting the need for further research. This chapter describes some key areas in central Sahel based on available data including Darfur, Kanem-Borno, and southern Niger.

2003 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-128
Author(s):  
Gavin Macgregor ◽  
Irene Cullen ◽  
Diane Alldritt ◽  
Michael Donnelly ◽  
Jennifer Miller ◽  
...  

Summary A programme of archaeological work was undertaken by Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) at West Flank Road, Drumchapel, in close proximity to the site of the prehistoric cemetery of Knappers. This paper considers the results of excavation of a range of negative features, including earlier Neolithic and Bronze Age pits and postholes. The earlier Neolithic features date to c. 3500–3000 BC and are interpreted as the partial remains of a subrectangular structure. The Bronze Age features may relate to ceremonial activities in the wider area. The significance of these remains is considered in relation to the site of Knappers and wider traditions during the fourth to second millennia BC.


Early China ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 21-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Hein

AbstractChinese and Western archaeologists (especially those of the anthropologically-oriented tradition) often seem to be talking past each other, not only because they are publishing in different languages, but also because of differences in theory and method. While most of the major theoretical works in Western languages are by now available in Chinese translations, hardly any English-language publications exist that explain Chinese approaches to archaeological method and theory. This article helps to bridge the gap by introducing the history of debates on archaeological method in China to a Western audience, focusing particularly on issues of typology and classification. Discussing in detail the merits—and issues—of approaches suggested by four of the most influential Chinese archaeologists (Li Chi, Xia Nai, Su Bingqi, and K. C. Chang), this article provides a deeper understanding of the preconditions of archaeological research in China. It also suggests future directions for archaeological work by local and foreign archaeologists, including but also going beyond the classification of the rich body of artifacts coming to light in Chinese excavations.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Chen Jing ◽  
Kan Shizuan ◽  
Tong Zhihui

AbstractThis paper, based on historical research on irrigation administration in the Dongping area and on-site investigations into its current state, explores the benefits and problems produced by two institutional changes. As a common pool resource situation, irrigation systems’ “provision” and “appropriation” are two separate issues; any institutional change must thus offer two different solutions. The study concludes that the participatory changes undertaken in the Dongping irrigation area failed, in the end, to resolve the problem of irrigation system sustainability. In particular, it proved difficult for collective action to take place around provision, which led to difficulties in operating the irrigation system.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sorin Hermon ◽  
Loukas Kalisperis

<p>The paper discusses two uses of 3D Visualization and Virtual Reality (hereafter VR) of Cultural Heritage (CH) assets: a less used one, in the archaeological / historical research and a more frequent one, as a communication medium in CH museums. While technological effort has been mainly invested in improving the “accuracy” of VR (determined as how truthfully it reproduces the “CH reality”), issues related to scientific requirements, (data transparency, separation between “real” and “virtual”, etc.), are largely neglected, or at least not directly related to the 3D outcome, which may explain why, after more than twenty years of producing VR models, they are still rarely used in the archaeological research. The paper will present a proposal for developing VR tools as such as to be meaningful CH research tools as well as a methodology for designing VR outcomes to be used as a communication medium in CH museums.</p>


Südosteuropa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ger Duijzings

AbstractFifteen years after the publication of the Srebrenica report by the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD), the Srebrenica genocide has not become subject of more scholarly and historical research. On the contrary, academics prefer to keep their hands off the topic, confining themselves to ‘theoretical’, ‘reflexive’, or ‘moralistic’ reflections on the work done by the NIOD team. Symptomatic of the current state of inertia and diminishing professional standards is the recent book by the Dutch historian and psychologist Eelco Runia in which he attacks the NIOD report from a psychoanalytic standpoint.


1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 741-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
William B. Butler

AbstractTwo types of government contracts, the firm fixed price and the cost reimbursement, are discussed in the context of archaeological research. The major features of these types of contracts are presented so that the archaeologist may more fully understand some basic contracting procedures and requirements that may directly affect archaeological work.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadezhda Kecheva

This article provides an overview of the current state of archaeological archiving in Bulgaria. It briefly outlines the legislation that regulates archaeological fieldwork activities. Although the national legislation regulates the non-destructive and destructive activities equally, differences occur owing to the existence of the 'Archaeological Map of Bulgaria', a national 'sites and monuments' type of archaeological information system. Currently, online storage of brief data and information is possible for different archaeological sites. Its next version will be based on GIS and geographic features that allow storage of raw field survey data. According to the regulations, paper/digital reports of all fieldwork activities are collected yearly and copies of all of them are stored at the 'Scientific Archive' section at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Although their digitisation is still in the early stages, the good news is that the centralised archaeological workflow regulates their storage in one place, which makes them more easily accessible. The annual publication of the 'Archaeological Discoveries and Excavations' series, with summaries for all fieldwork activities in the year, is also very useful for keeping track of the archaeological work and results.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 175-185
Author(s):  
Hana V. Bortlová

Through historical analysis and interpretation of memories of Czech/Czechoslovak firefighters who have been professionally active since 1960s until 1990s (and/or beyond), his paper aims to analyze the ways in which his socio-professional group has been behaving during the last 40–50 years. Given that only very little historical research has been done on members of this group, the paper represents a first pioneer attempt. The research is a continuation of previous research projects conducted by Czech oral historians focused on working class members and on changes of their opinions, attitudes and behavior before and after 1989. The author’s ambition is to contribute to the current knowledge of the nature and specifics of the mentioned „normalization” regime (1969–1989) as well as the „transformation-to-democracy” era (1990s) in Czechoslovakia. In the present paper the author outlines the current state of research (20 conducted interviews with 10 firefighters as to the end of 2012), comments on some methodological problems associated with oral-historical research of this group and offers her interpretations of selected topics.


Author(s):  
Andrea Luczfalvy Jancsó ◽  
Benoît Jonlet ◽  
Pierre Hallot ◽  
Florent Poux ◽  
Patrick Hoffsummer ◽  
...  

During the past decade, the implementation of 3D visualization and Geographic Information System (GIS) in archaeological research has increased and is now well established. However, the combination of these two factors remains rather complicated when faced with archaeological data. Some of the characteristics of this discipline impose the development of applications that will be able to cope with all of the specificities of archaeological data. Our research aims to create an Archaeological Information System (AIS) that will gather all of the characteristics of an archaeological work. In order to develop such an AIS, our first step was to identify its purposes and consequently, the features that should be available to the users. As it is destined to help with archaeological research, it is therefore of the outmost importance that the particularities of such a study are also taken into account. Moreover, the AIS is intended to incorporate point clouds that serve as a base for the three-dimensional model. These 3D point clouds result from the use of photogrammetry and/or lasergrammetry and, at a later stage, will be inserted into a GIS similar structure. The archaeological data will then be linked to the relevant section of the 3D model. However, these various stages and during the development of the AIS itself, we will encounter a series of issues that require to be addressed in order to produce a working system. This paper aims to identify and define the AIS characteristics as well as the issues and obstacles that we are going to face so that this system becomes a functional tool for archaeological research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 49-72
Author(s):  
Julie Franklin ◽  
Julie Lochrie

Kisimul Castle was taken into the guardianship of Historic Scotland in 2000 and, in order to inform any future works for its upkeep, a programme of archaeological evaluation, building recording and historical research was undertaken in 2001. Following on from this, a detailed programme of post-excavation analysis and research was conducted in 2011–12. The historical and architectural work has been published as Part 1 (Holden 2017). This Part 2 covers the archaeological work. While frustratingly little was revealed by the archaeology in terms of the construction of the castle, it did identify evidence for prehistoric as well as post-medieval occupation. The finds, including a significant quantity of craggan ware pottery and an exquisite gold lace tag, provide an evocative picture of life on the isle and its inhabitants.


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