ON THE QUESTION OF THE BASIC PERIODIZATION OF IMITATIONS OF THE ROMAN IMPERIAL DENARII IN THE CHERNYAKHIV CULTURE AREA: THE CONCEPT OF TWO «WAVES»

Imitations of Roman coins, the findings of which are very numerous and diverse in Ukraine, have already attracted the attention of researchers. The material accumulated over the last two decades, when taking into account its scale and diversity, allows us to state that imitations of Roman coins in the area of Chernyakhiv culture, is an unique and large-scale phenomenon, visible on the imaginary «map» of ancient numismatics. In this context, the growing number of new findings of imitations actualizes the task of more detailed and meaningful categorization of the accumulated material, in order to create a certain integral «canvas» of such a phenomenon as the imitations of Roman coins from the area of Chernyakhiv culture. The article is devoted to the improvement of the existing typology and periodization of imitations of Roman imperial denarii, which were made in the area of Chernyakhiv culture during the II - IV centuries. To solve this problem, the authors proposed and used an analytical scheme, consisting of a set of classification parameters for the typology of imitations of Roman coins in the area of Chernyakhiv culture. The use of this scheme allowed to form «profiles» and to substantiate the presence in the general set of imitations of two large, non-intersecting groups («waves») of imitations. Further analysis allowed to describe and compare these two «waves» of imitation in more detail. It was found that the first «wave» refers to the period of gradual entry of the Roman silver coins into the area of Chernyakhiv culture (II - early III century), which significantly clarifies the common view, according to which all imitations belong to the second half of the III century or even later. The second «wave» of imitations really refers to the second half of the III - early IV century, as it was established in the literature. Thus, the results of the study substantiated a comprehensive approach to the classification of imitations of Roman coins in the area of Chernyakhiv culture and significantly clarified the chronological framework of their production. In the future, the concept of two «waves» and the analytical scheme proposed by the authors may contribute to a more accurate classification and periodization of the whole array of imitations of Roman coins, which were made in the area of Chernyakhiv culture

Zimbabwe Ruins in Botswana: Settlement Hierarchies, Political Boundaries and Symbolic Statements

At its peak in the sixteenth century, the Zimbabwe Culture encompassed an area the size of France. The greater Tuli area in east-central Botswana formed the western extent of this culture area. Here many dzimbahwe mark the residences of sacred leaders in the later Khami period (1400–1840 ad). These stone-walled headquarters formed a pyramid of political importance, with district chiefs (Level 4) and petty chiefs (Level 3) at the top and headmen (Level 2) and commoners (Level 1) at the base. Commoners and their headmen lived near arable land, while petty chiefs placed their administrative centres at the boundaries of their small chiefdoms. In death, sacred leaders rested in dzimbahwe on special hills, while ordinary villagers were buried in their homesteads. During the Khami period in Botswana, these various settlements were part of only one Level 4 district: Level 5 and Level 6 capitals were located elsewhere. After the collapse of the powerful Torwa state at Khami, decorative symbols changed from emphasizing the majesty of kingship (Khami) to the responsibilities of sacred leaders (Zinjanja), and then back again to kingship in the Rozvi state (Danangombe). The powerful Rozvi state did not extend to the Tuli area, probably because it was too dry.

Isolation and selection of nitrite metabolising bacteria from the bottom mud of lobster culture area in Xuan Dai bay, Phu Yen province

The study had isolated and selected groups of bacteria that metabolise nitrite from the bottom mud of lobster cages in Xuan Dai bay, Phu Yen province. Analysis results from 21 sludge samples taken from 11 cages of lobster farming area isolated 16 strains of bacteria capable of nitrite metabolism. After investigating biological characteristics and nitrite metabolism of bacteria strains, 10 strains of bacteria were collected with the ability to metabolise nitrite over 95% in 72 hours. In addition, 10 strains of bacteria with the highest NO2- treatment efficiency, identified by genetic analysis and looked up on BLAST, defined as Stenotrophomonas pavanii, Chryseobacterium gleum, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Delftia lacustris, Acinetobacter junii

Assembly of a Benthic Microbial Community in a Eutrophic Bay with a Long History of Oyster Culturing

The introduction of oysters to a waterbody is an efficient method for decreasing levels of eutrophication. Oysters affect sedimental environments and benthic microbes via their roles in nutrient cycling. However, little is known about how long-term oyster culturing affects benthic microbial community assembly. In the present study, top and bottom sediments from an oyster-culture area and non-culture area, in a eutrophic bay with a long history of oyster culturing, were obtained for environmental parameter measurement and microbe identification. Deterministic and stochastic processes in microbial community assembly were assessed. In particular, keystone species identification through network analysis was combined with measured environmental parameters to determine the factors related to community assembly processes. Our results suggest that oyster culturing relates to greater variation in both biological and non-biological sediment profiles. In benthic communities, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were the most abundant phyla, and community compositions were significantly different between sample groups. We also found that community assembly was more affected by deterministic factors than stochastic ones, when oysters were present. Moisture, or water content, and pH were identified as affecting deterministic and stochastic processes, respectively, but only water content was a driver associated with oyster culturing. Additionally, although keystone species presented a similar pattern of composition to peripheral species, they responded to their environments differently. Furthermore, model selection, fitting keystone species to community assembly processes, indicates their role in shaping microbial communities.

Benefits of Polyphenols and Methylxanthines from Cocoa Beans on Dietary Metabolic Disorders

Theobroma cacao L. is an ancestral cultivated plant which has been consumed by various populations throughout history. Cocoa beans are the basic material occurring in the most consumed product in the world, namely chocolate. Their composition includes polyphenols, methylxanthines, lipids and other compounds that may vary qualitatively and quantitatively according to criteria such as variety or culture area. Polyphenols and methylxanthines are known as being responsible for many health benefits, particularly by preventing cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies emphasized their positive role in dietary metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and weight gain. After a brief presentation of cocoa bean, this review provides an overview of recent research activities highlighting promising strategies which modulated and prevented gastro-intestinal metabolism dysfunctions.

The Archaeology of Central America

Central America, made up of Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, has long been a place without. Without, or beyond, the bounds of Mesoamerica and the Andes, its inhabitants have been traditionally seen as recipients of innovations, such as hierarchically structured political formations, not their creators. Consequently, the region’s cultures were defined by what they were not, Mesoamerican or Andean, and what they lacked, large cities, massive public works, imposing public art. There was little to draw the attention of researchers to Central America once the boundaries of its eye-catching neighbors were drawn. Its history presumably determined by the diffusion of ideas and practices from neighboring core states, Central America slipped into archaeological obscurity. It remains unclear whether the region constitutes a distinct culture area. This doleful account of perpetual marginality has changed as research has intensified throughout the zone since the late 1960s. Increased recognition among archaeologists that cultural boundaries are porous and that developments in one locale cannot be understood apart from events happening elsewhere helped to spur an interest in Central America’s ancient peoples. Originally motivated by a desire to clarify the reach and impact of Mesoamerican societies, research agendas are shifting across the isthmus. The varied histories of Central America’s many prehistoric and early historic cultures are now stressed along with the ways they were shaped as their members negotiated relations with people and things across interaction networks operating at scales ranging from within sites to those relations that spanned several thousand miles. The sources cited in this article draw from research conducted within what are generally treated as three geographic segments of Central America: The Southeast Lowland Maya Zone (including the monumental capitals of Copán and Quirigua); Southeast Mesoamerica (western Honduras and El Salvador), whose populations apparently maintained relatively close ties with the Maya lowlands for various periods; and Lower Central America (eastern Honduras and eastern El Salvador south through Panama), whose people largely spoke languages of the macro-Chibchan group and were weakly or indirectly involved with Mesoamerica and the Andes. These distinctions are units of convenience that continue to impact research intensities, questions, and interpretations to varying degrees. Archaeological investigations have also been affected by the civil and military disruptions from which many of the area’s populations continue to suffer. Archaeological research has been one casualty— certainly not the most important—of these events.

Agricultural Roots and Subnational Cultural Heterogeneity in Domestic Acquisitions

Drawing on the novel-to-the-field rice theory, we study how subnational cultural heterogeneity impacts target performance improvement following an acquisition. Data from domestic acquisitions in the Chinese beer industry show performance is significantly impacted by cultural characteristics formulated through agricultural subsistence activities. We find that both cultural similarity and dissimilarity influence performance: (1) in transactions in which both the acquirer and target are located in rice culture regions, targets achieve greater performance improvement than in those in which both firms are located in a wheat culture region, and (2) targets located in wheat culture areas bought by acquirers from a rice culture area gain greater performance improvement than rice culture targets acquired by firms from a wheat culture area. We also find that acquirers’ experience with rice targets is less beneficial than their experience with wheat targets.