Das mittel- bis spätawarenzeitliche Gräberfeld von Edelstal/Nemesvölgy – Ein regionales Machtzentrum im nordwestlichen Karpatenbecken?

Although well known to the community of Avar Age archaeologists, the old excavated cemetery of Edelstal (Hung. Nemesvölgy) played a quiet limited role in the discussion about social structures and societies, even for the northwestern part of the Carparthian Basin. This circumstance was also linked to the lack of publication of all graves. Based on this and the complete analyses of this cemetery the author wants to illustrate how important the burial community might have been in the social system of the Late Avar Khaganate. A special focus lies hereby on prominent items like gilded boar belts, buckles with the emperor's image or golden earrings and hair clips indicating wealth, communication, relations and links to the top social elites and presuming a high elaborated prestige chain network.

Two (Missing) Left Feet

Understanding pre-Hispanic Andean medical practices through skeletal evidence of surgery has been the focus of a number of bioarchaeological investigations in recent years. Amputation is an especially interesting topic of research due to the variety of social contexts in which it might have occurred. Interpretations for amputation found on the north coast of Peru have included therapeutic intervention, punitive measures, and ritualistic dismemberment. Here, we present two new cases of successful left foot amputation in young adult females excavated from Huaca Las Balsas (Late Intermediate Period, A.D. 1100–1470) and Huaca Las Abejas (Late Horizon, A.D. 1470–1535) at the ancient religious and administrative center of Túcume. Chronologically, they are the latest cases of pre-Hispanic amputation published to date. Contextual evidence supports a therapeutic motivation for the procedure, as individualized burial treatment and placement within a cemetery group of social elites is not consistent with punitive or ritualistic action. Modification of the malleoli, extensive bone proliferation covering the talar articulations, and asymmetrical cortical bone thickness of the tibiae and fibulae (revealed radiographically) suggest the return of some functional mobility using the affected limb after healing. This long-term recovery is evidence of access to quality medical care and accommodation of functional impairment within the amputees’ communities. The presented research uses the bioarchaeology of care to explore the lived experiences of these amputees and their social identities, making an important contribution to the anthropology of disability across cultures and time periods. Comprender las prácticas médicas andinas prehispánicas a través de evidencia esquelética de cirugía ha sido el foco de una serie de investigaciones bioarqueológicas en los últimos años. La amputación es un tema de investigación especialmente interesante debido a la variedad de contextos sociales en los que podría haber ocurrido. Las interpretaciones para la amputación que se encuentran en la costa norte del Perú han incluido la intervención terapéutica, las medidas punitivas y el desmembramiento ritual. Aquí, presentamos dos nuevos casos de amputación exitosa del pie izquierdo en hembras adultas jóvenes excavadas desde Huaca Las Balsas (PeríodoIntermedio Tardío, A.D. 1100–1470) y Huaca Las Abejas (Horizonte Tardío, D.C. 1470–1535) en el antiguo centro religioso y administrativo de Túcume. Cronológicamente, son los últimos casos de amputación prehispánica publicados hasta la fecha. La evidencia contextual apoya una motivación terapéutica para el procedimiento, ya que el tratamiento y la colocación individualizados del entierro dentro de un grupo cementerio de élites sociales no es consistente con la acción punitiva o ritualista. La modificación de los maléolos, la extensa proliferación ósea que cubre las articulaciones talares y el grosor óseo cortical asimétrico de las tibias y los peronés (revelados radiográficamente) sugieren el regreso de cierta movilidad funcional utilizando la extremidad afectada despuésde la curación. Esta recuperación a largo plazo es evidencia del acceso a atención médica de calidad y alojamiento de deterioro funcional dentro de las comunidades de amputados. La investigación presentada utiliza la “bioarqueología de la caridad” para explorar las experiencias vividas de estos amputados y sus identidades sociales, haciendo una contribución importante a la antropología de la discapacidad a través de las culturas y períodos de tiempo.

Colonel V. A. Pashkov: Leader of Russia’s Lost Reformation

The reviewer considers Filipp Nikitin’s new book on Colonal Vasilii A. Pashkov, a Russian Evangelical leader in the 1870s and 1880s. A rich Russian aristocrat and landowner, Pashkov was an unlikely missionary, but his conversion at the hands of the British Lord Radstock in 1874 led to a lifetime of preaching and charity among both social elites and the lowest members of society. Although initially not in conflict with the Russian Orthodox Church, Pashkov’s increasing prominence and his efforts to unite Russia’s various Evangelical movements led to his exile in 1884, where he remained for the rest of his life. The reviewer compliments Nikitin’s comprehensive use of archival sources, drawn from a huge number of collections in Russia and abroad. This makes his book a significant contribution to the historiography, much of which is fragmented or out of date. The author’s decision to release previously unpublished documents in the book’s appendix is an excellent contribution. However, the reviewer points out that Nikitin quotes too much from and relies too heavily on source material, which drowns out his authorial voice: it is argued that the author should spend more time analysing the sources rather than just quoting them. The reviewer also suggests bringing in more contextualisation and consulting some of the recent conceptual approaches to religious biography.

Tracing the Development of Arabic Khat from the Land of Origin to Indonesian Archipelago

Several studies showed that Arabic khat had been widely developed in countries with a Muslim majority population. However, many previous studies have not examined the origin of the Arabic khat and its development from different periods. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the source of Arabic khat, the product and the figures from different periods, and several other things related to Arabic khat. This research was done in qualitative research with a descriptive historical approach through a literature-based study to examine data and information. The research was conducted by limiting the study's scope on Arabic khat development from the Umayyad dynasty to its expansion in Indonesia. The results showed that the Arab Khat began to develop centuries ago during the Umayyad dynasty. Three factors caused calligraphy to increase: the influence of power expansion, the kings and social elites' role, and the influence of science development. Moreover, the encouragement coming from the verses of al-Qur'an, the motivation to write al-Qur'an, and the use of Arabic as al-Qur'an language are also the factors in the development of Arabic khat. Hence, it is no wonder that the term Arabic khat is synonymous with al-Qur'an's khat.

The Mahjong Phenomenon

Key changes in popular culture and the economy—most importantly, the growth of mass consumerism and a market for goods from the “exotic East”—primed the pump for a mahjong craze in the 1920s. Entrepreneurs made use of the latest techniques in advertising, store display, and new forms of media like film to create and corner a mahjong market. Marketers successfully promoted an image of the game that linked it to social elites, enabling it to ride the shirttails of media attention to activities of the rich and famous. However, mahjong’s appeal—both as a game and as a form of class aspiration—spread across lines of class, race, and region, and its varied forms made the game available to the masses. The mahjong industry connected novel forms of production, distribution, and marketing with established markets for “Oriental” goods and patterns of home entertainment.

An Undervalued Archaeological Resource: Social Aspects of Bronze Age Textile Production in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula

According to Childe, the Bronze Age in Europe is thought to be the first ‘golden age’ in European history. The development of metallurgy, clearly associated with the production of weapons, and the expansion of exchange networks covering all types of goods are considered essential in the process of consolidation of social elites, and, by extension, of social inequalities. The significance of textile production has, however, been undervalued as a specialized craft and as a manufacturing process that creates cultural differences and signals social inequalities. Being associated with domestic contexts rather than with specialized workshops, textile production in the eastern Iberian Peninsula has been underestimated; it is addressed here, as is its potential importance in societies immersed in a process of social stratification.

“Hanging Out” while Studying “Up”: Doing Ethnographic Fieldwork in International Relations

This article advances a methodological argument on how to do ethnographic fieldwork amid social elites and inaccessible bureaucracies in international politics. Instead of participant observation or semi-structured interviews, the article proposes “hanging out” as an alternative strategy to generate immersion and ethnographic insight. While the ethnographer studying “down” is arguably always “hanging out” (the village as the exemplary mise-en-scene of this genre), this technique takes a more defined form when studying “up” elites. Specifically, hanging out when studying “up” is a strategy where the fieldworker commits to a period of continuous residence amid members of a community; engages in ludic, informal, and often sociable interactions outside or at the sidelines of their professional habitats; and participates in a range of activities where building rapport is as important as the primary goals of the research. I illustrate this methodological strategy and its payoffs by reflecting upon a year of fieldwork among the diplomats and bureaucrats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—an informal, quiet, and often sub rosa diplomatic project run by a band of mostly authoritarian states in Southeast Asia. This article contributes to debates on the viability of ethnographic fieldwork in international relations (IR); advances a methodological corrective to fieldwork prescriptions in new micropolitical studies of practice, interactions, and emotions in IR; and offers a practical illustration of what studying “up” looks like in diplomacy and international politics.

The origins of "healthy architecture". Health, hygiene and the quality of life in theory and practice of pre-modern architecture – an outline of research issues

The article presents the research issues related to the origins of healthy architecture – methodological assumptions, scope of the study, objectives, and main theses. The subject of study is the issue of human health, hygiene, and psychophysical well-being from the perspective of theory of pre-modern architecture, as well as the philosophical and medical basis of solutions proposed by architects and hygienists in the modern period (16th-19th centuries). The research is based on a critical analysis of source texts – such as architectural treatises, manuals of hygiene, and written statements concerning the rules of designing and using buildings. The author identifies the most relevant contexts, including the ancient and medieval traditions in architecture and medicine, the philosophy, culture, and customs of social elites, the level of knowledge about architecture, engineering, natural sciences, and medicine, building and urban code, and public health regulations. The article briefly discusses the evolution of views on health and disease prevention and the transformation of elements of the "health-promoting" architectural program of buildings.