Looking for the Fusion of Cultural Environment and Modernity in a Cityscape: Western Gate in Jelgava

The research is based on the examination of the cityscape transformation processes and a search for the fusion of the cultural and historical space and the trends of contemporary modernism in architecture. Over the last three centuries, Jelgava (Mitau), the capital of the former Dutchy of Courland, has changed the height, the density and the structure of its building. The process of transformation was determined by crisis situations in the state, by rapid growth of the trade and domestic economy, as well as by the period of state independence and downfall of the national economy. Splendour and misery of the city has raised and destroyed houses, parks and churches in Jelgava.The historical map of the city originates in the beginning of the 18th century on the left bank of the Lielupe River with a linear building canvas formed by small wooden houses and a net of dirt roads. During the 19th-20th centuries, the city is developing radially around the ancient central built-up area, sketching the structure of the city map based on the network of the trading routes: the Western gate – Dobele, the Northern gate – sea, the Southern gate – Lithuania. The East is a crossing point to reach Jelgava Palace. The direction to Riga led along the river, as the eastern part was a marshland.

Preliminary characterization of the prehistoric mine of chocolate flint in Poręba Dzierżna, site 24 (Wolbrom commune, Lesser Poland voivodeship)

Researches on prehistoric flint mines are currently widely developing, as they allow a deep insight into the past economy, early industry, and the network of trading routes and inter-regional contacts. In the territory of Poland and in general, Central Europe, one of the most important flint raw materials was an Upper Jurassic chert, so-called chocolate flint. In this paper are presented preliminary results of the research of chocolate flint mine in Poręba Dzierżna, site 24 (Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, southern Poland). The outcrop, and anthropogenic relief indicating the activity of prehistoric miners, were discovered in 2013. Recently excavations undertaken on the site recorded the remains of mining shafts, spoil heaps, and rich traces of workshops. The deposits of chocolate flint were previously known only in the Holy Cross Mountains, 130 km to the NE. The research undertaken has therefore a significant impact on the existing interpretations related to the extraction, use, and distribution of chocolate flint by prehistoric communities in Central Europe.

BATTLE FOR SUPERMACY IN ASIA PACIFIC

Asia Pacific region is one of the prominent region for the global powers due to its strategic importance as the major trading routes. Japan, India, Australia, China, and South Korea and ASEAN holds the prominent position in the region. The researchers in the article discussed about the competition between the Washington and its allies with the growing power/influence of Beijing in the region. Beijing’s influence not only confined to the east of Asia but it stretched further in west under the BRI and CPEC projects as well as also with recent agreement with Tehran. The researchers have discussed the importance of China in the region as a major competitor and a balancer to the Washington power. The region is now one of the major centres of the battle for supremacy between the two major competitors Washington and Beijing. The researchers have discussed the policies carried by both the power centres in the region to gain the superiority in the region.

Restoration of the historic libraries of Chinguetti, Mauritania

The ancient ksar of Chinguetti was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is located in West Africa, on one of the most important caravan trading routes, in use from the eighth century until the beginning of the twentieth century. The trans-Sahara traffic – mainly based on products such as salt, gold and ivory – also fostered cultural development along the route. As commercial, cultural and religious contacts were established over the centuries, manuscripts were constantly being written, copied, carried, bought and sold. Following a failed attempt to build a museum to house Chinguetti’s most important manuscripts in 2000, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) decided to restore every traditional library within the ksar, the actual places where the ancient manuscripts have been kept for generations. Terrachidia NGO has spearheaded the Libraries Preservation Project, using traditional building techniques and local materials and labour to carry out these restorations.

Living with Uncertainty

Migration across the Sahara from the Sahel to North Africa is a longstanding practice. Its origins can be traced to 1500 BCE when three routes were established to traffic goods and people: the Ghadames road (from Gao in present Mali to Ghat, Ghadames, and Tripoli); the Garamantean road (from Kano and Lake Chad to Bilma, Murzuk, and then Tripoli); and the Oualata road (from what is now Mali to Sijilmasa in Morocco). Traffic increased significantly from the eighth to the seventeenth century CE when the principal commodities in trade were salt, gold, and slaves. These trading routes have continued to be used in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with people and commodities in continuous movement from the south to the north and vice versa. These contemporary patterns of mobility are examined in this chapter. Migrants are arriving in Libya and Tunisia, for the most part, from the neighboring countries of Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon. Migrants from these countries frequently settle in Libya or Tunisia, or are engaged in circular migration between Libya and Tunisia and their home countries.

The Implementation of India’s Maritime Doctrine to Respond China Naval Presence in Indian Ocean Region

Indian Ocean is a strategic and crucial location of the region and became the centre of global politics. Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has several important gulfs, straits, bays and seas within which most of it located in the northern part of the ocean. Major shipment routes intersect its enormous area, with crucial choke points and water courses connecting Indian Ocean to other main ocean parts on the earth. Indian Ocean region is part of China’s significant security interests, where China is currently leading to an ever advanced military existence within the area. China’s overpowering strategic focus in the Indian Ocean is the preservation of their maritime trading routes, particularly those transporting oil and gas that the Chinese economy relies upon. Indian Ocean Region is at the top of Indian policy priorities. India’s vision for Indian Ocean Region is deep-rooted in preceding cooperation in the region and to use their capabilities for the benefit of all in their common maritime home. The Indian Ocean holds particular importance for India. India is definitely trying to maintain their national security interests in Indian Ocean. In response to the condition in the Indian Ocean, India implemented its Indian Maritime Doctrine which is applied through Indian Navy as the way to respond China’s naval existence in IOR since 2008. This implementation brings the sources of its naval application as an effort to balance China’s naval presence in IOR through its doctrine. The unilateral naval effort is held to respond China in IOR. Moreover, a further effort of Indian navy is needed through bilateral cooporation that will further support its unilateral effort in balancing China’s active presence in the region.

UPAYA KONSERVASI KAPAL KARAM GOSONG NAMBI SEBAGAI BUKTI ADANYA JALUR PERDANGAN MARITIM MASA LALU DI KABUPATEN PESISIR SELATAN, SUMATRA BARAT

Conservation Efforts of Gosong Nambi Shipwreck as an Evidence of the Past Maritime Trading Routes in Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra. The coastal region of West Sumatra has become one of the main trading routes in the 15th-19th centuries so there is no doubt that this area has many archaeological remains both underwater, coastal area, and buried underground. One of the underwater archaeological remains in this region is the discovery of a shipwreck at the Gosong Nambi coral site which is administratively located in Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra Province in 2015. This study aims to provide an overview of the current condition of the Gosong Nambi Shipwreck site. Research activities include collecting information, searching the shipwreck’s location, recording data, measuring the visible dimensions, and sketching the shipwreck, has been done. Visually, it is a small size vessel which was predicted as a cargo ship from the 1900s that might sail from Bengkulu to West Sumatra and crashed into Gosong Nambi coral (Atoll) and then sank. The shipwreck is partially buried in the sand and piles of the dead coral in the stern and most of the ship’s hull had been looted by scarp metal hunters. Natural factors also trigger site vulnerability so it is advisable to excavate. Conservation efforts are necessary to be done with a CRM approach which can have a positive impact on society on socio-economic aspects without harming any related parties. Abstrak. Wilayah pesisir Sumatra Barat menjadi salah satu jalur perdagangan utama pada abad ke-15-19 sehingga tidak diragukan lagi wilayah ini memiliki banyak tinggalan arkeologis baik yang di bawah air, wilayah pantai, maupun terkubur di bawah tanah. Salah satu tinggalan arkeologi bawah air di wilayah ini adalah temuan kapal karam di situs gugusan karang Gosong Nambi yang secara administratif terletak di Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, Provinsi Sumatra Barat pada tahun 2015.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk memberikan gambaran kondisi terkini situs kapal karam Gosong Nambi. Aktivitas penelitian berupa pengumpulan informasi, pencarian lokasi situs, perekaman data, pengukuran dimensi kapal yang terlihat, dan membuat sketsa kapal, telah dilakukan. Secara visual, kapal tersebut termasuk kapal kecil yang diprediksi sebagai kapal barang dari tahun 1900-an yang mungkin berlayar dari Bengkulu menuju ke Sumatra Barat dan menabrak gugusan karang (atol) Gosong Nambi dan akhirnya tenggelam. Kondisi kapal karam tersebut sebagian terkubur dalam pasir dan tumpukan karang mati pada bagian buritan dan sebagian besar lambung kapal telah dijarah oleh para pemburu besi tua. Faktor alam juga menjadi pemicu kerentanan situs sehingga disarankan untuk melakukan ekskavasi. Upaya konservasi perlu dilakukan dengan pendekatan CRM yang dapat terdampak positif terhadap masyarakat pada aspek sosial ekonomi tanpa merugikan berbagai pihak yang terkait.

Analysis of Ardabil's Business and Communication Routes in Survival and Prosperity Based on Historical Texts and Archaeological Data

In the early Islamic centuries, Ardabil is considered to be the oldest and the first city in the Azerbaijani province due to its regional biodiversity in geographical texts. The present study investigates the communication routes to the peripheral points in the Islamic period and their role in the survival of the city based on historical literature and archeological data. The importance and safety of roads and communication routes were two important components that influenced each other, making Ardabil a city in the center of commercial and trading routes in the North-West. This situation can be seen and prosecuted during the Islamic period from the beginning of Islam to the late Islamic centuries. The research method is historical-analytical and the data were collected through the study of historical and geographical literature and the use of the archaeological reports of the area. The main question of this article is: “What effect did the communication routes have had on the survival of the Islamic period until the end of the Safavid period?” The results show that in the early centuries, the city's communication routes were significantly prosperous. The description of the roads and the importance of the buildings and the cities inside them are described together. In this period, roads have played a leading role in the survival and prosperity of the city. In the Middle Ages, this city became a trivial city in the region as the capital, trade and communication routes changed. During the Safavid period, the city was once again restored to its former prosperity due to the importance of the tomb complex of Sheikh Safiad-din Ardabili to the kings of the dynasty as well as the conversion of the city to the site of the Silk Road. During this period, numerous routes were created and led to the orientalists and tourists’ travelling to this ciy

Reishandel im Hanseraum

The rice trade in the Hanseatic AreaOn the cusp of the 14th century, rice (starting from a low base) became increasingly important in Hanseatic trade. Even though rice was considered to be a luxury good, prized as a thickener for almond-puddings and as a dish in the Lenten-fare, all Hanseatic merchants were acquainted with it. In the following article, we discuss six aspects of the medieval rice trade in Northern Europe. First, we analyze historical and archaeological sources for evidence of rice. Second, we discuss the use of rice in medieval cuisine, and trace the origins of the rice traded in the Middle Ages. As a fourth and fifth point, we describe the trading routes by which rice entered and circulated within the Hanseatic realm, and determine the quantities of rice imported. Finally, we discuss prices, analyzing specific examples of merchants trading in this product. The intention of this article is to draw attention to the archaeobotanical and historical sources which demonstrate that rice was a Hanseatic commodity.