Molluscs of the Genus Glycymeris from Vogelherd Cave near Niederstotzingen (Lonetal, Southwestern Germany)

The site of Vogelherd in the Lone Valley of southwestern Germany has become world famous for its many unique artworks made from mammoth ivory, personal ornaments, flute fragments, lithic artifacts, and antler and bone artifacts. In the study below, the molluscs from Vogelherd are presented, offering us new insights on the mobility and social behavior of Aurignacian groups in the Lone Valley. Some of the mollusc finds come from the 1931 excavation of Gustav Riek; however, most of them were uncovered during the later re-excavations of the site between 2005 and 2012. In order to provide context for these finds, we compare the molluscs from Vogelherd with those from across Central Europe. The identifiable fragments from Vogelherd belong to the genus Glycymeris. The Glycymeris molluscs originated from the Mainz Basin. This determination makes it possible to reconstruct one of the farthest long-distance connections known for the Upper Paleolithic in Germany. In addition to the Glycymeris finds, we present a tool that was also made from a mollusc. This mollusc-tool, coming from the excavation of 1931 and attributed to the Aurignacian, is a unique find for this time period of southern Germany. With this piece, along with microscopic examinations and discussions of the Glycymeris molluscs, we present a wide range of possible uses for these finds. For example, we discuss the possible use of the molluscs as ochre containers. To test this, we used EDX-analysis and a raster electron microscope. We compare the Glycymeris molluscs of Vogelherd with those from Gravettian and Magdalenian contexts at Hohle Fels, Geißenklösterle, Petersfels, and Gnirshöhle, and we provide a list of all sites from Germany, Switzerland, Eastern France, and Belgium with Glycymeris finds. We use size comparisons to show differences as well among the Glycymeris finds of Vogelherd and other Upper Paleolithic sites in southwestern Germany. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the Glycymeris molluscs of Vogelherd best fit into the Aurignacian, and we provide other Aurignacian sites that contained similar finds. By discussing other long-distance connections in the Aurignacian of southern Germany, it becomes evident that Glycymeris molluscs are not specific only to the Swabian Aurignacian.

Method and Implementation of High-Performance Diagnostics of Form of Electron Probe of Raster Electron Microscope

An important unit of an electron microscope is the system controlling the electron beam, responsible for raster forming on the specimen and the electron probe focusing, which provides an achievement of minimum of aberrations and the maximum of resolving capacity of formed electron image. During using electron microscope the image quality gradually deteriorates, manifesting the resolving capacity reduction and the astigmatism appearance. An attachment developed for the raster electron microscope, permitting to perform the highly effective diagnostics of the configuration of the scanning electron beam, controlled by a precision magneto-optical system, has been offered. It has been shown that the direct visual observing the scanning electron probe, in particular the evaluation of the ellipticity of its cross-section using the WEB camera matrix, combined with the sample plane, as a result, provides more efficient tuning and repair of the scanning electron microscope.

Some particularities of microscopic investigation of non-metallic objects

The article deals with the comparative application of optical and raster microscopy for non-metallic objects and non-conducting surfaces. It is noted that this issue is not covered much in the special literature. There are practically no publications that compare and describe photos of the structure of materials obtained using fundamentally different microscopes, in particular, metallographic and raster. The causes of image distortion in a raster electron microscope in the study of dielectrics are considered. Comparative images of the oxidized surface, fabrics and natural leather obtained using raster and optical microscopy are presented. The advantages of optical microscopy in the study of non-conducting surfaces are shown.

Terms of use of Surface Active Substances (SAS) To Receive Quality Galvanic Coatings of Zinc

The use of metal galvanic zinc coatings for protection against corrosion reaches broad indicators due to their obvious advantages: simplicity of preparation, low cost, environmental friendliness, and a long period of resistance to the effects of an aggressive environment on the coating. Sulfuric electrolytes of galvanizing containing a complex of SAS used in combination with each other were investigated. Their effective influence on the protective properties and appearance of zinc coatings is shown. The qualitative and quantitative composition of zinc coatings on a JSM-6490LV raster electron microscope with the systems of energy dispersive microanalysis of INSAEnergu and HKL - Basicc structural analysis with a useful magnification of 300,000 was investigated. Obtained non-porous, fine-crystalline, dense, bright galvanic zinc coatings from electrolytes with surfactants with good adhesion to the base, a comparison of their quality is given, conclusions are made.

Petrography of garnet-containing rocks of the Ufalei block, the Southern Urals

Object of study. The article presents of the petrographic study results of the garnet-containing rocks from the Ufaleiskii complex, located on the border of the Ufaleyskii metamorphic gneiss-amphibolite block with the Main Ural Fault (GUR). Methods. Petrographic studies were conducted using a polarizing microscope Axiolab ZS и Olimpus BX 51. Chemical composition of garnets is performed on the raster electron microscope of the РЭММА-202М with an energy dispersive spectrometer LZ-5. Results. Investigations made it possible to distinguish two types of garnet-containing rocks. One type, in which garnet was formed after amphibole (amphibolites and gornbendites), and the second one, in which garnet is the primary mineral (metamorphic schists). Zoisite and chlorite are formed in rocks of the first type together with granate. CaO, MgO, FeO and Al2O3 were extracted from amphibole, in the process of crystallization of garnet, some of these components went to form zoisite and chlorite, and the released silica formed quartz. Garnet grains in these rocks are 64–68% composed of almandine. In the rocks of the second type, represented by biotite-hornblende, biotite-chlorite-quartz and double-mica schists, garnet is the primary mineral formed from the original rocks in the process of progressive metamorphism. The composition of the garnet in these rocks correlates with the composition of the original rock. Conclusion. A complex of garnet-containing rocks with a high content of granulated quartz may be of interest as a raw material for obtaining pure quartz concentrates. The paper presents the results of a detailed petrographic study of all types of rocks of the complex and discusses possible options for their genesis.