Every Cloud has a Silver Lining: Using Silver Concentration to Identify the Number of Sources of Lead used in Shang Dynasty Bronzes

The use of lead, some of which is characterized by a highly radiogenic signature, sharply distinguishes Bronze Age China from the rest of Eurasia. Scholars have long hypothesized that silver can offer an independent proxy to characterize lead minerals. The summary of silver distribution associated with Shang and Western Zhou bronzes in this paper reveals an important difference between the south(Sanxingdui, Hanzhong, Jinsha, Panlongcheng, Xin’gan) and the Central Plains. Correlating silver with ...     

Genesis of post-collisional granitoids and basement nature of the Junggar Terrane, NW China: Nd–Sr isotope and trace element evidence

The post-collisional magmatism of the Junggar Terrane is characterized by intrusion of large amounts of granitoids and minor basic/ultrabasic rocks. The granitoids comprise two magmatic suites: calc-alkaline and alkaline, which were emplaced contemporaneously at about 294 Ma. The calc-alkaline rocks are typically sodium-rich (Na₂O/K₂O=1.1–3.5) and metaluminous (A/NK >1.0, A/CNK=0.78–1.04). They show mildly fractionated REE patterns ((La/Yb)_N<15) and spidergrams with strong depletion of Nb, Ti and, to a lesser extent, Sr. The alkaline granites have high contents of SiO₂ (75–78%), alkalis, Nb, HREE, Y, Sn, F and high FeO/MgO ratios and huge Sr and Eu depletion in the spidergrams. Moreover, they display characteristic tetrad REE patterns and non-CHARAC trace element behaviour. The two rock suites have similar initial Nd and Sr isotopic compositions, with _Nd(T) in the range +5.2 to +7.1 and I_Sr mostly in the range 0.7031–0.7041. This points to a predominance of juvenile components in their sources. The calc-alkaline rocks are most probably derived by dehydration-melting of a basic lower crust leaving behind a granulite residue. The process was probably triggered by underplating of mantle-derived basic magmas in an extensional regime. The alkaline granites are considered to have formed by differentiation of the calc-alkaline granitoids. Our study argues for a juvenile continental crust for the basement of the Junggar terrane, which is likely dominated by early Paleozoic oceanic crust and arc complex that were deeply buried during the late Paleozoic subduction and accretion.     

An Early Devonian to Early Carboniferous volcanic arc in North Tianshan,NW China: Geochronological and geochemical evidence from volcanic rocks

The Late Paleozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks are widespread in the North Tianshan along the north margin of the Yili block. They consist of basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, trachyandesite, dacite, rhyolite, tuff, and tuffaceous sandstone. According to zircon sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating, the age of the Late Paleozoic volcanic rocks in Tulasu basin in western part of North Tianshan is constrained to be Early Devonian to Early Carboniferous (417–356 Ma), rather than Early Carboniferous as accepted previously. Geochemical characteristics of the Early Devonian to Early Carboniferous volcanic rocks are similar to those of arc volcanic rocks, which suggest that these volcanic rocks could be the major constituents of a continental arc formed by the southward subduction of North Tianshan Oceanic lithosphere. Geochemical studies indicate that the magma source of the volcanic rocks might be the mantle wedge mixed with subduction fluid, which is geochemically enriched than primitive mantle but depleted than E-MORB. The calculation shows that the basalt could be formed by ∼10% partial melting of subduction fluid modified mantle wedge. Andesites with high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7094–0.7104) and negative εNd(t) (−4.45 to −4.79) values reveal the contribution of continental crust to its source. The calculation of assimilation–fractional crystallization (AFC) shows that the fractional crystallization process of the basaltic magma, which was accompanied with assimilation by different degree of continental crust, produced andesite (7–9%), dacite (∼12%) and rhyolite (>20%).     

甘肃老虎山闪长岩的地球化学特征及其成因

位于北祁连造山带东端的老虎山闪长岩侵位在晚奥陶统阴沟群砂板岩中,闪长岩的单颗粒锆石Ｕ－Ｐｂ年龄为４２３．５±２．８Ｍａ,是中志留世侵位的。老虎山闪长岩属于钙碱性岩系,富集ＬＲＥＥ和大离子亲石元素（ＬＩＬＥ）,Ｃｅ／Ｙｂ比值大于１３,Ｔｈ／Ｔａ比值大（１３～４２）,在微量元素分布图中呈现明显的Ｎｂ负异常,具岛弧或活动陆缘环境的特征。虽然老虎山闪长岩具有岛弧地球化学特征,但并不能认为它就产于岛弧环境,因为,在奥陶纪末期,早古生代的北祁连洋盆已经发生闭合,华北板块与柴达木板块已发生碰撞。因此,老虎山闪长岩是造山后侵位的,其成因可能与岩石圈拆沉作用有关。     

Holocene pollen assemblages from coastal wetlands: differentiating natural and anthropogenic causes of change in the Thames estuary,UK

Simultaneous changes in the representation of wetland and dry land taxa are a common feature of mid and late Holocene pollen diagrams from the coastal wetlands of North‐West Europe. Distinguishing both the areas affected and between natural and anthropogenic causes can be problematic. High temporal resolution, improved taxonomic procedures and multivariate statistics have been applied to two Thames estuary sites, along with simulation models, to resolve these issues. Large Poaceae pollen grains appear to be derived from wild grasses rather than cereals, while modelling indicates that even extensive clearance in dry land areas produces relatively minor changes in pollen assemblages where fen carr is the in situ vegetation. It is concluded that rapid/abrupt simultaneous pollen stratigraphic events in coastal wetlands are likely to have been caused by wetland vegetation changes alone. Simultaneous events, dating from c. 2150–1300 cal a BC, can be distinguished at 12 Thames estuary pollen sites. During this interval inter‐tidal environments expanded creating areas attractive to human populations for pasturage. This exploitation is likely to have led to further changes in wetland vegetation and increased clearance activity on adjacent dry land areas. In such circumstances disentangling the processes causing vegetation change is challenging, although considerably aided by the techniques adopted in this paper. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Holocene climate and cultural evolution in late prehistoric-early historic West Asia

The precipitation climatology and the underlying climate mechanisms of the eastern Mediterranean, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent are reviewed, with emphasis on upper and middle tropospheric flow in the subtropics and its steering of precipitation. Holocene climate change of the region is summarized from proxy records. The Indian monsoon weakened during the Holocene over its northernmost region, the Ganges and Indus catchments and the western Arabian Sea. Southern regions, the Indian Peninsula, do not show a reduction, but an increase of summer monsoon rain across the Holocene. The long-term trend towards drier conditions in the eastern Mediterranean can be linked to a regionally complex monsoon evolution. Abrupt climate change events, such as the widespread droughts around 8200, 5200 and 4200 cal yr BP, are suggested to be the result of altered subtropical upper-level flow over the eastern Mediterranean and Asia.The abrupt climate change events of the Holocene radically altered precipitation, fundamental for cereal agriculture, across the expanse of late prehistoric-early historic cultures known from the archaeological record in these regions. Social adaptations to reduced agro-production, in both dry-farming and irrigation agriculture regions, are visible in the archaeological record during each abrupt climate change event in West Asia. Chronological refinement, in both the paleoclimate and archaeological records, and transfer functions for both precipitation and agro-production are needed to understand precisely the evident causal linkages.     

Sequence of the Cenozoic Mammalian Faunas of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China

In the Linxia Basin on the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Cenozoic strata are very thick and well exposed. Abundant mammalian fossils are discovered in the deposits from the Late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene. The Dzungariotherium fauna comes from the sandstones of the Jiaozigou Formation, including many representative Late Oligocene taxa. The Platybelodon fauna comes from the sandstones of the Dongxiang Formation and the conglomerates of the Laogou Formation, and its fossils are typical Middle Miocene forms, such as Hemicyon, Amphicyon, Platybelodon, Choerolophodon, Anchitherium, and Hispanotherium. The Hipparion fauna comes from the red clay of the Liushu and Hewangjia Formations, and its fossils can be distinctly divided into four levels, including three Late Miocene levels and one Early Pliocene level. In the Linxia Basin, the Hipparion fauna has the richest mammalian fossils. The Equus fauna comes from the Wucheng Loess, and it is slightly older than that of the classical Early Pl     

中国西北部南北向伸展构造存在的新证据——酒泉早白垩世半地堑断陷成因初探

酒泉早白垩世半地堑断陷呈南北向或北东向展布,进一步分为多米诺骨牌式、对倾式和背倾式三种。其充填物明显地受近南北向或北东向正断裂控制,其中的火山岩均为碱性玄武岩,可能由地幔熔融形成。初步认为,酒泉半地堑断陷是早白垩世陆内地幔热隆诱发的近南北向伸展构造。在新生代,由于印度板块的挤压作用,北祁连山前展式北向推覆作用可能使早白垩世半地堑断陷的南部地区转换成山脉,现今的半地堑南部边界被掩伏于北祁连山之下;同时,印度板块的挤压作用使控制半地堑沉积体系的近南北向或北东向正断裂转换为逆冲断裂,发生反转。     

A New Hadrosauriform Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

A new basal hadrosauriform dinosaur, Xuwulong yueluni gen. et sp. nov., is reported based on an articulated specimen including a complete cranium, almost complete axial skeleton, and complete left pelvic girdle. The specimen is recovered from the Early Cretaceous Yujingzi Basin in the Jiuquan area, Gansu Province of northwestern China. Xuwulong is among the most basal members of hadrosauriform dinosaurs, and distinguished by its unique lower jaw in having a V-shaped rostral end of the dentary in lateral view and a mandibular articular surface which levels with mid-height of the dentary ramus, as well as an enlarged and downturned prepubic process. Including Xuwulong, three basal hadrosauriforms have been discovered from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Mazongshan area, making it an important area to study the origin and early evolution of duck-billed dinosaurs.     

Holocene landscape evolution and its impact on the neolithic and bronze age sites in the Shangqiu area,Northern China

The Shangqiu area, situated on the alluvial plain of the lower Yellow River, is traditionally considered the center of the predynastic and early Shang culture. Archaeologic remains dating to predynastic and dynastic Shang periods, however, have remained elusive. The current pattern of Neolithic and Bronze Age sites is characterized by their upland settings; and it has been often assumed that the area had the same landscape from the Neolithic through recent historic time. The potential impact of geomorphic processes on these early sites has been hardly considered in developing archaeologic models of temporal and spatial distribution of these sites. This article first presents a reconstruction of the Holocene floodplain history in the archaeologically significant area. On the basis of stratigraphy and sedimentology, a Holocene landscape evolution model is constructed to explore the interrelationship between evolving landscape and archaeologic record of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. The prolonged landscape stability from very late Pleistocene or early Holocene to 2000 yr B. P. provided potential Neolithic and Bronze Age human occupation with a favorable physical environment. After 2000 yr B. P., the hydrologic regime changed and the floodplain experienced 2-3 m of gradual vertical accretion during the following millennium. In response to the dramatic change of hydro-logic regime after the early 12th century A. D., a new floodplain formed by dominantly overbank deposition, and the old floodplain surfaces are covered by as much as ten meters of the younger alluvium. As a result, a pronounced effect has been imposed on the preservation, visibility, and discovery of the Neolithic and Bronze Age sites, including those sites of predynastic and early Shang phases. Thus, much difficulty has been imparted to our understanding of the configuration of these early archaeologic sites. This study demonstrates the usefulness of landscape reconstruction in developing settlement models of Neolithic and Bronze age sites in the area.     

甘肃景泰县老虎山地区蛇绿岩及其上覆岩系中枕状熔岩的地球化学特征

甘肃景泰县老虎山地区蛇绿岩之上覆盖着一套镁铁质的喷出岩和沉积岩组合，位于蛇绿岩的枕状熔岩之上，不是蛇绿岩的成员，为蛇绿岩的上覆岩系。蛇绿岩的枕状熔岩具Ｎ－ＭＯＲＢ的特征，而其上覆岩系中的枕状熔岩类似Ｅ－ＭＯＲＢ。前者来自扩张脊的下部岩浆房；后者推测源于扩张脊之外的岩浆房，也是软流圈地幔中等至高程度部分熔融的产物，不过，可能有少量来自下地幔的物质的加入     

甘肃庄浪全新世黄土-古土壤序列元素分布特征及意义

通过对渭河上游XJN全新世剖面的Fe、Al、Si、K、Ca、Mg、Na、Ti和Sr元素含量的分析,发现这些元素的分布与气候密切相关。在剖面中表现为:迁移序列是Ca>Sr>Na>Mg,Fe、Al、Si、K和Ti则相对富集;Ca-Sr关系呈两段式分布,指示全新世早期的一次环境变化;Ki残积系数增大,Ca/Mg比值减小,指示化学风化作用增强。     

Petrology, geochemistry and isotopic ages of eclogites from the Dulan UHPM Terrane, the North Qaidam, NW China

The Dulan eclogite–gneiss region is located in the eastern part of the North Qaidam eclogite belt, NW China. Widespread evidence demonstrates that this region is a typical ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane. Eclogites occur as lenses or layers in both granitic and pelitic gneisses. Two distinguished sub-belts can be recognized and differ in mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry. The North Dulan Belt (NDB) has tholeiitic protoliths with high TiO₂ and lower Al₂O₃ and MgO contents. REE patterns and trace element contents resemble those of N-type and E-type MORB. In contrast, eclogites in the South Dulan Belt (SDB) are of island arc protoliths with low TiO₂, high Al₂O₃ and show LREE-enriched and HFSE-depleted patterns. Sm–Nd isotope analyses give isochron ages of 458–497 Ma for eclogite-facies metamorphism for the two sub-belts. The ages are similar to those of Yuka and Altun eclogites in the western extension of the North Qaidam-Altun eclogite belt. The Dulan UHP metamorphic terrane, together with several other recently recognized eclogite-bearing terrenes within the North Qaidam-Altun HP-UHP belt, constitute the key to the understanding of the tectonic evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The entire UHP belt extends for more than 1000 km from the Dulan UHP terrane in the southeast to the Altun eclogite–gneiss terrane in the west. This super-belt marks an early Paleozoic continental collision zone between the Qaidam Massif and the Qilian Massif.     

甘肃酒泉盆地早白垩世植物化石及其古气候意义

首次较系统报道了产于甘肃酒泉盆地下白垩统的植物化石,分为两个植物组合。Athrotaxites-Solenites组合产于赤金堡组上段,有Solenites luanpingensis Wang,Pityocladus cf.i waianus(ishi)Chow,Pityocladus sp.,Athrotaxites berryi Bell等,时代大致为早白垩世早期,反映潮湿或半干旱半潮湿气候。Brachyphyllum-Pseudofrenelopsis组合见于中沟组上部,包括Sphenopterissp.,Pseudofrenelopsis dalatzensis(Chowet Tsao)Cao ex Zhou,Cupressinocladus elegans(Chow)Chow,Cupressinocladus sp.,Pagiophyllumyumenense sp.nov.,Pagiophyllumcompressum sp.nov.,Pagiophyllum sp.,Brachyphyllumningshiaense Chow et Tsao,Brachyphyllumobtusum Chow et Tsao,Elatocladus sp.,Podozamites sp.,Carpolithus sp.等12种,时代为Aptian-Albian期,反映干旱型气候。     

A 7000-year record of environmental change,including early farming impact,based on lake-sediment geochemistry and pollen data from County Sligo,western Ireland

Detailed, chronologically tightly constrained, lake-sediment-based geochemical and pollen records have enabled local changes in soil erosion, woodland cover and composition, and prehistoric farming impact to be reconstructed in considerable detail. The profile opens shortly after 7800 BC when tall canopy trees were well-established and presumably in equilibrium with their environment. A distinct perturbation that involved an increase in pine and birch, a decrease in oak and a minor opening-up of the woodland is regarded as the local expression of the 8.2 ka climate anomaly. Lack of response in the geochemical erosional indicators is interpreted as evidence for drier conditions. A short-lived, over-compensation in climate recovery followed the 8.2 ka event. Neolithic farming impact is clearly expressed in both the pollen and geochemical data. Both datasets indicate that Neolithic impact was concentrated in the early Neolithic (3715–3440 BC). In the interval 3000–2700 BC there appears to have been a break in farming activity. The pollen data suggest substantially increased farming impact (both arable and pastoral) in the Bronze Age, with maximum farming and woodland clearances taking place in the late Bronze Age (1155–935 BC). These developments are poorly expressed in the geochemical record, possibly due to within-lake changes.     

云南祥云红土坡墓地出土人骨颅面特征研究——兼谈“昆明”族属问题

红土坡墓地是滇西洱海地区青铜时代晚期的一处重要墓地。对红土坡墓地出土的3例颅骨标本进行性状观察、测量分析等综合研究,其颅面特征可以概括为长颅型、正颅型结合狭颅型,中等眶型和较阔的鼻型,中等面宽,偏低的面高,中等偏大的上面部扁平度。红土坡居民应属于亚洲蒙古人种范畴,与南亚类型在眶鼻和上面部形态上表现出更多的一致性。在与古代人群的对比中,与楚雄元谋磨盘山组最为相似,颅型方面皆为长颅型、正颅型,在眶型、鼻型、面宽、面高和面部扁平度等方面也非常接近;其次为华南地区的佛山河宕组和闽侯昙石山组。在综合分析的基础上,进一步探讨了云南地区古代居民颅面特征中"北方因素"的出现,以及红土坡居民所代表的"昆明"人的族属问题。

     

甘肃北祁连毛藏寺埃达克岩及其成因类型

埃达克岩(Adakite)的特殊性及其科学和现实意义广泛地吸引着地球科学工作者。位于青藏高原东北缘的祁连山早古生代造山带是新中国地学界认识板块构造的摇篮。本文研究了北祁连造山带中段毛藏寺地区侵入岩的岩石学和地球化学特征,结果表明:毛藏寺地区加里东期中酸性侵入岩具有较高的SiO2、Al2O3、Na2O含量及Na2O/K2O值,MgO较低; LREE强富集,HREE明显亏损,L/H比值>15; 岩石Th、Sr、Ba具显著的正异常,Sr含量一般在507×10-6 以上,具有高Sr/Y、La/Yb比值和较高的Cr、Ni含量; 岩石σ值一般为1.45～2.76,A/CNK值为0.83～1.15,多数N-YbN和Sr/Y-Y判别图上,样品落入埃达克岩范围; 在SiO2-Mg#图解上,岩体处在"板片来源的埃达克岩"区域,表明毛藏寺地区侵入岩属于"O"型埃达克岩,岩浆起源于俯冲洋壳的部分熔融。毛藏寺"O"型埃达克岩的识别表明,在早古生代中期,北祁连中段经历了洋壳俯冲、岛弧发育和壳幔共同作用的构造演化过程,为祁连山造山带的板块构造演化历史提供了新资料,为祁连山地区寻找和勘查与埃达克岩相关的矿产资源提供了一个可能的方向。     

Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene lake‐level fluctuations in the Lahontan Basin,Nevada: Implications for the distribution of archaeological sites

The Great Basin of the western U.S. contains a rich record of Late Pleistocene and Holocene lake‐level fluctuations as well as an extensive record of human occupation during the same time frame. We compare spatial‐temporal relationships between these records in the Lahontan basin to consider whether lake‐level fluctuations across the Pleistocene‐Holocene transition controlled distribution of archaeological sites. We use the reasonably well‐dated archaeological record from caves and rockshelters as well as results from new pedestrian surveys to investigate this problem. Although lake levels probably reached maximum elevations of about 1230–1235 m in the different subbasins of Lahontan during the Younger Dryas (YD) period, the duration that the lakes occupied the highest levels was brief. Paleoindian and Early Archaic archaeological sites are concentrated on somewhat lower and slightly younger shorelines (_1220–1225 m) that also date from the Younger Dryas period. This study suggests that Paleoindians often concentrated their activities adjacent to large lakes and wetland resources soon after they first entered the Great Basin. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

On a New Genus of Basal Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

1 Introduction The Mazongshan area in northwestern China yields a diverse dinosaur assemblage, including members of Theropoda, Sauropoda, Ankylosauridae, Euornithopoda, and Ceratopsia (Dong, 1997; You, 2002). This assemblage is characterized by several well-established taxa, such as the basal neoceratopsian Archaeoceratops oshimai (Dong and Azuma, 1997; You and Dodson, 2003), the basal hadrosauroid Equijubus normani (You et al., 2003a), and the basal titanosaurian Gobititan shenzhouensi…