First evidence of complex dental practice about 1300 BP in Mesoamerica revealed by absolute geomagnetic intensity

Deliberated dental modifications and mutilations are known since prehistoric times. The Mayas and other ancient cultures in Mesoamerica were considered pioneers of such practice. The evidences of therapeutic intervention, however, are still poorly documented and credible examples are extremely scarce. One of the burials excavated at the locality of La Mina (Michoacan, Mexico) corresponds to a 30-35 year old male individual named Alvaro, who presented a well-marked dental deformation. Moreover, Alvaro had a quite deep and symmetrical perforation in the upper right canine–a treatment similar to the procedure of endodontics or root canal. The archaeological context of Alvaro’s habitat was dated using the archaeomagnetic method applied to pottery samples unambiguously correlated to the burial. The analysis supplied a time interval between 647 and 825 AD suggesting the first evidence of complex dental practice in the Americas.     

四川牦牛坪轻稀土矿床地幔流体特征——铅锶钕和氦氩同位素及稀土元素证据

四川牦牛坪稀土矿床是中国第二大轻稀土矿床。笔者对该矿床进行了较系统的Pb—Sr—Nd同位素、稀有气体同位素地球化学以及稀土元素地球化学研究。稀土元素地球化学特征研究显示,矿区萤石、方解石、氟碳铈矿稀土元素分布模式与区内英碱正长岩相似,表明牦牛坪稀土矿床成矿与英碱正长岩岩浆活动有关以及石英包裹体流体REE曲线平直,Eu与Ce无明显异常,曲线规律性较强,可以认为牦牛坪轻稀土矿床成矿流体稀土元素是深源的。Pb—Sr—Nd同位素组成表明成矿物质来自富集地幔,具深源甚至幔源特征。稀有气体同位素地球化学研究也在一定程度上揭示了牦牛坪轻稀土矿化与地幔过程之间存在着成因关系。     

Comparison of sedimentation and occupation histories inside and outside rock shelters,Keep‐River region,northwestern Australia

This paper compares archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation inside rock shelters and outside in adjacent sand sheets, focusing on two locations in the Keep‐River region, northwestern Australia. Luminescence and radiocarbon dating reveal that occupation sequences inside rock shelters are generally younger ( < 10,000 yr B.P.) than outside ( < 18,000 yr B.P.). Differences in occupation chronology and artifact assemblages inside and outside rock shelters result from depositional and postdepositional processes and shifts in site function. An increase in regional sedimentation rate from 10 cm/ka ^{− 1} in the Pleistocene to 20 cm/ka ^{− 1} in the Holocene may account for late buildup of sediments within rock shelters, increased artifact accumulation, and reduced postdepositional disturbance in some settings. More intense use of rock shelters in the Late Holocene is indicated from a change in hunting technology and greater production of rock art. The results indicate that some cultural interpretations might be flawed unless archaeological evidence from rock‐shelter and open‐site excavations is integrated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.