Fluvial environmental contexts for archaeological sites in the Upper Khabur basin (northeastern Syria)

Today the eastern tributaries of the Upper Khabur run dry during the summer and the landscape is devoid of trees. This picture is misleading when we try to understand archaeological sites within their former environmental context. Interdisciplinary geomorphological, archaeobotanical and ostracod research on a sequence from the Wadi Jaghjagh indicates that relatively stable, perennial flow velocities occurred during the mid 4th to mid-3rd millennium BC. Evidence was found for a gallery forest and swamp belt along the Jaghjagh during the mid-4th millennium BC. Oak park woodland was present within the region in the 3rd millennium BC and probably up to at least the 3rd century AD. Shortly after 2500 BC, Jaghjagh stream velocities probably decreased or the stream bed had changed its location. Later deposits, possibly dating to the 5th century BC, indicate similar, rather stable flow of the Jaghjagh. More recently however, about ca. AD 900 or afterwards, a flashflood-like regime occurred, which may relate to deforestation. The Wadi Khanzir sediment archives reflect the flashy intermittent regime of this stream, like it still is today, with flashflood evidence dating to the first half of the Holocene and probably dating to approximately AD 400 or later. Along the Jarrah, topsoil was eroded and redeposited by the wadi sometime between 1300 and 600 BC. This may have been caused by the intensive resettlement program of this region around 800 BC. Between about 600 and 300 BC 1.5 m of clay was deposited on the plain.     

Coenotypes in Submerged Paleoforests in the Qianhu Bay, Fujian Province

The paleoforest remains studied are distributed within a range of 18000 m^2 in the intertidal zone of the Qianhu Bay, Fujian Province. Eighty-nine ancient tree stumps can be clearly recognized in the paleoforest remains. Microscopic studies of 10 relatively low-carbonized stump samples definitely showed four species： Glyptostrobus pensUi （Staunt） Kouch, Schima superba Gardn., Cinnamomum Schaeffer, and Litsea Lam. The 14^C dating of some samples yielded the ages of 42560±350 to 〉43000 a B. P., corresponding to the late Late Pleistocene.     

Plio-Pleistocene mammals from Mille-Logya,Ethiopia, and the post-Hadar faunal change

We describe the non-primate mammalian fauna from the late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene deposits of Mille-Logya in the Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, dated to c. 2.9–2.4 Ma, and divided into three successive units: Gafura, Seraitu, and Uraitele. We identify 41 mammalian taxa (including rodents), the most diverse group being the Bovidae, with 17 taxa. While the Gafura assemblage still resembles those from the earlier Hadar Formation, the younger Seraitu assemblage documents a major turnover. While there is little change in the species present across this interval, the relative abundances of various taxa change dramatically, with suids being largely replaced by open-country bovids (Alcelaphini and Antilopini). We interpret this faunal change as reflective of an environmental shift, contemporaneous with the replacement of Australopithecus afarensis by Homo in the area.     

内蒙古呼鲁斯太石炭纪脊椎动物化石

首次记叙了发现于内蒙古阿拉善左旗呼鲁斯大地区上石炭统土坡组上部和羊虎沟组下部的鱼类鳞片，其种类与在宁夏中卫纳缪尔期地层中发现的鱼类相似，均属古鳕类（Palaeoniscoids）；同时还记述了一枚产于土坡组上部的脊椎动物牙齿化石。     

机载碘化银发生器燃烧室残留物成分分析

通过对碘化银发生器残留物样本化学分析,残留物附着规律及其成因研究,最后提出了减少残留物的对策。     

安徽蚌埠钓鱼台遗址炭化植物遗存研究

通过对安徽蚌埠钓鱼台遗址2014~2015年度考古发掘采集土样的浮选分析,获取了该遗址龙山时代晚期及西周春秋时期丰富的炭化植物遗存,其中炭化植物种子主要包括水稻（Oryza sativa）、粟（Setaria italica）、黍（Panicum miliaceum）、小麦（Triticum aestivum）和大豆（Glycine max）5种农作物以及其他禾本科（Gramineae）、莎草科（Cyperaceae）、酸模属（Rumex）等植物种子,此外还发现了少量来自栎属（Quercus）、菱属（Trapa）和枣属（Ziziphus）等植物的硬果核壳。实验结果显示,该遗址龙山时代晚期农作物有水稻和粟两种,并可能开始种植大豆。量化统计结果表明,水稻是遗址最主要的农作物,粟的比重相对较低;西周至春秋时期的农作物除水稻和粟外,还发现了小麦、大豆和黍,从而形成新的"五谷俱全"的作物结构,其中水稻仍然是最主要的农作物,但小麦异军突起,其地位仅次于水稻,粟类作物和大豆处于从属地位。综合分析本地区同时期其他遗址的植物考古研究结果,可以发现该地区龙山时代晚期和西周春秋时期,淮河干流南北的农业结构有明显差异,淮河以北的黄淮平原上水稻与旱地作物在农业结构中的比例相近,而在淮河以南地区,水稻占据明显的优势。同时,不同纬度位置考古遗址的农作物结构变化也存在一定的规律性,表现为水稻的比重自纬度较高的皖北地区到纬度较低的淮河以南不断上升,而粟、黍和小麦这些作物的比重则逐渐下降,这一现象应与不同纬度地区水热条件不同直接相关。此外,从该地区目前发现的小麦遗存来看,龙山时代晚期,小麦已在鲁南山地以南的山前地带分布,至岳石文化时期,传播至黄淮平原北部,且最迟不晚于西周早中期,小麦的分布已跨过淮河干流,传播至江淮地区。     

内蒙古好老鹿场地区晚古生代超基性-基性岩的发现及意义

在内蒙古东部好老鹿场地区1∶5万区调工作中,发现了一套新的岩石组合,分别由铁镁质堆积岩、基性岩墙群、蚀变基性火山岩等组成.该套岩石组合经较强的构造破坏,呈大小不等的岩块产于本巴图组砂板岩之中.总体延伸方向呈近东西向展布,明显受区域性构造控制.岩石化学、岩石地球化学等方面的资料表明,辉石橄榄岩、辉长岩具有低Al、贫Ca和富Na的特点, MgO / (MgO+FeO)比值为0.25,MgO含量偏低.稀土元素总量偏低,为76.03×10-6 ~ 114.81×10-6,轻重稀土富集不明显,分馏作用较弱.∑L/∑H为0.73 ~ 0.8,配分曲线呈平坦的"W"型,δEu =1.03 ~ 1.23,略显正异常.基性火山岩具明显的富Fe、Mg、Na,贫Al、Ti、K的特征,微量元素显示形成于洋中脊环境.同时在辉长岩中获得单颗粒锆石UPb年龄为362.4 Ma,时代为早泥盆世晚期.其形成环境为洋中脊,属于泥盆纪古亚洲洋消减部分的残留体.     

Pyrometallurgical relics of Pb–Cu–Fe deposits in south-eastern Germany: An exploration tool and a record of mining history

Pyrometallurgical relics from smelting of iron as well as base metal ores are mineralogically and chemically investigated and dated using the radiocarbon method and optically stimulated luminescence. This study addresses the question whether these pyrometallurgical remains may be used as an exploration tool enabling geologists to discriminate between false and true gossans. Moreover, these investigations make a historical contribution and demonstrate how mining and smelting activities spread across NE Bavaria, Germany.