bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jeitun: Recent Excavations at an Early Neolithic Site in Southern Turkmenistan
Authors: Harris D.R. , Gosden C. , Charles M.P.
Published: February 2014

Excavations at the Neolithic site of Jeitun in Turkmenistan, Central Asia, were carried out by a British team between 1991 and 1994 as part of a collaborative project with Soviet and Turkmenian archaeologists. Jeitun was first systematically excavated in the 1950s by Professor V.M. Masson and was shown to be a small settlement of mudbrick houses and ancillary buildings together with yard layers. Our recent excavations have attempted to refine knowledge of the site's stratigraphy and architecture by using fine-grained excavation and recovery techniques and by sampling systematically for sediments, plant and animal remains, and artefacts. We have also obtained the first suite of radiocarbon dates from the site which shows that it was first occupied at c. 6000 cal. BC and may only have remained in use for a few centuries. The excavations have uncovered the lowest architectural phases at Jeitun, as demonstrated by detailed examination of two houses at the northern end of the site. Both houses have a complex history of use, with well laid gypsum floors and intervening layers of sand and mudbrick destruction. Such complexity may indicate that the site was not occupied permanently, although year-round occupation is, on present evidence, equally likely. We tentatively define three phases in the occupation of the site, from ephemeral use in the lowest layers to complex and intensive occupation in the uppermost parts. These phases cannot be separated by the 11 radiocarbon dates obtained, which appear to suggest that activity at the site increased relatively rapidly over a short period of time. Further excavation and analysis is needed to refine and strengthen our conclusions.
Stone Axe-head Manufacture: New Evidence from the Preseli Hills, West Wales
Authors: David A. , Williams G. , Jenkins David , Rigby Ian , Williams-Thorpe Olwen
Published: February 2014

Fieldwork by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust during 1989–92 has identified clear evidence for the manufacture of stone axeheads at two locations on the eastern flanks of the Preseli Mountains, Dyfed: at Glyn-y-Fran, Llanfyrnach (SN 186 307) and near Glandy Cross (SN 143 266). At both sites, small quantities of lithic debris were collected from field surfaces after cultivation; unfortunately, no contemporaneous features were found by subsequent, very limited, trial trenching. In this report we describe the fieldwork at these two sites, and the resulting lithic collection, concluding that the latter represents evidence for small-scale and opportunistic exploitation of locally abundant erratics during the Neolithic. The Glandy Cross area was later a focus for the construction of ritual monuments during the Bronze Age, and there is also some evidence for continuing activity at Glyn-y-Fran at this time.

Petrological thin section analysis of some of the artefacts is reported and demonstrates a probable identity with petrological Group VIII; geochemical analysis of some of the same artefacts places the likely geological origin of these at local igneous exposures also in the Preselis. These conclusions are reviewed in the light of current discussion on the usage and origins of raw materials in later prehistory.
‘Absolute’ dating of Mesolithic human activity at Star Carr, Yorkshire: new palaeoecological studies and identification of the 9600 bp radiocarbon ‘plateau’
Authors: Day S. P. , Mellars P. A.
Published: February 2014

The existence of a ‘radiocarbon plateau’ at 9600 BP causes problems for early Mesolithic archaeology and palaeoecology, since events separated by up to 400 calendar years are not distinguished by radiocarbon dating. A new sequence of closely spaced radiocarbon accelerator dates from waterlogged deposits at the early Mesolithic site at Star Carr, Yorkshire, has enabled recognition of this plateau. It has been possible to ‘wiggle-match’ these Star Carr dates to the recently produced dendrochronological calibration curve for the early post-glacial period, providing an ‘absolute’ chronology for formation of the deposits. Associated high resolution palaeoecological analyses indicate two local phases of human activity, the lengths of which can be estimated from the calibrated time-scale. As far as we are aware, this is the first time that it has been possible to provide ‘absolute’ dates for human activity at an early Mesolithic site in Europe.
Archaeological Investigations at two Lesotho Rock-shelters: Terminal Pleistocene/Early Holocene Assemblages from Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tsoana
Authors: Mitchell P. J.
Published: February 2014

Results of the excavation of two rock-shelters in the Phuthiatsana-ea-Thaba Bosiu Basin of western Lesotho, southern Africa are reported. Later Stone Age occupation at both sites was principally a feature of the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene. Analysis of the artefact assemblages shows that, while all in situ occurrences belong to the Oakhurst Industrial Complex, significant differences are apparent between those pre- and post-dating 7500 BC. A shift towards hunting smaller bovids and changes in site occupation at the regional scale are also evident at this time. Differences between the archaeological signatures at the two sites are discussed in the light of recent models of seasonal aggregation and dispersal. Comparisons are drawn with the archaeological record of neighbouring parts of South Africa and a strong contrast is suggested between terminal Pleistocene! early Holocene settlement strategies and those of the recent Holocene within the research area.
Excavation of a Bronze Age Cemetery at Ewanrigg, Maryport, Cumbria
Authors: Bewley R. H. , Longworth I. H. , Browne S. , Huntley J. P. , Varndell G. , Craddock P. , Freestone I.
Published: February 2014

Excavations at Ewanrigg, Maryport, Cumbria (NY035353) took place in 1983 and 1985–87. The site of a Bronze Age cremation cemetery was discovered whilst fieldwalking a crop-mark enclosure site; this site had been trial excavated in 1956 and shown to be a Romano-British settlement. During the excavations 28 burials were discovered, 26 being cremations and two inhumations. Both inhumations, one a Beaker burial and the other a cist burial with a Food Vessel, had been disturbed. The Bronze Age pottery assemblage was a mixture of Collared Urns and Food Vessel Urns; the Collared Urns are mainly Secondary Series with one showing some Primary Series traits. Fragments of two Beakers were discovered, one an N/MR Beaker and the other more in the long-necked Northern series tradition. All the pottery, except the N/MR Beaker, was made from local clay. Within one of the cremation burials a clay connecting rod for a furnace was discovered and apart from one other site this is the only discovery which shows any link between metal-working and the burials within the Collared Urn tradition. Also within the cremations were a number of toggles and pins made from animal bone. The human cremated bone was sufficiently well preserved to allow analysis to show that there were six female and five male burials. Radiocarbon samples, mainly on charcoal, gave a date range for the Collared Urns of 2460–1520 BC (calibrated to two standard deviations).
Red Deer Hunters on Colonsay? The Implications of Staosnaig for the Interpretation of the Oronsay Middens
Authors: Mithen S. J. , Finlayson B.
Published: February 2014

Knowing the source of the red deer in the Mesolithic shell middens on Oronsay is necessary for a reconstruction of the early post-glacial settlement patterns in the southern Hebrides. If they came from Colonsay, then it is conceivable that the combined resources of Colonsay and Oronsay could have supported a population on these small islands for extended periods of time — as the seasonally data from the middens suggests when taken at face value. If there were no red deer on Colonsay, it is more likely that the Oronsay middens result from many short intermittent visits to the island. Since early post-glacial faunal assemblages are unknown from Colonsay, and unlikely to be found, this paper discusses the relevance of lithic assemblages for inferring the hunting of red deer. It describes recent fieldwork on Colonsay and the discovery of the first Mesolithic sites, notably that of Staosnaig. It concludes that the microlithic elements within the assemblages are too small to indicate red deer hunting. If Mesolithic foragers went to Colonsay to hunt red deer, they probably left rather quickly and empty-handed.
An Early Neolithic Axe Factory at Le Pinacle, Jersey, Channel Islands
Authors: Patton Mark
Published: February 2014

The site of Le Pinacle, Jersey, is an important multi-phase site with horizons dating to the Early Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Gallo-Roman periods. Recent reassessment of the material from the site suggests the existence of a stone axe production centre at Le Pinacle during the Early Neolithic period. Petrological studies have resulted in the identification of a group of dolerite axes, for which Le Pinacle is the probable source. Axes belonging to this group have been identified in assemblages from Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.
A Late Iron Age Burial Enclosure at Maldon Hall Farm, Essex: Excavations 1989
Authors: Lavender N. J. , Browne S. , Evans J. , Major H. J. , Wallace C. R.
Published: February 2014

This report describes the total excavation of a small, rectangular ditched enclosure measuring 23.5 m by 15 m. It was shown to have been a cemetery enclosure (probably that of a small family group), belonging to the second half of the 1st century BC. Three vessels containing cremation burials were found in pits within the enclosed area, along with nine other funerary bowls, urns and jars. Whilst cremation burials of this date are fairly common, this is the first published example of such a cemetery enclosure from Essex.
The Social Context for European Palaeolithic Art.
Authors: Gamble Clive
Published: February 2014

My aim in this paper is to put the question, ‘Where was the centre of the Upper Palaeolithic world?’. I promise no answers and I will confine the discussion to Europe.

The purpose behind raising such a seemingly irrelevant problem is that its investigation leads us directly into issues of palaeolithic society, the interpretation of art in such contexts and the often opposed views of how art contributed to adaptation and change.

At the outset let me declare that I amnotdealing with the origins of art and its association, or not, with language. Art for me is, however, a system of communication and includes a wide range of mediums and messages. As an act of social communication it is defined by style which, as Wiessner (1984, 191) argues, has its behavioural basis in a fundamental human cognitive process; personal and social identification through comparison. Consequently style is not just a means of transmitting information about identity but is an active tool used in building social strategies (ibid.194). It has a role in negotiation which, as I shall argue below, is the basis for defining palaeolithic society.
The Representation of Female Figures in the Rhineland Magdalenian.
Authors: Bosinski G.
Published: February 2014

The Magdalenian sites of Andernach and Gönnersdorf are located in the central Rhineland at the northwestern end of the Neuwied Basin (fig. 1). The first investigation of the Andernach-Martinsberg site was carried out in 1883 by H. Schaaffhausen (1888); between 1979 and 1983 a new campaign of excavations took place at the same site (Veil 1982a). The site of Gönnersdorf was investigated between 1968 and 1976 (Bosinski 1979). The two sites are located directly facing each other above the Rhine, which at the time of the occupation was much wider than at the present day; Andernach is sited on a Middle Pleistocene lava flow, while Gönnersdorf is on the Middle Terrace of the Rhine. Both sites are assigned by pollen analysis to the end of the Bølling interstadial; the great similarities in their archaeological material, down to individual details, suggest that the two sites were contemporary.
Ecological Interpretations of Palaeolithic Art.
Authors: Mithen Steven J.
Published: February 2014

To describe, let alone explain, the paintings, engravings and sculpture of the Upper Palaeolithic as ‘adaptations’ may sound absurd. These are products of the human mind — a world of symbols and dreams, myths and fantasies. So to suggest that this art can be understood in an ecological framework may strike one as facile. Upper Palaeolithic art is one of the great cultural achievements of human kind. It testifies not only to an immense technical skill but to the human capacity for expressing emotion through the use of line, form and colour. Although we cannot know the meaning of the art, through it we can begin to share the sensitivities of the Palaeolithic hunters to their natural world and the animals of the chase. Like all great art, it transcends the boundaries of time and space to say something fundamental about the human condition — though that ‘something’ is forever elusive. The paintings, engravings and sculpture of the Upper Palaeolithic are indeed the epitome of human creativity. So when faced with either the great bulls of Lascaux or just a scratch upon a broken pebble, surely it must be trivial to invoke notions of adaptation and ecology. After all, is not adaptation solely about the more basic features of human life — the selfish struggle to survive and reproduce — hardly the basis for the fine arts.
Stone Tools and Paleolithic Settlement in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Barton C. Michael
Published: February 2014

The assemblages from four sites in Spain and Gibraltar form the basis of a study that addresses the behavioral significance of the variability in Middle Paleolithic chipped stone artifacts. Quantitative analysis of artifact edge morphology forms the primary focus of this work.

It is suggested that (1) morphological variability is generally continuous for the features examined, (2) retouched and unretouched lithics are extremes in a continuum of the degree of edge use, (3) lithic morphology is dynamic and artifacts may be multi-functional and (4) lithic morphoplogy is conditioned by the time of discard in the use-life of the artifact. Retouched artifacts may be more the end result of the extent and nature of the use of their various edges than preconceived tools determined by cultural traditions or intended function.

These results are applied to a study of Middle Paleolithic settlement strategies using data from the four primary sites of the study and an additional five sites in the Iberian peninsula. Differences are noted between upland and lowland strategies. Upland sites may represent more of a ‘forager’ strategy, with frequent, short-term occupations of sites. Lowland sites seem more characteristic of a ‘collector’ strategy, with longer occupations and less frequent visits to sites. Settlement response to changing Upper Pleistocene environments during the onset of the last glacial may include a shift to a more ‘forager’-like strategy in lowland settings.
The Stratigraphy of Kirkhead Cave, an Upper Palaeolithic Site in Northern England: Discussion
Authors: Gale S. J. , Hunt C. O.
Published: February 2014

Volume 52 of the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society contained two articles (Salisbury 1986; Tipping 1986) critical of our paper ‘The stratigraphy of Kirkhead Cave, an upper palaeolithic site in northern England’ (Gale and Hunt 1985). Here we reply.

Before dealing with the criticisms made by Salisbury, we correct the factual errors in his paper.

1. Bolton and Morris ‘… excavated through, and ultimately removed some 5 to 7 metres of cave earth…’ (Salisbury 1986, 321). In fact, the reports indicate a maximum depth of excavation of 7 ft (2.1 m) (Bolton 1864, cclii) or 8 ft (2.4 m) (Morris 1865–66, 360, 361; 1866, 169, 170; Bolton 1869, 167–68).

2. Bolton and Morris's ‘… publications are of little value today, and both may be considered to have been “bone hunters” and collectors’ (Salisbury 1986, 321). The assertion that Bolton and Morris's excavation reports are of little value suggests that Salisbury is not familiar with the wealth of early literature on this site. The reports provide a picture of a rich and varied assemblage of artefacts and macrofauna in the unit overlying the stalagmite floor in the cave. Information is also provided on the lithology of that unit. Interpretation of these reports allows the reconstruction of the stratigraphic context of the finds: we direct Salisbury's attention to Gale and Hunt (1985, 296–97) for an indication of the stratigraphic reconstruction possible from the information given in these early publications.
The Mesolithic Colonization and Agricultural Transition of South-east Ireland
Authors: Green Stanton W. , Zvelebil Marek
Published: February 2014

This paper presents the first systematic archaeological evidence from the early prehistory of south-east Ireland. The research is designed to investigate the colonization of the area during the Mesolithic period and the subsequent transition to agriculture. From a theoretical perspective, we offer a view of indigenous development. That is, we look for continuities between Mesolithic and Neolithic Ireland in terms of technology and settlement. The data, we are gathering include surface and excavated materials. Lithic assemblages were systematically collected from ploughsoils surrounding the Waterford Harbour area during the years 1983 through 1987. These materials are analyzed from the point of view of geography, raw material, reduction sequences, manufacturing technology, and chronological typology to yield an initial glimpse into the rich prehistory of the region and its pattern of settlement. Excavations during 1986, 1987 and 1989 have begun to fill in some detail including the region's first prehistoric barley, a Neolithic radiocarbon date, prehistoric pottery, a rhyolite quarry and several rich lithic assemblages.
From Foraging to Food Production in South-east Ireland: Some Lithic Evidence
Authors: Peterson Jane D.
Published: February 2014

Current models for the transition from foraging to food production in Ireland describe a range of possibilities concerning the roles played by indigenous populations, the length of overlap between the adaptive systems and the potential influence of one group on the other. For example, Woodman views Mesolithic populations as passive and temporally discrete for the most part (1976; 1978c; 1987). Alternatively, Aalen (1978) sees the potential for Mesolithic groups exerting a significant influence on the Neolithic populations. In Case's model, Neolithic lifeways are introduced fully formed into Ireland, with little or no input from indigenous groups (1969; 1976).

All three agree that colonists initiated the transition on the island. Expanding these models and outlining expectations based on them provides the baseline against which the data from Waterford will be measured.
A Vase à Anse from Guernsey in the Channel Islands
Authors: Nilen Helen A. L.
Published: February 2014

Tomalin (1988) commented on the similarities of vases a anses in Jersey to those in both north Brittany and south Britain. However following earlier writers, including Kendrick (1928, 89) and Hawkes (1938, 112), who also noted these vessels in Jersey, he finds no examples from the rest of the Channel Islands. Interestingly Kendrick illustrates a single-handled vase à anse from the site of La Rocque qui Sonne, Guernsey (1928, pl. XIV, G80); he describes it simply as a ‘small globular cup’ with ribbon handle (1928, 164). Presumably the Guernsey vessel's single handle excluded it from Kendrick's class ‘I’ of ‘Biconical vases with ribbon handles’ from Jersey, which he identified as ‘familiar Bronze Age ware in Brittany’ (1928, 89).

The finding of vases à anses in the Channel Islands indicates communication with at least Brittany, though at a period when the islands seem to have had little to offer the visitor, being at a date just prior to an apparent cessation of contact with Armorican ‘exchange partners’ of long standing. Briard (1986) used the vases à anses among other artefacts, to stress such contacts between the islands and Brittany during the Later Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Excavation of a Possible Neolithic Long Barrow or Mortuary Enclosure at Rivenhall, Essex, 1986
Authors: Buckley D. G. , Major H. , Milton B. , Brown N. , Holgate R. , Turner C. , Walker H.
Published: February 2014

Aerial survey in Essex has revealed a number of elongated enclosures interpreted as either long barrows or mortuary enclosures of Neolithic date. Excavation of one of these sites at Rivenhall in 1986 produced finds of flintwork and pottery which help to substantiate this hypothesis. A surface collection survey of the field containing the enclosure produced Mesolithic and Neolithic flintwork. A short discussion considers the Essex sites in their wider context.
The Street House Wossit: The Excavation of a Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Palisaded Ritual Monument at Street House, Loftus, Cleveland
Authors: Vyner B. E. , Ambers J. , Healey E. , Innes J. , Jelley D. , Nye S. , Parker S. , Turner J.
Published: February 2014

As part of a continuing programme of assessment and investigation of prehistoric activity in the coastal area of E Cleveland, Cleveland County Archaeology Section excavated an insubstantial and enigmatic monument which had a ritual use continuing from the late Neolithic into the early Bronze Age.
Status, Wealth and the Chronological Ordering of Cemeteries
Authors: Bradley Richard
Published: February 2014

The study of grave goods plays a central role in two very different kinds of archaeology. As groups of artefacts that were deposited together, grave finds occupy a key position in chronological studies. At the same time, it is commonly supposed that the selection of artefacts for deposition with the dead may be some reflection of the social position that they had enjoyed in life; the contents of different graves may be studied for evidence of wealth and status. Although chronological studies have the longer history, these two types of analysis ought to be most informative where social variation can be traced over a lengthy sequence. As we shall see, this raises special problems.
An Archaeological Investigation of Early Mineworkings on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth: New Evidence for Prehistoric Mining
Authors: Timberlake Simon , Switsur Roy
Published: February 2014

In September 1986 a small excavation was done by S. T. to investigate an area of primitive-style mine-workings on Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth, Dyfed (SN816756). A small opencast and several overgrown tips associated with pebble hammers occur where the copper-rich Comet Lode outcrops on the brow of the hill. Copa Hill is within an area of seventeenth–twentieth-century lead-mine workings which extend for 1.2 km along the N side of the Ystwyth Valley (fig. 1). Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from within one of the tips suggests that mining commenced in the middle Bronze Age.
Calleva Atrebatum: An Interim Report on the Excavation of the Oppidum, 1980–86
Authors: Fulford Michael
Published: February 2014

Excavation of the basilica of the Roman town of Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum) has produced evidence for two phases of pre-Roman occupation. The earlier, probably dating to the mid-first century BC, consisted of roundhouses and pits. Around 20 BC a rectilinear steet pattern, with building plots at right angles to the streets and rectangular buildings, was laid out; later a palisaded enclosure was built. Imports included amphorae and fine pottery; Central Gaulish wares suggest an early trade connection to the south. There is some evidence of disuse before the Roman streets were laid out on a different alignment in mid first century AD.
Houses and the Changing Residential Unit: Domestic Architecture
at PPNB ‘Ain Ghazal, Jordan
Authors: Banning E. B. , Byrd Brian F.
Published: February 2014

The exceptional preservation of structural detail at the Pre-Pottery
Neolithic B site of ‘Ain Ghazal allows analysis of techniques of house
building, and of sequences of construction and modification of houses.
Frequent remodelling was common, with a trend towards smaller residential
areas. The concept of the ‘development cycle’ is applied, to explain the
structural modifications in terms of the changing nature of the
co-residential group.
Flag Fen, Fengate, Peterborough I: Discovery, Reconnaissance and Initial Excavation (1982–85).
Authors: Pryor Francis , French Charles , Taylor Maisie , Barrett J. C. , Halliday T. M.
Published: February 2014

The discovery and initial excavation of an unenclosed, timber platform settlement site of Late Bronze Age date is described. The site is located in open Fen just off the Fen-edge at Fengate in an area of well-known prehistoric activity. The site includes the remains of a remarkably well-preserved three-aisled rectangular building, with at least two floor levels still intact. Finds include items of pottery, flint and wood. Current environmental research is outlined and the report concludes with a discussion of the site's role and status.
Diatom Analysis of Clays and Late Neolithic Pottery from the Milfield Basin, Northumberland.
Authors: Gibson A. M.
Published: February 2014

The suitability of diatom analysis for provenancing British late neolithic and early Bronze Age ceramics is examined. The Milfield Basin, Northumberland, was chosen for a test programme, as an area with well documented clay sources, defined geology and available pottery samples. The bulk of the pottery sampled was of local origin, or at least need not have been made elsewhere; one sherd, the only possible Beaker sherd sampled, seems to be an import. It is concluded that it is possible to use diatoms in this way, and some of the problems of the technique are discussed, together with possible solutions. Sampling and counting strategies are also discussed.
Alternative Sources in Regional Exchange Systems: A Gravity Model Approach.
Authors: Chappell Sylvia
Published: February 2014

The influence of alternative sources on patterns of abundance of exchanged goods within a region is investigated. A gravity model is developed, which predicts relative abundance of goods from each source at each site in the region. Results of the application of this model to an ethnographic example indicate that observed patterns of abundance of exchanged goods which seem anomalous in terms of previously proposed models of exchange distributions can be explained through the effects of alternative sources. Results of the application of this model to an archaeological example suggest that some aspects of the observed spatial patterning in abundance of exchanged goods can be related to the presence of alternative sources in the region. It is concluded that the multiple sources gravity model has wide utility in the investigation of the operation of prehistoric exchange systems.
A Dated Stone Axe-hammer from Cleethorpes, South Humberside.
Authors: Leahy Kevin
Published: February 2014

The discovery of a Group XVIII stone axe-hammer with the remains of its wooden haft in the peat deposit associated with the submerged forest at Cleethorpes, South Humberside provided an opportunity to obtain an accurate dating for one of these implements. Radiocarbon dating showed that implement had been in use around 1400bcbut had apparently become incorporated in an earlier peat deposit. Previous work on the dating of axe-hammers is reviewed and their possible function is discussed.
Handaxe Assemblages from the Didwana region, Thar Desert, India: A Metrical Analysis.
Authors: Gaillard C. , Raju D. R. , Misra V. N. , Rajaguru S. N.
Published: February 2014

The Didwana region has preserved lower palaeolithic artefacts in primary and semi-primary contexts. On the basis of geological stratigraphy of aeolian and playa sediments, artefacts occurring in a stratified context have been dated to the Middle Pleistocene. In order to work out technological evolutionary trends of the acheulian culture in this region, 301 handaxes from 10 localities have been studied following Roe's methodology, with some additional attributes. Some differences in size, shape and refinement are apparent between the collections. Statistics, diagrams, factor and cluster analyses suggest a technological evolution within the assemblages and therefore indicate the chronology of the sites. Compared with those of other known Indian sites, these handaxes may correspond to cultural stages ranging between early acheulian and very late acheulian or even early middle palaeolithic.
Towards a Reappraisal of Henge Monuments.
Authors: Clare T.
Published: February 2014

The definition and classification of ‘henges’ and ‘hengiform’ sites are reconsidered. A new classification is proposed based on the nature of the perimeter, the number of entrances, and a range of features within or concentric to the perimeter. It is suggested that there is no valid distinction between sites termed ‘henge’ or ‘hengiform’. The site, distribution and chronology of these sites are also considered. Some of the associated features have close parallels in earlier neolithic sites.
The Prehistoric Society: From East Anglia to the
World
Authors: Clark Grahame
Published: February 2014

It is doubly appropriate that the Prehistoric Society should celebrate its
jubilee in Norwich. The Society was born in the Castle on 23 February 1935
of a parent conceived improbably enough in the Public Library at a meeting
held on 26 October 1908 to inaugurate an East Anglian Society ‘for the study
of all matters appertaining to prehistoric man’. The question I want you to
consider in this address is how the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia
developed so rapidly to the point at which it achieved national status as
The Prehistoric Society. Let me begin by removing one misapprehension. My
hands are not dripping with East Anglian blood nor have I just wiped them
clean. The Prehistoric Society was not the outcome of a revolutionary
putsch. It stemmed from nothing more dramatic than a recognition that the
Prehistoric Society had long ceased to be East Anglian. When we met at
Norwich Castle for our Annual General Meeting in 1935 and passed the
resolution which eliminated the words ‘of East Anglia’ from our title we
were merely recognizing a fact, that we had long ceased to be East Anglian
in anything but name. There were no dissentient votes.

The two men who between them set the Prehistoric Society on its feet came
from different but complementary backgrounds. W. G. Clarke was Norfolk born
and bred and earned his living as a working journalist in Norwich, while
cultivating a wide-ranging interest in natural history and prehistoric
archaeology.
A Multi-phased Barrow and Possible Henge Monument at West Ashby, Lincolnshire
Authors: Field Naomi , Harman M. , Keepax C. , Manby T. , Needham S. , Saville A.
Published: February 2014

Excavation of the surviving half of a barrow, identified from aerial photographs as having three concentric ditches, revealed a sequence of at least six major alterations. The site may originally have been a Class I henge monument subsequently adapted for use as a barrow. Features of all phases were mainly in the central area of the barrow and included two inhumations in coffins, one accompanied by a Yorkshire-type food vessel. A cremation in a Primary Series collared urn was accompanied by a bronze razor/knife and two flint plano-convex knives. A further cremation in a collared urn was found in the middle ditch. The barrow lay close to a settlement; early Bronze Age flintwork and pottery, including Grooved Ware and Beaker, were recovered from the several phases of mound make-up.
The Pit Alignment at Eskbank Nurseries
Authors: Barber John , Strong P. , Mate I. , Bailey S. W. , Moffat B. , Anderson H. , Hepburn A.
Published: February 2014

Eskbank Nurseries, a market garden allotment some 200 m long and 30 to 40 m wide, lies at approximately 70 m OD on a relatively level terrace overlooking the south bank of the river North Esk (fig. 1). The excavated area is centred on NT320660 and lies within the two superimposed Roman camps first noted as crop marks by St Joseph in 1965 and subsequently excavated by Maxfield in 1972. Her excavation areas I and II were sited to investigate a pit alignment, visible on the aerial photographs and plotted by her (Maxfield 1974, 142, fig. 1). In the event no pits were discovered by excavation, a fact attributable to an unfavourable combination of weather and soil conditions (Maxfield 1974, 150). The pit alignment did not, of course, appear as a crop mark in the deep market-garden soils of the Nurseries but, by extrapolation of Maxfield's plot, it was clear that it must cross the northern half of the allotment, possibly intersecting the north ditch of the earlier of the Roman camps (Maxfield's Camp A) on the west edge of the site.
Winklebury Hillfort: A Study of Artefact Distributions from
Subsoil Features
Authors: Fisher A. R.
Published: February 2014

This study attempts to define patterns in the artefact distributions from
subsoil features at Winklebury Camp, an early Iron Age hillfort in lowland
Britain. Two aims are identified: the first is to elucidate the nature and
organization of past human activities within early Iron Age hillforts; the
second is to determine whether meaningful patterns can be identified within
the artefact distributions preserved in subsoil features. A variety of
hypotheses drawn from the literature are presented and these are compared
with the results of a number of statistical techniques. It is possible to
distinguish patterns within the artefact distributions from Winklebury and
some interesting results are produced. Specifically, it can be suggested
that Winklebury was not participating in specialized craft production, that
round-houses had a variety of functions, and that four-posters did not have
a domestic function.
A personal view of the scientific career of Wojtek Dziembowski (perceived by an admirer from abroad)
Authors: Gough Douglas
Published: February 2014

I present a personal view of Wojtek Dziembowski's scientific career, derived mainly from my direct interactions with Wojtek. Necessarily this presentation is biased towards the earlier days, partly because we interacted more then, and partly because the presentation after mine is by a local admirer who has been much more involved than I with Wojtek's later work.
What can we expect from precision asteroseismology?
Authors: Handler G.
Published: February 2014

Precision asteroseismology is the determination of accurate stellar parameters from oscillation data. At first successful for pulsating white dwarf stars, it is now applied to more and more types of stars. We give a number of selected examples where precision asteroseismology, but also asteroseismology based on few observables may lead to considerable improvement of stellar astrophysics in the near future.
A review of pulsating stars from the ASAS data
Authors: Pigulski Andrzej
Published: February 2014

The All-Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) appeared to be extremely useful in establishing the census of bright variable stars in the sky. A short review of the characteristics of the ASAS data and discoveries based on these data and related to pulsating stars is presented here by an enthusiastic user of the ASAS data.
On the new late B- and early A-type periodic variable stars
Authors: Mowlavi Nami , Saesen Sophie , Barblan Fabio , Eyer Laurent
Published: February 2014

We summarize the properties of the new periodic, small-amplitude, variable stars recently discovered in the open cluster NGC 3766. They are located in the region of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram between δ Sct and slowly pulsating B stars, a region where no sustained pulsation is predicted by standard models. The origin of their periodic variability is currently unknown. We also discuss how the Gaia mission, launched at the end of 2013, can contribute to our knowledge of those stars.
Some highlights of the latest CoRoT results on stellar physics
Authors: Deheuvels S. ,   the CoRoT team
Published: February 2014

Since its launch in December 2006, the CoRoT satellite has provided photometric data precise down to the micro-magnitude level for about 150 bright stars and 150 000 fainter ones. These stars have been observed over runs covering up to 160 days with a 90% duty cycle. Seismic data of such precision had been longed for by the scientific community for decades, and expected as a way of making progress in our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. The analysis and interpretation of CoRoT seismic data have indeed made it possible to place observational constraints on several key aspects of stellar structure and evolution, such as the size of mixed convective cores, magnetic activity, mass loss. . . We here present some highlights of the CoRoT results and their implications in terms of internal stellar structure.
Subtle flickering in Cepheids: Kepler and MOST
Authors: Evans Nancy Remage , Szabó Robert , Szabados Laszlo , Derekas Aliz , Matthews Jaymie M. , Cameron Chris ,   the MOST Team
Published: February 2014

Fundamental mode classical Cepheids have light curves which repeat accurately enough that we can watch them evolve (change period). The new level of accuracy and quantity of data with the Kepler and MOST satellites probes this further. An intriguing result was found in the long time-series of Kepler data for V1154 Cyg the one classical Cepheid (fundamental mode, P = 4.9 d) in the field, which has short term changes in period (≃20 minutes), correlated for ≃10 cycles (period jitter). To follow this up, we obtained a month long series of observations of the fundamental mode Cepheid RT Aur and the first overtone pulsator SZ Tau. RT Aur shows the traditional strict repetition of the light curve, with the Fourier amplitude ratio R1/R2 remaining nearly constant. The light curve of SZ Tau, on the other hand, fluctuates in amplitude ratio at the level of approximately 50%. Furthermore prewhitening the RT Aur data with 10 frequencies reduces the Fourier spectrum to noise. For SZ Tau, considerable power is left after this prewhitening in a complicated variety of frequencies.
Stellar Observations Network Group: The prototype is nearly ready
Authors: Grundahl Frank , Christensen-Dalsgaard Jørgen , Pallé Pere L. , Andersen Mads F. , Frandsen Søren , Harpsøe Kennet , Jørgensen Uffe Gråe , Kjeldsen Hans , Rasmussen Per K. , Skottfelt Jesper , Sørensen Anton N. , Hage Andrea Triviño
Published: February 2014

The prototype telescope and instruments for the Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) are nearing completion at the Observatorio del Teide on Tenerife. In this contribution we describe the current status (autumn 2013) of the telescope and its instrumentation. Preliminary performance characteristics are presented for the high-resolution spectrograph based on daytime observations of the Sun and a 4 hour test series obtained for the sub-giant β Aquilae.
Extracting oscillation frequencies from data: various approaches
Authors: Engelbrecht C. A.
Published: February 2014

Asteroseismology depends absolutely on the detection of authentic pulsation signatures in stars. A variety of mathematical and statistical tools have been developed to extract such signatures from photometric and spectroscopic time series. The earliest tools were developed on the platform of Fourier analysis, and Fourier-based methodology still plays a major part in the detection of pulsation signatures in the present day. Alternative approaches have been gaining ground in recent years. This article offers a brief but broad review of the various methodologies for detecting authentic periodic signals that have been developed over the past few decades, including examples of their pitfalls and successes.
Identification of pulsation modes from photometry
Authors: Breger Michel
Published: February 2014

The identification of the detected pulsation modes in terms of the spherical harmonic quantum numbers is crucial for asteroseismology. Light curves obtained in different passbands have become an important tool for mode identifications, which rely on wavelength-dependent amplitudes and phase shifts. We demonstrate this for different types of pulsators and review recent successes from earth-based measurements, especially in determining the important l values. The extensive amount of accurate data needed to determine small phase shifts and accurate amplitude ratios suggests multicolor measurements using space satellites. This motivated the multicolor BRITE satellite project, for which the first two satellites have already been launched successfully. We demonstrate the potential from models computed for the BRITE wavelengths. Most of the excellent presently available satellite photometry is not multicolor, although frequencies with amplitudes as small as a few parts-per-million have been detected and confirmed. We briefly discuss mode identifications from frequency patterns, including the use of correlations between phase and amplitude changes.
Distance determination from the Cepheid and RR Lyrae period-luminosity relations
Authors: Ngeow Chow-Choong , Gieren Wolfgang , Klein Christopher
Published: February 2014

Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars are important pulsating variable stars in distance scale work because they serve as standard candles. Cepheids follow well-defined period-luminosity (PL) relations defined for bands extending from optical to mid-infrared (MIR). On the other hand, RR Lyrae stars also exhibit PL relations in the near-infrared and MIR wavelengths. In this article, we review some of the recent developments and calibrations of PL relations for Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars. For Cepheids, we discuss the calibration of PL relations via the Galactic and the Large Magellanic Cloud routes. For RR Lyrae stars, we summarize some recent work in developing the MIR PL relations.
Pulsating stars as stellar population tracers
Authors: Clementini Gisella
Published: February 2014

Pulsating stars of different types are in different evolutionary phases, thus allowing one to trace stellar components of different age in the host systems. The light variation caused by the cyclic expansion/contraction of the surface layers makes a pulsating star much easier to identify than constant stars in the same evolutionary phase. Pulsating stars thus offer a powerful tool to disentangle the various stellar generations in systems where stars of different age and metal abundance populate the same regions of the colour-magnitude diagram. An overview is presented of how pulsating stars can be used as tools to study the stellar populations, and the structure and formation process in Local Group galaxies.
The Araucaria Project: the Baade-Wesselink projection factor of pulsating stars
Authors: Nardetto Nicolas , Storm Jesper , Gieren Wolfgang , Pietrzyński Grzegorz , Poretti Ennio
Published: February 2014

The projection factor used in the Baade-Wesselink method of determining the distance of Cepheids makes the link between stellar physics and the cosmological distance scale. A coherent picture of this physical quantity is now provided based on several approaches. We present the latest news on the expected projection factor for different kinds of pulsating stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.
The position of confirmed pre-main sequence pulsators in the H-R diagram and an overview of their properties
Authors: Zwintz Konstanze , Casey Mike , Guenther David
Published: February 2014

Pre-main sequence (PMS) stars can become vibrationally unstable during their evolution to the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS). As they gain their energy from gravitational contraction and have not started nuclear fusion in their cores yet, their inner structures are significantly different to those of (post-) main sequence stars and can be probed by asteroseismology.

Using photometric time series from ground and from space (MOST, CoRoT & Spitzer) the number of confirmed pulsating pre-main sequence stars has increased significantly within the last years and allowed to find members of new classes of PMS pulsators. Apart from the well-established group of δ Scuti type PMS stars, members of the groups of PMS γ Doradus, PMS δ Scuti – γ Doradus hybrid and PMS slowly pulsating B (SPB) stars have been discovered. For five PMS δ Scuti candidates, space photometry has revealed that they only show irregular variability, but no pulsations.

The unique high-precision space data were combined with dedicated high-resolution spectra to probe the parameter space in the H-R diagram and study the properties of PMS pulsators in comparison to their evolutionary stage.
Atomic diffusion and element mixing in pulsating stars
Authors: Alecian Georges
Published: February 2014

Stellar plasmas are multicomponent anisotropic gases. Each component (chemical element) of these gases experiences specific forces related to its properties, which leads each element to diffuse with respect to the others. There is no reason why a stellar plasma should remain homogeneous except if mixing motions enforce homogeneity. Because atomic diffusion is a very slow process, the element separation only occurs in places where mixing motions are weak enough not to erase the effect of the ineluctable tendency of chemical elements to migrate. In this talk, I will present how atomic diffusion and mixing processes compete in stars (interiors as well as atmospheres), and I will show various cases where atomic diffusion is believed to have noticeable effects. This concerns several types of stars throughout the H-R diagram, including pulsating ones.
Asteroseismic signatures of magnetic activity variations in solar-type stars
Authors: Metcalfe Travis S.
Published: February 2014

Observations of magnetic activity cycles in other stars provide a broader context for our understanding of the 11-year sunspot cycle. The discovery of short activity cycles in a few stars, and the recognition of analogous variability in the Sun, suggest that there may be two distinct dynamos operating in different regions of the interior. Consequently, there is a natural link between studies of magnetic activity and asteroseismology, which can characterize some of the internal properties that are relevant to dynamos. I provide a brief historical overview of the connection between these two fields (including prescient work by Wojtek Dziembowski in 2007), and I highlight some exciting results that are beginning to emerge from the Kepler mission.
Multi-mode oscillations in classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae-type stars
Authors: Moskalik Paweł
Published: February 2014

I review different types of multi-mode pulsations observed in classical Cepheids and in RR Lyrae-type stars. The presentation concentrates on the newest results, with special emphasis on recently detected nonradial oscillations.
RR Lyrae studies with Kepler: showcasing RR Lyr
Authors: Kolenberg Katrien , Kurucz Robert L. , Stellingwerf Robert , Nemec James M. , Moskalik Paweł , Fossati Luca , Barnes Thomas G.
Published: February 2014

Four years into the Kepler mission, an updated review on the results for RR Lyrae stars is in order. More than 50 RR Lyrae stars in the Kepler field are observed with Kepler and each one of them can provide us with new insight into this class of pulsating stars. Ground-based spectroscopy of the Kepler targets allows us to narrow down their physical parameters. Previously, we already reported a 50% occurrence rate of modulation in the RRab stars, a large variety of modulation behavior, period doubling in several Blazhko stars, the detection of higher- overtone radial modes, probable non-radial modes and new types of multiple-mode RR Lyrae pulsators, among both the RRab and the RRc stars. In addition, the quasi-continuous photometry obtained over several years with Kepler allows one to observe changes in Blazhko behavior and additional longer cycles. These observations have sparked new theoretical modelling efforts. In this short paper we showcase RR Lyr itself. The star has been observed with Kepler in short cadence, and some remarkable features of its pulsation behavior are unveiled in this long-studied prototype, through the Kepler photometry and additional spectroscopic data.