bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is Creation Theology Inherently Conservative? A Dialogue with Walter Brueggemann
Authors: Middleton J. Richard
Published: June 2011

Since his 1972 study of the wisdom literature of the Hebrew scriptures, provocatively entitledIn Man We Trust, Walter Brueggemann has challenged the settled verities of Christian communities of faith and the orthodoxies of biblical scholarship. In over two dozen books and numerous popular and academic articles on the texts and themes of the Hebrew scriptures, Brueggemann has explored and articulated his growing thesis that the Bible is a powerful, critical, and energizing resource for human and social transformation in our times. Concentrating on the prophetic corpus since his programmatic 1978 book,The Prophetic Imagination, as well as giving significant attention to the historical books and the psalter, Brueggemann himself has become an important prophetic voice, calling the contemporary church to fidelity to Yahweh's uncompromising claims as these are articulated in the Mosaic, covenantal, and prophetic traditions of the Hebrew scriptures.
Face of Mystery, Mystery of a Face: An Anthropological Trajectory in Wittgenstein, Cavell, and Kaufman's Biohistorical Theology
Authors: Irwin Alec
Published: June 2011

The work of Ludwig Wittgenstein counts among the most significant philosophical influences on Gordon Kaufman's recent theology. Yet important convergences between Kaufman's theological worldview and Wittgenstein's philosophical teaching remain unexplored. In this essay I shall examine a number of such convergences connected with the concept of the human. The thought of Stanley Cavell will play a central role in the discussion. Kaufman shares with the skeptical Wittgenstein revealed in Cavell's writings an abiding concern with the ordinary in human life—for example, everyday language, the human body—but both are interested in this ordinariness as the locus of ineradicable mystery. A richly textured treatment of the ordinary (and mysterious) situation of face-to-face human encounter emerges when relevant passages of Wittgenstein's, Cavell's, and Kaufman's writings are compared. This article will develop some of the implications of this comparison that hold particular promise for theological anthropology. The orientation and concerns of the paper are thus primarily constructive.
The Signification of Mark 10:45 among Gentile Christians
Authors: Collins Adela Yarbro
Published: June 2011

One of the many contributions that Helmut Koester has made to New Testament scholarship is his attention to the importance of archaeological and epigraphical evidence for the study of early Christianity. I offer this study as a small token of gratitude to him for that contribution. It attempts to show the importance of certain inscriptions for the signification of the saying attributed to Jesus in Mark 10:45: “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Apocalyptic Traditions in the Lukan Special Material: Reading Luke 18:1–8
Authors: Bovon François
Published: June 2011

Contemporary New Testament scholarship gives evidence of two trends. Some scholars, particularly those interested in the historical Jesus or the source of collected logia (Q) are going backward, trying to reach Christian origins and still influenced by the romantic dream of the pure beginning. Others are pressing forward, tracing the development of early Christian traditions, both in the canonical and non-canonical texts (particularly the Nag Hammadi Codices) in an attempt to follow the several streams of Christianity. These scholars continue to be influenced by the philosophical construction of organic evolution.
Words and Deeds: Jesus as Teacher and Jesus as Pattern of Life
Authors: Riley Gregory J.
Published: June 2011

The theme of this special issue is “Jesus’ Sayings in the Life of the Early Church.” I wish to expand the theme slightly to “Jesus’ Sayings and Deeds in the Life and Appeal of the Early Church.” I add the word “deeds” because the two concepts of words and deeds are intimately linked in the classical tradition and the culture in which Christianity arose. I have added the word “appeal” because this article will present a chain of events indicating how the words and deeds of Jesus, as emulated by Christians, strongly appealed to the Greco-Roman world.
Differing Approaches to Religious Benefaction: The Late Third-Century Acquisition of the Sardis Synagogue
Authors: Bonz Marianne Palmer
Published: June 2011

Although it was discovered in 1962 and its excavation was completed by the mid-1970s, the synagogue of ancient Sardis in western Asia Minor, with its nearly eighty Greek inscriptions, remains the single most important archaeological source for our knowledge of western diasporan Judaism and its relationship to the wider Greco-Roman world. Despite its historical importance, however, scholars have rarely questioned the assumptions and conclusions of its original interpreters, Andrew Seager and Thomas Kraabel. Yet, for example, on the crucial question of dating (that is,whenthe building actually became a synagogue) these authors clearly disagreed among themselves, as is evident from a careful reading of their jointly written analysis, published in 1983. Their long-awaited report on the Sardis synagogue may clarify this question as well as other important issues. At present, however, confusion abounds in the secondary literature, because in general this literature continues to accept uncritically Kraabel's selection and interpretation of the relevant evidence. Although I have reexamined the major aspects of the question of dating in a previous article, as has Helga Botermann independently and in more detail, the analysis of the building history reflected in this present article is also indebted to John H. Kroll's excellent but still unpublished manuscript of the Greek inscriptions.
Premarital Cohabitation in Ancient Judea: The Evidence of the Babatha Archive and the Mishnah (Ketubbot1.4)
Authors: Ilan Tal
Published: June 2011

This article discusses one aspect of matrimonial practice in second-century CE Judea: whether a man and a woman could or would cohabit before they were officially married. I shall examine a marriage contract from the Babatha archive discovered in the Judean desert; this contract contains a clause that specifies that a couple had lived together for some time before the marriage contract was drawn up. This statement may be perceived as contradicting the picture of matrimonial practices derived from Jewish legal sources. In dealing with such contradictions it is possible to adopt either an apologetic or a provocative approach. This article professes to apply a provocative approach to the problem by accepting the content of this clause at face value and suggesting a fresh interpretation to a passage from the Mishnah. This mishnah attests different matrimonial practices in Galilee and Judea and suggests that premarital cohabitation was sometimes practiced in Judea, but certainly not in Galilee. The Palestinian Talmud interprets the mishnah, obviously apologetically, by assigning the Judean practice of premarital cohabitation to the aftermath of the Bar Kokhbah revolt, as a result of the imposition of thejus primae noctis(“the right of the first night”). The contract from the Babatha archive predates the Bar Kokhbah revolt, however, and thus attests a Judean practice of premarital cohabitation that is not connected to the Roman decree. In the article I shall suggest two possible interpretations for this practice. I shall conclude by arguing that thejus primae noctisin Jewish sources belongs, as has been shown for all other instances of the motif, to folklore and not to history.
Paradise Revisited (2 Cor 12:1–12): The Jewish Mystical Background of Paul's Apostolate: Part 2: Paul's Heavenly Ascent and its Significance
Authors: Morray-Jones C. R. A.
Published: June 2011

Part one of this article examined the Jewish sources that record the story of four individuals who “enteredpardes,” three of whom came to grief while R. Aqiba, alone, survived unscathed. The story is preserved within a talmudic compilation of materials concerningmaʿaśeh merkabah(an esoteric, visionary-mystical tradition associated with Ezekiel I), inSong of Songs Rabbah, and in two “merkabah-mystical” hekhalot compilations:Hekhalot ZuṭartiandMerkabah Rabbah. Several scholars have adopted the suggestion, first offered by Wilhelm Bousset, that this story indicates the background in Jewish mystical tradition of Paul's account of his ascent to paradise (2 Cor 12:1–12).
Mystical Union and Grief: The Ba‘al Shem Tov and Krishnamurti
Authors: Aberbach David
Published: June 2011

The idea of mystical union with God or a higher being is universal in theological systems, although it may take many forms, metaphorical and moral as well as metaphysical. In Hinduism this concept is expressed in the sayingTat twam asi(“This is thou”); a human being, by finding his or her true immortal self (atman), becomes united with Brahman and, in so doing, achievesnirvana. In Buddhism, similarly, humans must strive to recognize the unity of all within the eternal Buddha, thedharmakaya, the absolute truth or reality that transcends human perception. Jewish mysticism teachesdevekut, commonly translated as adhesion, cleaving, or union with God. Christian mysticism refers to Jesus' words “Abide in me and I in you” (John 15:4) as pertaining to divine union, which has its concrete expression in baptism and the Eucharist. Even Islam, which insists on the absolute transcendence of God, has developed the mystical doctrine oftawhid(“union”).
Through the Void: The Absence of God in R. Naḥman of Bratzlav'sLikkutei MoHaRan
Authors: Magid Shaul
Published: June 2011

Although not usually viewed as a manifestation of modern spirituality, hasidism strikingly resembles a product of the spiritual and ideological reorientation of Western religion in the post-Copernican world. Largely unaware of the philosophical and theological changes in European intellectual culture, many of the hasidic masters exhibited a sensitivity to the existential plight of humankind in the modern world.
Celibacy and Charism in 1 Cor 7:5–7
Authors: Poirier John C. , Frankovic Joseph
Published: June 2011

The diversity among introductions to Paul is a tribute to the apostle's genius. There are two basic reasons for the diversity of opinion that exists today: First, internal incoherency—the difficulty of sorting Paul's thought into center and periphery (or event and context); and second, external incoherency—the gaps in our information about one of the most famous and interesting lives of all time. No consensus has emerged on the question of Paul's place in the world. We make this point not because this study will address the problem directly, but because we shall make inferences from one of the views in current circulation, namely that there is a basis to Paul's claim to Pharisaism (Phil 3:5). Attacking this view, some scholars have thought of him as a “would-be Pharisee” at best. We, nevertheless, think that the preponderance of evidence situates Paul in a universalist Jewish, probably Pharisaic, context. Paul believed that many of the law's prescriptions were still valid. As an illustration of Paul's belief in the continuing validity of the law, this essay attempts to show that 1 Cor 7:5–7 is best understood in the context of ritual purity concerns. These concerns include both the injunction for spouses to abstain from sexual activity for a time of prayer and Paul's defense of a celibate lifestyle within his own charismatic self-understanding.
Speaking with Angels: Jewish and Greco-Egyptian Revelatory Adjurations
Authors: Lesses Rebecca
Published: June 2011

How do human beings receive answers to the most urgent questions they have of the powers of heaven? How do celestial beings provide guidance for perplexed humans? People living around the Mediterranean in the first few centuries CE devised many ways of seeking heavenly guidance; one of them was adjuration, in which they commanded gods, angels, or daemons to appear on earth and both reveal the mysteries of the universe to them and answer their questions about the problems of daily life. Similar techniques of adjuration occur in the Greco-Egyptian ritual texts usually referred to as the Greek magical papyri, the early Jewish mystical works known as the hekhalot literature, andSefer ha-Razim, a collection of adjurations in Hebrew, heavily influenced by both Greco-Egyptian ritual texts and the hekhalot tradition of hymnology. These adjurations assume that human beings, through their knowledge of the correct invocations and divine names, possess the power to persuade or force the gods or angels to fulfill their desires.
Some Neglected Aspects of Medieval Muslim Polemics against Christianity
Authors: Lazarus-Yafeh Hava
Published: June 2011

Muslim medieval authors were fascinated with religious issues, as the corpus of Arabic literature clearly shows. They were extremely curious about other religions and made intense efforts to describe and understand them. A special brand of Arabic literature—theMilal wa-Niḥal(“Religions and Sects”) heresiographies—dealt extensively with different sects and theological groups within Islam as well as with other religions and denominations: pagan, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and others. Of course, most of the heresiographies were written in a polemical tone (sometimes a harsh one, like that of the eleventh-century Spaniard Ibn Ḥazm's:Al-Faṣl fi-l-Milal wa-l-Ahwā wa-l-Niḥal[“Discerning between Religions, Ideologies, and Sects”]), but some come close to being objective, scholarly descriptions of other religions (for example, Al-Shahrastānī'sMilal wa-Niḥalbook from the twelfth century).
Wisdom, Sense Perception, Nature and Philo's Gender Gradient
Authors: Mattila Sharon Lea
Published: June 2011

Apanorama of female figures people the writings of Philo of Alexandria, ranging from the most sublime to the most debased. Amid this colorful array of characters are three female personifications of important conceptual constructs in Philo's worldview—Wisdom (ἡ σοφία), sense perception (ἡ αἴσθησις), and Nature (ἡ φύσις). Like the concepts they represent, these figures have little in common, and it is hard to reconcile their heterogeneity with what Philo says about the “female” as a category in itself. Here the data become particularly contradictory and confusing, for Philo's gender categories are among the most rigid and consistently applied principles of his thought. My purpose here is to try to unravel this rather glaring inconsistency between Philo's narrow perception of gender and the breadth of his female characterization as displayed by these three figures.
Jewish-Christian Polemics at the Turning Point: Jewish Evidence from the Twelfth Century
Authors: Lasker Daniel J.
Published: June 2011

In 1968 Amos Funkenstein published an article in Hebrew entitled “Changes in the Patterns of Christian Anti-Jewish Polemics in the 12th Century.” In that article, Funkenstein argues that Christian attitudes toward Jews underwent a change in the twelfth century, a change discernable in the Christian polemical literature of the period. In contrast to the previous Christian strategy of polemicizing against Judaism through a battery of prooftexts, ortestimonia, the innovative polemics introduced three important elements—the recourse to reason, the attack on the Talmud, and the use of the Talmud to prove the truth of Christianity. These innovations signaled the beginning of the end of the relative Christian tolerance of Jews and Judaism inspired by the writings of Augustine.
William Law, Behmenism, and Counter Enlightenment
Authors: Leighton C. D. A.
Published: June 2011

The importance of William Law has never been in doubt. Scholars have regarded him as an extremely effective High Church apologist by virtue of his replies to Bishop Benjamin Hoadly on ecclesiology and eucharistic theology, and as an influential pastoral guide by virtue of the success of hisSerious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. He is also considered the most notable post-Reformation English mystic by virtue of his later works, written under the influence of the early seventeenth-century Silesian theosophist, Jacob Bohme. This Behmenism, however, has served to reduce the admiration expressed for him. Even sympathetic contemporaries regarded Law's enthusiasm for Böhme as certainly eccentric, and perhaps even more objectionable than that. Retrospection did not blunt eighteenth-century disapproval. Dean (later Bishop) George Home, who was an ardent admirer and indeed disciple of the pre-Behmenist Law, lamented the descent of “one of the brightest stars in the firmament of the church…into the sink and complication of Paganism, Quakerism, and Socinianism, mixed up with chemistry and astrology by apossessed cobbler.” The writers of the Romantic era were far more disposed to acknowledge the value of that from which the eighteenth-century had recoiled as “enthusiasm.”
The Delphic Maxim ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑϒΤΟΝ in Hermetic Interpretation
Authors: Betz Hans Dieter
Published: June 2011

As early as 1906 R. Reitzenstein suggested in his study on “Poimandres” that the “holy word” spoken by the god in § 18 of that tractate comes from an older source. “Es sind Worte einer älteren heiligen Schrift; das zeigen die weiteren Zitate …” But Reitzenstein was unable to say anything more about this older source of “holy scripture” which he was suggesting. W. Scott firmly believed that the first line of the “holy word” came into the hands of the Hermetist from the Book of Genesis, but he was certain only about the first, and not about the second part of the quotation, where he thought the author “had in mind” God's covenant with man in Gen. 9:11ff. or the speech of God in Plato,Tim. 42a. Scott took the quotations in “Poimandres” § 21 also as insertions, but made no real effort to inquire about their origin.
The Debut of the Divine Spirit in Josephus'sAntiquities
Authors: Levison John R.
Published: June 2011

Josephus's version of Numbers 22–24 is a significant source for ascertaining his understanding of the divine spirit. On the one hand, this story contains the highest concentration of references to the divine spirit in theAntiquities. Josephus regularly omitted references to the divine spirit, leaving, apart from this passage, a mere five. In marked contrast to this tendency, his version of Numbers 22–24 has three references to the divine spirit (Ant.4.108, 118, 119), while the biblical version has but one (Num 24:2). The result is that one third of Josephus's references to the divine spirit are concentrated in the tale of Balaam and the ass.
The Body as Image of God in Rabbinic Literature
Authors: Gottstein Alon Goshen
Published: June 2011

The liberation of rabbinic theology from the reins of medieval theology is still underway. One of the central issues that sets rabbinic theology apart from later medieval developments is the attribution of body or form to the godhead. Even though the anthropomorphic tendency of rabbinic thought is widely recognized, it is still early to speak of a learned consensus on this issue. The standard work on the topic remains Arthur Marmorstein'sEssays in Anthropomorphism, written in 1937. Marmorstein recognized the anthropomorphic tendency of rabbinic thinking. His way of dealing, both theologically and scholastically, with the issue was to suggest the existence of two schools in the tannaitic period. According to Marmorstein, the schools of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ishmael were divided on the question of the literality of the understanding of the biblical text. Rabbi Akiva's literal reading gave rise to an anthropomorphic understanding of God. Rabbi Ishmael's nonliteral, or allegorical, reading brought about an opposition to anthropomorphism. This description of rabbinic anthropomorphism has informed the discussions of many scholars, including those who have dealt with our present topic—the image of God. I would, therefore, state my differences with this presentation.
Religious Plurality and Contemporary Philosophy: A Critical Survey
Authors: Thomas Owen C.
Published: June 2011

The fact of religious plurality and how to interpret this fact have in the last decade become central issues in contemporary theology and philosophy of religion. The discussion in recent years has been focused on the debate between the pluralists and the inclusivists, as represented respectively in the volume edited by John Hick and Paul F. Knitter,The Myth of Christian Uniqueness: Toward a Pluralistic Theology of Religionsand that edited by Gavin D'Costa,Christian Uniqueness Reconsidered: The Myth of a Pluralistic Theology of Religions.
High frequency hearing loss in the elderly: effect of age and noise exposure in an Italian group
Authors: Ciorba A , Benatti A , Bianchini C , Aimoni C , Volpato S , Bovo R , Martini A
Published: June 2011

Objective:

To describe the effect of age and noise on high frequency hearing thresholds in an Italian population aged 70 years and older, in order to investigate the interaction between presbycusis and noise exposure.

Methods:

We compared 460 subjects: 367 affected by presbycusis alone (204 women and 163 men) and 93 affected by presbycusis and noise exposure (eight women and 85 men). Pure tone average hearing thresholds, for each ear, were compared between groups, and between sexes and ages within groups.

Results:

A slight threshold difference was found between the two groups at 4 kHz. After adjusting for age and gender, this difference was found to be related only to differing patient age. Men's and women's thresholds differed significantly in both groups, especially at high frequencies, at which threshold deterioration was worse in men than women.

Conclusion:

The threshold differences between patients with presbycusis with and without noise exposure were limited. Larger studies are needed to assess the relative effects of ageing and noise exposure on hearing thresholds.
Pyriform sinus haemangioma: an unusual presentation of an unusual condition
Authors: Hussain K , Makura Z G G
Published: June 2011

Objective:

We present a rare case of an unusual presentation of a pyriform sinus haemangioma in a normally healthy, Caucasian woman, including our management and a review of the literature.

Case report:

A 44-year-old woman presented complaining of bringing up fresh blood whilst brushing her teeth, dysphonia, food sticking in her throat, and epigastric pain for the preceding 12 months, accompanied by a 17.5 kg weight loss. She underwent pre-operative computed tomography and subsequent complete excision of a pyriform sinus haemangioma using CO2laser.

Discussion:

Haemangiomas are congenital vascular malformations and can affect any part of the body. They are not prevalent in adults and are rarely found in the pyriform sinus. Their common presenting symptoms and management have been previously documented; however, the presented case is unusual in both its presentation and management.
Dislocation of the inferior turbinates: a rare complication of nasal surgery, presenting as obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Gupta V , Singh H , Gupta M , Singh S
Published: June 2011

Objective:

We report a very rare complication of nasal surgery: dislocation of the inferior turbinates into the nasopharynx, presenting as sleep apnoea and persistent nasal obstruction.

Case report:

A 56-year-old woman presented with a history of obstructive sleep apnoea for one year and nasal obstruction for seven years. She had undergone nasal surgery one year previously. Non-contrast computed tomography of the nose and paranasal sinuses showed a mass near the posterior choana on both sides, confirmed by nasal endoscopy. The displaced turbinates were removed, after resecting their attachment at the posterior choanae, and the patient's symptoms were relieved.

Conclusion:

This is a very rare complication of nasal surgery; to the best of our knowledge, we report only the second published case in the English language literature. We suggest that such cases be closely followed up post-operatively.
Aluminium exposure from parenteral nutrition in preterm infants and later health outcomes during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Fewtrell Mary S. , Edmonds Caroline J. , Isaacs Elizabeth , Bishop Nick J. , Lucas Alan
Published: June 2011

Aluminium is the most common metallic element, but has no known biological role. It accumulates in the body when protective gastrointestinal mechanisms are bypassed, renal function is impaired, or exposure is high – all of which apply frequently to preterm infants. Recognised clinical manifestations of aluminium toxicity include dementia, anaemia and bone disease. Parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions are liable to contamination with aluminium, particularly from acidic solutions in glass vials, notably calcium gluconate. When fed parenterally, infants retain >75% of the aluminium, with high serum, urine and tissue levels. Later health effects of neonatal intravenous aluminium exposure were investigated in a randomised trial comparing standard PN solutions with solutions specially sourced for low aluminium content. Preterm infants exposed for >10 d to standard solutions had impaired neurologic development at 18 months. At 13–15 years, subjects randomised to standard PN had lower lumbar spine bone mass; and, in non-randomised analyses, those with neonatal aluminium intake above the median had lower hip bone mass. Given the sizeable number of infants undergoing intensive care and still exposed to aluminium via PN, these findings have contemporary relevance. Until recently, little progress had been made on reducing aluminium exposure, and meeting Food and Drug Administration recommendations (<5 μg/kg per d) has been impossible in patients <50 kg using available products. Recent advice from the UK Medicines and Healthcare regulatory Authority that calcium gluconate in small volume glass containers should not be used for repeated treatment in children <18 years, including preparation of PN, is an important step towards addressing this problem.
Nutriproteomics: technologies and applications for identification and quantification of biomarkers and ingredients
Authors: Sénéchal Sandra , Kussmann Martin
Published: June 2011

Nutrition refers to the process by which a living organism ingests and digests food and uses the nutrients therein for growth, tissue maintenance and all other functions essential to life. Food components interact with our body at molecular, cellular, organ and system level. Nutrients come in complex mixtures, in which the presence and concentration of single compounds as well as their interactions with other compounds and the food matrix influence their bioavailability and bioefficacy. Traditionally, nutrition research mainly concentrated on supplying nutrients of quality to nourish populations and on preventing specific nutrient deficiencies. More recently, it investigates health-related aspects of individual ingredients or of complete diets, in view of health promotion, performance optimisation, disease prevention and risk assessment. This review focuses on proteins and peptides, their role as nutrients and biomarkers and on the technologies developed for their analysis. In the first part of this review, we provide insights into the way proteins are currently characterised and analysed using classical and emerging proteomic approaches. The scope of the second part is to review major applications of proteomics to nutrition, from characterisation of food proteins and peptides, via investigation of health-related food benefits to understanding disease-related mechanisms.
Peter Fraser MA, MC, FBA (1918–2007)
Authors: Hornblower Simon
Published: June 2011

This is a brief memoir of Peter Fraser, who was Director of the British School at Athens between 1968 and 1971, and a Hellenistic historian and epigraphist of international distinction.

Παρουσιάζεται μία σύντομη βιογραφία του διεθνούς φήμης ιστορικού και επιγραφικού της Ελληνιστικής περιόδου, Peter Fraser, ο οποίος διετέλεσε Διευθυνιής της Βρετανικής Σχολής των Αθηνών μεταξύ των ετών 1968 και 1971.
Neolithic Lime Plastered Floors in Drakaina Cave, Kephalonia Island, Western Greece: Evidence of the Significance of the Site
Authors: Karkanas Panagiotis , Stratouli Georgia
Published: June 2011

The Neolithic layers of Drakaina Cave in Kefalonia Island are characterized by several successive well-preserved plaster floors. These constructed floors, along with the relating archaeological sediments, were examined using micromorphological techniques, which involve the study of petrographie thin sections produced by resin-impregnated, undisturbed blocks of sediment.

At Drakaina, lime plaster was identified as the construction material of the floors, which consist of a mixture of clay and burnt lime as well as a large amount (30–40%) of lime lumps with signs of incomplete transformation to quicklime during the burning process. The raw material used for the production of lime was the soft Neogene mari and limestone found in the nearby areas of the site. The presence of large amounts of lime lumps as a form of plaster aggregate is most likely the product of traditional ‘hot mixing’ or ‘dry slaking’ techniques.

The periodically repeated construction of the stable lime plaster floors in Drakaina using the same techniques as well as the same raw material suggests—among other things—the significance of the site as a locus of recurring social activity. The long lasting consistent method of floor construction combined with possible intensive activity at times implies that the cave and the surrounding environment were of particular importance to the Neolithic community of the area.

Τα νεολιθικά στρώματα του Σπηλαίου Δράκοανα στην Κεφαλονιά χαρακτηρίζονται από αλλεπάλληλα και καλά διατηρημένα δάπεδα. Τα κατασκευασμένα αυτά δάπεδα μαζί με τις αρχαιολογικές τους αποθέσεις μελετήθηκαν με τη μέθοδο της μικρομορφολογίας, η οποία συνίσταται στη μελέτη πετρογραφικών λεπτών τομών από αδιατάρακτα δείγματα επίχωσης, εμποτισμένα προηγουμένως με ειδικές ρητίνες.

Στη Δράκαινα αναγνωρίστηκε ότι το υλικό κατασκευής των δαπέδων είναι ασβεστοκονίαμα αποτελούμενο από μείγμα αργίλου και ασβέστη μαζί με μεγάλη ποσότητα (30–40%) αδιάλυτων συσσωματωμάτων ασβέστη ως αποτέλεσμα της ατελούς μετατροπής του ασβεστόλιθου κατά την πύρωση. Ως πρώτη ύλη για την παρασκευή του ασβέστη χρησιμοποιήθηκαν νεογενείς μαλακές μάργες και ασβεστόλιθοι της περιοχής. Η παρουσία μεγάλων ποσοτήιων συσσωματωμάτων ασβέστη ως συνδετικό υλικό είναι αποτέλεσμα συγκεκριμένης τεχνικής, γνωστής ως “μείξη ασβέστη εν θερμώ”.

Η περιοδική κατασκευή στέρεων δαπέδων από ασβεστοκονίαμα στη Δράκαινα με την ίδια τεχνική και την ίδια πρώτη ύλη υποδεικνύει -μεταξύ άλλων- τη σημασία της θέσης ως τόπου επαναλαμβανόμενης κοινωνικής δραστηριότητας. Η επί μακρόν αμετάβλητη μέθοδος κατασκευής των δαπέδων, συνδυαζόμενη με την εντατική κατά καιρούς χρήση της θέσης, υποδηλώνουν ότι το σπήλαιο και το ευρύτερο περιβάλλον του ήταν ιδιαίτερα σημαντικά για τη νεολιθική κοινότητα της περιοχής.
Unpublished Pottery from Phylakopi
Authors: Barber R. L. N.
Published: June 2011

A catalogue of pottery, all or most of it from the 1911 excavations of the British School at Phylakopi, set out by shape and motif, is accompanied by a summary collation of evidence for dating and provenance across the Cyclades. Investigation of the material provides some new information about the character of the Phylakopi pottery and the contexts in which it was found. The material prompts observations on a number of questions in the area of Cycladic prehistoric ceramics, prominent among which is the transition from E to MC Some suggestions are offered as to topics which require investigation. The study should be seen as a continuation of work by the same writer which appeared in BSA 69 (1974).

Ένας κατάλογος αγγείων και οστράκων, όλα ή τα περισσότερα από αυτά από τις ανασκαφές της Βρεταννικής Σχολής στη Φυλακωπή κατά το 1911, οργανωμένος κατά σχήματα και μοτίβα, συνοδεύεται από μία σύντομη επισκόπηση των ενδείξεων που υπάρχουν από τα νησιά των Κυκλάδων γενικά σχετικά με τη χρονολόγηση και την προέλευσή τους. Από τη μελέτη του υλικού προκύπτουν ορισμένα νέα στοιχεία για το χαρακτήρα της ντόπιας κεραμεικής της Φυλακωπής και τις ανασκαφικές της συνάφειες. Το άρθρο συμπεριλαμβάνει παρατηρήσεις πάνω σε διάφορα θέματα που αφορούν στην προϊστορική κεραμεική των Κυκλάδων – το πιό σημαντικό από τα οποία αναφέρεται στο θέμα της μετάβασης από την Πρωτοκυκλαδική στη Μεσοκυκλαδική περίοδο. Επιπλέον, διατυπώνονται προτάσεις για θέμαια που χρήζουν περαιτέρω έρευνας. Ｈ παρούσα μελέτη θα πρέπει να θεωρηθεί ως συνέχεια της δημοσίευσης του συγγραφέα στο BSA 69 (1974).
The Early Cycladic Settlement at Dhaskalio, Keros: Preliminary Report of the 2008 Excavation Season
Authors: Renfrew Colin , Philaniotou Olga , Brodie Neil , Gavalas Giorgos
Published: June 2011

The 2008 excavations on the small island of Dhaskalio opposite Dhaskalio Kavos on the Cycladic island of Keros are reviewed. An account is given of the survey, recording many walls of the early Bronze Age, and of the excavations, continued from the 2007 season. Excavations at the summit of Dhaskalio revealed a substantial building 16 m long and 4 m wide, within which was discovered the ‘Dhaskalio hoard’ comprising a chisel, an axe-adze, and a shaft-hole axe of copper or bronze. Study of the pottery reveals continuity, within which a sequence of three phases within the Early Cycladic II and III periods can be established.

Excavations were continued and concluded within the Special Deposit at Kavos South with the recovery of many more special but fragmentary materials including marble vessels and figurines. Specialist studies for the geomorphology, geology, petrology, ceramic petrology, metallurgy and environmental aspects (botanical and faunal remains, phytoliths) are in progress. No more fieldwork is planned prior to final publication of the 2006 to 2008 seasons.

Στο άρθρο ετηχειρείται ένας συνοπτικός απολογισμός των ανασκαφών της περιόδου του 2008 στην νησΐδα Δασκαλιό, απέναντι από τον Κάβο Δασκαλιού, στο ΝΔ άκρο της νήσου Κέρου, των Κυκλάδων. Περιληππκά αναφέρονται τα αποτελέσματα της τοπογράφησης με τον εντοπισμό πολλών τοίχων της Πρώψης Εποχής του Χαλκού, αλλά και αυτά της ανασκαφής, η οποία αποτελεί την συνέχεια των ανασκαφών του 2007. Κατά τις ανασκαφές στην κορυφή του Δασκαλιού αποκαλύφθηκε ένα ευμέγεθες κτήριο μήκους 16 μέτρων και πλάτους 4 μέτρων, εντός του οποίου βρέθηκε ο ‘Θησαυρός του Δασκαλχού’, ο οποίος αποτελείται από μία σμίλη, μία αξίνα-πέλεκυ, κοα έναν πέλεκυ με συμφυή οττή για την τοποθέτηση του στειλεού, όλα χάλκινα ή μπρούτζινα. Η μελέτη της κεραμικής απέφερε σημαντικά αποτελέσματα και απέδειξε ότι υπάρχει συνέχεια. Η αυτή ίδια μελέτη κατέδειξε μία ακολουθία τριών φάσεων, οι οποίες χρονολογήθηκαν από την Πρωτοκυκλαδική II έως και την Πρωτοκυκλαδική III περίοδο.

Οι ανασκαφές στον Κάβο Δασκαλιού συνεχίστηκαν και ολοκληρώθηκαν στην περιοχή της Νότιας Ειδικής Απόθεσης με την αποκάλυψη πλήθους ιδιαίτερων, αλλά αποσπασματικά σωζόμενων, ευρημάτων, μεταξύ των οποίων, πολλών μαρμάρινων αγγείων και ενδοίλίων.

Οι εξειδικευμένες μνκρομορφολογικές-γεωαρχαιολογικές, γεωλογικές και πετρογραφικές μελέτες, αλλά και οι αναλύσεις πηλού και οι μελέτες, που αφορούν στην αρχαιομεταλλουργία και στο παλαιοπεριβάλλον (αναλύσεις των καταλοίπων της χλωρίδας και της πανίδας αλλά και των φυτολίθων), βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη. Άλλες έρευνες επί του εδάφους προς το ηαρόν δεν προγραμματίζονται, πριν από την ολοκλήρωση της τελικής δημοσίευσης των αποτελεσμάτων των ερευνών των περιόδων 2006 έως και 2008.
Mycenae Revisited Part 2. Exploring the Local versus Non-local Geographical Origin of the Individuals from Grave Circle A: Evidence from Strontium Isotope Ratio (87Sr/86Sr) Analysis
Authors: Nafplioti Argyro
Published: June 2011

Strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) analysis was applied to dental enamel samples from eleven adults from Grave Circle A at Mycenae in order to investigate their local versus non-local geographical origin. The results of this analysis suggest a relatively high intra-sample variation in 87Sr/86Sr values for the Grave Circle A Mycenaeans. Based on these results, only two individuals may be identified as locals at Mycenae. Of the other nine individuals, three may be identified as non-locals at this site. Because two of these are the only females from Grave Circle A tested for 87Sr/86Sr it is tentatively suggested that this finding may reflect marital patterns and the non-local origin of the females associated with high social ranking at Mycenae. However, owing to the paucity of data on the biologically available strontium at sites in the Aegean, it cannot be established with certainty whether the individuals identified as non-locals originated a few dozen or hundreds of kilometres away from Mycenae. Finally, conclusions on the local versus non-local origin of the remaining six individuals are tentative. Their ratios may equally to a non-local origin reflect a variegated diet that comprised ‘non-local’ amongst ‘local’ foodstuffs, which would not be unexpected for a Mycenaean palace economy of the ‘redistributive’ type.

Η ανάλυση της ισοτοπικής αναλογίας του στροντίου (87Sr/86Sr) εφαρμόστηκε σε δείγματα οδοντικού σμάλτου από έντεκα ενήλικες από τον Ταφικό Κύκλο Α στις Μυκήνες προκειμένου να διερευνυθεί η τοπική ή μη-τοπική γεωγραφική τους προέλευση. Σύμφωνα με τα απολέσματα των αναλύσεων παρατηρείται υψηλή ενδο-πληθυσμνακή ποικιλότητα σε 87Sr/86Sr τιμές για τους Μυκηναίους από τον Ταφικό Κύκλο Α. Μόνο δύο από τα εξεταστένθα άτομα ταυτοποιήθηκαν ως αυτόχθονες στις Μυκήνες. Από τα υπόλοιπα εννέα, τρία άτομα χαρακτηρίστηκαν επήλυδες. Επειδή τα δύο από τα τρία αυτά άτομα είναι οι μόνες γυναίκες από τον Ταφικό Κύκλο Α, στις οποίες έγινε δειγματοληψία για την ανάλυση της ισοτοπικής αναλογίας του στροντίου, με επιφύλαξη προτείνεται ότι τα απολέσματα που παρουσιάζονται εδώ είναι πιθανό να αντικατοπτρίζουν γαμήλιες πρακτικές και τη μη-τοπική προέλευση των γυναικών από τα ανώτερα κοννωνικά στρώματα στις Μυκήνες. Ωστόσο, λόγω του εξαιρετικά μνκρού αριθμού δεδομένων για το βιολογικά διαθέσιμο στρόντιο σε θέσεις του Αιγαιακού χώρου, δεν είναι δυνατό να καθοριστεί με βεβαιότητα ο τόπος προέλευσής τους, ο οποίος μπορεί να απέχει μερικές δεκάδες ή εκατοντάδες χιλιόμετρα απο τις Μυκήνες. Τέλος, λιγότερο σαφή είναι τα συμπεράσματα για την προέλευση των υπόλοιπων έξι εξεταστέντων ατόμων. Οι τιμές 87Sr/86Sr είναι δυνατόν σε συνδυασμό με μια μη-τοπική καταγωγή των εν λόγω ατόμων να αντικατοπτρίζουν ποικιλία ‘τοπικών’ και ‘μη-τοπικών’ τροφών στη δίαιτά τους. Το συμπέρασμα αυτό δε μας ξαφνιάζει σε μια οικονομία του ‘αναδιανεμητικού’ τύπου, στον οποίο υποστηρίζεται πως ανήκει η Μυκηναϊκή οικονομία της ανακτορικής εποχής.
Kinship in Aegean Prehistory? Ancient DNA in Human Bones from Mainland Greece and Crete
Authors: Bouwman Abigail S. , Brown Keri A. , Brown Terence A. , Chilvers Elizabeth R. , Arnott Robert , Prag A.J.N.W.
Published: June 2011

Attempts were made to detect ancient DNA (aDNA) in samples of 89 human skeletons from Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in Greece and Crete. Ancient DNA was absent in specimens from Nea Nicomedia, Lerna, Kato Zakro: Karaviádena, and Mycenae Grave Circle A. For each of three skeletons sampled from Antron Grave Circle B, polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) gave products for nuclear but not mitochondrial DNA, but the yield of DNA was low and inconsistent, with replicate PCRs failing to give reproducible results. At Kouphovouno evidence for mitochondrial and/or nuclear aDNA was obtained from eight of the 20 skeletons that were examined, while at Mycenae Grave Circle B evidence for mitochondrial aDNA was obtained for four of the 22 skeletons that were studied, and in two cases confirmed the evidence of close kinship that had already been suggested by facial reconstruction: this in turn raises interesting questions of social relationships and the role of high-status women in MBA/LBA society. We conclude that, although aDNA might be present in some Eastern Mediterranean skeletons from later centuries of the Bronze Age, it is not commonly found in material from this period and is likely to be absent from older material.

Στη μελέτη αυτή έγιναν προσπάθειες να αναγνωριστεί αρχαίο DNA (aDNA) σε δείγματα ογδόντα εννέα ανθρώπινων σκελετών προερχομένων από θέσεις της Νεολιθικής περιόδου και της Εποχής του Χαλκού στην Ελλάδα και την Κρήτη. Αρχαίο DNA δεν εντοπίστηκε σε δείγματα από τη Νέα Νικομήδεια, τη Λέρνα, την Κάτω Ζάκρο (Καραβιάδενα) και τον Ταφικό Κύκλο Α των Μυκηνών. Για κάθε έναν από τους τρεις σκελετούς, οι οποίοι εξετάστηκαν από τον Ταφικό Κύκλο Β της Αντρώνας, οι αλυσιδωτές αντιδράσεις πολυμεράσης (PCRs) απέφεραν αποτελέσματα για πυρηνικό αλλά όχι μιτοχονδριακό DNA. Η παραγωγή DNA ήταν χαμηλή και αντιφατική, με τα αντίγραφα πολυμεράσης να αποτυγχάνουν να αποφέρουν αναπαραγώγιμα αποτελέσματα. Στο Κουφόβουνο οκτώ από τους είκοσι σκελετούς, που εξετάστηκαν, έδωσαν στοιχεία για μιτοχονδρνακό ή/και πυρηνικό DNA, ενώ στον Ταφικό Κύκλο Β των Μυκηνών ενδείξεις για μιτοχονδριακό DNA έδωσαν τέσσερεις από τους είκοσι δύο σκελετούς, που μελετήθηκαν. Σε δύο περιπτώσεις επιβεβαιώθηκε η ένδειξη στενής συγγένειας, κάτι το οποίο είχε ήδη προταθεί με την αποκατάσταση των προσώπων: το γεγονός αυτό εγείρει ενδιαφέροντα ερωτήματα σχετικά με τις κοινωνικές σχέσεις και το ρόλο γυναικών υψηλής κοινωνικής στάθμης στην κοινωνία της Μέσης και της Ύστερης Εποχής του Χαλκού. Συμπεραίνουμε ότι, αν και μπορεί να αναγνωριστεί DNA σε ορισμένους σκελετούς της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου των τελευταίων αιώνων της Εποχής του Χαλκού, δεν εντοπίζεται συχνά σε υλικό αυτής της εποχής και ενδεχομένως απουσιάζει από παλαιότερο υλνκό.
Female Triads on Laconian Terracotta Plaques
Authors: Salapata Gina
Published: June 2011

Archaic and Classical terracotta relief plaques discovered in votive deposits in Lakonia and representing three standing females raise two questions: firstly, whether their appearance in groups of three means that they are a defined triad or is just an indication of unlimited plurality; and secondly, whether they are divine or mortal.

It is concluded that no single interpretation can be ascribed to all cases. Most triads seem to represent mortal worshippers rather than a specific divine or semi-divine triad. However, an exceptional triad flanked by snakes may represent the Erinyes. Such an interpretation would harmonize with the nature of the cult at the sanctuary in which they were dedicated—that of Alexandra (Kassandra) and Agamemnon, both murdered in Lakonia, according to a local tradition. An offering with the representation of the avenging spirits would have been very appropriate for Agamemnon and especially Kassandra, who suffered a wrongful death that was never properly avenged.

Πήλινα ανάγλυφα πλακίδια των κλασικών και αρχαϊκών χρόνων, που βρέθηκαν σε αναθηματικούς αποτέθες στη Λακωνία και απεικονίζουν τρεις ιστάμενες θηλυκές μορφές, εγείρουν δύο ερωτήματα: πρώτον, εάν η εμφάνισή τους σε ομάδες των τριών υποδηλώνει μιία καθορισμένη τριάδα ή είναι απλώς μία ένδειςη απεριόριστης πληθωρικότητας. και δεύτερον, εάν αναπαριστούν θεϊκές ή θνητές μορφές.

Συμπεραίνεται ότι δεν υπάρχει μία ερμηνεία για όλες τις περιπτώσεις. Οι περισσότερες τριάδες φαίνεται πως αναπαριστούν θνητούς λάτρεις, παρά ένα συγκεκριμένο σύνολο θεϊκών μορφών ή ημίθεων. Ωστόσο μία εξαιρετική τριάδα περιστοιχιζόμενη από φίδια ίσως απεικονίζει τις Ερινύες. Αυτή η ερμηνεία θα μπορούσε να εναρμονιστεί με τη φύση της λατρείας του ιερού, όπου ήταν αφιερωμένα τα πλακίδια, δηλαδή με το ιερό της Αλεξάνδρας (Κασσάνδρας) και του Αγαμέμνονα, που σύμφωνα με την τοπική παράδοση είχαν και οι δύο δολοφονηθεί στη Λακωνία. Ένα ανάθημα με την αναπαράσταση των εκδικούμενων πνευμάτων θα ήταν πολύ ταιριαστό για τον Αγαμέμνονα και ιδιαίτερα για την Κασσάνδρα, η οποία υπέφερε έναν άδικο θάνατο, εκδίκηση για τον οποίο δεν έλαβε ποτέ.
From Fabrics to Island Connections: Macroscopic and Microscopic Approaches to the Prehistoric Pottery of Antikythera
Authors: Pentedeka A. , Kiriatzi E. , Spencer L. , Bevan A. , Conolly J.
Published: June 2011

An intensive archaeological survey covering the entire extent of the island of Antikythera has recently revealed a sequence of prehistoric activity spanning the later Neolithic to Late Bronze Age, with cultural affiliations that variously link its prehistoric communities with their neighbours to the north, south and east. Here we present and discuss the results of a programme of both macroscopic and petrographie study of the prehistoric ceramics from Antikythera that defines a considerably varied group of fabrics and explores their implications with regard to regional potting traditions, on-island production versus imports, and changing patterns of human activity on the island through time.

Μια εντατική επιφανειακή έρευνα που κάλυψε το σύνολο της έκτασης των Aντικυθήρων αποκάλυψε πρόσφατα μια ακολουθία προïστορικής δραστηριότητας που χρονολογείται από την προχωρημένη Nεολιθική μέχρι την ´Yστερη Eποχή του Xαλκού, και αντανακλά ποικίλες πολιτιστικές σχέσεις των προïστορικών κοινοτήτων του νησιού με γειτονικές περιοχές στα βόρεια, νότια καν ανατολικά. Eσώ παρουσιάςουμε και (τυςητάμε τα αποτελέσματα ενός προγράμματος μακροσκοπικής και πετρογραφικής μελέτης της προïστορικής κεραμικής από τα Aντικύθηρα, που προσδιορίςει μια σημαντική ποικνλία κεραμικών υλών και διερευνά τη σημασία τους σε σχέση με τις τοπικές παραδόσενς κεραμικής στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Aιγαίου, την αντιδιαςτολή εγχώρνας παραγωγής καν ενσαγωγών, και τις δναχρονικές μεταβολές στο χαρακτήρα και την ένταση της ανθρώπινης δραστηριότητας στο νησί.
Bronze and Oil: A Possible Link between the Introduction of Tin and Lallemantia to Northern Greece
Authors: Valamoti Soultana-Maria , Jones Glynis
Published: June 2011

Lallemantia, an exotic oil plant, recently identified at Bronze Age sites in the Macedonia region of northern Greece, has a natural distribution lying outside Europe, in regions ranging from Iran to Anatolia, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. The possible routes through which Lallemantia arrived in northern Greece are considered in relation to evidence for Bronze Age trade in metals, in particular tin. The overlap of Bronze Age tin sources proposed in the archaeological literature with the natural distribution of Lallemantia, in regions such as Iran and Afghanistan, suggest that the importation of this plant to northern Greece may have been facilitated by the tin trade, and that both, at least initially, may have represented luxuries rather than mere commodities.

Η Lallemantia, ένα εξωτικής προέλευσης ελαιοδοτικό φυτό, το οποίο πρόσφατα προσδιορίστηκε σε θέσεις της Εποχής του Χαλκού στην περιοχή της Μακεδονίας στη βόρεια Ελλάδα, έχει μια φυσική κατανομή εκτός της Ευρώπης, σε περιοχές που εκτείνονται μεταξύ του Ιράν, της Ανατολίας, της Ιορδανίας, της Παλαιστίνης και του Ισραήλ. Σε αυτό το άρθρο εξετάςονται οι πιθανοί δρόμοι μέσα από τους οποίους έφτασε το φυτό αυτό στη βόρεια Ελλάδα σε συνδυασμό με ενδείξεις για τη διακίνηση των μετάλλων και ιδιαίτερα του κασσίτερου. Η παρουσία πηγών κασσίτερου της Εποχής του Χαλκού, όπως αναφέρονται στην βιβλιογραφία, σε περιοχές όπου η Lallemantia είναι αυτοφυής, όπως το Ιράν και το Αφγανιστάν, υποδηλώνουν ότι η εισαγωγή αυτού του φυτού στη βόρεια Ελλάδα μπορεί να διευκολύνθηκε από τη διακίνηση του κασσίτερου. Τόσο ο κασσίτερος όσο και η Lallemantia, τουλάχιστο στην αρχή, ενδέχεται να αποτελούσαν είδη πολυτελείας.