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Criteria for the Presence of Barbarians in the Population of Early Olbia

S. D. KRYZHITSKIY

in Classical Olbia and the Scythian World: From the Sixth Century BC to the Second Century AD

Historians of the ancient states of the north coast of the Black Sea were often faced by the challenge on how to estimate the presence of barbarians in the populations of early communities. Although ... More

Historians of the ancient states of the north coast of the Black Sea were often faced by the challenge on how to estimate the presence of barbarians in the populations of early communities. Although it is generally understood that there was indeed a presence of barbarians in the early Mediterranean communities, the problem is there is no systematic means to gain material remains that may shed light on the numbers and social-ethnic characteristics of such non-Greek components. Although attempts have been made to generalize the existence of barbarians through archaeological evidence, such methods have failed due to lack of firm methodology. This chapter examines cities wherein the barbarian cultural level cannot be clearly established. It focuses on the two aspects of the issue of barbarian presence in Olbia. It examines the artefacts and assemblages, and how much materials can attest the presence of such ethnicities in Olbia. This qualitative approach examines the presence of dug-out dwelling places, handmade potteries, burial practices, jewellery and prosopography. The second aspect uses a quantitative approach which examines the statistics and percentages of particular ethnicities in Olbia. In these considerations and examinations, no objective criteria that would establish the number of barbarians in Olbia have been established. Although specific cultural features may be connected with the barbarians, they are otherwise represented slightly and in a fragmented fashion which nullifies the argument that Olbia contained substantial barbarian social stratum.Less

What Do Girls Dig?

Bethany Nowviskie

in Debates in the Digital Humanities

This chapter begins by presenting an exchange of tweets spawned by the news that two out of thirty-three speakers at the “Digging into Data Challenge” conference are women. The author then expresses ... More

This chapter begins by presenting an exchange of tweets spawned by the news that two out of thirty-three speakers at the “Digging into Data Challenge” conference are women. The author then expresses her belief that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and other “Digging into Data” supporters do a consistently brilliant job of identifying sensitive and qualified peer reviewers and funding worthy projects. She says that the NEH’s digital humanities programs, in particular, are broadly representative of the actual makeup of the field. Any gender imbalance has little to do with the Digging into Data grant-making process and more with broader issues, going all the way back to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for girls in the public schools.Less

Inscriptions

Vilém Flusser, Mark Poster, and Nancy Ann Roth

in Does Writing Have a Future?

This chapter explains how writing began by drawing on the fields of etymology and archaeology. Writing comes from the Latin scribere, meaning “to scratch,” while the Greek graphein means “to dig.” ... More

This chapter explains how writing began by drawing on the fields of etymology and archaeology. Writing comes from the Latin scribere, meaning “to scratch,” while the Greek graphein means “to dig.” Accordingly, writing was originally a gesture of digging into an object with something, so making use of a wedge-shaped tool (a stylus). Writing is no longer done this way. Now, it usually involves putting pigment on a surface. We write on-scriptions rather than in-scriptions—and we usually write styluslessly. If we call on archaeology rather than etymology, it becomes uncertain whether inscription actually preceded writing on a surface. The myth of the creation of mankind, one of the foundational myths of the West, establishes the etymological precedence of engraving over painting. The engraving of information into objects has not been modern for a long time. Today we are surrounded not by fired clay tiles or chiseled tablets, but by printed material, pages of paper marked with color. Instead of inscriptions, we have notations.Less

‘An Invention of the Americans’: Negotiating the Foreign in Anne Tyler's Novels

Heidi Slettedahl Macpherson

in Transatlantic Women's Literature

This chapter explores the construction of ‘foreignness’ in Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist and Digging to America in order to relate concepts of the foreign to those of the familiar in its ... More

This chapter explores the construction of ‘foreignness’ in Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist and Digging to America in order to relate concepts of the foreign to those of the familiar in its literal sense. It evaluates the ways in which Tyler's conception of each has altered over the last twenty years, especially given her focus on a contested domestic realism. The chapter suggests that Tyler's exploration of foreignness is a recurring concern and that her engagement with world politics is mostly under the radar.Less

Seer Stones and Western Esotericism

William L. Davis

in Visions in a Seer Stone: Joseph Smith and the Making of the Book of Mormon

Chapter One contextualizes Joseph Smith's use of a "seer stone" to compose the Book of Mormon within contemporary folk magic practices, the philosophies of Western esotericism, and Christian ... More

Chapter One contextualizes Joseph Smith's use of a "seer stone" to compose the Book of Mormon within contemporary folk magic practices, the philosophies of Western esotericism, and Christian occultism. The seer stone (sometimes described as a "Urim and Thummim") represented one of several folk magic practices that the Smith family pursued, most notably in relation to "money digging" or treasure hunting with mystical objects as guides. Such mystical pursuits entangled esoteric thought with religious efforts to discover God's mysteries, and Smith's practices reflected this magical worldview.Less

The utilisation of evidence in a politicised policy area

Mark Monaghan

in Evidence versus politics: Exploiting research in UK drug policy making?

This chapter continues to closely analyse the label of evidence. It discusses a wider drug classification system and the nature of drug harm therein. Drawing on debates over UK drug classification ... More

This chapter continues to closely analyse the label of evidence. It discusses a wider drug classification system and the nature of drug harm therein. Drawing on debates over UK drug classification policy, the chapter highlights various appreciations of the role of evidence in the policy process. By looking at appreciations of the role of evidence, different interpretations of the role or the position of evidence in policy making are revealed. Although evidence is generally confused and contested, there is a simultaneous correlation among rival groups in the way that its use is understood. Finally, the chapter presents some extended summarising remarks which suggest that to fully comprehend the nature of evidence utilisation in heavily politicised areas, it is necessary to view evidence as contested, but with elements of certitude.Less

Well-Digging

Camilla Toulmin

in Cattle, Women, and Wells: Managing Household Survival in the Sahel

Wells are of great importance in this arid zone to provide for household needs and water livestock. Well-digging by individual households in Kala has become a major activity, the number growing from ... More

Wells are of great importance in this arid zone to provide for household needs and water livestock. Well-digging by individual households in Kala has become a major activity, the number growing from 16 in 1980 to 43 in 1983. Private wells are dug mainly to exchange water with visiting livestock keepers during the dry season, in exchange for the dung from the herd, which builds up soil fertility in the village fields, and produces higher millet yields. Analysis of the profitability of well-digging explores costs and returns, for the four different household types, A, B, C, D in order to understand the wide range in returns from this investment over time. Risks to the well’s capital value, ways to control this risk, and flexibility in such an investment are described before assessing the consequences for those households unable to invest in this asset.Less

“Dig Dutty”: The Practice of Matikor among Hindus in Guyana and Trinidad

Dave Ramsaran and Linden F. Lewis

in Caribbean Masala: Indian Identity in Guyana and Trinidad

This chapter examines the Matikor or “Dig Dutty” ritual in Guyana and Trinidad. The Dig Dutty/Matikor ritual is an important part of Hindu ethnic identity. It is central to the story of historical ... More

This chapter examines the Matikor or “Dig Dutty” ritual in Guyana and Trinidad. The Dig Dutty/Matikor ritual is an important part of Hindu ethnic identity. It is central to the story of historical displacement and reterritorialization, and it is a testimony to the tenacity of a people for whom such practices have long been seen, by many in the Guyanese and Trinidadian communities at large, as backward, pagan, and even a bit coarse. In the face of modernization, the Matikor/Dig Dutty ritual has shown remarkable resilience. However, while modernity has not rendered Matikor/Dig Dutty irrelevant, the process of creolization has certainly modified some of the ritual's specific practices. Nonetheless, given its endurance as a symbolic practice, Matikor/Dig Dutty demands much more scholarly attention than it has received to date.Less

The Story of Mound Bayou

Amy L. Young, Milburn J. Crowe, and Amy L. Young

in Ethnic Heritage in Mississippi: The Twentieth Century

This chapter is divided into two parts. The first describes the history of Mound Bayou followed by a project called “Digging for the Dream: Archaeology at Mound Bayou,” believed to be the first ... More

This chapter is divided into two parts. The first describes the history of Mound Bayou followed by a project called “Digging for the Dream: Archaeology at Mound Bayou,” believed to be the first archaeological project designed and implemented by a black community. It then outlines the process, which is on-going, of public archaeology in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. The effort is a sustained collaboration between a professional archaeologist and the local citizens. The second part of the chapter discusses an archaeological and architectural study of modernization in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, 1887–1940.Less

Introduction

Philip Nel

in Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children's Literature

Crockett Johnson and his wife, Ruth Krauss, were two well-known authors of children’s books from the 1950s. Between them, they created more than seventy-five books, many of which became classics. His ... More

Crockett Johnson and his wife, Ruth Krauss, were two well-known authors of children’s books from the 1950s. Between them, they created more than seventy-five books, many of which became classics. His works include the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and his best-known book, Harold and the Purple Crayon. She wrote A Hole Is to Dig (1952), the classic that launched Maurice Sendak’s career. Despite (or perhaps because of) their modest acclaim, Crockett and Ruth became objects of surveillance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation beginning in April 1950. Situated at the intersection of art, politics, and commerce, their lives offer a glimpse into the histories of children’s books, comics, and the American Left. They were also best friends, their love story punctuated by complementary opposites. This biography situates the lives of Crockett and Ruth in historical, cultural, literary, geographical, and political contexts.Less

// Context: Policy and Geography

in Under Construction: Making Homeland Security at the Local Level

This chapter examines the policy context of homeland security in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. It describes some of the features of the Boston ... More

This chapter examines the policy context of homeland security in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. It describes some of the features of the Boston area that created a special context for homeland security operations, particularly the inconsistent patterns of regionalization and the impact of the Big Dig highway construction project. The chapter also provides an overview of the federal policies that influenced local action from civil defense to the present.Less

Artists Are to Watch

Philip Nel

in Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children's Literature

In 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy came up with a list of fifty-seven State Department employees who were members of the American Communist Party. By the end of April, Crockett Johnson was ... More

In 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy came up with a list of fifty-seven State Department employees who were members of the American Communist Party. By the end of April, Crockett Johnson was identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Division as one of “400 concealed Communists.” Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss’s social circle included several people targeted for their alleged political beliefs, including John Howard Lawson and Howard Fast. Like her husband, Krauss was every bit progressive. Her book The Backward Day, published in the fall of 1950, was quietly subversive. Krauss also collaborated with Maurice Sendak, a young F. A. O. Schwarz window display artist, for A Hole Is to Dig and A Very Special House. As Krauss continued to find rich material for her children’s books, Johnson’s comic strip Barnaby ended its ten-year run. In 1952, the first children’s book written and illustrated by Johnson, Who’s Upside Down?, was published by William R. Scott.Less

New Adventures on Page and Screen

Philip Nel

in Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children's Literature

To find ideas for her children’s books, Ruth Krauss continued to visit the Rowayton Kindergarten and the Community Cooperative Nursery School in Connecticut. After gathering enough of the children’s ... More

To find ideas for her children’s books, Ruth Krauss continued to visit the Rowayton Kindergarten and the Community Cooperative Nursery School in Connecticut. After gathering enough of the children’s stories there, she showed them to Ursula Nordstrom. They eventually settled on seventeen tales collectively known as Somebody Else’s Nut Tree, with Maurice Sendak creating drawings for each. The fall of 1957 saw the publication of Monkey Day, a collaboration between Krauss and Phyllis Rowand, and Harold’s Trip to the Sky, a sequel to Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon. In October 1957, David Piel released his film version of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Johnson also wrote a new picture book, The Blue Ribbon Puppies, and a fourth Harold story, “Harold and the Big Day.” Meanwhile, Krauss found out that other companies were attempting to profit from A Hole Is to Dig without her permission; the book also inspired many imitators.Less

Jarvis Island

Mark J. Rauzon

in Isles of Amnesia: The History, Geography, and Restoration of America's Forgotten Pacific Islands

In 1982, I helped remove feral cats from Jarvis Island. The greatest El Niño in recent history occurred as the cats were being removed. It was so severe that the Equatorial Undercurrent ceased to ... More

In 1982, I helped remove feral cats from Jarvis Island. The greatest El Niño in recent history occurred as the cats were being removed. It was so severe that the Equatorial Undercurrent ceased to flow past the island. It was this fertile current that fueling a rich upwelling at the coral atoll, attracting whalers and guano-miners. Vast numbers of seabirds were destroyed by guano mining and the introduced rats and cats. The desert island was abandoned until the beginning of trans-Pacific aviation in 1935. American occupation involved colonization using Hawaiian high school grads, to develop island–hopping air strips, to prepare for WWII. My first visit to remove cats restored ecosystem functions not seen in 100 years. On my last visit in 2004, the smallest tern, the blue noddy was breeding again. The island and ocean ecosystems were protected by the 2013 creation of the Pacific Remote National Marine Monument.Less

Kingman Reef to Howland and Baker Islands

Mark J. Rauzon

in Isles of Amnesia: The History, Geography, and Restoration of America's Forgotten Pacific Islands

Enroute from Line Islands to Phoenix Islands we went to Kingman Reef, a barely awash coral atoll 35 miles from Palmyra, to pick up former Shuttle Astronaut Chuck Brady. The Ham radio operator, along ... More

Enroute from Line Islands to Phoenix Islands we went to Kingman Reef, a barely awash coral atoll 35 miles from Palmyra, to pick up former Shuttle Astronaut Chuck Brady. The Ham radio operator, along with his Carolina neighbors, was broadcasting from the remote Baker and Howland Islands. I weave their story into the history of the whaling and guano mining history of the islands that also brought rats to the islands. I examine paramilitary colonization by Hawaiian schoolboys anticipating trans Pacific flight and the role Baker and Howland Islands played in Amelia Earhart’s visit and later in WWII. Two boys died when the islands were bombed by the Japanese after Pearl Harbor and the men cannot be buried at the military cemetery at Punchbowl. Their story of the Panalu’ua Memoirs was written by Edwin Bryan, Jr. of the Bishop Museum. I recount the last reunion of the former schoolboys, now old men.Less

Waterways and Water Transport on Reclaimed Coastal Marshlands: The Somerset Levels and Beyond

Rippon Stephen

in Waterways and Canal-Building in Medieval England

This chapter focuses on the reclamation of coastal wetlands, such as the marshes and fens that borders most of England's estuaries. These created a series of uniquely handcrafted landscapes. The ... More

This chapter focuses on the reclamation of coastal wetlands, such as the marshes and fens that borders most of England's estuaries. These created a series of uniquely handcrafted landscapes. The management of reclaimed coastal wetlands is dominated by the need to deal with excess water. In the historic period, the reclamation consisted of a complex hierarchy of channels, ranging from plough-ridges and spade-dug ravines on the surface of fields, through minor field boundary ditches, major drainage channels, sewers, drains or dykes, and occasionally lakes. This chapter explains how the needs of navigation often outstripped the capacity of natural rivers and this lead to the construction of artificial canals.Less

Open approach to rivers: The lateral version of the Ecological approach

S. Nazrul Islam

in Rivers and Sustainable Development: Alternative Approaches and Their Implications

Chapter 10 provides an overview of the Open approach, focusing on its merits, progress, and prospects and showing how it can be more conducive to sustainable development. It shows that the Open ... More

Chapter 10 provides an overview of the Open approach, focusing on its merits, progress, and prospects and showing how it can be more conducive to sustainable development. It shows that the Open approach is not a passive approach but requires sustained activities along many dimensions, including both flood-proofing and flood-regulating measures. The chapter follows the progression of the Open approach. It discusses the reflection of this approach in the European Union’s Directive on Floods and its implementation. It takes note of country level initiatives in many European countries, such as the Netherlands’ “Room for River” project, that conform with the Open approach. The chapter then examines some recent policy changes in the United States regarding the Mississippi levee system that also reflect the Open approach. It also reviews the progress of the Open approach in other parts of the world.Less

The Legacies of the Dead

L. C. Carr

in Tessa Verney Wheeler: Women and Archaeology Before World War Two

This chapter talks about the death of Tessa Verney Wheeler and the archaeological works and publications of her husband, Robert Eric Mortimer (Rik) Wheeler after her passing. Tessa and Rik Wheeler ... More

This chapter talks about the death of Tessa Verney Wheeler and the archaeological works and publications of her husband, Robert Eric Mortimer (Rik) Wheeler after her passing. Tessa and Rik Wheeler had never been more powerful or active in the widely influential world of British archaeology. However, the anxiety of busy excavating schedules and emotional distress caused by her husband's womanizing fatally deteriorated Tessa's health. On April 14, 1936, she died from an infection caused by an unnecessary surgery and pneumonia. In Rik's book Still Digging, he described his emotions after his wife's death as the peak of mental misery, marking the end of his ability to love.Less