PalArch

BOOK REVIEW: PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 9 (1) (2012)

PalArch Editor (IN) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:29:57 +0000

Christoffer Theis about Dodson, A. 2003. The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. – London, New Holland Publishers.

Aidan Dodson verfolgt mit seinem Buch den Ansatz, eine Zusammenstellung aller Pyramiden in Ägypten zu bieten, ein „up-to-date listing of all known examples belonging to kings and queens“ (S. 6, vgl. auch S. 7 & 13). Wie Dodson bereits auf S. 6 richtig feststellt, sind zwar einerseits sehr viele Bücher über Pyramiden erschienen, andererseits stellt es aber ein Desiderat dar, dass bisher kein Corpus alle Bauwerke in extenso behandelt. [...]

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Rachel Zheng, Andrew A. Farke & Gy-Su Kim. 2011. A Photographic Atlas of the Pes from a Hadrosaurine Hadrosaurid Dinosaur. – PalArch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 8(7) (2011), 1-12. ISSN 1567-2158. 12 pages + 7 fi gures, 2 tables.

PalArch Editor (IN) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:27:09 +0000

Abstract Hadrosaurid dinosaurs are abundantly represented in terrestrial deposits from the Late Cretaceous, as isolated elements, associated specimens, and articulated skeletons with soft tissue. However, identifi cation of isolated elements can be diffi cult in the absence of adequate reference material. Here we present a photographic atlas of the complete pes from a hadrosaurine hadrosaurid (possibly Edmontosaurus annectens) collected in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana.

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Veldmeijer, André J. 2011. Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear. Technological Aspects. Part XIV. Leather Eared Sandals. – Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 8(5) (2011), 1-31. ISSN 1567-214X. 31 pages + 14 figures, 3 tables.

PalArch Editor (IN) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:20:11 +0000

Abstract Leather Eared Sandals, i.e. sandals with pre-straps that are cut from the sole’s leather, are a well known category of sandals in ancient Egypt, mainly because the manufacturing is depicted in scenes that decorate tombs. Based on archaeological finds, we can recognise several subcategories and types. The present paper, as part of the Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project’s publication series, presents the technological details of this category of leather sandals. As usual in this series of papers, other topics are discussed in passing.

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BOOK REVIEW: PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 8 (4) (2011)

PalArch Editor (IN) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:33:48 +0000

René van Walsem about Manley, B. & A. Dodson. 2010. Life Everlasting. National Museums Scotland Collection of Ancient Egyptian Coffi ns. – Edinburgh, National Museums Scotland.

After an overview (without title, pp. 1-10) of the history of the conglomerate of the National Museums Scotland – with special attention to the Egyptian collections and the individuals who were most closely related to their development, among whom Rhind was the most prominent – the Egyptian coffin collection is divided into seven ‘parts’.

The introduction sketches the archaeological and culture historical context. Part 1 (Cat. 1-2, pp. 12-19) describes two Middle Kingdom coffins of two men, both of whom were called Khnumhotep (no family relation), with the coffins respectively rectangular and anthropoid in shape. The main text is followed by notes, a pattern repeated for the remaining six parts. [...]

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Felipe Ribeiro de Santana, David J. Cicimurri & José Antonio Barbosa. 2011. New material of Apocopodon sericeus Cope, 1886 (Myliobatiformes, Myliobatidae) from the Paraíba Basin (Northeastern Brazil) and South Carolina (USA) with a reanalysis of the species.

PalArch Editor (IN) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:37:02 +0000

Abstract Myliobatiformes (Elasmobranchii: Batoidei) is circumglobally distributed and consists of 26 extant genera within ten families. The oldest records of the group occur in upper Cretaceous deposits, and one extinct species, Apocopodon sericeus, is found in the Danian (lower Paleocene) Maria Farinha Formation of the Paraíba Basin, Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil. This taxon is known from isolated teeth and several partial dentitions in various states of completeness, and herein we describe a new, incomplete (lingual portion) Brazilian dental plate. Previously considered to be endemic to the Paraíba Basin, Apocopodon was recently identifi ed from South Carolina, United States. The sample consists of a nearly complete upper(?) dentition and numerous isolated teeth, and the material is indistinguishable from A. sericeus. The precise stratigraphic position and age of the South Carolina fossils is unknown, but based on the other associated Paleocene vertebrate fossils, we believe that the fossils originated from the Danian Rhems Formation. The South Carolina occurrence of Apocopodon represents a signifi cant geographic range extension of more than 7,000 km to the north of the type area, and the occurrence of this ray in such widely separated areas demonstrates the dispersion potential of fossil elasmobranch species. Analysis of the new specimens, along with reanalysis of all previously known Apocopodon dentitions maintained in Brazilian institutions, resulted in a revision of the morphological characteristics used to identify the taxon.

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BOOK REVIEW: Palarch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 8 (5) 2011

PalArch Editor (IN) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:30:33 +0000

Alexandra A. de Sousa about Müller, S. & F. Schrenk. 2008. The Neanderthals. – London & New York, Routledge.

We do not know whether Neanderthals would have blended in with modern humans, but we certainly do have a lot of real (and imagined) ideas about who they were. This point is well made by the book titled “The Neanderthals”, which under the writing of Müller & Schrenk fi ts well into the series “People of the Ancient World”. Although this book has “nothing revolutionary to say”,[...]

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Robert W. Boessenecker. 2011. A New Marine Vertebrate Assemblage from the Late Neogene Purisima Formation in Central California, Part I: Fossil Sharks, Bony Fish, Birds, and Implications for the Age of the Purisma Formation West of the San Gregorio Fault.

PalArch Editor (IN) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:22:49 +0000

Abstract The Miocene to Pliocene Purisima Formation crops out in multiple transform fault bounded structural blocks in central California. As a result of poor exposure, strike slip fault offset, and uncertain intraformational correlations, some exposures of the Purisima Formation are not well dated. The San Gregorio section of the Purisima Formation occurs in the Pigeon Point Block, west of the San Gregorio Fault, along the coast of southern Halfmoon Bay. Ages based on invertebrate and diatom biostratigraphy support a Late Miocene to Early Pliocene age, while ash correlations indicate a much younger Middle to Late Pliocene (3.3-2.5 Ma) age. Abundant remains of marine vertebrates occur in the Purisima Formation. Recent fieldwork in the San Gregorio section identified a modest assemblage of 26 taxa, including sharks (Carcharodon carcharias, Carcharodon sp., Cetorhinus maximus, cf. Hexanchus, Isurus oxyrinchus, Pristiophorus sp., Squatina sp., and Sphyrna sp.), skates (Raja sp., cf. R. binoculata), bony fish (Paralichthys sp., Thunnus sp.), birds (Mancalla diegensis, Morus sp.), and 13 marine mammal taxa, including several new records for the Purisima Formation. The non-mammalian vertebrates of this assemblage are described herein. The vertebrate assemblage is utilized to evaluate previous biostratigraphic and tephrochronologic age determinations for the San Gregorio section. The stratigraphic range of Carcharodon carcharias, Raja sp., cf. R. binoculata, Mancalla diegensis, and some of the marine mammals strongly indicate a Middle to Late Pliocene age for the upper and middle parts of the section, while a Late Miocene or Early Pliocene age is probable for the base of the section.

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BOOK REVIEW: Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 8 (1) 2011

PalArch Editor (AV) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:41:37 +0000

Christoffer Theis about Lepre, J.P. 2006. The Egyptian Pyramids. A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference. – Jefferson/London, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (2nd Edition).

Das mit 341 Seiten recht umfangreiche Buch von J.P. Lepre stellt nach seiner eigenen Aussage eine “manuscript compilation for my own reference” dar, “providing me with quick access to crucial information while in the field” (S. VII). Im Buch findet sich zu jeder Pyramide ein einzelner Eintrag, der diverse Informationen enthält. Darüber hinaus [...]

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BOOK REVIEW: Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 8 (3) 2011

PalArch Editor (AV) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:16:54 +0000

Daniel Arpagaus about D’Auria, S.H. Ed. 2008. Servant of Mut: Studies in Honor of Richard A. Fazzini. – Leiden/Boston, Brill (Probleme der Ägyptologie 28).

Die Festschrift für Richard Fazzini, den langjährigen Kurator und Vorsteher der Abteiling für ägyptische Kunst am Brooklyn Museum, New York, versammelt insgesamt 32 Aufsätze von Freunden un Kollegen. Der Inhalt der Beiträge is vielfältig und deckt ein chronologisches Spektrum von Har-Aha (Redford: 198ff.) bis zu Ptolemaios XII. ab (Johnson & McLain: 134ff.). Thematisch lassen sich trotzdem [...]

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Gregory Bearman, Mark S. Anderson & Kenneth Aitchison. 2011. New Imaging Methods to Improve Text Legibility of Ostraca – PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 8(2) (2011)

PalArch Editor (AV) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:46:13 +0000

Abstract We report on experiments on three new methods to improve text contrast for carbon ink ostraca. These are (1) Raman imaging, (2) Micro-focus XRF scanning and (3) exogenous contrast agents either to enhance the X-ray signal or create an optical fluorescence signal. We tested all three methods with modern ‘stunt’ ostraca, made using a variety of carbon-based inks. In each imaging modality, the inks are clearly differentiated from the clay background. The exogenous contrast enhancement, in particular, suggests a variety of approaches to improving text legibility.

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