This dissertation analyzes micromorphological thin sections from four archaeological contexts at Pupicina Cave in Croatia. One sample is from an experimental in-situ hearth, one is Palaeolithic background sediment, and two contain hearth features - one Palaeolithic and one spanning the Palaeolithic-Mesolithic transition. Microscopic analysis reveals details of geological history, feature formation processes, and evidence of early hominid fire use. The Palaeolithic sediment was water-lain while the Mesolithic shows a shift to drier climate. Sample 4 indicates a primary Palaeolithic hearth. Sample 11 contains a Mesolithic midden and possible secondary combustion residue. Analysis of the experimental hearth establishes criteria for identifying anthrop
St. Patrick's Day is traditionally celebrated with drinking, but there are many alcohol-free ways to enjoy Irish culture and heritage in Utah. These include taking Irish dancing classes, watching Irish films, hosting a sober party with Irish-themed games and music, attending Utah's St. Patrick's Day parade, and making an Irish feast at home with corned beef, cabbage, soda bread and shamrock shakes.
20 08 2013- Javier Duarte asistió a XLV Reunión Plenaria de la Conferencia ...Javier Duarte de Ochoa
El gobernador del estado del Veracruz, Javier Duarte de Ochoa asistió a la XLV Reunión Plenaria de la Conferencia Nacional de Gobernadores (Conago), evento en el cual los gobernadores del país y el jefe de gobierno del Distrito Federal presentaron sus propuestas para sustentar la Reforma Energética.
En su calidad de coordinador de la Comisión de Energía de la Conago, el gobernador Duarte de Ochoa presentó una propuesta sobre la postura de los mandatarios que fue aprobada por unanimidad.
De la misma forma, los gobernadores destacaron que existe una plena coincidencia en el fortalecimiento de la industria petrolera nacional, el crecimiento económico, el desarrollo incluyente, la seguridad energética, transparencia, protección ambiental y la salvaguarda del patrimonio de los mexicanos.
Duarte de Ochoa comentó que se trata de una gran oportunidad para unir fuerzas y impulsar el desarrollo del país.
This document is a thesis submitted by David Bautista Gonzalez to Imperial College London in partial fulfillment of an MSc degree. The thesis presents a new closed-form expression for wave speeds predicted by Biot's poroelasticity model. It derives these expressions from first principles for isotropic rock systems and studies the impact of rock and fluid parameters. It also validates the model with experimental data from water-saturated sandstones. Finally, it investigates the relationship between Biot's slow wave and the pressure diffusion equation used in well testing, finding an inconclusive connection that could explain underestimates of rock compressibility.
This document provides an overview of petroleum exploration. It describes the life cycle of an oil and gas field, including the exploration, appraisal and development, production, and abandonment phases. The exploration process involves studying surface features like oil seeps and outcrops to identify potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. Subsurface data from techniques like seismic surveys is also used. Basin analysis examines sedimentary basins where source rocks may have generated hydrocarbons that migrated and were trapped in reservoir rocks. The goal is to identify "petroleum plays" with the highest probability of containing producible oil and gas to justify drilling exploratory wells. Subsurface data acquisition methods help map underground geology before drilling begins.
St. Patrick's Day is traditionally celebrated with drinking, but there are many alcohol-free ways to enjoy Irish culture and heritage in Utah. These include taking Irish dancing classes, watching Irish films, hosting a sober party with Irish-themed games and music, attending Utah's St. Patrick's Day parade, and making an Irish feast at home with corned beef, cabbage, soda bread and shamrock shakes.
20 08 2013- Javier Duarte asistió a XLV Reunión Plenaria de la Conferencia ...Javier Duarte de Ochoa
El gobernador del estado del Veracruz, Javier Duarte de Ochoa asistió a la XLV Reunión Plenaria de la Conferencia Nacional de Gobernadores (Conago), evento en el cual los gobernadores del país y el jefe de gobierno del Distrito Federal presentaron sus propuestas para sustentar la Reforma Energética.
En su calidad de coordinador de la Comisión de Energía de la Conago, el gobernador Duarte de Ochoa presentó una propuesta sobre la postura de los mandatarios que fue aprobada por unanimidad.
De la misma forma, los gobernadores destacaron que existe una plena coincidencia en el fortalecimiento de la industria petrolera nacional, el crecimiento económico, el desarrollo incluyente, la seguridad energética, transparencia, protección ambiental y la salvaguarda del patrimonio de los mexicanos.
Duarte de Ochoa comentó que se trata de una gran oportunidad para unir fuerzas y impulsar el desarrollo del país.
This document is a thesis submitted by David Bautista Gonzalez to Imperial College London in partial fulfillment of an MSc degree. The thesis presents a new closed-form expression for wave speeds predicted by Biot's poroelasticity model. It derives these expressions from first principles for isotropic rock systems and studies the impact of rock and fluid parameters. It also validates the model with experimental data from water-saturated sandstones. Finally, it investigates the relationship between Biot's slow wave and the pressure diffusion equation used in well testing, finding an inconclusive connection that could explain underestimates of rock compressibility.
This document provides an overview of petroleum exploration. It describes the life cycle of an oil and gas field, including the exploration, appraisal and development, production, and abandonment phases. The exploration process involves studying surface features like oil seeps and outcrops to identify potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. Subsurface data from techniques like seismic surveys is also used. Basin analysis examines sedimentary basins where source rocks may have generated hydrocarbons that migrated and were trapped in reservoir rocks. The goal is to identify "petroleum plays" with the highest probability of containing producible oil and gas to justify drilling exploratory wells. Subsurface data acquisition methods help map underground geology before drilling begins.
This document provides a summary of a report on microplastics in the marine environment. It finds that microplastics originate from various sources and are distributed widely throughout the ocean. As plastic debris breaks down into smaller fragments, microplastics can be ingested by many marine species and may transport harmful chemicals into organisms. Exposure to microplastics has been shown to cause physical and chemical effects in some species, though more research is still needed to understand impacts on populations and ecosystems. The report calls for further study of sources, transport, distribution and effects of microplastics in order to better address this emerging issue of concern for the global ocean.
This thesis investigates CO2 sorption on various geological media up to 10 MPa at 40°C using experimental methods. The experiments observe an anomaly in total sorption isotherm data at the critical point of CO2. A new theory is proposed to explain this anomaly and a method is developed to correct for the anomalous behavior. Sorption equations are also extended to account for coal swelling and the filling of pore space in materials like sandstone to more accurately model supercritical CO2 storage capacity. The relationship between porosity and maximum CO2 storage capacity is examined for coal and sandstone samples.
The Earth Through Time module examines our planet in terms of its major systems; the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere and the biosphere, all of which are constantly interacting. The module explores the topic of climate change throughout Earth’s history; climate change is not just a contemporary phenomenon, it has happened in the geological past at times abruptly and catastrophically.
This document provides an overview of cosmology and summarizes some of the major discoveries in the field. It introduces concepts like the expanding universe, Hubble's law, and the Big Bang theory. It also explains cosmological phenomena such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and discusses evidence that has helped scientists understand dark matter and dark energy. The tutorial is intended for students and early-career astronomers who want to learn more about cosmological observations and theories.
This document discusses natural nanomaterials and provides examples. It defines natural nanomaterials as materials from nature that have remarkable properties due to their inherent nanostructure, without human modification. Some examples of natural nanomaterials mentioned include bone, the lotus leaf, gecko feet, and the wings of the Morpho rhetenor butterfly. The document explains how the nanostructure of these materials allows for properties like self-cleaning, adhesion, and iridescence.
This document contains lecture notes on fluid mechanics. It begins with an introduction to fluid mechanics, including definitions of key terms like fluid, continuum, density, and viscosity. It then covers topics in fluid statics like pressure, hydrostatic force, and buoyancy. Later sections discuss the description and analysis of fluid motion using concepts like the control volume, streamlines, and conservation equations. The document aims to explain the physics of fluid motion to undergraduate students through examples and without advanced mathematics.
This document contains course notes for a spring 2003 rock excavation class at the University of Arizona. It is divided into 5 modules that cover topics including geological properties of rocks, rock breaking processes, drilling and blasting components, blast design, and mechanical excavation. The notes include over 50 figures to illustrate concepts. Additional resources are listed at the end of each section for students to further supplement their learning.
This document reviews the development of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane materials for desalination. It discusses the evolution from early asymmetric polymeric membranes to current thin film composite membranes made through interfacial polymerization. While polymeric membranes still dominate the industry, the review suggests that nanostructured materials like zeolite membranes, thin film nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes, and biomimetic membranes may enable enhanced performance in the future by offering improved permeability and selectivity. However, challenges remain regarding practical implementation of these novel materials.
This document discusses carbon quantum dots (carbon dots), which are small carbon-based nanoparticles that exhibit fluorescence. The first section summarizes the discovery of carbon dots as byproducts in experiments producing carbon nanotubes. It describes how carbon dots were later intentionally synthesized through various methods, including arc discharge, electrochemical treatment of carbon nanotubes, and laser ablation of carbon sources. The document goes on to provide more details about various synthesis strategies and techniques for producing carbon dots and discusses characterization of their properties and applications.
This document reviews the influence of nitric oxide (NO) on chloroplasts. It discusses how NO can directly interact with the photosynthetic apparatus by influencing photophosphorylation, electron transport, and the oxygen-evolving complex. It also reviews how NO can regulate gene expression in chloroplasts. The effects of NO on chloroplast function under physiological conditions like development and stress are discussed. Specifically, low levels of NO can stimulate plant growth and stress responses, while higher levels can inhibit photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton composition under resource limitations MSc research project 1Emma Greenwell
This document is a thesis submitted by Emma Greenwell exploring how phytoplankton composition changes under different nutrient limitations. The author established 7 chemostats with varying nitrogen and phosphorus levels to simulate different nutrient conditions. Samples were taken over 3 months and analyzed. Results showed that diatoms dominated under mid-range nutrient loads, with Nitschia agnita and Nitschia pusilla thriving at a 16:1 N:P ratio. Nitschia pusilla was best suited to phosphorus limitation. Chlorella sp. competed well under low light. A cyanobacteria may have been able to fix nitrogen under extremely low nitrogen levels. In conclusion, nutrient ratios and loads can provide some prediction
This document is the thesis submitted by Tine Geldof to the University of Ghent for the degree of Master in Physics and Astronomy. The thesis investigates implementing polychromatic photon packages in the SKIRT radiative transfer code to model dusty astrophysical objects like galaxies. SKIRT currently uses monochromatic photon packages, while dust properties are wavelength dependent. The project aims to introduce polychromatic photon packages to improve accuracy and reduce noise in simulated images. It will test the stepwise implementation on simple models and investigate the advantages and disadvantages, like handling the wavelength dependence of dust properties. The source code changes are not included due to length.
The document describes a method for depositing highly phosphorus doped silicon thin films through sputtering without substrate bias. Samples were 270nm thick with a sheet resistivity of 2.8x10-2 Ωcm and carrier density of 2.0x1019 cm-3 after being etched, deposited at 200°C, and annealed at 1100°C. Characterization showed the films had Si (111) and (220) crystal planes with a surface roughness of 1nm.
This document reviews the use of non-metal doped titania for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under UV/visible light. It discusses how doping with non-metals like nitrogen can reduce the band gap of titania and enhance its visible light activity. Nitrogen doping of titania (N-TiO2) shows improved photocatalytic performance, and further modifications like noble metal deposition, co-doping, and coupling with other semiconductors can increase its efficiency. The mechanism of photocatalysis involves generation of electron-hole pairs, separation and transfer of charge carriers, and reactions of carriers with adsorbed pollutants.
Jatropha and Sustainable Livelihood of Small-scale FarmersZK8
This document provides an introduction to the thesis topic. It discusses the challenges facing developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including high poverty levels, lack of access to modern energy, and the need to provide energy for development while also addressing climate change mitigation. The problem area addressed is how Jatropha production and utilization could impact rural livelihoods for small-scale farmers in Zambia's central province. The research question asks about these livelihood impacts and recommendations for how Jatropha could improve rural livelihoods. The introduction provides context on the energy and development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa to frame the thesis topic.
Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution AbatementElisaMendelsohn
This document summarizes research on using interior landscape plants to help reduce indoor air pollution. The researchers tested plants' ability to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from sealed experimental chambers. They found that several common houseplants, including golden pothos and Chinese evergreen, were effective at removing these chemicals from the air in the chambers within 24 hours. The researchers also designed an indoor air purification system that combines plants with an activated carbon filter to help purify air by moving contaminated air through the carbon where pollutants are absorbed before the air passes over plant roots and soil where further breakdown and removal of pollutants occurs.
Fundamental "Nano-effects" - Nanoscience and nanotechnologiesNANOYOU
An introduction to the fundamental Nano-effects.
This chapter is part of the NANOYOU training kit for teachers.
For more resources on nanotechnologies visit: www.nanoyou.eu
The document is a 2014 research report from the Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLS). It provides an overview of research conducted in 2014 including 10 highlighted publications covering topics in chemical and materials science, life sciences, earth and environmental science, and instrumentation techniques. It also describes innovations at CLS including industrial science programs, the Medical Isotopes Project, and student involvement. The report outlines CLS's funding partners and key events in 2014 such as staff changes and research highlights.
This document is the preface and introduction to a book on the geometry of crystals. It provides an overview of topics that will be covered, which include orientation relationships, deformation, martensitic transformations, and interfaces. Notation and basic concepts are introduced, such as coordinate transformations, the reciprocal basis, homogeneous deformations, and interfaces. The martensite transformation in steels is used as a motivating example to introduce crystallographic methods. The introduction aims to outline the scope of the book and familiarize the reader with key terms and approaches, while keeping the mathematical content minimal.
This document discusses dualities in physics and proves a duality between topological defects and Q-balls. It introduces important dualities like AdS/CFT and T-duality. Topological defects can form via the Kibble mechanism during cosmological phase transitions and may help explain problems like monopoles. Q-balls are non-topological solitons that may exist in theories of dark matter and baryogenesis. The document proves a classical duality between static complex kinks, which are topological defects, and stationary 1+1 dimensional Q-balls, with an interchange of topological charge and Noether charge.
More Related Content
Similar to BridgidPurcell_MScDissertation_PupicinaCave
This document provides a summary of a report on microplastics in the marine environment. It finds that microplastics originate from various sources and are distributed widely throughout the ocean. As plastic debris breaks down into smaller fragments, microplastics can be ingested by many marine species and may transport harmful chemicals into organisms. Exposure to microplastics has been shown to cause physical and chemical effects in some species, though more research is still needed to understand impacts on populations and ecosystems. The report calls for further study of sources, transport, distribution and effects of microplastics in order to better address this emerging issue of concern for the global ocean.
This thesis investigates CO2 sorption on various geological media up to 10 MPa at 40°C using experimental methods. The experiments observe an anomaly in total sorption isotherm data at the critical point of CO2. A new theory is proposed to explain this anomaly and a method is developed to correct for the anomalous behavior. Sorption equations are also extended to account for coal swelling and the filling of pore space in materials like sandstone to more accurately model supercritical CO2 storage capacity. The relationship between porosity and maximum CO2 storage capacity is examined for coal and sandstone samples.
The Earth Through Time module examines our planet in terms of its major systems; the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere and the biosphere, all of which are constantly interacting. The module explores the topic of climate change throughout Earth’s history; climate change is not just a contemporary phenomenon, it has happened in the geological past at times abruptly and catastrophically.
This document provides an overview of cosmology and summarizes some of the major discoveries in the field. It introduces concepts like the expanding universe, Hubble's law, and the Big Bang theory. It also explains cosmological phenomena such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and discusses evidence that has helped scientists understand dark matter and dark energy. The tutorial is intended for students and early-career astronomers who want to learn more about cosmological observations and theories.
This document discusses natural nanomaterials and provides examples. It defines natural nanomaterials as materials from nature that have remarkable properties due to their inherent nanostructure, without human modification. Some examples of natural nanomaterials mentioned include bone, the lotus leaf, gecko feet, and the wings of the Morpho rhetenor butterfly. The document explains how the nanostructure of these materials allows for properties like self-cleaning, adhesion, and iridescence.
This document contains lecture notes on fluid mechanics. It begins with an introduction to fluid mechanics, including definitions of key terms like fluid, continuum, density, and viscosity. It then covers topics in fluid statics like pressure, hydrostatic force, and buoyancy. Later sections discuss the description and analysis of fluid motion using concepts like the control volume, streamlines, and conservation equations. The document aims to explain the physics of fluid motion to undergraduate students through examples and without advanced mathematics.
This document contains course notes for a spring 2003 rock excavation class at the University of Arizona. It is divided into 5 modules that cover topics including geological properties of rocks, rock breaking processes, drilling and blasting components, blast design, and mechanical excavation. The notes include over 50 figures to illustrate concepts. Additional resources are listed at the end of each section for students to further supplement their learning.
This document reviews the development of reverse osmosis (RO) membrane materials for desalination. It discusses the evolution from early asymmetric polymeric membranes to current thin film composite membranes made through interfacial polymerization. While polymeric membranes still dominate the industry, the review suggests that nanostructured materials like zeolite membranes, thin film nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes, and biomimetic membranes may enable enhanced performance in the future by offering improved permeability and selectivity. However, challenges remain regarding practical implementation of these novel materials.
This document discusses carbon quantum dots (carbon dots), which are small carbon-based nanoparticles that exhibit fluorescence. The first section summarizes the discovery of carbon dots as byproducts in experiments producing carbon nanotubes. It describes how carbon dots were later intentionally synthesized through various methods, including arc discharge, electrochemical treatment of carbon nanotubes, and laser ablation of carbon sources. The document goes on to provide more details about various synthesis strategies and techniques for producing carbon dots and discusses characterization of their properties and applications.
This document reviews the influence of nitric oxide (NO) on chloroplasts. It discusses how NO can directly interact with the photosynthetic apparatus by influencing photophosphorylation, electron transport, and the oxygen-evolving complex. It also reviews how NO can regulate gene expression in chloroplasts. The effects of NO on chloroplast function under physiological conditions like development and stress are discussed. Specifically, low levels of NO can stimulate plant growth and stress responses, while higher levels can inhibit photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton composition under resource limitations MSc research project 1Emma Greenwell
This document is a thesis submitted by Emma Greenwell exploring how phytoplankton composition changes under different nutrient limitations. The author established 7 chemostats with varying nitrogen and phosphorus levels to simulate different nutrient conditions. Samples were taken over 3 months and analyzed. Results showed that diatoms dominated under mid-range nutrient loads, with Nitschia agnita and Nitschia pusilla thriving at a 16:1 N:P ratio. Nitschia pusilla was best suited to phosphorus limitation. Chlorella sp. competed well under low light. A cyanobacteria may have been able to fix nitrogen under extremely low nitrogen levels. In conclusion, nutrient ratios and loads can provide some prediction
This document is the thesis submitted by Tine Geldof to the University of Ghent for the degree of Master in Physics and Astronomy. The thesis investigates implementing polychromatic photon packages in the SKIRT radiative transfer code to model dusty astrophysical objects like galaxies. SKIRT currently uses monochromatic photon packages, while dust properties are wavelength dependent. The project aims to introduce polychromatic photon packages to improve accuracy and reduce noise in simulated images. It will test the stepwise implementation on simple models and investigate the advantages and disadvantages, like handling the wavelength dependence of dust properties. The source code changes are not included due to length.
The document describes a method for depositing highly phosphorus doped silicon thin films through sputtering without substrate bias. Samples were 270nm thick with a sheet resistivity of 2.8x10-2 Ωcm and carrier density of 2.0x1019 cm-3 after being etched, deposited at 200°C, and annealed at 1100°C. Characterization showed the films had Si (111) and (220) crystal planes with a surface roughness of 1nm.
This document reviews the use of non-metal doped titania for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under UV/visible light. It discusses how doping with non-metals like nitrogen can reduce the band gap of titania and enhance its visible light activity. Nitrogen doping of titania (N-TiO2) shows improved photocatalytic performance, and further modifications like noble metal deposition, co-doping, and coupling with other semiconductors can increase its efficiency. The mechanism of photocatalysis involves generation of electron-hole pairs, separation and transfer of charge carriers, and reactions of carriers with adsorbed pollutants.
Jatropha and Sustainable Livelihood of Small-scale FarmersZK8
This document provides an introduction to the thesis topic. It discusses the challenges facing developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including high poverty levels, lack of access to modern energy, and the need to provide energy for development while also addressing climate change mitigation. The problem area addressed is how Jatropha production and utilization could impact rural livelihoods for small-scale farmers in Zambia's central province. The research question asks about these livelihood impacts and recommendations for how Jatropha could improve rural livelihoods. The introduction provides context on the energy and development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa to frame the thesis topic.
Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution AbatementElisaMendelsohn
This document summarizes research on using interior landscape plants to help reduce indoor air pollution. The researchers tested plants' ability to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from sealed experimental chambers. They found that several common houseplants, including golden pothos and Chinese evergreen, were effective at removing these chemicals from the air in the chambers within 24 hours. The researchers also designed an indoor air purification system that combines plants with an activated carbon filter to help purify air by moving contaminated air through the carbon where pollutants are absorbed before the air passes over plant roots and soil where further breakdown and removal of pollutants occurs.
Fundamental "Nano-effects" - Nanoscience and nanotechnologiesNANOYOU
An introduction to the fundamental Nano-effects.
This chapter is part of the NANOYOU training kit for teachers.
For more resources on nanotechnologies visit: www.nanoyou.eu
The document is a 2014 research report from the Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLS). It provides an overview of research conducted in 2014 including 10 highlighted publications covering topics in chemical and materials science, life sciences, earth and environmental science, and instrumentation techniques. It also describes innovations at CLS including industrial science programs, the Medical Isotopes Project, and student involvement. The report outlines CLS's funding partners and key events in 2014 such as staff changes and research highlights.
This document is the preface and introduction to a book on the geometry of crystals. It provides an overview of topics that will be covered, which include orientation relationships, deformation, martensitic transformations, and interfaces. Notation and basic concepts are introduced, such as coordinate transformations, the reciprocal basis, homogeneous deformations, and interfaces. The martensite transformation in steels is used as a motivating example to introduce crystallographic methods. The introduction aims to outline the scope of the book and familiarize the reader with key terms and approaches, while keeping the mathematical content minimal.
This document discusses dualities in physics and proves a duality between topological defects and Q-balls. It introduces important dualities like AdS/CFT and T-duality. Topological defects can form via the Kibble mechanism during cosmological phase transitions and may help explain problems like monopoles. Q-balls are non-topological solitons that may exist in theories of dark matter and baryogenesis. The document proves a classical duality between static complex kinks, which are topological defects, and stationary 1+1 dimensional Q-balls, with an interchange of topological charge and Noether charge.
Similar to BridgidPurcell_MScDissertation_PupicinaCave (20)
1. Micromorphological analysis of thin sections from Pupicina Cave
Utilising experimental micromorphology to understand the traces of ancient
combustion from the Upper Palaeolithic & early Mesolithic
Candidate No. GSDD9
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
MSc Environmental Archaeology of University College London in 2015
UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY
3. 3
Abstract
This dissertation draws from the micromorphological analysis of four thin sections, taken
from Pupicina Cave, Croatia. These comprise of one experimental in–situ hearth, a Palaeolithic
background matrix and two hearth features of which one is from the Palaeolithic and the other spans
the Palaeolithic–Mesolithic transition. Utilisng the former, detailed observations were made of in-situ
hearth structure, composition, and microstructure and from this a classification of the main
manifestations of plant ash and their associated pedofeatures were created. All of these thin-sections
were utilised to interpret the geological depositional history, feature depositional and post-
depositional history, and archaeological integrity of these contexts and to gain an insight into early
hominid behaviour at Pupicina during this period.
Findings support the interpretation of a waterlain Palaeolithic sedimentary deposit and a shift
in climate during the Mesolithic. Furthermore it was tentatively suggested that both a primary and
secondary combustion feature is evident within these samples.
5. 5
Table of contents
Abstract...................................................................................................................................................3
Table of contents.....................................................................................................................................5
List of tables............................................................................................................................................8
List of figures..........................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 1: Introduction.........................................................................................................................15
1.1 Background to the study question...............................................................................................15
1.2 The research questions................................................................................................................15
1.3 Research design/framework........................................................................................................18
1.4 The organisation of this paper.....................................................................................................19
Chapter 2: Traces of early hominid fire-use: a background..................................................................21
2.1. Introduction................................................................................................................................21
2.2 Definition of terms......................................................................................................................21
2.3 Archaeological techniques for studying hearths .........................................................................22
2.4 Introduction to the components of hearths..................................................................................25
2.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................27
Chapter 3 Background ..........................................................................................................................29
3.1 Background to the Pupicina Cave Project...................................................................................29
3.2. Environmental setting of Pupicina Cave....................................................................................30
3.3 Geoarchaeological work at Pupicina Cave: the story so far .......................................................32
3.4 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................36
Chapter 4: methods and samples...........................................................................................................37
4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................37
4.2 Methods.......................................................................................................................................37
4.3 Samples.......................................................................................................................................39
4.3.1 Sample 7: .............................................................................................................................39
4.3.2 Sample 13: ...........................................................................................................................40
......................................................................................................................................................40
4.3.3 Sample 4: .............................................................................................................................40
4.3.4 Sample 11: ...........................................................................................................................41
Chapter 5: Results.................................................................................................................................43
5.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................43
5.2 Sample 7: overview.....................................................................................................................46
5.2.1 Sample 7: microstructure and porosity ................................................................................46
5.2.2. Sample 7: coarse mineral components................................................................................47
5.2.3 Sample 7: coarse organic components.................................................................................48
6. 6
5.2.4 Sample 7: micromass ...........................................................................................................48
5.2.5 Sample 7: pedofeatures........................................................................................................48
5.3 Sample 13: overview...................................................................................................................50
5.3.1 Sample 13: microstructure and porosity ..............................................................................50
5.3.2 Sample 13: coarse mineral components...............................................................................52
5.3.3 Sample 13: coarse minerals of biological origin..................................................................52
5.3.4 Sample 13: coarse organic components...............................................................................54
5.3.4 Sample 13: micromass .........................................................................................................59
5.3.5 Sample 13: ashy plant matter...............................................................................................60
5.3.6 Sample 13: pedofeatures......................................................................................................67
5.4 Thin section 4: overview.............................................................................................................74
5.4.1 Sample 4: microstructure and porosity ................................................................................74
5.4.2 Sample 4: coarse mineral components.................................................................................76
5.4.3 Sample 4: coarse organic components.................................................................................77
5.4.4 Sample 4: micromass ...........................................................................................................78
5.4.5 Sample 4: ashy plant matter.................................................................................................79
5.4.6 Sample 4: pedofeatures ........................................................................................................80
5.5 Thin section 11: overview...........................................................................................................84
5.5.1 Sample 11: microstructure and porosity ..............................................................................85
5.5.2 Sample 11: coarse mineral components...............................................................................88
5.5.3 Sample 11: coarse organic components...............................................................................90
5.5.4 Sample 11: micromass .........................................................................................................91
5.5.5. Sample 11: ashy plant matter..............................................................................................92
Chapter 6: Discussion ...........................................................................................................................95
6.2 The geological depositional history of Pupicina Cave................................................................96
6.3 Post-depositional processes and archaeological integrity...........................................................98
6.4 The micromorphological criteria of anthropogenic combustion activities as derived from an
experimental hearth...........................................................................................................................99
6.4.1 The structural organisation of hearths..................................................................................99
6.4.2 The products and mechanics of combustion........................................................................99
6.4.3 Heating intensity: using ash bone and shell to determine temperature..............................101
6.4.5 Regarding the presence of spherulites................................................................................101
6.5 Deciphering the traces of ancient combustion activities: characterising fire-use at Pupicina
Cave. ...............................................................................................................................................103
6.5.1 Sample 4: A Palaeolithic hearth feature.............................................................................103
6.5.2 Sample 11: a Mesolithic midden and a secondary combustion feature?............................103
Chapter 7: Conclusion.........................................................................................................................105
7.1. Summary of findings................................................................................................................105
7. 7
7.2 Reflecting on research design and methods..............................................................................106
7.3 Future directions .......................................................................................................................106
References cited..................................................................................................................................107
Appendix.............................................................................................................................................113
Appendix A - Sample 7...................................................................................................................114
Appendix B – Sample 13................................................................................................................115
Sample 13. Zone 13a...................................................................................................................115
Sample 13. Zone 13b ..................................................................................................................117
Sample 13. Zone 13c...................................................................................................................118
Appendix C – Sample 4..................................................................................................................120
Sample 4. Zone 4a.......................................................................................................................120
Sample 4. Zone 4b ......................................................................................................................122
Appendix D - Sample 11.................................................................................................................123