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The article offers travel information on the town of Wells and the caves of Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The cathedral town is considered to be an important link in the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. Among its attractions are the Cheddar Showcaves & Gorge, the Wells Cathedral and the Wookey Hole Caves & Paper Mill. Information on hotels and restaurants are also provided.

The chiropteran collection that has been recovered from the two chronologically different fossiliferous assemblages of the Loutra Almopias Cave A (Pella, Macedonia, Greece) is studied. The specimens retrieved from the cave's floor sediments (LAC) are of the Late Pleistocene, whereas the specimens retrieved from the elevated chamber LAC Ia are of latest Pleistocene age. The first comprehensive systematic taxonomy and biogeographic analysis of a fossil chiropteran fauna from the Greek region was accomplished, based on the determination of the 9,004 chiropteran specimens. This resulted in the identification of 17 species from LAC and 20 from LAC Ia from three families (Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Miniopteridae) and nine genera (Rhinolophus, Myotis, Nyctalus, Pipistrellus, Vespertilio, Eptesicus, Plecotus, Barbastella, Miniopterus). Seven bat species described from the Loutra Almopias Cave A are the first known records in Greece and one species is the first Late Pleistocene record from the Balkan Peninsula. Eighteen species refer to the southernmost appearance of the Late Pleistocene of the Balkan Peninsula. Loutra Almopias Cave A served primarily as a nursery roost for many bats, and secondarily as a warm refuge during colder periods. Almost all of the chiropteran species described in this paper are now permanently resident in the region adjacent to the cave. Almost all bat species found in the Loutra Almopias Cave A are also present in the records of several localities from the Balkan Peninsula as Similarity analysis between the chiropteran faunas is indicative of an equivalent distribution in the region during the Late Pleistocene. In conclusion, the Late Pleistocene bat fauna from the Loutra Almopias Cave A is, up to date, the richest and most diverse not only from the Greek region, but also from the Balkan Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sociality in intimate geopolitics requires examining beyond traditional everyday spaces. • The subterranean amplifies the social dimensions that sustain human incursions underground. • Caves gather multiple dimensions and scales that include but also exceed the geologic. • The history and experience of Cuban militarization has important volumetric dimensions. • Relatedness is a key dimension in the experience and organization of Cuban speleology. Scholarship on voluminous geographies not only takes seriously geopolitics' three-dimensionality, but also the ways bodies experience the diverse materialities and vulnerabilities of volumetric infrastructures on the one hand, and the earth and its dynamic ecosystems, on the other. Focusing on the relational sociality among bodies—or rather, beings—as they explore and map caves, I emphasize the shared quality of how voluminous—and in particular, subterranean—geographies are created, experienced, and represented. The history of collaboration between Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces and Cuban speleologists dedicated to the exploration, study, and conservation of the country's thousands of caves, illustrates the geopolitical implications of this focus. Based on interview and ethnographic data, this paper examines the varied perspectives on the relationship between speleology and defense, beginning with an institutional history, and then shifting to the affective relational qualities of speleological practice, which I argue constitute a shared intimate geopolitics. These relational qualities manifest themselves in forms of relatedness among speleologists and places, some of which structure the organizational (including spatial) features of their practices and their resulting knowledge. Viewed through this lens, cave maps assume an intimate quality as well: as substances that bind, as heirlooms, and as tokens of reciprocity. This perspective challenges approaches to caves as disconnected voids empty of life and sociality. Indeed, caves not only amplify the social, they gather. To speak of caves as only geological phenomena is inaccurate and actually limits scholarly appreciation of their geopolitical transformative potential. In the case of Cuba, this paper makes an important contribution by accounting for intimate encounters with the earth and its representations as key players in geopolitics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciencia y Sociedad is the property of Ciencia y Sociedad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the first excavations into two Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) deposits in southern Namaqualand. The limestone shelters afforded excellent preservation, and the LSA sites contained material similar in many respects to shelters in the Cederberg range to the south. Deposition at both sites was discontinuous with a mid-Holocene pulse in Buzz Shelter followed by contact-period deposits over a total depth of some 0.45 m. In Reception Shelter the 1.40 m deposit yielded a basal age in the fifth to eighth centuries BC with pottery and domestic cow contained within a strong pulse of occupation just above this. The deposit then reflects another significant pulse in the terminal Holocene. A basal age of c. 24 000 BC suggests Pleistocene occupation of the area. Significant observations at both sites are that ostrich eggshell beads remain relatively small throughout, although those at Reception Shelter are somewhat larger, and that the typical prehistoric signature continued right through the contact period. Artefacts ascribed to a late Holocene industry so far only recognised on coastal sites were also found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper brings forth preliminary results of recent re-examination of the cave shrine at Jebel Qeili, the site best known for the rock carving shoving Meroitic Prince Shorakaror. The painted depictions in the cave shrine were examined, described, and published by H. A. MacMichael and other scholars in the 20th century. Their descriptions and reproductions are summarised and commented upon. Then they are confronted with the results of recent documentation. Using the modern digital imaging it was possible to improve the previous observations and partly re-evaluate the painted depiction of the god Amun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of mobility patterns in prehistoric communities is crucial for the understanding of their social and economic strategies. Though factors such as economics, environment, and cultural choices are strictly related to mobility, it has been demonstrated how anticipated mobility is pivotal in generating different aspects of site structure and spatial organization. Considering the stone structures uncovered at Takarkori rock shelter (southwestern Libya, central Sahara), we performed morphometrical and spatial analysis to provide appropriate indicators of mobility patterns, site structure, and activity areas among hunter-gatherers and pastoral groups that inhabited the shelter during the Early and Middle Holocene. We recognized year-round semisedentary patterns and shorter seasonal occupations, based on the number, size, typology, and topography of stone structures. The paper discusses how, through the analysis of stone structures, it is possible to recognize mobility patterns in the archaeological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In alkaline cave sediments, the presence of faecal spherulites is regarded as a reliable indicator of animal dung. Spores of coprophilous fungi are nowadays frequently employed as grazing indicators in palaeoecological sequences, but their use in dryland pastoral deposits is not routine in geoarchaeological practice. The paper assesses the relationship between the occurrence of spherulites and dung fungal spores from an abandoned rock shelter used as a stable for several decades. A clear match between these proxies is shown, and their distribution across the sediments is discussed, highlighting the potential of coprophilous spore analysis from archaeological stabling deposits, alongside other established dung indicators. The abundance of other microfossils (parasite eggs, coccolith plates and freshwater indicators) is also quantified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between humans and birds in the recent prehistory of the Southern Iberian Peninsula. With its high number of bird, mammal, and anthropomorphic paintings, a small rock shelter –Tajo de las Figuras– provides an excellent case study to address this topic. The cave is situated in an ecosystem that, as we will argue, favoured human-bird interactions and enabled prehistoric groups to engage with a diverse and rich bird community at particular times of the year. Even though the recorded depictions can generally be integrated into the wider 'Schematic' style regime characterising the recent prehistory of the region, they exhibit some outstanding features including a highly distinct naturalism. This naturalism enables us to identify the represented birds, not only at the family but also at the species level. Our contribution describes these pictorial data and contextualises them with the ecology, archaeology, and archaeozoology of the area. We intend to show that the singularity of the image-corpus registered at Tajo de las Figuras mirrors the unique conditions of human-bird interactions at the time. We suggest that the significance of the images derives from the special location of the cave in the wider landscape encouraging early practices of bird watching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elands Bay Cave (EBC) is one of the key sites for the analysis of the Late Pleistocene/Holocene record in southern Africa. It typifies an area of study, the West Coast of South Africa, which benefits from a long history of research, from the 1960s until today. The 2011 project of EBC was initiated within the framework of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) research at Diepkloof Rock Shelter (DRS). The objective was to build a local synthesis and a complementary picture on the basis of these two sites located 14 km apart from one another, on the left bank of the Verlorenvlei. The excavation at EBC took place during May 2011 with the aim of clarifying the site formation processes, the chronology of the Late Pleistocene occupations as well as the nature of the technological sequence. Our excavation focused on a 1.2 m deep profile that records two main occupational phases separated by a significant hiatus: (1) the initial phase represents an early MSA technology (previously called 'MSA 1' by T. Volman 1981) within deposits that started accumulating ca. 250 ka years ago; (2) the second phase documents (late) MSA, Early Later Stone Age (ELSA) and Robberg occupations. The present synthesis is part of a series of several papers that take a multidisciplinary perspective. In this paper, we introduce our 2011 excavation, present our main results and discuss the succession from the late MSA to the LSA at EBC. In an epilogue, we provide a comparison between the archaeological records of EBC and DRS and further explore the reasons why these two sites do not represent similar occupational sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounts in the zoological literature commonly state that the European cave-dwelling "olm," Proteus anguinus, can reproduce "facultatively" -- switching between oviparity and viviparity according to environmental circumstances. This paper evaluates the widespread allegations of viviparity in this salamander species, tracing their origins to ambiguous reports from more than a century ago. The sole basis for detailed claims for "facultative viviparity" lies with an unreliable (and potentially fraudulent) report that fails to meet minimal scientific standards. The means by which these claims have prevailed and spread reveals the risks of uncritical acceptance of uncorroborated, unreferenced assertions as "common knowledge." In the absence of trustworthy evidence to the contrary, P. anguinus should be considered as entirely oviparous like its North American confamilials. Given recent demonstration of oviparity in a putatively live-bearing Hydromantes, definitive evidence of viviparity in urodeles is restricted to a single clade of the family Salamandridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caves are generally very stable spaces, but easily alterable from the environmental point of view. In show caves, the geochemical rock-atmosphere interface in carbonate karst caves can be affected by tourism. In this regard, the influence of tourism on the increase of CO 2 concentration is particularly important. Therefore, knowing the visitor influx that guarantees the maintenance of the natural balance of show caves is of special interest from the point of view of management and conservation. In this paper, a novel method to determine the maximum recommended number of visitors in periods of a massive influx of tourists in show caves is proposed. This method consists of relating the CO 2 level, its derivative and the presence of visitors by means of a linear model. Afterwards, an initial value problem to predict the CO 2 concentration throughout the day is established, using the expected pattern of visits and the CO 2 concentration at the beginning of the day as inputs. The results show an excellent performance when used as a descriptive model (correlation coefficient R ≈ 0.99 with respect to the actual values), and as a predictive model (R ≈ 0.95). Once the global predictive model has been learned, it can be used to make predictions about the CO 2 levels in any other future events. Thus, the proposed method allows running simulations of different regimes of visits (for instance, limiting the desired maximum level of CO 2), allowing cave managers to determine the best regime for a specific cave. Therefore, this method can be useful to minimize the impact of tourism on show caves while maximizing its visitor capacity, helping to protect underground ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rudarsko-Geolosko-Naftni Zbornik is the property of Faculty of Mining, Geology & Petroleum Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The embedded hygrothermal environment of cultural heritages (solar radiation, temperature, humidity, etc.) plays a significant role in their conservation and survival, especially in the case of outdoor ones. The surface loss of painted statues is often related to fluctuations in the surface temperature caused by the ever-changing solar radiation; however, the quantitative relationship between them remains unclear. To clarify, in this paper, hygrothermal monitoring and numerical simulation were conducted on painted statues with an age of over 1400 years in the World Heritage Maijishan Grottoes. The results showed that the ruined eaves have led to significant differences in solar radiation intensity and surface temperature between the upper and lower statues, with maximum values of 598.7 W/m2 and 13.6 °C, respectively, corresponding to surface loss rates of nearly 15% and 50%. Under the influence of direct insolation, the thermal stress on the statue surface increased with decreasing height, resulting in a difference of 10.8 kPa between the highest and lowest points. Taking the tensile strength of clay (10 kPa) as a threshold of thermal stress, the yearly number of events exceeding this threshold at the upper and lower rows were 2819 and 3173, respectively. Overall, direct insolation has a significant effect on the temperature changes on painted statue surfaces, thus leading to greater thermal stress and greater degrees of surface loss. For heritages in open or semi-open environments, it is necessary and effective to evaluate their preservation conditions based on the threshold and then propose suitable conservation methods for preventive protection. • Two vertically adjacent rows of statues in a semi-open grotto show varied loss rates. • Inadequate protection of ruined eaves lead to vertical distribution of thermal stress. • Solar-induced thermal stress is one of the main reasons for surface deteriorations. • A suggested early warning threshold of temperature differences (6.0 °C) is proposed. • Protective facility is needed and effective for heritage exposed to direct insolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecology is a branch of biology that studies the interaction and relationship between organisms and their environment. Abundance, distribution of organisms and patterns of biodiversity are great interests for many ecologists. One of interesting ecosystems to be studied is a cave. A cave has a typical environment character with a vulnerable ecosystem. Many caves in Indonesia, particularly in Gunungsewu karst area have been developed into tourist objects (show caves) and managed imprudently. Such cave management has potential to harm the environment and leads to ecosystem destruction. Arthropods are the most abundance fauna in cave that play critical roles in maintaining cave ecosystems equilibrium. In the heart of statistical ecology, we need to analyze the differences on Arthropods community and abiotic (climatic-edaphic) parameters among show caves and wild caves. Statistical techniques are needed for the extraction of such information. GLLVM is one method that is able to explain spatial-based information and is particularly suitable for ecology. In this paper, we use negative binomial models to see the differences on spatial patterns of predator and decomposer Arthropods, also characteristic of edaphic and climatic in each cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave ecosystem research has known a growing interest in the last years. Nonetheless there is more to be found out about underground world of caves. The difficulty of access and rapid change of conditions that might occur in many cases, among other factors make the survey of this kind of environment a hard task to accomplish. This paper applies on three caves from Romania, the attempts made by other authors in assessing the degree of cave environment degradation. Method used combines characteristics of both subterranean and supraterranen domains associated to caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hong Kong's steep hilly terrain poses significant constraints on its urban development. The shortage of developable land forms a key driver to explore other sustainable and innovative approaches to expand land resources. Rock caverns and underground space are viable sources of land supply, which can provide solution space for a broad variety of land uses and help address problems encountered in the congested urban environment. The enhanced use of these ‘hidden’ land resources can offer new opportunities for Hong Kong's planning and development gains. Since 2010, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has launched a number of strategic studies and pilot projects to unleash the potential of systematic utilization of rock caverns and underground space. The overall strategy is to formulate a holistic and long-term plan for wider application of rock caverns at the urban fringes and underground space in the urban areas. This paper aims to present the findings of the on-going studies to date, with particular focus on the initiatives being developed to take forward the long-term strategy for cavern development in Hong Kong. Notable overseas examples are cited to illustrate the benefits yielded by this innovative approach. Challenges and solutions with respect to the implementation will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat guano deposits are increasingly used as records of past environmental changes, an approach that requires a precise chronology of the guano layers. This paper presents a comparison between the well-established 14C dating method and methods based on natural 210Pb excesses, (210Pb) ex , and artificial radionuclides 137Cs and 241Am. The studied example is a bat guano deposit from a cave in SW France (the Brantites III cave), which is currently investigated for paleo-environmental reconstructions using stable isotopes. 14C data show that the upper part of the guano deposit accumulated during the last 150 years with a marked increase in accumulation rates after around 1960 AD. While the incorporation of atmospheric 14C in guano is a well-understood process, the origin of 210Pb excesses is more complex. Based on consideration of 137Cs and (210Pb) ex inventories recorded in undisturbed soils in France, and the measured inventories in the guano deposit, we suggest that most of the 210Pb excess is produced by 222Rn decay in the cave air and then adsorbed onto the guano. As Radon concentrations in caves can vary significantly on both short and long-term timescales, one needs to be cautious before applying the often-used CRS (constant rate of supply of 210Pb excess) model to guano dating. Our (210Pb) ex data are best interpreted by two successive periods of roughly constant, but widely different accumulation rates (0.3 cm/y and 2.6 cm/y before and after 1960, respectively) and (210Pb) ex fluxes. We suggest that these relatively abrupt variations result from a change in cave ventilation leading to a more favourable shelter for bats after 1960. The upper 40 cm of the deposit shows evidence of 210Pb mobility, adding a further complexity to the interpretation of (210Pb) ex profiles in guano deposits. However, the existence of well-defined 137Cs and 241Am peaks allows a precise identification of the year of maximum atmospheric fallouts (∼1963–1964). When the ages provided by artificial radionuclides are combined with the 210Pb-derived accumulation rates, an age model can be built, which is in good agreement with the 14C age model. This example shows that the (210Pb) ex method, when associated with 137Cs (241Am) data, can be used to date recent guano deposit, although its application is not as straightforward as the 14C method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geomechanical modeling of salt caverns for CO 2 storage in northeast Thailand. • Evaluation of 5 cavern shapes (spherical, bulb, teardrop, pear, cylindrical). • Stability of all cavern shapes is dependent on the operating stage. • A bulb-shaped cavern proved to be the optimal shape. Salt caverns are an adequate solution for the sequestration of CO 2 (large capacity, safety and long-term operation). The large rock salt deposits of the Maha Sarakham Formation represent a very promising location. Designing salt caverns is still a complex issue. In this paper, the stability of typical cavern shapes (spherical, cylindrical, teardrop, bulb, and pear) was evaluated based on displacement, von Mises stress, safety factor, and volume change. The analysis aimed to find the optimal cavern shape for salt deposits at Ban Nong Plue, Borabue district, Maha Sarakham province, northeast Thailand. The Finite Element simulations investigating the cavern stability are carried out for a time span of 600 years (> 500 years is considered permanent storage). The bulb-shaped cavern yielded the best results, indicating that it constitutes the optimal shape in the given geological conditions. The stability of all analyzed caverns showed a dependence on the operating stage. Each stability factor exhibited large differences between the periods of cavern construction/brine discharge and pre-pressurization by CO 2 injection. A lower cavern pressure negatively affected the evaluated factors. The results can be useful in planning future cavern fields for CO 2 storage (and other gases) in salt deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Middle Stone Age (EMSA) of southern Africa represents a poorly defined period in terms of chronology, palaeoenvironments, subsistence strategies and technological traditions. This lack of understanding is directly related to the low number of EMSA deposits that have been excavated, but concomitantly, it also reflects the poor interest accorded by most of the recent archaeological projects. In this context, the excavation that we undertook at Elands Bay Cave (EBC) in the West Coast of South Africa in 2011 provides a good opportunity to discuss the oldest occupations at the site, which have been assigned to the 'MSA 1' by T. Volman (1981) and which purportedly belong to the earliest MSA traditions of southern Africa. In the present paper, we provide a technological study of the 'MSA 1' lithic assemblage. Our results demonstrate the near-exclusive use of local quartzite by the inhabitants of EBC. This raw material was preferentially selected in the form of slabs and large flakes to produce blanks that were used without further retouching. We identified various reduction sequences that we unify under a concept referred to as 'POL-reduction strategy'. Furthermore, we perform intersite technological comparisons and conclude that on technological grounds the 'MSA 1' of Elands Bay Cave dates back to MIS 6, in agreement with the luminescence dating. We acknowledge current difficulties in building a chrono-cultural framework at a subcontinental scale. Thus, we discuss the relevance of the term 'MSA 1' and instead advocate a more neutral and generic label of 'EMSA' (understood here as late Middle Pleistocene MSA technologies). The analysis of the EMSA of EBC sheds new light on the patterns and changes that characterise behaviours and organisations of Anatomically Modern Humans over the last 200 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011 we conducted a field campaign at the site of Elands Bay Cave (EBC), on the West coast of South Africa, with the aim of clarifying the nature and chronology of its human Pleistocene occupations. In the present paper, we present the results of a chronology based on various materials and methods: radiocarbon (C14) dating was applied to 8 fragments of charcoal whereas luminescence dating methods (OSL, IRSL and TL) were applied to quartz and feldspar grains extracted from 5 sediment samples and to 4 burnt fragments of quartzite rock. For the upper part of the sequence, the luminescence ages are either in agreement with or slightly younger than the C14 ages. The results suggest that the upper part of the EBC sequence extends from MIS3 to MIS2, including successively late Middle Stone Age (starting from 38 ± 3 ka), Early Later Stone Age (ending 22 ka ago) and Robberg occupations (starting 19.1 ± 0.3 ka ago). The lower part of the EBC sequence, associated with Early Middle Stone Age assemblages, remains poorly constrained: the sediment sample taken above could be a mixture of different layers and could not be dated, whereas OSL ages for sediments below are 236 ± 23 ka and only one stone sample could be dated within this layer (83 ± 14 ka). Considering both the chronological and techno-cultural points of view, the EBC sequence is complementary to the Diepkloof sequence, located less than 20 km eastward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The area around Elands Bay and the adjacent interior landscapes west of the Doring River have been subject to intense archaeological investigation over the last ∼50 years. The result is a region with great depth and diversity of archaeological information. In this paper I discuss three general observations that arise from the integration of data across this region. The first is that redundancy in site occupation is limited: even where many sites are excavated in a small area, understanding of the regional sequence cannot be assumed to be complete. The second is that humans did not live in rock shelters: a focus on rock shelters alone, even where these are abundant, produces a skewed picture of occupational and demographic histories. The third is that the coast and its hinterland are intimately bound: interaction between the two zones is variable, and even where it is limited this observation is important to the understanding of both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the on-site monitoring data, the surface subsidence in the Jintan underground gas storage site has occurred continuously since the construction and operation of gas storage engineering. Therefore, the prediction of surface subsidence above gas storage in salt caverns is important to ensure the long-term safety of gas storage. Based on the mechanics theory, the formulas of elastic deformation of spherical and cylindrical caverns are derived. The Burgers viscoelastic model is used to describe the creep of rock salt. The viscoelastic analytical solution of the cavern deformation is obtained by using the correspondence principle in viscoelastic theory. It is assumed that the volume of the surface subsidence basin is directly proportional to the shrinkage volume of the cavern. The surface subsidence distribution curve is described by a Gaussian function. The spatiotemporal prediction of surface subsidence above gas storage in salt caverns based on viscoelastic theory is thus developed. The proposed theoretical model is used to analyze the surface subsidence above a gas storage cavern in rock salt in Jintan. The calculated subsidence is compared with the monitoring data. The accuracy of the theoretical model is verified by numerical simulation. The theoretical model can be used to predict the surface subsidence considering the solution stage in which the internal pressure changes with time. Results of this paper can provide guidance and suggestions for engineering practice of gas storage in salt caverns. • A spatiotemporal prediction of surface subsidence above gas storage in salt caverns based on viscoelastic theory is developed. • A gas storage cavern in rock salt in Jintan is taken as a study case. • The accuracy of the model is verified by monitoring data and numerical simulation. • The theoretical model can predict the subsidence under a variable internal pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates changes in subsistence strategies at the upland cave site of Nugljanska (Croatia) at the end of the last ice age, during a time of rapid sea level rise and changing environment. We analysed the faunal assemblage from archaeological levels spanning the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (15,000-8000 years BP) and evaluated changes in relative abundance of species, measured species diversity, and compared the representation of terrestrial mammal and marine resources. We found a significant shift in the most abundant prey species exploited (from red deer, Cervus, to wild boar, Sus). There was some correlation between dietary diversification and periods of increased moisture availability and the spread of deciduous forest in the area. Our results suggest that there was a continuing reliance on terrestrial resources throughout time and that changes in dietary patterns were likely due to local environmental change and potentially, changing seasonal mobility strategies, at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) approach is employed for estimating the maturity of CCS System. • A Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) for a new Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) concept using offshore salt caverns. • A concept system that allows the monetization of the separated natural gas. • A salt cavern for the storage of 1 billion Sm3 (Standard cubic meter) of a natural gas stream with high CO 2 content. This article presents a Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) of a new concept called the Salt Cavern Hybrid Subsea Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) System, which performs all the offshore natural gas and CO 2 separation process with subsequent storage in offshore underground salt caverns. Currently there is a demand for CCS of large quantities of CO 2 associated with CH 4 in the pre-salt offshore oil fields in Brazil. The pre-salt reservoirs have as caprock 2000 m of continuous rock salt. This hybrid system is expected to perform, at the same time, the separation between the natural gas and CO 2 , and Carbon Capture and Storage of CO 2 , allowing the monetization of the separated natural gas. The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) approach is discussed in this paper for estimating the maturity of the CCS System. The TRL analysis concluded that no technological gaps were identified that would made the project unfeasible and the TRL level enables the project to advance to the field test stage within a reasonably short time horizon. Once implemented it could be one of the largest CCS projects in the world. Also, this paper describes the conceptual design of this hybrid system and presents the results of a TRA showing the methodology that was employed in the process, the technology critical items that were analyzed and the results obtained for each of them and the design of a salt cavern for the storage of 1 billion Sm3 (Standard cubic meter) of a natural gas stream with high CO 2 content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with vertical storage, horizontal storage in bedded salt rock deposits is reasonable and scientific for large-capacity gas storage and for avoiding the risk of interlayer and interfacial oil and gas leaks. The single-well retreating horizontal (SWRH) leaching method is introduced in this paper. After calculating similarity ratios, a physical similarity simulation experiment was conducted for inferring the cavern shape. A numerical model was developed based on the inferred cavern shape, and the stability of the SWRH cavern was analysed. Reasonable values of the cycle frequency and the roof and floor salt layers' thicknesses were determined. The effects of the pillar width and asynchronous internal gas pressure between adjacent caverns were analysed. The results show that the SWRH cavern satisfies the safety requirements of bedded salt rock districts over the entire design lifetime. A cyclic frequency that is too low and asynchronous internal gas pressure are not conducive to the stability and reliability of the cavern. To ensure stability, the thicknesses of the roof and floor salt rock layers of the horizontal cavern should exceed 16 m and 6 m, respectively. This study opens new vistas for constructing horizontal gas-storage systems in bedded salt rock. • The single-well retreating horizontal (SWRH) leaching method is introduced. • The SWRH leaching method in bedded salt rock is economical and efficient. • The stability and reliability of using SWRH cavern for gas storage are analysed. • Design parameters of the SWRH cavern for underground gas storage are optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the first excavations into two Holocene Later Stone Age (LSA) deposits in southern Namaqualand. The limestone shelters afforded excellent preservation, and the LSA sites contained material similar in many respects to shelters in the Cederberg range to the south. Deposition at both sites was discontinuous with a mid-Holocene pulse in Buzz Shelter followed by contact-period deposits over a total depth of some 0.45 m. In Reception Shelter the 1.40 m deposit yielded a basal age in the fifth to eighth centuries BC with pottery and domestic cow contained within a strong pulse of occupation just above this. The deposit then reflects another significant pulse in the terminal Holocene. A basal age of c. 24 000 BC suggests Pleistocene occupation of the area. Significant observations at both sites are that ostrich eggshell beads remain relatively small throughout, although those at Reception Shelter are somewhat larger, and that the typical prehistoric signature continued right through the contact period. Artefacts ascribed to a late Holocene industry so far only recognised on coastal sites were also found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Letras (0326-3363) is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An assemblage of flint and quartz artefacts recovered during the destruction of Kilmefort Cave, Argyll, in 1956, was initially attributed to the Mesolithic period. In this paper the assemblage is reanalysed and the conclusion that it represents the residue of human occupation at the site during the Late Glacial lnterstadial is reached. Typological considerations indicate the assemblage is of Curve-Backed Point Group (Federmessergruppen) affiliation and likely to date to the 12th millennium 14C yr Bp. Significantly, the evidence from Kilmelfort provides the first substantive indication of the presence of Late Upper Palaeolithic hunters in Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock art near Guadalupe Canyon includes both petroglyph and pictograph sites. This paper documents a rock shelter in the canyon containing pictographs in both black and red pigments. The black figures were made in two styles, by painting using a black pigment and by scratching with a charcoal stick. As judged by content, superposition and preservation, the black figures (of both types) seem much more recent than most of the red figures. Because of fading and superposition, the red figures can be very difficult to make out. The DStretch rock art enhancement program was used to improve the visibility of the red figures. The abstract style of the faded red figures differs from the painted black figures, which include many anthropomorphs and animals, and from the scratched black designs. There are stylistic similarities between the faded red designs and petroglyphs found in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-well-vertical (TWV) cavern-constructing with gas blanket technology is an important alternative to the single-well (SW) with oil blanket technology. This technology has the advantages of achieving larger cavern volume, clean brine, great water flow rate, and high economic benefits. Promoting and developing its theory and technology will help the future development of salt mining and cavern construction for energy storage in China, as it is in the initial stage. In this paper, a visualized physical simulation platform of water dissolving of the TWV caverns with gas blanket was established, and large size salt rock blocks were used to simulate the constructing process of salt caverns. The similarity ratios of size, flow rate, and time between prototype and model were calculated by using the similarity theory and dimensional analysis. A series of physical simulation tests of water-dissolving caverns were carried out, that the research factors including the two-well-spacing, flow rate, and gas/oil blanket. The results show that: (1) The water flow rate can be increased to 200–400 m3/h by increasing the two-well-spacing when using the TWV technology, which is 2–4 times that of the single-well. (2) It is found that 30–40 m is the optimal size for the two-well-spacing, and the two-well-space is much larger than 40 m may exist risks of roof instability. (3) During the initial stage of cavern construction, it will obtain a smaller lateral solution angle and an ideal cavern bottom groove shape with gas blanket. After the cavern construction is finished, it also will obtain better cavern shape, larger cavern volume and clean brine by comparing with oil blanket. So, the technology of the TWV cavern construction with gas blanket is promising for brine leaching and energy storage cavern construction and it is also worth further study. • Build a large-size salt blocks cavern-constructing platform of two-well-vertical (TWV) salt caverns with gas-blanket. • The clean brine and high economic efficiencies will obtain with the gas blanket method. • Caverns should raise withdrawal tubing and turn wells to control the cavern shape and lateral angle of dissolution. • The lower water flow rate and thicker gas blanket should be used in cavern construction period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archivo de Prehistoria Levantina is the property of Museu de Prehistoria de Valencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archivo de Prehistoria Levantina is the property of Museu de Prehistoria de Valencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual reality (VR) applications are transforming the way architecture is conceived and produced. By introducing an open and inclusive approach, they encourage a creative dialogue with the users of residential schemes and other buildings and allow competition juries a more thorough understanding of architectural concepts. Architects need to heed the dynamics set in motion by these technologies, especially how laypersons interpret building forms and their simulations in interactive VR environments. The article presents a study that compares aspects of spatial perception in a physical environment versus two virtual ones, the CAVE and the Panorama. In a report, statistical analysis, and discussion of the results, the paper addresses three hypothetical assertions: (1) depth perception in physical reality and its virtual representations in the CAVE and Panorama are quantifiably different, (2) differences are attributable to prior contextual experience of the viewer, and (3) spatial ability is an important contributing factor. Results in the two virtual environments tested show consistent differences in how depth and shape are perceived, indicating that VR context is a significant variable in spatial representation. It is asserted that perception of shape and distance display fundamental conditions of the CAVE and Panorama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavations in the 1920s at the Creag nan Uamh bone caves, near Inchnadamph, aroused considerable interest in the possibility of evidence for a Palaeolithic presence in north-west Scotland. Four objects found during those excavations, including the one on which the principal claim for a Palaeolithic date was based, are published here for the first time. Two are probable Viking Age/early medieval artefacts of unusual type, one is undated but is possibly also of the same period, and the fourth, while almost certainly of Pleistocene age, is regarded as an unmodified natural object, Collectively these items serve to discount previous claims for Palaeolithic human presence. Radiocarbon dating of the human skeletal remains found, however, suggests the caves were a burial place in the Neolithic period. This paper makes extensive use of archive documentation to put the 1920s discoveries at Creag nan Uamh and their aftermath into historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China, temperature and relative humidity (RH) fluctuations are the main causes of the observed deterioration. In this paper, we experimentally and numerically analyze hygrothermal transfer in the cave wall of the Mogao Grottoes. A coupled heat and moisture transfer 1D model is developed to simulate the hygrothermal behavior of the cave wall of the Mogao Grottoes, which adopts the temperature and water vapor pressure as driving potentials. The model is implemented in a programming. By constructing the numerical model of the wall under boundary conditions and comparing the measured data and simulation results, we validate the numerical model and analyze the hygrothermal transfer characteristics of the wall. The temperature and moisture profiles of the cave wall are experimentally measured and numerically determined. The simulation results are compared to experimental temperature and RH values, with good agreement despite the simplifying hypotheses adopted during modeling. By analyzing the heat and moisture distributions, we find that the heat and moisture transfer process in the cave wall changes in space and time. The complicated heat and moisture transfer directions vary cyclically. Additionally, moisture transfer in the cave wall reaches the steady state more rapidly than heat transfer. Hygrothermal cycling plays an essential role in the development of mural deterioration. The developed model provides theoretical support and a scientific method for the conservation of cave sites and a quantitative analysis approach to study mural relics. • Apply multidisciplinary method to studying mural disease in historical heritage. • Set up a hygrothermal transfer model for the cave walls, and evaluate the results. • Analyze the heat and moisture transfer properties in cave walls experimentally and numerically. • Provide a salt damage mechanism on murals relating to heat and moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic bacterial pathogen that causes life-threatening infections to humans especially patients who are immunocompromised. Treatment and control of P. aeruginosa infections pose a serious challenge due to extreme resistance towards multiple antimicrobial agents. In this paper, the possibility of screening and isolating lytic bacteriophages from cave samples were studied. The efficiency of these phages to inactivate P. aeruginosa PAO1 cells was performed in in-vitro co-culture assays at 37 °C using five multiplicity of infection (MOI) ratios. The best performing phages were selected and their biocontrol potentials assessed on P. aeruginosa PAO1 immobilized sand samples. A total of 33 phages with distinctive plaque morphologies and titers (106-1015 PFU mL−1) were isolated using an enrichment culture method. At 6 h post-phage treatment, phage cocktail (MOI 104) showed the highest bacterial log 10 CFU mL−1 reduction of 11.82, while φWCSS4PA (MOI 104) and φCocktail (MOI 102) showed the highest bacterial log 10 CFU mL−1 reductions of 10.5 and 10.86, respectively at 24 h post-treatment. Sand decontamination results showed that bacteriophages φFCPA3, φWCSS4PA and φCocktail were capable to significantly reduce 99% of the bacterial load at 6 h post-treatment. However, there was no noticeable reduction of the bacterial cells at 24 h and 48 h post-phage treatment. Optimizing the treatment concentrations and conditions for successful bacterial inactivation at longer incubation period is required. The significance of this study indicates that lytic phages isolated from extreme environments such as limestone cave region can serve as potential biocontrol agents against pathogenic bacteria. • Enrichment culture method was used for phage isolation. • Thirty-three phages with distinctive plaque morphologies were isolated. • Host range analysis and in-vitro bacteriolytic activity of the phages were performed. • Efficiency to control Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 contaminated sands was tested. • Phages φFCPA3, φWCSS4PA and φCocktail can serve as potential biocontrol agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave exploration is a popular activity in the United States that can be challenging, thrilling, and dangerous. In addition to common risks associated with caves on the mainland, caves in Hawai'i may be filled with tidal water, or contain large pools of water that are accessible only through underwater entrances. This paper will discuss common injuries in caves on the mainland United States, as well as cave related injuries in Hawai'i as reported to the National Speleological Society from 1984-2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perhaps most important physical evidence concerning the question of hominoid cognitive abilities is the "australopithecine" jasperite cobble from the cave of Makapanagat, South Africa. Although excavated in 1925. it was not closely examined until 1997. This paper reports the findings of this examination. Much of the cobble's long and complex history is reconstructed on the basis of an array of surface markings and residues of various types. The object is found to be an entirely natural product, a manuport that was carried into the cave. The author agrees with previous commentators that this was probably because of the colour and very prominent markings of the cobble. which implies a rudimentary australopithecine ability to appreciate the unusual properties of the object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the history of painting materials. Painting started 40,000 years ago in Europe through the prehistoric paintings found at the interiors of caves in Lascaux, France, where chemicals used include ochre, charcoal, and haematite. Egyptians improved painting pigments 35,000 years ago by combining colours and using egg yolk, which is also known as tempera. Sustainable painting materials have been developed including moss paint, d-limonene, and coloured clay.