This dissertation examines the discourses of race, nation and ethnicity in late Qing and early republican China, focusing primarily on representations of the Han. It argues that the competing and changing representations of the Han in this period formed an integral part of the process of modern Chinese nation building. The empirical basis of the dissertation consists of three layers: intellectuals discourses, school textbooks and dictionaries. These layers constituted interconnected layers of discourses that were involved in the broader process of Chinese nation-building. The dissertation demonstrates that intellectuals discourses played a central role in constructing new notions of Chinese identity and the role of the Han, and thereby also in producing different templates or for Chinese nation-building during the late Qing and early republican period. After the establishment of the Chinese Republic in 1911, these modern perceptions of Chinese national identity were endorsed by the ruling elites and were gradually disseminated and popularised further by means of school textbooks and dictionaries. Taken together, the examination of discourses on the Han in these three types of sources therefore offers an account of how early Chinese nationalist ideas were produced among the elites and then disseminated among the broader population.

This study presents an analysis of the zooarchaeological remains from Klissoura Cave 1, a Middle Paleolithic through Mesolithic site in Peloponnese, Greece. Changes in subsistence patterns are evaluated across a long sequence (ca. 80,000-10,000 BP) against a backdrop of environmental change. Results are interpreted using models from evolutionary ecology, specifically prey choice, central place foraging, and patch choice models. Two major trends are apparent in the series. One is a decline in the exploitation of high-ranked ungulate species with an overall increase in lower-ranked small game animals. The second is an increase in low-ranked small, fast-fast moving animals (e.g., hares and partridges) at the expense of higher-ranked small, slow-moving animals (e.g., tortoises). These changes cannot be accounted for by environmental shifts alone, though shifts in ungulate diversity likely track the expansion and contraction of plant communities. The increase in use of low-ranked prey indicates human population growth and demographic pressure in southern Greece during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. In addition to these overarching trends, there are changes in site use during the sequence. In the Middle Paleolithic, foragers used Klissoura Cave 1 more during the winter and overwhelmingly hunted prime-aged adult animals, maternal herds of fallow deer in particular. In the Upper Paleolithic and later periods, the site continued to be used during the winter, in addition to other times of year, but the mortality profiles reflect a natural fallow deer herd structure. There was an intense period of occupation during the Aurignacian period. This is evidenced by numerous clay-lined hearth features, a possible rock-lined structure, and increases in ornaments, as well as abundant lithic and faunal materials. The ungulate faunas are particularly rich during this period, but there is evidence of resource intensification based on increased bone marrow processing and the transport of marrow-rich elements to the site. After this period there was a gradual decline in site use through the end of the Upper Paleolithic and into the Mesolithic, though the exploitation of low-ranked resources (e.g., small, fast-moving game) indicates that populations were on the rise in there region as a whole.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to map the distribution of till-covered eskers in the inland of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. The top layers of big eskers along the valleys of Öre River, Ume River and Vindel River were investigated through shallow digging. Findings were investigated through field assessment and soil analysis and many locations with till-covered eskers have been identified in Västerbotten's inland in this survey. The till covering the eskers has probably been transported only short distances and has its origins in glacifluvial material. The pattern is not consistent and there are areas where till does not cover the eskers. This can be explained trough irregular till deposition or that the till has been washed away or alternatively that the upper layer that is interpreted as glacifluvial material actually is till that has only been transported for very short distances. The findings of till-covered eskers in Västerbotten means that the traditional view of the eskers originating from the last deglaciation (Weichsel 3) may need to be reviewed. Where overlaying till has been found on top of eskers it means that the eskers must have originated in an earlier glaciation than the last. Only one layer of till could be discerned on the eskers in the survey, so an explanation could be that the till formed during Weichsel 3 and that the eskers formed earlier by the deglaciation of Weichsel 2, but dating the layers in till-covered eskers is difficult. No transition zone between till-covered to not till-covered eskers was found in this study.

The Mediterranean has long been recognised as an area that is particularly sensitive to climate change. It is also an area that has been impacted by human activity for millennia. Disentangling climatic and anthropogenic influences on the history of vegetation change in the Mediterranean remains an important challenge. As a contribution to this ongoing debate, this thesis explores the late Holocene environment of part of the coast in Central Italy using a multiproxy approach to investigate the archives of change preserved in dune slack deposits. Distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic signals presents a real challenge in most environmental reconstruction work; however, due to the extensive archaeological research carried out at Castelporziano, it is possible to examine human-environmental interactions in some detail. In order to understand these interactions part of the thesis examines how management has affected recent environmental changes and the current vegetation and whether there is a legacy of Roman landuse at the Castelporziano estate. The key findings of the thesis showed that dune slacks are suitable for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction with proxies such as plant macrofossils, ostracods, molluscs and bryozoans statoblasts. However, the pH and seasonality of the slacks meant proxies such as pollen were badly preserved or absent, and diatoms did not preserve due to the high levels of carbonate on site. Overall the results show the impact of the Romans on site in terms of localised eutrophication and increased fires, but with abandonment, came the formation of wet woodlands.

The purpose of the thesis was to explore what students within vocational education are expected to learn and the practices that constitute vocational education in Swedish upper secondary school. The empirical basis for the thesis is two studies, both of which have been reported separately. In the first study, twelve vocational teachers were interviewed sequentially. Classroom observations were made of the tasks their students worked with and these supplemented the interviews. The second study consists of case studies of five teachers in academic subjects within vocational education. Here sequential interviews of the teachers and classroom observations of the tasks their students worked with were supplemented with group interviews of their students and, in two cases, of collaborating vocational teachers. A social perspective on knowing and learning was used for analysing data. The results from the interviews with the vocational teachers show that what they wanted their students to learn in vocational education (their object) is related to vocational knowing but is not the same thing. Knowing in school can be regarded as preparation for work within the respective vocational area, as preparation for further learning and as preparation for citizenship. The first category relates to vocational knowing, whereas the latter two relate to a broader commission of education in late modernity – the risk and uncertainty of the future work situation that the students are likely to encounter. The tasks were analysed regarding their content, form, and the tools used for completing the tasks. Three categories of tasks were construed: school tasks, simulated tasks and vocational tasks. School tasks are characterised by that they employ the practice of school, whereas the vocational tasks employ the practice of the respective vocation. Simulated tasks are specific in that they allow a testing and correction of the result before the job is done. Through school tasks the students were introduced into a new content. Vocational tasks were used in bridging school and work. Besides the obvious tools of the respective vocation, texts were also used as tools in the work with the tasks. Most texts were vocational texts, i.e. texts that were used in similar ways in school as within the vocation. The second study, case studies of five teachers in academic subjects within vocational education, focused the infused tasks their students worked with. These results showed that the teachers used three different steering documents for planning their work: the national curriculum for upper secondary school, the objectives of the respective programme, and the syllabuses for their subject. By using all three documents, they were able to construct infused tasks. These tasks made it possible for the students to see other aspects of their respective vocational area than within the vocational subjects, e.g. the environmental work, historical aspects etc. The texts the academic teachers used were not the same as those used by vocational teachers. These texts were texts ‘imposed by others’ (e.g. local authorities) but also used for work within the vocation. The ‘theorisation’ of vocational education, that has been claimed to be a consequence of the academic subjects, can be seen rather as a change within the vocations from an oral to a literate culture. In completing many of the tasks observed, theoretical knowledge from different domains, as well as skills were needed. Vocational education as a purely ‘practical’ education is therefore a myth. A variety of texts were used within vocational education for the work, mostly as tools. The literate practices of vocational education are similar to the literate practices of the vocations rather than to those of school. New tools seem to change working life and vocational education as well. This implies that a different kind of vocational knowing is needed. When employers control or simulate production processes instead of doing the manual work, vocational knowing becomes something else. This new kind of work is dependent on a different kind of experience. Thus the theorisation of the vocational education is a theorisation – or rather an abstraction – on many levels. Some of them have been developed within the vocations, others are imposed from the outside. Three social practices, vocational education, working life and academic education, formally have a joint responsibility for the vocational education. Depending on if and to what extent they collaborate, the learning practices offered to the students will differ. With collaboration, as in these two studies, the students encounter learning practices where the content from each of the three contexts can be experienced as reembedded into new contexts. / <p>Därtill 4 uppsatser</p>

Cicero‘s value as a military commentator has traditionally been obscured by his reputation as an unmilitary figure. This focus ignores the considerable quantity – and quality – of references to military matters in his writings, as well as the engagement demanded by his public profile as a senior senator and advocate during the war-torn final decades of the Republic. As a participant-witness writing as events unfolded, he provides unrivalled insight into developing contemporary issues from an equally unrivalled civilian/domestic perspective. Far from precluding meaningful discussion, this perspective draws attention to the wider consequences of the activities of the army, from their symbolic representation of Rome‘s might to their impact on domestic stability and role in imperial expansion. This thesis explores Cicero‘s contribution to the militarized culture of the late Republic, bringing together his military-themed comments in the first major study of its kind. Chapter 1 sets the scene with an examination of his military service, demonstrating that it met the standards of the day and identifying characteristics of his outlook that can be linked directly to his experience. Chapter 2 investigates his engagement with Rome‘s military heritage by way of his use of military exempla, specifically the priorities indicated by his choice and description of these figures. Chapter 3 presents a similar assessment of his relationships with contemporary military figures, noting the effect of their political influence on the interest he took in their military responsibilities. Chapters 4 and 5 assess his theory concerning military matters in the domestic and foreign spheres, respectively. Both highlight the focus on ethics which sets Cicero‘s theory apart from that of his contemporaries. Finally,chapter 6 addresses the tension between civic and military values in the previous chapters, contextualizing his pro-civic bias as a reaction to military despotism rather than anti-militarism for its own sake. The analysis of these themes confirms Cicero‘s awareness of military matters as well as his contemporary authority as a commentator. It moreover highlights the historical value of his remarks as the rhetorical product of a civilian context and an alternative discourse about the relationship between the army and the state. Although his views are broadly comparable to those of contemporary authors, his coverage of associated domestic concerns is not. The end result is an account of military matters which complements conventional military histories and manuals of military science, and deserves to be taken seriously as military commentary.

In central Anatolia, Turkey, a strand of the former northern Neotethys Ocean subducted northwards under the Eurasian (Pontide) active margin during Late Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic time. Subduction and regional plate convergence were associated with the generation and emplacement of accretionary complexes and supra-subduction zone-type ophiolites onto former passive margins of microcontinents. The resultant suture zones contain Late Cretaceous to Middle Eocene basins (“The Central Anatolian Basins”) including: 1) the Kırıkkale Basin; 2) the Çankırı Basin, 3) the Tuz Gölü Basin and; 4) the Haymana - Polatlı Basin. Using stratigraphic logging, igneous geochemistry, micropalaeontology and provenance studies, this study tests two end-member models of basin evolution. In model one, the basins developed on obducted ophiolitic nappes following closure of a single northern Neotethys Ocean during the latest Cretaceous. In model two, northern Neotethys comprised two oceanic strands, the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Ocean to the north and the Inner Tauride Ocean to the south, separated by the Niğde-Kırşehir microcontinent, which was rifted from the Gondwana continent to the south. In this scenario, the basins developed as accretionary-type basins, associated with north-dipping subduction which persisted until the Middle Eocene when continental collision occurred. Where exposed, the basements of the Central Anatolian Basins comprise the Ankara Mélange, a mainly Upper Cretaceous subduction-accretion complex and the western/northern margin of the Niğde-Kırşehir microcontinent. New geochemical data from the composite basement of the Kırıkkale Basin identify mid ocean-ridge basalt (MORB), here interpreted to represent relict Upper Cretaceous Neotethyan oceanic crust. During the latest Cretaceous, the Kırıkkale and Tuz Gölü Basins initiated in deep water above relict MORB crust and ophiolitic mélange, bordered by the Niğde-Kırşehir microcontinent to the east where marginal facies accumulated. Further west, the Haymana-Polatlı Basin represents an accretionary-type basin constructed on the Ankara Mélange. To the north, the Çankırı Basin developed on accretionary mélange, bounded by the Pontide active margin to the north. Palaeocene sedimentation was dominated by marginal coralgal reef facies and siliciclastic turbidites. Latest Palaeocene–middle Eocene facies include shelf-type Nummulitid limestone, shallow-marine deltaic pebbly sandstones and siliciclastic turbidites. This thesis proposes a new model in which two north-dipping subduction zones were active during the late Mesozoic within northern Neotethys. In the south, ophiolites formed above a subduction zone consuming the Inner Tauride Ocean until the southward retreating trench collided with the northern margin of the Tauride continent emplacing ophiolites and mélange. In the north, subduction initiated outboard of the Eurasian margin triggering the genesis of supra-subduction zone ophiolites; the subduction zone rolled back southwards until it collided with the Niğde-Kırşehir microcontinent, again emplacing ophiolites during latest Cretaceous time. Neotethyan MORB still remained to the west of the Niğde-Kırşehir microcontinent forming the basement of the Kırıkkale and Tuz Gölü Basins. Latest Palaeocene–middle Eocene regional convergence culminated in crustal thickening, folding, uplift and strike-slip faulting which represent final continental collision and the geotectonic assembly of central Anatolia.

This thesis explores the archaeology of late antique Sicily from the time of Theodosius I (347–95) to the reign of Constans II (630–68). Analysing published data from urban and rural contexts I aim to define three research subjects that are: 1 – The potential different phases of Sicilian Late Antiquity; 2 – The part played by the Church and the impact of Christianity in this transitional period, and, finally, 3 – The definition of a regional economic pattern. During the centuries here investigated, Sicily went through three main phases named: the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine conquest of the 6th century and the process of Byzantinization of the Sicilian society and culture. The Church played a key role in all these three phases initially negotiating with local elite and cultural background its presence within the urban walls. But after the Byzantine conquest and until the Arab occupation of Sicily, the Church imposed its authority through the building of churches, monasteries and chapels transforming the urban and rural landscape. After the Vandal invasion of North Africa, Sicily became the only food supply for Italy and this deeply impacted the provincial economy increasing production and trade with Italy resulting in a period of economical prosperity and cultural liveliness.