tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21845841671120936672024-03-18T20:00:52.131-07:00The Great Londonby United KingdomMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08721494929121838545noreply@blogger.comBlogger3191500tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-22800567666338096772022-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:002022-06-05T09:00:00.167-07:00UK: The culinary habits of the Stonehenge builders<a name='more'></a><p>A team of archaeologists at the University of York have revealed new insights into cuisine choices and eating habits at Durrington Walls -- a Late Neolithic monument and settlement site thought to be the residence for the builders of nearby Stonehenge during the 25th century BC.</p><figure><img alt="The culinary habits of the Stonehenge builders" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxNnnUmCMURbVFOm4J3OtuLIn7qHMhL2ob1WpOQn7e-WEHSiVAVKCtxiDa8xGm7gpkt8z1UJZBNsuc-a5OYwTtZr58FybF5c13nwsrvuAUf0db3z5rYm26yGM8YAnIUGvJ_q6yWPexk_v/s1111/Stonehenge_01b.jpg" title="The culinary habits of the Stonehenge builders" /><figcaption><em><b>Stonehenge [Credit: WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Together with researchers at the University of Sheffield, detailed analysis of pottery and animal bones has uncovered evidence of organised feasts featuring barbeque-style roasting, and an unexpected pattern in how foods were distributed and shared across the site.</p><p>Chemically analysing food residues remaining on several hundred fragments of pottery, the York team found differences in the way pots were used. Pots deposited in residential areas were found to be used for cooking animal products including pork, beef and dairy, whereas pottery from the ceremonial spaces was used predominantly for dairy.</p><p>Such spatial patterning could mean that milk, yoghurts and cheeses were perceived as fairly exclusive foods only consumed by a select few, or that milk products -- today often regarded as a symbol of purity -- were used in public ceremonies.</p><p>Unusually, there was very little evidence of plant food preparation at any part of the site. The main evidence points to mass animal consumption, particularly of pigs. Further analysis of animal bones, conducted at the University of Sheffield, found that many pigs were killed before reaching their maximum weight. This is strong evidence of planned autumn and winter slaughtering and feasting-like consumption.</p><p>The main methods of cooking meat are thought to be boiling and roasting in pots probably around indoor hearths, and larger barbeque-style roasting outdoors -- the latter evidenced by distinctive burn patterns on animal bones.</p><figure><img alt="The culinary habits of the Stonehenge builders" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_ltDvL91M0JPD0NjXmli5xFca-fBhCp3TfPReW7jByDCuzgHs4z65JNLPSaL6pGRJXNYQ3E73GtxbbRl8lCpRxo2IauRUKmT61gPzddjhNx20jw55EDkzVQAIsn-H-KCHHSX81ElRj-P/s1111/Stonehenge_03b.jpg" title="The culinary habits of the Stonehenge builders" /><figcaption><em><b>A reconstruction drawing of how the prehistoric village of Durrington Walls </b></em><br /><em><b>might have looked in 2500BC [Credit: English Heritage]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Bones from all parts of the animal skeleton were found, indicating that livestock was walked to the site rather than introduced as joints of meat. Isotopic analysis indicates that cattle originated from many different locations, some far away from the site. This is significant as it would require orchestration of a large number of volunteers likely drawn from far and wide. The observed patterns of feasting do not fit with a slave-based society where labour was forced and coerced, as some have suggested.</p><p>Dr Oliver Craig, Reader in Archaeological Science at the University of York and lead author on the paper, said: "Evidence of food-sharing and activity-zoning at Durrington Walls shows a greater degree of culinary organisation than was expected for this period of British prehistory. The inhabitants and many visitors to this site possessed a shared understanding of how foods should be prepared, consumed and disposed. This, together with evidence of feasting, suggests Durrington Walls was a well-organised working community."</p><p>Professor Mike Parker Pearson, Professor at University College London and Director of the Feeding Stonehenge project who also led the excavations at Durrington Walls, said: "This new research has given us a fantastic insight into the organisation of large-scale feasting among the people who built Stonehenge. Animals were brought from all over Britain to be barbecued and cooked in open-air mass gatherings and also to be eaten in more privately organized meals within the many houses at Durrington Walls.</p><p>"The special placing of milk pots at the larger ceremonial buildings reveals that certain products had a ritual significance beyond that of nutrition alone. The sharing of food had religious as well as social connotations for promoting unity among Britain's scattered farming communities in prehistory. "</p><p>Dr Lisa-Marie Shillito, who analysed the pottery samples and recently joined Newcastle University, added: "The combination of pottery analysis with the study of animal bones is really effective, and shows how these different types of evidence can be brought together to provide a detailed picture of food and cuisine in the past."</p><p>The study has been published in the Antiquity Journal.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of York [October 12, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-20921452873302842952022-06-04T08:00:00.000-07:002022-06-04T08:00:00.449-07:00Chanel Islands: Jersey was a must-see tourist destination for Neanderthals for over 100,000 years<a name='more'></a><p>New research led by the University of Southampton shows Neanderthals kept coming back to a coastal cave site in Jersey from at least 180,000 years ago until around 40,000 years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Jersey was a must-see tourist destination for Neanderthals for over 100,000 years" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuEhqdG6X09Qt-E0AwXR8f8xGnpe1bsTtzRxjj5U_eZUKqyB9Mw6u1u01tkGyXU4CbePAD3PPnjhqGAEnuQJNplkbBcxWEAAoQAu5rAG-W02Bq2Aagmqq1B-HI4TXB8XrypS1qOxpglpT/s1111/jersey-1a.jpg" title="Jersey was a must-see tourist destination for Neanderthals for over 100,000 years" /><figcaption><em><b>Aerial photo of La Cotte de St Brelade [Credit: Dr Sarah Duffy]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As part of a re-examination of La Cotte de St Brelade and its surrounding landscape, archaeologists from Southampton, together with experts from three other universities and the British Museum, have taken a fresh look at artefacts and mammoth bones originally excavated from within the site's granite cliffs in the 1970s. Their findings are published in the >journal <em><b>Antiquity</b></em>.</p><p>The researchers matched types of stone raw material used to make tools to detailed mapping of the geology of the sea bed, and studied in detail how they were made, carried and modified. This helped reconstruct a picture of what resources were available to Neanderthals over tens of thousands of years -- and where they were travelling from.</p><p>Lead author Dr Andy Shaw of the Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO) at the University of Southampton said: "La Cotte seems to have been a special place for Neanderthals. They kept making deliberate journeys to reach the site over many, many generations. We can use the stone tools they left behind to map how they were moving through landscapes, which are now beneath the English Channel. 180,000 years ago, as ice caps expanded and temperatures plummeted, they would have been exploiting a huge offshore area, inaccessible to us today."</p><p>Previous research focussed on particular levels in the site where mammoth bones are concentrated, but this new study took a longer-term perspective, looking at how Neanderthals used it and explored the surrounding landscape for over 100,000 years.</p><figure><img alt="Jersey was a must-see tourist destination for Neanderthals for over 100,000 years" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQY5M3VzLRRAzlISbAwyPmhQsDvKOYSgkyIk_mSYuZUJW4qTo3mMzoFTY7Ube56PbPtS5p5O-2boyThaZ3ytUUcODHgFALJZli16zViKlcxBZkix_3uawhi54NLx_L293Qv57DDI_iJ63/s1111/jersey-2.jpg" title="Jersey was a must-see tourist destination for Neanderthals for over 100,000 years" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists at La Cotte de St Brelade [Credit: Dr Sarah Duffy]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The team, including academics from the British Museum, University College London (UCL) and the University of Wales found that Neanderthals kept coming back to this particular place, despite globally significant changes in climate and landscape. During glacial phases (Ice Ages), they travelled to the site over cold, open landscapes, now submerged under the sea. They kept visiting as the climate warmed up and Jersey became a striking highpoint in a wide coastal plain connected to France.</p><p>Dr Beccy Scott of the British Museum added: "We're really interested in how this site became 'persistent' in the minds of early Neanderthals. You can almost see hints of early mapping in the way they are travelling to it again and again, or certainly an understanding of their geography. But specifically what drew them to Jersey so often is harder to tease out. It might have been that the whole Island was highly visible from a long way off -- like a waymarker -- or people might have remembered that shelter could be found there, and passed that knowledge on."</p><p>Paper author Dr Matt Pope, of the Institute of Archaeology at UCL, agrees: "La Cotte de St Brelade is probably the most important Neanderthal site in northern Europe and could be one of the last known places that Neanderthals survived in the region. It was certainly as important to them as it is to us, as we try and understand how they thrived and survived for 200,000 years.</p><p>"With new technology we have been able to reconstruct the environment of the La Cotte Neanderthals in a way earlier researchers couldn't. Our project has really put the Neanderthal back into the landscape, but emphasised how significant the changes in climate and landscape have been since then."</p><p>Project leader Professor Clive Gamble, of CAHO at the University of Southampton, comments: "Jersey is an island that endures, summed up by the granite cliffs of St Brelade's Bay. The elements which led to Neanderthals coming back for so many thousands of years shows how this persistence is deep rooted in Jersey's past. Our project has shown that more unites the past with the present than separates. We are not the only humans to have coped successfully with major environmental changes. Let's hope we are not the last."</p><p>The team's work was undertaken as part of the 'Crossing the Threshold' project led by Professor Clive Gamble and Dr John McNabb at the University of Southampton, together with UCL and the British Museum. The research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and looks at major changes in how early humans used places from 400,000 years ago.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Southampton [December 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-2931698252261782182022-06-03T03:30:00.001-07:002022-06-03T03:30:00.182-07:00Natural Heritage: Researchers solve mystery of historic 1952 London fog and current Chinese haze<a name='more'></a><p>Few Americans may be aware of it, but in 1952 a killer fog that contained pollutants covered London for five days, causing breathing problems and killing thousands of residents. The exact cause and nature of the fog has remained mostly unknown for decades, but an international team of scientists that includes several Texas A&M University-affiliated researchers believes that the mystery has been solved and that the same air chemistry also happens in China and other locales.</p><figure><img alt="Researchers solve mystery of historic 1952 London fog and current Chinese haze" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj976Kxcg2qfrRNzeqEyXl1mb_RMlXxZMLRgV-9mNaCugpmvA9pcI7VYhMxVO9JROaF7_TK4fybea_bJCQvom-4vAqs7WJa27J8rjrAsFK0h3BbGq26MsuOfEQtNwULTC4BxU7D0DFn-2jX/s1111/london_fog-1.jpg" title="Researchers solve mystery of historic 1952 London fog and current Chinese haze" /><figcaption><em><b>A fog blanketed London in December 1952, killing as many as 12,000 people and puzzling researchers for decades. </b></em><br /><em><b>Texas A&M researchers believe they have solved the mystery [Credit: Texas A&M University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Texas A&M researcher Renyi Zhang, University Distinguished Professor and the Harold J. Haynes Chair of Atmospheric Sciences and Professor of Chemistry, along with graduate students Yun Lin, Wilmarie Marrero-Ortiz, Jeremiah Secrest, Yixin Li, Jiaxi Hu and Bowen Pan and researchers from China, Florida, California Israel and the UK have had their work published in the current issue of ><em><b>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</b></em>.</p><p>In December of 1952, the fog enveloped all of London and residents at first gave it little notice because it appeared to be no different from the familiar natural fogs that have swept over Great Britain for thousands of years.</p><p>But over the next few days, conditions deteriorated, and the sky literally became dark. Visibility was reduced to only three feet in many parts of the city, all transportation was shut down and tens of thousands of people had trouble breathing. By the time the fog had lifted on Dec. 9, at least 4,000 people had died and more than 150,000 had been hospitalized. Thousands of animals in the area were also killed.</p><p>Recent British studies now say that the death count was likely far higher -- more than 12,000 people of all ages died from the killer fog. It has long been known that many of those deaths were likely caused by emissions from coal burning, but the exact chemical processes that led to the deadly mix of fog and pollution have not been fully understood over the past 60 years.</p><p>The 1952 killer fog led to the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1956 by the British Parliament and is still considered the worst air pollution event in the European history.</p><p>Through laboratory experiments and atmospheric measurements in China, the team has come up with the answers.</p><p>"People have known that sulfate was a big contributor to the fog, and sulfuric acid particles were formed from sulfur dioxide released by coal burning for residential use and power plants, and other means," Zhang says.</p><p>"But how sulfur dioxide was turned into sulfuric acid was unclear. Our results showed that this process was facilitated by nitrogen dioxide, another co-product of coal burning, and occurred initially on natural fog. Another key aspect in the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfate is that it produces acidic particles, which subsequently inhibits this process. Natural fog contained larger particles of several tens of micrometers in size, and the acid formed was sufficiently diluted. Evaporation of those fog particles then left smaller acidic haze particles that covered the city."</p><p>The study shows that similar chemistry occurs frequently in China, which has battled air pollution for decades. Of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, China is home to 16 of them, and Beijing often exceeds by many times the acceptable air standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.</p><p>"The difference in China is that the haze starts from much smaller nanoparticles, and the sulfate formation process is only possible with ammonia to neutralize the particles," Zhang adds.</p><p>"In China, sulfur dioxide is mainly emitted by power plants, nitrogen dioxide is from power plants and automobiles, and ammonia comes from fertilizer use and automobiles. Again, the right chemical processes have to interplay for the deadly haze to occur in China. Interestingly, while the London fog was highly acidic, contemporary Chinese haze is basically neutral."</p><p>Zhang says China has been working diligently over the past decade to lessen its air pollution problems, but persistent poor air quality often requires people to wear breathing masks during much of the day. China's explosive industrial and manufacturing growth and urbanization over the past 25 years have contributed to the problem. "A better understanding of the air chemistry holds the key for development of effective regulatory actions in China," he adds.</p><p>"The government has pledged to do all it can to reduce emissions going forward, but it will take time," he notes. "We think we have helped solve the 1952 London fog mystery and also have given China some ideas of how to improve its air quality. Reduction in emissions for nitrogen oxides and ammonia is likely effective in disrupting this sulfate formation process."</p><p><em><b>Source: Texas A&M University [November 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-56740055991235027142022-06-03T03:30:00.000-07:002022-06-03T03:30:00.183-07:00Earth Science: New evidence found of land and ocean responses to climate change over last millennium<a name='more'></a><p>A multidisciplinary research team including University of Granada (UGR) researchers has analyzed two sea bed loggings retrieved from the Alboran Sea's basin at very high resolution and reconstructed climate and oceanographic conditions over the last millennium, including the anthropogenic influence in the westernmost region of the Mediterranean Sea.</p><figure><img alt="New evidence found of land and ocean responses to climate change over last millennium" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPU4c7Q7t8_hJaqT8lQD_kNIpbO9IECTbhQJvmg5bSwVrZtukbCfJslTM_wffAXh_7UywU_dLKUTdh3e0BAQ18t0_M3e9YgHPeK4D7vXWfHaKcjpGeUetsGMSfPeWrHPKhFMQh38gzzwg/s1111/new_evidence-1.jpg" title="New evidence found of land and ocean responses to climate change over last millennium" /><figcaption><em><b>Two sea bed loggings from the Alboran Sea have been analyzed at very high resolution and have allowed to</b></em><br /><em><b> reconstruct climate and oceanographic conditions as well as anthropogenic influence in the westernmost </b></em><br /><em><b>region of the Mediterranean Sea over that period [Credit: UGRdivulga]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Global warming, climate change and their effects on health and safety are probably the worst threats in mankind's history. Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007, 2014) have accumulated scientific evidence that the observed rise in mean ground temperature all over the world from the beginning of the 20th century is probably due to anthropogenic influence.</p><p>Moreover, global mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen since the industrial revolution due to human activities. This concentration has surpassed that found in ice cores over the last 800 000 years. In January 2016, NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that global mean temperature in 2015 was the highest since 1880, when records began.</p><p>Reconstructions of the global ground temperature in the Northern Hemisphere over the last millennium show hotter conditions during the so called Medieval Climatic Anomaly (800-1300 A.C.) and cooler temperatures during the Little Ice Age (1300-1850 A.C.).</p><p><b>Natural climate variability</b></p><p>Climate models give us a coherent explanation of the progressive cooling over the last millennium due to a natural climate variability (solar cycle changes and volcanic eruptions). However, we can see that this global tendency has reverted during the 20th century. Climate models are not capable of simulating the fast warming observed during the last century without including human impact along with natural mechanisms of climate forcing.</p><p>With this in mind, a multidisciplinary team of researchers has conducted a study reconstructing climate and oceanographic conditions in the westernmost region of the Mediterranean Sea. For that purpose, they have used marine sediments retrieved from the Alboran Sea's basin.</p><p>As a semi-closed basin located in a latitude affected by several climate types, it's especially sensitive and vulnerable to anthropogenic and climate forcing. Several organic and inorganic geochemical indicators have been integrated in the model for this research, thus deducing climate variables such as sea surface temperature, humidity, changes in vegetation cover, changes in sea currents, and human impact.</p><p>These indicators have shown consistent climate signals in the two sea bed loggings—essentially hot and dry climate conditions during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly, which switched to mostly cold and wet conditions during the Little Ice Age. The industrial period showed wetter conditions than during the Little Ice Age, and the second half of the 20th century has been characterized by an increasing aridity.</p><p>Climate variability in the Mediterranean region seems to be driven by variations in solar irradiation and changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the last millennium. The NAO alternates a positive phase with a negative one. The positive phase is characterized by western winds, which are more intense and move storms towards northern Europe, which resulted in dry winters in the Mediterranean region and the north of Africa during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly and the second half of the 20th century.</p><p>In contrast, the negative phase is associated with opposite conditions during the Little Ice Age and the industrial period. Our records show that during NAO prolonged negative phases (1450 and 1950 A.C.), there occurred a weakening of the thermohaline circulation and a reduction of "upwelling" events (emergence of colder, more nutrient-rich waters). Anthropogenic influence shows up in the unprecedented increase of temperature, progressive aridification and soil erosion, and an increase of polluting elements since the industrial period. On a broad scale, atmospheric circulation patterns, oceanic circulation patterns (the NAO and the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation), and variations in solar irradiance seem to have played a key role during the last millennium.</p><p>Results show that recent climate records in the westernmost region of the Mediterranean Sea are caused by natural forcing and anthropogenic influence. The main conclusions derived from this research have been published in a special volume of the ><em><b>Journal of the Geological Society of London</b></em> about climate change during the Holocene.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Granada [October 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-86186848887319353572022-06-02T11:30:00.000-07:002022-06-02T11:30:00.172-07:00Forensics: Five things you can learn from a Roman skeleton<a name='more'></a><p>The stories of Roman lives are written their bones: diet, disease, childbirth and trauma all leave their mark. Individual skeletons can tell rich tales, but the fullest information comes from large groups, when we can look at populations. So what can we learn about about a Roman community from their skeletons?</p><figure><img alt="Five things you can learn from a Roman skeleton" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6hBUuSj6agIz4hvlYm2BFhcHQGnbir-pqpZURSpKA-_kytixBeAqZ1J9LT2TUaaR50Z3ywz5tj5yqkMgjBDuw4rNvF-crHM14Cf25CfUchXryPO3Re6W6H970p4xeRXNLmQjqFbpZPJe/s1111/Roman_skeleton_01.jpg" title="Five things you can learn from a Roman skeleton" /><figcaption><em><b>The stories of Roman lives are written their bones: Roman skeleton found on</b></em><br /><em><b> at York University campus [Credit: University of York/PA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Whether they were a slave</b></p><p>Slavery was ubiquitous in the Roman world, and some of its agonies are preserved on skeletons: those working in and living near Roman mines in Jordan were exposed to lead and copper at levels that would have been toxic, and caused a range of illnesses. The remains of people who were likely to have been slaves have also been found still wearing iron shackles, for instance in a subterranean room of a villa in Pompeii, and near the silver mines of Laurion in Roman-era Greece.</p><p><b>Whether they played sports</b></p><p>Among the human remains from ancient Herculaneum, which was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius at the same time as Pompeii, were a possible boxer, with typical fractures to his hands and nose, and a javelin-thrower whose bones reveal the same elbow problems experienced by modern athletes.</p><p><b>How they died, who they loved</b></p><p>At Dura-Europos in Syria, remains of Roman and Sasanian troops trapped in a siege mine beneath the walls of the ancient city reveal the brutal and violent reality of ancient conflict, including gas warfare. In the nearby cemetery, families were buried together in underground tombs, with women and children placed together.</p><figure><img alt="Five things you can learn from a Roman skeleton" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGekqWhamKd9upJ_o8eplZ3r7zpWuKQsaXhh93KOmhGszJTAgVHIyUf0AIN-Xc36OddG8eIVcF16uaQLxhW2LJEdKjhklaFnqGYI8uS_K8m6GCom2QaRxXZaYknSPCIfwH33DFGKFgK1X/s1111/Roman_skeleton_02.jpg" title="Five things you can learn from a Roman skeleton" /><figcaption><em><b>A well preserved Roman skeleton from the 2nd-4th century, found in a lead coffin </b></em><br /><em><b>near Aldborough, North Yorkshire [Credit: Christopher Thomond/Guardian]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Where people came from</b></p><p>Even places like Roman Britain were diverse. Scientific methods (such as isotope analysis), as well as the study of graves and grave goods (the objects buried with a body) can tell us where a person was likely to have come from, or where they had links to. For instance, work on the cemeteries of Roman York has shown that people buried there came from other places in Britain, and much further afield in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.</p><p><b>The extent of childhood illnesses</b></p><p>In the Roman world, children often didn’t make it to adulthood. Roman cemeteries such as Poundbury in Dorset include many children with rickets, scurvy and anaemia – survival rates were staggeringly low by modern Western standards. Infant and early childhood mortality was high in the Roman period, with 45% of children unlikely to survive past five years of age.</p><p>So we can learn a lot about how a Roman may have lived from her or his remains, but, while skeletons are biological, bodies are cultured and contextual; they can be modified to fit ideals of beauty, status, or gender. Ultimately, Roman skeletons tell us that culture is a significant factor in determining difference: underneath it all, we’re pretty much the same collection of 206 interlocking parts.</p><p>Dr Jen Baird and Dr Tim Reynolds from the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology, Birkbeck College, University of London, will be talking in depth about Roman skeletons at a Guardian Live/Birkbeck event on 21 November.</p><p><em><b>Authors: Dr Jen Baird and Dr Tim Reynolds | Source: The Guardian [November 14, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-47518953126334322182022-06-02T02:00:00.000-07:002022-06-02T02:00:00.192-07:00Astronomy: Winds of rubies and sapphires strike the sky of giant planet<a name='more'></a><p>Signs of powerful changing winds have been detected on a planet 16 times larger than Earth, over 1000 light years away -- the first time ever that weather systems have been found on a gas giant outside our solar system -- according to new research by the University of Warwick.</p><figure><img alt="Winds of rubies and sapphires strike the sky of giant planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNcRrhTp2xjZnKzSlQVH4F_AhvyB4s7m_YHn35y3S4NDlzUW0KA0MBD86jUIxGmxwUOrDJ42MaCPhW58UNT-BB-QUkTY2GjLeahkM3onKm1BJTwOXX9s-Gayv_df18Cs0tu5mXf02sJHY/s1111/giant_planet-1.jpg" title="Winds of rubies and sapphires strike the sky of giant planet" /><figcaption><em><b>Artist's impression of planet HAT-P-7b [Credit: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr David Armstrong in Warwick's Astrophysics Group has discovered that the gas giant HAT-P-7b is affected by large scale changes in the strong winds moving across the planet, likely leading to catastrophic storms.</p><p>This discovery was made by monitoring the light being reflected from the atmosphere of HAT-P-7b, and identifying changes in this light, showing that the brightest point of the planet shifts its position.</p><p>This shift is caused by an equatorial jet with dramatically variable wind-speeds -- at their fastest, pushing vast amounts of cloud across the planet.</p><p>The clouds themselves would be visually stunning -- likely made of up corundum, the mineral which forms rubies and sapphires.</p><p>The planet could never be inhabitable, due to its likely violent weather systems, and unaccommodating temperatures. One side of the planet always faces the star, because it is tidally locked, and that side remains much hotter than the other -- the day side average temperature on HAT-P-7 being 2860K.</p><p>Thanks to this pioneering research, astrophysicists can now begin to explore how weather systems on other planets outside our solar system change over time.</p><p>Dr Armstrong comments on the discovery: "Using the NASA Kepler satellite we were able to study light reflected from HAT-P-7b's atmosphere, finding that the atmosphere was changing over time. HAT-P-7b is a tidally locked planet, with the same side always facing its star. We expect clouds to form on the cold night side of the planet, but they would evaporate quickly on the hot dayside.</p><p>"These results show that strong winds circle the planet, transporting clouds from the night side to the dayside. The winds change speed dramatically, leading to huge cloud formations building up then dying away. This is the first detection of weather on a gas giant planet outside the solar system."</p><p>First discovered in 2008, HAT-P-7b is 320 parsecs (over 1040 light years) away from us. It is an exoplanet 40% larger than Jupiter and 500 times more massive than Earth -- and orbits a star 50% more massive, and twice as large, as the Sun.</p><p>The work was led by the University of Warwick, and performed by a team of scientists from Warwick, Queens University Belfast, Dublin City University and University College London.</p><p>The paper, 'Variability in the Atmosphere of the Hot Jupiter HAT-P-7', is published in the first issue of ><em><b>Nature Astronomy</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Warwick [December 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-64134199878218007692022-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:002022-06-01T11:00:00.205-07:00UK: Stonehenge's bluestones moved by glaciers<a name='more'></a><p>It is an archaeological enigma which last week a team of experts professed to have resolved: if and how the ‘bluestones’ at Stonehenge were excavated and transported from Pembrokeshire by our prehistoric ancestors.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCBMpGGrscRLda7CJNSkKH_VN30DEwB8QKRnTPMhyphenhyphenIdd2cUzXeLHwcL0Z51SXrmYZNvKqqa3EzdLBAkVNLkFYXDqRnE-miY92xBtfcyqlMnoiPtSKdC4zp2mSLaBI00glpPdbQ1YUwSfS/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_03.jpg" title="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" /><figcaption><em><b>Stonehenge: Were glaciers responsible for transporting the stones? </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wales Online]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The team of archaeologists and geologists – led academics from University College, London, said they definitively confirmed two sites in the Preseli Hills – Carn Goedog and Craig Rhos-y-felin - had been quarried for two types of stone.</p><p>It was suggested the stones were first used in a local monument, somewhere near the quarries, that was then dismantled and dragged off to Wiltshire.</p><p>But the assertions on how the stones were removed and transported, apparently leaving evidence so-called “engineering features,” have been branded “all wrong” by another team of earth scientists, in a conflicting report published today.</p><p>In a peer-reviewed paper published in the Archaeology in Wales journal, Dr Brian John, Dr Dyfed Elis-Gruffydd and John Downes say there are “no traces of human intervention in any of the features that have made the archaeologists so excited”.</p><p>The group does not accept the idea of a Neolithic quarry in the Preseli Hills and says the supposed signs of ‘quarrying’ by humans at Craig Rhos-y-Felin were entirely natural.</p><p>They also believe that the archaeologists behind the report may have inadvertently created certain features during five years of “highly selective sediment removal”.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIdqwx3oypwxO0QA2OJRBRHcrW9qwoKYL3o2FGieBwQI7V7iia6FtK-F55ry_OpCSytI8gniPn0uasZMfvAfdROpXEM-bwuXBEtsvaxWdkrjwJaGEK5gAd5UEKu1femV2z3mxXcYwlnFL/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_01.jpg" title="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists at work at Carn Goedog, described last week as the main source</b></em><br /><em><b>of Stonehenge’s bluestones [Credit: Adam Stanford © Aerial-Cam Ltd.]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>“This site has been described by lead archaeologist Prof Mike Parker Pearson as ‘the Pompeii of prehistoric stone quarries’ and has caused great excitement in archaeological circles,” says the report.</p><p>“The selection of this rocky crag near the village of Brynberian for excavation in 2011-2015 was triggered by the discovery by geologists Richard Bevins and Rob Ixer that some of the stone fragments in the soil at Stonehenge were quite precisely matched to an unusual type of foliated rhyolite found in the crag.</p><p>“This led the archaeologists to conclude that there must have been a Neolithic quarry here, worked for the specific purpose of cutting out monoliths for the bluestone settings at Stonehenge.”</p><p>But Dr John is increasingly convinced that the rhyolite debris at Stonehenge comes from glacial erratics which were eroded from the Rhosyfelin rocky crag almost half a million years ago by the overriding Irish Sea Glacier and then transported eastwards by ice towards Salisbury Plain.</p><p>In his paper written with Dr Dyfed Elis-Gruffydd and John Downes, he says: “It is suggested, on the basis of careful examinations of this site, that certain of the “man made features” described have been created by the archaeologists themselves through a process of selective sediment and clast removal.</p><p>“An expectation or conviction that ‘engineering features’ would be found has perhaps led to the unconscious fashioning of archaeological artifices.</p><p>“While there appears to be no landform, rock mechanics or sedimentary evidence that this was a Neolithic quarry site devoted to the extraction of bluestone orthostats destined for use at Stonehenge, or for any other purpose, we would accept the possibility that there may have been temporary Mesolithic, Neolithic or later camp sites here over a very long period of time, as in many other sheltered and wooded locations in north Pembrokeshire.”</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr_iipCKF4IMd9T9WT0dqosjdRzFJTAOq9UCzt47TjekXGhl-Z18JKqpZ4n7LxZVCl-yJODiBfJxr1D-MU-0IIkHE1-QGbA0TUql9KS9DSUmkftm4zJz9J1OsQFMhUq3xbUKDkXvA16p3/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_02.jpg" title="Stonehenge's bluestones moved from Wales by glaciers" /><figcaption><em><b>Carn Goedog [Credit: Wales Online]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Commenting on the research paper published last week, Dr Brian John added: “The new geological work at Rhosyfelin and Stonehenge is an interesting piece of ‘rock provenencing’ – but it tells us nothing at all about how monoliths or smaller rock fragments from West Wales found their way to Stonehenge.</p><p>“We are sure that the archaeologists have convinced themselves that the glacial transport of erratics was impossible. We are not sure where they got that idea from.</p><p>“On the contrary, there is substantial evidence in favour of glacial transport and zero evidence in support of the human transport theory. We accept that there might have been a camp site at Rhosyfelin, used intermittently by hunters over several millennia. But there is no quarry.</p><p>“We think the archaeologists have been so keen on telling a good story here that they have ignored or misinterpreted the evidence in front of them.</p><p>“That’s very careless. They now need to undertake a complete reassessment of the material they have collected.”</p><p>Further excavations of the quarries are planned for 2016.</p><p><em><b>Author: Rachael Misstear | Source: Wales Online [December 14, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-43701032267848399652022-06-01T01:00:00.000-07:002022-06-01T01:00:00.185-07:00Breaking News: Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma<a name='more'></a><p>The first evidence that Saturn's upper atmosphere may, when buffeted by the solar wind, emit the same total amount of mass per second into its magnetosphere as its moon, Enceladus, has been found by UCL scientists working on the Cassini mission.</p><figure><img alt="Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPZ81s4zOIi29I13kqZViIYIkODLfI0LXahztvKeXjNRKkplP6zBZW9Q_M7LwcLL4y5QSzGMa-XWPn86m5_YKEhyphenhyphen0bI5OQRdv7SayND490cCRDhPcBhSZm69TSP0dLXXqvHOq3Q9jn8w/s1111/saturn-1.jpg" title="Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma" /><figcaption><em><b>View of Saturn </b></em><em><b>[Credit: NASA/JPL/</b></em><br /><em><b>Space Science Institute]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Magnetospheres are regions of space that are heavily influenced by the magnetic field of a nearby planet and can contain charged particles in the form of plasma from both external and internal sources.</p><p>In the case of Saturn, its moon Enceladus ejects water from its icy plumes which is ionised into H2O+, O+, OH+ and then transported throughout the magnetosphere. For Jupiter, its moon Io provides plasma from its sulphurous volcanoes whereas Earth's magnetosphere is strongly driven by the solar wind but fed by a polar wind from the ionosphere - the atmospheric layer ionised by solar and cosmic radiation.</p><p>The Cassini mission previously established the importance of Enceladus as the dominant mass source for Saturn's magnetosphere but this is the first time that Saturn's ionosphere has been seen providing, at times, a similar plasma production rate.</p><p>The study, published in the <em><b>Journal of Geophysical Research</b></em>, reports on an event measured by the Cassini spacecraft on 21 August 2006 while it was traversing Saturn's magnetotail - the part of the magnetosphere compressed and confined by the solar wind. This compression causes quite dynamic, large changes to take place resulting in auroras containing energised ions and electrons.</p><figure><img alt="Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcA5fWTj-YkdpXssQNI_U7wBmhRJ47JQs5a7l0enDcpq5gYOXZq9kvT2zXhOr3sg4du53KBlGO46GgzWYygjgV0rOSbZKp_RblcqOy4fNJPkjAgCaY4gLYjgK6WUQr56rOstZ5cuoklg/s1111/saturn-2.jpg" title="Saturn and Enceladus produce the same amount of plasma" /><figcaption><em><b>Cassini imaging scientists used views like this one to help them identify the source</b></em><br /><em><b> locations for individual jets spurting ice particles, water vapor and trace organic</b></em><br /><em><b> compounds from the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>At the time of the measurement Saturn's magnetosphere was compressed by a region of high solar wind dynamic pressure and Cassini remotely observed aurora near Saturn's north pole. The composition of particles Cassini was measuring in the magnetotail was also different from normal. The water group ions disappeared, but in their place Cassini measured particles, and specifically H+ ions, which is consistent with what would be expected for ionospheric outflow coming from Saturn's upper atmosphere.</p><p>First author and PhD student, Marianna Felici (UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory), said: "By measuring the flux of particles in the magnetotail and mapping them to the auroral outflow region, we calculated that the total amount of mass emitted per second may be as large as the rate at which mass is emitted from Enceladus. It is unknown how much of this mass stays in the magnetosphere and how much escapes down the magnetotail and joins with the solar wind."</p><p>These are the first measurements that investigate what role ionospheric outflow plays at a giant planet, and gives a more dynamic picture of what Saturn's magnetosphere is like. It is well known that the ionosphere is an important mass source at Earth during periods of intense geomagnetic activity when a 'polar wind' is observed, but these are the first direct measurements of the ionospheric mass source at Saturn.</p><p>Professor Andrew Coates, a co-author on the paper and Cassini co-investigator, said: "Cassini never ceases to amaze us. First, it found that the plume of Enceladus is the main source of the water-rich magnetosphere which ultimately escapes from the planet. Now, we find that solar wind compression allows much lighter hydrogen ions to escape from Saturn's upper atmosphere at times."</p><p>Cassini is approaching its Grand Finale where the new orbital configuration will allow an even clearer picture of what role the ionosphere may play as a mass source at Saturn. These studies will be complementary to the Juno mission, which is also interested in sources of magnetospheric composition. Juno is due to arrive at Jupiter in July 2016.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [February 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-74833054635846883422022-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:002022-05-31T07:00:00.216-07:00More Stuff: 'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna<a name='more'></a><p>The Museo Civico Archeologico is hosting Egypt. Millennia of Splendour. Beneath the two towers, the splendour of a civilisation that lasted thousands of years and has always fascinated the entire world, has sprung back to life: the Egypt of the pyramids, pharaohs and multiform gods, but also that of sensational discoveries, captivating archaeology, passionate collecting and rigorous scholarship.</p><p><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1i8bNRWR1eLXsqBzp6oJt4oSL9wT9wrgKHrpmP6foeiuYwEFm7TtLB0yJYIsrY9gSpc4jlNel8PNXsZZzuoG3sG6VZCxgJd0Jrw2sijeFT5xvlp3zAl41EO1eshuAwNEU155MCYexuTY/s1111/Egypt_exhib_01.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><br />The exhibition ‘Egypt’, which is being held at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna, is not just an exposition of high visual and scientific impact, but also an unprecedented international enterprise: the Egyptian collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Netherlands – among the top ten in the world – and that of the Bologna museum – among the most important in Italy for the quantity, quality and state of conservation of its collections – have been brought together in an exhibition space measuring around 1,700 metres, filled with art and history.</p><p>500 finds, dating from the Pre-Dynastic Period to the Roman Period, gave been brought from the Netherlands to the Bologna museum. And, together with the masterpieces from Leiden and Bologna, the exhibition also includes important loans from the Museo Egizio in Turin and the Museo Egizio in Florence, creating a network of the most important Italian museums.</p><p>For the first time, the masterpieces of the two collections are being displayed side by side, including the Stele of Aku (Twelfth–Thirteenth Dynasty, 1976–1648 BC), the ‘major domo of the divine offering’, with a prayer describing the otherworldly existence of the deceased in a tripartite world divided into sky, earth and the beyond; gold items attributed to General Djehuty, who led the Egyptian troops to victory in the Near East for the great conqueror Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC); the statues of Maya, superintendent of the royal treasury of Tutankhamen, and Merit, a chantress of the god Amun, (Eighteenth Dynasty, reigns of Tutankhamen and Horemheb, 1333–1292 BC), the most important masterpieces in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden have left the Netherlands for the first time for the Bologna exhibition; and, among the numerous objects attesting to the refined lifestyle of the most wealthy Egyptians, a Mirror Handle (1292 BC) in the shape of a young woman holding a small bird in her hand.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PkCLkhaf_Hy-B97W9dFJq8RkoUb9hbt6qfPStC_kI612H5BGxi8Aw8pnRhwUzvER11AlwvI22E9A__SzPpWzLPE-a64ZB4lNSlsEFcBfT7dAaeLOE8Uz3D5lmHrOYXW1V6F84elp05qS/s1111/Egypt_exhib_02.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Statue of Maya and Merit, XVIII Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamon (1333 – 1323 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>and Horemheb (1319 – 1292 BC) [Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Lastly, for the first time 200 years after the discovery of his tomb in Saqqara, the exhibition offers the unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the important Reliefs of Horemheb reunited: Horemheb was the head commander of the Egyptian army during the reign of Tutankhamen, then rising to become the final sovereign of the Eighteenth Dynasty, from 1319 to 1292 BC and the reliefs are divided between the collections in Leiden, Bologna and Florence.</p><p>Thousands of years of the history of a unique civilisation revealed in a major exhibition that brings together masterpieces from important world collections and tells of the pyramids and pharaohs, the great captains and priests, the gods and other divinities, and the people that made Egyptian history and that, thanks to discoveries, archaeology and collecting, never stop enchanting, revealing, intriguing, fascinating and charming generation after generation.</p><p><b>The Seven Exhibition Sections</b></p><p><b>The Pre-Dynastic and Archaic Periods – At the Origins of History:</b> The transition from raw material to form, from the oral tradition to the written one and from prehistory to history was a fundamental moment for Egyptian civilisation. The Leiden collection is rich in materials documenting the central role played by nature during this long cultural and artistic evolution.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYx6afPCZoZJgnZ93TDF8ZqKBPEl2q1ilkyAzUOOuGPK3RMBfazh3iGvaN6tuOFoyI2YZLXysZ6WMj2MecjV5RoN9_Fxc9cVtJzKtl4HAxiP_WZmSw0srJlwmK1bpOcW5jQr8A1BqzG9X/s1111/Egypt_exhib_04.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Mirror handle, XVIII Dynasty (1539 – 1292 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The exhibition opens with a selection of these objects, which are strikingly modern in style, including a vase from the Naqada IID Period (named for a site in Upper Egypt and datable between 3375 and 3325 BC) decorated with ostriches, hills and water motifs. The scene depicted on this vase takes us back to an Egypt characterised by a flourishing landscape later changed over time by climatic changes. Ostriches, here painted red, along with elephants, crocodiles, rhinoceros and other wild animals were common in the Nile region at the time.</p><p><b>The Old Kingdom – A Political/Religious Model Destined for Success and its Weaknesses:</b> The historic period of the Old Kingdom (from the Third to the Sixth Dynasty, roughly between 2700 and 2192 BC) is known for the pyramids and for the consolidation of a bureaucracy at the apex of which stood an absolute sovereign, considered a god on earth and lord of all of Egypt.</p><p>This definition of State and its worldly and otherworldly rules, which were highly elitist, are well documented by funerary objects, of which the Leiden museum has a particularly rich collection, including a calcite (alabaster) table for offerings.</p><p>Offerings to the deceased were a fundamental part of the funerary ritual, ensuring life after death. The uniqueness of this table, which belonged to a high state official named Defdj, lies in its circular shape, which was unusual, as well as the repetition of the concept of the offering as indicated by the inscription, the sculpted receptacles and, most importantly, the central depiction corresponding to the hieroglyph hotep (offering), or a table upon which one places a loaf of bread.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmKhFN7VgH_VjVC6RYk9_QuAYtZl99nT9ZjbiTDntlanvA9Pmj9HkAz_DFezjoCMIPbx9Leg4W5fKt4VxhLkVTDRN_NTIUVTI7c4KUNPBgpTOkn74qr9t8rzHH1L2CiN0NIxI4Ia2ESu6/s1111/Egypt_exhib_05.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Pectoral element, blue lotus, XVIII Dynasty, reign of Thutmosis III (1479 – 1425 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>The Middle Kingdom – The God Osiris and a New Perspective on Life in the Afterworld:</b> The end of the Old Kingdom and the period of political breakdown that followed it led to major changes in Egyptian society, within which the individual had greater responsibility for his own destiny, including in the afterworld. Any Egyptian with the means to build a tomb complete with a sufficient funerary assemblage could now aspire to eternal life. The god Osiris, lord of the afterworld, became Egypt’s most popular divinity.</p><p>Many steles now in Leiden and Bologna came from his temple in Abydos, one of Egypt’s most important cult centres. Among them is that of Aku, major domo of the divine offering, who dedicated the stele to Min-Hor-nekht, the form of the ithyphallic god Min worshipped in the city of Abydos. Aku’s prayer to the god describes an otherworldly existence in a tripartite world: the sky, where the deceased were transfigured into stars, the earth, where the tomb was the fundamental point of passage from life to death, and the beyond, where Osiris granted the deceased eternal life.</p><p><b>From the Middle to the New Kingdom – Territorial Control at Home and Abroad:</b> The defeat of the Hyksos, ‘princes from foreign lands’ who invaded and governed northern Egypt for a few generations, marked the beginning of the New Kingdom. An extremely aggressive foreign policy enriched Egypt, and this was one of its periods of greatest splendour. The social class of professional warriors rose to the top of the state hierarchy and spawned a number of ruling dynasties.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViifhDd_7pDkxoU5mlm-lJGPHzLjK2yktoDdv-_xE_kOYJdVP20MPprbJZSUzPB034CS5lYCjQLF26iPTeIST8pDUQx9Rk3h_gYQlnf2GO4s4Q_X_CNIaLpUhab2vdkFmywS2SHCjq58r/s1111/Egypt_exhib_06.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Relief with prisoners of war paraded by Egyptian soldiers before Tutankhamun,</b></em><br /><em><b> XVIII Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamun (1333 – 1323 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The wealth and prestige of these soldiers was also expressed in the production of sophisticated objects, including the gold items attributed to Djehuty, a general under the pharaoh Thutmose III. The Egyptian goldsmith’s art has survived in works of high artistic and economic value, an example being the pectoral element on view in the exhibition.</p><p>This piece is a sophisticated exemplar attributed to the tomb of General Djehuty, the man to whom the sovereign Thutmose III entrusted control of his foreign territories. Representing a blue lotus flower, a symbol of rebirth and regeneration, it must have served as the central element of an elaborate pectoral. The scroll engraved on the back suggests that the piece was given personally by Thutmose III.</p><p><b>The Saqqara Necropolis of the New Kingdom:</b> The Leiden and Bologna museums can be considered ‘twins’ in a certain sense, since they house two important groups of antiquities from Saqqara, one of the necropolises of the city of Memphis. During the New Kingdom, this early Egyptian capital returned to its role as a strategic centre for the expansionist policy of the sovereigns of the Eighteenth Dynasty.</p><p>This is seen in the funerary monuments of high state officials who held administrative, religious and military roles, including the tombs of the superintendent of Tutankhamen’s royal treasury, Maya, and his wife, Merit, chantress of Amun, and that of Horemheb, head commander of Tutankhamen’s army and the pharaoh’s crown prince.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxKl7Ev88nsMzD8yAHE2loj3sG_in4wfr0WHNQ_mS01wGqD-BtU0AlC8Sbyy4Op7GdMMpsMSkys0NB7pQb38vN4RVVRZHbwIcjePv0Jkb-8ofh2pWIizH8X3ML87wt97_Qp71D6VzVqmV/s1111/Egypt_exhib_07.jpg" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Stele od Aku, XII-XIII Dynasties (1976 – 1648 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The statues of Maya and Merit arrived in the Netherlands in 1829 as part of the collection of Giovanni d’Anastasi. More than a century and a half would pass before, in 1986, a British/Dutch archaeological expedition identified the tomb from which they came, southeast of the pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara. These statues, which are the greatest masterpieces in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, left the Dutch museum for the first time to be displayed in the exhibition.</p><p>It should be noted that, when the Egypt Exploration Society of London and the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden began excavation work southeast of the Djoser pyramid in 1975, the goal was to find the tomb of Maya and Merit. It was therefore a great surprise when they instead discovered the burial of General Horemheb, who had capped off his stunning career by becoming the last sovereign of the Eighteenth Dynasty.</p><p>His tomb, which has a temple structure, is characterised by a pylon entrance, three large courts and three cult chapels facing onto the innermost court, which has a peristyle structure. This court is where most of the reliefs preserved in Leiden and Bologna were found, narrating Horemheb’s most important military feats against the populations bordering Egypt: the Asians, Libyans and Nubians.</p><p><b>The New Kingdom – Prosperity after the Conquest:</b> Refined furnishings, musical instruments, table games and jewellery: these are just a few of the luxury goods attesting to the widespread prosperity enjoyed in Egypt as a result of the expansionist policy of the sovereigns of the New Kingdom. Through these sophisticated objects, it is possible to conjure up moments of everyday life, imagining what it was like living inside a royal palace or the residence of a high official. One example in the exhibition is a mirror handle in the graceful, sensual shape of a young women holding a small bird in her hand.</p><figure><img alt="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mLSGWMm3XCv6mpWWtf_2OU-uHbZGfl4x2kDVba3n4lU3E7Fyk14EgNWUoUbgQ3QkCYfgeQlcLThKYNXx1i9wrnvrq_op_9n7_QY3ONQ_t5K4GWbNUBiAYFf9wXc1StctAV2Y6pFrZFu9/s1111/Egypt_exhib_08b.png" title="'Egypt: Millennia of Splendour' at the Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna" /><figcaption><em><b>Anthropoid sarcophagus of Peftjauneith, XXVI Dynasty (664 -525 BC) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museo Civico Archeologico, Bologna]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Egypt in the First Millennium:</b> In the first millennium BC, Egypt was characterised by the increasingly clear weakness of its central power to the advantage of local governors who gave themselves the role of ruling dynasts. The loss of political and territorial power weakened Egypt’s defence capacity at its borders, opening the way for Nubian, Assyrian and Persian invasions. The temples remained strong centres of power, and managed a sizeable portion of the economy and the transmission of knowledge, taking on the role of a political intermediary between the ruling power and the devout populace.</p><p>Many of the masterpieces on view in the exhibition were part of the funerary assemblages of priests and came from important temple areas. Among them is the sarcophagus of Peftjauneith, which represents the likeness of the god Osiris, wrapped in a linen shroud and with a green face evoking the concept of rebirth. The refined decoration of this sarcophagus confirms the high rank of its owner (the superintendent of the possessions of a temple in Lower Egypt) in the temple sphere. Of particular note is the interior scene of the sky goddess Nut swallowing the sun every evening (to the west) to then give birth to it in the morning (to the east).</p><p>Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 332 BC ended the ‘pharaonic’ phase of Egyptian history. The period of Greek domination was begun by his successors, the Ptolemies, the last of whom was the renowned Cleopatra VII.</p><p>The golden decline of Egypt would continue for many more centuries, beyond the Roman conquest in 31 BC up to Arab domination in the sixth century AD.</p><p>The dialogue between old and new, local and foreign that distinguished the Greco-Roman period brought a return to high artistic achievements, including the celebrated Fayum portraits, exquisite examples of which from the Leiden collection are on view in the exhibition</p><p><em><b>Source: Museo Civico Archeologico in Bologna [October 19, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-38457006603409243242022-05-30T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-30T05:30:00.182-07:00Palaeontology: Melting Scandinavian ice provides missing link in Europe's final Ice Age story<a name='more'></a><p>Molecular-based moisture indicators, remains of midges and climate simulations have provided climate scientists with the final piece to one of the most enduring puzzles of the last Ice Age.</p><figure><img alt="Melting Scandinavian ice provides missing link in Europe's final Ice Age story" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkziSoGzStltOTw0z6JuN1fYzhCxfc27bCrr7L2KbdM4R_2h8kgmwKVjnqcWf6m3k0bTRhZQJUVBsYpshrFZ4rPXWXxj36IUFqSITvRpEBonda3aKOtt6qxnoOTlew-03aFRNOspEbS4e/s1111/scandinavian-1.jpg" title="Melting Scandinavian ice provides missing link in Europe's final Ice Age story" /><figcaption><em><b>The site in Sweden where scientists located fossilised midges from a prehistoric lake </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Barbara Wohlfarth/University of Stockholm]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>For years, researchers have struggled to reconcile climate models of the Earth, 13,000 years ago, with the prevailing theory that a catastrophic freshwater flood from the melting North American ice sheets plunged the planet into a sudden and final cold snap, just before entering the present warm interglacial.</p><p>Now, an international team of scientists, led by Swedish researchers from Stockholm University and in partnership with UK researchers from the Natural History Museum (NHM) London, and Plymouth University, has found evidence in the sediments of an ancient Swedish lake that it was the melting of the Scandinavian ice sheet that provides the missing link to what occurred at the end of the last Ice Age. The study, published in Nature Communications, today, examined moisture and temperature records for the region and compared these with climate model simulations.</p><p>Francesco Muschitiello, a PhD researcher at Stockholm University and lead author of the study, said: "Moisture-sensitive molecules extracted from the lake's sediments show that climate conditions in Northern Europe became much drier around 13,000 years ago."</p><p>Steve Brooks, Researcher at the NHM, added: "The remains of midges, contained in the lake sediments, reveal a great deal about the past climate. The assemblage of species, when compared with modern records, enable us to track how, after an initial warming of up to 4° Centigrade at the end of the last Ice Age, summer temperatures plummeted by 5°C over the next 400 years."</p><p>Dr Nicola Whitehouse, Associate Professor in Physical Geography at Plymouth University, explained: "The onset of much drier, cooler summer temperatures, was probably a consequence of drier air masses driven by more persistent summer sea-ice in the Nordic Seas."</p><p>According to Francesco Muschitiello the observed colder and drier climate conditions were likely driven by increasingly stronger melting of the Scandinavian ice sheet in response to warming at the end of the last Ice Age; this led to an expansion of summer sea ice and to changes in sea-ice distribution in the eastern region of the North Atlantic, causing abrupt climate change. Francesco Muschitiello added: "The melting of the Scandinavian ice sheet is the missing link to understanding current inconsistencies between climate models and reconstructions, and our understanding of the response of the North Atlantic system to climate change."</p><p>Dr Francesco Pausata, postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm University, explained: "When forcing climate models with freshwater from the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, the associated climate shifts are consistent with our climate reconstructions."</p><p>The project leader, Professor Barbara Wohlfarth from Stockholm University, concluded: "The Scandinavian ice sheet definitely played a much more significant role in the onset of this final cold period than previously thought. Our teamwork highlights the importance of paleoclimate studies, not least in respect to the ongoing global warming debate."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Plymouth [November 17, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-69906676499999293262022-05-26T09:30:00.000-07:002022-05-26T09:30:00.172-07:00United Kingdom: Athenians’ association sues Britain for Parthenon Sculptures<a name='more'></a><p>A private citizen’s group called the “Athenians’ Association” said on Thursday they filed a lawsuit at the European Court of Human Rights against the United Kingdom over the removal of the Parthenon Marbles by Lord Elgin in the 19th century, the association said in a press conference in Plaka on Thursday.</p><figure><img alt="Athenians’ association sues Britain for Parthenon Sculptures" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijCyRUEzmuE5LgaKxKuyuI3TddpSunWLTFnM1Y4FUg4QgLgt-nIoljBJADKxkf8CyL8fKghcoovNEzazzaj_hapQUcDUnM8XlPLTNQHhflYLQdYjhWbEJBmthbhHlckFV63NRd-BGyG3U/s1111/Parthenon-marbles_01.jpg" title="Athenians’ association sues Britain for Parthenon Sculptures" /><figcaption><em><b>Visitors look at the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum</b></em><br /><em><b> in London [Credit: EPA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The association, which opened in 1895 and among whose aims is to research the history of Athens and help preserve of its cultural monuments, said the decision was taken after its board was informed about Britain’s refusal to participate in a mediation procedure, as part of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Goods in the Country of Origin.</p><p>“The reason we disclose our action today is because not only was the suit not rejected [by the Court], but it was officially lodged and recently the Court requested clarifications, which presages that it will reach the courtroom,” the member of the association’s board, Stratis Stratigis said at the press conference.</p><p>Stratigis has been entrusted with monitoring the legal aspect of the suit, and is also responsible for coordinating the actions and contacts that will be needed in Greece and abroad. </p><p>He said the Athens Association has been following the issue closely for years and when it realized in March 2015 that Britain had rejected even its participation in the mediation procedure, it decided it was an opportunity to appeal before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg as a private association, independently from the State.</p><p>Stratigis also clarified that this move by the association does not affect in any way Greece’s right to sue when it chooses at a national or international court.</p><p>“Besides, the issue of recovering architectural elements recognized by UNESCO World Heritage monuments which have been stolen is ongoing,” he said. “It is therefore in the country’s interest to keep the issue alive in international public opinion and periodically update on the issue with appropriate actions,” he added.</p><p>According to the association’s press release which followed the press conference, its founding members comprised of descendants of the Athenians who stood up against the destruction of the Parthenon by Lord Elgin. It also said that one of the very first actions undertaken by the Association was an event organised in 1896 to commemorate the liberation of the Acropolis from the Ottoman Turks.</p><p>During the event, the association’s deputy chairman, Professor Theodossios Venizelos (1821-1900) said the Parthenon was “a place of daily worship, the holy of holies, a life good for our ancestors and that the Athenians strongly protested against the despoilment of the Acropolis’ extant statues by Elgin.”</p><p><em><b>Source: ANA-MPA [February 19, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-79047354409886831472022-05-26T03:30:00.000-07:002022-05-26T03:30:00.161-07:00Natural Heritage: More infectious diseases emerging because of climate change <a name='more'></a><p>The appearance of infectious diseases in new places and new hosts, such as West Nile virus and Ebola, is a predictable result of climate change, says a noted zoologist affiliated with the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.</p><figure><img alt="More infectious diseases emerging because of climate change " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFSu9dAHL8t43H9SBEiKpwfudiQA-F44Brc-T78B69T5MB-wGvxaVPOR_Dxae2Yt_E36S7XBCLzxYUDQrx2P9TAfHUfuBOHXh8waqpYrzlBZkQrzFrWPMrP7VBWkN5MagEh6cAey6bJVl/s1111/animal-diseases_01.jpg" title="More infectious diseases emerging because of climate change " /><figcaption><em><b>In some areas of Costa Rica, howler monkeys like this one are infected with parasites </b></em><br /><em><b>once limited to capuchin and spider monkeys. After humans hunted capuchins and </b></em><br /><em><b>spider monkeys out of existence in the region, the parasites immediately switched to</b></em><br /><em><b>howler monkeys, where they persist today [Credit: Daniel Brooks Photography]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In an article published online today in conjunction with a special issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Daniel Brooks warns that humans can expect more such illnesses to emerge in the future, as climate change shifts habitats and brings wildlife, crops, livestock, and humans into contact with pathogens to which they are susceptible but to which they have never been exposed before.</p><p>"It's not that there's going to be one 'Andromeda Strain' that will wipe everybody out on the planet," Brooks said, referring to the 1971 science fiction film about a deadly pathogen. "There are going to be a lot of localized outbreaks putting pressure on medical and veterinary health systems. It will be the death of a thousand cuts."</p><p>Brooks and his co-author, Eric Hoberg, a zoologist with the U.S. National Parasite Collection of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, have personally observed how climate change has affected very different ecosystems. During his career, Brooks has focused primarily on parasites in the tropics, while Hoberg has worked primarily in Arctic regions.</p><p>Each has observed the arrival of species that hadn't previously lived in that area and the departure of others, Brooks said.</p><p>"Over the last 30 years, the places we've been working have been heavily impacted by climate change," Brooks said in an interview last week. "Even though I was in the tropics and he was in the Arctic, we could see something was happening." Changes in habitat mean animals are exposed to new parasites and pathogens.</p><p>For example, Brooks said, after humans hunted capuchin and spider monkeys out of existence in some regions of Costa Rica, their parasites immediately switched to howler monkeys, where they persist today. Some lungworms in recent years have moved northward and shifted hosts from caribou to muskoxen in the Canadian Arctic.</p><p>But for more than 100 years, scientists have assumed parasites don't quickly jump from one species to another because of the way parasites and hosts co-evolve.</p><p>Brooks calls it the "parasite paradox." Over time, hosts and pathogens become more tightly adapted to one another. According to previous theories, this should make emerging diseases rare, because they have to wait for the right random mutation to occur.</p><p>However, such jumps happen more quickly than anticipated. Even pathogens that are highly adapted to one host are able to shift to new ones under the right circumstances.</p><p>Brooks and Hoberg call for a "fundamental conceptual shift" recognizing that pathogens retain ancestral genetic capabilities allowing them to acquire new hosts quickly.</p><p>"Even though a parasite might have a very specialized relationship with one particular host in one particular place, there are other hosts that may be as susceptible," Brooks said.</p><p>In fact, the new hosts are more susceptible to infection and get sicker from it, Brooks said, because they haven't yet developed resistance.</p><p>Though resistance can evolve fairly rapidly, this only changes the emergent pathogen from an acute to a chronic disease problem, Brooks adds.</p><p>"West Nile Virus is a good example - no longer an acute problem for humans or wildlife in North America, it nonetheless is hhere to stay," he said.</p><p>The answer, Brooks said, is for greater collaboration between the public and veterinary health communities and the "museum" community - the biologists who study and classify life forms and how they evolve.</p><p>In addition to treating human cases of an emerging disease and developing a vaccine for it, he said, scientists need to learn which non-human species carry the pathogen.</p><p>Knowing the geographic distribution and the behavior of the non-human reservoirs of the pathogen could lead to public health strategies based on reducing risk of infection by minimizing human contact with infected animals, much likethose that reduced the incidence of malaria and yellow fever by reducing human contact with mosquitos.</p><p>Museum scientists versed in understanding the evolutionary relationships among species could use this knowledge to anticipate the risk of the pathogen becoming established outside of its native range.</p><p>Brooks, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was a zoology professor at the University of Toronto for 30 years until he retired early in 2011 to devote more time to his study of emerging infectious disease. In addition to being a senior research fellow with UNL's Manter Laboratory, he is a visiting senior fellow at the Universidade Federal do Parana, Brazil, funded by the Ciencias sem Fronteiras (Sciences without Borders) of the Brazilian government, and a visiting scholar with Debrecen University in Hungary.</p><p>Brooks' and Hoberg's article, "Evolution in action: climate change, biodiversity dynamics and emerging infectious disease," is part of a Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B issue on "Climate change and vector-borne diseases of humans," edited by Paul Parham, a specialist in infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College in London.</p><p>"We have to admit we're not winning the war against emerging diseases," Brooks said. "We're not anticipating them. We're not paying attention to their basic biology, where they might come from and the potential for new pathogens to be introduced."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln [February 16, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-34866005523140375502022-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:002022-05-25T11:00:00.184-07:00Human Evolution: Monkeys are seen making stone flakes so humans are 'not unique' after all<a name='more'></a><p>Researchers have observed wild-bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil deliberately break stones, unintentionally creating flakes that share many of the characteristics of those produced by early Stone Age hominins. The difference is that the capuchins' flakes are not intentional tools for cutting and scraping, but seem to be the by-product of hammering or 'percussive behaviour' that the monkeys engage in to extract minerals or lichen from the stones.</p><figure><img alt="Monkeys are seen making stone flakes so humans are 'not unique' after all" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AdmXAFv76TaHAvIZHrhqp9nw052OhKoZfYPRHJi2rwI844ChD9OEd6WRlweET-jFiG8Lm3dkw7tP7N5THsx10nZETonvzxtUO7QdTs5bifcVpbU0V9EUf6BuY9-uRmfq8JE9MwsaGAw/s1111/monkeys-1.jpg" title="Monkeys are seen making stone flakes so humans are 'not unique' after all" /><figcaption><em><b>Wild-bearded capuchin monkey in Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil, unintentionally creating</b></em><br /><em><b> fractured flakes and cores [Credit: Michael Haslam/ Primate Archaeology Group]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In a paper, >published in <em><b>Nature</b></em>, the research team says this finding is significant because archaeologists had always understood that the production of multiple stone flakes with characteristics such as conchoidal fractures and sharp cutting edges was a behaviour unique to hominins. The paper suggests that scholars may have to refine their criteria for identifying intentionally produced early stone flakes made by hominins, given capuchins have been observed unintentionally making similar tools.</p><p>The research is authored by researchers from the University of Oxford, University College London and University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. The team observed individual monkeys in Serra da Capivara National Park unintentionally creating fractured flakes and cores. While hominins made stone flake tools for cutting and butchery tasks, the researchers admit that it is unclear why monkeys perform this behaviour. They suggest that the capuchins may be trying to extract powdered silicon (known to be an essential trace nutrient) or to remove lichen for some as yet unknown medicinal purpose. At no point did the monkeys try to cut or scrape using the flakes, says the study.</p><p>Lead author Dr Tomos Proffitt, from the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, comments: 'Within the last decade, studies have shown that the use and intentional production of sharp-edged flakes are not necessarily linked to early humans (the genus Homo) who are our direct relatives, but instead were used and produced by a wider range of hominins. However, this study goes one step further in showing that modern primates can produce archaeologically identifiable flakes and cores with features that we thought were unique to hominins.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j0jqJUF1nOs?rel=0"></iframe><br />'This does not mean that the earliest archaeological material in East Africa was not made by hominins. It does, however, raise interesting questions about the possible ways this stone tool technology developed before the earliest examples in the archaeological record appeared. It also tells us what this stone tool technology might look like. There are important questions too about the uniqueness of early hominin behaviour. These findings challenge previous ideas about the minimum level of cognitive and morphological complexity required to produce numerous conchoidal flakes.'</p><p>The monkeys were observed engaging in 'stone on stone percussion', whereby they individually selected rounded quartzite cobbles and then using one or two hands struck the 'hammer-stone' forcefully and repeatedly on quartzite cobbles embedded in a cliff face. This action crushed the surface and dislodged cobbled stones, and the hand-held 'hammer stones' became unintentionally fractured, leaving an identifiable primate archaeological record. As well as using the active hammer-stone to crush 'passive hammers' (stones embedded in the outcrop), the capuchins were also observed re-using broken hammer-stones as 'fresh' hammers.</p><p>The research team examined 111 fragmented stones collected from the ground immediately after the capuchins had dropped them, as well as from the surface and excavated areas in the site. They gathered complete and broken hammer-stones, complete and fragmented flakes and passive hammers. Around half of the fractured flakes exhibited conchoidal fracture, which is typically associated with the hominin production of flakes.</p><p>Bearded capuchins and some Japanese macaques are known to pound stones directly against each other, but the paper remarks that the capuchins in Serra da Capivara National Park are the only wild primates to be observed doing this for the purpose of damaging the stones.</p><p>Co-author and leader of the Primate Archaeology (Primarch) project Michael Haslam, from the University of Oxford, says: 'Our understanding of the new technologies adopted by our early ancestors helps shape our view of human evolution. The emergence of sharp-edged stone tools that were fashioned and hammered to create a cutting tool was a big part of that story. The fact that we have discovered monkeys can produce the same result does throw a bit of a spanner in the works in our thinking on evolutionary behaviour and how we attribute such artefacts. While humans are not unique in making this technology, the manner in which they used them is still very different to what the monkeys seem capable of.'</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Oxford [October 19, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-29884985753239957802022-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:002022-05-24T08:00:00.201-07:00Near East: Youngest ancient Egyptian human foetus discovered in miniature coffin<a name='more'></a><p>A miniature ancient Egyptian coffin measuring just 44cm in length has been found to contain the youngest ever example of a human foetus to be embalmed and buried in Egyptian society. This discovery is the only academically verified specimen to exist at only sixteen to eighteen weeks of gestation.</p><figure><img alt="Youngest ancient Egyptian human foetus discovered in miniature coffin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7KWEw9AVIzSbwtGhorsKhCYXfxNX5pLV9XOjDqOz45B8rbnkj-KgmVfvb1eBmzbk5KUmnwRsvesIu903962wBsWW90Z7LB6J0Wv6iHET0g_aYvoIBlTEXCNX6wA0KgMZBUzyc79lZSR_/s1111/tinycoffin_01b.jpg" title="Youngest ancient Egyptian human foetus discovered in miniature coffin" /><figcaption><em><b>This coffin, found by archaeologists in 1907, has been found to contain a mummified human foetus </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: The Fitzwilliam Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>This landmark discovery from the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, is remarkable evidence of the importance that was placed on official burial rituals in ancient Egypt, even for those lives that were lost so early on in their existence. Curators at the Fitzwilliam made the discovery, during their research for the pioneering bicentennial exhibition Death on the Nile: Uncovering the afterlife of ancient Egypt.</p><p>The tiny coffin was excavated at Giza in 1907 by the British School of Archaeology and came into the collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum the same year. It is a perfect miniature example of a wooden coffin of the ancient Egyptian ‘Late Period’ and may date to around 664-525 BC. The lid and box are both made from cedar wood. Although the coffin is deteriorated, it is clear that the wood was carefully carved on a painstakingly small scale and decorated. This gave the curators at the Fitzwilliam the first very clear indication of the importance given to the coffin’s contents at this time in ancient Egyptian society.</p><p>The diminutive wrapped package inside was carefully bound in bandages, over which molten black resin had been poured before the coffin was closed. For many years it was thought that the contents were the mummified remains of internal organs that were routinely removed during the embalming of bodies.</p><p>Examination using X-ray imaging at the Fitzwilliam Museum was inconclusive, but suggested that it may contain a small skeleton. It was therefore decided to micro CT (computed tomography) scan the tiny bundle at Cambridge University’s Department of Zoology. The cross-sectional images this produced gave the first pictures of the remains of a tiny human body held within the wrappings, which remain undisturbed.</p><figure><img alt="Youngest ancient Egyptian human foetus discovered in miniature coffin" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT84K5i9iJl99euJOEKye2Eogdctah6LNoQQDk62lKC2l-EES4LXRuMeVYZPbdn69TgmZB-udcPghZYMUIduWFbpMcachGy8LdRMlvULlFjC4SdwnEz5Ldeaf_j9oCoV2NmKUS6VS00mi7/s1111/tinycoffin_02b.jpg" title="Youngest ancient Egyptian human foetus discovered in miniature coffin" /><figcaption><em><b>The coffin was scanned to reveal the tiny limbs of the unborn child </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: The Fitzwilliam Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr Tom Turmezei, recently Honorary Consultant Radiologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge collaborated with the Fitzwilliam Museum, alongside Dr. Owen Arthurs, Academic Consultant Paediatric Radiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. The ground-breaking results were based on their extensive knowledge of CT imaging and paediatric autopsy.</p><p>Five digits on both hands and feet and the long bones of the legs and arms were all clearly visible. Although the soft skull and pelvis were found to be collapsed the categorical consensus was that inside the bundle was a human foetus estimated to be of no more than eighteen weeks gestation. It was impossible to give a gender to the specimen and it is thought that the foetus was probably the result of a miscarriage, as there were no obvious abnormalities to explain why it could not have been carried to full-term.</p><p>From the micro CT scan it is noticeable that the foetus has its arms crossed over its chest. This, coupled with the intricacy of the tiny coffin and its decoration, are clear indications of the importance and time given to this burial in Egyptian society.</p><p>"CT imaging has been used successfully by the museum for several projects in recent years, but this is our most successful find so far," Dr. Tom Turmezei explained. "The ability of CT to show the inner workings of such artefacts without causing any structural damage proved even more invaluable in this case, allowing us to review the foetus for abnormalities and attempt to age it as accurately as possible."</p><p>Julie Dawson, Head of Conservation at the Fitzwilliam Museum said, "Using non-invasive modern technology to investigate this extraordinary archaeological find has provided us with striking evidence of how an unborn child might be viewed in ancient Egyptian society. The care taken in the preparation of this burial clearly demonstrates the value placed on life even in the first weeks of its inception."</p><p>Tutankhamun’s tomb contained two small foetuses that had been mummified and placed in individual coffins, but these infants were both significantly more developed, at about 25 weeks and 37 weeks into gestation. Very few other examples of burials of miscarried babies have so far been identified from ancient Egypt.</p><p>The miniature coffin is currently on display as part of the exhibition >Death on the Nile: Uncovering the Afterlife of ancient Egypt until 22nd May 2016 at the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Cambridge [May 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-88918646067530442542022-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:002022-05-24T06:30:00.177-07:00Travel: 'From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics' at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World<a name='more'></a><p>The highly anticipated exhibition From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics, opens at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) on February 12, 2015. With some 50 outstanding ancient objects, and more than 100 related documents, photographs, and drawings, this groundbreaking exhibition examines the fascinating process through which archaeological objects are transformed from artifacts to artworks and, sometimes, to popular icons, as they move from the sites of their discovery, to be publicized by mass media and exhibited by museums.</p><p><img alt="'From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics' at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG33QewLbnwpeP9Xn31wzvdGdw1cwPoqIR_s6y5MBMD4pQjQSbZ88XV3rNRK_8DTeTotivnMqrqOAZ6Ax7S5K_-bY88voWLg2T8FJeN7PXWCPmSNmxkRg2V6Fo45j5IVK63VkPkQMVMX4D/s1111/New-York_Uni_01.jpg" title="'From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics' at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World" /><br />From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics displays a series of spectacular early Mesopotamian objects alongside rich documentation, opening a window onto the ways in which archaeological finds of the 1920s and 1930s were transformed from artifacts into works of art. This process raises fundamental and critical questions: What biographies were initially given to these objects by their discoverers? How were these objects filtered through the eyes and voice of the press before they were seen by the public? How were the objects’ biographies affected by or reflective of the tastes of the time? How were the items presented in museums and received by artists of the period?</p><p>And finally, how do they continue to influence artistic practice today? The goal of Archaeology and Aesthetics is to demonstrate that these biographies do not begin and end in antiquity, or span the period from their discovery to the present, but continue to be written—through scholarly inquiry and reconsideration, through museum displays and the relationships they create between object and viewer, and through the ways in which they inspire artists of our time. The modern unearthing of an object is in fact the starting point for a multiplicity of approaches, each creating a better understanding of both the artifact and the people who produced it.</p><figure><img alt="'From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics' at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4q6iVYU8ZjAW8Yqfhd2q6HoOQC-OODRJ0yY_jErPjrZ3DD-2QFFs7EvC9pXecbGtpk8JfE4M0c1B_sNK0cVGydWfXKPB62_4-qMFOfptZufcr9C1FCGL87Z0ge9hYWtnRMgSPRZA-RQ4/s1111/New-York_Uni_02.jpg" title="'From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics' at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World" /><figcaption><em><b>From far left: A gypsum male figure; a reconstruction of an ancient queen’s outfit; </b></em><br /><em><b>and “The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist,” a contemporary sculpture </b></em><br /><em><b>by Michael Rakowitz. All are at the Institute for the Study of the</b></em><br /><em><b> Ancient World [Credit: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeology and Aesthetics begins with a gallery devoted to a number of early Mesopotamian archaeological sites. Concentrating on the city of Ur and several sites in the Diyala River Valley, the display comprises many now-iconic objects, including a wide array of Sumerian stone sculptures, spectacular jewelry in a variety of precious and exotic materials, and such luxury items as ostrich-egg vessels and bronzes.</p><p>These exceptional artifacts are shown with field notebooks, excavator’s diaries, archival photography, and original newspaper clippings, among other archival items, illustrating the ways in which the finds were carefully described and presented to the press, the general public, and the academic community. Selected objects are followed as they are strategically presented to an international audience, effecting their transformation from archaeological artifact to aesthetic item.</p><p>The exhibition continues with a gallery devoted to twentieth- and twenty-first-century artistic responses to ancient Mesopotamian objects. As these artifacts began to make their way into museums across pre-World War II Europe and North America, artists including Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, and Willem de Kooning drew inspiration from what they saw as a new kind of energy and vision inherent to the material.</p><p>Today, many artists return to the archaeological object to explore its role as a window onto human history and cultures rather than as an aesthetic object. Archaeology and Aesthetics demonstrates this approach with work by Jananne al-Ani, who was born in Kirkuk, Iraq, and lives in London, and by the Chicago-based Michael Rakowitz, who is of Iraqi-Jewish heritage. Both create art expressive of the traumatic loss of human heritage caused by wars and the spreading conflict in the Near and Middle East.</p><p>“From Ancient to Modern: Archaeology and Aesthetics” runs through June 7 at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World.</p><p><em><b>Source: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World [February 15, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-42515259807085793252022-05-24T02:30:00.000-07:002022-05-24T02:30:00.173-07:00Environment: Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation<a name='more'></a><p>Beneath the Aurora Borealis an oil tanker glides through the night past the Coast Guard ice breaker Amundsen and vanishes into the maze of shoals and straits of the Northwest Passage, navigating waters that for millennia were frozen over this time of year.</p><figure><img alt="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR8WhaMAftCEqzP1EkC3ocJnfvfvUtAfsM5nJz1IVwvAR6xBipbukXTjEoEL8EcWzmQ9LEuv4BtIJPcYO_8rSzNfmIJ6_a-rOiUq2KiEREm8CdzSTXRhDXh2Mognf4aA3Ozc4sVnlrq7-/s1111/NW_Passage_01.jpg" title="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" /><figcaption><em><b>The CCGS Amundsen reasearch ice breaker navigates near Devon Island </b></em><br /><em><b>in the Canadian High Arctic on September 27, 2015</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Clement Sabourin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Warming has forced a retreat of the polar ice cap, opening up a sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for several months of the year.</p><p>Commander Alain Lacerte is at the helm as the vessel navigates the Queen Maud Gulf, poring over charts that date from the 1950s and making course corrections with the help of GPS.</p><p>"Where it's white (on the chart), it means the area hasn't been surveyed," he explains -- leaning over a map that is mostly white. "Most of the far north hasn't been surveyed, so our maps are unreliable."</p><p>The crew constantly take radar and multi-beam sonar measurements and check their position.</p><p>"We don't want any shoals named after us," says the old sea dog from behind his spectacles.</p><p>Almost the size of the European Union, the Canadian Arctic seabed remains largely uncharted. The waters are also shallow and navigating unknown parts can be deadly -- even when the north is ice-free.</p><p>Today, taking this route cuts 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) off a trip from London to Tokyo, saving time and fuel.</p><p><b>'Never imagined this'</b></p><p>Since the 15th century there have been a dozen expeditions seeking a faster shipping route from Europe to Asia through the north.</p><figure><img alt="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8fR6UANR66fC3VZ_-o2oXBBI7ErXtHkJxFihwDEOHcclZNnmUROj0zy53Y1EBTPVy97c7wZopbi5-as57boL_Z0F-CUesq3Iglzyy8p1xIgEwwu5JD-A2Ll3SHYJ7fLmT1zAM1Z2S5Wj/s1111/NW_Passage_02.jpg" title="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" /><figcaption><em><b>Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen, a research icebreaker, navigates </b></em><br /><em><b>near an ice floe along Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic </b></em><br /><em><b>on September 27, 2015 [Credit: AFP/Clement Sabourin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first to cross the Northwest Passage, on board the Gjoa, in an expedition that took three years, finishing in 1906.</p><p>Afterward interest in the waterway waned. An average of one ship per year attempted to make the crossing over the past century.</p><p>But thawing of the polar ice promises Arctic nations new opportunities to open ocean trade routes and offshore oil fields.</p><p>In the summer months the Amundsen is used by Canadian government scientists -- among them Roger Provost, a Canadian Ice Service meteorologist -- as well as a network of scientists led by the ArcticNet organization.</p><p>Provost looked with amazement from the wheelhouse at the lack of any ice cover around the coast guard ship.</p><p>"Anyone who still denies climate change is real has their head in the ground, they're blind," he said.</p><p>In 37 years of Arctic exploration, he said he "never imagined ever seeing this," pointing to satellite images showing a clear path through the Queen Maud Gulf and the M'Clintock Channel, where the Amundsen is headed.</p><p>Almost 112 years ago to the day, the explorer Amundsen got stuck in the pack ice here. And in 1979, Provost recalls, another Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaker had to cut short its inaugural journey, unable to push beyond this point through thick ice.</p><p>Over the past five years the number of cargo and cruise ships, tankers and others crossing the Passage climbed to 117.</p><p>In 2010, Canada imposed shipping regulations on seafarers going through the Passage, but the United States and the European Union do not recognize Canada's ownership of the waterway, considering it international waters.</p><p><b>'Completely disappear'</b></p><p>The ice cover has steadily retreated over the past decade, with this year set to be the hottest on record, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</p><figure><img alt="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr_HizNzIJ3B-WfRHbDY3V24ai-8dYiYhs47Cva0qqGki7CGpwegZiFh6ZAregCZ3heztI0xm7V8HRZ-sElVIb3XBlonb57obbqwTEXpTrKU5jnubv7zHY8vQL5q8pAw3-ucpNkPrHumD/s1111/NW_Passage_03.jpg" title="Warming opens famed Northwest Passage to navigation" /><figcaption><em><b>Ice chunks can be seen in the Northwest Passage near the CCGS Amundsen,</b></em><br /><em><b> a Canadian research ice breaker navigating in the Canadian High Arctic,</b></em><br /><em><b> on September 23, 2015 [Credit: AFP/Clement Sabourin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The previous year saw average global temperatures rise one degree Celsius -- but by three degrees in the Arctic.</p><p>What most worries Provost is the loss of "multi-year ice," formed over centuries. "In a few years it will completely disappear," he forecast.</p><p>"It's a tragedy for all humanity what is happening."</p><p>Glaciologist Lauren Candlish said: "We're now in the transition phase, from having multi-year ice through the entire summer, to a seasonally ice free Arctic."</p><p>Poring over data on her computer in a nook of the ship the University of Manitoba researcher says: "It's a different Arctic now. Less predictable, with more fluctuations."</p><p>The last such melting occurred "before the last ice age," from AD 100,000 to AD 10,000, she noted.</p><p>Most aboard the ship doubt we are headed for an Arctic shipping boom predicted by many, as the weather remains unpredictable and harsh. But there is sure to be an increase, which raises concerns for the environment.</p><p>"When it was covered in ice, this ecosystem was not threatened," says Provost. The Arctic is a unique and diverse ecosystem that is home to whales, seals, polar bears, walruses and several bird species.</p><p>"A massive oil spill like the one in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 must never happen in the Arctic," he said. "The consequences would be much more serious."</p><p><em><b>Author: Clement Sabourin | Source: AFP [October 20, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-89964467652225610662022-05-23T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-23T05:30:00.169-07:00Palaeontology: Newly discovered pliosaur terrorised ancient Russian seas<a name='more'></a><p>The Mesozoic played host to some of the most dangerous predators to ever swim the Earth's oceans. Among these, pliosaurs were lethal hunters, and some of the largest predators ever on this planet. They were the shorter-necked cousins of the plesiosaurs, which are often spoken of in reference to their superficial similarity to the Loch Ness Monster, which we're definitely not going to do here. Together, pliosaurs and plesiosaurs form a group known as Sauropterygia, which existed in the oceans from the Triassic right until the end of the Cretaceous, when they went extinct along with the non-avian dinosaurs and other vertebrate groups. This actually makes sauropterygians the longest living group of marine-adapted tetrapods (animals with four limbs), which is quite an impressive feat!</p><figure><img alt="Newly discovered pliosaur terrorised ancient Russian seas" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF17T3D23A8oik_D70KfQheqnog9fCyUM3XJkdYfqubbCcICLSsT9x5JLnO2rdAVAoMHjFhQTPxu_yYa9ENwC9kMaUGityhj0X2w66Z9WFXii_D12Cn8q3GgceLDVhBJECo7L52f7CC3E/s1111/pliosaur-1a.jpg" title="Newly discovered pliosaur terrorised ancient Russian seas" /><figcaption><em><b>Fossils of the new pliosaur, Makhaira [Credit: Fischer et al. 2015]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>New discoveries show that perhaps this evolutionary success can be attributed to the ecological diversity that this group possessed, and in particular an ability to adapt to different feeding styles.</p><p>Valentin Fischer from the University of Oxford and an international team of researchers have discovered a new pliosaur from western Russia, named Makhaira rossica. The name dreives from the Latinized Ancient Greek word 'mákhaira', which describes a blade with a curved outline, as well as the Latin word 'rossica', which means Russian. The specimen comprises a fragmentary skeleton of a sub-adult animal, found within a series of limestone nodules along the banks of the Volga River.</p><p>Makhaira comes from a period in Earth's geological history, known as the earliest part of the Cretaceous, where our knowledge of vertebrate life is relatively poor due to the way in which fossils are differentially preserved through time. Sadly, this lack of knowledge means that our understanding of how faunas changed from the latest part of the Jurassic period into the first part of the Cretaceous is relatively poor compared to other important geological boundaries.</p><p>Analysis of the evolutionary placement of this new species places it as the most basal member of a group known as Brachaucheninae, which survived through the Cretaceous. However, the new species is different in being a little smaller than some of its more advanced relatives.</p><figure><img alt="Newly discovered pliosaur terrorised ancient Russian seas" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFZ_a8eVhns24beKid1tF8KuC1GAEJFNTf7U3oEGKFhFr3__npLklIhnlDZYS1OYSsvB9IblOFIVFaHaP7k1-fB-v1hrlSwGG68nIxTkxu2zyiX1CAXagEbNNSjVuJBAMrxZqFprfNNk/s1111/pliosaur-3.png" title="Newly discovered pliosaur terrorised ancient Russian seas" /><figcaption><em><b>Evolutionary relationships of Makhaira with other Jurassic and Cretaceous pliosaurs </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Fischer et al. 2015]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The weirdest feature of the new beasty has to be the teeth. The teeth occur in pairs, and have a trihedral form, meaning they had three peaks on each alveolus, and the edges of the teeth were adorned with wicked serrations. They were also very large, similar even to some teeth from theropod dinosaurs roaming the lands at the time!</p><p>The morphology of these teeth suggest that they were equipped just for one thing – devouring other large animals! This form of feeding is known as macrophagy, and was a common form of predation at the time for giant marine crocodyliforms (the ancestors of modern crocodiles) called metriorhynchids. Importantly, this feeding style previously seemed to have been lost in the early evolution of other brachauchenine pliosaurs, but now appears to have been present in at least one species from this group. This shows that Early Cretaceous pliosaurs were still well adapted to hypercarnivory, and retained a high feeding diversity at the beginning of the Cretaceous, and not lost from their Jurassic ancestors.</p><p>Recently, Alessandro Chiarenza, a colleague of mine at Imperial College London, reported on what appeared to be the oldest metriorhynchid remains currently known, from a fossil site in Sicily. Based on a single fossilised tooth from a period known as the Aptian, later on in the Cretaceous than when Makhaira was found, these remains extended the duration of metriorhynchids, and their eventual extinction, by several millions of years.</p><p>However, the morphology of the teeth of Makhaira wasn't known at the time of publishing the crocodyliform fossils, and it seems that it is actually impossible to distinguish between these and the teeth of some metriorhynchids. This means that the Sicilian tooth cannot be referred unequivocally to either a metriorhynchid or a pliosaur – the teeth of some species is just too similar to say for certain! What does this imply though? Well, it seems that the fate of metriorhynchids is still a mystery concealed by the fossil record, and is only something that future study of these fossils, their other monstrous counterparts, and discovery of new fossils can hope to solve!</p><p>The findings are published in the ><em><b>Royal Society Open Science</b></em><em><b> journal</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Author: Victoria Costello | Source: Public Library of Science [January 16, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-55157664716905600132022-05-23T04:00:00.001-07:002022-05-23T04:00:00.168-07:00Evolution: Sex cells evolved to pass on quality mitochondria<a name='more'></a><p>Mammals immortalise their genes through eggs and sperm to ensure future generations inherit good quality mitochondria to power the body's cells, according to new UCL research.</p><figure><img alt="Sex cells evolved to pass on quality mitochondria" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOyI28_FjduyKqOa3bSBWQKRkQBoi6HGiUjgqRNicGWgx1L_mFU5vcuJdQQAV2JUW4LrF5_2SJwsmrecKcaDLPWw9fpGChUgZfw8MuaA4b9zaJAyEm9dq8Qqu4K2cBghg83_PpgvIY7tG/s1111/mitochondria-1.jpg" title="Sex cells evolved to pass on quality mitochondria" /><figcaption><em><b>One of a series of ova made in a spell of reproductive mitochondrial interest. The ovum about to ovulate has differentiated </b></em><br /><em><b>from the rest of the surrounding tissue and is getting ready to leave the ovary. Its mitochondria are organized mainly </b></em><br /><em><b>around the nucleus. The cell is full of potential and force. A big journey of life may be about to start </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Odra Noel]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Before now, it was not known why mammals rely on dedicated sex cells that are formed early in development (a germline) to make offspring whereas plants and other simple animals, such as corals and sponges, use sex cells produced later in life from normal body tissues.</p><p>In a new study, published today in ><em><b>PLOS Biology</b></em> and funded by Natural Environment Research Council, Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust, UCL scientists developed an evolutionary model to investigate how these differences evolved over time and discovered that the germline in mammals developed in response to selection on mitochondria (the powerhouses of cells).</p><p>First author and UCL PhD student, Arunas Radzvilavicius, said: "There have been many theories about why mammals have a specialised germline when plants and other ancient animals don't. Some suggest it was due to complexity of tissues or a selfish conflict between cells. The distinction between sex cells and normal body tissues seems to be necessary for the evolution of very complex specialised tissues like brain.</p><p>"Surprisingly, we found that these aren't the reason. Rather, it's about the number of genetic mutations in mitochondrial DNA over time, which differs between organisms, and the variation between cells caused by the mitochondria being randomly partitioned into daughter cells at each division."</p><p>In plants, mitochondrial mutations creep in slowly, so a germline isn't needed as mutations are corrected by natural selection. Mitochondrial variation is maximised by forming the next generation from the same cells used to make normal tissue cells. When the cells divide to form new daughter cells, some receive more mutant mitochondria than others and these cells are then removed through natural selection, preserving the reproductive cells containing higher quality mitochondria.</p><p>In mammals, genetic errors in mitochondria accumulate more quickly due to our higher metabolic rate so using cells that have undergone lots of division cycles would be a liability. Mitochondria are therefore only passed along to the next generation through a dedicated female germline in the form of large eggs. This protects against errors being introduced as eggs undergo many fewer replication cycles than cells in other tissues such as the gut, skin and blood.</p><p>The germline ensures that the best quality mitochondria are transferred but restricts the genetic variation in the next generation of cells in the developing embryo. This is corrected for by mammals generating far too many egg cells which are removed during development. For example, humans are born with over 6 million egg-precursor cells, 90% of which are culled by the start of puberty in a mysterious process called atresia.</p><p>Senior author, Dr Nick Lane (UCL CoMPLEX and Genetics, Evolution & Environment) added: "We think the rise in mitochondrial mutation rate likely occurred in the Cambrian explosion 550 million years ago when oxygen levels rose. This was the first appearance of motile animals in the fossil record, things like trilobites that had eyes and armour plating - predators and prey. By moving around they used their mitochondria more and that increased the mutation rate. So to avoid these mutations accumulating they needed to have fewer rounds of cell division, and that meant sequestering a specialized germline."</p><p>Co-author, Professor Andrew Pomiankowski (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment), concluded: "Without a germline, animals with complex development and brains could not exist. Scientists have long tried to explain the evolution of the germline in terms of complexity. Who would have thought it arose from selection on mitochondrial genes? We hope our discovery will transform the way researchers understand animal development, reproduction and aging."</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [December 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-71781087705112731492022-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:002022-05-23T04:00:00.168-07:00Earth Science: Cosmic dust reveals Earth's ancient atmosphere<a name='more'></a><p>Using the oldest fossil micrometeorites -- space dust -- ever found, Monash University-led research has made a surprising discovery about the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere 2.7 billion years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Cosmic dust reveals Earth's ancient atmosphere" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprB75DCSERVNbxzUqsOg6irtakvJawZKgtNdNMDl5IPcVWj5Xjx1HSz4CCMiezSHb6m4s9ys97zJ0DeAU53-WYi2AOIbk6M5vdDziqrXRMZN-eXaGcYXVYSANQBxK4emVK_h0tGI7-Ra2/s1111/cosmic_dust-1.png" title="Cosmic dust reveals Earth's ancient atmosphere" /><figcaption><em><b>One of 60 micrometeorites extracted from 2.7 billion year old limestone, from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. </b></em><br /><em><b>These micrometeorites consist of iron oxide minerals that formed when dust particles of meteoritic iron metal</b></em><br /><em><b> were oxidised as they entered Earth's atmosphere, indicating that the ancient upper atmosphere </b></em><br /><em><b>was surprisingly oxygen-rich [Credit: Andrew Tomkins]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The findings of a new study >published in the journal <em><b>Nature</b></em> -- led by Dr Andrew Tomkins and a team from the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash, along with scientists from the Australian Synchrotron and Imperial College, London -- challenge the accepted view that Earth's ancient atmosphere was oxygen-poor. The findings indicate instead that the ancient Earth's upper atmosphere contained about the same amount of oxygen as today, and that a methane haze layer separated this oxygen-rich upper layer from the oxygen-starved lower atmosphere.</p><p>Dr Tomkins explained how the team extracted micrometeorites from samples of ancient limestone collected in the Pilbara region in Western Australia and examined them at the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy (MCEM) and the Australian Synchrotron.</p><p>"Using cutting-edge microscopes we found that most of the micrometeorites had once been particles of metallic iron -- common in meteorites -- that had been turned into iron oxide minerals in the upper atmosphere, indicating higher concentrations of oxygen than expected," Dr Tomkins said.</p><p>"This was an exciting result because it is the first time anyone has found a way to sample the chemistry of the ancient Earth's upper atmosphere," Dr Tomkins said.</p><p>Imperial College researcher Dr Matthew Genge -- an expert in modern cosmic dust -- performed calculations that showed oxygen concentrations in the upper atmosphere would need to be close to modern day levels to explain the observations.</p><p>"This was a surprise because it has been firmly established that the Earth's lower atmosphere was very poor in oxygen 2.7 billion years ago; how the upper atmosphere could contain so much oxygen before the appearance of photosynthetic organisms was a real puzzle," Dr Genge said.</p><p>Dr Tomkins explained that the new results suggest the Earth at this time may have had a layered atmosphere with little vertical mixing, and higher levels of oxygen in the upper atmosphere produced by the breakdown of CO 2 by ultraviolet light.</p><p>"A possible explanation for this layered atmosphere might have involved a methane haze layer at middle levels of the atmosphere. The methane in such a layer would absorb UV light, releasing heat and creating a warm zone in the atmosphere that would inhibit vertical mixing," Dr Tomkins said.</p><p>"It is incredible to think that by studying fossilised particles of space dust the width of a human hair, we can gain new insights into the chemical makeup of Earth's upper atmosphere, billions of years ago." Dr Tomkins said.</p><p>Dr Tomkins outlined next steps in the research.</p><p>"The next stage of our research will be to extract micrometeorites from a series of rocks covering over a billion years of Earth's history in order to learn more about changes in atmospheric chemistry and structure across geological time. We will focus particularly on the great oxidation event, which happened 2.4 billion years ago when there was a sudden jump in oxygen concentration in the lower atmosphere."</p><p><em><b>Source: Monash University [May 12, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-15770054347986574862022-05-22T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-22T05:30:00.174-07:00Natural Heritage: Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth<a name='more'></a><p>The human-dominated geological epoch known as the Anthropocene probably began around the year 1610, with an unusual drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide and the irreversible exchange of species between the New and Old Worlds, according to new research published today in Nature.</p><figure><img alt="Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvd-YUktY7o1NmMpM-p_POQWZ1B-7LySb71OQrhi26IkYNQYNYPGMcOAWbj280sxChTtQ2Gg17VV0q-1MUBCMSs2o2ckEEHmab3YlqN-Z212XEajzlPB4jXQpk6AgWxU3ATMMthQKA97A/s1111/columbian-exchange.jpg" title="Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth" /><figcaption><em><b>17th Century World Map ny Nicholas Visscher [Credit: Art Print]|</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Previous epochs began and ended due to factors including meteorite strikes, sustained volcanic eruptions and the shifting of the continents. Human actions are now changing the planet, but are we really a geological force of nature driving Earth into a new epoch that will last millions of years?</p><p>Scientists at UCL have concluded that humans have become a geological power and suggest that human actions have produced a new geological epoch.</p><p>Defining an epoch requires two main criteria to be met. Long-lasting changes to the Earth must be documented. Scientists must also pinpoint and date a global environmental change that has been captured in natural material, such as rocks, ancient ice or sediment from the ocean floor. Such a marker -- like the chemical signature left by the meteorite strike that wiped out the dinosaurs -- is called a golden spike.</p><p>The study authors systematically compared the major environmental impacts of human activity over the past 50,000 years against these two formal requirements. Just two dates met the criteria: 1610, when the collision of the New and Old Worlds a century earlier was first felt globally; and 1964, associated with the fallout from nuclear weapons tests. The researchers conclude that 1610 is the stronger candidate.</p><p>The scientists say the 1492 arrival of Europeans in the Americas, and subsequent global trade, moved species to new continents and oceans, resulting in a global re-ordering of life on Earth. This rapid, repeated, cross-ocean exchange of species is without precedent in Earth's history.</p><p>They argue that the joining of the two hemispheres is an unambiguous event after which the impacts of human activity became global and set Earth on a new trajectory. The first fossil pollen of maize, a Latin American species, appears in marine sediment in Europe in 1600, becoming common over subsequent centuries. This irreversible exchange of species satisfies the first criteria for dating an epoch -- long-term changes to Earth.</p><p>The Anthropocene probably began when species jumped continents, starting when the Old World met the New. We humans are now a geological power in our own right -- as Earth-changing as a meteorite strike</p><figure><img alt="Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMBoY-BA9bzU9MVCfX8zWoOS80tOR9HRhma0VlvAMgRam6GhL8hhJjLYlos1ygR3TQ1HgqVBM1sCoDMt3msmJvZvpG8obWrd7EqgsimgUBoyvqEI21XByASbxZrKcuP0Z6klHySpY6qeo/s1111/columbian_exchange.jpg" title="Epoch-defining study pinpoints when humans came to dominate planet Earth" /><figcaption><em><b>The Anthropocene probably began when species jumped continents, starting when</b></em><br /><em><b> the Old World met the New. We humans are now a geological power in our</b></em><br /><em><b> own right – as Earth-changing as a meteorite strike </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: University College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The researchers also found a golden spike that can be dated to the same time: a pronounced dip in atmospheric carbon dioxide centred on 1610 and captured in Antarctic ice-core records. The drop occurred as a direct result of the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Colonisation of the New World led to the deaths of about 50 million indigenous people, most within a few decades of the 16th century due to smallpox. The abrupt near-cessation of farming across the continent and the subsequent re-growth of Latin American forests and other vegetation removed enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce a drop in CO2. Thus, the second requirement of a golden spike marker is met.</p><p>The researchers have named the 1610 dip in carbon dioxide the 'Orbis Spike'. They chose the Latin word for 'world' because this golden spike was caused by once-disconnected peoples becoming globally linked.</p><p>Lead author, Dr Simon Lewis (UCL Geography and University of Leeds), said: "In a hundred thousand years scientists will look at the environmental record and know something remarkable happened in the second half of the second millennium. They will be in no doubt that these global changes to Earth were caused by their own species. Today we can say when those changes began and why. The Anthropocene probably began when species jumped continents, starting when the Old World met the New. We humans are now a geological power in our own right -- as Earth-changing as a meteorite strike."</p><p>He added: "Historically, the collision of the Old and New Worlds marks the beginning of the modern world. Many historians regard agricultural imports into Europe from the vast new lands of the Americas, alongside the availability of coal, as the two essential precursors of the Industrial Revolution, which in turn unleashed further waves of global environmental changes. Geologically, this boundary also marks Earth's last globally synchronous cool moment before the onset of the long-term global warmth of the Anthropocene."</p><p>The authors also considered the merits of dating the Anthropocene to 1964, which saw a peak in radioactive fallout following nuclear weapons testing. This marker is seen in many geological deposits, and by the 1960s human impact on the Earth was large. However, the researchers note that while nuclear war could dramatically alter Earth, so far it has not. While the fallout from nuclear bomb tests is a very good marker, the testing of nuclear weapons has not been -- in geological terms -- an Earth-changing event.</p><p>The beginning of the Industrial Revolution, in the late 18th century, has most commonly been suggested as the start of the Anthropocene. This linked a clear turning point in human history, and the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide from fossil fuel use is a long-term global environmental change of critical importance. However, the researchers did not find a golden spike at that time because most effects were local, while the global exponential rise in carbon dioxide was too smooth an increase to form a precisely dated marker.</p><p>The authors' new paper ends by highlighting some implications of formally defining the Anthropocene.</p><p>Co-author, geologist Professor Mark Maslin (UCL Geography) said: "A more wide-spread recognition that human actions are driving far-reaching changes to the life-supporting infrastructure of Earth will have implications for our philosophical, social, economic and political views of our environment. But we should not despair, because the power that humans wield is unlike any other force of nature, it is reflexive and therefore can be used, withdrawn or modified. The first stage of solving our damaging relationship with our environment is recognising it."</p><p>An official decision on whether to formally recognise the Anthropocene, including when it began, will be initiated by a recommendation of the Anthropocene Working Group of the Subcommission of Quaternary Stratigraphy, due in 2016.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [March 11, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-81137503460670861942022-05-22T04:30:00.000-07:002022-05-22T04:30:00.177-07:00Fossils: Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia<a name='more'></a><p>The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum today announced the naming of Savannasaurus elliottorum, a new genus and species of dinosaur from western Queensland, Australia. The bones come from the Winton Formation, a geological deposit approximately 95 million years old.</p><figure><img alt="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubLW8tBvEgAsgUYcA90PxeCCPO_qpi9fTcLhJE7-IMnntwf79kHpwRS1t5AmOeCxXUMMQdxQX5Lras1_HSaIy8MIoKRzIQsxwLkc_FSiJ5mbwqHZvZ0sL-MbIUH21rrvnK0dAkYcWd5s/s1111/long_necked_dino-1.jpg" title="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" /><figcaption>><em><b>An artist's impression of the Savannasaurus elliottorum [Credit: Australian Age of Dinosaurs </b></em><br />><em><b>Museum of Natural History]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Savannasaurus was discovered by David Elliott, co-founder of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, while mustering sheep in early 2005. As Elliott recalled yesterday, "I was nearly home with the mob -- only about a kilometre from the yards -- when I spotted a small pile of fossil bone fragments on the ground. I was particularly excited at the time as there were two pieces of a relatively small limb bone and I was hoping it might be a meat-eating theropod dinosaur." Mr Elliott returned to the site later that day to collect the bone fragments with his wife Judy, who 'clicked' two pieces together to reveal a complete toe bone from a plant-eating sauropod. The Elliotts marked the site and made arrangements to hold a dig later that year.</p><p>The site was excavated in September 2005 by a joint Australian Age of Dinosaurs (AAOD) Museum and Queensland Museum team and 17 pallets of bones encased in rock were recovered. After almost ten years of painstaking work by staff and volunteers at the AAOD Museum, the hard siltstone concretion around the bones was finally removed to reveal one of the most complete sauropod dinosaur skeletons ever found in Australia. More excitingly, it belonged to a completely new type of dinosaur.</p><p>The new discovery was nicknamed Wade in honour of prominent Australian palaeontologist Dr Mary Wade. "Mary was a very close friend of ours and she passed away while we were digging at the site," said Mr Elliott. "We couldn't think of a better way to honour her than to name the new dinosaur after her."</p><figure><img alt="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFrpzL6sx4jQ7Iwy07CVI_ME6R4qVr-GZgWfHMoFSGbU4YFuUkHN6-AsnYVjZBKWfG9qRuvOYs_DwOFvOpx6GWcAVLJV7RJDnBScF3c16J7f7BUWflE4Qv9IPhgH2mul0wVg9yR01gsk/s1111/long_necked_dino-4.jpg" title="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" /><figcaption><em><b>The dinosaur dig site in Winton where the bones have been painstakingly unearthed</b></em>><em><b> </b></em><br />><em><b>[Credit: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"Before today we have only been able to refer to this dinosaur by its nickname," said Dr Stephen Poropat, Research Associate at the AAOD Museum and lead author of the study. "Now that our study is published we can refer to Wade by its formal name, Savannasaurus elliottorum," Dr Poropat said. "The name references the savannah country of western Queensland in which it was found, and honours the Elliott family for their ongoing commitment to Australian palaeontology."</p><p>In the same publication, Dr Poropat and colleagues announced the first sauropod skull ever found in Australia. This skull, and the partial skeleton with which it was associated, has been assigned to Diamantinasaurus matildae -- a sauropod dinosaur named in 2009 on the basis of its nickname Matilda. "This new Diamantinasaurus specimen has helped to fill several gaps in our knowledge of this dinosaur's skeletal anatomy," said Poropat. "The braincase in particular has allowed us to refine Diamantinasaurus' position on the sauropod family tree."</p><p>Dr Poropat collaborated with British sauropod experts Dr Philip Mannion (Imperial College, London) and Professor Paul Upchurch (University College, London), among others, to work out the position of Savannasaurus (and refine that of Diamantinasaurus) on the sauropod family tree. "Both Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus belong to a group of sauropods called titanosaurs. This group of sauropods includes the largest land-living animals of all time," said Dr Mannion. "Savannasaurus and the new Diamantinasaurus specimen have helped us to demonstrate that titanosaurs were living worldwide by 100 million years ago."</p><figure><img alt="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iyBIpFhu8A81Ju0TeL8QeMs6F05qgj-ru092d6pEMb5EL4zDRAi7F8VNwh70MCLnCy5hg3sS6YK7NGtaEvL5Oy3ZtAuVgC9D054TVY-W0_WQBLAuDbYAL_ccTze28gVtXJtdTQyJVO4/s1111/long_necked_dino-2a.jpg" title="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" /><figcaption><em><b>>The fossils make up one of the most complete collection ever found in Australia</b></em>><em><b> </b></em><br />><em><b>[Credit: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Poropat and his colleagues suggest that the arrangement of the continents, and the global climate during the middle part of the Cretaceous Period, enabled titanosaurs to spread worldwide.</p><p>"Australia and South America were connected to Antarctica throughout much of the Cretaceous," said Professor Upchurch. "Ninety-five million years ago, at the time that Savannasaurus was alive, global average temperatures were warmer than they are today. However, it was quite cool at the poles at certain times, which seems to have restricted the movement of sauropods at polar latitudes. We suspect that the ancestor of Savannasaurus was from South America, but that it could not and did not enter Australia until approximately 105 million years ago. At this time global average temperatures increased allowing sauropods to traverse landmasses at polar latitudes."</p><p>Savannasaurus was a medium-sized titanosaur, approximately half the length of a basketball court, with a long neck and a relatively short tail. "With hips at least one metre wide and a huge barrel-like ribcage, Savannasaurus is the most rotund sauropod we have found so far -- even more so than the somewhat hippopotamus-like Diamantinasaurus," said Dr Poropat. "It lived alongside at least two other types of sauropod (Diamantinasaurus and Wintonotitan), as well as other dinosaurs including ornithopods, armoured ankylosaurs, and the carnivorous theropod Australovenator."</p><figure><img alt="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngvmCKgIvqUCxX6C9Qc2oBE4-KBF8JjgnvOzbChweIugojky7kStV7-bn6kZG1DYDWLNTl1UwYY6IFtaa3_ffZdzkuFk42wqLrHP5IQfYJJXKyBtoX2XnTky965nHzQGOqQhfiYWyXl0/s1111/long_necked_dino-5.jpg" title="Long-necked dino species discovered in Australia" /><figcaption><em><b>>Dr Stephen Poropat from the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History in Winton, </b></em><br /><em><b>>with five back vertebrae from the newly-discovered Australian dinosaur Savannasaurus elliottorum </b></em><br /><em><b>>[Credit: Judy Elliott/Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Mr Elliott is relieved that Wade can now join "Matilda" and the other new dinosaur species on display in the Museum's Holotype Room. "That this dinosaur specimen can now be displayed for our visitors is a testament to the efforts of numerous volunteers who have worked at the Museum on the fossils over the past decade," he said. Mr Elliott and Dr Poropat agree that the naming of Savannasaurus, the fourth new species published by the AAOD Museum, is just the tip of the iceberg with respect to the potential for new dinosaur species in western Queensland.</p><p>"The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum has a massive collection of dinosaur fossils awaiting preparation and the number of specimens collected is easily outpacing the number being prepared by volunteers and staff in our Laboratory," Mr Elliott said. "The Museum already has the world's largest collection of bones from Australia's biggest dinosaurs and there is enough new material to keep us working for several decades."</p><p>The paper naming the new dinosaur was published in ><em><b>Scientific Reports</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History [October 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-37268186390656154642022-05-21T06:30:00.002-07:002022-05-21T06:30:00.180-07:00Indigenous Cultures: First estimate of Pygmy population in Central Africa reveals their plight<a name='more'></a><p>The forests of Central Africa could be home to up to 920,000 Pygmies, according to researchers from UCL, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Malaga, who have conducted the first measured estimate of the population and distribution of these indigenous groups.</p><figure><img alt="First estimate of Pygmy population in Central Africa reveals their plight" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64ht487i47qck1rB516wnodA2Af6coDcK0U3Cl164aKr4lBNF8q-55_WwympJdYK_KWzRfMtetobbBmyPd6aSAAvy7P8DzcxCzlzOFCUMnwHJwSsFeoiWxOcJM3OvLYqGMrA2IeycoIw/s1111/pygmy-1.jpg" title="First estimate of Pygmy population in Central Africa reveals their plight" /><figcaption><em><b>Pygmy musicians in the Congo Basin, Bottom: Mbendjele girls sharing out harvest </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Jerome Lewis]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Up until now it has not been possible to determine the numbers and actual geographic ranges of Pygmy communities, because of their location in remote forest areas, mobility, lack of census data, and imprecise and partial sources of information. Pygmy communities live in rainforests across nine countries in Central Africa—an area of some 178 million hectares—where they make up a very small minority of the total population.</p><p>Despite the Pygmies' significance to humanity's cultural diversity as the largest group of active hunter-gatherers in the world, the new study, published in ><em><b>PLOS ONE</b></em>, is the first to predict how many Pygmies are likely to be found in the vast expanse of tropical forests in Central Africa. The study maps their distribution and identifies which areas are of ecological importance.</p><p>Dr Jerome Lewis (Hunter-Gatherer Resilience Project, UCL Anthropology), co-author of the paper, said: "This is a very underprivileged and neglected group of people many of whom have already lost their forest land, livelihoods and whose rich cultural traditions are seriously threatened in many regions.</p><p>"Information on their locations and population numbers are crucial for developing appropriate human rights, cultural and land security safeguards for them, as for other indigenous peoples."</p><p>Using a compilation of evidence collected by an unprecedented number of researchers, the authors generated the largest database of Pygmy camp locations throughout their known range.</p><p>As there are no known accurate censuses of Pygmy population the researchers used a statistical method, developed by paper co-author Dr Jesus Olivero (University of Malaga), to forecast the distribution of Pygmies in Central Africa. Based on species distribution models that investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and the distribution of organisms, the study is the first to apply this method to human societies and their cultural diversity.</p><p>Dr Olivero said: "By using tried and tested animal and plant distribution models we hope to promote a greater awareness of the importance of these too often ignored and marginalized groups in this region."</p><p>Professor John Fa (Manchester Metropolitan University), co-author, explained that understanding where and how Pygmy communities live is an important first step in supporting them and safeguarding their rights.</p><p>"It's important for all of the countries involved to come together to help support Pygmies' cultures and human rights to make sure they are respected and understood.</p><p>"At the end of the day, 900,000 people living in small groups in such a vast area can very easily be ignored, leading to their cultural extinction, and given the extraordinary role they have played in the human story since well before antiquity, we don't want that."</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [January 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-27858257187259046122022-05-21T06:30:00.001-07:002022-05-21T06:30:00.180-07:00Genetics: Obesity in humans linked to fat gene in prehistoric apes<a name='more'></a><p>A genetic mutation in extinct European apes that enabled them to convert fruit sugar into fat could be a cause of the modern obesity epidemic and diabetes, according to scientists. Fossil evidence reveals that apes living around 16 million years ago, in what was then subtropical Europe, began to suffer as global cooling subsequently changed the forest, making the fruit they ate scarce.</p><figure><img alt="Obesity in humans linked to fat gene in prehistoric apes" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrVVQT0IGQKUXMm76B-XvXM64ugj6HVFCLnhZb9l4WMVEy8D87kUyWqboUydYr7Eo19h1ULt9NfdWGctxoWY8bw7SSfURZcTBdcWVTH0pGpLKaTeXCSuePWRvdQREqgoEWhMz-gedSHoB/s1111/obesity_01.jpg" title="Obesity in humans linked to fat gene in prehistoric apes" /><figcaption><em><b>Extinct European apes evolved into today's great apes and the earliest hominids </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Nathan Thompson, Lucille Betti-Nash, and Deming Yang]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Experts suggest that a mutation in the uricase gene which helps to convert fruit sugar (fructose) occurred around 15 million years ago. This aided apes in adding on fat layers so they could survive famines and harsh winters.</p><p>Persistence of the same mutation in all modern great apes and all modern humans, along with the fossil evidence, suggests that the now extinct European apes evolved into today's great apes and the earliest hominids.</p><p>Scientists have spent decades researching the genetic causes of obesity which is rarely found in other animals – apart from domesticated pets. The latest research focuses on fructose: a sugar which breaks down to form uric acid in the blood, according to a Sunday Times report.</p><p>The Western diet contains so much uric acid that it cannot be removed quickly enough, but triggers liver cells to turn fructose into fat, with the effect of humans adding on extra weight. The uricase mutation predisposes humans to obesity and diabetes in modern times. The results suggest a need to eat and drink much less fructose to fight obesity and prevent its dangerous complications.</p><p>"The gene enables uric acid levels to spike in response to two types of food," wrote Peter Andrews, professor of anthropology at University College London in Scientific American, co-authored with Richard Johnson, a professor of medicine in the US. "Those like beer that produce a lot of uric acid [directly] and those that contain a lot of fructose. These include honey and processed food that are high in table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. When uric acid spikes we become susceptible to obesity and diabetes."</p><p>Obesity is considered as one of the biggest public health challenges of the century. Statistics show that it is affecting more than 500 million people worldwide. In the US alone, obesity costs at least $200 billion each year.</p><p>This medical condition also contributes to potentially fatal disorders such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.</p><p><em><b>Author: Fiona Keating | Source: International Business Times [November 20, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-56967184118324799712022-05-21T06:30:00.000-07:002022-05-21T06:30:00.181-07:00Forensics: Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy<a name='more'></a><p>A mummy from ancient Egypt was heavily tattooed with sacred symbols, which may have served to advertise and enhance the religious powers of the woman who received them more than 3,000 years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJoZKQWse5GVPrR7HKnuqwNhWoinoZ4MkHqax41FcqcHFZPgmvaaQu9e5QA9n0rkRzC_GYv-YcMaUudvajjq4x4WjcHp-8K44-30kYwukjJYFvlIju8ZOn44rgR45Nju_l1DKIOyOlZc5/s1111/Tattooed-mummy-02.jpg" title="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>The mummy's tattoos include two seated baboons depicted between a wadjet eye (top row), a symbol of protection </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anne Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The newly reported tattoos are the first on a mummy from dynastic Egypt to show actual objects, among them lotus blossoms on the mummy’s hips, cows on her arm and baboons on her neck. Just a few other ancient Egyptian mummies sport tattoos, and those are merely patterns of dots or dashes.</p><p>Especially prominent among the new tattoos are so-called wadjet eyes: possible symbols of protection against evil that adorn the mummy’s neck, shoulders and back.</p><p>“Any angle that you look at this woman, you see a pair of divine eyes looking back at you,” says bioarchaeologist Anne Austin of Stanford University in California, who presented the findings last month at a meeting of the >American Association of Physical Anthropologists.</p><figure><img alt="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVNtgnBrkMJseHCr9PcmlGySVcf3AkeufL0jDhyQ518o1u61NeSvG9tz5WeKEdqA5npV5lRtKJQXnV4uxZ_rDDG-rIZqfilVss9-FusRbS-aN93NIVjijGvRj8b4B0Qik6S2l_xlHnW6b/s1111/Tattooed-mummy-01.jpg" title="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>The mummy, found in the ancient village of Deir el-Medina, dates from 1300 to 1070 BC</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anne Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Austin noticed the tattoos while examining mummies for the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology, which conducts research at Deir el-Medina, a village once home to the ancient artisans who worked on tombs in the nearby Valley of the Kings. Looking at a headless, armless torso dating from 1300 to 1070 bc, Austin noticed markings on the neck. At first, she thought that they had been painted on, but she soon realized that they were tattoos.</p><p><b>Hidden history</b></p><p>Austin knew of tattoos discovered on other mummies using infrared imaging, which peers more deeply into the skin than visible-light imaging. With help from infrared lighting and an infrared sensor, Austin determined that the Deir el-Medina mummy boasts more than 30 tattoos, including some on skin so darkened by the resins used in mummification that they were invisible to the eye. Austin and Cédric Gobeil, director of the French mission at Deir el-Medina, digitally stretched the images to counter distortion from the mummy’s shrunken skin.</p><figure><img alt="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHiUBBL_TvIErS03PWa8WoFOAKCf4NZP5d67COgbTSGmqn_T0Ibe3omx-RkLpTh2jXdkalQ0-iKsb_AhzYi2AM79Eh53E_vCcSS5hdysF-8H-kbXB1Cxy7a8DT_xIzAx6ne32ZkTwEz_m/s1111/Tattooed-mummy-04.jpg" title="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>Because the mummy's skin is distorted and covered in resin, it is difficult to see many tattoos — such as these </b></em><br /><em><b>Hathor cows — with the naked eye</b></em><em><b> [Credit: Anne Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The tattoos identified so far carry powerful religious significance. Many, such as the cows, are associated with the goddess Hathor, one of the most prominent deities in ancient Egypt. The symbols on the throat and arms may have been intended to give the woman a jolt of magical power as she sang or played music during rituals for Hathor.</p><p>The tattoos may also be a public expression of the woman’s piety, says Emily Teeter, an Egyptologist at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute in Illinois. “We didn’t know about this sort of expression before,” Teeter says, adding that she and other Egyptologists were “dumbfounded” when they heard of the finding.</p><p>Some tattoos are more faded than others, so perhaps some were made at different times. This could suggest that the woman’s religious status grew with age, Austin says.</p><figure><img alt="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOHLDecBs6NlYA7yw_J-nvN2eGyMfI6C6eYkuKwUNXwtEBOpvU_OxoFdo8epIFX0Cl74e3kIsr7qSpegSon-jCkT-j_1GkiJWPFKiWLdPsDxrLaZ45ppfJvuox7Z0UX9r5b2K-4C29OVS/s1111/Tattooed-mummy-05.jpg" title="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>Anthropologist Ghada Darwish Al-Khafif uses infrared imaging to examine tattoos on the mummy's back</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anne Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Penetrating gaze</b></p><p>She has already found three more tattooed mummies at Deir el-Medina, and hopes that modern techniques will uncover more elsewhere.</p><p>Even infrared imaging can’t penetrate an intact mummy’s linen binding. But a nineteenth-century penchant for unwrapping mummies could enable the discovery of more tattoos, says Marie Vandenbeusch, a curator at the British Museum in London. Such examples could provide needed evidence “to really pinpoint the use of those tattoos”, she says.</p><p>Austin argues that the scale of the designs, many of them in places out of the woman’s reach, implies that they were more than simple adornment.</p><figure><img alt="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlBrH6xPe9PcPEe66Pi5vGNvhlTMo-JGTIWKWs66ksZ7TUo6m2W-rGWznWjmiVHPuTx1AeCcb6MwuspQKFkdtHNIvuTO1CxkXywqw7O3sXJJ3Q65BDib1oYO__jHufWpTb7e2Joh40gZP/s1111/Tattooed-mummy-03.jpg" title="Intricate animal and flower tattoos found on Egyptian mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>This enhanced image of the mummy's skin reveals tattoos of two cows</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anne Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The application of the tattoos “would’ve been very time consuming, and in some areas of the body, extremely painful”, Austin says. That the woman subjected herself to the needle so often shows “not only her belief in their importance, but others around her as well”.</p><p><em><b>Author: Traci Watson | Source: Nature [doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19864] [May 09, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-48098048813951401722022-05-20T08:30:00.000-07:002022-05-20T08:30:00.168-07:00Genetics: Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York<a name='more'></a><p>Cutting-edge genome technology in Trinity College Dublin has cast more light on a mystery that has perplexed archaeologists for more than a decade. The origins of a set of Roman-age decapitated bodies, found by York Archaeological Trust at Driffield Terrace in the city, have been explored, revealing a Middle Eastern body alongside native British.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-v07WoXo4yumFbMsjq7-5FED2vrCNK9giSIUXVx8UCwYfkLv_5FEuwuz-byotDpUzsaoIoeXQhuSp7bnJ6ChNNERep0y4-ysvroAFjczd3Ijppf1eqr0oMfOHY-PxqRHkOAqnYFM4hw/s1111/UK_Gladiator_dna_01.jpg" title="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" /><figcaption><em><b>One of the skeletons excavated by York Archaeological Trust at Driffield Terrace</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: York Archaeological Trust]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeologists have speculated that the skeletons belonged to gladiators, although they could also have been soldiers or criminals. Several suffered perimortem decapitation and were all of a similar age – under 45 years old. Their skulls were buried with the body, although not positioned consistently – some were on the chest, some within the legs, and others at the feet.</p><p>Although examining the skeletons revealed much about the life they lived – including childhood deprivation and injuries consistent with battle trauma – it was not until genomic analysis by a team from Trinity College Dublin, led by Professor of Population Genetics, Dan Bradley, that archaeologists could start to piece together the origins of the men.</p><p>The Trinity College team recently published the first prehistoric Irish genomes and this analysis by Trinity PhD Researcher, Rui Martiniano, also breaks new ground as it represents the first genome analysis of ancient Britons.</p><p>From the skeletons of more than 80 individuals, Dr Gundula Muldner of the University of Reading, Dr Janet Montgomery of the University of Durham and Malin Holst and Anwen Caffel of York Osteoarchaeology selected seven for whole genome analyses. Despite variation in isotope levels which suggested some of the 80 individuals lived their early lives outside Britain, most of those sampled had genomes similar to an earlier Iron Age woman from Melton, East Yorkshire. The poor childhood health of these men suggests that they were locals who endured childhood stress, but their robust skeletons and healed trauma, suggest that they were used to wielding weapons.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptTOsk5tueSpV-4BoiGwLwGQ3Ch28MLbmbHre_xc3tucskZwx8MmyzKd1ZtktmR24AWAyU90jBhz9I7S1eKy_HZsTo30SWNuB3xhaaATHOYjDOQoQekZkzbivGvkxhz4BPuahcWrO2PA/s1111/UK_Gladiator_dna_02.jpg" title="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" /><figcaption>T<em><b>he Roman-age skeletons from Driffield Terrace laid out in York's Guildhall </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: York Archaeological Trust]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The nearest modern descendants of the Roman British men sampled live not in Yorkshire, but in Wales. A man from a Christian Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the village of Norton, Teesside, has genes more closely aligned to modern East Anglia and Dutch individuals and highlights the impact of later migrations upon the genetic makeup of the earlier Roman British inhabitants.</p><p>However, one of the decapitated Romans had a very different story, of Middle Eastern origin he grew up in the region of modern day Palestine, Jordan or Syria before migrating to this region and meeting his death in York.</p><p>"Archaeology and osteoarchaeology can tell us a certain amount about the skeletons, but this new genomic and isotopic research can not only tell us about the body we see, but about its origins, and that is a huge step forward in understanding populations, migration patterns and how people moved around the ancient world," says Christine McDonnell, Head of Curatorial and Archive Services for York Archaeological Trust.</p><p>"This hugely exciting, pioneering work will become the new standard for understanding the origins of skeletons in the future, and as the field grows, and costs of undertaking this kind of investigation fall, we may be able to refine our knowledge of exactly where the bodies were born to a much smaller region. That is a remarkable advance."</p><figure><img alt="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsK2jJoi-OiMIzV1n8xHNclOwOZK0AdvtNKSNHHfF0WbUsK4jgVnekS5wFTp1iDNQudzf1b_cfJ-EBPqLTaXk3-YlffH1hWL2VQgaH9kOhBIoueQ1jipiY088ZeFuqYQeHrjXPDQnaz4c/s1111/UK_Gladiator_dna_03.jpg" title="Scientists sequence ancient British 'gladiator' genomes from Roman York" /><figcaption><em><b>The Roman skeletons were found at Driffield Terrace in York with their skulls placed between their legs,</b></em><br /><em><b> at their feet or on their chests [Credit: York Archaeological Trust]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As well as Trinity College Dublin, the multi-disciplinary scientific analysis involved scientists from the University of York and The York Archaeological Trust, as well as the universities of Durham, Reading and Sheffield, University College London and the University Medical Centre in Utrecht. The research also included experts from York Osteoarchaeology Ltd, City of York Council and the Natural History Museum.</p><p>The Roman skeletons sampled were all male, under 45 years old and most had evidence of decapitation. They were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence. All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair similar to the single Anglo-Saxon individual.</p><p>The demographic profile of the York skeletons resembles the population structure in a Roman burial ground believed to be for gladiators at Ephesus. But the evidence could also fit with a military context—the Roman army had a minimum recruitment height and fallen soldiers would match the age profile of the York cemetery.</p><p>Professor Dan Bradley, Trinity, said: "Whichever the identity of the enigmatic headless Romans from York, our sample of the genomes of seven of them, when combined with isotopic evidence, indicate six to be of British origin and one to have origins in the Middle East. It confirms the cosmopolitan character of the Roman Empire even at its most northerly extent."</p><p>PhD Researcher and lead author, Rui Martiniano, Trinity, said: "This is the first refined genomic evidence for far-reaching ancient mobility and also the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, indicating continuity with an Iron Age sample before the migrations of the Anglo-Saxon period."</p><p>Professor Matthew Collins, of the BioArCh research facility in the Department of Archaeology at York, who co-ordinated the report on the research, "These genomes give the first snapshot of British genomes in the early centuries AD, showing continuity with the earlier Iron Age and evidence of migrations in the Anglo-Saxon period."</p><p>The paper is published in ><em><b>Nature Communications</b></em>.</p><p>Source: Trinity College Dublin [January 20, 2016]</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-91853890108361627832022-05-19T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-19T05:30:00.187-07:00Fossils: Oldest pine fossils reveal fiery past<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists have found the oldest fossils of the familiar pine tree that dominates Northern Hemisphere forests today.</p><figure><img alt="Oldest pine fossils reveal fiery past" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNjGdc5yilxEhcpzzm3BCl5m_hN8ZObV3mSTt4Fe0cTfS9nDpY-OAkia2glkMThhl2tLh42YJmS7W5x7gzCB71fFAMa-nfo4IExzggrMGVn1_2xKo6-45BMeHF2xAuOFbk-StmLMCXZY/s1111/pine-fossil_01.jpg" title="Oldest pine fossils reveal fiery past" /><figcaption><em><b>False-colour image of the fossil </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: H. Falcon-Lang]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Scientists from the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London have found the oldest fossils of the familiar pine tree that dominates Northern Hemisphere forests today.</p><p>The 140-million-year-old fossils (dating from the Cretaceous 'Age of the Dinosaurs') are exquisitely preserved as charcoal, the result of burning in wildfires. The fossils suggest that pines co-evolved with fire at a time when oxygen levels in the atmosphere were much higher and forests were especially flammable.</p><p>Dr Howard Falcon-Lang from Royal Holloway, University of London) discovered the fossils in Nova Scotia, Canada. He said: "Pines are well adapted to fire today. The fossils show that wildfires raged through the earliest pine forests and probably shaped the evolution of this important tree." Modern pines store flammable resin-rich deadwood on the tree making them prone to lethal fires. However, they also produce huge numbers of cones that will only germinate after a fire, ensuring a new cohort of trees is seeded after the fire has passed by."</p><p>The research is published in the journal <em><b>Geological Society of America</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Royal Holloway London [March 10, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-58979728262445953282022-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-18T05:00:00.175-07:00Evolution: Rooting the family tree of placental mammals<a name='more'></a><p>Placental mammals consist of three main groups that diverged rapidly, evolving in wildly different directions: Afrotheria (for example, elephants and tenrecs), Xenarthra (such as armadillos and sloths) and Boreoeutheria (all other placental mammals). The relationships between them have been a subject of fierce controversy with multiple studies coming to incompatible conclusions over the last decade leading some researchers to suggest that these relationships might be impossible to resolve.</p><figure><img alt="Rooting the family tree of placental mammals" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYKlKOIfziVvVLqbsxRCh_trbZAG8neCftekLcj_m8XZ36HmxqXw71Htc3YDKT_lP6rjU24ULGwjV9I7bgqkBG_GXtcnkilIU-6kaiitMMQVbzdqQ6YNZWEH_pj9QfHqBb1TY5J4xJus/s1111/family_tree-2.jpg" title="Rooting the family tree of placental mammals" /><figcaption><em><b>Xenarthra, the group to which sloths such as this belong, is one of three main </b></em><br /><em><b>groups of placental mammals that diverged rapidly, evolving in wildly</b></em><br /><em><b> different directions [Credit: University of Bristol]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>There are thus many outstanding questions such as which is the oldest sibling of the three? Did the mammals go their separate ways due to South America and Africa breaking apart? And if not, when did placentals split up?</p><p>"This has been one of the areas of greatest debate in evolutionary biology, with many researchers considering it impossible to resolve," said lead author Dr Tarver of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences. "Now we've proven these problems can be solved -- you just need to analyse genome-scale datasets using models that accurately reflect genomic evolution."</p><p>The researchers assembled the largest mammalian phylogenomic dataset ever collected before testing it with a variety of models of molecular evolution, choosing the most robust model and then analysing the data using several supercomputer clusters at the University of Bristol and the University of Texas Advanced Computing Centre. "We tested it to destruction," said Dr Tarver. "We threw the kitchen sink at it."</p><p>"A complication in reconstructing evolutionary histories from genomic data is that different parts of genomes can and often do give conflicting accounts of the history," said Dr Siavash Mirarab at the University of California San Diego, USA. "Individual genes within the same species can have different histories. This is one reason why the controversy has stood so long -- many thought the relationships couldn't be resolved."</p><p>To address the complexities of analysing large numbers of genes shared among many species, the researchers paired two fundamentally different approaches -- concatenated and coalescent-based analyses -- to confirm the findings. When the dust settled, the team had a specific family tree showing that Atlantogenata (containing the sibling groups of African Afrotheria and the South American Xenarthra) is the sister group to all other placentals.</p><p>Because many conflicting family trees have already been published, the team then gathered three of the most influential rivals and tested them against each other with the same model. All of the previous studies suddenly fell into line, their data agreeing with Tarver and colleagues.</p><p>With the origins of the family tree resolved, what does this mean for placental mammals? The researchers folded in another layer -- a molecular clock analysis. "The molecular clock analysis uses a combination of fossils and genomic data to estimate when these lineages diverged from each other," said author Dr Mario Dos-Reis of Queen Mary London, UK. "The results show that the afrotherians and xenarthrens diverged from one another around 90 million years ago."</p><p>Previously, scientists thought that when Africa and South America separated from each other over 100 million years ago, they broke up the family of placental mammals, who went their separate evolutionary ways divided by geography. But the researchers found that placental mammals didn't split up until after Africa and South America had already separated.</p><p>"We propose that South America's living endemic Xenarthra (for exmaple, sloths, anteaters, and armadillos) colonized the island-continent via overwater dispersal," said study author Dr Rob Asher of the University of Cambridge, UK.</p><p>Dr Asher suggests that this isn't as difficult as you might think. Mammals are among the great adventurers of the animal kingdom, and at the time the proto-Atlantic was only a few hundred miles wide. We already know that New World monkeys crossed the Atlantic later, when it was much bigger, probably on rafts formed from storm debris. And, of course, mammals repeatedly colonised remote islands like Madagascar.</p><p>"You don't always need to overturn the status quo to make a big impact," said Dr Tarver. "All of the competing hypotheses had some evidence to support them -- that's precisely why it was the source of such controversy. Proving the roots of the placental family tree with hard empirical evidence is a massive accomplishment."</p><p>The findings are published in <em><b>Genome Biology and Evolution</b></em> journal.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Bristol [February 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-90402760249603278082022-05-17T14:30:00.000-07:002022-05-17T14:30:00.174-07:00Great Legacy: Egypt receives ancient stolen limestone relief from UK<a name='more'></a><p>Egypt's embassy in London received a limestone relief that had been stolen from Queen Hatshepsut's temple in Luxor, the Ministry of Antiquities said.</p><figure><img alt="Egypt receives ancient stolen limestone relief from UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wHBbkYw94msspW8dBlNGWrEChi45gU9ZmT8BEF6i-ZX51YHGfbKl2PaXDinnzfTdRhusZEmhQ377RybXFGC1BC-XbSo2_5CYrwoc97-LPaPewYmVB2-6PB_RzZSVYYHbwI72LuguTPXF/s1111/egypt-2.jpg" title="Egypt receives ancient stolen limestone relief from UK" /><figcaption><em><b>The recovered relief [Credit: Egypt Ministry of Antiquities]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Shaaban Abdel Gawad, general supervisor of the ministry's antiquities repatriation department, in a statement said that the ministry repatriated the relief in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Museum after proving its possession. The recovery of the relief is "very important" especially since it will help in restoration work currently being carried out by a Polish archaeological mission, he said.</p><p>The relief, which is carved in limestone and engraved with hieroglyphic symbols, was stolen from the temple in 1975 and smuggled out of the country, he said. It was put on show in an auction hall in Spain and a British antiquities dealer bought it, the statement said.</p><p>Last year, U.S. officials returned dozens of illegally smuggled artifacts to Egypt, including a Graeco-Roman style Egyptian sarcophagus.</p><p><em><b>Source: The Associated Press [December 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-38154086165233705592022-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:002022-05-17T06:00:00.179-07:00Mexico: Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists studying the Chicxulub crater have shown how large asteroid impacts deform rocks in a way that may produce habitats for early life.</p><figure><img alt="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBdheV0jH2B_beNOxbIj282TM8nNxVowCrzSk43HJtttQ_HucG0N3V8JTSh-CqrBI_I_822MoXhdOOxyW4EF3h2VJM-SX_k7Ev0MAmNOTcjhWoTIkfQURHZqDWCYqze8Zna_BUtTkGnRf/s1111/asteroid-1.jpg" title="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" /><figcaption><em><b>Recovered core from the Chicxulub impact crater [Credit: </b></em><em><b><em><b>AWuelbers</b></em>@ECORD_IODP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Around 65 million years ago a massive asteroid crashed into the Gulf of Mexico causing an impact so huge that the blast and subsequent knock-on effects wiped out around 75 per cent of all life on Earth, including most of the dinosaurs. This is known as the Chicxulub impact.</p><p>In April and May 2016, an international team of scientists undertook an offshore expedition and drilled into part of the Chicxulub impact crater. Their mission was to retrieve samples from the rocky inner ridges of the crater -- known as the 'peak ring' -- drilling 506 to 1335 metres below the modern day sea floor to understand more about the ancient cataclysmic event.</p><p>Now, the researchers have carried out the first analysis of the core samples. They found that the impact millions of years ago deformed the peak ring rocks in such a way that it made them more porous, and less dense, than any models had previously predicted.</p><figure><img alt="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUKhftQpawTATn8KQkyD8Gt49qkjg4rXFIm37ZqFbFIV7NUE7g-S21wgCh_K0qFYRNHmp-MzVC6gmrLvkEo76qTS8Hyxb9FdXixFFoecJZaXjpIE6wXNe_RCkPrTTNZddcsXhpLzRCwYC/s1111/asteroid-2.jpg" title="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" /><figcaption><em><b>Recovered core from the Chicxulub impact crater [Credit: AWuelbers@ECORD_IODP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Porous rocks provide niches for simple organisms to take hold, and there would also be nutrients available in the pores, from circulating water that would have been heated inside the Earth's crust. Early Earth was constantly bombarded by asteroids, and the team have inferred that this bombardment must have also created other rocks with similar physical properties. This may partly explain how life took hold on Earth.</p><p>The study, which is published today in the >journal <em><b>Science</b></em>, also confirmed a model for how peak rings were formed in the Chicxulub crater, and how peak rings may be formed in craters on other planetary bodies.</p><p>The team's new work has confirmed that the asteroid, which created the Chicxulub crater, hit the Earth's surface with such a force that it pushed rocks, which at that time were ten kilometres beneath the surface, farther downwards and then outwards. These rocks then moved inwards again towards the impact zone and then up to the surface, before collapsing downwards and outwards again to form the peak ring. In total they moved an approximate total distance of 30 kilometres in a matter of a few minutes.</p><figure><img alt="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EldckX-EOcZNfVVHj4TaPB__rl_YZijLJzYX_yDTriuVJlpOMp8E11zecRWSvAeI-NMT5Ea5cQRCCuHegZBmEr6w8Drpf-ymfzxkdXffdKbf42PPNitMtwUIIe9YF7i4xp32NAZUTgMo/s1111/asteroid-3.jpg" title="Asteroid impacts could create niches for early life, suggests Chicxulub crater study" /><figcaption><em><b>Recovered core from the Chicxulub impact crater [Credit: DSmith@ECORD]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Professor Joanna Morgan, lead author of the study from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, said: "It is hard to believe that the same forces that destroyed the dinosaurs may have also played a part, much earlier on in Earth's history, in providing the first refuges for early life on the planet. We are hoping that further analyses of the core samples will provide more insights into how life can exist in these subterranean environments."</p><p>The next steps will see the team acquiring a suite of detailed measurements from the recovered core samples to refine their numerical simulations. Ultimately, the team are looking for evidence of modern and ancient life in the peak-ring rocks. They also want to learn more about the first sediments that were deposited on top of the peak ring, which could tell the researchers if they were deposited by a giant tsunami, and provide them with insights into how life recovered, and when life actually returned to this sterilised zone after the impact.</p><p><em><b>Source: Imperial College London [November 17, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-40121318946276111122022-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:002022-05-17T04:00:00.238-07:00Palaeontology: First extensive wildfires occurred significantly later than previously thought<a name='more'></a><p>A study, carried out by Professor Andrew C. Scott of the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London and Professor Sue Rimmer from Southern Illinois University, reveals widespread fire occurred on Earth more than 80 million years after plants first invaded the land.</p><figure><img alt="First extensive wildfires occurred significantly later than previously thought" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACO0wOxwiSGXfLZ2rkszewIs1SmUK8LNFSXZ8_n_Vg262G5z4KXmwZJdUtOvlrzXtLOz4mRBHNgbIOpHtraZdJ8MdPGe2vGCWmHGBoZgnZct-XrlIZvIFw4wkrCcXRhFipATROFeyhiOW/s1111/wildfires-1.jpg" title="First extensive wildfires occurred significantly later than previously thought" /><figcaption><em><b>Scanning Electron Micrographs of Fossil Charcoal of a small primitive fern-like </b></em><br /><em><b>plant from from the late Devonian (355 million years ago) from North America</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: University of Royal Holloway London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The findings, published in the American Journal of Science, indicate that although plants were first detected on land more than 440 million years ago there is only scant evidence of fire at that time.</p><p>Professor Scott, said: "What surprised us was that many of these early extensive fires were surface fires burning the undergrowth, as we can see the anatomy of the plants being burned through scanning electron microscope studies of larger pieces of the fossil charcoal."</p><p>He added: "This may be because plants were small and were limited in their distribution but over the following 50 million years they diversified and spread across the globe and some of the plants were trees and could have provided a good fuel to burn. Extensive forest fires soon followed, however and we see widespread charcoal deposits throughout the Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) Period 358-323 million years ago."</p><p>Professor Scott and Professor Rimmer made the discovery after analysing charcoal which was washed in to an ocean that lay across what is now part of present day North America.</p><p>The team believes that it was not fuel availability that prevented widespread fire, or climate, but that the atmospheric oxygen levels were too low. It had been suggested that only when oxygen levels rose to above 17% (it is 21% today) that widespread fires would be found. This new data suggests that it was at around 360 million years ago, in the latest Devonian Period, that this threshold was reached and probably never went below this level for the rest of geological history.</p><p>This time period defines a new phase of the evolution of Earth System and regular wildfire would have played an important role in the evolution of both animals and plants.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Royal Holloway London [October 21, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-75958268867306219112022-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:002022-05-16T09:00:00.177-07:00UK: 76 skeletons discovered at Saxon Woolwich<a name='more'></a><p>Saxon remains have been found by archaeologists excavating Berkeley Homes development site on the Royal Arsenal Riverside site.</p><figure><img alt="76 skeletons discovered at Saxon Woolwich" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9ITe-BIN0En2kKL7nLVKNRVGzXl_K1HQhMUbhZI8fZMsi2O854bXrstjvvlz2zFrSA1_DbGSVQb77Ild1jZSXnIiU9OklX3wOtKnHkrFMvu2Z9XF3WBFnrhrQser-W1rYTHqwNadFZZf/s1111/UK_Woolwich_01.jpg" title="76 skeletons discovered at Saxon Woolwich" /><figcaption><em><b>Saxon burial being excavated [Credit: South London Press]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Oxford Archaeology have uncovered evidence of nearly 3000 years of human activity on the west side of the site which in ancient times would have been a gravel peninsula surrounded by marshlands.</p><p>Surprisingly a burial site with 76 skeletons have been found which have been radio carbon dated to the late 7th or early 8th century meaning they are former inhabitants of Saxon Woolwich.</p><p>Project manager David Score said ‘It is amazing to find such a large number of relatively well preserved skeletons, despite all the later building on the site over the years. They seem to represent a mixed population with males and females, children and adults present. Only one possible knife was recorded as a probable grave deposit so it seems that the burials do represent an early Christian tradition’.</p><p>Previous excavations on adjacent sites have revealed an enormous ditch which was constructed in the late Iron Age which indicates trading with the Roman Empire across the channel.</p><p>Archaeologists have also recorded the remains of medieval houses and evidence of clay pipe manufacture in addition to remains from the Victorian gas works housed there.</p><p>Karl Whiteman, the divisional managing director for Berkeley, ‘It is incredible to see evidence from so many different time periods still in tact at Royal Arsenal Riverside. These excavations will enable us and the residents of Woolwich to get an even better understanding of what life was like here many centuries ago.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Mandy Little | Source: South London Press [October 16, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-26829290612999117602022-05-16T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-16T05:00:00.185-07:00Fossils: Mammal diversity exploded immediately after dinosaur extinction<a name='more'></a><p>The diversity of mammals on Earth exploded straight after the dinosaur extinction event, according to UCL researchers. New analysis of the fossil record shows that placental mammals, the group that today includes nearly 5000 species including humans, became more varied in anatomy during the Paleocene epoch - the 10 million years immediately following the event.</p><figure><img alt="Mammal diversity exploded immediately after dinosaur extinction" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCDIjP4Xi8C2Qj_TWHOH2O1yc8Eh8yayj_-jzpmGcYOlZZb2cl8nXKry4WVUqBXfTRjKe7Fv7-Jcy2bIIxBzj3Ghf-HoVFck1L38OjpVhzp57g9fF0iVtDvveY-C2a_TXkYhr4yyjKJUO/s1111/mammal_01.jpg" title="Mammal diversity exploded immediately after dinosaur extinction" /><figcaption><em><b>Leptictis [Credit: Dr Thomas Halliday]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Senior author, Dr Anjali Goswami (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment), said: "When dinosaurs went extinct, a lot of competitors and predators of mammals disappeared, meaning that a great deal of the pressure limiting what mammals could do ecologically was removed. They clearly took advantage of that opportunity, as we can see by their rapid increases in body size and ecological diversity. Mammals evolved a greater variety of forms in the first few million years after the dinosaurs went extinct than in the previous 160 million years of mammal evolution under the rule of dinosaurs."</p><p>The Natural Environment Research Council-funded research, published today in the <em><b>Biological Journal of the Linnean Society</b></em>, studied the early evolution of placental mammals, the group including elephants, sloths, cats, dolphins and humans. The scientists gained a deeper understanding of how the diversity of the mammals that roamed the Earth before and after the dinosaur extinction changed as a result of that event.</p><p>Placental mammal fossils from this period have been previously overlooked as they were hard to place in the mammal tree of life because they lack many features that help to classify the living groups of placental mammals. Through recent work by the same team at UCL, this issue was resolved by creating a new tree of life for placental mammals, including these early forms, which was described in a study published in <em><b>Biological Reviews</b></em> yesterday.</p><p>First author of both papers, Dr Thomas Halliday (UCL Earth Sciences and Genetics, Evolution & Environment), said: "The mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago is traditionally acknowledged as the start of the 'Age of Mammals' because several types of mammal appear for the first time immediately afterwards.</p><p>"Many recent studies suggest that little changed in mammal evolution during the Paleocene but these analyses don't include fossils from that time. When we look at the mammals that were present, we find a burst of evolution into new forms, followed by specialisation that finally resulted in the groups of mammals we see today. The earliest placental mammal fossils appear only a few hundred thousand years after the mass extinction, suggesting the event played a key role in diversification of the mammal group to which we belong."</p><p>The team studied the bones and teeth of 904 placental fossils to measure the anatomical differences between species. This information was used to build an updated tree of life containing 177 species within Eutheria (the group of mammals including all species more closely related to us than to kangaroos) including 94 from the Paleocene - making it the tree with the largest representation from Paleocene mammals to date. The new tree was analysed in time sections from 140 million years ago to present day, revealing the change in the variety of species.</p><p>Three different methods were used by the team to investigate the range and variation of the mammals present and all showed an explosion in mammal diversity after the dinosaur extinction. This is consistent with theories that mammals flourished when dinosaurs were no longer hunting them or competing with them for resources.</p><p>Dr Anjali Goswami (UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment), added: "Extinctions are obviously terrible for the groups that go extinct, non-avian dinosaurs in this case, but they can create great opportunities for the species that survive, such as placental mammals, and the descendants of dinosaurs: birds."</p><p>Professor Paul Upchurch (UCL Earth Sciences), co-author of the Biological Reviews study, added: "Several previous methodological studies have shown that it is important to include as many species in an evolutionary tree as possible: this generally improves the accuracy of the tree. By producing such a large data set, we hope that our evolutionary tree for Paleocene mammals is more robust and reliable than any of the previous ones. Moreover, such large trees are very useful for future studies of large-scale evolutionary patterns, such as how early placental mammals dispersed across the continents via land bridges that no longer exist today."</p><p>The team are now investigating rates of evolution in these mammals, as well as looking at body size more specifically. Further work will involve building data from DNA into these analyses, to extend these studies to modern mammals.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [December 21, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-55868921202247623842022-05-15T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-15T05:30:00.178-07:00Mauritius: Dodos might have been quite intelligent, new research finds<a name='more'></a><p>New research suggests that the dodo, an extinct bird whose name has entered popular culture as a symbol of stupidity, was actually fairly smart. The work, published in the <em><b>Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society</b></em>, finds that the overall size of the dodo's brain in relation to its body size was on par with its closest living relatives: pigeons--birds whose ability to be trained implies a moderate level of intelligence. The researchers also discovered that the dodo had an enlarged olfactory bulb -- the part of the brain responsible for smelling -- an uncharacteristic trait for birds, which usually concentrate their brainpower into eyesight.</p><figure><img alt="Dodos might have been quite intelligent, new research finds" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWqVhtoRNcOcUOwFAT5UKbvuAVx_PCTizvlUUxLzWdLhdH-96MPl8USBz6ppomGfHv1vRy7mZl6Yps5j9r-iqJkDzFTugTF-rR6QE5bkRQIwCCTc430ibQ8ZnIAZ71hAeNLUWJFYE6Y4/s1111/dodo-1.jpg" title="Dodos might have been quite intelligent, new research finds" /><figcaption><em><b>A model of a dodo that will be on display in the American Museum of Natural History's </b></em><br /><em><b>upcoming exhibition about the relationships between birds and dinosaurs, </b></em><br /><em><b>Dinosaurs Among Us [Credit: © AMNH/C. Chesek]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. They were last seen in 1662.</p><p>"When the island was discovered in the late 1500s, the dodos living there had no fear of humans and they were herded onto boats and used as fresh meat for sailors," said Eugenia Gold, the lead author of the paper, a research associate and recent graduate of the American Museum of Natural History's Richard Gilder Graduate School, and an instructor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook University. "Because of that behavior and invasive species that were introduced to the island, they disappeared in less than 100 years after humans arrived. Today, they are almost exclusively known for becoming extinct, and I think that's why we've given them this reputation of being dumb."</p><p>Even though the birds have become an example of oddity, obsolescence, stupidity, and extinction, and have been featured in popular stories ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Ice Age, most aspects of the dodo's biology are still unknown. This is partly because dodo specimens are extremely rare, having disappeared during the nascent stage of natural history collections.</p><figure><img alt="Dodos might have been quite intelligent, new research finds" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0kbsdrXFuF3QCaRW_mRen77rsm-PS6a7IJHVrM6D1p7KzQRUVdstmC3No2_NXX_nBX2lkWLyJUJ8-YBAppAddKpXlMliWVGB58WH-YzUNri2rtrHNJk80SWKUWS2kTRXg37O3wTtR_M/s1111/dodo-2.jpg" title="Dodos might have been quite intelligent, new research finds" /><figcaption><em><b>Side views of brain endocasts from the dodo (A), the Rodrigues solitaire (B), and </b></em><br /><em><b>Caloenas nicobarica (C), a type of pigeon. Enlarged olfactory bulbs, labeled "ob," </b></em><br /><em><b>can be seen in the dodo and the solitaire. The scale bar is 15 millimeters </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © AMNH/E. Gold]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>To examine the brain of the dodo, Gold tracked down a well-preserved skull from the collections of the Natural History Museum, London, and imaged it there with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scanning. In the American Museum of Natural History's Microscopy and Imaging Facility, she also CT-scanned the skulls of seven species of pigeons -- ranging from the common pigeon found on city streets, Columba livia, to more exotic varieties. Out of these scans, Gold built virtual brain endocasts to determine the overall brain size as well as the size of various structures. Gold's colleagues at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and National Museum of Scotland sent her the endocast for the dodo's closest relative, the extinct island-dwelling bird Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria).</p><p>When comparing the size of the birds' brains to their body sizes, Gold and collaborators found that the dodo was "right on the line."</p><p>"It's not impressively large or impressively small -- it's exactly the size you would predict it to be for its body size," Gold said. "So if you take brain size as a proxy for intelligence, dodos probably had a similar intelligence level to pigeons. Of course, there's more to intelligence than just overall brain size, but this gives us a basic measure."</p><p>The study also revealed that both the dodo and the Rodrigues solitaire, which recently was driven to extinction by human activity, had large and differentiated olfactory bulbs. In general, birds depend much more on sight rather than smell to navigate through their world, and as a result, they tend to have larger optic lobes than olfactory bulbs. The authors suggest that, because dodos and solitaires were ground-dwellers, they relied on smell to find food, which might have included fruit, small land vertebrates, and marine animals like shellfish.</p><p>"It is really amazing what new technologies can bring to old museum specimens," said co-author Mark Norell, Macaulay Curator of Paleontology and Chair of the Division of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History. "This really underscores the need for the maintenance and growth of natural history collections, because who knows what's next."</p><p>The researchers also discovered an unusual curvature of the dodo's semicircular canal -- the balance organs located in the ear. But as of yet, there's not a good hypothesis for this atypical feature.</p><p><em><b>Source: American Museum of Natural History [February 23, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-90617475171425224392022-05-15T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-15T05:00:00.179-07:00Indonesia: Biggest exposed fault on Earth discovered<a name='more'></a><p>Geologists have for the first time seen and documented the Banda Detachment fault in eastern Indonesia and worked out how it formed.</p><figure><img alt="Biggest exposed fault on Earth discovered" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdttO7dKqfMnQUxOEE54QhdVwkz4tTDR-YQjD4LuHfIj_phMYrmtWqnCprELTQYlukt2ptCzhuYtNMEL90t4JE7wloCi0keqcTB-WIPgrW2_JcqjxmtyA0Xi_r9QGdTFrdRqN9G7w4WVVY/s1111/exposed_fault-1a.jpg" title="Biggest exposed fault on Earth discovered" /><figcaption><em><b>Pulau Banta island in the Banta Sea [Credit: Jialiang Gao/WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Lead researcher Dr Jonathan Pownall from The Australian National University (ANU) said the find will help researchers assess dangers of future tsunamis in the area, which is part of the Ring of Fire -- an area around the Pacific Ocean basin known for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.</p><p>"The abyss has been known for 90 years but until now no one has been able to explain how it got so deep," Dr Pownall said.</p><p>"Our research found that a 7 km-deep abyss beneath the Banda Sea off eastern Indonesia was formed by extension along what might be Earth's largest-identified exposed fault plane."</p><p>By analysing high-resolution maps of the Banda Sea floor, geologists from ANU and Royal Holloway University of London found the rocks flooring the seas are cut by hundreds of straight parallel scars.</p><p>These wounds show that a piece of crust bigger than Belgium or Tasmania must have been ripped apart by 120 km of extension along a low-angle crack, or detachment fault, to form the present-day ocean-floor depression.</p><figure><img alt="Biggest exposed fault on Earth discovered" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vhBVaBCHHzpdb0VU1Vop-d6zKvevM-U0cL6sbosZdjjvUE9gK1u87r6Ei-A1nndxiTjq_ydGzWuJ7frkEY8BSVhZfmuS2KfhyphenhyphenK9r42ge8dHUFtFG1D5dBAd3x_6nensE6mArJYt4v8po/s1111/exposed_fault-2.jpg" title="Biggest exposed fault on Earth discovered" /><figcaption><em><b>Diagram showing the Banda Detachment fault beneath the Weber Deep basin [Credit: ANU]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr Pownall said this fault, the Banda Detachment, represents a rip in the ocean floor exposed over 60,000 square kilometres.</p><p>"The discovery will help explain how one of Earth's deepest sea areas became so deep," he said.</p><p>Professor Gordon Lister also from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences said this was the first time the fault has been seen and documented by researchers.</p><p>"We had made a good argument for the existence of this fault we named the Banda Detachment based on the bathymetry data and on knowledge of the regional geology," said Professor Lister.</p><p>Dr Pownall said he was on a boat journey in eastern Indonesia in July when he noticed the prominent landforms consistent with surface extensions of the fault line.</p><p>"I was stunned to see the hypothesised fault plane, this time not on a computer screen, but poking above the waves," said Dr Pownall.</p><p>He said rocks immediately below the fault include those brought up from the mantle.</p><p>"This demonstrates the extreme amount of extension that must have taken place as the oceanic crust was thinned, in some places to zero," he said.</p><p>Dr Pownall also said the discovery of the Banda Detachment fault would help assesses dangers of future tsunamis and earthquakes.</p><p>"In a region of extreme tsunami risk, knowledge of major faults such as the Banda Detachment, which could make big earthquakes when they slip, is fundamental to being able to properly assess tectonic hazards," he said.</p><p>The research has been published in the journal ><em><b>Geology</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: Australian National University [November 28, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-88885161121835821402022-05-14T13:00:00.000-07:002022-05-14T13:00:00.187-07:00Iraq: Reports of third ancient site looted by IS militants<a name='more'></a><p>Iraq's government is investigating reports that the ancient archaeological site of Khorsabad in northern Iraq is the latest to be attacked by the Islamic State militant group.</p><figure><img alt="Reports of third ancient site looted by IS militants" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Cf4enh6aojKPPTVLnR0JMiQb8aRUDhUyewuVlV1DGH5DPqAlTH36cO2UZ5Fzb_mu3GAGyuT9E3m3PPcYwHAX_UDm-WCmy46pNY6Oq7guYBudMZqNiA_Wr2wjSxC8bb8h3jaLrSmERYme/s1111/Iraq_Khorsabad.jpg" title="Reports of third ancient site looted by IS militants" /><figcaption><em><b>The foundations of an ancient palace in the Assyrian city of Khorsabad which </b></em><br /><em><b>has reportedly been looted and destroyed by Islamic State militants near </b></em><br /><em><b>the Iraqi city of Mosul [Credit: Polaris]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Adel Shirshab, the country's tourism and antiquities minister, told The Associated Press there are concerns the militants will remove artifacts and damage the site, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of Mosul. Saeed Mamuzini, a Kurdish official from Mosul, told the AP that the militants had already begun demolishing the Khorsabad site on Sunday, citing multiple witnesses.</p><p>On Friday, the group razed 3,000-year old Nimrud and on Saturday, they bulldozed 2,000-year old Hatra — both UNESCO world heritage sites. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has called the destruction a "war crime," and a statement by his spokesman on Sunday night said Ban was "outraged by the continuing destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq" by theIslamic State group.</p><p>Khorsabad was constructed as a new capital of Assyria by King Sargon II shortly after he came to power in 721 B.C. and abandoned after his death in 705 B.C. It features a 24-meter thick wall with a stone foundation and seven gates.</p><p>Since it was a single-era capital, few objects linked to Sargon II himself were found. However, the site is renowned for shedding light on Assyrian art and architecture.</p><p>The sculptured stone slabs that once lined the palace walls are now displayed in museums in Baghdad, Paris, London and Chicago.</p><p>The Islamic State group currently controls about a third of Iraq and Syria. The Sunni extremist group has been campaigning to purge ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violates their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law. A video released last week shows them smashing artifacts in the Mosul museum and in January, the group burned hundreds of books from the Mosul library and Mosul University, including many rare manuscripts.</p><p>At a press conference earlier Sunday, Shirshab said they have called for an extraordinary session of the U.N. Security Council to address the crisis in Iraq.</p><p>"The world should bear the responsibility and put an end to the atrocities of the militants, otherwise I think the terrorist groups will continue with their violent acts," he said.</p><p><em><b>Author: Sameer N. Yacoub | Source: Associated Press [March 09, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-79880358843336924142022-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:002022-05-14T08:00:00.181-07:00Genetics: DNA analysis reveals Roman London was a multi-ethnic melting pot <a name='more'></a><p>A DNA analysis of four ancient Roman skeletons found in London shows the first inhabitants of the city were a multi-ethnic mix similar to contemporary Londoners, the Museum of London said on Monday.</p><figure><img alt="DNA analysis reveals Roman London was a multi-ethnic melting pot " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqPnzRQ-ui696w3oy0WQJRS5xXNmDX-gBrMyfrgBgq__dHmnsFcItPsOx8wErqs-JEHvDhrZnmDZeGivMDLlxIzJPNlgobez5f_BN3WqwTAHZRj93Mlbz4x_NGKzxYscSiE6uLP9F8CXm/s1111/UK_Londoners_01.jpg" title="DNA analysis reveals Roman London was a multi-ethnic melting pot " /><figcaption><em><b>The displayed skeleton of "The Harper Road Woman", one of four </b></em><br /><em><b>ancient Roman skeletons that have undergone DNA analysis </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Museum of London/AFP] </b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Two of the skeletons were of people born outside Britain -- one of a man linked genealogically to eastern Europe and the Near East, the other of a teenage girl with blue eyes from north Africa.</p><p>The injuries to the man's skull suggest that he may have been killed in the city's amphitheatre before his head was dumped into an open pit.</p><p>Both the man and the girl were suffering from periodontal disease, a type of gum disease.</p><p>The other two skeletons of people believed to have been born in Britain were of a woman with maternal ancestry from northern Europe and of a man also with links through his mother to Europe or north Africa.</p><p>"We have always understood that Roman London was a culturally diverse place and now science is giving us certainty," said Caroline McDonald, senior curator of Roman London at the museum.</p><p>"People born in Londinium lived alongside people from across the Roman Empire exchanging ideas and cultures, much like the London we know today," she said.</p><p>The museum said in a statement that this was "the first multidisciplinary study of the inhabitants of a city anywhere in the Roman Empire".</p><p>The Romans founded Britain's capital city in the middle of the first century AD, under the emperor Claudius.</p><p>Britain's University of Durham researched stable isotopes from tooth enamel to determine migration patterns.</p><p>A tooth from each skeleton was also sent to McMaster University in Canada for DNA analysis that established the hair and eye colour of each individual and identified the diseases they were suffering from.</p><p>McMaster University also examined the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to identify maternal ancestry.</p><p>The exhibition of the four skeletons, entitled "Written in Bone", opens on Friday.</p><p><em><b>Source: AFP [November 24, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-33372045103121154742022-05-14T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-14T05:00:00.211-07:00Fossils: New evidence for combat and cannibalism in tyrannosaurs<a name='more'></a><p>A new study published by PeerJ documents injuries inflicted in life and death to a large tyrannosaurine dinosaur. The paper shows that the skull of a genus of tyrannosaur called Daspletosaurus suffered numerous injuries during life, at least some of which were likely inflicted by another Daspletosaurus. It was also bitten after death in an apparent event of scavenging by another tyrannosaur. Thus there's evidence of combat between two large carnivores as well as one feeding on another after death.</p><figure><img alt="New evidence for combat and cannibalism in tyrannosaurs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUGm6EoP3F1lROMiMCj5_NHp-CQkFkrvI1i3FrTXxnf5gtxiXYpGmmdaHyl0iai_BomTnIWKwLaub6jt6_SX5VH8pM0qgt2kNTEjxtOhUlfyjf_kCHu8vi8BGMhqhRI7AS1DZBhzDKt_A/s1111/Trex_01.jpg" title="New evidence for combat and cannibalism in tyrannosaurs" /><figcaption><em><b>Artist's reconstruction of one Daspletosaurus feeding on another</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Tuomas Koivurinne]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Daspletosaurus was a large carnivore that lived in Canada and was only a little smaller than its more famous cousin Tyrannosaurus. Like other tyrannosaurs it was most likely both an active predator and scavenger. The individual in question, from Alberta Canada, was not fully grown and would be considered a 'sub-adult' in dinosaur terms (approximately equivalent to an older teenager in human terms). It would have been just under 6 m long and around 500 kg when it died.</p><p>Researchers found numerous injuries on the skull that occurred during life. Although not all of them can be attributed to bites, several are close in shape to the teeth of tyrannosaurs. In particular one bite to the back of the head had broken off part of the skull and left a circular tooth-shaped puncture though the bone. The fact that alterations to the bone's surface indicate healing means that these injuries were not fatal and the animal lived for some time after they were inflicted.</p><figure><img alt="New evidence for combat and cannibalism in tyrannosaurs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEcyQd78NCwTnfCs7pZcW2Nbo9ezaCncPhCX5HSFQiRPBJXm6ddVhoikEdVYhdMSHuZqmVMfLtvPBogEmZM92GWjvYALJ_om7BE08V-vAs78UqHZHTUdIbXuHqjR8ArahWBYwKJ6AJEbH/s1111/Trex_02.jpg" title="New evidence for combat and cannibalism in tyrannosaurs" /><figcaption><em><b>Artist's reconstruction of combat between two Daspletosaurus </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Luis Rey]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Lead author Dr David Hone from Queen Mary, University of London said "This animal clearly had a tough life suffering numerous injuries across the head including some that must have been quite nasty. The most likely candidate to have done this is another member of the same species, suggesting some serious fights between these animals during their lives."</p><p>There is no evidence that the animal died at the hands (or mouth) of another tyrannosaur. However, the preservation of the skull and other bones, and damage to the jaw bones show that after the specimen began to decay, a large tyrannosaur (possibly of the same species) bit into the animal and presumably ate at least part of it.</p><p>Combat between large carnivorous dinosaurs is already known and there is already evidence for cannibalism in various groups, including tyrannosaurs. This is however an apparently unique record with evidence of both pre- and post-mortem injuries to a single individual.</p><p><em><b>Source: PeerJ [April 09, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-75250989179209059062022-05-13T10:00:00.000-07:002022-05-13T10:00:00.174-07:00Greater Middle East: Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists<a name='more'></a><p>A project for the deciphering of ancient papyri found in Graeco-Roman Egypt has recruited armchair archaeologists from around the world with amazing results.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOmAanrw25YgvxL4lNfnzox5bXwYUk9Z7iIiBiDLHXIbskDHZhIwgGG7eP31uv5Vr2G7Cb-Eoa7tTZi5ME8-3RzFkJ3Ev38sGxzNHNCAikMdjAP-4Z7UvpucaziCMNwcMn83sI0tQwW4/s1111/papyrus-1.jpg" title="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" /><figcaption><em><b>Half a million papyrus fragments were found </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: The Egypt Exploration Society]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Ancient Lives project is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the Egypt Exploration Society, the Citizen Science Alliance and others asking for anyone who can identify Greek letters to work on-line and decipher the writing on digital scans of papyri from Oxyrhynchus in Upper Egypt. Then, scholars, with the use of special online tools, carry out the translation. The latest finds were presented yesterday by Dirk Obbink, associate professor in Papyrology and Greek Literature from the University of Oxford.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvoRxP8bsxVQdj4hO_W4C_s6DAJ0wjVMZx-buRjujZXdKzotdpzRucPFz_dFExGQa95EGsN_bffZKiBNMzfgQXKOlawEjCV4f64EAhpbJbussiruVqhTJt11k11EBFZj3_9hC1c3Rehc/s1111/papyrus-2b.jpg" title="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" /><figcaption><em><b>Excavations at Oxyrhynchus [Credit: The Egypt Exploration Society]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The papyri, dating mainly from the 1st Century BC to the 7th Century AD, when Egypt was occupied by the Greeks and Romans, were discovered by Victorian archaeologists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt in January 1897, at what turned out to be a rubbish dump at Oxyrhynchus, an ancient city about 160m south-west of Cairo. The excavations yielded 700 boxes of documents which were shipped to Oxford for study, owned by the Egypt Exploration Society in London.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTXf0f5sC6Ro8o3AmjxQvS06pi53TGBb37nwL1ztIiFMUM09mbdueoTeEdQmhdbrVmer1tLNIWbVljaHLCR_EKcBYFU8umXxE8q2XVwKauAKFtte4f6DJymC4Na639eLRaKn6KrmTW6E/s1111/papyrus-4.jpg" title="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" /><figcaption><em><b>Excavations at Oxyrhynchus [Credit: The Egypt Exploration Society]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Transcribing them, however, was really time-consuming, allowing experts to transcribe over 5,000 out of the 500,000 documents between 1898 and 2012. That’s when the Ancient Lives project was piloted, asking citizen scientists from all over the world to help scientists decipher the writing on the papyri online. The project went fully live in 2014 and with the use of algorithms to help experts assess the accuracy of the work by volunteers, it has allowed a variety of individuals across the globe to participate.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipidlAmKzR5JmE4Vi1M6N1zcVDxvyQ2VUErVNmq3rSzJB0lqCQR1SCC-vhb2JASEoFSq3hdm88AvkRw6olXF06EKjSKH4ZpVpXAWfvQIa9SVMS9-X7ZpGLxi_MvmdC_Wka7T9L32k1ces/s1111/papyrus-3.jpg" title="Ancient papyri deciphered by armchair archaeologists" /><figcaption><em><b>Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt excavating at Oxyrhynchus in 1897 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: The Egypt Exploration Society]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Oxyrhynchus fragments have revealed personal documents of various use, from tax assessments, grocery lists and mariage certificates, ancient remedies, to court records and pieces of literature by Sappho Euripides and Homer. Fragments of a lost tragedy by Sophocles, Andromeda, have also been found.</p><p>The results were announced by Dirk Obbink at a talk in London, held at the Royal Geographical Society and organised by the World Monuments Fund Britain.</p><p>For more on this story see:</p><p><ul><li>The Art Newspaper, http://theartnewspaper.com/news/news/armchair-archaeologists-reveal-details-of-life-in-ancient-egypt/ (29/02/2016) </li></ul><ul><li>The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ancient-egypt-citizen-scientists-reveal-tales-of-tragedy-unearthed-from-centuries-old-rubbish-dump-a6905541.html (01/03/2016)</li></ul><br /><em><b>Source: Archaiologia Online [March 03, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-26164716315893852722022-05-13T09:00:00.001-07:002022-05-13T09:00:00.209-07:00UK: Tiny Tudor treasure hoard found in Thames mud <a name='more'></a><p>A very small treasure hoard – a handful of tiny fragments of beautifully worked Tudor gold – has been harvested from a muddy stretch of the Thames foreshore over a period of years by eight different metal detectorists.</p><figure><img alt="Tiny Tudor treasure hoard found in Thames mud " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisg588aF0Xh_fk4_DU3MybYk5gagGXkmZIO05zEtDQGsbyNyxB72i3n7wGtqrV9R6gHMI-zPYQ20SMyjqXuakWG8ATc060pfcPtgiEZ-u6Mbh5YfmdCNJ49Yezt_MwoNK7lJdw85vtaxj/s1111/UK_Tudor_01.jpg" title="Tiny Tudor treasure hoard found in Thames mud " /><figcaption><em><b>The hoard includes five aglets and two beads, and fragments of more </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: David Parry/PA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The pieces all date from the early 16th century, and the style of the tiny pieces of gold is so similar that Kate Sumnall, an archaeologist, believes they all came from the disastrous loss of one fabulous garment, possibly a hat snatched off a passenger’s head by a gust of wind at a time when the main river crossings were the myriad ferry boats.</p><p>Such metal objects, including aglets – metal tips for laces – beads and studs, originally had a practical purpose as garment fasteners but by the early 16th century were being worn in gold as high-status ornaments, making costly fabrics such as velvet and furs even more ostentatious. Contemporary portraits, including one in the National Portrait Gallery of the Dacres, Mary Neville and Gregory Fiennes, show their sleeves festooned with pairs of such ornaments.</p><p>Some of the Thames pieces are inlaid with enamel or little pieces of coloured glass. Despite the fact there is not enough gold in them to fill an egg cup, the pieces are legally treasure that must be declared to finds officers such as Sumnall, who is based at the Museum of London. She also records less valuable finds voluntarily reported under the portable antiquities scheme, and so has a good working relationship with the licensed mudlarks who scour the Thames shore between tides.</p><p>Sumnall said they were an important find as a huge amount of skill had been invested in the intricate pieces. “These artefacts have been reported to me one at a time over the last couple of years. Individually they are all wonderful finds but as a group they are even more important. To find them from just one area suggests a lost ornate hat or other item of clothing. The fabric has not survived and all that remains are these gold decorative elements that hint at the fashion of the time.”</p><p>Once the pieces have been through a treasure inquest and valued, the museum hopes to acquire them all, still glittering after their centuries in the mud.</p><p><em><b>Author: Maev Kennedy | Source: The Guardian [December 24, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-21508959568990399532022-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:002022-05-13T09:00:00.209-07:00Southern Europe: Getty Museum returns head of Greek statue to Italy<a name='more'></a><p>The head of an ancient Greek statue of extraordinary artistic and historical value will finally arrive back in Italy on Friday – almost three decades after being illegally ripped from the ground.</p><figure><img alt="Getty Museum returns head of Greek statue to Italy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jd4XxURlfwH0rqI24SNCrx6om-WJA6tACJ6D6Tgu5uMfRKaxHTwhWWfGeDntAH99gHejfXF40UCgbFBOWl9XkLJeCyfxF61W_-yD-4lsjTR7YBk4CesTkY5FMavJroMVudMnE9Z3N8w/s1111/Adis_Sikelia.jpg" title="Getty Museum returns head of Greek statue to Italy" /><figcaption><em><b>The terracotta head of the Greek god Hades [Credit: MiBACT]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The stunning statue had been on display at the J.Paul Getty museum in Los Angeles but was eventually discovered to be Italian property after archaeologists identified one of the statue's beard curls among fragments found at a looted site in Sicily.</p><p>The unique terracotta head depicts Hades, god of the underworld. He is shown with a bushy blue beard and curly hair, which still bear a good deal of the blue and red pigments with which they were painted 2,400 years ago.</p><p>But the mission to bring Hades home has taken years.</p><p>“It was great to be able to work with our Sicilian counterparts to identify the provenance of the head,” a spokesperson for the museum told The Local.</p><p>"The process of identifying the head took two years and the museum agreed to give it back in 2013. Since then it's been in storage while we waited for instructions from Sicily for its eventual return. Officials finally arrived to pick up the statue this week.”</p><p>The head had been on display in Los Angeles since 1985, when the museum acquired it from Belgian businessman - and long time partner of former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy - Maurice Tempelsman, for $500,000 (€460,000).</p><figure><img alt="Getty Museum returns head of Greek statue to Italy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUukZ2hIWR36Ppvzgxn1ScmeBQ0e2Krgl3WdWQKBxHMvqIufe-IYtfdflBgqYP_1WVztEHmnnpXS8GBYaK2VzO6Ru_9B1HBGWjXle7MMS3XHRmuCIQus3wVyXc6t24wJGxtCUbXh-ImI/s1111/Adis_Sikelia_02.jpg" title="Getty Museum returns head of Greek statue to Italy" /><figcaption><em><b>The looted head of a Greek statue has finally come back to Italy [Credit: Ministero Degli Affari Estari]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Templeman sold the piece through successful London art-dealer Robin Symes, who specialized in fencing looted antiques, often of Italian provenance. In January 2005, Symes was sentenced to 21 years in jail (of which he served a mere seven) for trafficking stolen pieces.</p><p>On Friday, the statue will finally take pride of place at Enna's Adione museum, a stone's throw from the site where it was originally taken: an outcome which has satisfied Italians on both sides of the Atlantic.</p><p>“We owe it above all to the archaeologists who helped identify that ceramic lock of blue hair among the remains of a fraudulent dig site,” said Italy's Consul General in LA, Antonio Verde.</p><p>In January 2014, several other pieces of looted art were returned to Enna's Adione museum by the J. Paul Getty museum.</p><p>Items included a two-metre Greek marble statue of Venus, which the museum had also bought from Symes in 1988 for an eye-watering $18 million (€16.4 million).</p><p>Former curator of the museum, Marion True, was placed on trial in Italy in 2005, but was acquitted after the charges against her expired in 2012.</p><p>But the institution is not alone in giving Italy back illegally acquired objects. In recent years pieces have been returned from other high-profile institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.</p><p>According to one Italian prosecutor, artworks from more than 100,000 raided tombs worth in excess of €460 million have been illegally taken out of the country.</p><p><em><b>Author: Patrick Browne | Source: The Local [January 31, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-48059199998003301332022-05-12T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-12T05:00:00.176-07:00New Zealand: Medical imaging helps define Moa diet<a name='more'></a><p>Medical scanners and the same software used to assess building strength after the Canterbury earthquakes, have revealed new information about the diet and dining preferences of New Zealand's extinct moa.</p><figure><img alt="Medical imaging helps define Moa diet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkB31F6UWvRcoLTYON6LFc_QnlzYpEGpEXqfQAxEJcvvCUPEbiDhsBFrsc2i0Jc80WIwszQqoy1KA2nM3MYbUjSrui8Fxf8dLWnvO7b8dROm1GPkzTGkjU64zgdCEilWFBJCiQKS5cdCo/s1111/moa_diet-1.jpg" title="Medical imaging helps define Moa diet" /><figcaption><em><b>Painting of a mummified moa head with the reconstructed muscles painted in in colours around</b></em><br /><em><b> the base of the jaws and behind the eye [Credit: Peter Johnston]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Researchers from Canterbury Museum, the University of Auckland, Finders University and the Universities of New England (Australia) and New South Wales have discovered that the nine species of moa were able to co-exist because differences in the structure and strength of each species' skull and bills were influenced by, or dictated by, diet.</p><p>The findings are published today in the journal ><em><b>Proceedings of the Royal Society</b></em>, in London.</p><p>Co-author, Dr Peter Johnston from the University of Auckland's Anatomy and Medical Imaging department, made MRI scans of the mummified moa remains to allow accurate models to be made for the research.</p><p>The moa, which roamed New Zealand until the 15th century, were herbivores and some of the largest birds to have ever existed. The largest species, the South Island Giant moa, weighed up to 240 kg whilst the smallest (the upland moa) was the size of a sheep.</p><p>Until now scientists had thought that the huge difference in size between the species determined their foraging behaviour as well as what, when and where they ate (ie their ecological niche).</p><p>Co-author Professor Paul Scofield from Canterbury Museum says that the team took the most complete skulls of each species of moa from the collections of Canterbury Museum and Te Papa Tongarewa and scanned those using medical CT (Computed Tomography) scanners.</p><p>"We then produced highly accurate 3D models of each. This wasn't a simple job as we didn't have a single skull that was perfect so we used sophisticated digital cloning techniques to digitally reconstruct accurate osteological models for each species," Professor Scofield said.</p><p>Using the medical MRI scans of the mummified remains, Dr Johnston digitally reconstructed the muscles of each species.</p><p>"Each moa species has a characteristic bill shape and the reasons for this have not previously been defined," says Dr Johnston. "Charles Darwin had an easier time investigating a similar situation in Galapagos finches, as the differences are more extreme and the diets are obvious in that group of birds."</p><p>Software used by civil engineers after the Canterbury Earthquakes to identify weak or unsound buildings, was used to test the strength and structure of each moa species' bill.</p><p>These were compared to each other and to two living relatives, the emu and cassowary. The models simulated the response of the skull to different biting and feeding behaviours including clipping twigs and pulling, twisting or bowing head motions to remove foliage.</p><p>The skull mechanics of moa were found to be surprisingly diverse. The little bush moa had a relatively short, sharp-edged bill and was superior among moa at cutting twigs and branches, supporting the proposition that they primarily fed on fibrous material from trees and shrubs.</p><p>At the opposite extreme, the coastal moa had a relatively weak skull compared to all other species which may have forced them to travel further than other moa in search of suitable food, such as soft fruit and leaves.</p><p>Dr Trevor Worthy (a New Zealander working at Flinders University in Australia) says "until now we have been limited in assessing anatomical function to examining the external aspect of bones. This new technology allows us to bring new life to old bones and to get one step closer to understanding the birds they came from."</p><p>"Little has been known about how New Zealand's ecosystem evolved, largely because we know so little about how moa lived and co-existed," says Associate Professor Stephen Wroe, leader of the Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research (FEAR) laboratory at the University of New England (Australia).</p><p>"This new research advances our understanding about the feeding behaviours of the moa species and their impact on New Zealand's unique and distinctive flora."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Auckland [January 14, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-3106170567639402682022-05-12T04:30:00.000-07:002022-05-12T04:30:00.178-07:00Palaeontology: Chasing after a prehistoric Kite Runner<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists have discovered an ancient animal that carried its young in capsules tethered to the parent's body like tiny, swirling kites. They're naming it after "The Kite Runner," the 2003 bestselling novel.</p><figure><img alt="Chasing after a prehistoric Kite Runner" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNXMlxLjKINwISiwLQ1Zqufnk86mSwEe4NzizMrHT35go1Df7Rti61e6uEimOVGPdDDOYK_LfrH_2Q8fJ9ycPO_G70MlZ2R-_SxESSgRXTkxn9szrdQUZzKiNoaH5SVb_DxSQoKD7-m4V/s1111/kite_runner-2.jpg" title="Chasing after a prehistoric Kite Runner" /><figcaption><em><b>Aquilonifer spinosus, the Kite Runner, was an arthropod that lived about 430 million</b></em><br /><em><b> years ago. It carried its young in capsules or pouches tethered to its body </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: D. Briggs, D. Siveter, D. Siveter, M. Sutton, D. Legg]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The miniscule creature, Aquilonifer spinosus, was an arthropod that lived about 430 million years ago. It grew to less than half an inch long, and there is only one known fossil of the animal, found in Herefordshire, England. Its name comes from "aquila," which means eagle or kite, and the suffix "fer," which means carry.</p><p>Researchers from Yale, Oxford, the University of Leicester, and Imperial College London described the new species in a paper published in the journal <em><b>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</b></em>.</p><p>"Modern crustaceans employ a variety of strategies to protect their eggs and embryos from predators -- attaching them to the limbs, holding them under the carapace, or enclosing them within a special pouch until they are old enough to be released -- but this example is unique," said lead author Derek Briggs, Yale's G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Geology and Geophysics and curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. "Nothing is known today that attaches the young by threads to its upper surface."</p><figure><img alt="Chasing after a prehistoric Kite Runner" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrFiG49qd1tdxdzOtroC-gv1KFlZgI_sujnS5SavBSQd8BSf5CzkrVE95EpV3563nNv26AqIvA65Vdit-g3bUDLhhY-oEepVOEIeazPPkifxN9FLYoGyM9UGsuyZ0brnNaBKTr8rndiAf/s1111/Briggs-etal-S1-video_400px.gif" title="Chasing after a prehistoric Kite Runner" /><figcaption><em><b>[Credit: D. Briggs, D. Siveter, D. Siveter, M. Sutton, D. Legg]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Kite Runner fossil shows 10 juveniles, at different stages of development, connected to the adult. The researchers interpret this to mean that the adult postponed molting until the juveniles were old enough to hatch; otherwise, the juveniles would have been cast aside with the shed exoskeleton.</p><p>The adult specimen's head is eyeless and covered by a shield-like structure, according to the researchers. It lived on the sea floor during the Silurian period with a variety of other animals including sponges, brachiopods, worms, snails and other mollusks, a sea spider, a horseshoe crab, various shrimp-like creatures, and a sea star. The juvenile pouches, attached to the adult by slender, flexible threads, look like flattened lemons.</p><p>Briggs said he and his colleagues considered the possibility that the juveniles were parasites feeding off a host, but decided it was unlikely because the attachment position would not be favorable for accessing nutrients.</p><p>"We have named it after the novel by Khalid Hosseini due to the fancied resemblance of the juveniles to kites," Briggs said. "As the parent moved around, the juveniles would have looked like decorations or kites attached to it. It shows that arthropods evolved a variety of brooding strategies beyond those around today -- perhaps this strategy was less successful and became extinct."</p><p>The researchers were able to describe Aquilonifer spinosus in detail thanks to a virtual reconstruction. They reconstructed the animal and the attached juveniles by stacking digital images of fossil surfaces revealed by grinding away the fossil in tiny increments.</p><p><em><b>Author: Jim Shelton | Source: Yale University [April 04, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-91027192812914087082022-05-11T14:00:00.002-07:002022-05-11T14:00:00.189-07:00Near East: Revelations abound with scanning of Maidstone Museum's mummy<a name='more'></a><p>One of the most exciting projects in recent years at Maidstone Museum – the scanning and facial reconstruction of its very own 2,700-year-old mummy – is well underway thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The project, within the redevelopment of the museum’s Ancient Civilisations gallery, has seen the mummy travel across Maidstone to KIMS Hospital to undergo a full body scan and closer inspection by the local team of radiologists. The scan has revealed a number of fascinating finds about the mummy as well as other mummified remains in the museum’s collection – all before the full investigation into results has really begun with a team of international specialists.</p><p><img alt="Revelations abound with scanning of Maidstone Museum's mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvLBZRNHRFjpojhVz0jNGyQoQojI4D-bxO3z0YiAWxE78z_aTwaSnr6uOW7Pg9XOYG7HQcdfj3qe0rw_gY05pxM18TsAHpuKNrHQGgU5yiIorQh6Jgd1qlSjGqPlTAqxVWBYHJuQMEQO2/s1111/Maidstone_01.jpg" title="Revelations abound with scanning of Maidstone Museum's mummy" /><figure><img alt="Revelations abound with scanning of Maidstone Museum's mummy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYPWfDDzaUhT-e0Tl50CvXQrQZqHC1i-ObPAhioSkpkmP-4qGD8vrRVTanKilYZvQN0h6ZvBKRZ0mXDCsXLO5ozENPQh3_sGmasEU6bHX9_2-3OF4miLjLDlDTEVmbtYSqkatgJC91lZ9/s1111/EGY_0984.jpg" title="Revelations abound with scanning of Maidstone Museum's mummy" /><figcaption><em><b>The scan has revealed a number of fascinating finds about the mummy as well as other mummified remains</b></em><br /><em><b> in the museum’s collection [Credit: © Paul Dixon]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>“We weren’t expecting too much to be derived from the initial scans of Ta-Kush and the other items, but the results seen have been remarkable,” said Samantha Harris, Collections Manager at Maidstone Museum. “It was such a pleasure to work alongside the Imaging Team at KIMS Hospital in being able to analyse these items and, for the initial results to reveal so much means, the remainder of the Ancient Civilisations gallery project has been injected with a whole new level of excitement.”</p><p>Among the initial findings, the scans revealed that, while many believed Ta-Kush to have passed away during adolescence, she may in fact have been much older. Speaking of the findings, Mark Garrad, CT Lead Radiographer at KIMS Hospital, said: “The scans conducted indicate evidence of well-worn teeth, loss of enamel, cavities, abscesses in the jaw and fully erupted wisdom teeth. Although we cannot place her age exactly, the evidence we have managed to glean from the initial scans would suggest a person who is at least mid-twenties, possibly much older. It has been fascinating to be part of the early stages of discovery and we are looking forward to what other insights the experts can gather about Ta-Kush.”</p><p>The scans also show further evidence of a wedge fracture in one of her vertebrae, which is seen in patients suffering a downward impact, such as a fall or landing upright. Images show that there may be signs of healing, however, it indicates that Ta-Kush could well have been living with this injury.</p><p>Further research into the life and conservation of Ta-Kush is set to be conducted over the course of the next few months with Liverpool John Moores University analysing the scans and creating a facial reconstruction. Thanks to the HLF funding, and with support from the Maidstone Museums’ Foundation, the Egyptology Department at the British Museum, the Petrie Museum at University College London, Western Ontario University and the Egypt Exploration Society, this research will uncover the stories behind the scanned human and animal remains ready for the redisplay of the wider Ancient Egyptian and Greek World collections, to be unveiled in summer 2017.</p><p><em><b>Source: Maidstone Museum [November 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-40379569575717408272022-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:002022-05-11T13:00:00.172-07:00Great Legacy: Cyprus antiquity repatriated from United Kingdom<a name='more'></a><p>An ancient Cypriot clay ring-vase (kernos - ceremonial vessel), dated to the Protogeometric period (1050-900 BC), has been repatriated to Cyprus from the United Kingdom. The vessel was identified by the Department of Antiquities at a London-based antiquities dealer’s shop, as a result of the Department's routine online investigations.</p><figure><img alt="Cyprus antiquity repatriated from United Kingdom" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU7bfWm-eUy-Ylje0hQWPWchvb3b6VewOn_ulLJfuXscvo6vc2xAnmcn4IwlGq6EPhaBwXJzag8VfogDHypEucShjRuDHRnkI6XHNHwblLBojDExEDEfkFRLb_PPX2k-Ht3LzwrYjaQbd/s1111/Cyprus01.jpg" title="Cyprus antiquity repatriated from United Kingdom" /><figcaption><em><b>The ring vessel was part of Mr. Christakis Hadjiprodromou’s registered private collection that was kept in his house</b></em><br /><em><b>in Ammochostos (Famagusta) prior to the Turkish invasion in 1974 [Credit: Dept. of Antiquities, Cyprus]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Following a request by the Department of Antiquities and the Cyprus Police, the shop handed over the vessel to the London Metropolitan Police, which in turn, handed it over to the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in London, in October 2016. A Conservator of the Department of Antiquities supervised the packing of the antiquity in London and escorted it to Cyprus on 16 November 2016.</p><figure><img alt="Cyprus antiquity repatriated from United Kingdom" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWTXTAzbMFmEXt5QxlidU1dq62lurg-fCVZnC9VwxShSbcopmK4xxG_ZLliwsOnlkSa5vDlY2Pdfj0oIqKkfdNYyp_KbfJxb46ILnMaxR7iaztCKHlqyfeDgpluyKh5mwFhUG8bnRfeG4/s1111/Cyprus02.jpg" title="Cyprus antiquity repatriated from United Kingdom" /><figcaption><em><b>A conservator of the Department of Antiquities supervised the packing of the antiquity in London </b></em><br /><em><b>and escorted it to Cyprus on 16 November 2016 [Credit: Dept. of Antiquities, Cyprus]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The vessel was part of Mr Christakis Hadjiprodromou’s registered private collection that was kept in his house in Ammochostos (Famagusta) prior to the Turkish invasion in 1974. As a result of the invasion, Mr Hadjiprodromou’s residence was pillaged, and his collection was looted, its objects scattered around the world.</p><p>It is noted that another antiquity (a clay horse-and-rider of the Cypro-Archaic period, approx. 700 BC), from the same collection, was repatriated from London in July 2016.</p><p><em><b>Source: Department of Antiquities, Republic of Cyprus [November 24, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-47352343646921880642022-05-11T05:00:00.001-07:002022-05-11T05:00:00.184-07:00Evolution: Study sheds light on the function of the penis bone in male competition<a name='more'></a><p>A new UCL study examines how the baculum (penis bone) evolved in mammals and explores its possible function in primates and carnivores—groups where many species have a baculum, but some do not.</p><figure><img alt="Study sheds light on the function of the penis bone in male competition" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNx4wLE-qOiA4D6sjUPFUhF-Nqb4YOyp6Wy1A8M7CsQeN7j1K04jgU6syIUFa5Fvmno4gGkVlDBGI5PBIRhyphenhyphenZjzaDhopSbYcSdNUaddA6OW5KuykUCFqMKQH9DsupqmtetryMY6IP2AtF/s1111/penis01.jpg" title="Study sheds light on the function of the penis bone in male competition" /><figcaption><em><b>Baculum bones [Credit: WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The baculum has been described as "the most diverse of all bones", varying dramatically in length, width and shape in the male mammals where it is present.</p><p>The research, published today in the Royal Society journal ><em><b>Proceedings of the Royal Society B</b></em>, shows that the ancestral mammal, like humans, did not have a baculum - but both ancestral primates and carnivores did. The work uncovers that the baculum first evolved in mammals between 145 and 95 million years ago.</p><p>The study found that prolonged intromission - defined as penetration for longer than 3 minutes - was correlated with baculum presence across the course of primate evolution. Prolonged intromission was also found to predict a longer baculum in primates and carnivores.</p><p>High levels of postcopulatory sexual competition between males also predicted longer bacula in primates.</p><p>First author, Matilda Brindle (UCL Anthropology), said: "Our findings suggest that the baculum plays an important role in supporting male reproductive strategies in species where males face high levels of postcopulatory sexual competition. Prolonging intromission helps a male to guard a female from mating with any competitors, increasing his chances of passing on his genetic material."</p><p>The findings of the study may also provide clues as to why humans do not have a baculum.</p><p>When any cultural aspects of sex are removed and a male's aim is solely to ejaculate, humans have a short intromission duration.</p><p>In species where mating occurs between multiple males and multiple females (known as polygamy), there is acute competition between males to fertilise a female. However, human mating systems are not like this. Instead humans tend to be monogamous or, more rarely, polygynous (where one male mates with multiple females). In these circumstances, only one male has access to a female and postcopulatory competition between males is absent or very low level.</p><p>Brindle added: "Interestingly, humans have neither prolonged intromission durations, nor high levels of postcopulatory sexual competition. Given the results of our study, this may help to unravel the mystery of why the baculum was lost in the human lineage."</p><p>Chimpanzees and bonobos, humans' closest relatives, have very small bacula (between about 6-8mm) and short intromission durations (around 7 seconds for chimpanzees and 15 seconds for bonobos). However, they are characterised by polygamous mating systems, so they experience high levels of postcopulatory competition between males. The researchers suggest that this may be why these species have retained a baculum - albeit a small one.</p><p>Co-author, Dr Kit Opie (UCL Anthropology), commented: "After the human lineage split from chimpanzees and bonobos and our mating system shifted towards monogamy, probably after 2mya, the evolutionary pressures retaining the baculum likely disappeared. This may have been the final nail in the coffin for the already diminished baculum, which was then lost in ancestral humans."</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [December 14, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-29887015099268077292022-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-11T05:00:00.184-07:00Breaking News: Neanderthals killed off by diseases from modern humans, claims study<a name='more'></a><p>Modern humans have been blamed for killing off the Neanderthals by out competing them, breeding with them and even outright murdering them.</p><figure><img alt="Neanderthals killed off by diseases from modern humans, claims study" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKsgF5yPIfb-v9YY17L0B5_Yyd_y0YadPjHmGoeI-hhoJ8OSUFlhnDhA02pRX4CrJ8vUV7YFmCTMdCnMRjpA1HQJ6kmThekJ83BPgLjAbLyByaPJeEEu5jnpBW31MrdPu2cwwi2KzA_fo/s1111/Neanderthal_01.jpg" title="Neanderthals killed off by diseases from modern humans, claims study" /><figcaption><em><b>Neanderthals may have succumbed to infectious diseases carried to Europe by </b></em><br /><em><b>modern humans as they migrated out of Africa [Credit: George Gillard]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>But new research suggests it may actually have been infectious diseases carried by our modern ancestors as they migrated out of Africa that finished them off.</p><p>Scientists studying the latest genetic, fossil and archaeological evidence claim that Neanderthals suffered from a wide range of diseases that still plague us today.</p><p>They have found evidence that suggests our prehistoric cousins would have been infected by diseases such as tuberculosis, typhoid, whooping cough, encephalitis and the common cold.</p><p>But anthropologists from Cambridge University and Oxford Brookes University say that new diseases carried by modern humans may have led to the downfall of Neanderthals.</p><p>They speculate that pathogens like Heliocbacter pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, were brought to Europe by modern humans from Africa and may have infected Neanderthals, who would have been unable to fight off these new diseases.</p><p>However, Neandethals may have also helped modern humans by passing on slivers of immunity against some diseases to our ancestors when they interbred.</p><p>Dr Simon Underdown, a principal lecturer in anthropology at Oxford Brookes University and co-author of the study, said: 'As Neanderthal populations became more isolated they developed very small gene pools and this would have impacted their ability to fight off disease.</p><p>'When Homo sapiens came out of Africa they brought diseases with them.</p><p>'We know that Neanderthals were actually much more advanced than they have been given credit for and we even interbred with them.</p><p>'Perhaps the only difference was that we were able to cope with these diseases but Neanderthals could not.'</p><p>The findings add to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals were not as different from modern humans as was originally thought.</p><p>Recent discoveries have suggested that rather than being brutish cavemen, Neanderthals had sophisticated culture, were master tool makers and may even have had their own language.</p><p>The new study suggests that Neanderthals also suffered from many of the same afflictions and complaints that modern humans experience.</p><p>Indeed, there is some evidence from caves that early humans may have burned their bedding in a bid to rid themselves of infestations of lice or bed bugs.</p><p>Dr Underdown and his colleague Dr Charlotte Houldcroft, a researcher in infectious diseases at Cambridge University and University College London, analysed recent genetic studies on Neanderthals and other early humans.</p><p>They also examined recent genetic research on common human pathogens that have aimed to trace their origins and combined it with fossil and archaeological evidence.</p><p>Most evidence from the fossil record suggest that Neanderthals tended to suffer traumatic injuries as a result of their hunter gatherer lifestyle, but there are also signs of inflammation and infection.</p><p>Their study, which is published on the open source database bioRxiv, contradicts the common view that infectious diseases only really became a problem for humans in the Holocene about 11,000 years ago when humans began living in dense settlements and farming livestock.</p><p>Instead, they say many of the diseases we see around us today were common during the pleistocene when Neanderthals dominated much of Europe and Asia between 250,000 and 45,000 years ago, when they disappeared.</p><p>They say pathogens like TB, typhoid and Crimean fever that were thought to be zoonoses caught from herd animals may have actually originated in humans and were only passed to animals during the rise of farming around 8,000 years ago.</p><p>Genetic sequencing of Neanderthal and Denisovan - another early human ancestor - DNA has shown that modern humans have inherited a number of genes from these extinct species.</p><p>These include genes that provide immunity to viral infections such as tick-borne encephalitis.</p><p>Dr Underdown said this virus would probably have been common in the forested areas of northern Europe that Neanderthals inhabited and so immunity would have been an advantage.</p><p>Other genes found in modern Papua New Guineans that are involved in the immune response against viruses like dengue and influenza may have come from Neanderthals.</p><p>Analysis of ancient DNA has also shown that Neanderthals carried genes that would have protected them against bacterial blood poisoning, or sepsis.</p><p>Dr Underdown said: 'There are genetic signals in the Neanderthal genome that suggest quite clearly that they were exposed to these types of diseases but also developed some resistance to them.</p><p>'It had been thought that many of these diseases began infecting humans with the population increases that came with domestication of animals and permanent settlements.</p><p>'Be here we have got Neanderthals being infected by these diseases long before those developments.'</p><p><em><b>Author: Richard Gray | Source: Daily Mail Online [April 03, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-16666058010895818502022-05-11T02:00:00.000-07:002022-05-11T02:00:00.179-07:00Astrophysics: Theory that challenges Einstein's physics could soon be put to the test<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists behind a theory that the speed of light is variable - and not constant as Einstein suggested - have made a prediction that could be tested.</p><figure><img alt="Theory that challenges Einstein's physics could soon be put to the test" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T_kHyLH6C4G2-EKEx4HqGoYhoOthrX2v2hPqZ-NCgZ2zF4AcrY0hTPTwcLDqjj-NmgUMLMy6YebH6jDQ6YEDf0K1vqV_0CEIg3QUDnLVCWELeiqxaIg7fdRMLwZBI6PxG_4zTGwv1cY6/s1111/einstein-1.jpg" title="Theory that challenges Einstein's physics could soon be put to the test" /><figcaption><em><b>A theory by Imperial physicists that the speed of light is variable - and not constant as Einstein suggested - could</b></em><br /><em><b> soon be put to the test [Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Einstein observed that the speed of light remains the same in any situation, and this meant that space and time could be different in different situations.</p><p>The assumption that the speed of light is constant, and always has been, underpins many theories in physics, such as Einstein's theory of general relativity. In particular, it plays a role in models of what happened in the very early universe, seconds after the Big Bang.</p><p>But some researchers have suggested that the speed of light could have been much higher in this early universe. Now, one of this theory's originators, Professor Joao Magueijo from Imperial College London, working with Dr Niayesh Afshordi at the Perimeter Institute in Canada, has made a prediction that could be used to test the theory's validity.</p><p>Structures in the universe, for example galaxies, all formed from fluctuations in the early universe – tiny differences in density from one region to another. A record of these early fluctuations is imprinted on the cosmic microwave background – a map of the oldest light in the universe – in the form of a 'spectral index'.</p><p>Working with their theory that the fluctuations were influenced by a varying speed of light in the early universe, Professor Magueijo and Dr Afshordi have now used a model to put an exact figure on the spectral index. The predicted figure and the model it is based on are published in the journal ><em><b>Physical Review D</b></em>.</p><p>Cosmologists are currently getting ever more precise readings of this figure, so that prediction could soon be tested – either confirming or ruling out the team's model of the early universe. Their figure is a very precise 0.96478. This is close to the current estimate of readings of the cosmic microwave background, which puts it around 0.968, with some margin of error.</p><p><b>Radical Idea</b></p><p>Professor Magueijo said: "The theory, which we first proposed in the late-1990s, has now reached a maturity point – it has produced a testable prediction. If observations in the near future do find this number to be accurate, it could lead to a modification of Einstein's theory of gravity.</p><p>"The idea that the speed of light could be variable was radical when first proposed, but with a numerical prediction, it becomes something physicists can actually test. If true, it would mean that the laws of nature were not always the same as they are today."</p><p>The testability of the varying speed of light theory sets it apart from the more mainstream rival theory: inflation. Inflation says that the early universe went through an extremely rapid expansion phase, much faster than the current rate of expansion of the universe.</p><p><b>The Horizontal Problem</b></p><p>These theories are necessary to overcome what physicists call the 'horizon problem'. The universe as we see it today appears to be everywhere broadly the same, for example it has a relatively homogenous density.</p><p>This could only be true if all regions of the universe were able to influence each other. However, if the speed of light has always been the same, then not enough time has passed for light to have travelled to the edge of the universe, and 'even out' the energy.</p><p>As an analogy, to heat up a room evenly, the warm air from radiators at either end has to travel across the room and mix fully. The problem for the universe is that the 'room' – the observed size of the universe – appears to be too large for this to have happened in the time since it was formed.</p><p>The varying speed of light theory suggests that the speed of light was much higher in the early universe, allowing the distant edges to be connected as the universe expanded. The speed of light would have then dropped in a predictable way as the density of the universe changed. This variability led the team to the prediction published today.</p><p>The alternative theory is inflation, which attempts to solve this problem by saying that the very early universe evened out while incredibly small, and then suddenly expanded, with the uniformity already imprinted on it. While this means the speed of light and the other laws of physics as we know them are preserved, it requires the invention of an 'inflation field' – a set of conditions that only existed at the time.</p><p><em><b>Author: Hayley Dunning | Source: Imperial College London [November 25, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-14873542239194933862022-05-10T13:00:00.002-07:002022-05-10T13:00:00.174-07:00Australia: Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D<a name='more'></a><p>The wreck of a former slave ship lying just off the coast of Perth is being scoured by maritime archaeologists using new technology to revisit earlier excavations and help learn more about Australia's underwater past.</p><figure><img alt="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKvKzEL2OdoJygKPjNcXF1aYFYVCUEZD-qP69k01dunsUlewkqFa4O51EzR2WbRmB74Dg2bBvG-VTlsR7Srl_TkEsCFDPtYH5lORnrkT963I5USo7gl2u3WA-nryHjBEU8P8ruGEsSl2n/s1111/Australia01a.jpg" title="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" /><figcaption><em><b>Maritime archaeologists first excavated the wreck of the James Matthews in the 1970s </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: WA Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The site of the James Matthews is being photographed to create a detailed three-dimensional model of the shipwreck.</p><p>It is hoped the work will eventually help determine new ways of protecting it and other shipwrecks as well as ways to test new techniques and methods.</p><p>"The colours and details are really accurate," the WA Maritime Museum's Madeline McAllister said.</p><p>"Whereas in the past we would have taken some photos to create a 2D site plan and then also done the measurements ourselves with tapes, so [it was] not quite as accurate as what we're getting with these 3D models."</p><figure><img alt="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP6vPCAO0ABSl1yuHiA-tekJXHy3V1PoJ_Gayv_WFgNERx0X07XR76YNxWwkmzfAkCOHugPpur2-SyIfMpk70m9V588comCoa7Gz6T93TtXnwwcQWJt_tDuY8WHFlkzoXsTMMYnE0RdE1/s1111/Australia02a.jpg" title="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists in the 1970s sucked out much of the sand covering the James Matthews in their excavation</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: WA Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The James Matthews was first discovered in 1973 lying largely buried in sand in shallow waters two-to-three-metres-deep, less than 200 metres off Woodman Point, just south of Fremantle.</p><p>It had sunk there after slipping its anchor during a storm and hitting rocks in July 1841.</p><p>At the time, the snow brig was a merchant vessel, and had travelled from London laden with farm equipment and construction material for the newly established Swan River colony.</p><p>But archaeologists, who first excavated the ship in the 1970s led by former director of the WA Maritime Museum Graeme Henderson, soon discovered its link to the horrific trans-Atlantic slave trade.</p><figure><img alt="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhP03fVCqmAWm7ygHhWDC_ZLgxwwdcGbqx1Kc8D6cyD0em2dB2czhoYRF8FWOxvDncKwtmsUFsgmLhWfcF8ZUAkRzy18haUMmRthTIQUfquEJ8QaePqh5iuBiBT5oGq-KKuHWTJN9hpiVX/s1111/Australia03b.jpg" title="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" /><figcaption><em><b>Artefacts recovered from the ship, including a well-preserved leather shoe, are on display at the WA Shipwrecks Museum </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: ABC News/Nicolas Perpitch]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>It had previously been called the Don Francisco and was owned by a notorious and powerful Brazilian-born slave trader called Francisco Felix de Souza, who operated out of West Africa and was involved in power plays with leaders of the Kingdom of Dahomey, in present day Benin.</p><p>The Don Francisco was seized in 1837 off the island of Domenica as it headed towards Cuba by the British, who had passed an act abolishing the slave trade three decades earlier.</p><p>The British sailors found 433 slaves crammed inside the 24.5-metre hull.</p><p>The ship should have been destroyed under the law of the time, but was instead repaired and renamed the James Matthews, a London-registered merchant vessel — paving the way for its eventual demise.</p><figure><img alt="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEGIJ3aOarxNe3NlPycPdEpmn7TePlJcGuf-d_z1OhHbcWY6Xg7JepW1bjF1ygUDjitaYlJpJU0SyZg5SBYZ_8KadcaJlqkhBRGwhQbDCaGgnTXXoELvL1ryfXDUK9FB2W5xX2DafY0Zj/s1111/Australia03a.jpg" title="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" /><figcaption><em><b>An ivory chess set recovered from the shipwreck is on display in Fremantle</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: ABC News/Nicolas Perpitch]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>When it was wrecked off Woodman Point, the ship fell on its side and buried much of its cargo and rigging in the sand.</p><p>That helped preserve the artefacts.</p><p>"In the case of the James Matthews, it went into sand and the sand buried it with the shifting currents and so forth, and so basically most of the ship was still there. Wonderful," Dr Henderson said.</p><p>"The sand gives them an anaerobic environment, which means no oxygen, which means not much in the way of deterioration had taken place.</p><p>A leather shoe, a parasol with much of the lace preserved, an ivory chess set, and pulleys with rope still largely intact, were some of the surprisingly well-conserved artefacts discovered.</p><p>Intriguingly, the part-owner of the ship at the time, Henry de Burgh, later wrote 200 gold sovereigns were also lost to the sea, supposedly never recovered.</p><p>Former WA Maritime Museum director Graeme Henderson, who has officially retired but still spends his days hunting shipwrecks, said the 3D modelling would help gain a better understanding of the site over time.</p><p>"The idea is we will come back very few years and take another set of photographs and be able to overlay the models," he said.</p><p>"And you'll see growth in seaweed and sponges on the site and you'll also be able to see the deterioration if that's happened."</p><figure><img alt="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJNsWO6zdryvHagTJ-2iRbeef1cpF9I-q-ZNOBwj2IhoZBsP2_-Z4FuJcMUQ39k83Aij6T8u2-XAuQf1IYaGDU6Ih-aTwWoNnABG7ZLY0qCDj9YGOJhyRDQY68PDwSRgXOLMAX3CMBb_N/s1111/Australia04.jpg" title="Wreck of former slave ship off West Australian coast mapped in 3D" /><figcaption><em><b>A model of the James Matthews, a ship built for speed to escape British anti-slavery vessels</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: ABC News/Nicolas Perpitch]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>WA Museum maritime archaeology curator Ross Anderson said a lot of underwater cultural heritage sites, including shipwrecks like the James Matthews and prehistoric sites, were "out of sight and out of mind".</p><p>"If people don't see them, they don't see the importance, so these kinds of visualisations and interpretations convey to people what's under there, what's under the water, what's under the sand, [and that it's] actually really important and worth preserving," Dr Anderson said.</p><p><em><b>Author: Nicolas Perpitch | Source: ABC News Website [December 11, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-13377985533189219302022-05-10T04:00:00.001-07:002022-05-10T04:00:00.179-07:00Oceans: Chemicals threaten Europe's killer whales with extinction<a name='more'></a><p>Killer whales in European waters face extinction due to outlawed but long-lived pollutants that also threaten several species of dolphins, according a study published in the journal ><em><b>Scientific Reports</b></em>.</p><figure><img alt="Chemicals threaten Europe's killer whales with extinction" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpNC45ky6BLjMmVxIWgpbts261t_GRREcDASPBz4fCIOvbqz6ZeJ0ceijOEQvIS7VDfCRDW6P4BAVWVkAdeDfiZeLlXuk2-avUIMh9yiR-LmL131fMHJUO7QnGrmKaOkp_xmjh8r7YUo/s1111/whales-2.jpg" title="Chemicals threaten Europe's killer whales with extinction" /><figcaption><em><b>Toxic chemicals known by the acronym PCBs are poisoning killer whales in European waters, and in some </b></em><br /><em><b>cases severely impeding their ability to reproduce, researchers reported [Credit: CSIP/ZSL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Toxic chemicals known by the acronym PCBs are poisoning these marine mammals, and in some cases severely impeding their ability to reproduce, researchers reported.</p><p>Becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain, PCBs settle into the fatty tissue of top ocean predators.</p><p>The deadly compounds—used in manufacturing and construction and banned across the European Union in 1987—can also be passed on to orca and dolphin calves suckling their mothers' milk.</p><p>"Few coastal orca populations remain in western European waters," said lead author Paul Jepson of the Zoological Society of London, noting that those in the Mediterranean and North Sea have already disappeared.</p><p>"The ones that do persist are very small and suffering low or zero rates of reproduction."</p><p>A community of 36 orcas, or killer whales, off the coast of Portugal—observed by scientists for decades—has not produced any offspring in more than ten years, the study reported.</p><p>An even smaller grouping near Scotland "will go extinct," Jepson told journalists by phone.</p><p>The death of a female known as Lulu, whose carcass was discovered on the Scottish island of Tiree last week, reduced this pod from nine to eight.</p><p>As well as direct observation, biopsies of individuals in the wild have also shown that these orca populations are not reproducing.</p><p>When female killer whales give birth, they transfer about 90 percent of the PCBs accumulated in their bodies—sometimes over decades—to their calves, purging themselves but poisoning their offspring.</p><p>Recent biopsies, however, revealed that all the females have the same level of PCB toxins in their system as males, evidence that they had not produced calves in the preceding years.</p><p>The toxic effect of PCBs on marine mammals was known, but this is the first overview—based on tissue samples from more than 1,000 stranded and biopsied whales, dolphins and orcas—of the extent of the damage.</p><p><b>Climbing the food chain</b></p><p>PCBs were widely used in manufacturing electrical equipment, paints and flame retardants. Designed to withstand weathering, they were also added to sealants used in buildings.</p><p>Europe produced some 300,000 tonnes of the compound from 1954 to 1984, and 90 percent of it has yet to be destroyed or safely stored away.</p><p>PCBs—which do not dissolve in water—reach the ocean via several routes.</p><p>"It is leaching from landfills into rivers and estuaries, and eventually into the marine environment," Jepson explained.</p><p>Sediment dredging to a depth of ten metres (30 feet) along shipping lanes in industrial ports brings the deadly chemicals to the surface.</p><p>From there, they gradually climb the food chain, becoming more toxic along the way: from bottom-feeding mollusks to crabs to small fish to the bigger fish eaten by orcas, dolphins and porpoises.</p><p>Further north, a healthier population of several thousand orcas living in waters near Iceland and northern Norway provide additional evidence that PCBs are, in fact, causing the decline of their cousins to the south.</p><p>Whereas the southern killer whales eat large fish and mammals, such as seals, the Arctic orcas subsist almost exclusively on herring.</p><p>Because herring eat plankton, they are outside the food chain along which PCBs climb, explaining why the northern orcas have ten times less PCB in their fatty tissue.</p><p>Disposing of land-based PCBs—made to resist heat, chemical attack and degradation—is difficult, Jepson said.</p><p>"They were designed to last a very long time, so it is incredibly hard to destroy them."</p><p><em><b>Author: Marlowe Hood | Source: AFP [Janaury 14, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-78049167177967982322022-05-10T04:00:00.000-07:002022-05-10T04:00:00.179-07:00Natural Heritage: Sampling species' DNA trails is leading to better environmental monitoring<a name='more'></a><p>Using a technique that can tell if a species has passed by from just a sample of water, scientists are developing new ways to assess ecosystems.</p><figure><img alt="Sampling species' DNA trails is leading to better environmental monitoring" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h9-28s3DraR4UjRgCO5zZJMThxPzA6UkCMp7PqOpbWyI5kpF7cCHR9zEWDPifyFtYCJ4R8bWqFRqw3CvS6KmOetXzFtKp1lf7ja8fPdIBZRSECYygNEDSRz5uQeCqXSVszLcIRQMeao-/s1111/sampling_species-1.jpg" title="Sampling species' DNA trails is leading to better environmental monitoring" /><figcaption><em><b>Great crested newt [Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>All animals shed fragments of DNA as they go about their lives – in faeces, mucous, sperm and eggs, shed skin, hair and, eventually, their carcasses.</p><p>These traces of genetic material can persist in the environment for some time – a matter of weeks in water and up to a few centuries in soil. With new, more sensitive DNA amplification and sequencing techniques, scientists can collect and analyse these fragments in water and soil samples and identify individual species that have passed by.</p><p>One area where environmental DNA, or eDNA, is finding practical use is in environmental assessments, for example to check whether any protected species are present before construction works are carried out. Already, Defra in the UK have approved the use of eDNA sampling to assess the presence of protected great crested newts in ponds.</p><p>Now, in a new partnership between Imperial College London and environmental ecology consultancy Thomson Ecology, scientists are hoping to expand the use of eDNA. They want to create protocols to assess whether different areas are home to key protected species, including crayfish, water voles, otters and reptiles.</p><p>As well as looking at key protected species for conservation, the team want to use eDNA for biosecurity, by identifying invasive species. For example, as well as native crayfish, some UK waters have been occupied by invasive American Signal Crayfish, which outcompete the native species and damage the local environment. Early detection of invasive crayfish could mean they are dealt with sooner, and cause less damage.</p><p>Ultimately, the researchers hope to be able to use eDNA to profile entire ecosystems, analysing water samples to get a snapshot of all the organisms present in the local environment that have shed some DNA.</p><p>Victoria Priestley, who is taking on this task for her PhD thesis in the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: "I think eDNA surveys represent a sea change in how we approach survey and monitoring of species.</p><p>"There is a lot of effort going into eDNA research globally and once it becomes more established, we should be able to assess what species are present in an area much more quickly. Ultimately we should be able to use it to create a clearer and more detailed picture of global biodiversity."</p><p><b>Efficient Environmental Assessments</b></p><p>Currently, species are assessed based on intensive field surveys, requiring taxonomic expertise and often involving tagging animals and repeat visits to a site. However, Professor Vincent Savolainen, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, is developing new protocols for various species.</p><p>This is paving the way for much simpler and more cost-effective surveying for environmental assessments. Professor Savolainen said: "This research will contribute to developing new indices to meet goals of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the body that assesses the state of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services it provides to society, in response to requests from decision makers."</p><p>Although sequencing techniques have improved dramatically in the last few decades, challenges remain in analysing eDNA. The fragments degrade over time, a process enhanced by temperature, microbes, enzymes and salinity.</p><p>The rate that eDNA is 'shed' from species to species and individual to individual also requires more research, as does the role of predators in moving eDNA between sites, and especially how eDNA is distributed in aquatic environments.</p><p>However, Priestley is positive that eDNA surveys have a bright future: "There is still some way to go before whole-ecosystem eDNA monitoring is standard practice, but I believe that at least in the near future, eDNA will increasingly be one of the options in the survey toolkit, working alongside traditional methods to obtain the best ecological survey data in the most efficient way."</p><p><b>Positive Partnership</b></p><p>Professor Tom Welton, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, said partnerships like this one help translate research into real-world applications: "This exciting collaboration demonstrates that research across the whole breadth of natural sciences at Imperial, even on newts, has practical applications to real world problems.</p><p>"Our partnership with Thomson Ecology will allow our research to have a positive impact on environmental protection and conservation."</p><p><em><b>Author: Hayley Dunning | Source: Imperial College London [November 25, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-33663034224581978252022-05-09T08:00:00.001-07:002022-05-09T08:00:00.222-07:00UK: 'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester<a name='more'></a><p>A "unique" Roman headstone is the first of its kind unearthed in the UK, experts believe. The tombstone was found near skeletal remains thought to belong to the person named on its inscription, making the discovery unique.</p><figure><img alt="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7fw-T1i1J8sEjoaSbDqHB7PQCjOBPM09TAIUaJuocvKHqwof2J-9b5fLfokXfR6T4KscemmvC3ATnkAzkCkVDyCwU_TC8y47jo_-v32iKdYkpuWX8SaV3LJr0iBJle4IVfZViTLy06w1/s1111/UK_Roman_01.jpg" title="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" /><figcaption><em><b>The rare Roman tombstone marking the grave of a 27-year-old woman</b></em><br /><em><b> unearthed in Cirencester [Credit: BBC]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeologists behind the dig in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said they believed it marked the grave of a 27-year-old woman called Bodica. The bodies of three children were also found in the "family burial plot".</p><p>Neil Holbrook, of Cotswold Archaeology, translated the Roman inscription on the tombstone, which reads: "To the spirit of the departed Bodica [or Bodicaca], wife, lived for 27 years."</p><p>Mr Holbrook said: "The unique aspect is that you can put a name to the person who lies beneath the tombstone."</p><figure><img alt="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ew-5S_4zyd6kpzXiR9qeOxhILI4sId6AxtFQkXLPJu-9Qv001Ea0U4kZVnBVWIQKGuCuHVtn17JzvHXp4iPzNsBkXuVrVq5YZLMJkNGpC36ZnioFDZOfDa6YrKwTEbvJwJBajk6bPjI7/s1111/UK_Roman_02.jpg" title="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" /><figcaption><em><b>A skull was found near the Roman tombstone which is believed to belong </b></em><br /><em><b>to the 27-year-old woman [Credit: BBC]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"What's weird is that the inscription only fills half of the panel, so there's a space left below it. You can see horizontal marking-out lines, so I guess what they were going to do was come back later when her husband died and add his name to the inscription," Mr Holbrook added.</p><p>He added that the skeletal remains, including the skull, were being excavated from beneath the headstone.</p><p>Mr Holbrook has suggested the name Bodica was of Celtic origin. "Perhaps Bodica is a local Gloucestershire girl who's married an incoming Roman or Gaul from France and has adopted this very Roman way of death," he said.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/heZ7YOIY72g?rel=0"></iframe><br />He said making the "good quality" headstone must have cost "quite a lot of money" at the time.</p><p>The headstone's detailed carved pediment - or triangular top section - was particularly interesting, he said.</p><p>"Looking at the pediment, those little 'teeth' which we could see from the back are decorative swirls. It looks like a draping of a cloth or sheet, so in many ways the decoration is really fine."</p><figure><img alt="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc9qJQ77MXXXYx6JFyXEVdzbSVv1SJLqG8Y6wKdpy3MFyECCM_3BxH5cJNtBBz0NxMi8Daug-wKoCmDaeKaK4pJnCrGZcx-cwROnUV-gxuLfYvpdoScuKddwN6eazBCQnPbnrByU5Hkjk/s1111/UK_Roman_03.jpg" title="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" /><figcaption><em><b>The tombstone was discovered during a dig at a Roman cemetery</b></em><br /><em><b> in Cirencester [Credit: BBC]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>About 300 to 400 Roman tombstones have been discovered in the UK, with the tombstone being the tenth found in Cirencester.</p><p>The stone, which is made of Cotswold limestone, was partially cleaned up on-site by the team, but will be taken away for further inspection.</p><p>Mr Holbrook said it was "amazing" the tombstone had survived.</p><p>"When they built the garage in the 1960s they scraped across the top of the stone to put a beam in. If they'd gone a couple of inches lower they'd have smashed it to smithereens."</p><p>Roman tombstones were often taken away and smashed up to be re-used in buildings in Cirencester in the Medieval period.</p><figure><img alt="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQb1Qi05Z-BVEEeXI_rTJmfW03OWP7tHII18StPHdCW_h6q7Dlwm7JMMG07iAEBJfMt8nHrUiFB0md2p70G0h2vwpSoemOjuVDxI4IUZyXsUnBVl6sYH82P8RJD0-oLT2qKQVADwea5D4/s1111/UK_Roman_04.jpg" title="'Unique' Roman tombstone found in Cirencester" /><figcaption><em><b>The tombstone was lifted up by archaeologists revealing details of the</b></em><br /><em><b> Roman who was buried there [Credit: BBC]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"This stone might have fallen over quite quickly, and was covered over, and that's why it escaped the stone robbers," Mr Holbrook said.</p><p>A total of 55 Roman graves have been found during the dig at St James Place. A further 70 graves were discovered on the same site of the former Bridges Garage on Tetbury Road and a bronze cockerel figurine was found in 2011.</p><p>Cirencester, or Corinium as it was known, was the largest town in Roman Britain after London.</p><p><em><b>Source: BBC News Website [February 25, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-3122591160557541342022-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:002022-05-09T08:00:00.221-07:00Natural Heritage: First global analysis indicates leopards have lost nearly 75 percent of their historic range<a name='more'></a><p>The leopard (Panthera pardus), one of the world's most iconic big cats, has lost as much as 75 percent of its historic range, according to a paper >published in the scientific journal <em><b>PeerJ</b></em>. Conducted by partners including the National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative, international conservation charities the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Panthera and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cat Specialist Group, this study represents the first known attempt to produce a comprehensive analysis of leopards' status across their entire range and all nine subspecies.</p><figure><img alt="First global analysis indicates leopards have lost nearly 75 percent of their historic range" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qmLBx7Ku2lEkV7EKHXGVUYrd40MGvMAIDKdFjndx0_GDAaK9WjBOvUc0BUOfYLJbKxGRd8pWsYoeAQS3bvT5YSpzcy3Eg0YskXg9Cbb0wZO54bXhMwMu11s14Hs0Vr3xaB2UvS4ktQu4/s1111/leopards-1.jpg" title="First global analysis indicates leopards have lost nearly 75 percent of their historic range" /><figcaption><em><b>A leopard pauses in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa, deciding between pursuing impala or warthog </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Rebecca Schoonover]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The research found that leopards historically occupied a vast range of approximately 35 million square kilometers (13.5 million square miles) throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Today, however, they are restricted to approximately 8.5 million square kilometers (3.3 million square miles).</p><p>To obtain their findings, the scientists spent three years reviewing more than 1,300 sources on the leopard's historic and current range. The results appear to confirm conservationists' suspicions that, while the entire species is not yet as threatened as some other big cats, leopards are facing a multitude of growing threats in the wild, and three subspecies have already been almost completely eradicated.</p><p>Lead author Andrew Jacobson, of ZSL's Institute of Zoology, University College London and the National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative, stated: "The leopard is a famously elusive animal, which is likely why it has taken so long to recognize its global decline. This study represents the first of its kind to assess the status of the leopard across the globe and all nine subspecies. Our results challenge the conventional assumption in many areas that leopards remain relatively abundant and not seriously threatened."</p><p>In addition, the research found that while African leopards face considerable threats, particularly in North and West Africa, leopards have also almost completely disappeared from several regions across Asia, including much of the Arabian Peninsula and vast areas of former range in China and Southeast Asia. The amount of habitat in each of these regions is plummeting, having declined by nearly 98 percent.</p><p>"Leopards' secretive nature, coupled with the occasional, brazen appearance of individual animals within megacities like Mumbai and Johannesburg, perpetuates the misconception that these big cats continue to thrive in the wild—when actually our study underlies the fact that they are increasingly threatened," said Luke Dollar, co-author and program director of the National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative.</p><p>Philipp Henschel, co-author and Lion Program survey coordinator for Panthera, stated: "A severe blind spot has existed in the conservation of the leopard. In just the last 12 months, Panthera has discovered the status of the leopard in Southeast Asia is as perilous as the highly endangered tiger." Henschel continued: "The international conservation community must double down in support of initiatives — protecting the species. Our next steps in this very moment will determine the leopard's fate."</p><p>Co-author Peter Gerngross, with the Vienna, Austria-based mapping firm BIOGEOMAPS, added: "We began by creating the most detailed reconstruction of the leopard's historic range to date. This allowed us to compare detailed knowledge on its current distribution with where the leopard used to be and thereby calculate the most accurate estimates of range loss. This research represents a major advancement for leopard science and conservation."</p><p>Leopards are capable of surviving in human-dominated landscapes provided they have sufficient cover, access to wild prey and tolerance from local people. In many areas, however, habitat is converted to farmland and native herbivores are replaced with livestock for growing human populations. This habitat loss, prey decline, conflict with livestock owners, illegal trade in leopard skins and parts and legal trophy hunting are all factors contributing to leopard decline.</p><p>Complicating conservation efforts for the leopard, Jacobson noted: "Our work underscores the pressing need to focus more research on the less studied subspecies, three of which have been the subject of fewer than five published papers during the last 15 years. Of these subspecies, one—the Javan leopard (P. p. melas)—is currently classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, while another—the Sri Lankan leopard (P. p. kotiya)—is classified as endangered, highlighting the urgent need to understand what can be done to arrest these worrying declines."</p><p>Despite this troubling picture, some areas of the world inspire hope. Even with historic declines in the Caucasus Mountains and the Russian Far East/Northeast China, leopard populations in these areas appear to have stabilized and may even be rebounding with significant conservation investment through the establishment of protected areas and increased anti-poaching measures.</p><p>"Leopards have a broad diet and are remarkably adaptable," said Joseph Lemeris Jr., a National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative researcher and paper co-author. "Sometimes the elimination of active persecution by government or local communities is enough to jumpstart leopard recovery. However, with many populations ranging across international boundaries, political cooperation is critical."</p><p><em><b>Source: PeerJ [May 03, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-39144722190533700562022-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:002022-05-09T07:00:00.190-07:00Forensics: Slavery carried bilharzia parasites from West Africa to the Caribbean<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists used the full DNA sequences of Schistosoma mansoni parasites from Africa and the French Caribbean to discover the fluke's origins, map its historic transmission and identify the secrets of its success. Their findings, published in <em><b>Scientific Reports</b></em>, show how the global slave trade transported the disease from Senegal and Cameroon to Guadeloupe. Further genomic comparison with a closely related schistosome species that infects rodents reveals how the parasite has adapted to infecting human beings.</p><figure><img alt="Slavery carried bilharzia parasites from West Africa to the Caribbean" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweU5O_ObczYIqv9g2G7zYxZBtYt70RN9bZMYj2Krd7YNI3yxJ7VDlxLD9I9njvYuzF6eJV0nuDR7OAl-EbN45H4PlZ_-KkCsz6IWnsg2LOcCjxwmnpm2_2MYWuiRLz_HTvY9eRZPrevY/s1111/slavery-1.jpg" title="Slavery carried bilharzia parasites from West Africa to the Caribbean" /><figcaption><em><b>The bilharzia-causing parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, first infected humans as they fished</b></em><br /><em><b> in lakes in East Africa and was spread, first to West Africa and then to the New World, </b></em><br /><em><b>by slave traders in 16th-19th Centuries, genomics reveals </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Schistosoma mansoni is a blood fluke (flatworm) that infects more than 250 million people worldwide and causes more than 11,000 deaths each year. Six years ago the Sanger Institute published the parasite's first full DNA sequence (genome); this latest study used that 'genetic map' to construct and compare the genomes of S. mansoni parasites gathered from across Africa and the New World, the majority of which were held at the Schistosomiasis Collection in the Natural History Museum, London.</p><p>By analysing the differences between the human-infecting S. mansoni and its close relative, the rodent-infecting S. rodhaini, the scientists calculated that the two species evolved from a common ancestor approximately 107,000 to 148,000 years ago in East Africa. This finding suggests that the species is much 'younger' than previously thought.</p><p>"The timing of the separation of the two species coincidences with the first archaeological evidence of fishing in Africa," explains Thomas Crellen, first author of the study from Imperial College London, the Sanger Institute and the Royal Veterinary College London. "The parasite develops in freshwater and infects people by burrowing through their skin. The introduction of fishing would have meant that people spent more time in the water, greatly increasing their chances of being infected."</p><p>Analysing the differences between genomes from different locations also revealed the darker side of human history.</p><p>"Comparing the S. mansoni genomes suggests that flukes in West Africa split from their Caribbean counterparts at some point between 1117AD and 1742AD, which overlaps with the time of the 16th-19th Century Atlantic Slave Trade," says Professor Joanne Webster from Imperial College London and the Royal Veterinary College. "During this period more than 22,000 African people were transported from West Africa to Guadeloupe by French slave ships, and the fluke was carried with them."</p><p>Comparing the genomes of S. mansoni with S. rodhaini also revealed the genetic variations that have been positively selected over time in the human-infecting fluke and have been "fixed" into its DNA. It is likely that these variations are the evolutionary adaptations that have occurred to enable the fluke to successfully tunnel into, and thrive within, human beings.</p><p>"When we looked for the differences between human-infecting S. mansoni DNA and its rodent infecting cousin S. rodhaini, we found two important variations. We found that changes to two genes in S. mansoni's DNA -- VAL21 and an elastase gene -appear to be important in allowing the fluke to enter and live in humans," says Dr James Cotton, senior author of the study from the Sanger Institute. "VAL genes produce proteins that cause allergic responses, so it is possible that the variation in VAL21 helps the fluke to hide from our immune systems. The elastase gene helps the parasite to burrow in to the body, by breaking down elastin -- a major component of human skin."</p><p>It is hoped that exploring the genetic makeup of the fluke it will be possible to discover more about the processes the parasite relies on to infect humans and offer new opportunities to develop preventive and therapeutic interventions.</p><p><em><b>Source: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute [February 17, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-29086383226152371492022-05-08T12:00:00.001-07:002022-05-08T12:00:00.177-07:00Great Legacy: First Chinese imperial firearm ever to appear at auction sells for US$2.5 million<a name='more'></a><p>The first Chinese firearm with an imperial reign mark ever to be offered at auction sold for 1.985 million pounds (US$2.5 million), the auction house >Sotheby's London announced in a statement on Wednesday.</p><figure><img alt="First Chinese imperial firearm ever to appear at auction sells for US$2.5 million" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg3UTiICHwN2GGzt5BVUnkoC6mlOlSy9eimW2Plr56HJUaarLLDjltJm_QfGPiMTaeUDJB3tGTrH1t0t7_K6AjZfl6cnM5bhpDZSHGDEsEOVggLCf1UsmQIKRaeYnJBpCmc6nBrRPGtSH/s1111/china_gun01.jpg" title="First Chinese imperial firearm ever to appear at auction sells for US$2.5 million" /><figcaption><em><b>The musket bears not only the imperial reign mark on top of the barrel, but in addition, incised on the breech of </b></em><br /><em><b>the barrel, are four Chinese characters which denote the gun’s peerless ranking – the exceptional grading </b></em><br /><em><b>te deng di yi, ‘Supreme Grade, Number One’ [Credit: Sotheby's]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The gun -- a brilliantly designed and exquisitely crafted musket, produced in imperial workshops -- was created for the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty, arguably the greatest collector and patron of the arts in Chinese history.</p><p>Estimated at 1 million to 1.5 million pounds (1.33 million to 1.99 million dollars), the firearm ignited a 10-minute bidding battle before finally selling to an Asian private collector.</p><p>"This gun ranks as one of the most significant Chinese treasures ever to come to auction. Today's result will be remembered alongside landmark sales of other extraordinary objects that epitomize the pinnacle of imperial craftsmanship during the Qing dynasty," said Robert Bradlow, senior director of Chinese Works of Art, Sotheby's London in a statement to Xinhua.</p><p>"Over the last 10 years we've seen the market for historical Chinese works of art go from strength to strength, with collectors drawn from across the globe and exceptional prices achieved whether the sale is staged in London, Hong Kong or New York," he added.</p><figure><img alt="First Chinese imperial firearm ever to appear at auction sells for US$2.5 million" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIh-gQ1j8a35XdI5U4cBYpfxCxJM_6Fl9xd7GFelvXx9ao1wkbfUu369YGMLfMumrlNm-IIS4l3cyQnn3M8nFvkJBWsTEE-CL5chDOhtgULR-yiD-hLDPkEwMmDaWkAlao5P3VaS7s0a0X/s1111/china_gun02.jpg" title="First Chinese imperial firearm ever to appear at auction sells for US$2.5 million" /><figcaption><em><b>Supreme Number One imperial musket on its original tripod [Credit: Sotheby's]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The musket bears not only the imperial reign mark on top of its barrel, but in addition, incised on the breech of the barrel are four Chinese characters which denote the gun's peerless ranking -- "Supreme Grade, Number One." This exceptional grading makes it unique amongst the known extant guns from imperial workshops, and asserts its status as one of the most important firearms produced for Emperor Qianlong.</p><p>According to Sotheby's London, the advent of Western firearm technology sparked the production of muskets in imperial workshops, and this modern mode of weaponry had unquestionable advantages over the traditional bow and arrow for hunting.</p><p>Using only the most luxurious materials, imperial muskets were created in very small numbers for Emperor Qianlong. While the Emperor is unlikely ever to have held a gun in battle, he would regularly hunt with a musket.</p><p>The auction house said the Supreme Number One is closely related to six celebrated, named imperial Qianlong muskets in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, which appear to correspond with seven muskets listed in the Qing work, Collected Statutes of the Qing Dynasty with Illustrations. These guns were probably graded in the same way as the Supreme Number One, but with lower grade and/or number ("Supreme Grade, Number Two", "Top Grade, Number 2").</p><p>Revered as one of the most powerful "Sons of Heaven," Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) was the longest-lived and de-facto longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history (1736-1795).</p><p><em><b>Source: Xinhua [November 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-85985054547558709822022-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:002022-05-07T15:00:00.191-07:00India: Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures<a name='more'></a><p>A long-running smuggling scandal involving temple looters in India and a high-profile New York art dealer has widened after an independent review found that the National Gallery of Australia may have been among the prestigious art galleries duped by false documentation.</p><figure><img alt="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDxLLZ0HK6ydLCJjQSZYliswEmV4c2VhuD58Yr_PHL4juiK5nI9rbtm41BdCGlplL_EVfl97X1GMOuYQ0_Mlm4HM7mV3iRTzXJ2SsbBKwlFaHgDKYy7KrHMKO02l19_6D7jAcIxbFcDg/s1111/Australia_01.jpg" title="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" /><figcaption><em><b>Worshippers of the Buddha, 3rd century Andhra Pradesh limestone sculpture bought</b></em><br /><em><b> by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) from Art of the Past in 2005 for US$595,000. </b></em><br /><em><b>Its provenance is now described as "highly problematic" [Credit: NGA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Canberra-based gallery, which is Australia's leading cultural institution, said in mid-February that it had identified 22 objects with suspect origins in its Asian art collection, including 14 works bought from former New York-based dealer Subhash Kapoor for $11 million.</p><p>Kapoor is in custody in Chennai, India, awaiting trial on art theft charges following his arrest in Germany in October 2011 and extradition to India in mid-2012.</p><p>The Canberra gallery said an independent review of its Asian art provenance project by a former High Court judge, Susan Crennan, found the 22 objects had "insufficient or questionable" documentation of their provenance.</p><p>One of the objects, a 900-year-old Chola-era bronze statue entitled "Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Nataraja)" has already been returned to India. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott handed it over to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014, along with a stone statue of Ardhanariswara (Shiva in half-female form), dating from around 1100. That statue was in the collection of another leading Australian gallery, the Sydney-based Art Gallery of New South Wales.</p><p>Both of these Hindu art treasures allegedly were stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu in southern India and shipped to Kapoor.</p><p>The Canberral gallery bought the Shiva Nataraja from Kapoor's Art of the Past gallery on Madison Avenue in New York in 2008 for $5.1 million, while the New South Wales gallery paid Kapoor 300,000 Australian dollars ($220,800) in 2004 for the Ardhanariswara. The provenance documents he provided now appear to be fraudulent, according to Crennan's report. "There is evidence that the object (the Shiva Nataraja) was stolen from an identified temple in Tamil Nadu ... and that it left India in late 2006 and was given a false ownership history," she wrote. Kapoor is alleged to have masterminded the theft of 28 bronzes from two temples in Tamil Nadu in 2006 and 2008, and their illegal export to the U.S., according to the Economic Offences Wing of the Tamil Nadu police. U.S. authorities have seized $100 million worth of antiquities from Kapoor's gallery and an associated business, Nimbus Import Export, and Kapoor may face U.S. charges after his Chennai trial. Delhi-born Kapoor, 66, moved to the U.S. in 1974 and is a U.S. citizen.</p><figure><img alt="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIqK3IZ5sIQinQ5Qqu-ji_GJjRdtSMKAoRgylSr5ur0F9iwBu4zf_lClUKPZXn9adPqp-kimXbNaToUDf7suzJDQMg4pGV204ZUB5_CjdwxIvy7V9sEKKNxW7Aji7M_ZsqPXeKCfSYKk/s1111/Australia_02.jpg" title="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" /><figcaption><em><b>The Dancing Child-Saint Sambandar, 12th century Chola era bronze sculpture </b></em><br /><em><b>bought by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) from Art of the </b></em><br /><em><b>Past in 2005 for US$765,000 [Credit: NGA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The two Australian galleries are not the only major institutions to have made purchases from Kapoor; galleries in Singapore, Germany, the U.S. and Canada have returned art objects to India over the past year.</p><p>A private New York collector surrendered a $1 million bronze to U.S. authorities in mid-2015 after it was identified as stolen. It has also become clear that many major U.S. institutions dealt with Kapoor, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio and the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington DC.</p><p>Crennan's independent report on the Canberra gallery's Asian Art Provenance project, published on Feb. 17, covers 36 objects acquired between 1968 and 2013, including the 14 bought from Kapoor between 2002 and 2011.</p><p>Crennan found that only 12 of the 36 had satisfactory provenance, while two others needed further research and the remaining 22 had insufficient or questionable provenance documentation. The gallery aims eventually to publish the provenance of all 5,000 objects in its Asian art collection.</p><p>Aside from the Kapoor purchases, the 36 objects whose documentation was reviewed by Crennan included a red sandstone sculpture, the "Seated Buddha," which the gallery bought from Nancy Wiener Galleries in New York for $1,080,000 in 2007. Last year, after discussions about how the Kushan-period sculpture -- created between 200 BC and 400 AD -- was exported from India, Wiener agreed to refund the purchase price to the Canberra gallery and undertook to return the sculpture to India in 2016.</p><p><b>"Exemplary collaboration"</b></p><p>India's High Commissioner in Australia, Navdeep Suri, praised the Canberra gallery's actions, saying its collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India to determine the provenance of the "Seated Buddha" was "truly exemplary." He said the Australian gallery had set an example for other countries and institutions to follow in the restitution of stolen artworks to their countries of origin.</p><figure><img alt="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mmNT9IluyMl722xlfP-53ocRB28AFyAvFRrPRiC8TwVb4d79glz1u5H1mF79-Zq6I7pqgyiAJD-eMlYTiBCm1pLGQ_tQAZGVTNK25Xw85w55CEO1Q_UK1g8eA9f9jAaq-WndXLWWRx8/s1111/Australia_03.jpg" title="Australian gallery identifies looted Indian treasures" /><figcaption><em><b>The Goddess Pratyangira, 12th century Chola era stone sculpture bought by</b></em><br /><em><b> the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) from Art of the Past in 2005 </b></em><br /><em><b>for US$247,500 [Credit: NGA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Canberra gallery bought the "Seated Buddha" with assistance from gallery benefactor Roslyn Packer, widow of the late media tycoon Kerry Packer. Roslyn Packer also helped the gallery to buy an 800-year-old sculpture, the "Sacred Bull Nandi, Vehicle of Shiva," for A$655,000 from another New York art dealer, Carlton Rochell, in 2009. This sculpture's provenance is also under a cloud; Crennan's report described it as "problematic" and needing further research.</p><p>In a September 2014 statement to mark Abbott's return of the two statues to India, the Canberra gallery said it "would never knowingly purchase a stolen or looted item." It said the gallery had undertaken lengthy, comprehensive and independent research before it bought the Shiva Nataraja from Kapoor in 2008. "Despite these efforts, court proceedings may yet confirm that the gallery has been a victim of a most audacious fraud," said the then director of the gallery, Ron Radford. Radford retired the same month, after 10 years as director.</p><p>The search for the Hindu statues stolen from two temples in Tamil Nadu in 2006 and 2008 was aided by photographic evidence from the archives of the French Institute of Pondicherry. The institute, established in what was once the French colony of Pondicherry, about 200km south of Chennai, had a collection of photographs of items in various temples in the region. These were matched against catalogue pictures of items being offered for sale by Kapoor in New York. Kapoor's Art of the Past gallery manager Aaron Freedman pleaded guilty in the U.S. in December 2013 to one count of criminal conspiracy and five counts of possession of stolen property. He is now helping U.S. federal authorities with their inquiries. Another New York associate, Selina Mohamed, was charged in December 2013 with possession of stolen property. She subsequently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy and in March 2015 was given a one year conditional release.</p><p>The arrests were part of Operation Hidden Idol, run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Homeland Security Investigations' cultural property unit, which focused on Kapoor's activities.</p><p>The Kapoor case evokes parallels with an art looting saga from the 1970s involving a temple north-east of Cambodia's famed Angkor complex. Between 2013 and 2015, six 10th century sandstone statues that were stolen from the Koh Ker temple during the Cambodian civil war were returned to Cambodia from the U.S. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York returned two of these statues in 2013 after it said new information had come to light that was not available when the statues were donated to the museum between 1987 and 1992.</p><p>In 2014, three items portraying characters from the Mahabharata, an epic Sanskrit poem of ancient India, were returned by the U.S., including a statue of Duryodhana that was first auctioned in London in 1975. The statue was due to be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York in March 2011 before action by Unesco, the United Nations cultural organization, stopped the sale on Cambodia's behalf.</p><p>Another statue, of the character Bhima, was returned by California's Norton Simon museum and a third, representing the character Pandava, was returned by Christie's auction house in 2014. Last year, the Cleveland Museum of Art said it would return a statue of Hanuman, a Hindu god, that it acquired in 1982.</p><p><em><b>Author: Geoff Hiscock | Source: Nikkei Asian Review [March 04, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-32039370421838573822022-05-07T11:00:00.000-07:002022-05-07T11:00:00.176-07:00Mexico: Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum<a name='more'></a><p>An 800-year-old Mexican skull decorated with turquoise mosaic, for decades believed to have been a masterpiece of Mixtec indigenous art is a forgery, a Dutch museum and media said Saturday.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQYI4qPfhW9T3kSD9Hrjn3ylVwPZRce5nMCz6jtdZhWl5UI-yhDk2_S5WJ4pOXbfdUeKMK2x5ezQgbl1LGtmZKZuWx-SNm85-ObK1_VvM-Vs-rU5ETjCR_E4ppWn71NGY5p47WhMjxcX8/s1111/skull-1.jpg" title="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" /><figcaption><em><b>Mixtec skull mosaic at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: National Museum of Ethnology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>>The National Museum of Ethnology in the western university city of Leiden made the shock discovery after an intensive four-year study on the skull, one of only around 20 in existence world-wide.</p><p>"Radiometric dating showed the skull and the turquoise are from the correct time period and origin and are authentic," the museum said on its website.</p><p>"But alas: further investigation showed a 20th-century glue was used (to mount the mosaic)," the museum said.</p><p>The teeth are also false "as it was too well preserved for a skull that lay underground for centuries," Dutch daily Trouw reported.</p><figure><img alt="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8D972-qCEIqJX_I_vaWcVyyxcswU-M49iKEw3E9vUJVyYaPSGVP49gEjJ9voTMN55R_ZOvYTcHxDOXu1a0loyYE7ukoBkJDbgmS3dmNYAuO_HcTT-8_FVKuFQJJJ6N3GrL_lmhnwNmvF/s1111/skull-4.jpg" title="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" /><figcaption><em><b>Experts examine the skull</b></em><em><b> [Credit: National Museum of Ethnology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The museum bought the piece in 1963 for the equivalent of around $20,000 (19,000 euros) and was seen as a striking example of ancient Mesoamerican art.</p><p>An investigation into possible skull-duggery was launched after the museum's conservator Martin Berger received a telephone call back in 2010 from a French colleague in Marseille, Trouw said.</p><p>The colleague told Berger they received a similar skull from a private collection and that person who donated the art had doubts about its authenticity.</p><p>Berger and his colleagues travelled to a Paris-based laboratory where the Dutch-owned skull was analysed and where "we realised that ours was also a bit more 'modern' than we thought".</p><figure><img alt="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHa_C2xMk3lk4GYDidOi73sKnXync-FmYRN7J0TusMB_kFQR7ynT8cbW6o0Z18rSwgSddFZrIu1jlTGdz7ioW-0rLaRTO4OtL1snyv1ezQnOw4r_-18cyVu2tOldga3AefnQdXpHFc9Bt/s1111/skull-3.jpg" title="Ancient Mixtec skull declared a forgery: Dutch museum" /><figcaption><em><b>Scraping the teeth for isotope analysis</b></em><em><b> [Credit: National Museum of Ethnology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Berger told the paper he suspected the fake was mounted by a Mexican dentist back in the 1940s or 1950s, when Mexican archeological sites were subjected to large-scale plunder and dealing in artworks like those of the Mixtecs was a lucrative business.</p><p>Asked whether he was disappointed by the revelation, Berger told the newspaper: "No.<em><b> </b></em>In actual fact it's given us a bizarre story and that's exactly what museums want to do, to tell stories. It remains as one of our masterpieces -- except, we've changed the information on the sign board."</p><p>In any case, said Berger, the skull is only a "partial forgery".</p><p>"The skull as well as the turquoise are unique archaeological material. Only, the Mixtecs themselves didn't do the glueing," he said.</p><p>Similar Central American crystal skulls housed in museums in Paris, London and Washington, D.C. believed to have been pre-Colombian, were revealed to be fake in a scientific study published in 2008.</p><p><em><b>Source: AFP [November 26, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-64423975829298217042022-05-07T04:30:00.000-07:002022-05-07T04:30:00.177-07:00Mexico: Expedition will sample crater left by dinosaur-killing asteroid<a name='more'></a><p>An international research team is formalizing plans to drill nearly 5,000 feet below the seabed to take core samples from the crater of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.</p><figure><img alt="Expedition will sample crater left by dinosaur-killing asteroid" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHWn7xA1VZWvrlqB9jfQy_bPPXlpvjOg_7OY5_ZV2AIyi8Hb7zHdUrUCZnJeZWnK14v-vEjULV5tyy_xtLzKeWPzlr1u2sq6xlCQlJzD4bZLPp_3PLbihIgxyaevhK_MS3XGY6jcAb9YT/s1111/dino-crater_01.jpg" title="Expedition will sample crater left by dinosaur-killing asteroid" /><figcaption><em><b>Artist's impression of the Chicxulub asteroid impacting the </b></em><br /><em><b>Yucatan Peninsula as pterodactyls fly in the sky above. </b></em><br /><em><b>Painting by Donald E. Davis [Credit: NASA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The group met last week in Merida, Mexico, a city within the nearly 125-mile-wide impact site, to explain the research plans and put out a call for scientists to join the expedition planned for spring 2016. The roughly $10 million in funding for the expedition has been approved and scheduled by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) — part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) — and the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP).</p><p>Dinosaurs and other reptiles ruled the planet for 135 million years. That all changed 65.5 million years ago when a 9-mile-wide asteroid slammed into the Earth, triggering a series of apocalyptic events that killed most large animals and plants, and wiped out the dinosaurs and large marine reptiles. The event set the stage for mammals — and eventually humans — to take over. Yet, we have few geologic samples of the now buried impact crater.</p><p>Sean Gulick, a researcher at The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), and a team of scientists from the U.K. and Mexico are working to change that. The team is planning to take the first offshore core samples from near the center of the impact crater, which is called Chicxulub after the seaside village on the Yucatán Peninsula near the crater’s center.</p><p>The team, led by Gulick and Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, will be sampling the crater’s “peak ring” — an enigmatic ring of topographically elevated rocks that surrounds the crater’s center, rises above its floor and has been buried during the past 65.5 million years by sediments.</p><figure><img alt="Expedition will sample crater left by dinosaur-killing asteroid" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_0lWp6DZMWmDDSgSjGfd5y5AGgdmc4RYQKWSBsBhwojl6TBa8h_dQAw8tN95kpmkzGo9TsiCheIooUGCasIhS0yyYAVX3OvlICgwz2G6n7QqKY5Mjz1GhF82Jb4sczcXOguoyL_jgTZw/s1111/dino-crater_02.jpg" title="Expedition will sample crater left by dinosaur-killing asteroid" /><figcaption><em><b>The Chicxulub crater has been filled in by sediments over the millions </b></em><br /><em><b>of years since impact. Using a gravity map, the crater's topological features</b></em><br /><em><b> can be visualized. The red and yellow are gravity highs, and green and blue</b></em><br /><em><b> are gravity lows. The white dots indicate a network of sinkholes</b></em><br /><em><b> called "cenotes,"which were formed as a result </b></em><br /><em><b>of the impact [Credit: NASA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A peak ring is a feature that is present in all craters caused by large impacts on rocky planetoids. By sampling the Chicxulub peak ring and analyzing its key features, researchers hope to uncover the impact details that set in motion one of the planet’s most profound extinctions, while also shedding light on the mechanisms of large impacts on Earth and on other rocky planets.</p><p>“What are the peaks made of? And what can they tell us about the fundamental processes of impacts, which is this dominant planetary resurfacing phenomena?” said Gulick, who is also a research associate professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences. UTIG is a research unit of the Jackson School.</p><p>The researchers are also interested in examining traces of life that may have lived inside the peak ring’s rocks. Density readings of the rocks indicate that they probably are heavily broken and porous — features that may have served as protected microenvironments for exotic life that could have thrived in the hot, chemically enriched environment of the crater site after impact. Additionally, the earliest recovery of marine life should be recorded within the sediments that filled in the crater in the millions of years after the impact.</p><p>“The sediments that filled in the [crater] should have the record for organisms living on the sea floor and in the water that were there for the first recovery after the mass extinction event,” Gulick said. “The hope is we can watch life come back.”</p><p>The expedition will last for two months and involve penetrating nearly 5,000 feet beneath the seabed from an offshore platform. The core will be the first complete sample of the rock layers from near the crater’s center.</p><p>Once extracted, the core will be shipped to Germany and split in two. Half will be immediately analyzed by an international team of scientists from the U.S., U.K., Mexico and other nations, and half will be saved at a core repository at Texas A&M University for future research needs by the international community.</p><p>The team also includes researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán (CICY). Scientists interested in joining the mission must apply by May 8, 2015. For more information on the mission and the application process, see the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling’s call for applications.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Texas at Austin [April 06, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-19109546887362207242022-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:002022-05-06T09:00:00.177-07:00Near East: Egypt receives 3,200-year-old relief from UK<a name='more'></a><p>The Antiquities Ministry announced Sunday it received an ancient Egyptian wall relief that was repatriated in October by Egypt’s embassy in London.</p><figure><img alt="Egypt receives 3,200 year-old relief from UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNJBThSM6BQEmVFTtCySAxSilTOcZgy1iiJuulQ0B3yPQD6t95KbVO0UkcwyXDaIfaTUnFNYGI6UsbpMeWZXKBAQOXjER7xZUfJ8XMUj-DNbT1doYEhqPfBh8fPWqy9Rs3TPLHnGcIRIM/s1111/Egypt_01.jpg" title="Egypt receives 3,200 year-old relief from UK" /><figcaption><em><b>The painted limestone wall relief repatriated from UK shows Pharaoh Seti I </b></em><br /><em><b>receives offerings from Goddess Hathor and mummification God Anubis </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Egypt Antiquities Ministry]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The painted limestone wall relief was delivered to the Egyptian embassy in London after its owner, who bought it from a British antiquities collector, learnt it had been stolen and smuggled out of Egypt, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al Damaty said in a statement Sunday.</p><p>The artifact dates back to the reign of the 19th Dynasty Pharaoh Seti I (1290 B.C. – 1279 B.C.) Damaty said, adding that it will be displayed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.</p><p>It measure approximately 43cm (17.2 inches) by 67 cm with carvings representing Pharaoh Seti I making offerings before Anubis, the mummification God and Hathor, ancient Egyptian motherhood Goddess, he added.</p><p>Originally located in an ancient Egyptian temple in Upper Egypt’s governorate of Asyut, the limestone relief was smuggled out of Egypt in 1970, the foreign ministry said in a statement last week.</p><p>Egypt’s political turmoil has led to a security lapse at archaeological sites and storerooms and museums nationwide, leaving Egypt’s treasures vulnerable to looting. The Egyptian museum and Malawi museum are among the sites that have been affected.</p><p>During the past four years, Egypt has recovered over 1,600 artifacts and is currently working on other cases in many European countries, Ministry of Antiquities Museums Sector head Ahmed Sharaf previously told The Cairo Post.</p><p>“It is impossible to provide an accurate number of the artifacts that have been stolen since the January 25 Revolution,” he said.</p><p><em><b>Author: Rany Mostafa | Source: The Cairo Post [December 13, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-21439927553948409682022-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:002022-05-06T08:30:00.175-07:00UK: Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester<a name='more'></a><p>After uncovering a castle on a par with the Tower of London underneath the old prison in Gloucester, yet more artifacts have been dug up.</p><figure><img alt="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7M3iQStehK7lB86hcc7UjoKEbmphrdQPJXTr2X8uTVQdin3n2SX6lCqpKr5ro-3EFP8I23E2KDrKqbwxSQ-ww5XohMTgc2YvY1o1sxr0Y8IByldk5DgiCMapPkHCGZ5XYwam7fQRmWGrE/s1111/UK_Gloucester_04.jpg" title="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" /><figcaption><em><b>Mud, glorious mud! Rain and seeping river water hasn't stopped archaelologists </b></em><br /><em><b>who are working in a large trench off Quay Street, opposite the former prison,</b></em><br /><em><b> as they excavate the site of Gloucester's medieval Castle </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Andrew Higgins]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Since the castle was found in December work has been on-going at both the Castle site and around Blackfriars.</p><p>Archaeologists have dug a large trench off Quay Street as they explore for more finds both on the castle site and other sites in the city. At the castle further medieval structures have been found on the site.</p><p>Andrew Armstrong, archaeologist at Gloucester City Council, said: "From an archaeological point of view this is a hugely interesting and important part of the city.</p><p>"It includes the south-west corner of the Roman city of Glevum, the old Roman waterfront, the site of the Norman Castle (the 'Old Castle') which extends throughout the southern half of Bearland car park. It also holds the site of the medieval castle (the New Castle) which extends from the site of the old prison northwards into the Quayside area."</p><figure><img alt="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQn6vtBM_cNGsu0jyv2MoCeIFAga57xd6eDoJs433HjeWEXjVYtEpCw9zQSzJqTp7LWx6S1Yyz6UVIFFImWHl1mwvPesJOQKqYib-zZEUIMHyRr6hXa0RIQxASoq2H-w-Ny7N9-xQjhkax/s1111/UK_Gloucester_01.jpg" title="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" /><figcaption><em><b>A 200 year old wall, uncovered as archaelologists are working in a large trench </b></em><br /><em><b>off Quay Street, opposite the former prison, as they excavate the site </b></em><br /><em><b>of Gloucester's medieval Castle [Credit: Andrew Higgins]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>So far medieval pottery has been found on the site as well as oyster shells, work has been on-going at the site Monday, April 4.</p><p>Jon Eeles, amateur historian, said: "It is good news that this is being found and dug up but I don't want it flattened and built on. Tourists won't visit Gloucester to see a block of flats but they will visit to see historical remains."</p><p>Mr Eeles would is an advocate for keeping the artefacts visible to the public but still protected.</p><p>He added: "Bath got very badly bombed in the war, while Gloucester avoided much of it. Bath have managed to show off their history well despite the bombing, in Gloucester we have so much more history but have done a good job of hiding it."</p><figure><img alt="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLOytW6Ou8dJDL8YoT7KHoRzymxmiaIGnYjc4LSlZsOsdVyFzlZThgfWYEupCsYs97QhmXEojXh8nOZIbU9BAW3cGGemX2oP8cGcYb_pNLdJi2q5Tv90-Ks5oMWdXoF4mfiWtvd16Gig0/s1111/UK_Gloucester_03.jpg" title="Archaeologists search for Roman remains in Gloucester" /><figcaption><em><b>Medieval pottery and oyster shells found at the site </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: </b></em><em><b><em><b>Andrew Higgins</b></em>]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The archaeologists expect to find Roman town houses at the Quayside site.</p><p>Chris Chatterton, manager of the Soldiers of Gloucester museum, said: "This site is the perfect microcosm of the history in Gloucester which is so broad. Nowhere else in the county has the history that Gloucester does."</p><p>The work is taking place ahead of redevelopment plans of Gloucester around Quayside and Blackfriars. The area extends from Commercial Road in the south as far as Quay Street in the north.</p><p>Mr Chatterton added: "It is a genuinely fascinating process and I am very interested to see what they find during the dig. If it is anything magnificent, like the recent dig at the prison site was, it needs to be preserved and protected for people to see."</p><p><em><b>Author: Ellis Lane | Source: Gloucester Citizen [April 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-77115083658137835232022-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:002022-05-06T07:00:00.179-07:00Evolution: Life exploded on Earth after slow rise of oxygen<a name='more'></a><p>It took 100 million years for oxygen levels in the oceans and atmosphere to increase to the level that allowed the explosion of animal life on Earth about 600 million years ago, according to a UCL-led study funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.</p><figure><img alt="Life exploded on Earth after slow rise of oxygen" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXLHOrIBZ5A-uJws2ooYmFpqtbhS1yBhmCeBgl2_tjdrvqXGsfm7BIDkTyC3AZUdb3l5Gsnp4LxiGBBgcD13BdEy0EtR2GbcBb2rvR_kHaZ-QocJ2mpnTSYSt5UT3jvPR9VtxaeFnDKsr/s1111/Snowball_Earth_1.jpg" title="Life exploded on Earth after slow rise of oxygen" /><figcaption><em><b>Snowball Earth [Credit: UCL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Before now it was not known how quickly Earth's oceans and atmosphere became oxygenated and if animal life expanded before or after oxygen levels rose. The new study, published today in <em><b>Nature Communications</b></em>, shows the increase began significantly earlier than previously thought and occurred in fits and starts spread over a vast period. It is therefore likely that early animal evolution was kick-started by increased amounts of oxygen, rather than a change in animal behaviour leading to oxygenation.</p><p>Lead researcher, Dr Philip Pogge von Strandmann (UCL Earth Sciences), said: "We want to find out how the evolution of life links to the evolution of our climate. The question on how strongly life has actively modified Earth's climate, and why the Earth has been habitable for so long is extremely important for understanding both the climate system, and why life is on Earth in the first place."</p><p>Researchers from UCL, Birkbeck, Bristol University, University of Washington, University of Leeds, Utah State University and University of Southern Denmark tracked what was happening with oxygen levels globally 770 - 520 million years ago (Ma) using new tracers in rocks across the US, Canada and China.</p><p>Samples of rocks that were laid down under the sea at different times were taken from different locations to piece together the global picture of the oxygen levels of Earth's oceans and atmosphere. By measuring selenium isotopes in the rocks, the team revealed that it took 100 million years for the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere to climb from less than 1% to over 10% of today's current level. This was arguably the most significant oxygenation event in Earth history because it ushered in an age of animal life that continues to this day.</p><p>Dr Pogge von Strandmann, said: "We took a new approach by using selenium isotope tracers to analyse marine shales which gave us more information about the gradual changes in oxygen levels than is possible using the more conventional techniques used previously. We were surprised to see how long it took Earth to produce oxygen and our findings dispel theories that it was a quick process caused by a change in animal behaviour."</p><p>During the period studied, three big 'snowball Earth' glaciations - Sturtian (~716Ma), Marinoan (~635Ma) and Gaskiers (~580Ma) - occurred whereby the Earth's land was covered in ice and most of the oceans were frozen from the poles to the tropics. During these periods, temperatures plummeted and rose again, causing glacial melting and an influx of nutrients into the ocean, which researchers think caused oxygen levels to rise deep in the oceans.</p><p>Increased nutrients means more ocean plankton, which will bury organic carbon in seafloor sediments when they die. Burying carbon results in oxygen increasing, dramatically changing conditions on Earth. Until now, oxygenation was thought to have occurred after the relatively small Gaskiers glaciation melted. The findings from this study pushes it much earlier, to the Marinoan glaciation, after which animals began to flourish in the improved conditions, leading to the first big expansion of animal life.</p><p>Co-author Prof. David Catling (University of Washington Earth and Space Sciences), added: "Oxygen was like a slow fuse to the explosion of animal life. Around 635 Ma, enough oxygen probably existed to support tiny sponges. Then, after 580 Ma, strange creatures shaped like pizzas lived on a lightly oxygenated seafloor. Fifty million years later, vertebrate ancestors were gliding through oxygen-rich seawater. Tracking how oxygen increased is the first step towards understanding why it took so long. Ultimately, a grasp of geologic controls on oxygen levels can help us understand whether animal-like life might exist or not on Earth-like planets elsewhere."</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [December 17, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-13522604631498938002022-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:002022-05-05T08:00:00.176-07:00Iraq: IS militants bulldoze Assyrian city of Nimrud<a name='more'></a><p>Islamic State fighters have looted and bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, the Iraqi government said, in their latest assault on some of the world's greatest archaeological and cultural treasures.</p><figure><img alt="IS militants bulldoze Assyrian city of Nimrud" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik16kzSKdHBYLDxiy3S3IUqH7-scVF94xRB00oLqoX-4YZZF81t5JKiCgRWz7Hur5Jxjz1wpuSc3TLWHOnLhp6b2I5RI-6dA6nuztbqaNWPKSz02NKt6MTS5ZhsZyJmjIoh7-VSpjr16dI/s1111/Nimrud_05b.jpg" title="IS militants bulldoze Assyrian city of Nimrud" /><figcaption><em><b>ISIS militants reportedly smashed winged-bull statues at the Iraqi archaeological site</b></em><br /><em><b> of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud on March 5, 2015. These statues known as</b></em><br /><em><b> lamassu were placed at the gates of Assyrian palaces as protective spirits</b></em><br /><em><b> [Credit: Getty Images]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A tribal source from the nearby city of Mosul told Reuters the radical Sunni Islamists, who dismiss Iraq's pre-Islamic heritage as idolatrous, had pillaged the 3,000-year-old site on the banks of the Tigris River.</p><p>The assault against Nimrud came just a week after the release of a video showing Islamic State forces smashing museum statues and carvings in Mosul, the city they seized along with much of northern Iraq last June.</p><p>"Daesh terrorist gangs continue to defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity," Iraq's tourism and antiquities ministry said, referring to Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.</p><p>"In a new crime in their series of reckless offences they assaulted the ancient city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy machinery, appropriating the archaeological attractions dating back 13 centuries BC," it said.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FqIadf9e848?rel=0"></iframe><br />Nimrud, about 20 miles (30 km) south of Mosul, was built around 1250 BC. Four centuries later it became capital of the neo-Assyrian empire - at the time the most powerful state on Earth, extending to modern-day Egypt, Turkey and Iran.</p><p>Many of its most famous surviving monuments were removed years ago by archaeologists, including colossal Winged Bulls which are now in London's British Museum and hundreds of precious stones and pieces of gold which were moved to Baghdad.</p><p>But ruins of the ancient city remain at the northern Iraqi site, which has been excavated by a series of experts since the 19th century. British archaeologist Max Mallowan and his wife, crime writer Agatha Christie, worked at Nimrud in the 1950s.</p><p>U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was deeply disturbed by the destruction at Nimrud.</p><p>"This crude attempt to erase the heritage of an ancient civilization will ultimately fail. No terrorist can rewrite history," he said in a statement.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ScwWFQTaDFg?rel=0"></iframe><br />A local tribal source confirmed the attack had taken place.</p><p>"Islamic State members came to the Nimrud archaeological city and looted the valuables in it and then they proceeded to level the site to the ground," the source told Reuters.</p><p>"There used to be statues and walls as well as a castle that Islamic State has destroyed completely."</p><p>Archaeologists have compared the assault on Iraq's cultural history to the Taliban's destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas in 2001. But the damage wreaked by Islamic State, not just on ancient monuments but also on rival Muslim places of worship, has been swift, relentless and more wide-ranging.</p><p>Last week's video showed them toppling statues and carvings from plinths in the Mosul museum and smashing them with sledgehammers and drills. It also showed damage to a huge statue of a bull at the Nergal Gate into the city of Nineveh.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5VCldg1TdHc?rel=0"></iframe><br />Archaeologists said it was hard to quantify the damage, because some items appeared to be replicas, but many priceless articles had been destroyed including artifacts from Hatra, a stunning pillared city in northern Iraq dating back 2,000 years.</p><p>Islamic State, which rules a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, promotes a fiercely purist interpretation of Sunni Islam which seeks its inspiration from early Islamic history. It rejects religious shrines of any sort and condemns Iraq's majority Shi'ite Muslims as heretics.</p><p>In July it destroyed the tomb of the prophet Jonah in Mosul. It has also attacked Shi'ite places of worship and last year gave Mosul's Christians an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious levy or face death by the sword. It has also targeted the Yazidi minority in the Sinjar mountains west of Mosul.</p><p><em><b>Author: Dominic Evans and Saif Hameed | Source: Reuters [March 06, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-42072640021759392662022-05-05T07:30:00.001-07:002022-05-05T07:30:00.181-07:00Great Legacy: 'Eternal Sites: From Bamiyan to Palmyra' at the Grand Palais, Paris<a name='more'></a><p>Palmyra may just have fallen yet again to the Islamic State group, but a new "immersive" 3D show in Paris lets you walk through the Syrian city's classical colonnades as they were before the jihadists blew them to bits.</p><figure><img alt="'Eternal Sites: From Bamiyan to Palmyra' at the Grand Palais, Paris" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7UvFYh3nJCPTqY-0-_Rdn_6XKskgmhfpWlh9qdN0lMYCSqkLrLo2iqiJsfwiVNBPguxbTYt6LoRjLi42eRNnc_sAG_CTqdIgTRune9o4v2fGNkJLFHhhvYzPwmy64cgvw8EZ2UduLHuA/s1111/eternal-sites01.jpg" title="'Eternal Sites: From Bamiyan to Palmyra' at the Grand Palais, Paris" /></figure><p>The "Eternal Sites" exhibition uses high-definition images often shot by drones to allow the public to visit four of the most threatened heritage sites in the world in war-torn Syria and Iraq.</p><p>The eighth-century Umayyad Mosque in Damascus—regarded by many as the fourth holiest place in Islam—and the Krak des Chevaliers Crusader castle near the ravaged city of Homs have also been virtually recreated under the dome of the >Grand Palais in Paris.</p><p>The show, which has been organised with the nearby Louvre museum, is part of a global push to digitalise spectacular archaeological sites that are at risk.</p><p>The remains of the ancient Iraqi city of Khorsabad, which dates from the 7th century BC, has also been recreated using images captured by French company Iconem.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4WhhFXVAwI?rel=0"></iframe><br />Like the other three sites, the 3D images are matched with real artefacts from the city from the Louvre's collections.</p><p>The museum's director Jean-Luc Martinez, who curated the show, said that they wanted to "show sites that are no longer accessible and the beauty of their art."</p><p>Palmyra fell for a second time to the jihadists at the weekend despite heavy Russian bombing to prevent the extremists entering the city.</p><p><b>Temples razed</b></p><p>Islamic State fighters ravaged the Roman-era ruins during the 10 months it held the ancient oasis city from May 2015 to March 2016, systematically blowing up temples and columns in attacks that provoked worldwide outrage.</p><figure><img alt="'Eternal Sites: From Bamiyan to Palmyra' at the Grand Palais, Paris" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhFmy-fqU0KpjbB7PQJI40HyOyxoDw6rM4fPB3qa8NVMPCRqVOBV3rsnBPi3N1JY7frnEVuLUcw7_5P2rKgFlse969q8jKNxV2jnNm3j8N1c4_-_l2o2EslnIvKC75QU7RaqTc2aedt5V/s1111/eternal-sites02.png" title="'Eternal Sites: From Bamiyan to Palmyra' at the Grand Palais, Paris" /><figcaption><em><b>The temple of Bel in Palmyra, Syria today [Credit: © Iconem/DGaM]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Photogrammetric technology developed by Iconem has also been used to record the Roman theatre in the Syrian coastal city of Jableh and the Phoenician site in the ancient port of Ugarit, where evidence of the world's oldest alphabet was found.</p><p>Its technicians have also been working alongside 15 specialists from the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) to digitalise some of the country's major museum collections.</p><p>Hundreds of important heritage sites have been sacked or destroyed during the five-year conflict, with the destruction of the first-century temples of Bel and Baalshamin in Palmyra making most headlines.</p><p>IS has made a point of razing ancient shrines and statues it considers as idolatry and is also suspected of involvement in the illegal sale of antiquities.</p><p>Work on the "Syrian Heritage" database, the biggest 3D record of the country's monuments and treasures, began last December and includes a large number of Ottoman-era buildings in Damascus as well as its 11th-century citadel, which looms over the city.</p><p>The head of DGAM, Maamoun Abdulkarim, said the operation was essential to "avoid an irreplaceable loss to humanity" given "the dramatic situation in our country".</p><p>The drive, carried out with the help of the French grande ecole ENS and the research institute INRIA, is one of a number trying to catalogue sites in danger of falling into the line of fire.</p><p>The Institute for Digital Archaeology, created by Oxford and Harvard universities and Dubai's Museum of the Future, is also compiling a record of many vulnerable sites in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.</p><p>It has handed out 5,000 low-cost 3D cameras to archaeologists and NGOs with the hope of gathering a million images of threatened sites.</p><p>A two-thirds scale replica of Palmyra's destroyed triumphal arch was unveiled in New York's Times Square and London's Trafalgar Square in April before being displayed in Dubai.</p><p>To participate in this encounter, download your >invitation here (website only in French)</p><p><em><b>Author: Antoine Froidefond | Source: AFP [December 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-12719736403349292172022-05-05T04:00:00.000-07:002022-05-05T04:00:00.184-07:00Natural Heritage: Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation<a name='more'></a><p>The erosion rates of cliffs along the Sussex coast have rapidly sped up in the last 200 years, a new study has found.</p><figure><img alt="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9AJiv1kUWmHYZdhsThkBYmchPUpANTKPLRDnvA7Hfoow2IPUsIKzLXpgKhzHIW6edhCQ9jHDTWH4yVx3ihK7m2IBsMpIXmyTWI42Oij6S9M7iJBI82hpCbFhrpZ7bR-rpTdAxvMATicZ/s1111/coastal_erosion-1a.jpg" title="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" /><figcaption><em><b>The erosion rates along Beachy Head and Seaford Head in Sussex had remained relatively stable </b></em><br /><em><b>for thousands of years. However, around 200 to 600 years ago the rates rapidly accelerated,</b></em><br /><em><b> increasing to between 22 and 32 centimetres each year [Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The research shows that the erosion rates along Beachy Head and Seaford Head in Sussex had remained relatively stable, at around two to six centimetres each year, for thousands of years. However, around 200 to 600 years ago the rates rapidly accelerated, increasing to between 22 and 32 centimetres each year.</p><p>The authors suggest that rising sea levels and increasingly severe storms have rapidly eroded the Beachy Head and Seaford Head shorelines. The loss of beach means that the cliffs are exposed to the eroding wave action forces, which is causing them to collapse into the sea. The researchers suggest this erosion process is probably happening along other coastlines in the UK and elsewhere around the world, with implications for how coasts will respond to climate change and what we can do to manage the impact on important coastal infrastructure.</p><figure><img alt="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCs8uhFe7wsdck3E5Y0opDVyKB27mQYZaFWadNVmp39AgHfJAw6JNVVafFErisB9Ox54CK-t3YjptjBQ7KWQ0ao2xZp9JOijMqOhZBS3o0yD5tZ0QqzbG1MzxhiOVQGbCNjkHEdxd2H1PG/s1111/coastal_erosion-2.jpg" title="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" /><figcaption><em><b>Dr Rood taking rock samples [Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr Dylan Rood, co-author from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, said: "The coast is clearly eroding, and Britain has retreated fast. Our study on British coasts leaves no question that coastal cliff retreat accelerated in the recent past. A nearly ten-fold increase in retreat rates over a very short timescale, in geological terms, is remarkable. The UK cannot leave the issue of cliff erosion unresolved in the face of a warming world and rising sea levels. Cliff erosion is irreversible; once the cliffs retreat, they are gone for good."</p><p>The scientists used a process called cosmogenic dating to learn how the chalk cliffs at Beachy Head and Seaford Head have eroded. Cosmogenic dating allows scientists to analyse the build-up of a rare isotope of beryllium (beryllium-10). This isotope is created when cosmic radiation reacts with oxygen atoms in the exposed flint rock, so by measuring its accumulation, it acts as a kind of 'rock clock' to show the rate of rock erosion.</p><figure><img alt="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIYAL1BXkHFihuNvzrQNijuyds5AXnL7QVCVJQF0brRQDL9UR_RViMS5_vdiW9dxs7SGVknM_x8BUtedSvY5LjgZsb1uBlhMjmLzNr5Nd4sYDY0ZGThivQHLl1oLiZBp8Y32hHiQ4cgdG/s1111/coastal_erosion-3.jpg" title="Coastal erosion study could hold valuable lessons for climate change mitigation" /><figcaption><em><b>Eroded chalk with pieces of flint (the darker material), which the researchers analysed </b></em><br /><em><b>for levels of beryllium-10 [Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Since the rate of accumulation has previously been relatively constant, measuring rock samples from across the shore platforms allowed researchers to build a record of how coastal erosion has proceeded over the last 7000 years or so.</p><p>Dr Rood added: "Cosmogenic isotopes including beryllium-10 are advancing the science of retreating coastlines in Great Britain and worldwide. These new tools provide a rare insight into how dramatically environmental change and human impact affected sensitive coastal landscapes. We still need to better understand how other rocky coastlines have responded in the past, and cosmogenic isotopes are the key to unlocking this mystery."</p><p>The researchers now hope to use their observations to create a more accurate predictive model of how climate change will affect coastal erosion in the future, which could help authorities make more informed decisions about coastal management.</p><p>The research was published in the ><em><b>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Author: Caroline Brogan | Source: Imperial College London [November 16, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-90885375530908270712022-05-04T14:30:00.000-07:002022-05-04T14:30:00.196-07:00UK: Roman gold ring depicting Cupid found in UK<a name='more'></a><p>An intricately carved gold ring containing a stone engraved with an image of Cupid — a god associated with erotic love — has been discovered near the village of Tangley in the United Kingdom.</p><figure><img alt="Roman gold ring depicting Cupid found in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmFsuE6ftMoIm_ftBUf2E8I4xDJWR9-y1EtWaJsNXggViiIFTZYghAH_F492sT_MSlTvNndPbLzV3chOVQGN8DzLIDOkCT_jkNUDJjo8MJ11V4aNnoAjCCehLE2Q4smdrQYiIQCDHheFc/s1111/UK_Cupid_01.jpg" title="Roman gold ring depicting Cupid found in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>A 1,700-year-old gold ring with a stone showing Cupid carrying a torch </b></em><br /><em><b>would've been worn on the finger of a man or woman at a time when </b></em><br /><em><b>the Roman Empire controlled England [Credit: © K. Hinds and</b></em><br /><em><b> Hampshire Cultural Trust]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In the engraving, Cupid (also known by his Greek name, “Eros”) is shown standing completely nude while holding a torch with one hand. The ring dates back around 1,700 years, to a time when the Roman Empire controlled England. The ring was discovered by an amateur metal detectorist. Researchers who studied it say that it may have been worn by a man or a woman and is engraved with spiral designs that contain bead-shaped spheres.</p><p>The image of Cupid is engraved on a stone made of nicolo, a type of onyx that is dark at the base and bluish at the top. The image on the stone “depicts a standing naked adolescent with crossed legs, leaning on a short spiral column; the short wings which sprout from his shoulders identify him as Cupid,” Sally Worrell, national finds adviser with the Portable Antiquities Scheme, and John Pearce, senior lecturer in archaeology at King’s College London, wrote in an article published recently in the journal Britannia.</p><p>Cupid is shown resting one arm on a column while he holds a torch with the other, Worrell and Pearce wrote. Artistic depictions of Cupid were popular among the Greeks and Romans, and several other finger rings that have stones depicting Cupid are known to exist, the researchers noted. The design of this particular ring indicates that it was created around the fourth century A.D., they said.</p><p>A person using a metal detector discovered the ring in December 2013 and reported the finding to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which was established in 1997 to encourage people to voluntarily report the discovery of artifacts.</p><p>In England and Wales, amateurs are allowed to use metal detectors to search for antiquities if they have permission from the landowner and if they avoid archaeological sites that have been granted protection by the government. Certain finds (such as those made of precious metal) must be reported to antiquities authorities.</p><p>Worrell said that Hampshire Museums Service has acquired the ring, which will be put on display at the Andover Museum in Andover, U.K.</p><p><em><b>Author: Owen Jarus | Source: Discovery News [November 26, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-46132232104235997522022-05-04T14:00:00.000-07:002022-05-04T14:00:00.174-07:00UK: 1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK<a name='more'></a><p>The bodies of about 800 children aged under six have been unearthed by archaeologists ahead of the construction of a road in Lancashire.</p><figure><img alt="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhbyR-qFHg4C4d_rUtNQVvQz2F0sTPf2iEymHkMh0O1ccYlNBgUDeTVjeBg9-p-opxAr_J45T37-NnX_EzCafeMmJOPAI731wzu9r4S6ni_SGJbVP2MRmQh9QqV_95wVjyUO9ObjSC6Q/s1111/UK_Blackburn_01.jpg" title="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>The remains of two people were found in one grave [Credit: Headland Archaeology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>They were among 1,967 bodies exhumed at St Peter's Burial Ground, which opened in 1821 in Blackburn.</p><p>The large number of children found is being put down to a lack of good sanitation and medicines leading to a high mortality rate.</p><p>Many of them would have died from infections, the archaeologists believe.</p><figure><img alt="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUzljLpU-6UAZCexItuZdYtL3mes4KC3mlQ4CwAMABMIPlIdguJzauS_Ul34wo_C-_qDTkpbqJ4Lz6jKI3sQBL5S7M5-Kgxb_K5e-bJPnuKqgW5txHj30sTilx3-vcPi1sfha3B2FksI/s1111/UK_Blackburn_02.jpg" title="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>Sixteen coins from 1821 - when George IV was king - were also found [Credit: Headland Archaeology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Bodies were exhumed from about 30% of the burial ground, which was in "intense use" up to the 1860s, a spokeswoman for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said.</p><p>Dave Henderson, an expert in the study of bones with Headland Archaeology, said full analysis of the skeletons had "barely started" but the team believed most of the children had died from infections in the lungs and guts.</p><p>He said: "They would have died quite quickly so the signs may not turn up in their skeletons."</p><figure><img alt="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kRDCR5_sh76UaIdoaVnGUlPmdc3tloTQHbWNIiJjOUfZqt9BR1lsXy0G2-rkJaBG3iC8BpXLVHszLXZx6li2K46slEVLYBNnV88o8JA8-SphewMZfZVM18e5Ny7zAdf3IgwbrB7PmYs/s1111/UK_Blackburn_03.jpg" title="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>Children were found buried with colourful glass bead jewellery [Credit: Headland Archaeology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>He said the town was becoming overcrowded at the time as it was "a very large centre for the industrial mills and the population grew very quickly".</p><p>The work could "throw light on the lives of ordinary people" outside London, where most previous large studies of this era have been carried out, he said.</p><p>Records of 176 memorial stones showed the most common names for girls were Elizabeth and Mary, while John and Thomas were popular for boys.</p><figure><img alt="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61xq1tB9sj6iQyiuk0cKT9xh4S2h0is5yxDic4_yd1q7YBPgggypNoMs-GmdPTpleqpnmdpB8gLpJh2oNednaE_IC0e-knpy2AC0SWeyPvC7nSCX2Tw7S1RfTpbENqpHcNCgOoRRGBtU/s1111/UK_Blackburn_04.jpg" title="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists worked on 30% of the burial ground in Blackburn [Credit: Headland Archaeology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Among the finds was a "time capsule", containing 16 coins in circulation at the time.</p><p>Experts believe one of the men buried at the site was a soldier injured in the Crimean War.</p><p>Julie Franklin, finds manager, said objects found in graves - including "some incredibly poignant findings of hands still bearing cheap brass wedding rings, or children buried with colourful glass bead jewellery" - revealed what was important to their loved ones.</p><figure><img alt="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNednC5M3xn3Jtg2Cs02rEFXLY4Ts8wODzwrrrsb4TmFKU2Q62Xv2g97KZU0I-_rFrxkFXtfrUHOUraWTdldJEz3qaEDut9mBamq-AjVCwAgduJzBICIm7P_c6ZSZO0PXxtOBjAm7jbnQ/s1111/UK_Blackburn_05.jpg" title="1,967 bodies exhumed at Georgian-era cemetery in UK" /><figcaption><em><b>An artist's impression of the foundations of the Georgian-era church [Credit: Headland Archaeology]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Some burials continued in existing family plots at the graveyard until 1945.</p><p>St Peter's Church, which would have seated 1,500 parishioners, became dilapidated in the mid-20th Century and was demolished to ground level in 1976.</p><p>The Bishop of Blackburn will hold a memorial service this summer and reburials will take place in a different part of the graveyard.</p><p>The archaeological work on the area, which will be used for the building of the Freckleton Street link road, was commissioned by Capita on behalf of the council.</p><p><em><b>Source: BBC News Website [January 26, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-83218299721853655972022-05-04T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-04T05:30:00.174-07:00More Stuff: 'Papyri from Karanis: Voices from a multi-cultural society in ancient Fayum' at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo<a name='more'></a><p>Some 80 km southeast of Cairo is the small village of Karanis, once one of the largest Graeco-Roman towns in Fayoum. It was established in antiquity by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, as part of a scheme to settle Greek mercenaries among indigenous Egyptians and exploit the fertile Fayoum basin.</p><figure><img alt="'Papyri from Karanis: Voices from a multi-cultural society in ancient Fayum' at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AcKhZSM5GO8qVFZxB1zofz3vdsvueCmsoawHaRIj8mS7lAsW2q24b3N1b2CBMJsLfV3Y6oCc_rfvtkHcd5p3tAG7jgJxitPF2HRhh31JO2BDfEC-4LSPvMtAmokBB5NNEGqTYH-cy-9G/s1111/Egypt-papyri_01.jpg" title="'Papyri from Karanis: Voices from a multi-cultural society in ancient Fayum' at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo" /><figcaption><em><b>A greeting letter written by a woman to her brothers and their families </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Al Ahram Weekly]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Karanis flourished until the end of the 3rd century CE, when the town started to decline due to troubles in the wider Roman Empire. The town was abandoned by the beginning of the 5th century, as part of momentous socioeconomic, political and religious changes taking place throughout the Mediterranean region.</p><p>The site was forgotten, buried by the sands, until the early 19th century when farmers unearthed papyri among organic debris left by the ancient inhabitants. It is these papyri, suitably conserved and restored, that have now been put on display at the Egyptian Museum.</p><p>Archaeological excavation, led by British Egyptologist Bernard Pyne Grenfell and papyrologist Arthur Surridge Hunt, started in Karanis in 1895. However, they did not continue their work, deciding that the site had been too plundered in antiquity to produce anything of value. The few papyri and artefacts they stumbled upon were not considered important enough to lead to a better understanding of the history of the site during the Graeco-Roman period.</p><p>In 1924 the archaeological rescue of the site began, continuing for the next 12 years under the leadership of an American mission from Michigan University directed by Francis W Kelsey. Two temples, residential houses and urban districts were discovered, along with cisterns, public baths and a collection of household objects of different shapes, sizes and materials. A large collection of papyri, now exhibited at the Kelsey Museum in Michigan in the US, was also unearthed.</p><p>The papyri are historically significant as they provide an idea of the lives led by the town’s inhabitants in ancient times, as well as of Egypt’s relationship with the Roman Empire. The papyri were written at the same time and unearthed from the same place, all of them written in Greek and dating to the period between the reign of the emperor Diocletian and the 370s CE.</p><p>“It is the dry climate of Karanis which preserved these papyri,” said German papyrologist Cornelia Römer, who noted that although the papyri had been taken to Michigan the university had given part of the collection back to Egypt in 1952. This part was then put in storage at the Egyptian Museum and had not been closely studied.</p><p>In 2010, Römer came to Egypt for excavation work in Fayoum, in an area called Filoteris, five km from Lake Qarun. She hoped to investigate drainage systems used in Fayoum during the Graeco-Roman period. But due to her interest in papyri and her desire to promote papyrology in Egypt, Römer started to study the Karanis papyri, often known as the Michigan papyri.</p><p>In collaboration with young restorers at the Egyptian Museum, Römer started conservation work on the papyri, which are of different sizes and in different conditions of conservation. Some of them are tiny fragments in a poor state of conservation, while others are larger and in a much better condition.</p><p>Romer then published the results of her work in collaboration with professors from Alexandria University and Cairo and Ain Shams Universities in Egypt.</p><p>“When I came face to face with the papyri, I was very excited as I could not have expected what I would find,” Römer told the Weekly. Her work concentrated on a group of papyri found in the house of a man called Socrates who lived in the 2nd century CE. He was a tax collector who went door to door to collect money from people for the Roman state.</p><p>“We knew his profession from papyri found inside his house, which include long lists of names and numbers,” Römer said, adding that he kept a register of who had paid what in the village. Studies of these lists revealed that people had to pay taxes for baths and guards, among other things. Tax rates were the same for everybody and did not depend on income.</p><p>The papyri show that Socrates was a rich man who gained a lot from his profession. In Roman times, Römer said, a tax collector typically took more than he needed to remit to the state. “Obviously, he was a clever and rich man in the village,” Römer said, adding that he lived in a large house located in the best area, was married, and had two sons and a daughter.</p><p>“From the names of Socrates’s family and the names written in the tax lists, we also know that ancient Karanis was a multicultural society,” Römer said. While Socrates bore a Greek name, his wife and two sons had Roman names, while his daughter had an Egyptian name and her husband had a Roman name. The names written on the lists are in Latin, Greek and Egyptian.</p><p>Römer said that when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE Egypt became part of the Hellenistic world. His former general, Ptolemy, established a Greek-speaking dynasty in the country that then ruled it for the next 300 years. Even after the beginning of Roman rule in 1st century BCE, tens of thousands of Greek-speaking people lived in Egypt, working in the army and administration of the country.</p><p>The Ptolemies created new settlements for the newcomers, including in Fayoum, a depression centred on Lake Qarun south of Cairo. A sophisticated system of canals and dams was built to lower the level of the lake. “Thousands of new fields were created and Fayoum was declared a new settlement to host the new settlers,” Römer said, adding that the town of Karanis was among these new settlements.</p><p>Study of the papyri show that the number of inhabitants in Karanis reached 1,500 people, two thirds of whom were Egyptians and one third Greek. In the 2nd century CE, when Socrates lived, the population reached nearly 4,000 people.</p><p>Along with tax records, Römer said that literary papyri had also been found. It seems that in order to fit into society in Karanis, Socrates thought it important to hone his Greek culture and read classical Greek literature.</p><p>“We found papyri of poems written by the Greek poet Homer and Greek plays written by the dramatist Menander who lived in 300 BCE,” Römer said. She added that this highlights the fact that people continued to read Menander’s comedies 450 years after they were written. Ancient Greek comedy “always has a happy ending,” Römer said. As well, fragments of a play called “A Man on Trial” were found.</p><p>She continued to say that among the papyri at the Egyptian Museum is a love letter written by an unidentified woman, as well as notifications of death and complaints about robberies. Among the latter was one presented by a man who was attacked and beaten on the road, and another by a farmer who lost some of his harvest to thieves.</p><p>“Studying these papyri has taken us deep into the daily life of this society,” Römer said. It has even been possible to identify the type of clothes people wore. One text complaining of a robbery said that a man broke into the author’s house and stole boxes of clothes, she said.</p><p>“Living standards in Karanis were lower than in Alexandria, the capital of Egypt at the time, but the inhabitants tried to imitate the life of the capital nonetheless,” Römer said.</p><p>The Greek comedy that Socrates had been reading was to the taste of people living in rural areas, whereas in Alexandria, tragedies considered too difficult for people in the provinces would have been read. “However, the existence of such literary texts indicates that residents were keen to show themselves to be well educated in Greek,” she added.</p><p>A medical handbook from the first century CE showing surgical techniques was also found. Part of it shows a dislocated shoulder and the recommended treatment to fix it. “This piece is a section of a papyrus roll and the other part is in the British Museum in London,” Römer told the Weekly.</p><p>The papyri will now be on display for three weeks in the temporary exhibition hall at the Egyptian Museum. The display includes information about Socrates and his family, his library and the excavation work carried out.</p><p>Clay and bronze statues depicting Greek and ancient Egyptian deities found in the houses of the town’s inhabitants are also on show, along with glass vessels of different shapes and sizes.</p><p>“I am very happy with the results of the collaboration with Egyptian restorers, and I aim to continue studying the rest of the Karanis papyri,” Römer said.</p><p><em><b>Author: Nevine El-Aref | Source: Al Ahram Weekly [February 12, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-50535214145441078442022-05-04T03:00:00.000-07:002022-05-04T03:00:00.165-07:00Uganda: Conservationists 'on the fence' about barriers to protect wildlife in drylands<a name='more'></a><p>To fence or not to fence? That is the question facing conservationists concerned with barriers that keep wildlife in and people out.</p><figure><img alt="Conservationists 'on the fence' about barriers to protect wildlife in drylands" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREcu1tHwhSco388kEQr1Evl74uSxYB6pOF36fxVQXWJ3QO-Y5GOTIhvul4bV312tG4iGr6OR0TiFlIaH5eyb2-r0EiOT7nouoONFm5ZOjpx1tqD0LfjRfDac9ZQ5rZ-1L6IaoF5oyK3U/s1111/fencing-wildlife_01.jpg" title="Conservationists 'on the fence' about barriers to protect wildlife in drylands" /><figcaption><em><b>Conservationists 'on the fence' about barriers to protect wildlife such</b></em><br /><em><b> as cheetahs in drylands [Credit: Sarah Durant/ZSL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>According to a new study by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other groups, appearing in April 20 edition of the Journal of Applied Ecology, new policies must be developed before fences are erected -- particularly in dryland ecosystems where mobility is essential for both humans and wildlife.</p><p>Some nations are considering fences as a means to protect remnant wildlife populations. For example, Uganda intends to fence all of its national parks to stem human-wildlife conflicts, while Rwanda recently erected a 120 km fence around Akagera National Park.</p><p>But the study's authors caution that evidence is limited showing that fences are effective management tools, particularly in drylands.</p><p>"Large-scale fencing can disrupt migration pathways and reduce access to key areas within drylands, such as seasonal foraging areas," said lead author Sarah Durant of ZSL. "This can lead to severe reductions in migratory wildlife populations and may prompt wider impacts on non-migratory species."</p><p>The study says that policies are needed to evaluate whether fences should be erected and should be evaluated based on wildlife movement and distribution, climate change predictions, costs and benefits to local people, and other factors.</p><p>Said co-author James Deutsch of WCS: "Fencing can initially appear to be an easy conservation solution. Yet, unless fencing strategies have local community support and financing for maintenance, there is a danger that they may generate more problems than they solve."</p><p>The authors suggest that The United Nations Conventions on Migratory Species (CMS) and to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) are appropriate international agreements for leading to the development of policies and guidelines on fencing drylands.</p><p>In response, the Scientific Council of CMS has proposed to form a Working Group on fencing problems and policies in dryland ecosystems.</p><p>Said co-author Roseline Beudels-Jamar from the CMS Scientific Council: "CMS is concerned about the impact of human-wildlife conflict on both wildlife and on vulnerable livelihoods of marginalised people, and would like to better understand the impacts of fencing, or alternative methods, if used to mitigate such conflicts."</p><p><em><b>Source: Wildlife Conservation Society [May 06, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-22270337642007519152022-05-04T02:30:00.000-07:002022-05-04T02:30:00.169-07:00Indigenous Cultures: Brazil land grab threatens isolated tribes: activists<a name='more'></a><p>The worst land grab in decades in the Brazilian Amazon is threatening the survival of isolated tribes that have no contact with the outside world, a rights group said Wednesday.</p><figure><img alt="Brazil land grab threatens isolated tribes: activists" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua93nKav0rdNOKkkomvh71qTXWTjagrGhvQSEdNdpLUQ2GMzhQYEG6nKd-8kQHV4ZqyGolgStKu55PO_mux2jvhTUE6aGQWBEHvm9Q7NcUTutq-xR8EgOCpPkE-6uY77K3jL3whsVGUQ/s1111/brazil-1a.jpg" title="Brazil land grab threatens isolated tribes: activists" /><figcaption><em><b>Ranchers and settlers in the remotest reaches of northwestern Brazil are voraciously cutting down rainforest </b></em><br /><em><b>to farm crops, encroaching on the ancestral lands of three uncontacted groups, said Survival International </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Ranchers and settlers in the remotest reaches of northwestern Brazil are voraciously cutting down rainforest to farm crops, encroaching on the ancestral lands of three uncontacted groups, said Survival International.</p><p>The land grab is also threatening another tribe, the Uru Eu Wau Wau, or "Harpy Eagle" people, that has only limited contact with the outside world, said the London-based group.</p><p>Warning the groups face "annihilation," it accused local politicians in the state of Rondonia of backing the deforestation, even though the area is officially designated as an indigenous reserve and sits within a national park, Pacaas Novas.</p><p>Because isolated peoples' immune systems have never been exposed to the outside world's diseases, the land grab risks causing devastating outbreaks, Survival said.</p><p>"Around the world, industrialized society is stealing tribal lands in the pursuit of profit. What's happening in Brazil is simply a continuation of the invasion and genocide which characterized the European colonization of the Americas," said the group's director, Stephen Corry.</p><p>The organization quoted a letter the Harpy Eagle tribe sent to Brazilian police, in which they call the land grab "extremely serious."</p><p>"We are very worried because the invasions are close to our villages and putting the lives of women, old people, children and men at risk," said the letter.</p><p>Experts estimate between 50 and 90 percent of the populations of Brazil's isolated tribes were wiped out when the government initiated contact with them in the 1970s and 80s—official policy at the time.</p><p>Today, the government tries to avoid any contact with isolated peoples, in order to protect them.</p><p>Brazil is home to some 900,000 indigenous people from 305 different ethnic groups.</p><p><em><b>Source: AFP [October 27, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-21820361512748474422022-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:002022-05-03T11:30:00.171-07:00United Kingdom: Britain urged to begin talks on Parthenon marbles<a name='more'></a><p>The British Government is refusing to negotiate with Greece about the return of the so-called Elgin Marbles despite a request to do so from the United Nations, a decision that could prompt Athens to begin legal action for the first time.</p><figure><img alt="Britain urged to begin talks on Parthenon marbles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWLIXXDuqq5pdKYqBl0Kgp0PERwaGlM4wG9fGXtifM0hLEAji845OkyIGdm4tDZKm2j6-rhWiZ5Jth8A_AydL2WpB7ta1POgkQNY02_4Ur_zVaRSsWvbU7NA77GJ4-sVuDxAbVWlKx25v/s1111/Parthenon-sculptures_01.png" title="Britain urged to begin talks on Parthenon marbles" /><figcaption><em><b>Athens prepares legal action over the UK's 'grubby' refusal to negotiate</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Independent] </b></em></figcaption></figure><p>British campaigners likened the UK’s stance to “clinging on to stolen booty for dear life” and contrasted it with the “generous act” of returning the sculptures to help a friendly country on the brink of economic collapse. Youth unemployment has hit 50 per cent and suicide rates have soared amid a crisis so severe the Financial Times has warned Greece could turn into a “quasi slave economy”.</p><p>In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) invited the UK to take part in mediation about the marbles, created 2,500 years ago to decorate the Parthenon temple in Athens. Then last year it asked for a response by 31 March.</p><p>However a Government source said the UK “won’t be able to make any significant announcement this side of the [May] election”.</p><p>A motion calling for the UK to reply to Unesco and move to return the marbles is to be filed in the House of Commons on Monday.</p><p>The failure to respond in time could prompt Greece to abandon decades of diplomacy and take legal action, possibly in the European Court of Human Rights. A team of lawyers in London, including leading QC Geoffrey Robertson and Amal Clooney, wife of actor George, is preparing a “book-length” document setting out the options.</p><p>A source who has advised successive Greek governments said the main problem was finding a court to take jurisdiction in the case, but once that hurdle was overcome “then the lawyers are saying there is about a 75 to 80 per cent chance of success”.</p><p>The marbles are regarded as some of the finest works of art in history and a symbol of the birth of Western civilisation. Some sculptures were taken to Britain by Lord Elgin in controversial circumstances just over 200 years ago when Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.</p><p>Dr Elena Korka, director of antiquities at the Greek Culture Ministry, said the central issue was “reunifying these exceptional, outstanding and most important sculptures, which belong as an integral part of a unique symbolic monument for the whole world”.</p><p>“This is the essence of it, making something which exists today as whole as it can be… this is what the public wants, every poll shows it. It’s such an important issue. Even if Greece didn’t ask for it, the whole world would,” she said.</p><p>She said if the British authorities relented it would be “a day of true joy, not only for the monument itself but I think for the value of the gesture for the sake of co-operation”. “It would definitely help the [public] morale. It would be a huge boost,” she said.</p><p>Asked about the prospect of legal action, Dr Korka said Greece was “still so much into the process of mediation that we’re not thinking of the next step”. “We haven’t exhausted the possibilities so let’s not go so fast,” she said.</p><p>She added that the UK’s silence since 2013 was “not so polite really”.</p><p>David Hill, chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures in Australia, said there was a “growing appreciation even among people who are timid about the prospect of litigation that we have reached the point of last resort if this UNESCO gambit fails. The diplomatic and political strategies of the last 30 years have not produced any progress at all.”</p><p>Polls have consistently showed strong support in Britain for returning the marbles. In November, a survey for The Times found there was a two-to-one majority in favour.</p><p>Andrew George, chairman of Marbles Reunited and Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, said: “One of our friends is down on their uppers and we can offer something to them that might make their lives easier and give them a lift, which can only be good for their economy.</p><p>“It would be a generous act which would improve Britain’s standing in the world. At the moment we look rather grubby… like we are clinging on to stolen booty for dear life.”</p><p>He said he planned to lodge an early day motion in the Commons tomorrow calling for the Government to “demonstrate that Britain is prepared to... reunite these British-held Parthenon sculptures with those now displayed in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in the shadow of the monument to which they belong, the Parthenon in Athens”.</p><p>The British Museum, which denies Elgin stole the marbles, argues that it “tells the story of cultural achievement throughout the world” and the Parthenon sculptures are “a significant part of that story”. It regards itself as “a unique resource for the world” with visitors able to “re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected human cultures” within its walls.</p><p>“The Parthenon Sculptures are a vital element in this interconnected world collection. They are a part of the world’s shared heritage and transcend political boundaries,” it says.</p><p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would “respond in due course” to UNESCO.</p><p><em><b>Author: Ian Johnston | Source: Indpendent [March 07, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-47801327779539857992022-05-03T05:30:00.000-07:002022-05-03T05:30:00.174-07:00Fossils: Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil<a name='more'></a><p>An ancient relative of the giraffe was a huge, heavy animal with thick legs, a flat face and massive, curly horns flaring out from its skull, said a study Wednesday.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sgRmD8zCmII76Qh7DHpycrbGnipd8WbALB95ArnNks5w0TJyN3CWoDwFrPtswu8uMPAwUVCP05tLTc_EL1-NeTCW2CBjAxn8q4mqI-YBNXnarYqjTWoXOIePfpbNvmEgj7QEXFegVKI/s1111/giraffe_fossil-1b.jpg" title="Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil" /><figcaption><em><b>The reconstruction of a skeleton of an extinct giraffe-like animal, assumed to be the biggest ruminant mammal ever </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Christopher Basu]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dubbed Sivatherium giganteum, the impressive creature would have been shorter than today's giraffe, with a less elongated neck, a trio of British scientists wrote in the Royal Society journal ><em><b>Biology Letters</b></em>.</p><p>Using bones dug up in India in the 1830s and now in London's Natural History Museum, the team built a computerised 3D reconstruction of an animal they said would have stood about 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) tall at the shoulder and weighed about 1.2 tonnes.</p><p>"This was a heavy animal with thick legs," co-author Christopher Basu told AFP.</p><p>Added to the large, flattened horns or "ossicones" on the top of the skull, each about 70 centimetres (28 inches) long, it also had two smaller, pointy horns just over the eyes.m</p><figure><img alt="Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoEt3CBekZVAXbBDLdtkFpahV-Dbjm4GfP7lkssCIxUVkWny3iUwA-_9a4urE94B6Lzq3YkYN-TKVIy7aFbSd8YewW0HSOcr1KegoPHIUCg7hOIQMRC3hWpFfELLzRzZjnsibD0BgFSg/s1111/giraffe_fossil-2.jpg" title="Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil" /><figcaption><em><b>The large relative of the giraffe lived one million years ago [Credit: Science Photo Library]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"It would have been an impressive and strong animal," said Basu. "It's face would have looked very different from a giraffe. Giraffe's have very long, pointed skulls. Sivatherium had a very short, flattened skull."</p><p>It lived somewhere between the last five million and 12,000 years ago in Africa and Asia.</p><p>Related to the giraffe and its cousin the okapi, Sivatherium was possibly the largest ruminant animal—those with multi-compartmented stomachs—to ever have lived.</p><p>The first scientists to study Sivatherium bones misclassified the animal as an archaic link between modern ruminants and a long-extinct relative of elephants and rhinoceroses.</p><p>For the new study, the skeleton was reconstructed using 26 fossil bones from three individual animals. The ribs, back and pelvis are missing.</p><p>"We estimated what these might look like from giraffe and okapi anatomy—the two living relatives," said Basu.</p><p><em><b>Source: AFP [January 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-91542099387101686662022-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-03T05:00:00.179-07:00Palaeontology: Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one<a name='more'></a><p>The discovery of a tiny, 170-million-year-old fossil on the Isle of Skye, off the north-west coast of the UK, has led Oxford University researchers to conclude that three previously recognised species are in fact just one.</p><p><img alt="Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzc6EvpIwAQwhLA7ZBp96iGt7l41dWQxWVoJyXobpQvzkBMpKo_S9KP0Xo7K-CSYEmapbiZ4U_aL3hPjrcIlKLdqry9Ku-u8O2T2qp90FWnbD3nUlBiHrdI_4azU_DKsLXUXGHZ8O4MUN/s1111/Skye_fossil_01.png" title="Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one" /><figure><img alt="Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZP5qQllzZK6VN4DdHScyO_gRmHWG8gC5gVn6aH-nfgz251WYq45bCl78GBT2lOnCD56TTz1SV8KW5scCbNs-ou22prABMnkmff4n3g3yXwRe3tPcoLiMDLBOEQhQslRfoBoY1qznkBVz/s1111/Skye_fossil_02.png" title="Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one" /><figcaption><em><b>The Skye fossil [Credit: Close et al.]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>During a fossil-hunting expedition in Scotland last year, a team of researchers from the University's Department of Earth Sciences discovered the fossilised remains of a mouse-sized mammal dating back around 170 million years to the Middle Jurassic period. The new find -- a tiny lower jaw bearing 11 teeth -- shows that that three species previously described on the basis of individual fossilised teeth actually belong to just one species.</p><p>The United Kingdom has yielded many important mammalian fossils from the Middle Jurassic, a period dating between 176 and 161 million years ago, with most being found in the Scottish Isles and around Oxfordshire. Indeed, specimens obtained from Kirtlington Quarry -- just 10 miles north of Oxford -- have provided some of the richest Middle Jurassic mammal records to date. Included among those are a large number of teeth, each found in isolation, that had been thought to include at least three distinct species of what are known as 'stem therians' -- ancient relatives of many modern mammals, including rodents and marsupials.</p><p>Now, though, the team from Oxford has discovered a fossil which refutes those claims. The team found the 10 millimetre-long fossilised jaw at a site on the west coast of the Isle of Skye. 'We spent five days exploring the locality, finding nothing especially exciting, and were walking back along the beach to the house where we were staying,' recalls Dr Roger Close, the lead author of the study. 'Then, by chance, we spotted this specimen on the surface of a boulder.'</p><p>After carefully removing the specimen -- a complete left lower jaw of a small mammal -- the team carried out a series of analyses to determine its origins. First, they performed a high-resolution x-ray CT scan at the Natural History Museum in London, providing an incredibly detailed 3D model of the fossil that allowed the researchers to glean much more information about its anatomy than could ever be possible by visual inspection. 'Over half of the fossil is still buried in the rock,' explains Dr Close. 'The CT scan allows us to virtually remove this, and explore the whole specimen in exquisite detail.'</p><p>From there, they systematically compared the shape of each and every tooth present in the jaw to those found in all similar specimens discovered in the past. They were surprised to find that the new jaw resembled not one species, but three: Palaeoxonodon ooliticus, Palaeoxonodon freemani and Kennetheridium leesi, all known from isolated teeth preserved in rocks of the same age from Oxfordshire.</p><p>Differences in tooth shape that had been thought to distinguish three different species were in fact all present in the single lower jaw found on the Isle of Skye. 'In effect, we've "undiscovered" two species,' explains Dr Close. 'The new find shows that we should be cautious about naming new types of animals on the basis of individual teeth.' In a paper published in Palaeontology, the team identifies their find as Palaeoxonodon ooliticus -- the name given to the first of the three species to be described back in the late 1970s.</p><p>Palaeoxonodon has long been recognised as an important species for understanding the evolution of molar teeth in modern mammals, and this latest discovery sheds more light on the subject. The species appears to show an intermediate step in the evolution of what are known as 'tribosphenic' molars -- a kind of pestle-and-mortar geometry that is particularly well suited to processing food.</p><p>'Towards the front, three sharp cusps allow the animal to slice up the food, while at the back a flatter, grinding surface crushes it,' explains Dr Close. 'It's an evolutionary innovation that allowed much more versatile ways of feeding to evolve, and it may well have contributed to the long-term success of this group of mammals.'</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Oxford [November 13, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-28721693290225101422022-05-03T03:30:00.000-07:002022-05-03T03:30:00.179-07:00Natural Heritage: Global wildlife populations decline by 58 percent<a name='more'></a><p>Global populations of vertebrates -- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish -- have declined by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012, states a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Animals living in the world's lakes, rivers, and freshwater systems have experienced the most dramatic population declines, at 81 percent. Because of human activity, the report states that without immediate intervention global wildlife populations could drop two-thirds by 2020.</p><figure><img alt="Global wildlife populations decline by 58 percent" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0u-Rwpec1yuXnxCw-LCyug_BJ0v7vp_l9uQO3OjVWpManclbC7DlynwviOwgepBZJU8nVpgogoeAZXmHNT2bXx4XJp2e_GfDYixsKO2KwpwTjbxbWxvXGYeEzgDryEW5i_LU_4B0zXeo/s1111/jaguar-01.jpg" title="Global wildlife populations decline by 58 percent" /><figcaption><em><b>Jaguar [Credit: © Barry Draper]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"This research delivers a wake-up call that for decades we've treated our planet as if it's disposable," said Carter Roberts, WWF president and CEO. "We created this problem. The good news is that we can fix it. It requires updating our approach to food, energy, transportation, and how we live our lives. We share the same planet. We rely on it for our survival. So we are all responsible for its protection."</p><p>The top threat to wildlife is habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by increasing demand for food and energy. According to the report, global food production is the leading cause for destruction of habitats and overexploitation of wildlife. Agriculture currently occupies approximately one-third of Earth's total land area and accounts for 70 percent of all freshwater use.</p><p>Wild animals are not the only ones at risk; the report states that increased pressure threatens the natural resources that all life -- including humanity -- depend on.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMsxHaeyzNs?rel=0"></iframe><br />The report demonstrates the need to rethink how we produce, consume, measure success and value the natural environment, and calls for an urgent system change by individuals, businesses and governments. The report also illustrates the positive momentum that is building by highlighting recent global agreements on climate change and sustainable development. In particular, the report recognizes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an essential guide to decision-making that can ensure that the environment is valued alongside economic and social interests.</p><p>"A strong natural environment is the key to defeating poverty, improving health and developing a just and prosperous future," said Marco Lambertini, WWF director general. "We have proven that we know what it takes to build a resilient planet for future generations, we just need to act on that knowledge."</p><p>><em><b>Living Planet Report 2016: Risk and resilience in a new era</b></em> is the eleventh edition of WWF's biennial flagship publication. The report tracks over 14,000 vertebrate populations of over 3,700 species from 1970 to 2012 and includes research from the Global Footprint Network and the Zoological Society of London.</p><p><em><b>Source: World Wildlife Fund [October 27, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-3036992530060278982022-05-02T05:00:00.000-07:002022-05-02T05:00:00.174-07:00Mongolia: First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified <a name='more'></a><p>Large ornamental structures in dinosaurs, such as horns and head crests are likely to have been used in sexual displays and to assert social dominance, according to a new analysis of Protoceratops carried out by scientists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). This is the first time scientists have linked the function of anatomy to sexual selection in dinosaurs.</p><figure><img alt="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAB5yBuxtNiTC3TzWzguPqAzOe6IDAzxA4N2IGtZcg4I_J0GzIKZXus9bxLLh1EoQn8fwha2rf7mZIVHxL0Zbh-tLTcg6sSMe7OsR_sgStKAw1gCvPksor3Xytg0YauRzkow6nEHqG74/s1111/dino-1b.jpg" title="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " /><figcaption><em><b>Life restoration of adult Protoceratops andrewsi in the foreground engaging </b></em><br /><em><b>in speculative display postures. Non-mature animals can be seen </b></em><br /><em><b>in the background [Credit: Rebecca Gelernter/QMUL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Protoceratops had a large bony frill that extended from the back of the head over the neck. Study of fossils aged from babies to adults revealed the adults to have disproportionately larger frills in relation to their size. The research, published in the journal ><em><b>Palaeontologia Electronica</b></em>, shows that the frill was absent in juveniles and suddenly increased in size as the animals reached maturity suggesting that its function is linked to sexual selection.</p><p>This suggests the frill might have been used to attract suitable mates by showing off their best attributes or helping them assert the most dominant position in social interactions.</p><figure><img alt="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKWAAeYHqK2tO997TDhlqzw0jKnxtUCyecS3VVjzjpu5DW4K8Jr96rD4gGXiTv9ttTeVfIEjbfx5nyxHbJzCpI7rqC18R78MRIoSUmXxWCRYMBAQosdiKFEmhGCp1l4U3GBu6b05axug/s1111/dino-2.jpg" title="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " /><figcaption><em><b>Protoceratops ornamental structures were disproportionately large in mature animals, compared to younger specimens, </b></em><br /><em><b>giving the scientists the first direct evidence linking the function of an anatomical feature to sexual selection </b></em><br /><em><b>in dinosaurs [Credit: Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr David Hone, lecturer in Zoology from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, said: "Palaeontologists have long suspected that many of the strange features we see in dinosaurs were linked to sexual display and social dominance but this is very hard to show. The growth pattern we see in Protoceratops matches that seen for signalling structures in numerous different living species and forms a coherent pattern from very young animals right through to large adults."</p><p>The researchers assessed the change in length and width of the frill over four life stages: hatchling babies, young animals, near-adults, and adults. Not only did the frill change in size but it also changed in shape, becoming proportionally wider as the dinosaur became older.</p><figure><img alt="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwvmoin98P7upmHIpL04NlwPEh0mKyBWVFFlLtn6sJh5MKEQdvqnxMGs8EE3LMoZBIFUWd5Gx277zmJZgA_8Tr2rnv5tTC0mZLPuZcPxcPEUe2RIJoto5fQFQqYnpbeNqFeklCa4KjQc/s1111/dino-3.jpg" title="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " /><figcaption><em><b>Dr David Hone, a lecturer in zoology at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said the role of these elaborate </b></em><br /><em><b>features in mating had long been suspected, but had been impossible to prove. Triceratops, a later beaked </b></em><br /><em><b>dinosaur also had ornate facial features [Credit: Mark Stevenson/Stocktrek Images/Corbis]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr Rob Knell, Reader in Evolutionary Ecology, also from QMUL's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, said: "Biologists are increasingly realising that sexual selection is a massively important force in shaping biodiversity both now and in the past. Not only does sexual selection account for most of the stranger, prettier and more impressive features that we see in the animal kingdom, it also seems to play a part in determining how new species arise, and there is increasing evidence that it also has effects on extinction rates and on the ways by which animals are able to adapt to changing environments."</p><p>The research formed part of current postgraduate student and QMUL graduate Dylan Wood's undergraduate thesis, which looked at sexual selection in extinct species.</p><figure><img alt="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HH0AwEL42L3kXC4D5dEkonPzLtvH4WDrOZSNoZJHmIBqoZSwBSppd9e7zszYvKBPQ_h2ZnHLWYxG0derjpsGChX4qpIbfzSRlPNUhofRo1DMdmNylp5jcHCoLTBKT9hdNf8vZ_LaC0g/s1111/dino-4.jpg" title="First demonstration of sexual selection in dinosaurs identified " /><figcaption><em><b>Protoceratops is a member of the ceratopisian group of beaked herbivorous dinosaurs, which includes the familiar and </b></em><br /><em><b>much larger three-horned Triceratops[Credit: Kevin Schafer/Corbis]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>There are numerous, well-preserved specimens of ceratopisian dinosaurs of various sizes and ages making them a good groups to analyse. The researchers analysed 37 specimens of Protoceratops from fossils found in the Djadochta Formation in the Gobi desert and from previous published research. Protoceratops was a small-horned dinosaur that was similar in size to a sheep and was around 2m in total length from snout to tail tip.</p><p><em><b>Source: Queen Mary, University of London [January 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-64618871135431738932022-05-02T04:00:00.000-07:002022-05-02T04:00:00.179-07:00Palaeontology: Fossilized dinosaur brain tissue identified for the first time<a name='more'></a><p>Researchers have identified the first known example of fossilised brain tissue in a dinosaur from Sussex. The tissues resemble those seen in modern crocodiles and birds.</p><figure><img alt="Fossilized dinosaur brain tissue identified for the first time" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8M_KCwQeyf990ksmxxoW5WLESQBQfCFAajNM3ATq8nOGUiUGKgPzxMrmSpZlzLOBDWUEK5qIXsueeNOMJeWN5cyFKtkBFQClt9x9z1u5cVAbEtzq2fwL7AWr8vxWpgknYJ3gIznswm2E/s1111/dino_brain-1.jpg" title="Fossilized dinosaur brain tissue identified for the first time" /><figcaption><em><b>Image of specimen [Credit: Jamie Hiscocks]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>An unassuming brown pebble, found more than a decade ago by a fossil hunter in Sussex, has been confirmed as the first example of fossilised brain tissue from a dinosaur.</p><p>The fossil, most likely from a species closely related to Iguanodon, displays distinct similarities to the brains of modern-day crocodiles and birds. Meninges -- the tough tissues surrounding the actual brain -- as well as tiny capillaries and portions of adjacent cortical tissues have been preserved as mineralised 'ghosts'.</p><p>The results are reported in a <em><b>>Special Publication of the Geological Society of London</b></em>, published in tribute to Professor Martin Brasier of the University of Oxford, who died in 2014. Brasier and Dr David Norman from the University of Cambridge co-ordinated the research into this particular fossil during the years prior to Brasier's untimely death in a road traffic accident.</p><p>The fossilised brain, found by fossil hunter Jamie Hiscocks near Bexhill in Sussex in 2004, is most likely from a species similar to Iguanodon: a large herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period, about 133 million years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Fossilized dinosaur brain tissue identified for the first time" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP_PZgIgdzjulM7efN5NYKh8ZSDUA4npKe4MIAIuhnWP9nYQD3WiNXsc_GmB1BeetG_2KJJgJewObllvAh1_y1RgMYsT8ZUisjMxqlEJ0lKXJ7t7Ggq_OGjmH3FXvK0bWgvawZlGWCd8/s1111/dino_brain-2.png" title="Fossilized dinosaur brain tissue identified for the first time" /><figcaption><em><b>Environmental scanning electron microscopy images of tubular structures on the exterior of the Bexhill iguanodontian </b></em><br /><em><b>cranial endocast and within the outer laminar layer, interpreted here as meningeal blood vessels </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: David Norman]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Finding fossilised soft tissue, especially brain tissue, is very rare, which makes understanding the evolutionary history of such tissue difficult. "The chances of preserving brain tissue are incredibly small, so the discovery of this specimen is astonishing," said co-author Dr Alex Liu of Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, who was one of Brasier's PhD students in Oxford at the time that studies of the fossil began.</p><p>According to the researchers, the reason this particular piece of brain tissue has been so well-preserved is that the dinosaur's brain was essentially 'pickled' in a highly acidic and low-oxygen body of water -- similar to a bog or swamp -- shortly after its death. This allowed the soft tissues to become mineralised before they decayed away completely, so that they could be preserved.</p><p>"What we think happened is that this particular dinosaur died in or near a body of water, and its head ended up partially buried in the sediment at the bottom," said Norman. "Since the water had little oxygen and was very acidic, the soft tissues of the brain were likely preserved and cast before the rest of its body was buried in the sediment."</p><p>Working with colleagues from the University of Western Australia, the researchers used scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques in order to identify the tough membranes, or meninges, that surrounded the brain itself, as well as strands of collagen and blood vessels. Structures that could represent tissues from the brain cortex (its outer layer of neural tissue), interwoven with delicate capillaries, also appear to be present. The structure of the fossilised brain, and in particular that of the meninges, shows similarities with the brains of modern-day descendants of dinosaurs, namely birds and crocodiles.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1T5_NlRs-5o?rel=0"></iframe><br />In typical reptiles, the brain has the shape of a sausage, surrounded by a dense region of blood vessels and thin-walled vascular chambers (sinuses) that serve as a blood drainage system. The brain itself only takes up about half of the space within the cranial cavity.</p><p>In contrast, the tissue in the fossilised brain appears to have been pressed directly against the skull, raising the possibility that some dinosaurs had large brains which filled much more of the cranial cavity. However, the researchers caution against drawing any conclusions about the intelligence of dinosaurs from this particular fossil, and say that it is most likely that during death and burial the head of this dinosaur became overturned, so that as the brain decayed, gravity caused it to collapse and become pressed against the bony roof of the cavity.</p><p>"As we can't see the lobes of the brain itself, we can't say for sure how big this dinosaur's brain was," said Norman. "Of course, it's entirely possible that dinosaurs had bigger brains than we give them credit for, but we can't tell from this specimen alone. What's truly remarkable is that conditions were just right in order to allow preservation of the brain tissue -- hopefully this is the first of many such discoveries."</p><p>"I have always believed I had something special. I noticed there was something odd about the preservation, and soft tissue preservation did go through my mind. Martin realised its potential significance right at the beginning, but it wasn't until years later that its true significance came to be realised," said paper co-author Jamie Hiscocks, the man who discovered the specimen. "In his initial email to me, Martin asked if I'd ever heard of dinosaur brain cells being preserved in the fossil record. I knew exactly what he was getting at. I was amazed to hear this coming from a world renowned expert like him."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Cambridge [October 27, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-75971240383407671532022-05-02T03:00:00.000-07:002022-05-02T03:00:00.171-07:00Natural Heritage: Scientists call for new conservation strategies<a name='more'></a><p>Gaps in our information about biodiversity means we are at risk of focussing our conservation efforts in the wrong places.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists call for new conservation strategies" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUhgYaT0kN4IfaQBWzH0x-VXCZtpV4AuS0UXpcBJQ6GQjl2fdvDNenqUjGGeSGZkmipJjicnHUWBnsKSa1GtsWG107NAT5LomrU34erYTRI0AhdlN6AKwDe56NLYT4Yj-3LxaK5DSWa4/s1111/biodiversity_01.jpg" title="Scientists call for new conservation strategies" /><figcaption><em><b>Scientists call for a shake-up in the way we record biodiversity </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Newcastle University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>New research from Newcastle University, UK, University College London (UCL) and the University of Queensland, Australia, highlights the uncertainty around our global biodiversity data because of the way we record species sightings.</p><p>The study explains how a lack of information about a species in a particular location doesn't necessarily mean it's not there and that recording when we don't see something is as important as recording when we do.</p><p><b>Changing the way we record data</b></p><p>Publishing their findings in the journal <em><b>Biology Letters</b></em>, the team say we need to change the way we record sightings -- or a lack of them -- so we can better prioritise our conservation efforts in light of the Convention on Biological Diversity.</p><p>Dr Phil McGowan, one of the study's authors and a Senior Lecturer in Biodiversity and Conservation at Newcastle University, said: "Where there is no recent biodiversity data from an area then we might assume a species is no longer found there, but there could be a number of other possible reasons for this lack of data. It could be that its habitat is inaccessible -- either geographically or due to human activity such as ongoing conflict -- or perhaps it's simply a case that no-one has been looking for it. Unless we know where people have looked for a particular species and not found it then we can't be confident that it's not there."</p><p><b>Galliformes and man</b></p><p>To test the research, the team used the rigorously compiled database of European and Asian Galliformes -- a group of birds which includes the pheasant, grouse and quail.</p><p>"Our long-standing love of the Galliformes goes back hundreds of years which means we have records that are likely to be much better than for other groups of animals or plants," explains Dr McGowan.</p><p>"Not only have these birds been hunted for food, but their spectacular colours made them valuable as trophies and to stock the private aviaries of the wealthy. In the late 1800s and the turn of the last century, the Galliformes were prized specimens in museum and private collections and today they are still a favourite with bird watchers."</p><p><b>Data absent from 40% of the study area</b></p><p>Analysing 153,150 records dating from 1727 to 2008 and covering an area from the UK to Siberia and down to Indonesia, the team found that after 1980, there was no available data at 40% of the locations where Galliformes had previously been present.</p><p>The study suggests two possible scenarios.</p><p>Dr Elizabeth Boakes, the study's lead author and a teaching fellow at University College London, said: "We have no evidence of populations existing past 1980 in 40% of our locations. However, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. One scenario is that populations have been lost from these areas, probably due to hunting or habitat loss. The other scenario is that the species are still locally present but that nobody has been to look for them. Our study shows that which scenario you choose to believe makes a huge difference to measures used in conservation priority-setting such as species richness and geographic range. It's important that we make the right call and that means a big shake up in the way we currently monitor biodiversity. We need to record what we don't see as well as what we do see and we need to be recording across much wider areas."</p><p><b>Meeting international targets</b></p><p>Involving 192 countries and the EU, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development.</p><p>The goals include the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity which says we must at least halve and, where feasible, bring close to zero the rate of loss of natural habitats, including forests, and halt extinction of those species we know to be under threat.</p><p>"In order to start meeting these goals we must first understand exactly which organisms are close to extinction and need prioritising in order to meet this target," explains Dr McGowan, who is Co-chair of IUCN Species Survival Commission's Policy Subcommittee and a member of its Strategic Conservation Planning Subcommittee.</p><p>"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a good starting point but as our research shows, it's only as accurate as the data that's been collected. Going forward, we need to make sure we are recording when we've not seen something just as much as when we do and that's where keen and informed members of the public -- such as bird watching groups -- could really help us."</p><p><em><b>Source: Newcastle University [March 08, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-57893029247607651112022-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:002022-05-01T09:00:00.174-07:00Libya: Mafia offers rifles to jihadists for Libyan treasures<a name='more'></a><p>The Italian mafia is selling assault rifles to Islamic State leaders in Libya in return for looted archaeological treasures, according to an Italian newspaper.</p><figure><img alt="Mafia offers rifles to jihadists for Libyan treasures" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpyWLuXWczON9orOqyLwj9oXR3OSg54WtF0wNGOwGOdWMl2o7ONXu_GJSakwtjkoApIQPao5adU0TF8LuigSEqtR6KV3NHF6KOnvB-weQHtTYd78_R52hCnGwz8BZ8m9MidqgqpD-WMA/s1111/Libya.jpg" title="Mafia offers rifles to jihadists for Libyan treasures" /><figcaption><em><b> dir="ltr">Leptis Magna, Libya [Credit: AFP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The feared ‘Ndrangheta gangsters sell on the priceless artefacts to Russian and Asian collectors.</p><p>La Stampa reports that the Calabrian network, which dominates Europe’s drug trade, works with the Camorra in Naples to buy Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers smuggled out of Ukraine and Moldova by the Russian mafia.</p><p>The armaments are then traded in return for ancient Roman and Greek statues that Isis fighters have dug up illegally in Libya, which was a colony of the two ancient cultures. Isis has ruled over swathes of the country for months.</p><p>A journalist from La Stampa posed as a collector to be taken to a salami factory in southern Italy by a member of an ‘Ndrangheta clan from Lamezia in Calabria. For $87,000 he was offered the marble head of a Roman sculpture looted from Libya.</p><p>The Mafioso also showed photographs of a larger head from a Greek statue, for sale at $1.2 million.</p><p>Antiquities are brought from Libya to the Calabrian port of Gioia Tauro by Chinese-operated cargo ships, it is claimed. The treasures are sold on to collectors from Russia, China, Japan and the Gulf. After expanding into Libya, Isis has been pinned back by local militias. The jihadists, however, are believed to have tried to profit from trafficking in artefacts, as they have done in Iraq and Syria.</p><p>Libyan archaeologists working to protect the country’s five UNESCO-listed sites have received death threats.</p><p>Italian investigators have long suspected the mafia of selling guns to Isis. “In Naples, Islamic militias and the Camorra have been trading guns and drugs since the 1990s,” a veteran investigator said yesterday (Sunday).</p><p>The gangsters have also been involved in the wholesale looting of Etruscan Roman tombs in Italy. Trading guns for artefacts with Isis is a natural evolution of its business. The widespread excavation and selling of Greek and Roman treasures boomed in Libya after the death in 2011 of Colonel Gaddafi, well before the arrival of Isis.</p><p>A rare 4ft marble statue believed to have been dug up in the ancient city of Cyrene in 2011 and worth $3.2 million was found in a west London warehouse two years after the uprising.</p><p>Susan Kane, a Libyan expert at Oberlin College in Ohio, said: “There was a major land grab after the revolution and more earth has been moved since 2011 than in the preceding centuries. Antiquities are turning up and there is a great synergy between trafficking them, drugs and arms.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Tom Kington | Source: The Times [October 17, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-57227712485700726512022-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:002022-05-01T07:00:00.174-07:00Genetics: Mummies from Hungary reveal TB's Roman lineage<a name='more'></a><p>Bodies found in a 200 year-old Hungarian crypt have revealed the secrets of how tuberculosis (TB) took hold in 18th century Europe, according to a research team led by the University of Warwick.</p><figure><img alt="Mummies from Hungary reveal TB's Roman lineage" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRlGSlMmI8VQyTywOxu7xKt3IH6cn49i9-WfQYBOpIm0ITMoraKrflb4-Tr588aC5X6hwaJ5Q1qjZRZ3eZYHiZRq8HtDMUbZXTzuKqiwkTsx-lktspaqar33AA3Pb2bOyPjzJcS9ViTzA/s1111/Hungarian_+mummy_01.jpg" title="Mummies from Hungary reveal TB's Roman lineage" /><figcaption><em><b>One of the 265 mummies resting in cardboard boxes in the Hungarian </b></em><br /><em><b>Natural History Museum in Budapest, Hungary</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AP/Bela Szandelszky]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A new study published in Nature Communications details how samples taken from naturally mummified bodies found in an 18th century crypt in the Dominican church of Vác in Hungary have yielded 14 tuberculosis genomes, suggesting that mixed infections were common when TB was at peak prevalence in Europe.</p><p>The research team included collaborators from the Universities of Warwick and Birmingham, University College London, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Budapest. Lead author Professor Mark Pallen, from Warwick Medical School, said the discovery was significant for current and future infection control and diagnosis.</p><p>Professor Pallen said: “Microbiological analyses of samples from contemporary TB patients usually report a single strain of tuberculosis per patient. By contrast, five of the eight bodies in our study yielded more than one type of tuberculosis – remarkably from one individual we obtained evidence of three distinct strains.”</p><p>The team used a technique called “metagenomics” to identify TB DNA in the historical specimens—that is direct sequencing of DNA from samples without growing bacteria or deliberately fishing out TB DNA. This approach draws on the remarkable throughput and ease of use of modern DNA sequencing technologies.</p><p>Gemma Kay, first author on the paper says: “Poignantly, we found evidence of an intimate link between strains from in a middle-aged mother and her grown-up daughter, suggesting both family members died from this devastating infection.”</p><p>The team used the 18th century sequences to date the origin of the lineage of TB strains commonly found in Europe and America to the late Roman period, which fits in with the recent controversial suggestion that the most recent common ancestor of all TB strains occurred as recently as six thousand years ago.</p><p>Professor Pallen said: “By showing that historical strains can be accurately mapped to contemporary lineages, we have ruled out, for early modern Europe, the kind of scenario recently proposed for the Americas—that is wholesale replacement of one major lineage by another—and have confirmed the genotypic continuity of an infection that has ravaged the heart of Europe since prehistoric times.”</p><p>Professor Pallen added that with TB resurgent in many parts of the world, the struggle to contain this ancient infection was far from over. He concludes: “We have shown that metagenomic approaches can document past infections. However, we have also recently shown that metagenomics can identify and characterize pathogens in contemporary samples, so such approaches might soon also inform current and future infectious disease diagnosis and control.”</p><p>For more photos of the Hungarian mummies visit the website Morbid Anatomy. </p><p><em><b>Source: University of Warwick [April 07, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-59681685599440701942022-05-01T06:30:00.000-07:002022-05-01T06:30:00.171-07:00Fossils: New research reveals fires were more common 300 million years ago than today<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists from the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London together with colleagues from the USA, Russia and China, have discovered that forest fires across the globe were more common between 300 and 250 million years ago than they are today. This is thought to be due to higher level of oxygen in the atmosphere at that time.</p><figure><img alt="New research reveals fires were more common 300 million years ago than today" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3MkhL3qBeWdjTGoDgZ_YNHYvK0XZgASHi2NqcLJEn1AVtmMk7oR1jGqoZiNh7Jzle5Mxh5Ry5uJgogdZS4jWF86WZVCwLjiQsAbKMlS92iS-D9PdKgIBSTQqj7qsCH4tfK5kc24ZqEzM/s1111/wildfires_01.jpg" title="New research reveals fires were more common 300 million years ago than today" /><figcaption><em><b>Forest fires across the globe were more common between 300 and 250 million years ago </b></em><br /><em><b>than they are today, scientists have discovered. This is thought to be due to higher</b></em><br /><em><b> level of oxygen in the atmosphere at that time [Credit: NASA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The study which was published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, found that peats that were to become coal contained high levels of charcoal that could only be explained by the high levels of fire activity.</p><p>The team used the data from charcoal in coal to propose that the development of fire systems through this interval was controlled predominantly by the elevated atmospheric oxygen concentration (p(O2)) that mass balance models predict prevailed. At higher levels of p(O2), increased fire activity would have rendered vegetation with high moisture contents more susceptible to ignition and would have facilitated continued combustion.</p><p>In the study they examine the environmental and ecological factors that would have impacted fire activity and conclude that of these factors p(O2) played the largest role in promoting fires in Late Paleozoic peat-forming environments and, by inference, ecosystems generally, when compared with their prevalence in the modern world.</p><p>Professor Andrew Scott, one of the lead authors, said: "High oxygen levels in the atmosphere at this time has been proposed for some time and may be why there were giant insects and arthropods at this time but our research indicates that there was a significant impact on the prevalence and scale of wildfires across the globe and this would have affected not only the ecology of the plants and animals but also their evolution."</p><p>Professor Scott and his colleagues and students at Royal Holloway have pioneered the study of fire in Earth's deep past. Professor Scott, added: "We have been able to show that wildfire was an important element in Earth System many hundreds of millions of years before the arrival of humans."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Royal Holloway London [October 27, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-79305735230904892612022-05-01T03:00:00.001-07:002022-05-01T03:00:00.174-07:00Environment: World's largest canyon may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet<a name='more'></a><p>The world's largest canyon may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet, according to analysis of satellite data by a team of scientists, led by Durham University.</p><figure><img alt="World's largest canyon may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv0Csy2hYzdVqwg-ya1hDk229XtzssZ_F_BkB5WMjs4AC-ne6_t4HTu9MuXYUl_kUzWFk6O8lySWv5MNOrdIl3QCSQeKWxZTOSUSnzjx1yyyzbhz8ZtI0ofevQMxArq8xIVJkvluLcZs/s1111/canyon-2a.jpg" title="World's largest canyon may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet" /><figcaption><em><b>New analysis of satellite data by a team of scientists led by Durham University shows that the world’s largest canyon </b></em><br /><em><b>system may lie under the Antarctic ice sheet [Credit: MODIS/Newcastle University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Although the discovery needs to be confirmed by direct measurements, the previously unknown canyon system is thought to be over 1,000km long and in places as much as 1km deep, comparable in depth to the Grand Canyon in USA, but many times longer.</p><p>The canyon system is made up of a chain of winding and linear features buried under several kilometres of ice in one of the last unexplored regions of the Earth's land surface: Princess Elizabeth Land (PEL) in East Antarctica. Very few measurements of the ice thickness have been carried out in this particular area of the Antarctic, which has led to scientists dubbing it one of Antarctica's two 'Poles of Ignorance'.</p><p>The researchers believe that the landscape beneath the ice sheet has probably been carved out by water and is either so ancient that it was there before the ice sheet grew or it was created by water flowing and eroding beneath the ice.</p><p>Although not visible to the naked eye, the subglacial landscape can be identified in the surface of the ice sheet.</p><p>Faint traces of the canyons were observed using satellite imagery and small sections of the canyons were then found using radio-echo sounding data, whereby radio waves are sent through the ice to map the shape of the rock beneath it. These are very large features which appear to reach from the interior of Princess Elizabeth Land to the coast around the Vestfold Hills and the West Ice Shelf.</p><p>The canyons may be connected to a previously undiscovered subglacial lake as the ice surface above the lake shares characteristics with those of large subglacial lakes previously identified. The data suggests the area of the lake could cover up to 1250km², more than 80 times as big as Lake Windermere in the English Lake District.</p><p>An airborne survey taking targeted radio-echo sounding measurements over the whole buried landscape is now underway with the aim of unambiguously confirming the existence and size of the canyon and lake system, with results due later in 2016.</p><p>Lead researcher, Dr Stewart Jamieson, from the Department of Geography at Durham University in the UK, said: "Our analysis provides the first evidence that a huge canyon and a possible lake are present beneath the ice in Princess Elizabeth Land. It's astonishing to think that such large features could have avoided detection for so long.</p><p>"This is a region of the Earth that is bigger than the UK and yet we still know little about what lies beneath the ice. In fact, the bed of Antarctica is less well known than the surface of Mars. If we can gain better knowledge of the buried landscape we will be better equipped to understand how the ice sheet responds to changes in climate."</p><p>Co-Author Dr Neil Ross from Newcastle University in the UK, said: "Antarctic scientists have long recognised that because the way ice flows, the landscape beneath the ice sheet was subtly reflected in the topography of the ice sheet surface. Despite this, these vast deep canyons and potential large lake had been overlooked entirely.</p><p>"Our identification of this landscape has only been possible through the recent acquisition, compilation and open availability of satellite data by many different organisations (e.g. NASA, ESA and the US National Snow and Ice Data Center), to whom we are very grateful, and because of some serendipitous reconnaissance radio-echo sounding data acquired over the canyons by the ICECAP project during past Antarctic field seasons."</p><p>Co-Author Professor Martin Siegert, from the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, UK, said: "Discovering a gigantic new chasm that dwarfs the Grand Canyon is a tantalising prospect. Geoscientists on Antarctica are carrying out experiments to confirm what we think we are seeing from the initial data, and we hope to announce our findings at a meeting of the ICECAP2 collaboration, at Imperial, later in 2016.</p><p>"Our international collaboration of US, UK, Indian, Australian and Chinese scientists are pushing back the frontiers of discovery on Antarctica like nowhere else on earth. But the stability of this understudied continent is threatened by global warming, so all the countries of the world now must rapidly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and limit the damaging effects of climate change."</p><p>>The research is >published in ><em><b>Geology</b></em>>.</p><p><em><b>Source: Durham University [January 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-46811580848795889122022-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:002022-04-30T08:00:00.184-07:00Travel: 'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at Two Temple Place, London<a name='more'></a><p>Two Temple Place reopened to the public with its fifth annual Winter Exhibition, <b><em><b>Beyond Beauty: Transforming the Body in Ancient Egypt</b></em></b> on 30th January 2016. This major new exhibition allows us to experience the ancient Egyptians at their most spectacular and at their most intimate, uncovering a civilisation fascinated by appearance and identity both in life and death.</p><p><img alt="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb0DVOjL5NVjHPYbkK_6piCFPXZFQqKOmmPI_ddKgkxguJxNKqLk5N0UFU_dRtDptfOkdCpfJ-B7Vc5LIxzSH47KS0Gviy1zaNrWt0-fCqMSIuvrtl3-sFV-WcHL_JrlwlnYFi_G77Z-8/s1111/Beyond_beauty_01.jpg" title="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" /><br />Rare surviving imagery on exquisite painted coffins, decorated funerary masks, delicate figurines and beautifully carved reliefs emphasise the importance of body image. Meanwhile jewellery, mirrors, hairpins, scent bottles and makeup provide an insight into some surprisingly familiar daily routines and the ever changing styles of the time. Through artefacts spanning over four millennia, from 3,500 B.C. to 400 A.D., the viewer is invited to ask why Egyptians cared so much about transforming the way they looked and how our perceptions are influenced by the objects they left behind.</p><p><em><b>Beyond Beauty</b></em> is created by the Bulldog Trust in partnership with 7 museums from across the country. Many of the artefacts on display come from the same archaeological excavations, and are seen together collectively for the first time since their discovery by pioneering Victorian Egyptologists. Drawn Bagshaw Museum (Kirklees Council), Bexhill Museum, Bolton Museum, Ipswich Museum, Macclesfield Museums, Royal Pavilion & Museums (Brighton & Hove) and Touchstones Rochdale, the exhibition includes the fascinating stories of how such objects reached their current UK homes, supported by outstanding original archival material.</p><figure><img alt="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO-NmzKNhfLmVaD_44mvC_wD3VjNTPyVB1CP-QMCBglDCYGk8XWU5eZX0SRsozvliJX1X0pujixlPF4eXR_363xMRwYtKXxl6sNDkerXnWhk0UYMJYVdKMK1LUl9CcRJfLx1aHyx1c3w/s1111/Beyond_beauty_02.jpg" title="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Carved wooden fragment, probably from a coffin, showing a winged goddess. Ptolemaic Period (332 - 30 BC). </b></em><br /><em><b>Unprovenanced [Credit: Two Temple Place & Ipswich Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><em><b>Beyond Beauty</b></em> is curated by Egyptologist Dr Margaret Serpico, with Heba Abd El Gawad, a PhD student in Egyptian Archaeology at Durham University (funded by Helwan University, Cairo) currently researching self-presentation in Ancient Egypt. It has been a long-standing aim of Dr Serpico to create such an exhibition:</p><p>‘The desire to unveil the fabulous objects held in these museums was borne out of a long term project to raise awareness of some of the 200 ancient Egyptian collections in the UK, many in regional museums. I have always been amazed by the many wonderful artefacts in these collections, objects that I wished could be seen by wider audiences. This exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate these collections and appreciate how important it is that we care for and preserve them into the future.’</p><figure><img alt="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUzBus8G5cIzk7klzqflbJgmOPmxYK2DhyphenhyphenGLBpgrotQytga_SIoPWb1KopvD_zbgvJ5EFTE1YdGkarGVIzsBUfrazQrOjOHqK-6MDPCmKTA1dFPE1Lypv-Z9zkXneZtGHZBNeQTLvnz4/s1111/Beyond_beauty_03.jpg" title="'Beyond Beauty: Transforming the body in ancient Egypt' at the Two Temple Place in London" /><figcaption><em><b>The mask of Titus, inscribed in Greek for the Roman citizen Titus Flavius Demetrius, </b></em><br /><em><b>dates from AD 80-120 [Credit: Paul Tucker]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Two Temple Place, a magnificent neo-Gothic mansion on London’s Victoria Embankment, is owned and run by the charity the Bulldog Trust. Its Winter Exhibition Programme aims to support regional museums across the UK, highlighting the great riches that are to be seen through an annual free exhibition.</p><p>Chief Executive of the Bulldog Trust, Mary Rose Gunn says: “It is an exceptional opportunity for us to be able to champion the stunning Egyptology collections that are held in museums around the UK. We are also looking forward to strengthening cultural ties between Egypt and the UK and are honoured that His Excellency Mr Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK will be formally opening the exhibition on the 28th January 2016.”</p><p>The Winter Exhibition Programme is supported by public funding through Arts Council England. John Orna-Ornstein, Director of Museums, Arts Council England, stated: “Museums throughout England are home to some of the most fascinating collections in the world, and through our investments we want to see people enjoy these collections for years to come. ‘Beyond Beauty’ is an exciting opportunity for people to see some of our finest Egyptian artefacts together in one place, unravelling their mysteries through creative activities for all ages, from storytelling and dance, to lectures and music.”</p><p><em><b>Source: Two Temple Place [January 27, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-81378731007771181452022-04-29T11:00:00.001-07:002022-04-29T11:00:00.190-07:00UK: British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016<a name='more'></a><p>The British Museum is to stage a major exhibition on two lost Egyptian cities and their recent rediscovery by archaeologists beneath the Mediterranean seabed. Opening in May 2016 for an extended run of six months, The BP exhibition Sunken cities: Egypt’s lost worlds will be the Museum’s first large-scale exhibition of underwater discoveries. It will show how the exploration of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus – submerged at the mouth of the River Nile for over a thousand years – is transforming our understanding of the relationship between ancient Egypt and the Greek world and the great importance of these ancient cities.</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGRbnW4X-9foY5OdPbGSsHhRYLMiqc7RyJJ0QSZE9mM4gPcQBvfJmrDtipluI6sSgu1hxsNZASyut-Ny0N6DgHvpHqRUOSH2MwqOQJy7M0RnU2oo7ypcCs7WmlpvIuU72mcY9yJMKkqA/s1111/BM_01.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>Diver Franck Goddio poses with an inscribed tablet he found in the ruins of Heracleion</b></em><br /><em><b> in Aboukir Bay, Egypt. The slab, which is 1.9m tall, will be one of the treasures on display</b></em><br /><em><b> at an upcoming British Museum exhibition of underwater treasures. It is inscribed </b></em><br /><em><b>with the decree of Saϊs, which levied a tax on imports from Greece </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>300 outstanding objects will be brought together for the exhibition including more than 200 spectacular finds excavated off the coast of Egypt near Alexandria between 1996 and 2012. Important loans from Egyptian museums rarely seen before outside Egypt (and the first such loans since the Egyptian revolution) will be supplemented with objects from various sites across the Delta drawn from the British Museum’s collection; most notably from Naukratis – a sister harbour town to Thonis-Heracleion and the first Greek settlement in Egypt.</p><p>Likely founded during the 7th century BC, Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus were busy, cosmopolitan cities that once sat on adjacent islands at the edge of the fertile lands of the Egyptian Delta, intersected by canals. After Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in 332BC, centuries of Greek (Ptolemaic) rule followed. The exhibition will reveal how cross-cultural exchange and religion flourished, particularly the worship of the Egyptian god of the afterlife, Osiris.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z3Da34Nr9Lg?rel=0"></iframe><br />By the 8th century AD, the sea had reclaimed the cities and they lay hidden several metres beneath the seabed, their location and condition unclear. Although well-known from Egyptian decrees and Greek mythology and historians, past attempts to locate them were either fruitless or very partial. The exhibition will show how a pioneering European team led by Franck Goddio in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities made use of the most up-to-date technologies to find them.</p><p>Thanks to the underwater setting, a vast number of objects of great archaeological significance have been astonishingly well preserved. Pristine monumental statues, fine metalware and gold jewellery will reveal how Greece and Egypt interacted in the late first millennium BC. These artefacts offer a new insight into the quality and unique character of the art of this period and show how the Greek kings and queens who ruled Egypt for 300 years adopted and adapted Egyptian beliefs and rituals to legitimise their reign.</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJo7DiqGDUdYm85v4jpDLrRxbo3LsnJy2Azq1Z6ylmUH2O-SDhXMZiH3ECVfnPfXeTzksPZHHYVzqCdol89xL7HzT0cBvxletIDXGn3Ef6rPRoFOWn9GPzMJ7M6-yLg9Un0V48Qfe25Ow/s1111/BM_02.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>A diver secures a 5.4m statue of Hapy, a divine personification of the Nile floods, to be</b></em><br /><em><b> lifted out of the waters. The colossal red granite carving will one of the exhibition's</b></em><br /><em><b> centrepieces. The six-tonne statue, which dates to the 4th Century BC is the largest </b></em><br /><em><b>known example of a Hapy statue [Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The exhibition will feature a number of extraordinary, monumental sculptures. A 5.4m granite statue of Hapy, a divine personification of the Nile’s flood, will greet visitors as they enter the space. Masterpieces from Egyptian museums such as the Apis bull from the Serapeum in Alexandria will be shown alongside magnificent recent finds from the sea. One such piece is the stunning sculpture from Canopus representing Arsinoe II (the eldest daughter of Ptolemy I, founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty). The Graeco-Macedonian queen became a goddess beloved to both Egyptians and Greeks after her death and is depicted here as the perfect embodiment of Aphrodite, a goddess of beauty ‘who grants fortunate sailing’.</p><p>The exhibition will also cover the arrival of Greeks in Egypt, when they were hosts and not rulers; privileged but controlled by the pharaohs. A complete stela from Thonis-Heracleion advertises a 380BC royal decree of the Egyptian pharaoh Nectanebo I. It states that 10% of the taxes collected on all goods imported from the ‘Sea of the Greeks’ into Thonis-Heracleion and on all trade operations at Naukratis were to be donated to an Egyptian temple.</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8fb1ntF2aP3A-N2FRg25cCvXsuodoSejbV-XibkBmo4EUoCC6AJf8UAFIhScKEE_J_6s18-eNwIVeWvzr2vMmmOV379D8o80Gx_2u6V0SQdVYtJWXqsEY4wzFFEPhuntcHXCPYO6yCw/s1111/BM_03.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>Divers manoeuvre a pink granite 'garden vat' discovered among the silty ruins</b></em><br /><em><b> of Heracleion [Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A wide range of objects, from modest to grand and costly, bears witness to the piety of both inhabitants and visitors at these major religious centres. Lead models of barges uncovered in the sacred waterway linking Thonis-Heracleion to Canopus are unique and moving finds. They are associated with the Mysteries of Osiris, the most popular festival celebrated annually across Egypt during the month of Khoiak (mid-October to mid-November). Ranging in size from 6 to 67cm, these reproduce in metal a flotilla of 34 papyrus barges that would have been displayed on a waterway to celebrate the first sacred navigation of the festival. According to religious texts, each barge was to measure 67.5 cm and to bear the figure of an Egyptian god, and would have been illuminated by 365 lamps. The lead barges are lasting testimonies possibly left by people who, long ago, celebrated this festival in the Canopic region.</p><p>Only a tiny proportion of these sites have revealed their secrets. The on-going underwater archaeological mission continues to bring to light new masterpieces and further research every year as the most recent finds from 2012 will show.</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEigFI0KRLPvqdbk6bnXl9rWwK34uYpLxuoWOcRfAVkNf_P_bVSYRoExyKX6TyLVJ7MMd2HvTRp0aZH2qw7ajfYtCAQjiW4Uxlcs4K3rGVj7nXHzOR3Lluowboj6N_ca5E5z1SQKM2TA/s1111/BM_04.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>A diver brushes away remains from a cow's jaw bone found at the site</b></em><br /><em><b> of Canopus [Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Sir Richard Lambert, Chairman of the British Museum, said, “It’s hugely exciting to be announcing the British Museum’s first large-scale exhibition of underwater discoveries and to be welcoming these important loans to London. We are grateful to BP for their ongoing support without which ambitious exhibitions such as these would simply not be possible. We’re also delighted to be working with Franck Goddio, his expert team at IEASM, the Hilti Foundation and of course our Egyptian colleagues to bring the extraordinary story of these lost cities to life.”</p><p>His Excellency Nasser Kamel, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Kingdom, said, "As well as looking for partners to invest in the Egyptian economy, Egypt is always searching for partners to help in exploring its heritage and treasures which are still hidden under its lands, and waters. This exhibition shows that despite what we know of its tremendous history and culture, Egypt still has a lot more to offer to?the world and we thank our partners in the UK, such as BP, for working with us in utilising our resources to develop our economy and through such an exhibition unraveling our history as well. I invite the people of Britain to visit this exhibition to get a glimpse of what Egypt has to offer, and come to Egypt to live that experience."</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVYX8zwwLbLt63hMRy02hKtqA9OSmNzc1xkZW6IsNHVFC5dKIKDtKXPK8700tG-SKkQMTj2jwndGimHoZH_IEqKafE1IBNXKomOJub0rHS-Ax52Qwzjgkurv-YF2W-rSc5aT94IxcJBE/s1111/BM_05.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>Life-size statue of Osiris, dating from the seventh century BC, </b></em><br /><em><b>which is being loaned from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive, BP, said, “BP is proud to support this fascinating exhibition which showcases the power of science and the pioneering spirit to discover what lies beneath the surface of the Nile Delta. By sharing these underwater treasures the British Museum is opening a whole new frontier for visitors to explore, and we are pleased to be a part of it.”</p><p>Franck Goddio, President of Institut Europeen d’Archeologie Sous-Marine (IEASM) and exhibition co-curator said “My team and I, as well as the Hilti Foundation, are delighted that the exhibition with discoveries from our underwater archaeological expeditions off the coast of Egypt will be on display at the British Museum. It enables us to share with the public the results of years of work at the sunken cities and our fascination for ancient worlds and civilisations. Placing our discoveries alongside selected masterpieces from the collections of Egyptian museums, complemented by important objects from the British Museum, the exhibition presents unique insights into a fascinating period in history during which Egyptians and Greeks encountered each other on the shores of the Mediterranean.”</p><figure><img alt="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzGUUC0LVizd_IaPPvuxzqiFz5xN71fW7rKF-vlgx9jMduUFM_nQv21RBxfbYtln7XtilRxDvISvHt-MegE7YJjZ-9Lm4ID7mVqVOV4SOVHdxbCqTIvUwV9g1UwVjOak69hoF47l8D80/s1111/BM_06.jpg" title="British Museum to launch first major exhibition of underwater archaeology in May 2016" /><figcaption><em><b>Statue of the Egyptian bull god Apis dating the the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian, </b></em><br /><em><b>is being loaned from the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria</b></em><br /><em><b> [Credit: © F Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation - </b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Christoph Gerigk]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Aurelia Masson-Berghoff, exhibition curator at the British Museum said “People sometimes assume that when two cultures mix, the essence of each is diluted and, as a result, weakened; this exhibition demonstrates the opposite. It is a rare opportunity to reveal the beauty and strength of Late Pharaonic art and culture, alongside the latest research on the momentous intermingling between Egyptian and Greek communities in Egypt at this time. We are illustrating this vibrant cosmopolitan world through Egyptian, Greek and ‘hybrid’ artworks, rarely ever displayed side by side. It shows ancient Egypt not as an isolated civilisation, but as the outward looking, influential and inclusive society that it was.”</p><p><em><b>Source: British Museum [February 14, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-1625427079242445372022-04-29T11:00:00.000-07:002022-04-29T11:00:00.190-07:00UK: Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th century monastery hospital<a name='more'></a><p>A mass burial of bodies, known to be victims of the Black Death, has been discovered at the site of a 14th-century monastery hospital at Thornton Abbey, Lincolnshire.</p><figure><img alt="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNuiH8XZeLG4dSgFa7sOeD64VNje5bglbv3QI1WJCw1vWk9ZY_U3yp0Gv1Rg_1wzPCS42z3QciyvQ1WP6widDh_6C5p4fdnloEUWqvdHQH9rE9LGUYFUYdaP2Nr5a0D8RE2J9BmyuuVIQ/s1111/black_death-1a.jpg" title="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" /><figcaption><em><b>A mass burial of bodies, known to be victims of the Black Death, has been discovered at the site of a 14th-century </b></em><br /><em><b>monastery hospital at Thornton Abbey, Lincolnshire [Credit: University of Sheffield]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeologists from the University of Sheffield revealed 48 skeletons, many of which were children, at the extremely rare Black Death burial site.</p><p>The Black Death was one of the worst pandemics in human history. It devastated European populations from 1346-1353 and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people.</p><p>The presence of such a large burial site, containing both male and female adults, as well as 27 children, suggests the local community was overwhelmed by the Black Death and was left unable to cope with the number of people who died.</p><figure><img alt="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrqlf_EuWFT-EavJ2-Xd20aFkQ78SlCmuawW_VLaU5jaMHBkOijSmUcwuiZwnQqkcdUHnrs_Z_2HMwLnDfR0owIfjt9cKsCojXTXzkEIiqTsvAi9gi3vKmakQahVJqGjSquDTcdS2q-91/s1111/black_death-2a.jpg" title="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" /><figcaption><em><b>Such a large burial ground suggests the community was overwhelmed by the sheer number of plague victims, </b></em><br /><em><b>said the researchers</b></em><em><b> [Credit: University of Sheffield]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Dr Hugh Willmott from the University of Sheffield's Department of Archaeology, who has been working on the excavation site since 2011, directed the excavations and explained why the find is of national importance.</p><p>"Despite the fact it is now estimated that up to half the population of England perished during the Black Death, multiple graves associated with the event are extremely rare in this country, and it seems local communities continued to dispose of their loved ones in as ordinary a way as possible," he said.</p><p>"The only two previously identified 14th-century sites where Yersinia pestis (the bacterium responsible for the plague) has been identified are historically documented cemeteries in London, where the civic authorities were forced to open new emergency burial grounds to cope with the very large numbers of the urban dead.</p><figure><img alt="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqVTWKvmaSO9TixptfHKmT9a2k1SxPdcqalWRtymiB_3kWNRx188pXlcgT0Y8TaJ7iJFTV6o4TH1k98kd6gWkvukPW37I6Hu8lHu2qUqSXpl3KwTMctDfG2l9Bq4BCXwBPS4tacE7AWCg/s1111/black_death-4a.jpg" title="Black death 'plague pit' discovered at 14th-century monastery hospital" /><figcaption><em><b>The Black Death devastated European populations between 1346 to 1353 CE and wiped out an estimated </b></em><br /><em><b>75 to 200 million people [Credit: University of Sheffield]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"The finding of a previously unknown and completely unexpected mass burial dating to this period in a quiet corner of rural Lincolnshire is thus far unique, and sheds light into the real difficulties faced by a small community ill prepared to face such a devastating threat."</p><p>Dr Willmott added: "While skeletons are interesting, they just represent the end of somebody's life and actually what we are interested in as archaeologists is the life they led before they died.</p><p>"One of the ways we can connect with that is through the everyday objects they left behind.</p><p>"One artefact that we found at Thornton Abbey was a little pendant. It is a Tau Cross and was found in the excavated hospital building. This pendant was used by some people as a supposed cure against a condition called St Antony's fire, which in modern day science is probably a variety of skin conditions.</p><p>class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" allowvr="" frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen="true" onmousewheel="" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/b9418357b7a74012ac85422591fc7dbd/embed" webkitallowfullscreen="true"></iframe> <br />R004 Crouched burial. by Courtenay-Elle on Sketchfab<br />"Before we began the dig the site was just an ordinary green field grazed by sheep for hundreds of years, but like many fields across England, as soon as you take away the turf, layers of history can be revealed by archaeology."</p><p>Teeth samples from the skeletons found at the Thornton Abbey site were sent to McMaster University in Canada where ancient DNA was successfully extracted from the tooth pulp. Tests on the DNA revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, which is documented to have reached Lincolnshire in the spring of 1349.</p><p>Dr Diana Mahoney Swales, from the University of Sheffield's Department for Lifelong Learning, who is leading the study of the bodies, said: "Once the skeletons return to the lab we start properly learning who these people really are.</p><p>class="sketchfab-embed-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="" allowvr="" frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen="true" onmousewheel="" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/df9e9aac59954b1aa5cef49c4449e2f1/embed" webkitallowfullscreen="true"></iframe> <br />Tau Cross by Courtenay-Elle on Sketchfab<br />"We do this by identifying whether they are male or female, children or adults. And then we start to investigate the diseases that they may have lived through, such as metabolic diseases like rickets and scurvy which are degenerative diseases for the skeleton. However for diseases such as plague, which are lethal, we have to use ancient DNA analysis to investigate that further."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Sheffield [November 30, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-24319786644189479392022-04-29T03:30:00.000-07:002022-04-29T03:30:00.183-07:00Space Exploration: Scientists identify mineral that destroys organic compounds, with implications for Mars Curiosity Mission<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists have discovered that the mineral jarosite breaks down organic compounds when it is flash-heated, with implications for Mars research.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists identify mineral that destroys organic compounds, with implications for Mars Curiosity Mission" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOopKC_NyicU5XQfNc4hbSYXF-n2K0BpuHTR0ZY3idCo3IyE1J-NwLEcxFgfbQkbkNjUs91gIDZq7uUH2Ke-SY5hujnZIqSg91VptlIPwdXxzM2d4B0pm21pvxSFUYZMk6a8zzQBvtSrQ/s1111/Mars-mineral_02.jpg" title="Scientists identify mineral that destroys organic compounds, with implications for Mars Curiosity Mission" /><figcaption><em><b>Curiosity self-portrait during drilling aim [Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Jarosite is an iron sulphate and it is one of several minerals that NASA’s Curiosity Mission is searching for, as its presence could indicate ancient habitable environments, which may have once hosted life on the red planet.</p><p>In a new study published today in the journal Astrobiology, researchers from Imperial College London and the Natural History Museum replicated a technique that one of the Curiosity Rover’s on-board instruments is using to analyse soil samples, in its quest to find organic compounds. They tested a combination of jarosite and organic compounds. They discovered that the instrument’s technique -which uses intense bursts of heat called flash-heating – broke down jarosite into sulphur dioxide and oxygen, with the oxygen then destroying the organic compounds, leaving no trace of it behind.</p><p>The concern is that if jarosite is present in soil samples that Curiosity analyses, researchers may not be able to detect it because both the jarosite and any organic compounds could be destroyed by the flash-heating process.</p><p>In 2014, Professor Mark Sephton, co-author of today’s study, investigated the mineral perchlorate. This mineral also causes problems for flash-heating experiments as it breaks down to give off oxygen and chlorine gas, which in turn react with any organic compounds, breaking them down into carbon dioxide and water. Professor Sephton showed that though perchlorate was problematic, scientists could potentially use the carbon dioxide resulting from the experiment to detect the presence of organic compounds in the sample being analysed.</p><p>Professor Sephton, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, said: “The destructive properties of some iron sulphates and perchlorate to organic matter may explain why current and previous missions have so far offered no conclusive evidence of organic matter preserved on Mars’ surface. This is despite the fact that scientists have known from previous studies that organic compounds have been delivered to Mars via comets, meteorites and interplanetary dust throughout its history.”</p><figure><img alt="Scientists identify mineral that destroys organic compounds, with implications for Mars Curiosity Mission" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuXdCkc2RK8ddcjjGbKQELUiSu8fnXzu-qf5rSZGvMURjpC-ZGi-ORIXT1yuV7l9lyfl9mqwW3MlbSjhzJ3ORKCvMoeweS1Xl6fdh5gMgilvqx88pFU489N85CG9SWVBvdHuKkE8BUp11/s1111/Mars-mineral.jpg" title="Scientists identify mineral that destroys organic compounds, with implications for Mars Curiosity Mission" /><figcaption><em><b>Jarosite on quartz [Credit: Dave Dyet http://www.dyet.com]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>To make Curiosity’s search for signs of life more effective, the team are now exploring how Curiosity might be able to compensate for the impact of these minerals on the search for organic compounds. Their work could have important implications for both the Curiosity mission and also the upcoming European-led ExoMars 2018 Rover mission, which will be drilling for subsurface samples of the red planet and using the same flash-heating method to look for evidence of past or present alien life.</p><p>James Lewis, co-author of the study from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, added: “Our study is helping us to see that if jarosite is detected then it is clear that flash-heating experiments looking for organic compounds may not be completely successful. However, the problem is that jarosite is evidence of systems that might have supported life, so it is not a mineral that scientists can completely avoid in their analysis of soils on Mars. We hope our study will help scientists with interpreting Mars data and assist them to sift through the huge amount of excellent data that Curiosity is currently generating to find signs that Mars was once able to sustain life.”</p><p>On Earth, iron sulphate minerals like jarosite form in the harsh acidic waters flowing out of sulphur rich rocks. Despite the adverse conditions, these waters are a habitat for bacteria that use these dissolved sulphate ions. This makes these minerals of great interest to scientists studying Mars, as their presence on the red planet provide evidence that acidic liquid water was present at the same time the minerals formed, which could have provided an environment favourable for harbouring ancient microbial Martian life.</p><p>On board Curiosity, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument analyses soil samples for evidence of organic compounds by progressively heating samples up to around 1000 C, which releases gases. These gases can then be analysed by techniques called gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which can identify molecules in the gas and see if any organic compounds are present. It is these SAM instrument experiments that the researchers behind today’s study replicated with jarosite and organic compounds.</p><p>The researchers stress that not all sulphates break down to react with organic compounds. For example, those containing calcium and magnesium would not break down until extremely high temperatures were reached during the analysis, and therefore would not affect any organic compounds present.</p><p>The team suggest that if jarosite is found in samples on Mars, then it may be possible for Curiosity’s SAM instrument to distinguish a spike in carbon dioxide level, which, as Professor Sephton has shown previously with perchlorate, would act as an indicator that organic material is present and being broken down by the heating process.</p><p>The next step will see the researchers using synthetic jarosite in their experiments, which will enable a cleaner decomposition process to occur when the mineral is flash-heated. This will allow for more precise quantitative measurements to be taken when the oxygen is being released. Ultimately, they hope this will enable more precise calculations to be carried out on Mars mineral samples to find ways in which Curiosity can identify the presence of these mineral to mitigate their impact on organic matter.</p><p>The jarosite samples used in the experiments in the study were collected from Brownsea Island in Dorset, with the permission and assistance from the National Trust.</p><p><em><b>Source: Imperial College London [February 19, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-64293965395653771522022-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:002022-04-28T05:00:00.174-07:00Fossils: Decline of crocodile ancestors was good news for early marine turtles<a name='more'></a><p>Marine turtles experienced an evolutionary windfall thanks to a mass extinction of crocodyliforms around 145 million years ago, say researchers.</p><figure><img alt="Decline of crocodile ancestors was good news for early marine turtles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKEtbkuYv0E35NFsH8_-lxFIKU71t9tNg3lmN2RKp1hSLivpVjP2NPP7TPU6Ei1mp7ilhF7pKCABHJpoKUeRAW6MO46xKZB-4yGN3yeuSRXiPN7WrNr3mXocVYpYy1vWLfUBVVUAQ8NY/s1111/Jurassic-croc_02.jpg" title="Decline of crocodile ancestors was good news for early marine turtles" /><figcaption><em><b>Marine turtles experienced an evolutionary windfall thanks to a mass extinction </b></em><br /><em><b>of crocodyliforms around 145 million years ago, say researchers </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Crocodyliforms comprise modern crocodiles and alligators and their ancient ancestors, which were major predators that thrived on Earth millions of years ago. They evolved into a variety of species including smaller ones that lived on land through to mega-sized sea-swimming species that were up to 12 metres long. However, around 145 million years ago crocodyliforms, along with many other species, experienced a severe decline - an extinction event during a period between two epochs known as the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary.</p><p>Now a PhD student and his colleagues from Imperial College London and University College London have carried out an extensive analysis of 200 species of crocodyliforms from a fossil database. One of the findings of the study is that the timing of the extinction coincided with the origin of modern marine turtles. The team suggest that the ecological pressure may have been lifted from early marine turtle ancestors due to the extinction of many marine crocodyliforms, which were one of their primary predators.</p><p>Jon Tennant, lead author of the study from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial, said: "This major extinction of crocodyliforms was literally a case of out with the old and in with the new for many species. Marine turtles, the gentle, graceful creatures of the sea, may have been one of the major winners from this changing of the old guard. They began to thrive in oceans around the world when their ferocious arch-predators went into terminal decline."</p><figure><img alt="Decline of crocodile ancestors was good news for early marine turtles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_ldkbpTxCy4azs9G1jpjNn925lHny524neRqAheFLL69lGPkozjk7c1UloyQ0mlT96NnCdp4_qR9oFEgYcC5t_p33pUAkV594aoAbqkWlQg7bgERT14sIg7QAa6piCtbJlopCSvPyzo/s1111/Jurassic-croc_01.jpg" title="Decline of crocodile ancestors was good news for early marine turtles" /><figcaption><em><b>An artist's illustration shows what the Jurassic-age crocodile may have</b></em><br /><em><b> looked like in the water [Credit: Jon Hughes]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In the study, published in the journal <em><b>Proceedings of the Royal Society B</b></em>, the researchers point to evidence in the records of a dramatic extinction of crocodyliforms during the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. Up to 80 per cent of species on land and in marine environments were wiped out. This decline was primarily due to a drop in sea levels, which led to a closing off of shallow marine environments such as lagoons and coastal swamps. These were the homes and primary hunting grounds for many crocodyliforms.</p><p>The decimation of many marine crocodyliforms may also have laid the way for their ecological replacement by other large predatory groups such as modern shark species and new types of plesiosaurs. Plesiosaurs were long-necked, fat-bodied and small-headed ocean-going creatures with fins, which later went extinct around 66 million years ago.</p><p>Other factors that contributed to the decline of marine crocodyliforms included a change in the chemistry of ocean water with increased sulphur toxicity and a depletion of oxygen.</p><p>While primitive crocodyliform species on land also suffered major declines, the remaining species diversified into new groups such as the now extinct notosuchians, which were much smaller in size at around 1.5 metres in length. Eusuchians also came to prominence after the extinction, which led to today's crocodiles.</p><p>To carry out the study on crocodyliforms the team used the Paleobiology Database, which is a professionally curated digital archive of all known fossil records. The team analysed almost 1,200 crocodyliform fossil records.</p><p>Scientists have known since the early 1970s about the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary extinction from fossil records. However, researchers have focussed on other extinction events and as a consequence less has been done to understand in detail the effects of Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary extinction on species like crocodyliforms.</p><p>The next steps will see the analysis extended to other groups including dinosaurs, amphibians and mammals to learn more about the effects of the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary on their biodiversity</p><p><em><b>Source: Imperial College London [March 09, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-81510149811074961222022-04-27T09:03:00.000-07:002022-04-27T09:03:42.337-07:00Early Humans: Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought<a name='more'></a><p>Human teeth discovered in southern China provide evidence that our species left the African continent up to 70,000 years earlier than prevailing theories suggest, a study published on Wednesday said.</p><figure><img alt="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgW7RW8QGlOx7NWBtoZbfpqd8YFqKKDni65duHq20EGbxFogfuVXyvM4Ab_ojJGTUFG2OxxLjDAz_DbNCecTex-Huri6prqMy1woiiCARuCoNrZZ_R1DA6uY-npbCjEHp2U-AYUErwTfsI/s1111/out-of-africa_01.jpg" title="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" /><figcaption><em><b>47 human teeth found in the Fuyan Cave, Daoxian, in southern China </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/S. Xing and X-J. Wu]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Homo sapiens reached present-day China 80,000-120,000 years ago, according to the study, which could redraw the migration map for modern humans.</p><p>"The model that is generally accepted is that modern humans left Africa only 50,000 years ago," said Maria Martinon-Torres, a researcher at University College London and a co-author of the study.</p><p>"In this case, we are saying the H. sapiens is out of Africa much earlier," she told the peer-reviewed journal Nature, which published the study.</p><p>While the route they travelled remains unknown, previous research suggests the most likely path out of East Africa to east Asia was across the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East.</p><p>The findings also mean that the first truly modern humans -- thought to have emerged in east Africa some 200,000 years ago -- landed in China well before they went to Europe.</p><p>There is no evidence to suggest that H. sapiens entered the European continent earlier than 45,000 years ago, at least 40,000 years after they showed up in present-day China.</p><p>The 47 teeth exhumed from a knee-deep layer of grey, sandy clay inside the Fuyan Cave near the town of Daoxian closely resemble the dental gear of "contemporary humans," according to the study.</p><p>They could only have come from a population that migrated from Africa, rather than one that evolved from an another species of early man such as the extinct Homo erectus, the authors said.</p><p>The scientists also unearthed the remains of some 38 mammals, including specimens of five extinct species, one of them a giant panda larger than those in existence today.</p><figure><img alt="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV_pKjeh83NUfuuSk0HSERSBkNVDCILggBNnsTdNJ5cLIK6tjoUgzrOCODl0mNKvJ8DzeMHlftJEF6a9FKRgs4Rj7Z9rVLo7-Zu-kPADXIQRyM3BykUo0gaAB4ieym3W3GWxfuANPDCE-/s1111/out-of-africa_02.jpg" title="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" /><figcaption><em><b>The location and interior views of the Fuyan Cave, with dating sample (lower left), </b></em><br /><em><b>plan view of the excavation area with stratigraphy layer marked (C) </b></em><br /><em><b>and the spatial relationship of the excavated regions </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Y-J Cai, X-X Yang, and X-J Wu]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>No tools were found.</p><p>"Judging by the cave environment, it may not have been a living place for humans," lead author Wu Liu from the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing told AFP.</p><p>The study, published in the journal Nature, also rewrites the timeline of early man in China.</p><p>Up to now, the earliest proof of H. sapiens east of the Arabian Peninsula came from the Tianyuan Cave near Beijing, and dated from no more than 40,000 years ago.</p><p>The new discovery raises questions about why it took so long for H. sapiens to find their way to nearby Europe.</p><p>"Why is it that modern humans -- who were already at the gates -- didn't really get into Europe?", Martinon-Torres asked.</p><p>Wu and colleagues propose two explanations.</p><p>The first is the intimidating presence of Neanderthal man. While this species of early human eventually died out, they were spread across the European continent up until at least some 50,000 years ago.</p><p>"The classic idea is that H. sapiens... took over the Neanderthal empire, but maybe Neanderthals were a kind of ecological barrier, and Europe was too small a place" for both, Martinon-Torres said.</p><figure><img alt="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuZkWISQBlDG0McP20UBUhQzcEMushrTFYs-X7cKOfO64h1IzXzoBJrL3DrNzOsQSw9I3RKU0EOjKCaJiJ6a9BG6tOh7QJN5HlFhhrZysjEn-UB7BM7KAFZiI1KuSKLM-fWiG9Id-ZrtO/s1111/out-of-africa_03.jpg" title="Modern humans out of Africa sooner than thought" /><figcaption><em><b>Human upper teeth found in the Fuyan Cave, Daoxian, </b></em><br /><em><b>in southern China [Credit: AFP/S. Xing and X-J. Wu]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Another impediment might have been the cold.</p><p>Up until the Ice Age ended 12,000 years ago, ice sheets stretched across a good part of the European continent, a forbidding environment for a new species emerging from the relative warmth of East Africa.</p><p>"H. sapiens originated in or near the tropics, so it makes sense that the species' initial dispersal was eastwards rather than northwards, where winter temperatures rapidly fell below freezing," Robin Dennell of the University of Exeter said in a commentary, also in Nature.</p><p>Martinon-Torres laid out some of the questions to be addressed in future research, using both genetics and fossil records.</p><p>"What are the origins of these populations, and what was their fate? Did they vanish? Could they be the ancestors of later and current populations that entered Europe?"</p><p>She also suggested there might have been "different movements and migrations" out of Africa, not just one.</p><p>Besides the prehistoric panda, called Ailuropoda baconi, the scientists found an extinct species of a giant spotted hyaena.</p><p>An elephant-like creature called Stegodon orientalis and a giant tapir, also present, were species that may have survived into the era when the Chinese had developed writing, some 3500 years ago.</p><p>The cache of teeth nearly went unnoticed, Wu told AFP.</p><p>He and his Chinese colleagues discovered the cave -- and its menagerie of long-deceased animals -- in the 1980s, but had no inkling that it also contained human remains.</p><p>But 25 years later, while revisiting the site, Wu had a hunch.</p><p>"By thinking about the cave environment, we realised that human fossils might be found there," he told AFP by email. "So we started a five-year excavation."</p><p><em><b>Author: Marlowe Hood | Source: AFP [October 14, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-91974446919650661362022-04-27T09:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T09:00:01.515-07:00Greater Middle East: Rosetta-style inscription unearthed in Egypt<a name='more'></a><p>A 2,200 year-old “an upright stone slab bearing a commemorative inscription” was unearthed at the Mediterranean coast, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty announced Thursday.</p><figure><img alt="Rosetta-style inscription unearthed in Egypt" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZusqz5pztXAhNcvrq1e6p4FRHcCNcQp9dRDxvXlT9GEOE35UQ-z2lZJhtLH3XfQfhtJ2wLHiJN4dXAs0El3xABF8U7-7qzfWuZZsMm89FVMtI3N7dZZYps6yjpsNsSlPhj5XgIoydQhl0/s1111/Egypt-inscript_01b.jpg" title="Rosetta-style inscription unearthed in Egypt" /><figcaption><em><b>The stele bearing hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions was discovered </b></em><br /><em><b>at Taposiris Magna [Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The stele, which was discovered at Taposiris Magna archaeological site on Lake Mariout, southwest of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, “dates to the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204B.C-180B.C) of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (332 B.C.-30 B.C) that has ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.” said Damaty in a statement on the ministry’s Facebook page.</p><p>The stele, measuring 1.05 X 0.65X0.18 meters, was discovered by an archaeology mission of the Catholic University of Santo Domingo in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), he added.</p><p>“It consists of two registers carved in two different scripts; the upper one features over 20 lines of hieroglyphic inscriptions bearing the cartouches [oval shapes bearing royal names only] of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes, his sister Princess Cleopatra I, his mother Queen Arsinoe III and his father King Ptolemy IV Philopator,” said Damaty adding that archaeologists are currently working on transliterating the text.</p><figure><img alt="Rosetta-style inscription unearthed in Egypt" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMJqUqq-ii16hXoeo1XiqIzFyEHG7Fc4mxEDPHpjz6uTrbGi2mFS65RIo7-H67Tcb6ADIUtpN58FlnF7NzwSAHs2vIh8kOOVViPe25Ze4L8vRW3d3KQZgjI0hDlT22yMtzLsJ5n0lxm0e/s1111/Egypt-inscript_03.jpg" title="Rosetta-style inscription unearthed in Egypt" /><figcaption><em><b>View of the Osiris Temple at Taposiris Magna </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Koantao/WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The bottom register features a 5-line demotic script that seems to be a translation of the hieroglyphic inscriptions, said Damaty.</p><p>Demotic language was used by ordinary people while hieroglyphic was used by royals, high officials, priests and the elite of the ancient Egyptian society.</p><p>The famous Rosetta stone, currently displayed in the British Museum in London, dates back to the reign of the same Greek king but was carved in hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek scripts, according to Damaty.</p><p>Chief of the Dominican Egyptian archaeology mission, Dr. Kathleen Martinez said that the mission, has been working at Taposiris Magna for six years, has made a lot of significant discoveries related to the history of Alexandria. “Some of the major discoveries are tombs of Nobles, a number of statues of goddess Isis in addition to many bronze coins belonging to Queen Cleopatra VII, the famous Cleopatra of Anthony,” said Martinez.</p><p><em><b>Author: Rany Mostafa | Source: The Cairo Post [February 12, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-60509927060003564762022-04-27T08:58:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:58:22.801-07:00France: 6,000-yr-old skeletons in French pit were victims of violence<a name='more'></a><p>A gruesome discovery in eastern France casts new light on violent conflicts that took lives — and sometimes just limbs — around 6,000 years ago.</p><figure><img alt="6,000-yr-old skeletons in French pit were victims of violence" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMw-Ew1WC6bnYWogMzNDnq9iA3dEj0h3eJ_0UkZGzwMVunVFKv6KKHW_NGkGa56YRIp7YN9RN2CTd7KkPXK8D1j9zZ4zeAiqGs_gKz5qzWZiyv0SF1CamExoqMN2THI3jq6l1IUYa0mOg/s1111/France_01.jpg" title="6,000-yr-old skeletons in French pit were victims of violence" /><figcaption><em><b>A circular pit excavated in France (left) contains the remains of eight people probably </b></em><br /><em><b>killed in a violent attack around 6,000 years ago. Seven severed left arms lay at the</b></em><br /><em><b> bottom of the pit. A diagram of the pit discoveries denotes bones of each individual</b></em><br /><em><b> in different colors [Credit: F. Chenal et al/Antiquity 2015, </b></em><br /><em><b>© Bertrand Perrin/Antea]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Excavations of a 2-meter-deep circular pit in Bergheim revealed seven human skeletons plus a skull section from an infant strewn atop the remains of seven human arms, say anthropologist Fanny Chenal of Antea Archéologie in Habsheim, France, and her colleagues.</p><p>Two men, one woman and four children were killed, probably in a raid or other violent encounter, the researchers report in the December Antiquity. Their bodies were piled in a pit that already contained a collection of left arms hacked off by axes or other sharp implements. Scattered hand bones at the bottom of the pit suggest that hands from the severed limbs had been deliberately cut into pieces.</p><p>It’s unclear who the arms belonged to. All the Bergheim skeletons have both their arms except for a man with skull damage caused by violent blows. His skeleton lacks a left arm, the researchers say. They have been unable to determine whether that arm ended up in the pit.</p><p>Chenal’s group doesn’t know whether attackers targeted victims’ left arms for a particular reason. The arms could have been taken as war trophies, the team speculates.</p><p>Radiocarbon dating of two bones indicates that individuals in the Bergheim pit lived roughly 6,000 years ago. From 6,500 to 5,500 years ago, during what’s known as the Neolithic period, one of the many ways of disposing of the dead in farming communities throughout Central and Western Europe was in circular pits.</p><figure><img alt="6,000-yr-old skeletons in French pit were victims of violence" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUGOAlKC0pFq49RL8ZQvvISAFLIInnr6FwEuKgHKsZlhyVjUfE_4_s1tUZguvkrL3lv4vZm8oda-HG08jzBxw7cOV9yZh9nfomavTUiku-bqOvkMPk0uggF8PEi9DP0S8rkO0JAwG2bUG/s1111/France_02.jpg" title="6,000-yr-old skeletons in French pit were victims of violence" /><figcaption><em><b>Fractures and stone-tool incisions appear on left forearm bones from </b></em><br /><em><b>severed limbs found in a circular pit dating to 6,000 years ago </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: F. Chenal et al/Antiquity 2015]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Discoveries of human and nonhuman bones, as well as pottery, in these pits go back more than a century. The Bergheim pit provides the first evidence that people killed and mutilated in raids or battles were sometimes buried in circular pits, too, says study coauthor Bruno Boulestin, an anthropologist at the University of Bordeaux in France.</p><p>Unusual deposits in Neolithic circular pits, such as attack victims and severed limbs at Bergheim, “may have been more common than previously expected,” says biological anthropologist Silvia Bello of the Natural History Museum in London, who did not participate in the new study. She suspects, for instance, that closer inspection of human bones previously found in circular pits elsewhere in Europe will reveal additional instances of violent deaths from a time when armed conflicts occurred between some communities.</p><p>Bergheim’s brutalized victims spice up attempts to make sense of Neolithic circular pits. Many researchers regard these pits as remnants of storage silos that were put to other uses, possibly as receptacles for the bodies of people deemed unworthy of formal burials.</p><p>Others argue that a large proportion of pits were dug as graves for high-ranking individuals, whose servants or relatives were killed to accompany them. Or, slaves might have been killed and put in pits as displays of wealth or as sacrifices to gods.</p><p>Of 60 circular pits excavated in Bergheim in 2012 in advance of a construction project, 14 contained human bones. The researchers found skeletons or isolated bones of at least one to five individuals in each of 13 pits. The final pit contained the bodies and limbs described in the new paper.</p><p>Joints of severed arms and skeletons in that pit were well-preserved, indicating that all had been placed there at or around the same time with a minimum amount of jostling disturbance. The pit also contained remains of a piece of jewelry made with a mussel’s valve, a stone arrowhead, a fragment of a pig’s jaw and two hare skeletons. The skeleton of a woman who had been put in the pit later lay on top of a sediment layer encasing those finds.</p><p>Neither that woman nor human remains in the other Bergheim pits showed signs of violent death or limb loss.</p><p><em><b>Author: Bruce Bower | Source: Science News [December 12, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-83994266161849908432022-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:57:34.118-07:00UK: The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre <a name='more'></a><p>As the detailed 3 month excavation of Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre comes to a close and development of >The Stage gets underway, recent discoveries are poised to completely transform our understanding of the evolution of Elizabethan theatres.</p><figure><img alt="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4Ny4McAX4KhvkvenznzBALeaVXM6zMrmBQ30yrJoYuoU4w2UGcJz8-oZIb0XHGVU0Oh0av3SIgWwcbjh-mX1cmMZJ458WcPFW_9VyGKY7ccSY7k7OLu_otY48Fh_WfAD2PixvLIBB8-G/s1111/CurtainTheatre01.jpg" title="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " /><figcaption><em><b>The Curtain Theatre [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>After further careful excavation, it has now been confirmed that the rectangular theatre was purpose built for performance and entertainment, and housed a long, rectangular stage with evidence of an unusual passageway running beneath it.</p><p>The early stages of the dig confirmed that the theatre was not the polygonal structure we had anticipated, but this latest set of discoveries give us more detail about this early Elizabethan theatre. The discovery of an oblong stage which is far longer than expected and the mysterious passageway offers a tantalising glimpse into the secrets that are still to be uncovered. The MOLA teams is now embarking on post-excavation work to further explore the relationship between the unusual shape of the stage, the production and staging and the mysterious backstage areas.</p><figure><img alt="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfFVxuMbcVOCoUEHvOGWGnY2bMt8smfZIDB0Jftw9qhn5-cqWvKizhs9VR7aYw6rCOzgFdyp1ipI_a52gq4_EoJk6hLEBExPnEIei7OaPiJ5Do3ykspLvL5p_YsrE5zAq8PEZpR12mk_w/s1111/CurtainTheatre02.jpg" title="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " /><figcaption><em><b>16th century money pot finials [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Discovering that the theatre was purpose built tells us this was not a repurposed space with a stage added, it was a place where people came to be immersed in entertainment. It had timber galleries with mid and upper areas for those who could afford to spend a little more, and a courtyard made from compacted gravel for those with less to spend.</p><p>Throughout findings, archaeologists have also been able to tell that The Curtain Theatre is one of earliest Elizabethan playhouses where people actually paid money to see performances and be entertained. We know this because fragments of ceramic money boxes have been found. These fragments are a really exciting find because the pots would have been used to collect the entry fees from theatregoers and then been taken to an office to be smashed and the money counted. This office was known as the ‘box office’, which is actually the origin of the term we still use today!</p><figure><img alt="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjtQad5-_zF1vno8vadUlHkrPYYv_0W_x4HTjDCKdeSLWW_Nde1ILoZ-RO4ZVzehp-WStU-LtUlR_FjV_JGTORjoTYDt4AF6CEgKqasYh41YSp0AhdkzTqquufAUU-KNJGHV2P-MAk2TW/s1111/CurtainTheatre04.jpg" title="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " /><figcaption><em><b>A Bartmann jug medallion [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The excavation team also found glass beads and pins, these are small but fascinating finds that can offer us a glimpse backstage, as they may have come from actors’ costumes. They also unearthed drinking vessels and clay pipes, which relate to the making merry of revelling theatregoers and actors.</p><p>We now know so much more about the theatre than ever before and these discoveries offer a rare and exciting opportunity to explore the new questions they pose.</p><figure><img alt="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxEw7e89-iPmYR9zmpytVmJ7yXZp7ZRvKv2odMVeCnaupDoknV2Sc24ZalEOPN0lu3qnQIii6FqXpqEf4VfovlO9SJsM0RNx0v9llOAZTrI1WDH1Krtsg8ZXrbdGmHDDxMcpu1L516ylJ/s1111/CurtainTheatre03.jpg" title="The stage is set at Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre " /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologist records the remains at the Curtain Theatre [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>For now, the excavated remains of the Curtain Theatre, which takes its name from Curtain Road, have been carefully covered over with a protective membrane and a special type of pH neutral sand, while construction of The Stage, a new £750m mixed-use development backed by a consortium led by Cain Hoy and designed by architects Perkins+Will, continues.</p><p>A display of the finds will sit alongside the theatre remains as part of a cultural and visitor centre at the heart of the completed development, which will also feature 33,000 sq ft of retail, over 200,000 sq ft of office space, more than 400 homes, and over an acre of vibrant public space including a performance area and a park.</p><p><em><b>Source: Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) [November 11, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-89094344801219880062022-04-27T08:39:00.001-07:002022-04-27T08:39:48.851-07:00UK: Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'<a name='more'></a><p>The Hundred Years War might not be quite over just yet with an apparent Franco-British row brewing over Joan of Arc's gold-plated ring.</p><figure><img alt="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJVOxRZ9CL-8pREpbBrF6KSSQtIS7Q7gQMVBvBbBb-b73uGIw_CFyL4F3s-48S4rtQ2h6ve3cr0iXOZ59aGtuDOyOx9o1MQdhDEu9n-HT7g36343nwvHb4GVfWKxvsf6VKkH3LtAA1h99/s1111/Arc-ring_01b.jpg" title="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" /><figcaption><em><b>The 15th-century ring believed to have been owned by the </b></em><br /><em><b>French heroine Joan of Arc [Credit: AFP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Just as the historic gold-plated ring was safely back in French hands it’s emerged that British authorities want it back.</p><p>The saga of Joan of Arc’s ring took a new twist on Sunday just as it was officially unveiled on its return to France.</p><p>The ring thought to belong toFrance's most famous historical martyr, Joan of Arc, was unveiled on Sunday at the Puy de Fou historical theme park in the western Vendee region.</p><p>Some 5,000 spectators turned out to see the unveiling of the ring, that the park had bought at a London auction for €376, 833 ($425,000).</p><p>"It's a little bit of France that has returned. The ring has come back to France and will stay here," said Philippe de Villiers, the founder of Puy de Fou told the crowd.</p><p>The ring had thought to have been in Britain for over six centuries and de Villiers told spectators that there was “a new twist” in the story of the ring.</p><p>“The British government has sent our lawyer an unprecedented demand: the return of the ring to London,” de Villers told the shocked crowd.</p><p>“We are told that the National Arts Council considers this ring part of those objects with, and I quote ‘high national symbolic value’ and as such should have part of a special legislation.”</p><figure><img alt="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivCmIoPFKUZYafnRWB5FY1UkabGTYXo1e7cDha4VvfsqqlUppcfcYxWYItOz-Hyhg2Nx2-862lepS1zHbF0qLH07i6AalV8y8XLfkY4jlEXoCvLG-V0Miu7SYE8gDTyCDLED7lZImM30s/s1111/Arc-ring_02.jpg" title="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" /><figcaption><em><b>The inscription reads "Jesus and Mary" </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Timeline Auctions]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>According to the demand, on purchasing the ring the Puy de Fou park should have obtained a special export license necessary under European regulations.</p><p>De Villiers said that they had checked the rules and claimed they only apply if the object is taken out of the European Union.</p><p>He then mocked the British and the potential of a Brexit fro the EU by telling the crowd: “It is not at all our intention to have a Puy de Fou exit.</p><p>He then sent a defiant message to the British government.</p><p>“Ladies and gentlemen from Britain, if you want to see the ring, then come to the Puy de Fou. For the rest it’s too late,” he said.</p><p>Joan of Arc, who fought against the English occupation of France during the Hundred Years' War, was burned alive at the stake but became a symbol of French resistance and was later made a saint by the Catholic Church.</p><p>The official unveiling saw the ring carried on a cushion in a wooden ark, with its own honour guard and a military procession.</p><p>The gold-plated silver ring was dated to the 15th century by an Oxford laboratory, but the trove of historical documents that came with it have yet to prove it belonged to the famous French martyr.</p><p>"They are only at the start of the exploration. It's a lot of work but a beautiful adventure," said expert Vanessa Soupault, who saw the ring recently.</p><figure><img alt="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX49orcWWi101kbKaADMWfXmceqBBB1OX8a0uDhZGGMSkxbcuZBZ0kNOXDEuaGaaK15GwGQDf-zBe1WtSNuTKAWgrdbuhoFMMiDJGVwqJ_l-VlXmCNYrJ9LwzYzfqpgrq_hXqI1y2_YiOJ/s1111/Arc-ring_03.jpg" title="Britain demands France return 'Joan of Arc’s ring'" /><figcaption><em><b>The ring was sold for $425,000 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Timeline Auctions]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The bulky piece of jewellery features three engraved crosses and the inscription "JHS-MAR", signifying "Jesus-Maria".</p><p>That fits a description recorded at Joan of Arc's trial in 1431, where she told the court the ring had been given by her parents.</p><p>Puy du Fou says the ring was probably enlarged and modified at some point in the last 200 years.</p><p>However the difficulty of tracing the ring's path through the centuries has left many historians sceptical.</p><p>Part of the problem is the number of copies in circulation. There was even a tombola in the early 20th century in which prizes included versions of the ring.</p><p>"Around Joan of Arc, we already have several cases of false objects," said Olivier Bouzy, head of the Joan of Arc archives in the north-central French town of Orleans</p><p><em><b>Source: The Local [April 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-56457393380528753742022-04-26T11:59:00.002-07:002022-04-26T11:59:40.609-07:00Travel: 'Defining beauty: The body in ancient Greek art' at the British Museum<a name='more'></a><p>This spring the British Museum will stage a major exhibition on the human body in ancient Greek art, sponsored by Julius Baer.</p><p><img alt="'Defining beauty: The body in ancient Greek art' at the British Museum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8U507T7U0D9seTh9PUlI5VY2I5ZKIpcKkDx4Z6zDaljbDSq2GyyCfT9cFjRP94flmPhUyPktWhGP21Ek_qRd53ifIqC79ZvAFmvIlEMszicscxWTBUQR1hplA3NtnF2GriO-bU8fciim_/s1111/BM_03.jpg" title="'Defining beauty: The body in ancient Greek art' at the British Museum" /><br />This exhibition will explore the Greek experience and its preoccupation with the human form. To the ancient Greeks the body was a thing of beauty and a bearer of meaning. The remarkable works of art in the exhibition range from the abstract simplicity of prehistoric figurines to breathtaking realism in the age of Alexander the Great. Giving form to thought, these works continued to inspire artists for hundreds of years and, over time, shaped the way we think of ourselves.</p><p>The exhibition will feature around 150 objects, including some of the most beautiful Greek sculpture to have survived from antiquity. In addition to iconic white marble statues, the exhibition will include exquisite works in terracotta, beautiful bronzes and fascinating vases that demonstrate the quality and inventiveness of ancient Greek craftsmen. Outstanding objects from the British Museum, one of the most important collections of Greek art in the world, will be shown alongside extraordinary loans from other world-class collections.</p><p>Ancient Greek sculpture was both art and experience. The exhibition will present sculpture as an encounter between viewer and the object. The first such encounter will be a newly discovered original bronze sculpture of a nude athlete, scraping his body with a metal tool after exercise and before bathing. Raised off the seabed near Lošinj, Croatia in 1999, this rare survival of an ancient bronze statue will be shown for the first time in Britain after years of conservation.</p><p>For the first time, six Parthenon sculptures will be taken out of the permanent Parthenon gallery and will be installed in the temporary exhibition in order to contribute to a different narrative from their usual context. As a supreme example of the work of the sculptor Phidias, the river god Ilissos will be shown in dialogue with the work of two of the sculptor’s contemporaries; the Townley Discobolus, a Roman copy of the lost original by Myron, and Georg Römer’s reconstruction of the Doryphoros by Polykleitos. The three great sculptors of the age, Myron, Polykleitos and Phidias, were said to have been trained in the workshop of a single master and each motivated by a strong impulse to outdo the other. In addition to the figure of Ilissos, other examples of sculpture from the Parthenon temple will be shown in different sections of the exhibition including a metope, two blocks from the frieze, one figure from the West Pediment and one figure from the East Pediment group.</p><p>The exhibition will also explore the revival of the Greek body in the modern era following its destruction and disappearance at the end of pagan antiquity. Prior to the arrival of the Parthenon sculptures in London in the early 1800s, Greek art was viewed through Roman copies of lost Greek originals, such as the Belvedere Torso, which will be lent by the Vatican Museum. This seated hero, perhaps Herakles, was regarded by Michelangelo as the finest fragment of classical sculpture that could be seen in his day. It will be shown alongside his drawing of Adam for the Sistine Chapel ceiling. These masterpieces will be displayed in a unique combination with a reclining nude figure from the East pediment of the Parthenon. Thus the school of Michelangelo will be brought together with the school of Phidias for the first time.</p><p>The exhibition will explore how, in Greek art, the body acts as a pictorial language for articulating the human condition. It can represent every aspect of mortal and divine experience, in fulfilment of Protagoras’s statement “Man is the measure of all things”. This exhibition will be the first in a series to focus on important areas of the Museum’s famous permanent collection to guide future thinking about the display of one of the most important collections of sculpture in the world, allowing for a greater dialogue between the sculptures of different cultures.</p><p>Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said, “This exhibition will be a celebration of the beauty and ideals of ancient Greek art. Some of the most beautiful works in the world will be brought together for the first time in a narrative exploring the highest achievements of ancient Greek artists and philosophers, exploring what it is to be human. I am hugely grateful to Julius Baer for their generous support of the exhibition”.</p><p>Adam Horowitz, Head of Julius Baer International Limited, United Kingdom, said: “Julius Baer, the international reference in pure private banking, with a large footprint in the UK, is renowned not only for its long tradition in wealth management but also for its engagement with arts and culture over many decades. Both areas rely on partnerships, which are founded on trust and sharing a common goal. We are very proud to sponsor a major exhibition at the British Museum for the third consecutive time. Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art will provide exciting and vivid insights into the human body as it was expressed in ancient Greek art and thought.”</p><p>When: 26 March – 5 July 2015</p><p>Where: Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery</p><p><em><b>Source: The British Museum [March 16, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-5344200316340325382022-04-26T11:59:00.001-07:002022-04-26T11:59:28.174-07:00Near East: Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala<a name='more'></a><p>An application has been lodged with the Culture and Tourism Ministry to conduct a surface survey to investigate the ancient city of Satala, which served as a military headquarters in the Roman Empire in the northern Turkish province of Gümüşhane’s Kelkit district.</p><p><img alt="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG2inVyIEMKd3SZIaQ4DAzI4SUY7Rshw8zrjmao_arynxd0VOh0U4EOUJ13niZnZ6YreGJ-veRcJyVb2YQE6q6CEarEwa9dTT0REvAMjsKc2clsynuTcimOTXL-80ybEvp7lTlKVgGyA/s1111/Turkey_Satala_01.jpg" title="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" /><img alt="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmrbXHe8PYR84nmAimK6JPb8OYBgZPqe1gWLDVe_VxLuAYS7GDHd7g3uJv090S4qsb1RLyu5w_7BRxRpvH-RE93nIXXqgWPSBxA5kU4ZKWh23hqjl0Xnk67mB7cONrwh2XuojBlM3vIw/s1111/Turkey_Satala_02.jpg" title="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" /><figure><img alt="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJQsWG6ogFji640FHqAFOgmCXecQr9-o__9g5E4NPtkGK43hG9UVRtH8b6DrrBO-SQPesZriBymKz4j6YYDObxEhliuUaHuntSRCNKo4Z3KNp7o81KfICxeJg0uP-Dd_UjDsjzLbxrPA/s1111/Turkey_Satala_03.jpg" title="Archaeologists to explore ancient city of Satala" /><figcaption><em><b>A surface survey will be carried out in the ancient city of Satala, which served </b></em><br /><em><b>as a military headquarters in the Roman Empire Gümüşhane </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>According to historical records, the city, which is 28 kilometers from the city center, was established by the 15th Apollo Legion, a legion of the Imperial Roman army. It served as a headquarters in the ancient era and also served as an intersection of military roads passing through Anatolia and Cappadocia.</p><p>The city was controlled at various times by the Assyrian, Graeco-Macedonian, Roman and Byzantine civilizations.</p><p>A 47-arched aqueduct was built to bring water to the ancient city of Satala but only one arch survives today.</p><p>The city is believed to cover a very large area. Candles, rings, arms, pots, metal pieces and coins have all been discovered at the site and are now on display at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, while a bronze bust of Aphrodite is at London’s British Museum.</p><p>Kelkit Mayor Ünal Yılmaz said the ancient city of Satala, which is under protection as an archaeological site, had been examined by university academics.</p><p>As a result of the examination, a report was prepared by the Gümüşhane Governor’s Office, Kelkit Municipality and academics. In line with the report, an application was made to the Culture and Tourism Ministry to conduct a surface survey.</p><p>Yılmaz said no serious work had been carried out in the historical city.</p><p>“No work has been implemented here although there were discussions from time to time. Evaluations were also made but nothing was done in practice. Because it is an archaeological site, people were not able to build structures there. I hope the applications will receive a positive response and that works will be initiated,” Yılmaz said.</p><p>“Our academics are very hopeful on the issue. We think this area will add a lot to tourism for our province and district after the pre-excavation work is completed,” Yılmaz said.</p><p><em><b>Source: Hurriyet Daily News [March 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-85761798936050532782022-04-26T11:59:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:59:18.048-07:00Kenya: 17 million-year-old whale fossil pinpoints date of East Africa's puzzling uplift<a name='more'></a><p>Uplift associated with the Great Rift Valley of East Africa and the environmental changes it produced have puzzled scientists for decades because the timing and starting elevation have been poorly constrained.</p><figure><img alt="17 million-year-old whale fossil pinpoints date of East Africa's puzzling uplift" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CgMKruB3AAJoukkMYxpjcJSEtakaRR_hDQeirx99G1Y84q7kEW_KwRUEnS7sSQRPW3j-Q1Cb7_j7y1wvs6QkyG1sTaZDoyX9Mcmashm-jTTrPG7qFSNeeaFcYtVmdoLc0kTLq9kv1eWh/s1111/whale-fossil_01.jpg" title="17 million-year-old whale fossil pinpoints date of East Africa's puzzling uplift" /><figcaption><em><b>A 17 million-year-old whale fossil stranded far inland in Kenya now sheds light on the</b></em><br /><em><b> timing and starting elevation of East Africa's puzzling tectonic uplift, says paleontologist </b></em><br /><em><b>Louis Jacobs, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, who rediscovered the fossil </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Southern Methodist University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Now paleontologists have tapped a fossil from the most precisely dated beaked whale in the world -- and the only stranded whale ever found so far inland on the African continent -- to pinpoint for the first time a date when East Africa's mysterious elevation began.</p><p>The 17 million-year-old fossil is from the beaked Ziphiidae whale family. It was discovered 740 kilometers inland at an elevation of 620 meters in modern Kenya's harsh desert region, said vertebrate paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.</p><p>At the time the whale was alive, it would have been swimming far inland up a river with a low gradient ranging from 24 to 37 meters over more than 600 to 900 kilometers, said Jacobs, a co-author of the study.</p><p>The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides the first constraint on the start of uplift of East African terrain from near sea level.</p><p>"The whale was stranded up river at a time when east Africa was at sea level and was covered with forest and jungle," Jacobs said. "As that part of the continent rose up, that caused the climate to become drier and drier. So over millions of years, forest gave way to grasslands. Primates evolved to adapt to grasslands and dry country. And that's when -- in human evolution -- the primates started to walk upright."</p><p>Identified as a Turkana ziphiid, the whale would have lived in the open ocean, like its modern beaked cousins. Ziphiids, still one of the ocean's top predators, are the deepest diving air-breathing mammals alive, plunging to nearly 10,000 feet to feed, primarily on squid.</p><figure><img alt="17 million-year-old whale fossil pinpoints date of East Africa's puzzling uplift" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihExeGQ7Fl3rJmkq0Ui3h3lm0Vnq-btB4VcROipTTrv1emaLJHlPtm76_XbVDGO1O81UHyHUobK2BeUK-k5oy7BaYyElD0ZTIlsmFlLZCEDV6PQbROo7YBou4Ao6FAKzQbf_0Jfa-_67WS/s1111/whale-fossil_02.jpg" title="17 million-year-old whale fossil pinpoints date of East Africa's puzzling uplift" /><figcaption><em><b>A map of Africa and Kenya showing where a 17-million-year-old whale fossil</b></em><br /><em><b> was found far inland [Credit: Wichura/PNAS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In contrast to most whale fossils, which have been discovered in marine rocks, Kenya's beached whale was found in river deposits, known as fluvial sediments, said Jacobs, a professor in the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences of SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. The ancient large Anza River flowed in a southeastward direction to the Indian Ocean. The whale, probably disoriented, swam into the river and could not change its course, continuing well inland.</p><p>"You don't usually find whales so far inland," Jacobs said. "Many of the known beaked whale fossils are dredged by fishermen from the bottom of the sea."</p><p>Determining ancient land elevation is very difficult, but the whale provides one near sea level.</p><p>"It's rare to get a paleo-elevation," Jacobs said, noting only one other in East Africa, determined from a lava flow.</p><p>Beaked whale fossil surfaced after going missing for more than 30 years</p><p>The beaked whale fossil was discovered in 1964 by J.G. Mead in what is now the Turkana region of northwest Kenya.</p><p>Mead, an undergraduate student at Yale University at the time, made a career at the Smithsonian Institution, from which he recently retired. Over the years, the Kenya whale fossil went missing in storage. Jacobs, who was at one time head of the Division of Paleontology for the National Museums of Kenya, spent 30 years trying to locate the fossil. His effort paid off in 2011, when he rediscovered it at Harvard University and returned it to the National Museums of Kenya.</p><p>The fossil is only a small portion of the whale, which Mead originally estimated was 7 meters long during its life. Mead unearthed the beak portion of the skull, 2.6 feet long and 1.8 feet wide, specifically the maxillae and premaxillae, the bones that form the upper jaw and palate.</p><p>The researchers reported their findings in "A 17 million-year-old whale constrains onset of uplift and climate change in East Africa" online at the PNAS web site.</p><p>Modern cases of stranded whales have been recorded in the Thames River in London, swimming up a gradient of 2 meters over 70 kilometers; the Columbia River in Washington state, a gradient of 6 meters over 161 kilometers; the Sacramento River in California, a gradient of 4 meters over 133 kilometers; and the Amazon River in Brazil, a gradient of 1 meter over 1,000 kilometers.</p><p><em><b>Source: Southern Methodist University [March 17, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-7394609427164433152022-04-26T11:58:00.003-07:002022-04-26T11:58:57.300-07:00UK: Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise<a name='more'></a><p>London's relentless building boom has dug up another chunk of the city's history — one with a surprise for scholars of Shakespearean theatre.</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SrsUAjI5I_SGHeOj7AmNsKGw6BT46Qhs4rbiJvXQ5phrwcXsUscxPtrNVZzmqTWPuKX-TjcN4gZTQyEndlLvoSMn9SBWKSzbsyuTOmQoYWH70AU7QbLg6tzWS4CqTPZeWwjBX5mN3TB7/s1111/shakespeare-1.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists work on the exposed remains as the site of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre</b></em><br /><em><b> is excavated in Shoreditch in London, Tuesday [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeologists are excavating the remains of the Curtain, a 16th-century playhouse where some of the Bard's plays were first staged, before a new apartment tower sprouts on the site. Unexpectedly, the dig has revealed that the venue wasn't round, like most Elizabethan playhouses. It was rectangular.</p><p>That came as a surprise, because the best-known fact about the Curtain is that Shakespeare's "Henry V" was first staged here — and the play's prologue refers to the building as "this wooden O."</p><p>"This is palpably not a circle," Julian Bowsher, an expert on Elizabethan theatres, said during a tour of the site Tuesday.</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuUHcf2cGGjZhrpVibjZadRtVMrG-nI0eSJbkoH-H9ImXijfe9rXiTovVh-mA42CCAoqN4FbHPDu5O88HvMoWuES4vw9ZvlLOnVCRP3U7n7VktOCeYt3ctwheVYaZKOE3fuaMwcCSYH5I/s1111/shakespeare-2.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists are excavating the remains of the Curtain, a 16th-century theatre where some of the Bard's play's were </b></em><br /><em><b>staged, before another gleaming tower joins the city's crowded skyline [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The discovery has made Bowsher rethink some of his ideas about Tudor playhouses. He suspects that the Curtain — unlike the more famous Globe and Rose theatres — wasn't built from scratch, but converted from an existing building.</p><p>"Out of the nine playhouses that we know in Tudor London, there are only two that have no reference to any construction," he said — including the Curtain. "It's beginning to make sense now."</p><p>Where does that leave "Henry V"? Heather Knight, senior archaeologist at Museum of London Archaeology , said the play may still have premiered at the Curtain in 1599, but without the prologue.</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDsszrjyDH09s5iqHYUdMetMjYiCUrZNqLMnkJgWnhuLw1_SBXmlqCMStx_fYXUSYIVTNs7_QgtlJcfEx15URsFyfDLUNSpIpQktGbn36DxRr-tJk1jHv58ODxFrDGOJZuYrqzMDhggCG/s1111/shakespeare-3.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologist John Quarrell works on the exposed remains as the site of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre</b></em><br /><em><b> is excavated in Shoreditch in London [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"There's a school of thought now that says prologues were actually a later addition," she said.</p><p>The Curtain's remains were uncovered in 2011 on a site earmarked for development in Shoreditch, a scruffy-chic, fast-gentrifying area on the edge of London's financial district.</p><p>Archaeologists began excavating intensively last month, before construction of a 37-storey luxury apartment tower and office complex named — with a nod to its heritage — The Stage.</p><p>They will keep digging until the end of June, and visitors can book tours of the excavations as part of events to mark this year's 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZ5Vd6NjuL-_LWNpBGxbUhy7HTS0yY5T3VIPY17pfk6AFRoeFHDKbXf2IVLTGl5Icbvseuz4kgUAx2Mz1G9yhALl6PJz0o42eISDIM9itF2XOuCG3xnzudHhNe3d6WapsLlJGsr7u2Wp3/s1111/shakespeare-4.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>An archaeologist works on the exposed remains as the site of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre</b></em><br /><em><b> is excavated in Shoreditch in London [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The site's developers have promised to keep the foundations of the historic theatre on public view and to build a visitor center to display some of the archaeologists' finds.</p><p>These include clay pipes that were used to smoke tobacco — introduced to Britain from North America in the 16th century — and a bird whistle which may have been used as a theatrical special effect. It could have featured in the scene in "Romeo and Juliet" — performed at the Curtain — in which the heroine reassures her lover that "it was the nightingale, and not the lark" that he'd heard.</p><p>Knight says the Curtain site "has probably the best preserved remains of any of the playhouses we've looked at."</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDUCrP88lSNBia1DyWK1-UBVSfi2XbvonIdLfKUf7PN0l6SdQKxyRhL3eJxokB94plm99Vxt5jCIVwxt7mokZpfpphIHABj8NHXmvbJpPX7FRhwkQtZrcQsqH8PAJDGvFNx1CsMRWrbA4/s1111/shakespeare-5.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists work on the exposed remains as the site of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre</b></em><br /><em><b> is excavated in Shoreditch in London, Tuesday [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The dig has uncovered the outline of a rectangular venue about 100 feet (30 metres) by 72 feet (22 metres) that could hold about 1,000 people. Workers have uncovered sections of the theatre's gravel yard, where "groundlings" who had bought cheap tickets stood, and segments of wall up to 5 feet (1.5 metres) high.</p><p>The new building that will rise on the site — where apartments are being offered starting at 695,000 pounds ($1 million) — is part of a construction boom, fueled by London's sky-high property prices, that is transforming large tracts of the city. In the process, it is creating something of a golden era for London archaeology.</p><p>Nearby, work on the new Crossrail transit line has uncovered everything from 14th-century plague victims to Roman sandals.</p><figure><img alt="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPlOna5oHqL5zaROe_xeF5KlIfnsfIHWQGN8BKx-LnDUlG-QJbakeZUCXV-UXe-zPuZtUtlH7IdjY7hX3lxWPoqOydsaii_it8XKh5NBnBiBkDBbSbjUy-AMHtmoCCU5mHHFE9CMDDPp0/s1111/shakespeare-7.jpg" title="Dig at theatre where Shakespeare worked uncovers a surprise" /><figcaption><em><b>An archaeologist works on the exposed remains as the site of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre </b></em><br /><em><b>is excavated in Shoreditch in London [Credit: AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Knight says the Curtain dig is filling in the picture of one of the oldest and least-known London playhouses, which served as a base for Shakespeare's troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, between 1597 and 1599.</p><p>"This will give us real insight into these early playing spaces," Knight said. "It will help us understand the type of building that playwrights were writing for as well as performing in.</p><p>"It will also help us understand what type of audience was attending performances in these buildings. And also it'll fill in those gaps that are missing from the historical record."</p><p><em><b>Author: Jill Lawless | Source: The Associated Press [May 17, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-23221451259241224562022-04-26T11:58:00.002-07:002022-04-26T11:58:38.268-07:00Forensics: Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors<a name='more'></a><p>Analysis of ancient cadavers recovered at a famous archaeological site confirm the existence of a sophisticated culture of butchering and carving human remains, according to a team of scientists from the Natural History Museum, University College London, and a number of Spanish universities.</p><figure><img alt="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9uZeoLvEYx2rRvSYte2Zym8ThRGE5x8d-7sGU-dMdqI1s9eqHr3wxZB0wSjRfGGXIE-qFy3wrdNaU6qocSSGCDXFAd3Q0Vfwi3GjM1SEed9g-dwbB-rO4OSfLA_7fMxAAh547dWDNggS/s1111/palaeo-cannibals_01.jpg" title="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" /><figcaption><em><b>Human skull-cup uncovered in Gough's Cave, Somerset [Credit: The Trustees</b></em><br /><em><b> of the Natural History Museum, London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Gough's Cave in Somerset was thought to have given up all its secrets when excavations ended in 1992, yet research on human bones from the site has continued in the decades since.</p><p>After its discovery in the 1880s, the site was developed as a show cave and largely emptied of sediment, at times with minimal archaeological supervision.</p><p>The excavations uncovered intensively-processed human bones intermingled with abundant butchered large mammal remains and a diverse range of flint, bone, antler, and ivory artefacts.</p><figure><img alt="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihIEHD58UnsCQxrgPwACjysKbeGl67cRAaHAR8CuC6Kc-7-NlWSz7ulxHxMwDlBkyLrg4LyYpI8i6l6dLYlC2Cw5P5iznrqz6E5g-nHamQn1ENO37nAwcI5Ss-SdGZVjDTd64phyeWP9BL/s1111/palaeo-cannibals_02.jpg" title="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" /><figcaption><em><b>Fragments of human skull and mandibles from Gough's Cave [Credit: The Trustees </b></em><br /><em><b>of the Natural History Museum, London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>New radiocarbon techniques have revealed remains were deposited over a very short period of time, possibly during a series of seasonal occupations, about 14,700 years ago.</p><p>Dr Silvia Bello, from the Natural History Museum's Department of Earth Sciences, lead researcher of the work said, "The human remains have been the subject of several studies. In a previous analysis, we could determine that the cranial remains had been carefully modified to make skull-cups. During this research, however, we've identified a far greater degree of human modification than recorded in earlier. We've found undoubting evidence for defleshing, disarticulation, human chewing, crushing of spongy bone, and the cracking of bones to extract marrow."</p><figure><img alt="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnxRtuFhM3Lc8YfU9e8RSoKS8YDayshcjpngV4PL_z6ioaAw2qAdLDqc2SA27RM0OGuGs6nzWOclCzRVt_wpd6KkRQXri0w-zJfBlyJmtH3fld490UuOGm0zFeSZpKdLbMEsWgMuipOsb/s1111/palaeo-cannibals_03.jpg" title="Palaeolithic remains show cannibalistic habits of human ancestors" /><figcaption><em><b>Human chewing damage on a rib bone, showing breaks made by saw-teeth (white arrows), </b></em><br /><em><b>dug out furrows (B), and slicing cut marks (C). Scale bar = 250 μm. </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The presence of human tooth marks on many of the bones provides incontrovertible evidence for cannibalism, the team found. In a wider context, the treatment of the human corpses and the manufacture and use of skull-cups at Gough's Cave has parallels with other ancient sites in central and western Europe.</p><p>But the new evidence from Gough's Cave suggests that cannibalism during the 'Magdalenian period' was part of a customary mortuary practice that combined intensive processing and consumption of the bodies with the ritual use of skull-cups.</p><p>Simon Parfitt, of University College London, said, "A recurring theme of this period is the remarkable rarity of burials and how commonly we find human remains mixed with occupation waste at many sites. Further analysis along the lines used to study Gough's Cave will help to establish whether the type of ritualistic cannibalism practiced there is a regional ('Creswellian') phenomenon, or a more widespread practice found throughout the Magdalenian world."</p><p><em><b>Source: Natural History Museum [April 16, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-47343053303085367992022-04-26T11:58:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:58:06.096-07:00Environment: Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier<a name='more'></a><p>Current rates of climate change could trigger instability in a major Antarctic glacier, ultimately leading to more than 2m of sea-level rise.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFiBaKfACcfT3zMmAD9UAlV56nSyd9yNJ8_d8lrvwQqnJWBJlEOB2TddAFtR1q5ADAmfryc4Tv288cZBAiw2t6WXrGWP7zy_x51gIdLDJMJA3nUAU6j1_EJULyLyaZg_74ya05s5yby44/s1111/antarctic_glacier-1.jpg" title="Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier" /><figcaption><em><b>The Totten Glacier front [Credit: Esmee van Wijk/Australian Antarctic Division]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>This is the conclusion of a new study looking at the future of Totten Glacier, a significant glacier in Antarctica. Totten Glacier drains one of the world's largest areas of ice, on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS).</p><p>By studying the history of Totten's advances and retreats, researchers have discovered that if climate change continues unabated, the glacier could cross a critical threshold within the next century, entering an irreversible period of very rapid retreat.</p><p>This would cause it to withdraw up to 300 kilometres inland in the following centuries and release vast quantities of water, contributing up to 2.9 metres to global sea-level rise.</p><p>The EAIS is currently thought to be relatively stable in the face of global warming compared with the much smaller ice sheet in West Antarctica, but Totten Glacier is bucking the trend by losing substantial amounts of ice. The new research reveals that Totten Glacier may be even more vulnerable than previously thought.</p><p>The study, by scientists from Imperial College London and institutions in Australia, the US, and New Zealand is >published in <em><b>Nature</b></em>. Last year, the team discovered that there is currently warm water circulating underneath a floating portion of the glacier that is causing more melting than might have been expected.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-9NNwdHEgVTFuvA3-cZbdX2mVVLeo1EYPEx7pE05xO26F4wFfZ2du1Ck4IWfrojnx9dJAe-ZHLhzoqzNVkV8QvHF10JR4NrNVebd3E5WNBpaTRrRjWAOQ1z7IbhyphenhyphenMo_7zhpM4tzC-dWz/s1111/antarctic_glacier-2.jpg" title="Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier" /><figcaption><em><b>Totten Glacier, East Antarctica's largest outlet of ice, is unstable and has contributed significantly to rising sea levels </b></em><br /><em><b>in the past, according to new research [Credit: The University of Texas at Austin]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Their new research looks at the underlying geology of the glacier and reveals that if it retreats another 100-150 km, its front will be sitting on an unstable bed and this could trigger a period of rapid retreat for the glacier. This would cause it to withdraw nearly 300 km inland from its current front at the coast.</p><p>Retreating the full 300 km inland may take several hundred years, according to co-author Professor Martin Siegert, Co-Director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London. However, once the glacier crosses the threshold into the unstable region, the melting will be unstoppable -- at least until it has retreated to the point where the geology becomes more stable again.</p><p>"The evidence coming together is painting a picture of East Antarctica being much more vulnerable to a warming environment than we thought," he said. "This is something we should worry about. Totten Glacier is losing ice now, and the warm ocean water that is causing this loss has the potential to also push the glacier back to an unstable place."</p><p>"Totten Glacier is only one outlet for the ice of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, but it could have a huge impact. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is by far the largest mass of ice on Earth, so any small changes have a big influence globally."</p><p>To uncover the history of Totten Glacier's movements, the team looked at the sedimentary rocks below the glacier using airborne geophysical surveys. From the geological record, influenced by the erosion by ice above, they were able to understand the history of the glacier stretching back millions of years.</p><p>They found that the glacier has retreated more quickly over certain 'unstable' regions in the past. Based on this evidence, the scientists believe that when the glacier hits these regions again we will see the same pattern of rapid retreat.</p><p><em><b>Author: Hayley Dunning. | Source: Imperial College London [May 18, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-75354964651834626772022-04-26T11:54:00.002-07:002022-04-26T11:54:57.109-07:00Breaking News: Complex genetic ancestry of Americans uncovered<a name='more'></a><p>By comparing the genes of current-day North and South Americans with African and European populations, an Oxford University study has found the genetic fingerprints of the slave trade and colonization that shaped migrations to the Americas hundreds of years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Complex genetic ancestry of Americans uncovered" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXZaajHL2Seqo6TexzFAxzkx5JLs1HiZDRn0ILCnUKss4puein2pLa0LdbKLqh5sVyqHpvvPRKV_pF4ecAtFFybtwvUWPmbl_BVDDqGtHB0uNfbvekrq41aIrixiaC-seWwLD2WntwbAt/s1111/AmericanAncestry.jpg" title="Complex genetic ancestry of Americans uncovered" /><figcaption><em><b>A 1770 painting showing Spanish, Peruvian and mixed-race people</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The study published in Nature Communications found that:</p><p></p><ul><li>While Spaniards provide the majority of European ancestry in continental American Hispanic/Latino populations, the most common European genetic source in African-Americans and Barbadians comes from Great Britain.</li></ul><ul><li>The Basques, a distinct ethnic group spread across current-day Spain and France, provided a small but distinct genetic contribution to current-day Continental South American populations, including the Maya in Mexico.</li></ul><ul><li>The Caribbean Islands of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic are genetically similar to each other and distinct from the other populations, probably reflecting a different migration pattern between the Caribbean and mainland America.</li></ul><ul><li>Compared to South Americans, people from Caribbean countries (such as the Barbados) had a larger genetic contribution from Africa.</li></ul><ul><li>The ancestors of current-day Yoruba people from West Africa (one of the largest African ethnic groups) provided the largest contribution of genes from Africa to all current-day American populations.</li></ul><ul><li>The proportion of African ancestry varied across the continent, from virtually zero (in the Maya people from Mexico) to 87% in current-day Barbados.</li></ul><ul><li>South Italy and Sicily also provided a significant European genetic contribution to Colombia and Puerto Rico, in line with the known history of Italian emigrants to the Americas in the late 19th and early 20th century.</li></ul><ul><li>One of the African-American groups from the USA had French ancestry, in agreement with historical French immigration into the colonial Southern United States.</li></ul><ul><li>The proportion of genes from European versus African sources varied greatly from individual to individual within recipient populations.</li></ul><br />The team, which also included researchers from UCL (University College London) and the Universita' del Sacro Cuore of Rome, analysed more than 4,000 previously collected DNA samples from 64 different populations, covering multiple locations in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Since migration has generally flowed from Africa and Europe to the Americas over the last few hundred years, the team compared the 'donor' African and European populations with 'recipient' American populations to track where the ancestors of current-day North and South Americans came from.<p></p><p>'We found that the genetic profile of Americans is much more complex than previously thought,' said study leader Professor Cristian Capelli from the Department of Zoology.</p><p>The research team analysed DNA samples collected from people in Barbados, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and African-Americans in the USA.</p><p>They used a technique called haplotype-based analysis to compare the pattern of genes in these 'recipient populations' to 'donor populations' in areas where migrants to America came from.</p><p>'We firstly grouped subsets of people in Africa and Europe who were genetically similar and used this fine scale resolution to find which combinations of these clusters resulted in the sort of mixtures that we now see in people across the Americas', said the study's first author, Dr Francesco Montinaro from the Department of Zoology.</p><p>'We can see the huge genetic impact that the slave trade had on American populations and our data match historical records', said study author Dr Garrett Hellenthal from the UCL Genetics Institute, 'The majority of African Americans have ancestry similar to the Yoruba people in West Africa, confirming that most African slaves came from this region. In areas of the Americas historically under Spanish rule, populations also have ancestry related to what is now Senegal and Gambia. Records show that around a third of the slaves sent to Spanish America in the 17th Century came from this region, and we can see the genetic evidence of this in modern Americans really clearly.'</p><p>These genetic findings also uncover previously unknown migration. ‘We found a clear genetic contribution from the Basques in modern-day Maya in Mexico’, said Professor Capelli. ‘This suggests that the Basque also took part in the colonisation of the Americas, coming over either with the Spanish conquistadores or in later waves of migration’.</p><p>'The differences in European ancestry between the Caribbean islands and mainland American population that we found were also previously unknown. It is likely that these differences reflect different patterns of migration between the Caribbean and mainland America.'</p><p>'These results show just how powerful a genetic approach can be when it comes to uncovering hidden patterns of ancestry. We hope to use the same approach to look at other populations with diverse genetic contributions, such as Brazilians,' said Professor Capelli.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Oxford [March 24, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-27140547141425272502022-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:51:34.980-07:00Greater Middle East: Tarkhan Dress is the world’s oldest woven garment<a name='more'></a><p>The Tarkhan Dress, a V-neck linen shirt currently on display in the UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, has been confirmed as the world’s oldest woven garment with radiocarbon testing dating the garment to the late fourth-millennium BC.</p><figure><img alt="Tarkhan Dress is the world’s oldest woven garment" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY7rc4Dn529u_jlRM6HI7LQ2lEMeY0Hj5JEP5u5nFO_D-P27tWarff2FgnXXuf2Pu8agPLCNolxnfXeWlQQ1s1vlJ6-x8uS2Q94vxsWmpg1judbQM2OhWnR-QRTlIUZi_eIRhYKPOmm4/s1111/Turkhan_dress_01.jpg" title="Tarkhan Dress is the world’s oldest woven garment" /><figcaption><em><b>The Tarkhan Dress [Credit: UCL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Radiocarbon testing conducted in 2015 by the University of Oxford’s radiocarbon unit, and published this week on <em><b>Antiquity’s Project Gallery</b></em>, has established that the dress was made between 3482-3102 BC with 95% accuracy.</p><p>Although the dress was thought to be Egypt’s oldest garment, and the oldest surviving woven garment in the world, the precise age of the dress was uncertain as previous carbon dating proved too broad to be historically meaningful. The new results both confirm the dress’s antiquity and also suggest that it may be older than previously thought, pre-dating the First Dynasty.</p><p>The team from the University of Oxford, led by Dr Michael Dee, measured a 2.24mg sample of the dress to determine how much radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon, remained in the linen. From this they were able to provide an indicative date for when the linen was woven. Linen, from which the Tarkhan Dress is made, is especially suitable for radiocarbon dating as it is composed of flax fibres that grow over a relatively short time.</p><p>Dr Alice Stevenson, Curator at the UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, said: “The survival of highly perishable textiles in the archaeological record is exceptional, the survival of complete, or almost complete, articles of clothing like the Tarkhan Dress is even more remarkable. We’ve always suspected that the dress dated from the First Dynasty but haven’t been able to confirm this as the sample previously needed for testing would have caused too much damage to the dress.</p><p>Although the result is a little less precise than is now routinely possible through radiocarbon dating, as the sample was so small, it’s clear that the linen for the dress was made at the cusp of the First Dynasty or even earlier.”</p><p>Originally excavated by Egyptologist Flinders Petrie in 1913 from a First Dynasty tomb at Tarkhan, an Egyptian cemetery located 50km south of Cairo, the dress lay undiscovered with various other textiles until 1977 when the bundle was sent to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London for conservation work.</p><p>The dress itself is made from three pieces of sturdy hand-woven linen with a natural pale grey stripe with knife-pleated sleeves and bodice. The hem is missing so it’s not possible to know the precise length of the dress, but the dimensions indicate that it fitted a young teenager or a slim woman. Although the exact context of its use remain unclear, there are visible signs of wear indicating that it was worn in life.</p><p>The Tarkhan Dress is on display at the UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [February 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-84667825883496839232022-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:49:42.635-07:00Natural Heritage: Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally<a name='more'></a><p>The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is sprinting towards the edge of extinction and could soon be lost forever unless urgent, landscape-wide conservation action is taken, according to a study published today in the journal ><em><b>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</b></em>.</p><figure><img alt="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjeJubm2rkjJ54ykACsr1fo3W7aDC-eE7ndrFN__Nj_BA20VSa0e4Hr9WyvguYWEvWMQw6cyvozMSHTVdPn3vKzMx-40AJYsxtudcYgBhfGoAdYJOrDwqrERhZ3ecKDuMk5blZbC2tXMm/s1111/cheetah-2.jpg" title="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" /><figcaption><em><b>A new study confirms that the iconic cheetah is sprinting towards extinction</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Zoological Society of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Led by Zoological Society of London (ZSL), Panthera and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the study reveals that just 7,100 cheetahs remain globally, representing the best available estimate for the species to date. Furthermore, the cheetah has been driven out of 91% of its historic range. Asiatic cheetah populations have been hit hardest, with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in one isolated pocket of Iran.</p><p>Due to the species' dramatic decline, the study's authors are calling for the cheetah to be up-listed from 'Vulnerable' to 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Typically, greater international conservation support, prioritization and attention are granted to wildlife classified as 'Endangered', in efforts to stave off impending extinction.</p><p>Dr. Sarah Durant, ZSL/WCS lead author and Project Leader for the Rangewide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dog, said: "This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of cheetah status to date. Given the secretive nature of this elusive cat, it has been difficult to gather hard information on the species, leading to its plight being overlooked. Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah, coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be much more vulnerable to extinction than was previously thought."</p><figure><img alt="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAONL3Nnch7jAVkydEtEhghJm6x0EMw7LPRPilmo4CrHdrhdJQztpToGEmYVkzVd93GLPaj1JdhOE2-8vQbhiaUU7VV4i6f7LNsJWQjMxNQ8RoDxwVsf74k0Tdd5gbz1-GmfPfVuUZ8nbt/s1111/cheetah-1.jpg" title="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" /><figcaption><em><b>The study reveals that just 7,100 cheetahs remain globally </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Zoological Society of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Durant continued, "We have worked with range state governments and the cheetah conservation community to put in place comprehensive frameworks for action to save the species, but funds and resources are needed to implement them. The recent decisions made at the CITES CoP17 meeting in Johannesburg represent a significant breakthrough particularly in terms of stemming the illegal flow of live cats trafficked out of the Horn of Africa region. However, concerted action is needed to reverse ongoing declines in the face of accelerating land use changes across the continent."</p><p>While renowned for its speed and spots, the degree of persecution cheetahs face both inside and outside of protected areas is largely unrecognized. Even within guarded parks and reserves, cheetahs rarely escape the pervasive threats of human-wildlife conflict, prey loss due to overhunting by people, habitat loss and the illegal trafficking of cheetah parts and trade as exotic pets.</p><p>To make matters worse, as one of the world's most wide-ranging carnivores, 77% of the cheetah's habitat falls outside of protected areas. Unrestricted by boundaries, the species' wide-ranging movements weaken law enforcement protection and greatly amplify its vulnerability to human pressures. Indeed, largely due to pressures on wildlife and their habitat outside of protected areas, Zimbabwe's cheetah population has plummeted from 1,200 to a maximum of 170 animals in just 16 years -- representing an astonishing loss of 85% of the country's cheetahs.</p><figure><img alt="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnadLAlwsSvrWcPOS8tkfFhaVyVBLq7ibuklnJ9rrTxc4AU96HJtglDdA_ZRfeTmlIfdg55B-QcJXteMm2iHNM2O7vnvVUvYtNbGyvpacyIrss5BZykA15fOx16cIk3MT4LxS9UcZ8cm-/s1111/cheetah-3.jpg" title="Sprinting towards extinction? Cheetah numbers crash globally" /><figcaption><em><b>Due to the species' dramatic decline, the study's authors are calling for the cheetah to be up-listed </b></em><br /><em><b>from 'Vulnerable' to 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Zoological Society of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Scientists are now calling for an urgent paradigm shift in cheetah conservation, towards landscape-level efforts that transcend national borders and are coordinated by existing regional conservation strategies for the species. A holistic conservation approach, which incentivises protection of cheetahs by local communities and trans-national governments, alongside sustainable human-wildlife coexistence is paramount to the survival of the species.</p><p>Panthera's Cheetah Program Director, Dr. Kim Young-Overton, shared, "We've just hit the reset button in our understanding of how close cheetahs are to extinction. The take-away from this pinnacle study is that securing protected areas alone is not enough. We must think bigger, conserving across the mosaic of protected and unprotected landscapes that these far-ranging cats inhabit, if we are to avert the otherwise certain loss of the cheetah forever."</p><p>The methodology used for this study will also be relevant to other species, such as African wild dogs, which also require large areas of land to prosper and are therefore similarly vulnerable to increasing threats outside designated protected areas.</p><p><em><b>Source: Panthera [December 26, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-18734603667473482702022-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:55:15.619-07:00Forensics: New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation<a name='more'></a><p>The Museum of London today announced a ground-breaking research project to explore the effects of industrialisation on Londoners. The research hopes to uncover new clues about the very nature of disease and how it has affected people as Britain has moved into the age of industrialisation.</p><figure><img alt="New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZ2tne2bCJqoGjwLawzo0QxkCr2edkGJAmcbNiuULhm1LcRvUhZPg03OiAnVrHp_HanoWhL1crwK9VrdVTmedCAIEmv8qxi_ZAolHX5S6igN52e-NPjbEO6xvpkrCbzV7ZPhMGiKNusam/s1111/industrialisation_01.jpg" title="New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation" /><figcaption><em><b>Some of London’s most important skeletons will be digitally x-rayed and scanned </b></em><br /><em><b>in a new archaeological investigation linking “man-made” diseases with</b></em><br /><em><b> the industrialisation of the city [Credit: © Museum of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The research has been made possible by a City of London Archaeological Trust grant from a bequest made by the late Rosemary Green.</p><p>John Schofield, Secretary of the City of London Archaeological Trust, said: “The City of London Archaeological Trust is very happy that the Rosemary Green bequest is used to gather this cutting-edge data on the signs of industrialisation in the skeletal collections on the Museum of London.”</p><p>Leading the project is Jelena Bekvalac, based at the Museum of London’s Centre for Human Bioarcheology, along with her research team, Gaynor Western and Mark Farmer.</p><p>Jelena Bekvalac, said: “The most tangible evidence we have for the long-term consequences of the industrialisation process upon us is, quite simply, written in our bones. Using the very latest digital technology, we will examine the skeletal remains of over 1,000 adult men and women from industrial-era London in addition to a further 500 skeletons from the medieval metropolis.</p><figure><img alt="New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrrpkafegC76eULaIyYM5n8CYZ_6tr0fHagnW50ywNlnV0Q3EUeTnugtt2e7dGH7FzXTYfE4AGnDjXZipWUJLZ-5MMch5NKiTb3ctqfBMdEZZWqDyupwLyE73kFCNo25lHlNnzGHTyKkK/s1111/industrialisation_02.jpg" title="New research to shed fresh light on the impact of industrialisation" /><figcaption><em><b>More than 1,000 adult men and women from the industrial revolution period,</b></em><br /><em><b> as well as 500 more from the medieval metropolis, will be used in quest to</b></em><br /><em><b> find out how the era affected the population at the Museum of London’s </b></em><br /><em><b>Centre for Human Bioarchaeology [Credit: © Museum of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>“Modern health trends have seen a shift towards increasing life expectancy but we want to look again at what are often thought of as ‘man-made’ conditions like obesity and cancer. Given today’s more sedentary lifestyles, far removed from the physically active and natural existence of most of our forebears, there are some big questions about the origins of these diseases and how they relate to the modern environment.”</p><p>The research aims to address some of these questions by analysing diseases affecting the human skeleton. The museum will use the latest clinical techniques, including direct digital radiography, CT scanning and 3D modelling, to get a better understanding of what the bones tell us and to assess their change over time. The research aims to examine the influence of the industrial revolution, a pivotal catalyst in the formation of the modern age, on the changing nature of disease – from the medieval and post-medieval periods through to the present day.</p><p>The project offers an exciting opportunity to digitise some of London’s most important skeletal collections, while simultaneously telling a new story about the health of Londoners over time.</p><p>This work will culminate in the creation of an extensive new interactive digital resource that can be explored online. Jelena Bekvalac plans to make an immediate start on the digital scanning. She aims to publish her team’s findings as soon as possible and deliver a series of lectures about the work.</p><p><em><b>Source: Museum of London [April 24, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-84297776101521790912022-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:56:05.103-07:00Travel: 'Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation' at the British Museum<a name='more'></a><p>The British Museum will open a major exhibition presenting a history of Indigenous Australia, supported by BP. This exhibition will be the first in the UK devoted to the history and culture of Indigenous Australians: both Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Drawing on objects from the British Museum’s collection, accompanied by important loans from British and Australian collections, the show will present Indigenous Australia as a living culture, with a continuous history dating back over 60,000 years.</p><figure><img alt="'Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation' at the British Museum" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBEYjdB2Bo5NA1Y3L8zcZIgKrw71H1S-I87LZ1kXapx76lpx_zrBrZstsxy40Tfx5NP908kGlFY32wwyPD3qeX1xSP_whQ0hX_jZ0T5z_5QKDw2mDU_U-hOIMuhmrhQCTYluMWIVYAWFH/s1111/BM_01.jpg" title="'Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation' at the British Museum" /><figcaption><em><b>Bark painting of a barramundi. Western Arnhem Land, about 1961 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © The Trustees of the British Museum]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The objects in the exhibition will range from a shield believed to have been collected at Botany Bay in 1770 by Captain Cook or one of his men, a protest placard from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy established in 1972, contemporary paintings and specially commissioned artworks from leading Indigenous artists. Many of the objects in the exhibition have never been on public display before.</p><p>The objects displayed in this exhibition are immensely important. The British Museum’s collection contains some of the earliest objects collected from Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders through early naval voyages, colonists, and missionaries dating as far back as 1770. Many were collected at a time before museums were established in Australia and they represent tangible evidence of some of the earliest moments of contact between Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islanders and the British. Many of these encounters occurred in or near places that are now major Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. As a result of collecting made in the early 1800s, many objects originate from coastal locations rather than the arid inland areas that are often associated with Indigenous Australia in the popular imagination.</p><p>The exhibition will not only present Indigenous ways of understanding the land and sea but also the significant challenges faced by Indigenous Australians from the colonial period until to the present day. In 1770 Captain Cook landed on the east coast of Australia, a continent larger than Europe. In this land there were hundreds of different Aboriginal groups, each inhabiting a particular area, and each having its own languages, laws and traditions. This land became a part of the British Empire and remained so until the various colonies joined together in 1901 to become the nation of Australia we know today. In this respect, the social history of 19th century Australia and the place of Indigenous people within this is very much a British story. This history continues into the twenty first century. With changing policies towards Indigenous Australians and their struggle for recognition of civil rights, this exhibition shows why issues about Indigenous Australians are still often so highly debated in Australia today.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RyV8h9C_EX0?rel=0&showinfo=0"></iframe><br />The exhibition brings together loans of special works from institutions in the United Kingdom, including the British Library, the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. A number of works from the collection of the National Museum of Australia will be shown, including the masterpiece ‘Yumari’ by Uta Uta Tjangala. Tjangala was one of the artists who initiated the translation of traditions of sand sculptures and body painting onto canvas in 1971 at Papunya, a government settlement 240km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Tjangala was also an inspirational leader who developed a plan for the Pintupi community to return to their homelands after decades of living at Papunya. A design from ‘Yumari’ forms a watermark on current Australian passports.</p><p>This exhibition has been developed in consultation with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, Indigenous art and cultural centres across Australia, and has been organised with the National Museum of Australia. The broader project is a collaboration with the National Museum of Australia. It draws on a joint research project, funded by the Australian Research Council, undertaken by the British Museum, the National Museum of Australia and the Australian National University. Titled ‘Engaging Objects: Indigenous communities, museum collections and the representation of Indigenous histories’, the research project began in 2011 and involved staff from the National Museum of Australia and the British Museum visiting communities to discuss objects from the British Museum’s collections. The research undertaken revealed information about the circumstances of collecting and significance of the objects, many of which previously lacked good documentation. The project also brought contemporary Indigenous artists to London to view and respond to the Australian collections at the British Museum.</p><p>Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said, “The history of Australia and its people is an incredible, continuous story that spans over 60,000 years. This story is also an important part of more recent British history and so it is of great significance that audiences in London will see these unique and powerful objects exploring this narrative. Temporary exhibitions of this nature are only possible thanks to external support so I am hugely grateful to BP for their longstanding and on-going commitment to the British Museum. I would also like to express my gratitude to our logistics partner IAG Cargo and the Australian High Commission who are supporting the exhibition’s public programme.”</p><p><em><b>Source: The British Museum [April 23, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-51276538587236914582022-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:55:40.069-07:00Fossils: Stegosaurus bite strength revealed<a name='more'></a><p>The first detailed study of a Stegosaurus skull shows that the dinosaur had a stronger bite than suspected, enabling it to eat a wider range of plants than other plant-eating dinosaurs with similarly shaped skulls.</p><figure><img alt="Stegosaurus bite strength revealed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrJbNyTn-uxzV4gyhlT35XAJxZQY_GhiiEarlYxCQ3AmV9OhhE8mZ-lVHLwD7y4cUahbEdYmy0BVh_iN8Cbh769LLxR2hgDsn9iYWokQ5IuZkUdno_l70grf0uVY_Pfr20pB-Ipc5H3Zl/s1111/stegosaurus-1.jpg" title="Stegosaurus bite strength revealed" /><figcaption><em><b>1901 life restoration of S. ungulatus by Charles R. Knight with paired dorsal plates and eight tail spikes </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Public Domain]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A team of scientists from Bristol, London, Manchester and University of Birmingham compared the skull of 'Sophie', the Natural History Museum's new Stegosaurus specimen, with two other dinosaurs, Plateosaurus and Erlikosaurus, which shared similar skull characteristics. Computer modelling at the University of Bristol showed that, despite looking very similar, the dinosaurs had different biting abilities.</p><p>Although the three dinosaurs existed in different time periods and locations and had very differently shaped bodies, all three had similar-looking skulls: a large low snout, feeble peg-shaped teeth, and a scissor-like jaw action only capable of moving up and down. All three ate mainly or exclusively plants.</p><p>Until now, it has been assumed that the dinosaurs probably had similar biting abilities and therefore ate similar types of plants. But the research reveals that it can be a trap to assume that because a set of dinosaurs shared a set of similar features, they all operated in the same way – function does not necessarily follow form.</p><p>As Prof. Paul Barrett, Merit Researcher at The Natural History Museum explains: 'Our key finding really surprised us: we expected that many of these dinosaur herbivores would have skulls that worked in broadly similar ways. Instead we found that even though the skulls were fairly similar to each other in overall shape, the way they worked during biting was substantially different in each case.'</p><figure><img alt="Stegosaurus bite strength revealed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH9fWYt7BF09U9v46Bg3nQeVbbXn_sY7avP8ZaSjpVtoTegRG8kDT5FbOuofvTk6YuMilD-1NXU36U4fbVDpHJdQWyIpmKdblFwWbTrrC7nGGQUIrH9adw-yYzpDfpwULNwrkizd9VI-l/s1111/stegosaurus-2.jpg" title="Stegosaurus bite strength revealed" /><figcaption><em><b>Digital skull models of Erlikosaurus andrewsi, Stegosaurus stenops, and Plateosaurus engelhardti (from left to right) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Stephan Lautenschlager]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Stegosaurus lived around 150 million years ago and needed to eat a lot of plants to sustain its large size. As grasses did not exist then, it would have fed on plants such as ferns and horsetails. However the research indicates that it had a much higher bite force than anyone had suspected, enabling it to a wider range of plants than previously thought.</p><p>As Barrett, leader of the research team, comments: 'Far from being feeble, as usually thought, Stegosaurus actually had a bite force within the range of living herbivorous mammals, such as sheep and cows.'</p><p>This wider range of plants means that scientists need to reconsider how Stegosaurus fitted into its ecological niche. For example it may have had a role in spreading the seeds of cycads – woody ever green plants that were abundant in the time of the dinosaurs and whose seeds are contained in large cones.</p><p>Dr David Button, from the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said: 'The extra information provided by computing modelling is invaluable. Although we can tell roughly what a dinosaur ate from the shape of its teeth and jaws, the differences highlighted by this study indicate that the biology and ecology of these animals is more complex than we previously thought. As we study the lives of dinosaurs in greater detail, they continue to surprise us.'</p><p>Lead author Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, employed digital models and computer simulations to analyse the dinosaurs' bites, using data from 3D scans of the skulls and lower jaws. He used engineering software to give the skulls the material properties that would match as closely as possible to the real thing, for example, using data on crocodile teeth to model those of the dinosaurs. By attaching muscles to the models, he was able to examine the forces that the jaws could produce and the subsequent stresses on the skulls.</p><p>As computer power increases and software becomes more available, Lautenschlager thinks that we will see more modelling used in dinosaur research: 'Using computer modelling techniques, we were able to reconstruct muscle and bite forces very accurately for the different dinosaurs in our study. As a result, these methods give us new and detailed insights into dinosaur biology – something that would not have been several years ago.'</p><p>The findings are published in ><em><b>Nature Scientific Reports</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Birmingham [May 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-80509973072747178632022-03-20T03:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:56:20.529-07:00Environment: Arctic sea ice hits record low<a name='more'></a><p>Arctic sea ice has reached its lowest winter point since satellite observations began in the late 1970s, raising concerns about faster ice melt and rising seas due to global warming, US officials said Thursday.</p><figure><img alt="Arctic sea ice hits record low" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0bi7YbX0pvp12l2UqlRpKlmOS_NWI7cQMHU4HBT3czDJTFNBCdrAJNLuf-xBvSOtMF7NIcDV3Syjkrkh8yHDVfgH-be5qke2kjSBx8OtClHUcFk5B1bt4vWHMuJgQQe-6G8J6jZkm2KN/s1111/Arctic_01.jpg" title="Arctic sea ice hits record low" /><figcaption><em><b>Arctic sea ice has reached its lowest winter point since satellite observations began </b></em><br /><em><b>in the late 1970s, raising concerns about faster ice melt and rising seas due to </b></em><br /><em><b>global warming, US officials said Thursday [Credit: AFP/Martin Bureau]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The maximum extent of sea ice observed was 5.6 million square miles (14.5 million square kilometers) on February 25, earlier than scientists had expected, said the report by the National Snow and Ice Data Center.</p><p>"It is also the lowest in the satellite record," the NSIDC said.</p><p>Below-average ice conditions were observed everywhere except in the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait.</p><p>The sea ice was about 425,000 square miles below the average from 1981 to 2010, a loss equal to more than twice the size of Sweden.</p><p>It was also 50,200 square miles below the previous lowest maximum that occurred in 2011.</p><p>Environmentalists said the report offered more evidence of worsening global warming, and urged action to curb the burning of fossil fuels that send greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.</p><figure><img alt="Arctic sea ice hits record low" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vQjaRLVPckd6ulDYIoX1yEogrW9iDokcl8L_58Ph6bPYlNohb4UCRGIftB1dLN9g3U5WFYIcKxhfThbOMHxtypKVBFzlXNlEhzaSe_xi0efAEBrzCXzpl8n_vRN403F1ddqM-tMoYuFc/s1111/Arctic_02.jpg" title="Arctic sea ice hits record low" /><figcaption><em><b>A picture by NASA's Aqua satellite taken on September 3, 2010, </b></em><br /><em><b>shows the Arctic sea ice [Credit: NASA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"This is further evidence that global warming and its impacts have not stopped despite the inaccurate and misleading claims of climate change 'skeptics,'" said Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.</p><p>"The gradual disappearance of ice is having profound consequences for people, animals and plants in the polar regions, as well as around the world, through sea level rise."</p><p>The World Wildlife Fund said the loss of sea ice means trouble for a vast web of life that depends on it, from polar bears to marine creatures.</p><p>"Today's chilling news from the Arctic should be a wakeup call for all of us," said Samantha Smith, leader of the WWF Global Climate and Energy Initiative.</p><p>"Climate change won't stop at the Arctic Circle. Unless we make dramatic cuts in polluting gases, we will end up with a climate that is unrecognizable, unpredictable and damaging for natural systems and people."</p><p>The NSIDC said much of the ice loss could be attributed to an unusually warm February in parts of Russia and Alaska, and that it was still possible that a late-season surge of ice growth could occur.</p><p>A detailed analysis of the winter sea ice from 2014 to 2015 is due to be released in early April.</p><p><em><b>Source: AFP [March 19, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-48260443816905868272022-03-19T07:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:56:36.743-07:00Genetics: Genes for nose shape found<a name='more'></a><p>Genes that drive the shape of human noses have been identified by a UCL-led study. The four genes mainly affect the width and 'pointiness' of noses which vary greatly between different populations. The new information adds to our understanding of how the human face evolved and may help contribute to forensic DNA technologies that build visual profiles based on an individual's genetic makeup.</p><figure><img alt="Genes for nose shape found" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24HG1dMHPI0UO3wEKokufSzm0D6IacL3luNO80DQrwRs4lyDNwSomjpcNPllyk5Z8BteVxL3I2R23wfqA_8p4JbzB2TGFG7KYBggGCB1Hq_pi6HvEQatTKHHe7iGbYeggMsUR0mjc7wr3/s1111/nose_01.jpg" title="Genes for nose shape found" /><figcaption><em><b>Variation between nose shape and the specific genes responsible </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Dr Kaustubh Adhikari, UCL]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The study, published today in ><em><b>Nature Communications</b></em>, analysed a population of over 6,000 people with varied ancestry across Latin America to study the differences in normal facial features and identify the genes which control the shape of the nose and chin.</p><p>The researchers identified five genes which play a role in controlling the shape of specific facial features. DCHS2, RUNX2, GLI3 and PAX1 affect the width and pointiness of the nose and another gene -- EDAR -- affects chin protrusion.</p><p>"Few studies have looked at how normal facial features develop and those that have only looked at European populations, which show less diversity than the group we studied. What we've found are specific genes which influence the shape and size of individual features, which hasn't been seen before.</p><p>"Finding out the role each gene plays helps us to piece together the evolutionary path from Neanderthal to modern humans. It brings us closer to understanding how genes influence the way we look, which is important for forensics applications," said the first author of the report, Dr Kaustubh Adhikari, UCL Cell & Developmental Biology.</p><p>People have different shaped facial features based on their genetic heritage and this is partly due to how the environment influenced the evolution of the human genome. The nose, for example, is important for regulating the temperature and humidity of the air we breathe in so developed different shapes in warmer and cooler climates.</p><p>"It has long been speculated that the shape of the nose reflects the environment in which humans evolved. For example, the comparatively narrower nose of Europeans has been proposed to represent an adaptation to a cold, dry climate. Identifying genes affecting nose shape provides us with new tools to examine this question, as well as the evolution of the face in other species. It may also help us understand what goes wrong in genetic disorders involving facial abnormalities," explained Professor Andrés Ruiz-Linares UCL Biosciences, who led the study.</p><p>The team collected and analysed DNA samples from 6,630 volunteers from the CANDELA cohort recruited in Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru. After an initial screen, a sample size of 5,958 was used. This group included individuals of mixed European (50%), Native American (45%) and African (5%) ancestry, resulting in a large variation in facial features.</p><p>Both men and women were assessed for 14 different facial features and whole genome analysis identified the genes driving differences in appearance.</p><p>A subgroup of 3,000 individuals had their features assessed using a 3D reconstruction of the face in order to obtain exact measurements of facial features and the results identified the same genes.</p><p>The study identified genes that are involved in bone and cartilage growth and the development of the face. GLI3, DCHS2 and PAX1 are all genes known to drive cartilage growth -- GLI3 gave the strongest signal for controlling the breadth of nostrils, DCHS2 was found to control nose 'pointiness' and PAX1 also influences nostril breadth. RUNX2 which drives bone growth was seen to control nose bridge width.</p><p>The genes GLI3, DCHS2 and RUNX2 are known to show strong signals of recent selection in modern humans compared to archaic humans such as Neanderthals and Denisovans; GLI3 in particular undergoing rapid evolution.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [May 19, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-64802289486933989352022-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:56:51.247-07:00Space Exploration: Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere<a name='more'></a><p>Some of the final results sent back by ESA's Venus Express before it plummeted down through the planet's atmosphere have revealed it to be rippling with atmospheric waves – and, at an average temperature of -157°C, colder than anywhere on Earth.</p><figure><img alt="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRqntv2KKhODHcHIHfK6Mywc6VG9HLBjrU2n0dYc5c0KOF4cz-MJ0LuqQFlE1EestkLE5vyFdWonVB2dqYCVeXEBMNx1MFpl_oM9kE8kJ8Bb4__5Z_QU_-t-Yos-mySuoHW2BFzU7FL4W/s1111/venus_express-1.jpg" title="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" /><figcaption><em><b>Visualisation of Venus Express during the aerobraking manoeuvre, during which the spacecraft </b></em><br /><em><b>orbited Venus at an altitude of around 130 km from 18 June to 11 July 2014. In the month before, </b></em><br /><em><b>the altitude was gradually reduced from around 200 km to 130 km </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: ESA - C. Carreau]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As well as telling us much about Venus' previously-unexplored polar regions and improving our knowledge of our planetary neighbour, the experiment holds great promise for ESA's ExoMars mission, which is currently winging its way to the Red Planet. The findings were published in the journal <em><b>Nature Physics</b></em>.</p><p>ESA's Venus Express arrived at Venus in 2006. It spent eight years exploring the planet from orbit, vastly outliving the mission's planned duration of 500 days, before running out of fuel. The probe then began its descent, dipping further and further into Venus' atmosphere, before the mission lost contact with Earth (November 2014) and officially ended (December 2014).</p><p>However, Venus Express was industrious to the end; low altitude orbits were carried out during the final months of the mission, taking the spacecraft deep enough to experience measurable drag from the atmosphere. Using its onboard accelerometers, the spacecraft measured the deceleration it experienced as it pushed through the planet's upper atmosphere – something known as aerobraking.</p><p>"Aerobraking uses atmospheric drag to slow down a spacecraft, so we were able to use the accelerometer measurements to explore the density of Venus' atmosphere," said Ingo Müller-Wodarg of Imperial College London, UK, lead author of the study. "None of Venus Express' instruments were actually designed to make such in-situ atmosphere observations. We only realised in 2006 – after launch! – that we could use the Venus Express spacecraft as a whole to do more science."</p><p>When Müller-Wodarg and colleagues gathered their observations Venus Express was orbiting at an altitude of between 130 and 140 kilometres near Venus' polar regions, in a portion of Venus' atmosphere that had never before been studied in situ.</p><figure><img alt="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qtZ5jMUVlbEV9FDOI_8IdY_fLkH5noqnZo32DwHcVcQ5sn41HI_blKYGbzVOZcCW-WNoYwFl3POlQAznPV76J7CahGG27mJJtE56UPRjeLyiZxJoV-QRaP1zDDIUoHUAvNyhMFxlmvQj/s1111/venus_express-4.jpg" title="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" /><figcaption><em><b>Venus Express aerobraking [Credit: ESA - C. Carreau]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Previously, our understanding of Venus' polar atmosphere was based on observations gathered by NASA's Pioneer Venus probe in the late 1970s. These were of other parts of Venus' atmosphere, near the equator, but extrapolated to the poles to form a complete atmospheric reference model.</p><p>These new measurements, taken as part of the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE) from 24 June to 11 July 2014, have now directly tested this model – and reveal several surprises.</p><p>For one, the polar atmosphere is up to 70 degrees colder than expected, with an average temperature of -157°C (114 K). Recent temperature measurements by Venus Express' SPICAV instrument (SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Venus) are in agreement with this finding.</p><p>The polar atmosphere is also not as dense as expected; at 130 and 140 km in altitude, it is 22% and 40% less dense than predicted, respectively. When extrapolated upward in the atmosphere, these differences are consistent with those measured previously by VExADE at 180 km, where densities were found to be lower by almost a factor of two.</p><p>"This is in-line with our temperature findings, and shows that the existing model paints an overly simplistic picture of Venus' upper atmosphere," added Müller-Wodarg. "These lower densities could be at least partly due to Venus' polar vortices, which are strong wind systems sitting near the planet's poles. Atmospheric winds may be making the density structure both more complicated and more interesting!"</p><figure><img alt="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily2kQbGCxnrM7C-jm54bwP_Q2T88wR-AsI0UBSalgZX_iayzzIYjjOJlZZHXtuNvD46eOMciOav3mR9i7xd5-KWXNTjUWbVDeLvr6MMx7p31Fgi3kxupohSh_TdScvwhMtZ63N-YaJXlF/s1111/venus_express-2.jpg" title="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" /><figcaption><em><b>This figure shows the density of Venus' atmosphere in the northern polar regions at altitudes of 130 to 190 km. All data points were gathered during different phases of the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE), performed between 2008-2013 (values above 165 km) and from 24 June to 11 July 2014 (values below 140 km); the black dots to the lower right were from the aerobraking phase (AER), the black dots to the upper left from the Precise Orbit Determination phase (POD), and the grey dots from torque measurements (TRQ). Each coloured line represents a different scientific model of Venus' atmosphere. The dark blue line shows a model based on data from NASA's Pioneer Venus spacecraft, dubbed VTS3 (Hedin et al., 1983), which uses observations of Venus' equatorial latitudes gathered from 1978-1980 (extrapolated to the poles). The cyan line corresponds to another reference model of Venus' neutral upper atmosphere based on Pioneer Venus, named Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA, Keating et al.,1985). The red line corresponds to a model (Venus Polar Atmosphere Model) currently being developed by Ingo Müller-Wodarg. </b></em><br /><em><b>This model seeks to bridge the data gap shown in the figure from 140-165 km and</b></em><br /><em><b> present a unified vertical density profile for Venus' upper polar atmosphere </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: I. Müller-Wodarg (Imperial College London, UK)]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Additionally, the polar region was found to be dominated by strong atmospheric waves, a phenomenon thought to be key in shaping planetary atmospheres – including our own.</p><p>"By studying how the atmospheric densities changed and were perturbed over time, we found two different types of wave: Atmospheric gravity waves and planetary waves," explained co-author Sean Bruinsma of the Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France. "These waves are tricky to study, as you need to be within the atmosphere of the planet itself to measure them properly. Observations from afar can only tell us so much."</p><p>Atmospheric gravity waves are similar to waves we see in the ocean, or when throwing stones in a pond, only they travel vertically rather than horizontally. They are essentially a ripple in the density of a planetary atmosphere – they travel from lower to higher altitudes and, as density decreases with altitude, become stronger as they rise. The second type, planetary waves, are associated with a planet's spin as it turns on its axis; these are larger-scale waves with periods of several days.</p><p>We experience both types on Earth. Atmospheric gravity waves interfere with weather and cause turbulence, while planetary waves can affect entire weather and pressure systems. Both are known to transfer energy and momentum from one region to another, and so are likely to be hugely influential in shaping the characteristics of a planetary atmosphere.</p><p>"We found atmospheric gravity waves to be dominant in Venus' polar atmosphere," added Bruinsma. "Venus Express experienced them as a kind of turbulence, a bit like the vibrations you feel when an aeroplane flies through a rough patch. If we flew through Venus' atmosphere at those heights we wouldn't feel them because the atmosphere just isn't dense enough, but Venus Express' instruments were sensitive enough to detect them."</p><figure><img alt="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykX7ZgU0LwC7Dkc9TvxfwQE0FJI4DG9JmDes2vR86MQC5_fIWmKLted050O65cW3AcwJ6pEysphZVUJR8NpkWGO1mtiR0RdifBSX7Ox5oZsa9NSWHBauzdZmkK48hlRt0MsD5gopQoJpk/s1111/venus_express-3.jpg" title="Venus Express' swansong experiment sheds light on Venus' polar atmosphere" /><figcaption><em><b>This frame shows a visualization of raw data from the Venus Express Atmospheric Drag Experiment (VExADE), performed from 24 June to 11 July 2014, at altitudes of 130-140 km in the atmosphere of Venus. The black lines show 16 of the spacecraft's 18 orbital trajectories from that period. The grey background is a normalised map of the atmospheric gravity waves that were detected. The non-uniformity represents density perturbations in Venus' polar atmosphere; darker patches are less dense, and lighter patches more dense, than their surroundings. The average density perturbation amplitude is around 10% of the mean background density. The results of the VExADE experiment, reported in Nature Physics (Müller-Wodarg et al., 2016), showed that strong atmospheric gravity waves dominate the polar regions of Venus' atmosphere </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: ESA/Venus Express/VExADE/Müller-Wodarg et al., 2016]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Venus Express found atmospheric waves at an altitude of 130-140 km that the team think originated from the upper cloud layer in Venus' atmosphere, which sits at and below altitudes of approximately 90 km, and a planetary wave that oscillated with a period of five days. "We checked carefully to ensure that the waves weren't an artefact of our processing," said co-author Jean-Charles Marty, also of CNES.</p><p>This is not just a first for Venus Express; while the aerobraking technique has been used for Earth satellites, and was previously used on NASA-led missions to Mars and Venus, it had never before been used on any ESA planetary mission.</p><p>However, ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which launched earlier this year, will use a similar technique. "During this activity we will extract similar data about Mars' atmosphere as we did at Venus," added Håkan Svedhem, project scientist for ESA's ExoMars 2016 and Venus Express missions.</p><p>"For Mars, the aerobraking phase would last longer than on Venus, for about a year, so we'd get a full dataset of Mars' atmospheric densities and how they vary with season and distance from the Sun," added Svedhem. "This information isn't just relevant to scientists; it's crucial for engineering purposes as well. The Venus study was a highly successful test of a technique that could now be applied to Mars on a larger scale – and to future missions after that."</p><p><em><b>Source: European Space Agency [April 19, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-85706387096108188252022-03-18T11:00:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:57:04.835-07:00Genetics: First fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles<a name='more'></a><p>Many people in the UK feel a strong sense of regional identity, and it now appears that there may be a scientific basis to this feeling, according to a landmark new study into the genetic makeup of the British Isles.</p><figure><img alt="First fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUot3Q3Whn19Fl-Kqs_I8djVt7VJh2Hici5cWq6GuBU0dQflm7AbxFjWVu-BmniQeWuvwBb3avWRDhcWrQgjr3S_XczkuzhDRt39IoCZzVBluplWIDljW-dIOZjCxX6-5pPKqGhRih5WTa/s1111/UK_dna.jpg" title="First fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles" /><figcaption><em><b>Subtle differences in the genes of more than 2,000 people in England, Scotland, Wales </b></em><br /><em><b>and Northern Ireland reveal 17 distinct groups, represented by different symbols </b></em><br /><em><b>and colors on the map [Credit: Stephen Leslie; Contains OS data </b></em><br /><em><b>© Crown copyright and database right 2012; © EuroGeographics</b></em><br /><em><b> for some administrative boundaries]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>An international team, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, UCL (University College London) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Australia, used DNA samples collected from more than 2,000 people to create the first fine-scale genetic map of any country in the world.</p><p>Their findings, published in Nature, show that prior to the mass migrations of the 20th century there was a striking pattern of rich but subtle genetic variation across the UK, with distinct groups of genetically similar individuals clustered together geographically.</p><p>By comparing this information with DNA samples from over 6,000 Europeans, the team was also able to identify clear traces of the population movements into the UK over the past 10,000 years. Their work confirmed, and in many cases shed further light on, known historical migration patterns.</p><p><b>Key findings</b></p><p><ul><li>There was not a single "Celtic" genetic group. In fact the Celtic parts of the UK (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Cornwall) are among the most different from each other genetically. For example, the Cornish are much more similar genetically to other English groups than they are to the Welsh or the Scots.</li></ul><ul><li>There are separate genetic groups in Cornwall and Devon, with a division almost exactly along the modern county boundary.</li></ul><ul><li>The majority of eastern, central and southern England is made up of a single, relatively homogeneous, genetic group with a significant DNA contribution from Anglo-Saxon migrations (10-40% of total ancestry). This settles a historical controversy in showing that the Anglo-Saxons intermarried with, rather than replaced, the existing populations.</li></ul><ul><li>The population in Orkney emerged as the most genetically distinct, with 25% of DNA coming from Norwegian ancestors. This shows clearly that the Norse Viking invasion (9th century) did not simply replace the indigenous Orkney population.</li></ul><ul><li>The Welsh appear more similar to the earliest settlers of Britain after the last ice age than do other people in the UK.</li></ul><ul><li>There is no obvious genetic signature of the Danish Vikings, who controlled large parts of England ("The Danelaw") from the 9th century.</li></ul><ul><li>There is genetic evidence of the effect of the Landsker line -- the boundary between English-speaking people in south-west Pembrokeshire (sometimes known as "Little England beyond Wales") and the Welsh speakers in the rest of Wales, which persisted for almost a millennium.</li></ul><ul><li>The analyses suggest there was a substantial migration across the channel after the original post-ice-age settlers, but before Roman times. DNA from these migrants spread across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but had little impact in Wales.</li></ul><ul><li>Many of the genetic clusters show similar locations to the tribal groupings and kingdoms around end of the 6th century, after the settlement of the Anglo-Saxons, suggesting these tribes and kingdoms may have maintained a regional identity for many centuries.</li></ul><br />The Wellcome Trust-funded People of the British Isles study analysed the DNA of 2,039 people from rural areas of the UK, whose four grandparents were all born within 80km of each other. Because a quarter of our genome comes from each of our grandparents, the researchers were effectively sampling DNA from these ancestors, allowing a snapshot of UK genetics in the late 19th Century. They also analysed data from 6,209 individuals from 10 (modern) European countries.</p><p>To uncover the extremely subtle genetic differences among these individuals the researchers used cutting-edge statistical techniques, developed by four of the team members. They applied these methods, called fineSTRUCTURE and GLOBETROTTER, to analyse DNA differences at over 500,000 positions within the genome. They then separated the samples into genetically similar individuals, without knowing where in the UK the samples came from. By plotting each person onto a map of the British Isles, using the centre point of their grandparents' birth places, they were able to see how this distribution correlated with their genetic groupings.</p><p>The researchers were then able to "zoom in" to examine the genetic patterns in the UK at levels of increasing resolution. At the broadest scale, the population in Orkney (islands to the north of Scotland) emerged as the most genetically distinct. At the next level, Wales forms a distinct genetic group, followed by a further division between north and south Wales. Then the north of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland collectively separate from southern England, before Cornwall forms a separate cluster. Scotland and Northern Ireland then separate from northern England. The study eventually focused at the level where the UK was divided into 17 genetically distinct clusters of people.</p><p>Dr Michael Dunn, Head of Genetics & Molecular Sciences at the Wellcome Trust, said: "These researchers have been able to use modern genetic techniques to provide answers to the centuries' old question -- where we come from. Beyond the fascinating insights into our history, this information could prove very useful from a health perspective, as building a picture of population genetics at this scale may in future help us to design better genetic studies to investigate disease."</p><p><em><b>Source: Wellcome Trust [March 18, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-89300380543734002442022-03-18T07:00:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:57:25.599-07:00Near East: Antiquities market on alert for looted Syrian spoils <a name='more'></a><p>As armed groups in Syria and Iraq destroy priceless archaeological sites, European authorities and dealers are on high alert for smaller, looted artefacts put on sale to help finance the jihadists' war.</p><figure><img alt="Antiquities market on alert for looted Syrian spoils " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_fecG_VTo8D9Ti3kxYZTtzHj2vOXiiT4Q4YOz_9zWBqfdyx4h7LG3MQwko0jYuGeNWfMVNv0r7oInUTgaHl3ijIPzrhHFdXLQKb2QCVfNzZgIcNMTp95XX0GGXr1B64GfEIIdDx9lbg3/s1111/Syria_loot_04.jpg" title="Antiquities market on alert for looted Syrian spoils " /><figcaption><em><b>Looted funerary reliefs from Palmyra [Credit: AP/SANA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Stolen-art expert Chris Marinello, director of Art Recovery International, said he has been shown photographs of items being offered from Syria that were "clearly looted right out of the ground".</p><p>"You could still see dirt on some of these objects," he told AFP.</p><p>They included cylinder seals, Roman bottles and vases, although Marinello said it was unclear whether the items were still in Syria, were in transit or had arrived in the key markets of Europe and the United States.</p><p>Concerns about looting during the Syrian war have increased following the advance of the Islamic State group through parts of Syria and Iraq, and recent propaganda videos showing their destruction of ancient sites such as Nimrud.</p><p>The UN Security Council in February demanded UN states act to stop the trade in cultural property from those two countries, amid warnings that they represented a significant source of funding for the militant group.</p><p>Experts say it is impossible to put a value on antiquities looted from Syria, which has been home to many civilisations through the millennia, from the Canaanites to the Ottomans.</p><p>The London-based International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA) estimates the entire legitimate antiquities market in 2013 was worth between 150 and 200 million euros ($160-215 million).</p><p>Marinello said reputable dealers are "being very careful not to touch anything that could remotely be part of this recent wave of looting".</p><p>But Hermann Parzinger, an archaeologist and president of the Germany-based Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, said there was an "enormous market" from private buyers.</p><p>He warned that the cultural costs were huge, telling AFP: "The context which is so important to reconstruct the history of these civilisations is completely destroyed." </p><p>Italy has proposed that world heritage body UNESCO create a military taskforce to protect cultural sites in war zones, but many experts believe little can be done to stop the current destruction.</p><p>Instead, they are forced to wait until the conflict ends and watch in horror as priceless historic sites are destroyed and the spoils gradually emerge onto the market.</p><p>Vernon Rapley, a former head of the art and antiquities squad at London's Metropolitan Police, expects many Syrian items to be held back to avoid flooding the market, as occurred after the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.</p><p>The looted artefacts were likely to be "hauled up in warehouses either in the country or near the country, and only linked to the art trade in small pieces and at a later stage", he told AFP.</p><p>Stephane Thefo, who leads an Interpol unit dedicated to fighting the illegal trafficking of cultural goods, agreed that many items may disappear for years -- but insisted that tackling the trade was the best way to combat looting.</p><p>The French policeman would like to see tougher national laws on trafficking of cultural goods, something Germany is currently considering.</p><p>"We have to act by seeking to narrow markets for the illicit trade, hoping that by curbing the demand, the supply would eventually decrease," Thefo said.</p><p>Identifying looted objects is no easy task, however, not least because cultural crime is rarely a police priority.</p><p>The law puts the onus on the authorities to prove an item is illegal and a long delay in an artefact being sold, or multiple owners, make it hard to establish provenance.</p><p>At a conference at the V&A museum in London this week on the destruction of cultural property in conflict areas in Iraq and Syria, Mali, Libya and Yemen, archaeologists stressed the need for proper inventories of heritage sites.</p><p>They noted that objects that have been photographed and digitally catalogued are more likely to be recovered.</p><p>Interpol is currently building a database of stolen objects, and James Ede, a London dealer and IADAA board member, urged cultural bodies to share their information with dealers.</p><p>"This material will necessarily surface on the open market sooner or later. The challenge therefore is to identify it and where possible to return it when it is safe to do so," he said.</p><p><em><b>Author: Alice Ritchie | Source: AFP [April 17, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-63539383224742170622022-03-18T05:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:57:38.850-07:00Geology: Copper gives an answer to the rise of oxygen<a name='more'></a><p>A new study presents evidence that the rise of atmospheric oxygenation did indeed occur 2.4-2.1 billion years ago. It also shows that biological usage of copper became prominent after the so called 'Great Oxidation Event.' An international team of researchers has recently published the study in the <em><b>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</b></em>.</p><figure><img alt="Copper gives an answer to the rise of oxygen" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TaKCaNcqtC5KEiizPsvKNRNRCG0cincBUXsV2vZ6tNxZiSc7Vc-DNjz1rNnOjh-DT979fnBU_riSHjq6y-1WE04Wy6JbtlmvpcJfyOXIsEQBInXkC8zkCs63htkJUcfOzj66Zi306lH4/s1111/copper-2.jpg" title="Copper gives an answer to the rise of oxygen" /><figcaption><em><b>According to a new study the rise of atmospheric oxygenation occurred 2.4-2.1 billion </b></em><br /><em><b>years ago and that biological usage of copper became prominent after the so called</b></em><br /><em><b> 'Great Oxidation Event' [Credit: Catarina Nilsson/Mostphotos]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"Our findings make it possible to reconstruct nutrient content in early marine settings and demonstrate that the iron-rich content of the early oceans must have severely restricted the availability of nutrients important for life", says Dr Ernest Chi Fru of Stockholm University, who has led the research group.</p><p>The study suggests a gradual shift in mainly negative copper isotopic composition of marine carbon-rich sediments, beginning at 2.4 billion years ago (Ga), to permanently positive values after 2.3 Ga. The authors argue that the change reflects the drawn-out nature of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), when atmospheric oxygen content went from virtually nothing, starting at 2.4 Ga, to peak at near present day levels by 2.3 Ga.</p><p>Fundamentally, the high iron content of the early oceans are suggested to have played a critical role in determining trace metal availability, whereby copper levels increased when decreasing marine iron content fell by about 1 000 times after the GOE. The research has been made by examining carbon-rich rocks deposited at the bottom of ancient oceans 2.66-2.1 billion years ago.</p><p>"The appearance of oxygen in the atmosphere is one of the most important changes in Earth's geological history that enabled the evolution of oxygen based life. Understanding the chemistry of the very early oceans and how nutrients were made available, guide our steps towards understanding the processes that govern our own evolution", says Dr Ernest Chi Fru of Stockholm University.</p><p>The study provides a tool for tracking how oxygen levels have fluctuated through Earth's history and the evolutionary changes that accompanied these fluctuations.</p><p>"Our study is highlighting how the isotopic ratios of copper can unlock the evolution of Earth's early oceans from being oxygen-poor to more like they are today. We now hope to apply this technique to understanding other major geological events in the Earth's history", says Professor Dominik Weiss, co-author from Imperial College London.</p><p><em><b>Source: Stockholm University [April 18, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-5061571850145726332022-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:002022-04-26T11:57:53.465-07:00Geology: Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history<a name='more'></a><p>Magnetic nanovortices in magnetite minerals are reliable witnesses of the earth's history, as revealed by the first high-resolution studies of these structures undertaken by scientists from Germany and the United Kingdom. The magnetic structures are built during the cooling of molten rock and reflect the earth's magnetic field at the time of their formation. The vortices are unexpectedly resilient to temperature fluctuations, as electron holographic experiments in Julich have verified. These results are an important step in improving our understanding of the history of the earth's magnetic field, its core and plate tectonics.</p><figure><img alt="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4yBj0r8EMjC5nnPPHnwo0wD9ybGouajwHfV3OvmIbqBEXVMJxcdOquVkCJfBhpSXB6-AX_6H94_0qoP_1qB3t79Bm6HDl7eUX9729hncaECAususNy0xG8Hi-3qsm1P2-eHAqakD75ql/s1111/magnetic_01.jpg" title="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" /><figcaption><em><b>Electron microscopy image of a magnetite nanocrystal (left) and the magnetic vortex </b></em><br /><em><b>structure (right), made visible for the first time by researchers from Jülich </b></em><br /><em><b>and the United Kingdom using electron holography </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Imperial College London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The earth's magnetic field performs important functions: it protects us, for example, from charged particles from space and enables migratory birds, bees, and other animals to navigate. However, it is not stable, and constantly changes its intensity and state. Several times in the past it has even reversed its polarity -- the north and south poles have changed places.</p><p>Scientists in the area of paleomagnetism use magnetic minerals to investigate the history of the earth's magnetic field and its formation from molten metal flowing within the earth's core, the so-called geodynamo. Furthermore, the movement of continental plates can be monitored with the aid of such rocks.</p><p>In the course of millions of years, these minerals could often have been exposed to immense temperature fluctuations, due to extreme climate change or volcanic activity, for instance. How well do the magnetic structures survive such temperature fluctuations and how reliable is the information gained from them?</p><p>An international research team has now studied this question for the first time at ultra-high resolution on samples of magnetite, the mineral dominating the magnetic properties in the earth's crust.</p><figure><img alt="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHT6_LY5StanpK65XFAxXY3YxESh6MuPvmSgDPlMpsUTOYpn2_gYJqq7jp-b-EP2SToJlAqj8PjiOsUmbYT51jyxm3dDVy1r4pTyQP4opb0muq-JSVMggaAYOpgyt2DjDxJscAFsKSsZ2I/s1111/magnetic_02.png" title="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" /><figcaption><em><b>This micromagnetic model shows the three-dimensional vortex structure </b></em><br /><em><b>of magnetite nanocrystals [Credit: University of Edinburgh]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"It is only in a small part of naturally occurring magnetite that magnetic structures known for being very stable with respect to temperature fluctuations are found," explains Dr. Trevor Almeida of Imperial College London. "Far more common are tiny magnetic vortices. Their stability could not be demonstrated until now."</p><p>Together with colleagues from Forschungszentrum Julich, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Nottingham, Almeida has studied the magnetic vortices in magnetite nanocrystals. As the structures are so tiny -- each grain is only about the size of a virus -- there is only one method with which the nanovortices can directly be observed while they are heated up and cooled down: "A special high-resolution electron microscope at the Ernst Ruska-Centre (ER-C) in Julich is capable of making magnetic fields on the nanoscale holographically visible," explains Almeida. "In this way, images of field lines are produced almost like using iron filings around a bar magnet to make its magnetic field visible, but with a resolution in the nanometre range."</p><p>The experiments in Julich showed that although the magnetic vortices alter in strength and direction when heated up, they go back to their original state as they cool down. "Therefore magnetite rocks, which carry signs of temperature fluctuations, are indeed a reliable source of information about the history of the earth," enthuses Almeida.</p><figure><img alt="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiwXZQczpwxk8DNdqeSzLnsy8sj28_Lj7Xsz8N-0TVcIhkeaovbeZ6XQrp-fb9hzaB3qrWA_twYvGbfOFUFiuNkVHj7MkxX0Bnax2eBKzlB_WWJyRfJFyH5W6oJAe36XLkq69Bt3iXca1/s1111/magnetic_03.png" title="Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history" /><figcaption><em><b>In the process of electron holography, the electron beam in the microscope is split</b></em><br /><em><b> in two. One part serves as a reference; the second is directed through the sample</b></em><br /><em><b> and collects information about its magnetic structure. Both electron beams together</b></em><br /><em><b> create an interference pattern containing the information in an encrypted form.</b></em><br /><em><b> Analysis of the recorded hologram is necessary to allow conclusions </b></em><br /><em><b>to be drawn about the magnetic fields in the specimen </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"Electron holography has made it possible for us to gain a completely new insight into the magnetic behaviour of magnetite," emphasized Prof. Rafal Dunin-Borkowski, Director at the ER-C and at the Peter Grunberg Institute in Julich.</p><p>As an expert in electron holography, he works with his Julich team on further improving the resolution of this technique and in providing German and international scientists the necessary infrastructure to perform this type of study.</p><p>"Weak magnetic fields in nanocrystals don't just play a role in paleomagnetism. In information technology, for instance, electron holograms can also be of use to help to push back the physical limits of data storage and processing."</p><p>The study has been published in <em><b>Science Advances</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: Forschungszentrum Juelich [April 18, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-22961526523164169432022-03-15T13:30:00.000-07:002022-04-26T12:00:11.132-07:00UK: 500-year-old English Bible reveals Reformation secrets<a name='more'></a><p>Researchers have used complex image analysis to uncover annotations that were hidden for nearly 500 years between the pages of England's oldest printed bible.</p><figure><img alt="500-year-old English Bible reveals Reformation secrets" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEean03ttpqFO4zcgUHH3-zmMIijH0DtNV56u21lvBisq3asNKv-lmuMaWDYMSsa_AB2ZibTifVaIddLTtKXZChg2mMxxz8-pbnSp-SrjMeXa_cOON5VOxZ6MvwKMilCWimhmpWw00WHY/s1111/UK_Reformation_01.jpg" title="500-year-old English Bible reveals Reformation secrets" /><figcaption><em><b>Hidden annotation are mixed with biblical text in a 1535 Latin Bible </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © Lambeth Palace Library]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The annotations were discovered in England's first printed Bible, published in 1535 by Henry VIII's printer. It is one of just seven surviving copies, and is housed inLambeth Palace Library, London. The secrets hidden in the Lambeth Library copy were revealed during research by Dr Eyal Poleg, a historian from Queen Mary University of London.</p><p>"We know virtually nothing about this unique Bible -- whose preface was written by Henry himself -- outside of the surviving copies. At first, the Lambeth copy first appeared completely 'clean'. But upon closer inspection I noticed that heavy paper had been pasted over blank parts of the book. The challenge was how to uncover the annotations without damaging the book" said Dr Poleg.</p><p>Dr Poleg sought the assistance of Dr Graham Davis, a specialist in 3D X-ray imaging at QMUL's School of Dentistry. Using a light sheet, which was slid beneath the pages, they took two images in long exposure -- one with the light sheet on and one with it off.</p><p>The first image showed all the annotations, scrambled with the printed text. The second picture showed only the printed text. Dr Davis then wrote a novel piece of software to subtract the second image from the first, leaving a clear picture of the annotations.</p><p>The annotations are copied from the famous 'Great Bible' of Thomas Cromwell, seen as the epitome of the English Reformation. Written between 1539 and 1549, they were covered and disguised with thick paper in 1600. They remained hidden until their discovery this year. According to Dr Poleg, their presence supports the idea that the Reformation was a gradual process rather than a single, transformative event.</p><p>"Until recently, it was widely assumed that the Reformation caused a complete break, a Rubicon moment when people stopped being Catholics and accepted Protestantism, rejected saints, and replaced Latin with English. This Bible is a unique witness to a time when the conservative Latin and the reformist English were used together, showing that the Reformation was a slow, complex, and gradual process."</p><p>The annotations were written during the most tumultuous years of Henry's reign. The period included the move away from the Church of Rome, The Act of Supremacy, the suppression of the monasteries, and the executions of Anne Boleyn, Thomas More, and John Fisher, as well as the Pilgrimage of Grace, which moved Henry to a more cautious approach.</p><p>Dr Poleg was also able to trace the subsequent life of the book, after the point at which Latin Bibles had definitively fallen out of use. On the back page he uncovered a hidden, handwritten transaction between two men: Mr William Cheffyn of Calais, and Mr James Elys Cutpurse of London. Cutpurse, in medieval English jargon, means pickpocket. The transaction states that Cutpurse promised to pay 20 shillings to Cheffyn, or would go to Marshalsea, a notorious prison in Southwark. In subsequent archival research, Dr Poleg found that Mr Cutpurse was hanged in Tybourn in July 1552.</p><p>"Beyond Mr Cutpurse's illustrious occupation, the fact that we know when he died is significant. It allows us to date and trace the journey of the book with remarkable accuracy -- the transaction obviously couldn't have taken place after his death," said Dr Poleg.</p><p>He added: "The book is a unique witness to the course of Henry's Reformation. Printed in 1535 by the King's printer and with Henry's preface, within a few short years the situation had shifted dramatically. The Latin Bible was altered to accommodate reformist English, and the book became a testimony to the greyscale between English and Latin in that murky period between 1539 and 1549.</p><p>"Just three years later things were more certain. Monastic libraries were dissolved, and Latin liturgy was irrelevant. Our Bible found its way to lay hands, completing a remarkably swift descent in prominence from Royal text to recorder of thievery."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Queen Mary London [March 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-19030942204588826902022-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:40:08.095-07:00Evolution: Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it<a name='more'></a><p>Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae and cyanobacteria use the energy from the Sun to make sugar from water and carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen as a waste product. But a few groups of bacteria carry out a simpler form of photosynthesis that does not produce oxygen, which evolved first.</p><figure><img alt="Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM9yltmOlueZtmWcMODHYvrnu-s3XiyH29yToGUu8t-rB2kja2-KYIZwitDA_6q-THjPQc0FZtR89ZLf_roUJ0wrFeQl3dsKERGko19T91qxHwMXT52D447LPf99BsWKfKeJVvCmhuts/s1111/photosynthesis_01.jpg" title="Photosynthesis more ancient than thought, and most living things could do it" /><figcaption><em><b>Primitive bacteria at Yellowstone National Park </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Albatros4825, WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A new study by an Imperial researcher suggests that this more primitive form of photosynthesis evolved in much more ancient bacteria than scientists had imagined, more than 3.5 billion years ago.</p><p>Photosynthesis sustains life on Earth today by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and providing energy for food chains. The rise of oxygen-producing photosynthesis allowed the evolution of complex life forms like animals and land plants around 2.4 billion years ago.</p><p>However, the first type of photosynthesis that evolved did not produce oxygen. It was known to have first evolved around 3.5-3.8 billion years ago, but until now, scientists thought that one of the groups of bacteria alive today that still uses this more primate photosynthesis was the first to evolve the ability.</p><p>But the new research reveals that a more ancient bacteria, that probably no longer exists today, was actually the first to evolve the simpler form of photosynthesis, and that this bacteria was an ancestor to most bacteria alive today.</p><p>"The picture that is starting to emerge is that during the first half of Earth's history the majority of life forms were probably capable of photosynthesis," said study author Dr Tanai Cardona, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London.</p><p>The more primitive form of photosynthesis is known as anoxygenic photosynthesis, which uses molecules such as hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or iron as fuel -- instead of water.</p><p>Traditionally, scientists had assumed that one of the groups of bacteria that still use anoxygenic photosynthesis today evolved the ability and then passed it on to other bacteria using horizontal gene transfer -- the process of donating an entire set of genes, in this case those required for photosynthesis, to unrelated organisms.</p><p>However, Dr Cardona created an evolutionary tree for the bacteria by analyzing the history of a protein essential for anoxygenic photosynthesis. Through this, he was able to uncover a much more ancient origin for photosynthesis.</p><p>Instead of one group of bacteria evolving the ability and transferring it to others, Dr Cardona's analysis reveals that anoxygenic photosynthesis evolved before most of the groups of bacteria alive today branched off and diversified. The results are published in the journal <em><b>PLOS ONE</b></em>.</p><p>"Pretty much every group of photosynthetic bacteria we know of has been suggested, at some point or another, to be the first innovators of photosynthesis," said Dr Cardona. "But this means that all these groups of bacteria would have to have branched off from each other before anoxygenic photosynthesis evolved, around 3.5 billion years ago.</p><p>"My analysis has instead shown that anoxygenic photosynthesis predates the diversification of bacteria into modern groups, so that they all should have been able to do it. In fact, the evolution of oxygneic photosynthesis probably led to the extinction of many groups of bacteria capable of anoxygenic photosynthesis, triggering the diversification of modern groups."</p><p>To find the origin of anoxygenic photosynthesis, Dr Cardona traced the evolution of BchF, a protein that is key in the biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll a, the main pigment employed in anoxygenic photosynthesis. The special characteristic of this protein is that it is exclusively found in anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and without it bacteriochlorophyll a cannot be made.</p><p>By comparing sequences of proteins and reconstructing an evolutionary tree for BchF, he discovered that it originated before most described groups of bacteria alive today.</p><p><em><b>Author: Hayley Dunning | Source: Imperial College London [March 15, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-80381257617886273982022-03-15T05:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:40:43.349-07:00Indigenous Cultures: Unique social structure of hunter-gatherers explained<a name='more'></a><p>Sex equality in residential decision-making explains the unique social structure of hunter-gatherers, a new UCL study reveals.</p><figure><img alt="Unique social structure of hunter-gatherers explained" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTbuX-q41J7fkVpKdi60F8_XrYsX1rUy-EZ5PpuuhheDKMh1qkUZyu4gFvVBAbjn0O4tHUeTAPjJjWZXczw1V3fprdp0YfuNM49-P2Geqg57534sihcQOgVZLXcfx5AD9mQDpStZzr6M/s1111/hunter-gatherers_01.jpg" title="Unique social structure of hunter-gatherers explained" /><figcaption><em><b>Agta household [Credit: Mark Dyble]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Previous research has noted the low level of relatedness in hunter-gatherer bands. This is surprising because humans depend on close kin to raise offspring, so generally exhibit a strong preference for living close to parents, siblings and grandparents.</p><p>The new study, published today in Science and funded by the Leverhulme Trust, is the first to demonstrate the relationship between sex equality in residential decision-making and group composition.</p><p>In work conducted over two years, researchers from the Hunter-Gatherer Resilience Project in UCL Anthropology lived among populations of hunter-gatherers in Congo and the Philippines. They collected genealogical data on kinship relations, between-camp mobility and residence patterns by interviewing hundreds of people.</p><p>This information allowed the researchers to understand how individuals in each community they visited were related to each other. Despite living in small communities, these hunter-gatherers were found to be living with a large number of individuals with whom they had no kinship ties.</p><p>The authors constructed a computer model to simulate the process of camp assortment. In the model, individuals populated an empty camp with their close kin - siblings, parents and children.</p><p>When only one sex had influence over this process, as is typically the case in male-dominated pastoral or horticultural societies, camp relatedness was high. However, group relatedness is much lower when both men and women have influence - as is the case among many hunter-gatherer societies, where families tend to alternate between moving to camps where husbands have close kin and camps where wives have close kin.</p><p>First author of the study, Mark Dyble (UCL Anthropology), said: "While previous researchers have noted the low relatedness of hunter-gatherer bands, our work offers an explanation as to why this pattern emerges. It is not that individuals are not interested in living with kin. Rather, if all individuals seek to live with as many kin as possible, no-one ends up living with many kin at all."</p><p>Many unique human traits such as high cognition, cumulative culture and hyper-cooperation have evolved due to the social organisation patterns unique to humans.</p><p>Although hunter-gatherer societies are increasingly under pressure from external forces, they offer the closest extant examples of human lifestyles and social organisation in the past, offering important insights into human evolutionary history.</p><p>Senior author, Dr Andrea Migliano (UCL Anthropology), said: "Sex equality suggests a scenario where unique human traits such as cooperation with unrelated individuals could have emerged in our evolutionary past".</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [May 15, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-56166543461012758732022-03-14T11:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:40:58.217-07:00Near East: 3D images of Syrian archaeological treasures go online<a name='more'></a><p>3D reconstructions of some of Syria's most spectacular archaeological sites go online Tuesday after a big push to digitalise the war-torn country's threatened heritage.</p><figure><img alt="3D images of Syria archaeological treasures go online" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdMUA5xe4xhoYJeuic5RJIuoy-X8orrRXjrkWDrpCP7E757gHkvUqY72UsicRW-TbbmsGfLZ3PxKIxdjZNtySSL9AcX5BJsrr3VOmrMX9u_5iVfTFnKPuKacL0MMfyYnEgEEZXXuTfRk/s1111/syria-4b.jpg" title="3D images of Syria archaeological treasures go online" /><figcaption><em><b>The famous Arch of Triumph (front) and a partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra. </b></em><br /><em><b>French digital surveyors have been working with Syrian archaeologists to map some of the</b></em><br /><em><b> country’s most famous monuments after Islamic State jihadists sparked international outrage</b></em><br /><em><b> by blowing up two temples in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra last year </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>French digital surveyors have been working with Syrian archaeologists to map some of the country's most famous monuments after Islamic State jihadists sparked international outrage by blowing up two temples in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra last year.</p><p>The eighth-century Umayyad Mosque in the capital Damascus—regarded by some as the fourth holiest place in Islam—and the Krak des Chevaliers Crusader castle near the ravaged city of Homs are the two most famous buildings to have been scanned in minute detail.</p><p>Photogrammetric technology developed by the French start-up Iconem has also been used to record the Roman theatre in the coastal city of Jableh and the Phoenician site in the ancient port of Ugarit, where evidence of the world's oldest alphabet was found.</p><p>Its technicians have also been working alongside 15 specialists from the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) to digitalise some of the country's major museum collections.</p><figure><img alt="3D images of Syria archaeological treasures go online" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOV4_1SAyPvt-huzGunsymiBAJUXBnSJIBfXmeYPj2OintHWcmZMT_JZcZ9TANqGtj4zfBZyFoVasCRBbRcNaP27WAKXU4k3aiX_LZfvwaa9rZCom8hkgkLRjcQ7BEfdpwhRgeCmVxfw/s1111/syria-3b.jpg" title="3D images of Syria archaeological treasures go online" /><figcaption><em><b>Heritage sites destroyed or damaged in the conflict Syria and Iraq </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: © V. Breschi/L. Saubadu/J. Jaco/AFP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Hundreds of important heritage sites have been sacked or destroyed during the five-year conflict, with the destruction of the first-century temples of Bel and Baalshamin in the ancient desert city of Palmyra causing a global outcry.</p><p>The Islamic State group has made a point of razing ancient shrines and statues it considers as idolatry and is also suspected of involvement in the illegal sale of antiquities.</p><p>Work on the "Syrian Heritage" database, the biggest 3D record of the country's monuments and treasures, began in December and includes a large number of Ottoman-era buildings in Damascus as well as its 11th-century citadel, which looms over the city.</p><p>The head of DGAM, Maamoun Abdulkarim, said the operation was essential to "avoid an irreplacable loss to humanity" given "the dramatic situation in our country".</p><p>"This solution gives our archaeological sites a real hope of renaissance and allows the memory of them to be preserved, no matter what happens," he added in a statement.</p><p>The drive, carried out with the help of the French grande ecole ENS and the research institute INRIA, is one of a number trying to catalogue sites in danger of falling into the line of fire.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xnlj5RNwtfE?rel=0"></iframe><br />The Institute for Digital Archaeology, created by Oxford and Harvard universities and Dubai's Museum of the Future, is also compiling a record of many vulnerable sites in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.</p><p>It has handed out 5,000 low-cost 3D cameras to archaeologists and NGOs with the hope of gathering a million images of threatened sites.</p><p>The Million Images Database hopes be fully online by the end of the year and will display life-size replicas of Palmyra's destroyed triumphal arch in New York's Times Square and London's Trafalgar Square in April.</p><p>The replicas of the arch, blown up by IS jihadists in October, are being made with the world's largest 3D printer.</p><p>France's culture minister had earlier floated the idea of a 3D recreation of the ancient city, known as the "Pearl of the Desert", based on photos taken by tourists over the years.</p><p><em><b>Author: Laurence Benhamou | Source: AFP [March 14, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-46398169330259091852022-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:41:11.673-07:00More Stuff: Is Greece about to lose the Parthenon Sculptures forever?<a name='more'></a><p>The following is an open letter circulated yesterday (May 14) by Alexis Mantheakis, Chairman of the International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee, on the recent developments in the Parthenon Sculptures issue:</p><p><img alt="Is Greece about to lose the Parthenon Sculptures forever?" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Ucaism6JN1QAUOYt2ehAbZ7uOBo8njbmuiBQ-SADYcfsT8Zy0rkM-tr6zDFSUSzjghqCzZBoSaa1y216Xc22xZcMgeqJCJ5Upvw0Fk00gGojSAgz4l4qkIhIEZT9fjIi1XDDb7et47U/s1111/Greece_Parthenon_03.jpg" title="Is Greece about to lose the Parthenon Sculptures forever?" /><br />Dear All,</p><p>The recent snub by the British government to UNESCO's offer to mediate in the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures dispute and the arrogant wording directed at the Greek government's often repeated offer to negotiate the matter by discussion confirmed our position that Britain never had the intention to enter into good faith discussions. As we had said in recent fora, the only road we saw to possible success was one of legal action, with a direct and dynamic confrontation with Whitehall.</p><p>The recent response by Britain dissolved any illusions we had regarding the powers in the UK to be brought to do the right thing, and to right a historical wrong. We too had hoped that Britain would succumb to worldwide public opinion to correct an outrage, the stripping and vandalising of the Parthenon of 60% of its famous millenia-old Sculptures , a crime committed when Greeks were under occupation and unable to defend their archaeological heritage and national symbols of identity.</p><p>The latest declaration by the new minister of culture in the UK continues with the hard line of his predeccesors, namely that "The marbles were legally acquired according to the laws of the time. " So Mr Minister were 3 million African slaves, captured, transported and sold, "according to the laws of the time." Opium too was purchased and sold, in tons "according to the laws of the time". Those who did not agree to buy your opium had two wars declared on them, and so China paid with the loss of Hong Kong and a treaty to buy your Indian grown opium. This, Mr Minister, is NOT that time. We are disputing your CURRENT possession of symbols of our heritage, removed from Athens and held by you in a totally government financed and controlled museum institution (all the board is appointed directly, or indirectly by the UK government or by the Queen).</p><p>This, though, is not the issue.</p><p>One more British government acting like an infant petulantly hugging another child's toy, saying "It is mine, mine!" is understandable, because there is no home-made item that can compare in beauty, artisanry, historic or other value to those created by a superior ancient civilisation. We may understand the feeling, and commiserate, but that does not justify the possession of the looted Greek scultures taken from the Parthenon. There is no justification for it. We sympathise with the situation the British Museum is in, but our sympathy doesn't extend to giving up iconic and defitive items of our heritage, nor did our illustrious and talented predecessors in Ancient Athens build the Parthenon to have its facade torn off and damaged by a British ambassador to decorate his Scottish residence. The Parthenon was built by Pericles and the Greek city states to commemorate the victory of Greek civilisation against the very type of barbarity and lack of respect that Elgin indulged in 2300 years later.</p><p>The British position is well known and is in keeping with how official Britain has acted in the last few centuries. To win in a contest the basic rule MUST be to understand your opponent and create your game strategy around this knowledge.</p><p>Anyone who has studied British history and politics will know that Britain NEVER, but NEVER, gives anything back unless forced to do so. India, Cyprus, as well as dozens of colonies of the Empire, and other possessions acquired without the consent of the people, often with great bloodshed caused by British troops were only given back by Britain after a bitterly contested conflict, on the field of battle, in courts, or with a series of extended non-violent political actions by those who had lost their heritage, freedoms, or historical archaeological treasures. Britain today in its museums and in the Tower of London still holds numerous purloined and pillaged items as well as those taken by reason of military superiority from a vanquished foe defending himself on his own soil. The Kohinoor Diamond in the so called Crown Jewels taken from a defeated 15 year old prince in India, is but one example. Manifest Destiny demanded it. We oppose this way of thinking.</p><p>This lengthy introduction, and I will apologise, was to emphasise my conviction that dialogue for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, after so many valiant and polite efforts by Greece, and its overseas friends in all walks of life, is not a viable option, and only incurable romantics or people without an understanding of the official British character and its limitations can insist that this dead end is the road to the Restitution in Athens.</p><p>The problem is not the obduracy and intransigence of British officialdom. It is a given, and we have to act with that in mind. It is with the very knowledge of the historic failure of Greek diplomacy, both cultural and political, and that of our own self-financed voluntary Parthenon organisations, to bring about the return, that it was encouraging when the Greek government, that for 40 years has not asked Britain officially for the Sculptures return, not long ago decided to involve an experienced and prestigious British legal firm Doughty Street Chambers led by George Robertson QC, to represent our interests and to write a report regarding what options were open for Greece to act.</p><p>Overall public awareness of the issue and additional sympathy for the Greek case was given very welcome boosts, human nature being what it is, by declarations of public support by celebrities such as George Clooney, Matt Damon and others, while a visit to Greece by Mrs Clooney with her senior colleagues at the UK law office created a media frenzy and a heightening of public interest in the Parthenon issue. The Doughty Chambers law group produced a 140 page confidential report for the Greek government describing, as leaked to the press, 5 options. The one considered to have the highest chance of success was, and this is no surprise to us, for Greece to go immediately to the European Court of Human Rights where, according to the report, there was the greatest chance of a Greek legal victory. The lawyers were specific: it is now or never, if the opportunity is not to be lost with issues such as statutes of limitations in the near future killing Greek chances of recovery of the items through international court decisions.</p><p>In Greece, as we all know there is a new government, and the report was delivered to them. With the understanding of the British penchant for intransigence, fortified by the recent snub to UNESCO, and the history of failed attempts, the new minister had a detailed road map in his hands, to move forward, with of course the support of millions around the world and at home. Expecting his decision to do this, using the British law firm and their international expertise and experience in cross border cultural issues we were stunned to hear the announcement of Under Minister Mr Nickos Xidakis, a former journalist, who announced, in more words than these, that " We will not go against Britain in court... This is a matter to be settled politically and diplomatically...this issue will be settled, bit by bit over, time..."</p><p>Looking at what the minister said let us examine the viability of his declared course of action over that which the British lawyers and we ourselves at IPSACI believe, and we all want the same thing , the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.</p><p>A) Mr Xidakis rejects the expert opinion of the British legal experts. Claiming we may lose in court. But for 200 years we have lost! We can only win, or if we lose here, we can initiate a new legal action in another court.</p><p>B) Mr Xidakis says the issue can be won diplomatically. The question is, after 200 years of failed diplomatic initiatives, is the government of Mr Xidakis in such a powerful international position to impose a solution using diplomacy? Does he know of Greek diplomats who can force Mr Cameron to sign a new law allowing/directing the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures?</p><p>C) Mr Xidakis told the press that the issue should be dealt with "politically" . This is indeed one way countries settle disputes. The assumption by lay persons like myself, on hearing the Minister, is that Greece at this moment has the political clout to bring the British Museum to its knees and to force Mr Cameron to sign the document of repatriation of the Sculptures to Athens. With all our goodwill towards Mr Xidakis, where does he draw this feeling of current Greek political power and superiority over Britain from?</p><p>D) Finally the minister says that this issue is being slowly resolved, "little by little".</p><p>But it has already been 200 years from the stripping of the friezes and metopes and Britain has not moved one centimetre in the direction Greece demands!</p><p>If the minister does not tell us why he feels his/our government has the diplomatic and political power to solve the issue, I very much fear that his position looks like a hot potato shifting of the issue to a future government because of reluctance to take the bull by the horns, as recommended by the UK lawyers, and get into court with his British counterpart.(Apologies for the mixed metaphors!)</p><p>I have a great fear that we are about to lose the Parthenon Sculptures for ever, and that the work of all our organisations, ministries, diplomatic missions, our volunteer supporters, and decades of dedicated work by people such as yourselves around the world, and in Greek and international organisations are about to be lost down the drain.</p><p>I therefore beg those who believe that we must recommend to Minister Xidakis and his staff to listen to the recommendations of people and experts who know the issues well, and understand the mindset of those walking the halls of Russell Square and Westmister, to express their concern to the authorities in Greece.</p><p>Thank you for your patience in reading this long analysis of where I believe we are today, in view of the recent, and disturbing developments.</p><p>Best to all, <br />Alexis Mantheakis<br />Chairman of the International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee Inc. <br />Athens office. <br />www.ipsaci.com <br />+(30)22990 47566 </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-15108021698227874302022-03-14T06:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:41:27.086-07:00More Stuff: Telegraph: Greece has no legal claim to the Elgin Marbles<a name='more'></a><p>The Greek government has finally acknowledged that the British Museum is the lawful owner of the “Elgin Marbles”. That, at least, is the logical conclusion of the recent news that Greece has dropped its legal claim to the Parthenon Sculptures.</p><figure><img alt="Telegraph: Greece has no legal right to Elgin Marbles" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6F_RBGX7r4o8G4nKvoBq4gxyBvKY8KPv8ZSfL9ZlLPdaTaDbjn32uWWDO7lxqdo12I5KjVMPnxBjYAdJWP3Im36o8ymHl3CJJwNmPkIhKrqBoaa8O9_aj8xgQi_PE3oyGru3BFUVwvQ/s1111/Greece_Parthenon_01.png" title="Telegraph: Greece has no legal right to Elgin Marbles" /><figcaption><em><b>The results of a recent poll hosted by the British newspaper </b></em><br /><em><b>The Telegraph </b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The surprise announcement came only 48 hours after Amal Clooney and the team at London’s Doughty Street Chambers sent the Greek government a 150-page report admitting that there was only a 15% chance of their success in a British court, and that Greece should consider pursuing the claim at the International Court of Justice. However, quite understandably, the Greek government has decided that what Clooney is really saying is that they have no case.</p><p>The Syriza government is keenly aware that British courts are recognized the world over for their experience in resolving international disputes, including those involving British interests and institutions. So, quite reasonably, the new Greek government has concluded that an international court will probably not reach a different conclusion. Nikos Xydakis, culture minister, has therefore announced that Greece will drop its legal claim and pursue “diplomatic and political” avenues instead.</p><p>This is unsurprising, as — contrary to the widespread misconception — there was nothing illegal about the way in which Lord Elgin saved the Parthenon Sculptures from acute ongoing destruction. The mauling had started when the Greek church smashed up a large number of the ancient temple’s carvings in the fifth century. The Venetians then blew up chunks of the building in 1687. And in the 1800s, when Lord Elgin arrived in Athens, the occupying Ottomans were grinding the sculptures up for limestone and using them for artillery target practice.</p><p>Elgin had intended to commission casts and paintings of the sculptures, but when he saw firsthand the ongoing damage (about 40% of the original sculptures had been pulverised), he acquired an export permit from the Ottoman authorities in Athens, and brought as many as he could back to safety in Britain. It was a personal disaster which bankrupted him, but it has meant that, since 1816, the British Museum has been able to share with its visitors some of the best-preserved Parthenon Sculptures in the world.</p><p>What is usually missing in the emotion of the Elgin Marbles debate is that the British Museum is a universal museum, which tells the story of humanity’s cultural achievements from the dawn of time. In this, the work of the Ancient Greek department is world leading, and part of a network of museum classicists — including those from the New Acropolis Museum in Athens — who work together collaboratively, sharing their knowledge and passion for the classical world with the widest possible public.</p><p>Coincidentally, the British Museum (the nation’s largest tourist attraction) is currently hosting a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of Greek sculpture, drawing on its own collection and generous loans from other museums all over the world to showcase the evolution of ancient Greek ideas about beauty and the human body. In this breathtaking visual story of the march of classical ideas about aesthetics, the Parthenon Sculptures take their place, contributing eloquently to the state of sculpture in the golden age of Athenian carving under Pheidias.</p><p>The overarching misconception we need to get over is that museum objects belong uniquely to the country in which they were created. If that was so, the world should empty out its leading museums of the foreign artefacts they have purchased or been donated. Athens would be no exception in this, and would be required to return their extensive collections of Egyptian, Chinese, Islamic, and South American art.</p><p>Of course, it is an absurd idea. The world is manifestly enhanced by museums and their depth of specialised knowledge. They are, above all, educational places that enrich us all. The fact that half the surviving sculptures from the Parthenon can be seen in Athens, with the remaining half split between London, Berlin, Munich, Würzburg, Copenhagen, the Vatican, and — thanks to the British Museum — the Hermitage in St Petersburg earlier this year, ensures that the widest possible audience is able to experience for themselves the unique and bewitching ability of fifth-century Athenians to convert rough stone into warm, living flesh.</p><p>Another page has turned definitively in the story of the Parthenon Sculptures. The idea that Lord Elgin or Parliament did something illegal has finally been dropped, and not before time. Now the debate can proceed in a less antagonistic manner, and everyone can acknowledge that it is a question of politics, not looted artefacts.</p><p>As the world has recently discovered from the tragic destruction of Assyrian art at Nimrud, Mosul, and elsewhere in the Middle East, the planet’s heritage does not last unless someone looks after it. And so far, in the case of the Parthenon Sculptures (and indeed its holdings of Assyrian sculpture), the British Museum continues to do the world an enormous service</p><p><em><b>Author: Dominic Selwood | Source: The Telegraph [May 14, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-72084504391977088122022-03-13T13:00:00.000-07:002022-04-27T08:41:46.351-07:00United Kingdom: Greece will not go to court over Marbles, says minister<a name='more'></a><p>Diplomacy rather than litigation will help Greece win its claim for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum, Alternate Minister for Culture Nikos Xydakis said in an interview on Wednesday.</p><figure><img alt="Greece will not go to court over Marbles, says minister" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToyGnPEZ943bNFS2exhfkZFvexsy67xlx6mtfM3QCNK-bh2SLvjys3UTYqx_-zjExI13esR22cC_SI_90tmB-2BiHSXKYONNj62PeAiokzdGsCTak2iesVZ6WUi5X3X-T4iL-8eQAzcg/s1111/Greece_Parthenon_02.jpg" title="Greece will not go to court over Marbles, says minister" /><figcaption><em><b>Alternate Minister for Culture Nikos Xydakis says he has not ruled out court action</b></em><br /><em><b> for the return of the ancient Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum in London, </b></em><br /><em><b>but diplomacy still seems the most effective option {Credit: Kathimerini]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><br />“On the one hand, you can’t file a suit over any issue, and, on the other, the outcome in international courts is never certain,” Xydakis said.</p><figure><img alt="Greece will not go to court over Marbles, says minister" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJxnk3mukHurBZhLudAtYPINxUc8uwu6GSyDuJcznG0GOawZRVwRWNRovODLw2B80I4KfRVBiBCa1JCCiyywm0WH8YzWvEDOe1-A0l_npKhdv_AnJlMLOWI3xC7naW7cF4SIz1_7YEdA/s1111/Greece_Xidakis_01.jpg" title="Greece will not go to court over Marbles, says minister" /><figcaption><em><b>Greece’s </b></em><em><b><em><b>Alternate Minister for Culture Nikos Xydakis</b></em> during an interview</b></em><br /><em><b> with reporters in Athens [Credit: AP/Thanassis Stavrakis]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>“The way to winning back the Marbles is diplomatic and political,” he said in response to a report by the British firm of cultural heritage lawyers Norman Palmer and Geoffrey Robertson, urging Greece to take swift legal recourse.</p><p><em><b>Source: Kathimerini [May 13, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-69201659379532464702022-02-09T23:00:00.000-08:002022-02-09T23:00:00.184-08:00Space Exploration: Mars' surface revealed in unprecedented detail<a name='more'></a><p>The surface of Mars – including the location of Beagle-2 – has been shown in unprecedented detail by UCL scientists using a revolutionary image stacking and matching technique.</p><figure><img alt="Mars' surface revealed in unprecedented detail" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKf0dImBa_w8lVIue510gslNwlZtOicloFzH2jZQit03aii2qTHbM-BJwNmvj8hZiQWc_VU4aWMMr_ChkjLEYsAcMEN95TuSM3zSdJrCsnm5s20-apm7ed8pdU9vg5mo0rfK1_d5vZfYC_/s1111/ancient_Martian_lakebed_images_608x536.gif" title="Mars' surface revealed in unprecedented detail" /><figcaption><em><b>Original HiRISE image at 25-centimetre resolution and super-resolution restoration (SRR) from six </b></em><br /><em><b>HiRISE images at 6.25-centimetre resolution of the Shaler formation and the John Klein drill-spot on </b></em><br /><em><b>the MSL Curiosity traverse. Note the fine-scale detail shown in the SRR. Map co-ordinates in </b></em><br /><em><b>global system from co-registration with ESA HRSC and NASA MOLA </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: UCL/Ade Ashford]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Exciting pictures of the Beagle-2 lander, the ancient lakebeds discovered by NASA's Curiosity rover, NASA's MER-A rover tracks and Home Plate's rocks have been released by the UCL researchers who stacked and matched images taken from orbit, to reveal objects at a resolution up to five times greater than previously achieved.</p><p>A paper describing the technique, called Super-Resolution Restoration (SRR), was published in <em><b>Planetary and Space Science</b></em> in February but has only recently been used to focus on specific objects on Mars. The technique could be used to search for other artefacts from past failed landings as well as identify safe landing locations for future rover missions. It will also allow scientists to explore vastly more terrain than is possible with a single rover.</p><p>Co-author Professor Jan-Peter Muller from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory, said: "We now have the equivalent of drone-eye vision anywhere on the surface of Mars where there are enough clear repeat pictures. It allows us to see objects in much sharper focus from orbit than ever before and the picture quality is comparable to that obtained from landers.</p><p>"As more pictures are collected, we will see increasing evidence of the kind we have only seen from the three successful rover missions to date. This will be a game-changer and the start of a new era in planetary exploration."</p><figure><img alt="Mars' surface revealed in unprecedented detail" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkkk6iMxYKVvOc7cfUwZ085iuUgYxfWxjGNz339Nq9cVI5UVPGFAYoNLfvR2LhChyS2slomo0tVfS3p1QmjN5I0ZPbL-thDKdvfr7o6ve5je_1EUvcIrA-NwH0e_U7fGMFiuIUG_B3iWR/s1111/MER-A-rover-tracks-original-and-SRR_593x537.gif" title="Mars' surface revealed in unprecedented detail" /><figcaption><em><b>Before (25 centimetre) and after (5 centimetre) super-resolution restoration (SRR) images showing the </b></em><br /><em><b>MER-A Spirit Home Plate region. Note the movement of the rover in the lower right-hand corner. In </b></em><br /><em><b>the full-size images, the rover’s tracks can be clearly seen. Map co-ordinates in global system from </b></em><br /><em><b>co-registration with ESA HRSC and NASA MOLA</b></em><em><b> [Credit: UCL/Ade Ashford]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Even with the largest telescopes that can be launched into orbit, the level of detail that can be seen on the surface of planets is limited. This is due to constraints on mass, mainly telescope optics, the communication bandwidth needed to deliver higher resolution images to Earth and the interference from planetary atmospheres. For cameras orbiting Earth and Mars, the resolution limit today is around 25cm (or about 10 inches).</p><p>By stacking and matching pictures of the same area taken from different angles, Super-Resolution Restoration (SRR) allows objects as small as 5cm (about 2 inches) to be seen from the same 25cm telescope. For Mars, where the surface usually takes decades to millions of years to change, these images can be captured over a period of ten years and still achieve a high resolution. For Earth, the atmosphere is much more turbulent so images for each stack have to be obtained in a matter of seconds.</p><p>The UCL team applied SRR to stacks of between four and eight 25cm images of the Martian surface taken using the NASA HiRISE camera to achieve the 5cm target resolution. These included some of the latest HiRISE images of the Beagle-2 landing area that were kindly provided by Professor John Bridges from the University of Leicester.</p><p>"Using novel machine vision methods, information from lower resolution images can be extracted to estimate the best possible true scene. This technique has huge potential to improve our knowledge of a planet's surface from multiple remotely sensed images. In the future, we will be able to recreate rover-scale images anywhere on the surface of Mars and other planets from repeat image stacks" said Mr Yu Tao, Research Associate at UCL and lead author of the paper.</p><p>The team's 'super-resolution' zoomed-in image of the Beagle-2 location proposed by Professor Mark Sims and colleagues at the University of Leicester provides strong supporting evidence that this is the site of the lander. The scientists plan on exploring other areas of Mars using the technique to see what else they find.</p><p>View the image gallery on Flickr.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [April 26, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-74662028492188679862022-02-09T11:55:00.000-08:002022-02-09T11:55:18.782-08:00UK: Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field<a name='more'></a><p>A haul of valuable coins issued by Roman general Mark Antony have been discovered in a Welsh field - more than 2,000 years after they were buried.</p><figure><img alt="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRS0U5GaI7xxoKeJSO0HIhPfD1b_WwaIlwlUqJSyQndHfjJYGJTzcZYwja9k7ltshT9SAggUPMqNXGnZKDfyOfnkXeMB0CNgVVQsSWbcuHDo7Xnp22-2JUDZ0F2qR2nEix5R22Sy9kDUe/s1111/UK_coins_01.jpg" title="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" /><figcaption><em><b>The coins issued by Mark Antony were discovered in a Welsh field </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wales News Service]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>It comes as archaeologists claimed to have found a small Roman fort on Anglesey, North Wales, in what has been described as a "ground-breaking" discovery.</p><p>The coins - unearthed by two friends out walking - have been hailed by historians as "a significant find".</p><p>Dr Richard Annear, 65, and John Player, 43, found the silver coins dating back to 31 BC buried in a field near the small village of Wick, South Wales.</p><figure><img alt="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sFXYSzcCt2RfAjOHl1Rc4lhw1bdAlz2PNiMw1n65_CXOVXPx-Aa7s8bfevZU70ZSEtJZc7g03Bdzwonpo4rn06HKPIErTZpikfdOtf488Fed96HJp8knV5ap1Jztir0OELUKzq6-Ij0A/s1111/UK_coins_03.jpg" title="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" /><figcaption><em><b>The coins were found in a field in the small Welsh village of Wick </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wales News Service]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Annear reported the find to curators who were able to lift a small pot containing the coins out of the ground.</p><p>A numismatist described the three Roman denarii coins as "worth tens of thousands of pounds".</p><p>The rare hoard took place just a mile from another historic find of 130 denarii 15 years ago.</p><figure><img alt="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgcN5rewoNs_27dSlfZMVBXNwPSqAV6ww6ptwN_a_QKRMipbMPJAvC9tLpJWOLSFQqdE9_kxVaARF5QMIBR-nsnhWiFX2ycb6NMNc5I19P_hNvozQByttlT4vcwmntYU_y0cPtDe7FZAG/s1111/UK_coins_04.jpg" title="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" /><figcaption><em><b>The coins date back to 31 BC </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wales News Service]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Assistant keeper at the National Museum of Wales, Edward Besly, said: "Each coin represents about a day's pay at the time, so the hoard represents a significant sum of money."</p><p>"The hoard's find spot is only a mile as the crow flies from that of another second century silver hoard found in 2000. Together the hoards point to a prosperous coin-using economy in the area in the middle of the second century."</p><p>The three silver denarii were part of a 91-coin haul comprising of currency issued by Roman rulers spanning 200 years.</p><figure><img alt="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5PfsCpYBSxqz6zwYtWMRvkPuhg8b_rMFLzWRrCz9AgRBspk_x4lNe-PfsahSEyP-X96W-hA5HYpm-t992eFN84WKsxHPY42BVayHf7FyGMgnjY0LILAosvxg2wfkkph5Rg6cYORahlfs/s1111/UK_coins_02.jpg" title="Roman coins issued by Mark Antony found in Welsh field" /><figcaption><em><b>Selection of coins f</b></em><em><b>ound in a field in the small Welsh village of Wick</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Wales News Service]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Currency dating back to the reigns of Emperor Nero, 54AD-68AD, and Marcus Aurelius, 161AD to 180AD, were also uncovered in the landmark find.</p><p>Senior Coroner Andrew Barkley ruled that the coins are "treasure trove" at Cardiff Coroner's Court.</p><p>The items will now be taken to the Treasure Valuation Committee, in London, where they will be independently valued.</p><p><em><b>Author: Gareth Wyn Williams | Source: Mirror [November 28, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-76295713929674317672022-02-09T10:55:00.000-08:002022-02-09T10:55:29.546-08:00Travel: 'Stonehenge: A Hidden Landscape' at MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach, Austria<a name='more'></a><p>The name Stonehenge is full of mysteries. It is probably the most famous prehistoric monument, and also the monument about which the most myths and legends have been created. For the first time in the world, an exhibition is being shown about the fascinating cult complex Stonehenge and its surrounding landscape including the latest research findings on the much bigger and older stone circle at Durrington Walls – this is at MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach.</p><p><img alt="'Stonehenge: A hidden landscape' at MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach, Austria" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDZsL7Tmix-uyqZcNX2qqUW2IfXrBi_V6NxkuezgSwGZIuoJTZn-ftADAaHgLFfyK0jWmN4zlaFbtvpapZWGyt5fmJ0Gd7dGMoiuwHIsnhsmOfj6twqS9CW14fS9FlO3RyzOJolmLoP8/s1111/stonehenge_02.jpg" title="'Stonehenge: A hidden landscape' at MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach, Austria" /><br />In the exhibition <b>Stonehenge. A Hidden Landscape</b>, original finds will be on display which have never before left the British Isles. Gigantic stone models in original size which can be touched, original stones like the ones used in the cult complex, and also digital animations on the surrounding landscape transport visitors to the mystical world of our ancestors more than 4,000 years ago. But a long time before Stonehenge there were even bigger monumental structures in Europe, in particular in the Weinviertel region: the circular enclosures. Discover a piece of the religious world of our ancestors – Stonehenge is close enough to touch.</p><p>True-to-scale reconstructions of the stone circle based on 3D laser scan data let visitors to MAMUZ experience the magnificence and dimension of this cult monument without having to travel to the cult site itself. Elaborate visualisations give a three-dimensional impression of the landscape surrounding Stonehenge so that visitors are able to imagine the stone circle and also picture all of the fascinating cult monuments in the extensive surrounding area. At the location west of London, in Wiltshire, the large numbers of visitors and the preservation of the site mean it is not possible to enter the stone circle directly or to touch the stones. In the exhibition at Museum Mistelbach, visitors are really “in the thick of it” thanks to visualisations and reproductions and they can also touch original bluestones and sarsen stones as used to build the complex.</p><p>The exhibition also links Stonehenge with the prehistory of the province of Lower Austria. Long before the first stones were put in place at Stonehenge, the first monumental structures appeared in Central Europe. The impressive discoveries of these circular enclosures, which are distributed throughout Lower Austria and especially in the Weinviertel region, are shown alongside the fascinating original exhibits of the so-called Bell Beaker culture, which demonstrates the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age in Lower Austria.</p><p>Working together with renowned cooperation partners, academics from Austria and abroad and also experts in exhibition design and multimedia presentation, MAMUZ is showing the first ever exhibition about Stonehenge. The exhibition is being realised in cooperation with the Niederösterreichische Landessammlungen, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute, 7reasons, atelier cremer and the University of Birmingham.</p><p><b>Stonehenge: A Hidden Landscape</b> opens on 20th March 2016 and will run until 27 Nov. 2016.</p><p><em><b>Source: MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach [March 03, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-80504266367507147452022-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:002022-02-09T10:30:49.040-08:00Jordan: Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site<a name='more'></a><p>At a sprawling Bronze Age cemetery in southern Jordan, archaeologists have developed a unique way of peering into the murky world of antiquities looting: With aerial photographs taken by a homemade drone, researchers are mapping exactly where - and roughly when - these ancient tombs were robbed.</p><figure><img alt="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-nC7-kw7HjfDANcwh8evht0apFR6DycZVnvjQb2YH1pG0wnWKSILFhIKsxWRYs1-UAlx02JPGgFOr0BN_NYx857G_pxYwwuRF1YLEHyWrTMJr1vOZkZO42qbdSdqnIpxqag3-326ZqGrf/s1111/Jordan_01.jpg" title="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" /><figcaption><em><b>Chad Hill, an archaeologist at the University of Connecticut, operates a drone to </b></em><br /><em><b>survey looting at a 5,000-year-old cemetery known as Fifa in southern Jordan. Hill, </b></em><br /><em><b>an archaeologist at the University of Connecticut who built the drone, piloted it</b></em><br /><em><b> over a part of the graveyard that hadn't been mapped yet. The drone, built</b></em><br /><em><b> by Hill takes photographs that show in great detail how looting</b></em><br /><em><b> has altered the landscape [Credit: AP/Sam McNeil]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Based on such images and conversations with some looters whose confidence they gained, archaeologists try to follow the trail of stolen pots and other artifacts to traders and buyers. They hope to get a better understanding of the black market and perhaps stop future plunder.</p><p>It's sophisticated detective work that stretches from the site, not far from the famed Dead Sea in Jordan, to collectors and buyers the world over.</p><p>The aerial photography detects spots where new looting has taken place at the 5,000-year-old Fifa graveyard, which can then sometimes be linked to Bronze Age pots turning up in shops of dealers, said Morag Kersel, an archaeologist at DePaul University in Chicago. Kersel, who heads the "Follow The Pots" project, also shares the data with Jordan's Department of Antiquities, to combat looting.</p><p>On a recent morning, team members walked across ravaged graves, their boots crunching ancient bones, as a tiny, six-bladed flying robot buzzed overhead. In recent years, drone use in archaeology has become increasingly common, replacing blimps, kites and balloons in surveying hard-to-access dig sites, experts said.</p><p>Chad Hill, an archaeologist at the University of Connecticut who built the drone, piloted it over a part of the graveyard that had not been mapped yet. The drone snapped photographs that allowed Hill to see in great detail how looting altered the landscape.</p><p>"We can see the change through time, not just of `a huge pit has been dug' but where different stones have moved," Hill said. "It's a level of resolution of spatial data collection that's never really been possible until the last couple of years."</p><figure><img alt="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQhbGSb50s68PkBrt2kXCEIiU1krQyMYtMhnpGTVxVDW8KXPo5Z5DaC8yKKzD7S1rrvdxQSMZP6nNNSDAYxc46G1YdHme0WaD6uMGGrMdQpSeLlhHD91BtdXBqvOOLTZicn9tzQyBG-zPm/s1111/Jordan_02.jpg" title="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologist Morag Kersel holds a pottery shard found at a Bronze Age cemetery, </b></em><br /><em><b>known as Fifa, in southern Jordan. Kersel heads a program called "Follow The Pots" </b></em><br /><em><b>that, based on aerial photography and conversations with looters, tries to track</b></em><br /><em><b> stolen artifacts to middlemen, dealers and customers </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AP/Sam McNeil]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As the drone's batteries ran low, Hill overrode the automatic pilot and guided the landing with a remote control. Flipping the drone on its back, he checked the camera, nodding approvingly at the afternoon's work.</p><p>The cemetery in Jordan's Dead Sea plain contains about 10,000 graves, part of the vast archaeological heritage of the region.</p><p>It looks like a moonscape as a result of looting, with about 3,700 craters stretching to the horizon and strewn with shards of skeletons and broken ceramics. Looters typically leave human remains and take only well preserved artifacts.</p><p>"I spend my days stepping on dead people," said Kersel, picking up a broken shell bracelet, presumably from ancient Egypt.</p><p>An underlying cause for looting is high unemployment, said Muhammed al-Zahran, director of the nearby Dead Sea Museum. "Looting happens all across the region," he said.</p><p>In Jordan, unemployment is 12 percent, and it's twice as high among the young.</p><p>Yet stolen antiquities rarely enrich local looters, said Neil Brodie, a researcher at the University of Glasgow's Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.</p><figure><img alt="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoO1pMkOYqn59f9zd1C0lxu0uPWkv6g3iv0DWzVq7EMtooOVLLLThbGIVvBdeyUYF-yTJlGyQMmCEnPIA5Q8Qo7ruoyllVPZ9hDMelZTj9K0o-K2c7OteBeyi9JYo0Jh0rMn6EdjXIJKT/s1111/Jordan_03.jpg" title="Drone offers glimpse of looting at Jordanian site" /><figcaption><em><b>A six-bladed drone casts a shadow on a heavily looted 5,000-year-old </b></em><br /><em><b>cemetery, known as Fifa, in southern Jordan. At the sprawling Bronze Age </b></em><br /><em><b>site, archaeologists have developed a unique way of peering into the murky</b></em><br /><em><b> world of antiquities looting: With aerial photographs taken by the drone, </b></em><br /><em><b>researchers are mapping exactly where and roughly when new</b></em><br /><em><b>tombs were robbed [Credit: AP/Sam McNeil]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Rather, the profits end up in Europe or America, Brodie said, describing high markups as the artifacts move from looter to middleman, dealer and then customer.</p><p>Brodie studied looting at another site in Jordan, the ruins of the early Bronze Age community of Bab adh-Dhra, though without the help of drones.</p><p>He estimated that diggers were paid about $10,500 for 28,084 pots that were subsequently sold in London for over $5 million, sometimes marketed as "Old Testament" artifacts.</p><p>An artifact that later sold for $275,000 was initially traded for a pig, Brodie's research showed. And he also found that a dancing Hindu deity bought for about $18 sold eventually for $372,000.</p><p>Some of the artifacts stolen from Jordan's sites, including tombstones, end up in neighboring Israel, said Eitan Klein, a deputy at the Israeli Antiquities Authority's robbery unit.</p><p>Kersel, from the "Follow the Pots" project, said looters told her they sell their goods to middlemen from the Jordanian capital of Amman or the southern town of Karak. She said the trail stops with the shadowy middlemen, but that she can sometimes pick it up on the other end, by comparing the looting timeline with what eventually ends up on the market all across the world.</p><p>In addition to monitoring the cemetery, Kersel also teaches local workshops on profiting from antiquities legally, including by making and selling replicas, to discourage robbing graves.</p><p>Yet, looting will be difficult to stop as long as demand remains high, she said.</p><p>"People don't ask the sticky questions about where artifacts come from," said Kersel, standing inside a robbed grave in Fifa. "They just want to own the piece regardless of what kind of background the artifact has, and that is what causes people on the ground to loot."</p><p><em><b>Author: Sam McNeil | Source: The Associated Press [April 03, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-30815867281169970092022-02-09T09:39:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:39:54.599-08:00UK: Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims<a name='more'></a><p>"Heartbreaking" graffiti uncovered in a Cambridgeshire church has revealed how three sisters from one family died in a plague outbreak in 1515.</p><p><img alt="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8J6mIBi5ic8MPiK8iXQRlTniWtrFSTyyB3WZmxuUjbjq6_ax4VqLgAX-TIu6P5hiCdoC15au5sba3x0lxpxl0cGY-eRAAgOLCeQKtuhvVFS9mggazjAr-pslH1Dzbgdgfb6IwtnzDX6E/s1111/UK_plague_01b.jpg" title="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" /><figure><img alt="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfB_n141vkHsCmzSZEdmmcf4AaWO2CYvJ6aQwMKf9p5-zXiE_m_R_b65vacibpd7TmeYAV7yH9lDzQ2NDFaed0SzY2jDucr2xnOol8OjgNQiFUrMajz546EXzqODw9476WO19rSweiH_p/s1111/UK_plague_01.jpg" title="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" /><figcaption><em><b>The medieval graffiti, showing the names of Cateryn, Jane and Amee Maddyngley, was </b></em><br /><em><b>discovered on a wall of All Saint's and St Andrew's Church in Kingston, near Cambridge, </b></em><br /><em><b>by amateur archaeologists [Credit: Norfolk and Suffolk Medieval Graffiti Society]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The names Cateryn, Jane and Amee Maddyngley and the date were inscribed on stonework in Kingston parish church.</p><p>It was found by Norfolk and Suffolk Medieval Graffiti Survey volunteers.</p><p>Archaeologist Matt Champion said the project had shown church plague graffiti was "far more common than previously realised".</p><p>"The most heartbreaking inscriptions are those that refer to long-dead children," he said.</p><p>The Maddyngley graffiti is hidden under limewash near the door in All Saints' and St Andrew's church.</p><p>The family lived in Kingston, seven miles from Cambridge, and were tenant farmers who "rarely turn up in parish records", he said.</p><figure><img alt="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5pFxDmjqMuDL_Ip6ptIduDVTAbmPXMj8yOSQfTspm0FOyYCeb4pvP4Nw1BSdVc6HSHAG4FTKF94FyOQW_lacruFTfkgD6Gm1ydr1HWsjOUC3mGHii3eoi5Yt3pB6AdeLvlx6OcxlFjE4/s1111/UK_plague_03.jpg" title="Tudor church graffiti records names of plague victims" /><figcaption><em><b>Records reveal the Maddyngleys had lived in Kingston </b></em><br /><em><b>since at least 1279 [Credit: Google]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Mr Champion believes Cateryn, Jane and Amee must have been children because their names are not found as adults in any of the records.</p><p>In 1515, there was an outbreak of bubonic plague in London which spread across south east England.</p><p>Mr Champion said Cambridge University suspended its classes and large gatherings of people were banned, "just as we see today with the Ebola outbreaks in Africa".</p><p>Children were particularly hard-hit and usually hastily buried in unmarked graves.</p><p>The graffiti survey was set up in 2010 and is the first attempt to survey pre-Reformation graffiti in churches since the late 1960s.</p><p>Volunteers use digital cameras and powerful lamps to reveal previously hidden or faded markings.</p><p>At least 60% of the 650 churches surveyed in Norfolk, Suffolk and north Essex have "significant amounts" of graffiti and volunteers have recorded up to 500 pieces in many of them.</p><p>The project has confirmed more graffiti is found to have been created during times of pestilence such as the Black Death of 1349 and subsequent outbreaks of plagues.</p><p>"It was a votive offering at a time where prayer counted," Mr Champion said.</p><p><em><b>Source: BBC News Website [February 21, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-59077350378194342972022-02-09T09:38:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:38:40.292-08:00UK: New light for old master paintings<a name='more'></a><p>A painting hanging on the wall in an art gallery tells one story. What lies beneath its surface may tell quite another.</p><figure><img alt="New light for old master paintings" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcjQ-rRdlYrsI2iHenctR3EQ_QIvxn-qfSH5uw-JCjn9gVwffuPqqgjvautQHBXLFuFaSANnSAK-VOhIryfe3LMgVoScmKGx_M4YqrKhS9IOTu9Ktsff5US3JTmOtm9qKe4TEGzFT3sNfY/s1111/Old_Masters_01.jpg" title="New light for old master paintings" /><figcaption><em><b>After Raphael 1483 - 1520, probably before 1600. It is an oil on wood, 87 x 61.3 cm. </b></em><br /><em><b>(Wynn Ellis Bequest, 1876) [Credit: Copyright National Gallery, London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Often in a Rembrandt, a Vermeer, a Leonardo, a Van Eyck, or any other great masterpiece of western art, the layers of paint are covered with varnish, sometimes several coats applied at different times over their history. The varnish was originally applied to protect the paint underneath and make the colors appear more vivid, but over the centuries it can degrade. Conservators carefully clean off the old varnish and replace it with new, but to do this safely it is useful to understand the materials and structure of the painting beneath the surface. Conservation scientists can glean this information by analyzing the hidden layers of paint and varnish.</p><p>Now, researchers from Nottingham Trent University's School of Science and Technology have partnered with the National Gallery in London to develop an instrument capable of non-invasively capturing subsurface details from artwork at a high resolution. Their setup, published in an Optics Express paper, will allow conservators and conservation scientists to more effectively peek beneath the surface of paintings and artifacts to learn not only how the artist built up the original composition, but also what coatings have been applied to it over the years.</p><p>Traditionally, analyzing the layers of a painting requires taking a very small physical sample -- usually around a quarter of a millimeter across -- to view under a microscope. The technique provides a cross-section of the painting's layers, which can be imaged at high resolution and analyzed to gain detailed information on the chemical composition of the paint, but does involve removing some original paint, even if only a very tiny amount. When studying valuable masterpieces, conservation scientists must therefore sample very selectively from already-damaged areas, often only taking a few minute samples from a large canvas.</p><p>More recently, researchers have begun to use non-invasive imaging techniques to study paintings and other historical artifacts. For example, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was originally developed for medical imaging but has also been applied to art conservation. Because it uses a beam of light to scan the intact painting without removing physical samples, OCT allows researchers to analyze the painting more extensively. However, the spatial resolution of commercially-available OCT setups is not high enough to fully map the fine layers of paint and varnish.</p><p>The Nottingham Trent University researchers gave OCT an upgrade. "We're trying to see how far we can go with non-invasive techniques. We wanted to reach the kind of resolution that conventional destructive techniques have reached," explained Haida Liang, who led the project.</p><p>In OCT, a beam of light is split: half is directed towards the sample, and the other half is sent to a reference mirror. The light scatters off both of these surfaces. By measuring the combined signal, which effectively compares the returned light from the sample versus the reference, the apparatus can determine how far into the sample the light penetrated. By repeating this procedure many times across an area, researchers can build up a cross-sectional map of the painting.</p><p>Liang and her colleagues used a broadband laser-like light source -- a concentrated beam of light containing a wide range of frequencies. The wider frequency range allows for more precise data collection, but such light sources were not commercially available until recently.</p><p>Along with a few other modifications, the addition of the broadband light source enabled the apparatus to scan the painting at a higher resolution. When tested on a late 16th-century copy of a Raphael painting, housed at the National Gallery in London, it performed as well as traditional invasive imaging techniques.</p><p>"We are able to not only match the resolution but also to see some of the layer structures with better contrast. That's because OCT is particularly sensitive to changes in refractive index," said Liang. In some places, the ultra-high resolution OCT setup identified varnish layers that were almost indistinguishable from each other under the microscope.</p><p>Eventually, the researchers plan to make their instrument available to other art institutions. It could also be useful for analyzing historical manuscripts, which cannot be physically sampled in the same way that paintings can.</p><p>In a parallel paper recently published in Optics Express, the researchers also improved the depth into the painting that their apparatus can scan. The two goals are somewhat at odds: using a longer wavelength light source could enhance the penetration depth, but shorter wavelength light (as used in their current setup) provides the best resolution.</p><p>"The next challenge is perhaps to be able to do that in one instrument, as well as to extract chemical information from different layers," said Liang.</p><p><em><b>Source: The Optical Society [April 13, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-18178059520281141352022-02-09T09:22:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:22:48.733-08:00UK: Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London<a name='more'></a><p>New archaeological research, carried out by Museum of London Archaeology (Mola), of a previously unknown early Roman fort built in AD63 as a direct response to the sacking of London by the native tribal Queen of the Iceni, Boudicca. The revolt razed the early Roman town to the ground in AD60/61 but until now little was understood about the Roman’s response to this devastating uprising.</p><figure><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88cUHNqjHbLy8FwCEssncXutd3H_5HpdbaLccc9_ta0Y4vQMLc7KkLJX7WUIyEWvXGGjeYwwIwMigAiZdogxfhjSCtPsqVTYZAdoipQDF5ijR6yjyz4Hn1rHUy9zPxdsWVoQXCmnBrOHk/s1111/UK_Boudicca_01b.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Reconstruction of Plantantation Place Fort [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The excavations at Plantation Place for British Land on Fenchurch Street in the City of London exposed a section of a rectangular fort that covered 3.7acres. The timber and earthwork fort had 3metre high banks reinforced with interlacing timbers and faced with turves and a timber wall. Running atop the bank was a ‘fighting platform’ fronted by a colossal palisade, with towers positioned at the corners of the gateways. This formidable structure was enclosed by double ditches, 1.9 and 3m deep, forming an impressive obstacle for would be attackers.</p><figure><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzMPtdcoOzDZDR_SDYVv7BwjBJJb2M2nLxHqdwG05vJ2R0IP2E4MVczOJ2FFVZAzRaj0ezrzVI7XfWu8Yo7uT07cwqfa5VgFNFWsxm1wOd2PgZK-PAWMr0J2avIWAF6B1xL6sRqT8D7C8/s1111/UK_Boudicca_02.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><figcaption><em><b>View of the fort's inner ditch [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Roman army were experts in construction; proficiently sourcing local materials from nearby woods and even using debris from buildings burnt in the revolt. It is estimated that a fort of this size would have housed a cohort of approximately 500 men but could have been built by hand in a matter of weeks, perhaps with the help of captive Britons. Archaeologists uncovered a pick axe and a hammer, tools that would have been available to the army for building projects.</p><figure><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhp2MUSSgwzOvOCBGqPFj_JzYXAyGAPKnoZCz8DeS-HjhxAu-wa6vBiR1931Kzljil-WnuS3ztbz6zjMkisdPP5qfBV4Q2P-sOJ2UmcZ7bDqU_l-1s_l874t-40DwR4y8yDtDdXA8QAEn/s1111/UK_Boudicca_04.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Timber lacework from the fort's vallum [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Within the fort, evidence for roads was uncovered alongside storage and administrative facilities, a granary, cookhouse and even a latrine. The fort was kept clean but a few fragments of armour, including part of a helmet and mounts from horse harnesses were discovered.</p><figure><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNyynsyCyzrIfLkYCuNnK34EihwryCQUSD_VLBb-KOVVcV_2OiNNucJ0oR5nJX42tOKaUGLYzKaOk6xOFvtv8BSEbjVUCCPqvqn4SzCfz9zs2oiq4cU33GGa6CW9hXK7Aa9nO8lBNtocx/s1111/UK_Boudicca_05.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Reconstruction of a Roman defensive position [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Only in active use for fewer than 10 years and with evidence pointing towards the use of tents rather than permanent structures for barracks, the fort was evidently erected as an emergency measure to secure the important trading post of London and to aid with the reconstruction and reestablishment of London at this turbulent time.</p><figure><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeLxHcw3b7TzQL8P9yX_szvDyiq_dyjSgPWnhsZl2txNTSubxB3eKHUEhvdR1hv_nGpTBfiQQVR3pF8Vyh3Ja7gwrTAyJdGCFr08mkld8eN7-HiX8tGrWHmUTjHoHTpuCdX5Ompcq2gI2/s1111/UK_Boudicca_03.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Militaria from Plantation Place Roman fort [Credit: (c) MOLA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A number of major infrastructure projects contemporary with the fort point to the army playing a crucial role in this rebuilding, providing labour and engineering expertise for roads, a new quay and a water lifting machine, all vital for trading and civilian life to thrive once again.</p><p><img alt="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVmnuneXCajBJmyMjUwla4zjxwgvk1Z7Mw1f72MSSt_8-7ALBw8c-riNk5fk_RqenfcpqeQen42lCEIXccYV6U7LebR4vMoJlE2RMnD4c-G6vTT2T5zqMO9rmguz5B7Ziw5IxGCaLIUGH/s1111/UK_Boudicca_06.jpg" title="Roman fort built in response to Boudicca’s revolt discovered in London" /><br />Positioned over the main road into London, commanding the route into the town from London Bridge and overlooking the river, the fort would have dominated the town at this time, perhaps reflecting the absence of civilian life and the utter destruction wrought by the native Britons on Roman London.</p><p>In AD 120 the much larger Cripplegate fort was constructed and in the 3rd century a substantial wall erected around the town. Archaeologists are yet to find evidence of an earlier fort or military structures for the intervening periods but their search continues.</p><p>The research has been published by Mola in <em><b>>An early Roman fort and urban development on Londinium’s eastern hill</b></em> by Lesley Dunwoodie, Chiz Harward and Ken Pitt, available priced £30 via Mola's publications pages.</p><p><em><b>Source: Museum of London Archaeology [May 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-80484607059490766792022-02-09T09:18:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:18:09.872-08:00Palaeontology: Fossil of 425-million-year-old parasite found intact with its host <a name='more'></a><p>An international team of scientists led by the University of Leicester has discovered a new species of fossil in England -- and identified it as an ancient parasitic intruder.</p><figure><img alt="Fossil of 425-million-year-old parasite found intact with its host " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOWh8dgqvQIoR5X0jm1aEAyE2x4ogVeCNiyQTDwFE0rRoALOB2BG9lwSNyr_kyPTy0JDyXDJr9QRB741KX0hiluMTHV_S6ZBCaFmI5wOK7FmJ7uLa2t7IvU2DlpdkEBk54FD7jCBIel4/s1111/fossil-parasite_03.jpg" title="Fossil of 425-million-year-old parasite found intact with its host " /><figcaption><em><b>Two pentastomids (in orange) attached externally to the ostracod; </b></em><br /><em><b>one of the pentastomids; the ostracod with its shell removed, showing the</b></em><br /><em><b> external pentastomids and a pentastomid near the eggs of the ostracod</b></em><br /><em><b> [Credit: Siveter, Briggs, Siveter and Sutton]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The fossil species found in 425-million year old rocks in Herefordshire, in the Welsh borderland, is described as 'exceptionally well preserved.' The specimens range from about 1 to 4 millimeters long.</p><p>The fossil species -- a 'tongue worm', which has a worm-like body and a head and two pairs of limbs -- is actually a parasite whose representatives today live internally in the respiratory system of a host, which it enters when it is eaten.</p><p>The new fossil, which was originally entirely soft-bodied, is the first fossil tongue worm species to be found associated with its host, which in this case is a species of ostracod -- a group of micro-arthropods (crabs, spiders and insects are also arthropods) with two shells that are joined at a hinge.</p><p>Professor David Siveter, of the Department of Geology at the University of Leicester made the discovery working alongside researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Imperial College London and Yale, USA. Their research is published in the journal Current Biology and was supported by The Natural Environmental Research Council, together with the Leverhulme Trust, the John Fell Oxford University Press (OUP) Research Fund and Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.</p><p>Professor Siveter said: "This discovery is important not only because examples of parasites are exceptionally rare in the fossil record, but also because the possible host of fossil tongue worms -- and the origin of the lifestyle of tongue worms -- has been the subject of much debate.</p><p>"This discovery affirms that tongue worms were 'external' parasites on marine invertebrate animals at least 425 million years ago; it also suggests that tongue worms likely found their way into land-based environments and associated hosts in parallel with the movement of vertebrates onto the land by some 125 million years later."</p><p>Professor Siveter said tongue worms -- technically termed pentastomids -- are in fact not worms at all; they are an unusual group of tiny and widespread parasitic arthropods. Their fossils are exceptionally rare and until now are known only from a handful of isolated juvenile specimens.</p><p>Today they are known from about 140 species, nearly all of which are parasitic on vertebrate animals, particularly reptiles and including humans. Some of the fossil tongue worm specimens occur inside the shell, near the eggs of the ostracod; others are attached to the external surface of its shell, a unique position for any fossil or living tongue worm.</p><p>Professor Siveter added: "The tongue worm and its host lived in a sea that 425 million years ago -- during the Silurian period of geological time -- covered much of southern Britain, which was positioned then in warm southerly subtropical latitudes. The animals died and were preserved when a volcanic ash rained down upon them. The new species has been named Invavita piratica, which means an 'ancient intruder' and 'piracy', referring to its parasitic lifestyle in the sea."</p><p>The fossils have been reconstructed as virtual fossils by 3D computer modelling.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Leicester [May 21, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-90279568449438590442022-02-09T09:03:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:03:13.761-08:00Oceans: Rising carbon dioxide levels stunt sea shell growth<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists have discovered that stunted growth can be a genetic response to ocean acidification, enabling some sea creatures to survive high carbon dioxide levels, both in the future and during past mass extinctions.</p><figure><img alt="Rising carbon dioxide levels stunt sea shell growth" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IA6xV6d3UG0JzlPokFPrH886FqCoN267ZWX_lpbSmL0uVWpO6fY1kfHhSjygNrV4IGFpyuj-xa5ZGaSzNT4gVsVqzJ27tZvmlZj90AgyBo8naHXcWZtH3INYG7udZMrtGDGs27YrozAx/s1111/shell-growth.jpg" title="Rising carbon dioxide levels stunt sea shell growth" /><figcaption><em><b>Scientists have discovered a genetic response to ocean acidification </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: University of Plymouth]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Using natural CO2 seeps as test sites, the international team of marine scientists and palaeontologists have studied the way in which sea snails cope in more acidic conditions ‒ simulating the change in seawater chemistry that will occur in future as more atmospheric CO2 is absorbed by the ocean.</p><p>The researchers say their findings, published in Nature Climate Change, provide an explanation as to why marine species that survived previous mass extinction events were much smaller – a phenomenon known as the ‘Lilliput effect’.</p><p>The research was funded by the EU MedSeA project and the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme, and involved researchers from 10 institutions including Plymouth University, the University of Southampton, the Natural History Museum, London, and colleagues in Italy, Monaco, Norway and New Caledonia.</p><p>Its results provide a stark warning about the impact that continuing ocean acidification could have on marine ecosystems unless we drastically slow the rate of carbon dioxide emissions.</p><p>Dr Vittorio Garilli, at Paleosofia-APEMA, Palermo, said: “Two species of snails growing at shallow water CO2 seeps were smaller than those found in normal pH conditions, and adapted their metabolic rates to cope with the acidified seawater. These physiological changes allowed the animals to maintain calcification and to partially repair shell dissolution.”</p><p>Professor Jason Hall-Spencer, of the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth University, said: “Organisms that have been exposed to elevated CO2 levels over multiple generations provide valuable insights both into changes we can expect in marine ecosystems as CO2 emissions continue to rise unchecked, and into past mass extinctions."</p><p>“Not only do they demonstrate a similar magnitude and direction of body size change as fossil organisms, but they also reveal the physiological advantages of dwarfing,” added Professor Marco Milazzo at Palermo University.</p><p>Measurements showed that the shells from high CO2 seawater were about a third smaller than those in “normal” environments. Some of the snails were taken to the Marine Environmental Studies Laboratory at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Monaco, where their calcification rates were measured in aquaria.</p><p>Study co-leader Dr Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa, from the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, said: “They developed a surprising ability to calcify and cope with shell dissolution at pH values which were thought too low for calcification to occur.”</p><p>The results – published in the paper Physiological advantages of dwarfing in surviving extinctions in high CO2 oceans – confirmed the theory that the snails had adapted to the conditions over many generations.</p><p>Professor Richard Twitchett, of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum, said: “The fossil record shows us that mass extinctions and dwarfing of marine shelled species are repeatedly associated with episodes of past global warming. It is likely that similar changes will increasingly affect modern marine ecosystems, especially as the current rate of ocean acidification and warming is so rapid."</p><p>Professor Hall-Spencer added: “It is critical that we understand the mechanisms by which certain species survive chronic exposure to elevated CO2 since emissions of this gas are already having adverse effects on marine foodwebs and putting food security at risk.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Andrew Merrington | Source: University of Plymouth [April 21, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-42033961305980717912022-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:002022-02-09T09:02:46.159-08:00Breaking News: Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'<a name='more'></a><p>Solar storms trigger Jupiter's intense 'Northern Lights' by generating a new X-ray aurora that is eight times brighter than normal and hundreds of times more energetic than Earth's aurora borealis, finds new UCL-led research using NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory.</p><figure><img alt="Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kU7rr3oHpUGzmSG55WteHImZX00juY2P_jQ0UAI5ys5_7Og6ZG24dizgfEFdK8q-4M9LKAFxASR3SsZn53_q_WKXarh5ItKQipy9hcVdUisEli1dnXiqfna1r_8hjOsgWHxy1mCwGTOI/s1111/northern_lights-2.jpg" title="Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'" /><figcaption><em><b>Artistic rendering of Jupiter's magnetosphere</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: JAXA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>It is the first time that Jupiter's X-ray aurora has been studied when a giant storm from the Sun has arrived at the planet. The dramatic findings complement NASA's Juno mission this summer which aims to understand the relationship between the two biggest structures in the solar system—the region of space controlled by Jupiter's magnetic field (i.e. its magnetosphere) and that controlled by the solar wind.</p><p>"There's a constant power struggle between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere. We want to understand this interaction and what effect it has on the planet. By studying how the aurora changes, we can discover more about the region of space controlled by Jupiter's magnetic field, and if or how this is influenced by the Sun. Understanding this relationship is important for the countless magnetic objects across the galaxy, including exoplanets, brown dwarfs and neutron stars," explained lead author and PhD student at UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory, William Dunn.</p><p>The Sun constantly ejects streams of particles into space in the solar wind. When giant storms erupt, the winds become much stronger and compress Jupiter's magnetosphere, shifting its boundary with the solar wind two million kilometres through space. The study found that this interaction at the boundary triggers the high energy X-rays in Jupiter's Northern Lights, which cover an area bigger than the surface of the Earth.</p><p>Published today in the <em><b>Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics</b></em> a publication of the American Geophysical Union, the discovery comes as NASA's Juno spacecraft nears Jupiter for the start of its mission this summer. Launched in 2011, Juno aims to unlock the secrets of Jupiter's origin, helping us to understand how the solar system, including Earth, formed.</p><figure><img alt="Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig16V3pNvC04Dpo8_o4vgj8Exbooq6r9f72isJbkH0Gy46ajue9XeSpItw7RK2mp0xYn066fXBeM54_QjJlZSXQdcxauZyNxSmZp3iXAa17Erttx5ws9RBOSwzgfpkpQMqQGx0EAsX0iO9/s1111/northern_lights-3.jpg" title="Solar storms trigger Jupiter's 'Northern Lights'" /><figcaption><em><b>Jupiter’s X-ray emission (in magenta and white, for the brightest spot, overlaid on a </b></em><br /><em><b>Hubble Space Telescope optical image) captured by Chandra as a coronal mass ejection</b></em><br /><em><b> reaches the planet on 2 October 2011, and then after the solar wind subsides on 4 October 2011 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Joseph DePasquale, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Chandra X-ray Center)]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As part of the mission, Juno will investigate Jupiter's relationship with the Sun and the solar wind by studying its magnetic field, magnetosphere and aurora. The UCL team hope to find out how the X-rays form by collecting complementary data using the European Space Agency's X-ray space observatory, XMM-Newton, and NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory.</p><p>"Comparing new findings from Jupiter with what is already known for Earth will help explain how space weather is driven by the solar wind interacting with Earth's magnetosphere. New insights into how Jupiter's atmosphere is influenced by the Sun will help us characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets, giving us clues about whether a planet is likely to support life as we know it," said study supervisor, Professor Graziella Branduardi-Raymont, UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory.</p><p>The impact of solar storms on Jupiter's aurora was tracked by monitoring the X-rays emitted during two 11 hour observations in October 2011 when an interplanetary coronal mass ejection was predicted to reach the planet from the Sun. The scientists used the data collected to build a spherical image to pinpoint the source of the X-ray activity and identify areas to investigate further at different time points.</p><p>William Dunn added, "In 2000, one of the most surprising findings was a bright 'hot spot' of X-rays in the aurora which rotated with the planet. It pulsed with bursts of X-rays every 45 minutes, like a planetary lighthouse. When the solar storm arrived in 2011, we saw that the hot spot pulsed more rapidly, brightening every 26 minutes. We're not sure what causes this increase in speed but, because it quickens during the storm, we think the pulsations are also connected to the solar wind, as well as the bright new aurora."</p><p>Another study out today, led by Tomoki Kimura from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and co-authored by the UCL researchers, reports that the X-ray aurora responds to quieter 'gusts' of solar wind, deepening this connection between Jupiter and the solar wind.<em><b> </b></em></p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [March 22, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-62838380013248553172022-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:002022-02-09T08:21:39.481-08:00Breaking News: Cosmic beacons reveal the Milky Way's ancient core<a name='more'></a><p>An international team of astronomers led by Dr. Andrea Kunder of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) in Germany has discovered that the central 2000 light years within the Milky Way Galaxy hosts an ancient population of stars. These stars are more than 10 billion years old and their orbits in space preserve the early history of the formation of the Milky Way.</p><figure><img alt="Cosmic beacons reveal the Milky Way's ancient core" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh580pwBO5u9GnpSXRsp3eJTxnLZL0WzLR7PkqNpAO4Rjbf1Pchr6jP9J4LZGlzC1EtQ_fSQNbpdNDuw4PCuGEgytwldUbyLeTQfS2Io6KM8h4mYoYGi-_JFfl9iJVZU6XW07HOzBxYqz7C/s1111/milky_Way-1.jpg" title="Cosmic beacons reveal the Milky Way's ancient core" /><figcaption><em><b>The plane of our Galaxy as seen in infrared light from the WISE satellite. The bulge is a distinct component and most of its mass resides in a boxy/peanut bulge, which is in cylindrical rotation. An ancient population, estimated to be 1% of the</b></em><br /><em><b> mass of the bulge, has been detected kinematically detected in the inner Milky Way and does not cylindrically. </b></em><br /><em><b>Instead, this population is likely to have been one of the first parts of the Milky Way to form </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF/AIP/A. Kunder]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>For the first time the team kinematically disentangled this ancient component from the stellar population that currently dominates the mass of the central Galaxy. The astronomers used the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo Australian Telescope near Siding Spring, Australia, and focussed on a well-known and ancient class of stars, called RR Lyrae variables. These stars pulsate in brightness roughly once a day, which make them more challenging to study than their static counterparts, but they have the advantage of being "standard candles." RR Lyrae stars allow exact distance estimations and are found only in stellar populations more than 10 billion years old, for example, in ancient halo globular clusters. The velocities of hundreds of stars were simultaneously recorded toward the constellation of Sagittarius over an area of the sky larger than the full moon. The team therefore was able to use the age stamp on the stars to explore the conditions in the central part of our Milky Way when it was formed.</p><p>Just as London and Paris are built on more ancient Roman or even older remains, our Milky Way galaxy also has multiple generations of stars that span the time from its formation to the present. Since heavy elements, referred to by astronomers as "metals," are brewed in stars, subsequent stellar generations become more and more metal-rich. Therefore, the most ancient components of our Milky Way are expected to be metal-poor stars. Most of our Galaxy's central regions are dominated by metal-rich stars, meaning that they have approximately the same metal content as our Sun, and are arrayed in a football-shaped structure called the "bar." These stars in the bar were found to orbit in roughly the same direction around the Galactic Centre. Hydrogen gas in the Milky Way also follows this rotation. Hence it was widely believed that all stars in the centre would rotate in this way.</p><p>But to the astronomers' astonishment, the RR Lyrae stars do not follow football-shaped orbits, but have large random motions more consistent with their having formed at a great distance from the centre of the Milky Way. "We expected to find that these stars rotate just like the rest of the bar" states lead investigator Kunder. Coauthor Juntai Shen of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory adds, "They account for only one percent of the total mass of the bar, but this even more ancient population of stars appears to have a completely different origin than other stars there, consistent with having been one of the first parts of the Milky Way to form."</p><p>The RR Lyrae stars are moving targets -- their pulsations result in changes in their apparent velocity over the course of a day. The team accounted for this, and was able to show that the velocity dispersion or random motion of the RR Lyrae star population was very high relative to the other stars in the Milky Way's center. The next steps will be to measure the exact metal content of the RR Lyrae population, which gives additional clues to the history of the stars, and enhance by three or four times the number of stars studied, that presently stands at almost 1000.</p><p>The study is published in <em><b>The Astrophysical Journal.</b></em></p><p><em><b>Source: Leibniz-Institut fur Astrophysik Potsdam [April 22, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-80274189511814274482022-02-09T08:20:00.000-08:002022-02-09T08:20:59.206-08:00Genetics: A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction<a name='more'></a><p>A relationship that has lasted for 100 million years is at serious risk of ending, due to the effects of environmental and climate change. A species of spiny crayfish native to Australia and the tiny flatworms that depend on them are both at risk of extinction, according to researchers from the UK and Australia.</p><figure><img alt="A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z5Rz_hqBr_GmuaO4-A-K0skRMSGhQ_cyaIf0fXDT6C5DjUmtxYlXYzp9ZlPw-COsCoGYExYyACGr2uIBx1HmWKHrI_sknXPO1cZOk658G7xJTzwSaQCAMe5s83kp-YsmY92gl7-pjhsM/s1111/extinction-1.jpg" title="A 100-million-year partnership on the brink of extinction" /><figcaption><em><b>A light microscope image of the five tentacle temnocephalan Temnosewellia c.f rouxi from cultured redclaw crayfish </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: David Blair/James Cook University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Look closely into one of the cool, freshwater streams of eastern Australia and you might find a colourful mountain spiny crayfish, from the genus Euastacus. Look even closer and you could see small tentacled flatworms, called temnocephalans, each only a few millimetres long. Temnocephalans live as specialised symbionts on the surface of the crayfish, where they catch tiny food items, or inside the crayfish's gill chamber where they can remove parasites. This is an ancient partnership, but the temnocephalans are now at risk of coextinction with their endangered hosts. Coextinction is the loss of one species, when another that it depends upon goes extinct.</p><p>In a new study, researchers from the UK and Australia reconstructed the evolutionary and ecological history of the mountain spiny crayfish and their temnocephalan symbionts to assess their coextinction risk. This study was based on DNA sequences from crayfish and temnocephalans across eastern Australia, sampled by researchers at James Cook University, sequenced at the Natural History Museum, London and Queensland Museum, and analysed at the University of Sydney and the University of Cambridge. The results are published in the ><em><b>Proceedings of the Royal Society B</b></em>.</p><p>"We've now got a picture of how these two species have evolved together through time," said Dr Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, the paper's lead author. "The extinction risk to the crayfish has been measured, but this is the first time we've quantified the risk to the temnocephalans as well -- and it looks like this ancient partnership could end with the extinction of both species."</p><p>Mountain spiny crayfish species diversified across eastern Australia over at least 80 million years, with 37 living species included in this study. Reconstructing the ages of the temnocephalans using a 'molecular clock' analysis showed that the tiny worms are as ancient as their crayfish hosts and have evolved alongside them since the Cretaceous Period.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oMhA0vmWtoU?rel=0"></iframe>><em><b>A symbiotic relationship that has existed since the time of the dinosaurs is at risk of ending,</b></em>><em><b> as habitat loss and environmental change mean that a species of Australian crayfish </b></em>><em><b>and the tiny worms that depend on them are both at serious risk of extinction </b></em>><em><b>[Credit: David Blair/James Cook University]</b></em><br />Today, many species of mountain spiny crayfish have small geographic ranges. This is especially true in Queensland, where mountain spiny crayfish are restricted to cool, high-altitude streams in small pockets of rainforest. This habitat was reduced and fragmented by long-term climate warming and drying, as the continent of Australia drifted northwards over the last 165 million years. As a consequence, mountain spiny crayfish are severely threatened by ongoing climate change and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed 75% of these species as endangered or critically endangered.</p><p>"In Australia, freshwater crayfish are large, diverse and active 'managers', recycling all sorts of organic material and working the sediments," said Professor David Blair of James Cook University in Australia, the paper's senior author. "The temnocephalan worms associated only with these crayfish are also diverse, reflecting a long, shared history and offering a unique window on ancient symbioses. We now risk extinction of many of these partnerships, which will lead to degradation of their previous habitats and leave science the poorer."</p><p>The crayfish tend to have the smallest ranges in the north of Australia, where the climate is the hottest and all of the northern species are endangered or critically endangered. By studying the phylogenies (evolutionary trees) of the species, the researchers found that northern crayfish also tended to be the most evolutionarily distinctive. This also applies to the temnocephalans of genus Temnosewellia, which are symbionts of spiny mountain crayfish across their geographic range. "This means that the most evolutionarily distinctive lineages are also those most at risk of extinction," said Hoyal Cuthill.</p><p>The researchers then used computer simulations to predict the extent of coextinction. This showed that if all the mountain spiny crayfish that are currently endangered were to go extinct, 60% of their temnocephalan symbionts would also be lost to coextinction. The temnocephalan lineages that were predicted to be at the greatest risk of coextinction also tended to be the most evolutionarily distinctive. These lineages represent a long history of symbiosis and coevolution of up to 100 million years. However they are the most likely to suffer coextinction if these species and their habitats are not protected from ongoing environmental and climate change.</p><p>"The intimate relationship between hosts and their symbionts and parasites is often unique and long lived, not just during the lifespan of the individual organisms themselves but during the evolutionary history of the species involved in the association," said study co-author Dr Tim Littlewood of the Natural History Museum. "This study exemplifies how understanding and untangling such an intimate relationship across space and time can yield deep insights into past climates and environments, as well as highlighting current threats to biodiversity."</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Cambridge [May 24, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-41478280003426738482022-02-09T06:53:00.001-08:002022-02-09T06:53:54.507-08:00Europe: Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health<a name='more'></a><p>Biological anthropologist Sharon DeWitte studies ancient skeletons that can open a window onto the human history she hopes to illuminate. But as she and graduate student Samantha Yaussy show in a recently published study, some of the markers on the skeletons that scientists use to decipher the past might need to be looked at in a new light.</p><figure><img alt="Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOsXDIG9vxt0uxG6LXkwDzcCHyTjVjpcmlsmlkitBj08DXYII5wBsxI9WCdAXsAxBcft3S-8nYzIUDpSfjinxIlsYdoEgbq5PrQw81_diw__DDgWZ0-PsPv2BH1M4fNMIfnpkMxN0w9J8/s1111/stress-1.jpg" title="Skeletal marker of physiological stress might indicate good, rather than poor, health" /><figcaption><em><b>Horizontal grooves in skeletal teeth (linear enamel hypoplasia) are an indication of physiological stress on an</b></em><br /><em><b> individual in early childhood, between six months and six years of age [Credit: Sharon DeWitte]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>DeWitte, one of the world's foremost experts on the Black Death, which killed one-third to one-half of Europe's inhabitants over just seven years in a mid-1300s pandemic, is also interested in the periods before and after the Black Death, both in times of famine and, for the medieval era, relative plenty.</p><p>"This was a time when you had all of these other stressors existing, like multiple infectious diseases, people living in really crowded conditions, lack of hygiene," DeWitte says. "I'm interested in looking at how famine might have affected subsequent patterns of health and risks of mortality."</p><p>In research recently published in the ><em><b>American Journal of Physical Anthropology</b></em>, Yaussy and DeWitte worked with skeletal remains excavated from London's St. Mary Spital cemetery, which was in use from about 1120 to 1540 A.D. The cemetery was organized well enough over those years that modern-day researchers can assign burial groupings according to location to a number of shorter time periods within that larger 420-year time frame. Because they were focused on the effects of famine, the scientists specifically excluded burials from the Black Death era in the study.</p><p>The way that people were buried in plots also provided important data. Large group burials within a single grave were taken to be the result of catastrophic famine losses over short periods of time, whereas single interments were categorized as "attritional" deaths, that is, deaths in "normal" times.</p><p>Using a total of more than 1,500 individual adult remains that were almost evenly divided between famine deaths and normal deaths, DeWitte and Yaussy carefully examined the skeletons for markers that are indicative of stress during the individual's lifetime.</p><p>One stress marker they looked for is called "linear enamel hypoplasia" (LEH), which is a horizontal groove on a tooth that results from childhood physiological stress or trauma sometime between 6 months and 6 years of age, when the tooth is forming in the jaw.</p><p>"It could be the result of an infection, lack of nutrition, or even breaking a leg," says Yaussy. "Your enamel just stops creating itself for a day or a little longer. It starts back up again, but during that time when it was shut off, there's no enamel on that portion of the teeth, and it leaves a groove."</p><p>They found that that stress marker, LEH, was significantly correlated with famine. "It was a pretty sensitive indicator of famine burials," Yaussy says. "Having that early life insult seems to instigate this pattern of lifelong frailty, so when a famine event occurs, it causes mortality in those individuals."</p><p>Another indicator of life stress, though, turned out to be a horse of a different color. Using shin bones (tibia), the researchers looked for what's called periosteal lesions. It's a place on the bone where new growth on the surface has occurred in response to physical or physiological stress.</p><p>"When it's put under stress, and it can be from something like an infection, or a break, or even just stress from carrying heavy buckets all day, bone can grow onto itself and strengthen itself," Yaussy says. "These are nonspecific -- we're not necessarily saying that it was an infection that caused it, or that it was from someone hitting their shin repeatedly. I just see that there was bone growth there, so there's some stressor that's causing the bone to generate more bone."</p><p>In contrast to people with the LEH indicator, individuals with areas of bone regrowth were correlated with periods of normal, or attritional, death. That result came as a something of a surprise to colleagues in the field.</p><p>"This project was a bit of a shock to some of the people at the paleopathology meetings where we presented it," Yaussy says. "A lot of people have been thinking that things like periosteal lesions are bad, that people who had them weren't especially healthy. But this study in part might be saying that those people were actually pretty healthy. It takes time, a couple of weeks, to build up this bone, so it could be that if there was some stress event that was substantial enough to kill a person before they could even register a response, we wouldn't be seeing it on the bone now."</p><p>The unexpected result helps inform DeWitte in the larger goal of looking at what happens to populations after crises, such as the Black Death or famines, pass, and particularly how cultural norms might influence the outcomes.</p><p>"What I'm interested in going forward is looking at access to resources before the Black Death, during normal conditions during famine conditions, and then after the Black Death, again during normal and famine conditions," Dewitte says. "Seeing if there were social factors that affected people's access to resources when there was little available and then when they became abundant again."</p><p>"I think this might have implications for living populations, understanding how social, economic and political factors affect access to resources beyond the actual amount of resources that are available."</p><p><em><b>Author: Steven Powell | Source: University of South Carolina [May 02, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-28602896898119039232022-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:002022-02-09T06:53:30.538-08:00Turkmenistan: 'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York<a name='more'></a><p>Opening April 27 (and running until July 24, 2016) at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the landmark international loan exhibition <b>Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs</b> features spectacular works of art created in the 11th through 13th century from Turkmenistan to the Mediterranean.</p><p><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKrHalJe6q7zoUde6p6f_Sen13uQ1UWVrBHII7blWNrU2HIF8q3sxLCfE2PlhiwUkKHiP4GBukqUTin5Py2cqS6zE1fkEwIqfX9PvS6i7LODPIbEaiLRFxuhbKyQcI4-R9t2D2RI7j3U5/s1111/seljuk_00d.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><br />One of the most productive periods in the history of the region from Iran to Anatolia (in modern Turkey) corresponds to the rule of the Seljuqs and their immediate successors, from 1038 to 1307.</p><p>The Seljuqs were a Turkic dynasty of Central Asian nomadic origin that established a vast, but decentralized and relatively short-lived, empire in West Asia (present-day Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey).</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8VLQJq69JIwZfNkYyvK-JfPB_P4vzZ_c6WIfKcWznQwWZPGeAhqRnCnn0BtgZa9OmaiPgsTPC_IDIiWwsxKDwdPqFfCwHMI8G1ORX5Y9GU85-FF-w3gCAsvw-hLFlBWBEZ9vtfPW3b1Y/s1111/seljuk_06.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>Astrolabe, A.D. 1102–1103 [Credit: MET/Museo Galileo: Institute and Museum of the </b></em><br /><em><b>History of Science, Florence]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Under Seljuq rule, the exchange and synthesis of diverse traditions—including Turkmen, Perso-Arabo-Islamic, Byzantine, Armenian, Crusader, and other Christian cultures—accompanied economic prosperity, advances in science and technology, and a great flowering of culture within the realm. </p><p><br />Approximately 270 objects—including ceramics, glass, stucco, works on paper, woodwork, textiles, and metalwork—from American, European, and Middle Eastern public and private collections are shown. Many of the institutions have never lent works from their collections before. Among the highlights are a dozen important loans from Turkmenistan—the exhibition marks the first time that Turkmenistan as an independent country has permitted an extended loan of a group of historical objects to a museum in the United States.</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvANYI-7nrDp91HCRA0PEqxwUy2nYIFn8ItUTOn9p-w9on2xoNGlPfYbbYQntzONBD1Yr74OVspFHD-5Nk1l9RbJ4xiVCW0RPrkZFBrqz1mLNZh6FlsSb8W0oyG33sk2KZS56SQe9tKgrx/s1111/seljuk_08.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>Head of a Central Asian Figure, 12th–13th century [Credit: MET/Purchase, </b></em><br /><em><b>Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2014]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Under the Great Seljuqs of Iran, the middle class prospered, spurring arts patronage, technological advancements, and a market for luxury goods. In contrast, in Anatolia, Syria, and the Jazira (northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey)—which were controlled by the Seljuq successor dynasties (Rum Seljuqs, Artuqids, and Zangids)—art was produced under royal patronage, and Islamic iconography was introduced to a predominantly Christian area.</p><p>Furthermore, a number of artists had immigrated to the region from Iran in response to the Mongol conquest in 1220. Because patrons, consumers, and artists came from diverse cultural, religious, and artistic backgrounds, distinctive arts were produced and flourished in the western parts of the Seljuq realm.</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0eYKAsJHiQhoe1jetNaMLlWxWbnqx9y2H-hBK4LCxmE0qbx7hJUWQKnrPUjp8WRZT_x5SJfIR5um8Cq_Ytis9NtHjs_1bclqmyagu5s0-5KkCvzz10qlhXI87J0HFnT3QkoFOnQHSUwS/s1111/seljuk_05.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>Double-Page Frontispiece from a Kitab al-Diryaq (Book of Antidotes), A.D. 1198–99 </b></em><br /><em><b> [Credit: MET/Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Exhibition Overview</b></p><p>Arranged thematically, the exhibition opens with a display of artifacts that name the Seljuq sultans and members of the ruling elite. In Central Asia and Iran, inscriptions appeared on coins and architecture. Stucco reliefs representing royal guards, amirs, and courtiers serve to evoke the courts of the Great Seljuq rulers whose names did not appear on objects.</p><p>In Anatolia, Syria, and the Jazira, names of Seljuq successor rulers and images appeared on a range of objects. Here, the famous 12th-century cloisonné dish bearing the name of Rukn al-Dawla Dawud, a leader of the Artuqids, is featured.</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueeS7phWfn5FehiVXSp0r2Mxm-hNDx79Bi3LJWNJ0sS-Q8sBXCPrFTye5eaXMtBgeZdsGt1DehEoXA-s4b6iaGuTvmo4-_dvoNXkEBrQ4_A7AJ2SK6ekpN3UeyRa70tUfVqrCBFtTFw55/s1111/seljuk_01.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>Standing Figure with Jeweled Headdress, 12th–early 13th century </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: MET/Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wolfe, 1967]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>In the second section, the courtly environment and activities associated with the sultans and their courtiers appear on stucco reliefs, ceramics, metalwork, and other media. While depictions of the Seljuq elite on these works were not intended as actual portraits, the distinctive Central Asian facial type was a standard of beauty under Seljuq rule.</p><p>The earliest extant manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings)—the Persian national epic—created in Anatolia in 1217 is a highlight of this section. Additionally, the remarkable Blacas ewer, with its myriad details of life connected to the court, is prominently exhibited.</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSR_3t1DXqotuDqxxcU8Xw3DRtC5vQyGtFrucSkdBiRf3qssqL5et2LpJY248oAuFeeBNqLE3_FsIOp0_J_AaDFBKM4ZXUQbohTTEuTDXr2QwxzQfmqtFLnOoGrRkikDu5VnnC-_M2YlO/s1111/seljuk_03.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>Seated Figure with Jeweled Headdress, 12th–early 13th century </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: MET/Victoria and Albert Museum, London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The three centuries under Seljuq rule were also a period of inventions; and the many advances in science, medicine, and technology were reflected in the manuscripts, scientific instruments, and medical implements of the time. Pages from the early 13th-century illustrated manuscript The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices feature some of the fanciful inventions of the Muslim polymath and creative genius Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, whose inventions ranged from clocks and water wheels to automata (robots).</p><p>Also noteworthy is an early Islamic astrolabe. (Among the many things that could be determined by means of this complex navigational instrument was the direction of Mecca, and hence the direction of prayer.) Also on view is an intricate pharmacy box with separate compartments for musk, camphor, and other ingredients typical of the medieval pharmacopoeia.</p><figure><img alt="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVSynGWLwa0mWdSfqrKfU1Zfx61yQsTrp3oi9h-sBLhPpZt39AQn7vqZeO6nE4fiFjf_gSOlhZkEMpmeft3vkbZF_9OW0dY_Cc2kfOQIy9j98nw0V14TWNlzyQheyvJncY_Fu-u3XWx6m/s1111/seljuk_09.jpg" title="'Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs' at the Metropolitan Museum New York" /><figcaption><em><b>"Sultan Ghiyath al-DIn Muhammad I b. Malik Shah Enthroned", folio from a Majma al-tavarikh </b></em><br /><em><b>(Assembly of Histories) of Hafiz-i Abru, ca. 1425 [Credit: MET/Yale University Art Gallery, </b></em><br /><em><b>Gift of Mary Burns Foss]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Seljuq art abounds with depictions of real, mythological, and hybrid animals on objects large and small. Animal combat was a favorite theme in Iranian art. The double-headed eagle was adopted as the standard of the Seljuq successor states in Anatolia and the Jazira. Harpies (composite creatures having the body of a bird and the face of a human) and sphinxes (beasts with the body of a lion, face of a human, and occasionally the wings of a bird) appear frequently.</p><p>The exquisite Vaso Vescovali—a lidded bowl engraved and inlaid with silver and decorated with complex astrological imagery—features eight personifications of planets on the lid along with the 12 signs of the zodiac and their associated planets on the base, within a profusion of other ornamentation.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/160609108?color=00add3" webkitallowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />The Seljuqs actively promoted Sunni Islam throughout their territory, building madrasas and mosques, and sponsoring the production of Qur’ans and other religious texts. A number of rare and beautifully ornamented examples of the book arts from the time of the Seljuqs are on view. In Syria, the Jazira, and Anatolia—where the majority of the local population, including some of the ruling elite, was Christian—artifacts bearing Christian iconography continued to be made. And a ritual vessel from Georgia, with a Hebrew inscription, attests to the presence of Jewish populations as well. The same artists often served various religious communities. Hence, the styles and artistic traditions of one group merged with those of another.</p><p>The sixth and final section of the exhibition focuses on the funerary arts. A variety of tomb markers, cenotaphs, funerary furniture, and patterned textiles discovered in Seljuq tombs are shown. In a proper Muslim burial, the deceased is wrapped in two or three sheets of plain white cloth; the presence of expensive textiles in a funerary context indicates that popular customs and official practice differed significantly.</p><p>The exhibition is made possible by the NoRuz at The Met Fund and the Iranian-American Community.</p><p><em><b>Source: Metropolitan Museum, New York [April 30, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-62292428350857291542022-02-08T23:30:00.000-08:002022-02-08T23:30:00.178-08:00Astronomy: Number of habitable planets could be limited by stifling atmospheres<a name='more'></a><p>New research has revealed that fewer than predicted planets may be capable of harboring life because their atmospheres keep them too hot.</p><figure><img alt="Number of habitable planets could be limited by stifling atmospheres" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLy1FD_HCY_QvRJb_t1HbzqHxj0wCHsxa0krQiCMqVwPeapEpBvf4eQpri0BmHkZnw8wYTQZlI_rG-rX2HCaT0E7f5Xh6L8qjzCBtMk8L9pxkMihtJ4k-CwrlnrR-pIBxwdSG486xKVzIg/s1111/exoplanet_01.jpg" title="Number of habitable planets could be limited by stifling atmospheres" /><figcaption><em><b>Artist's impression of an exoplanet system [Credit: NASA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>When looking for planets that could harbor life, scientists look for planets in the 'habitable zones' around their stars - at the right distance from the stars to allow water to exist in liquid form. Traditionally, this search has focused on looking for planets orbiting stars like our Sun, in a similar way to Earth.</p><p>However, recent research has turned to small planets orbiting very close to stars called M dwarfs, or red dwarfs, which are much smaller and dimmer than the Sun. M dwarfs make up around 75 per cent of all the stars in our galaxy, and recent discoveries have suggested that many of them host planets, pushing the number of potentially habitable planets into the billions.</p><p>This month, both the TRAPPIST and Kepler planet-hunting telescopes have announced the discovery of multiple near-Earth-sized planets orbiting M dwarf stars, some within the habitable zones.</p><p>New research from Imperial College London and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, published in the ><em><b>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</b></em>, has revealed that although they orbit smaller and dimmer stars, many of these planets might still be too hot to be habitable.</p><p>The scientists suggest that some of the planets might still be habitable, but only those with a smaller mass than Earth, comparable to Venus or Mars.</p><p>Dr James Owen, Hubble Fellow and lead author of the study from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, said: "It was previously assumed that planets with masses similar to Earth would be habitable simply because they were in the 'habitable zone'. However, when you consider how these planets evolve over billions of years this assumption turns out not to be true."</p><p>It was known previously that many of these planets are born with thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium, making up roughly one percent of the total planetary mass. In comparison, the Earth's atmosphere makes up only a millionth of its mass. The greenhouse effect of such a thick atmosphere would make the surface far too hot for liquid water, rendering the planets initially uninhabitable.</p><p>However, it was thought that over time, the strong X-ray and ultraviolet radiation from the parent M dwarf star would evaporate away most of this atmosphere, eventually making the planets potentially habitable.</p><p>The new analysis reveals that this is not the case. Instead, detailed computer simulations show that these thick hydrogen and helium envelopes cannot escape the gravity of planets that are similar to or larger in mass than the Earth, meaning that many of them are likely to retain their stifling atmospheres.</p><p>However, all is not lost, according to the researchers. While most of the M dwarf planets that are Earth-mass or heavier would retain thick atmospheres, smaller planets, comparable to Venus or Mars, could still lose them to evaporation.</p><p>Dr Subhanjoy Mohanty, the other study author from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, said: "There are hints from recent exoplanet discoveries that relatively puny planets may be even more common around red dwarfs than Earth mass or larger ones, in which case there may indeed be a bonanza of potentially habitable planets whirling around these cool red stars."</p><p>Ongoing ground- and space-based searches, and new space missions to be launched in the near future, should provide a definitive answer to this question as well as other questions about the potential suitability of these planets for life.</p><p><em><b>Author: Hayley Dunning | Source: Imperial College London [May 26, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-65260717532184883382022-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:002022-02-08T14:43:02.524-08:00Breaking News: New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way<a name='more'></a><p>Astronomers have discovered a 'treasure trove' of rare dwarf satellite galaxies orbiting our own Milky Way. The discoveries could hold the key to understanding dark matter, the mysterious substance which holds our galaxy together.</p><figure><img alt="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eaTAaO6bgIyfvEZpJIUwFcPIB6yWqtBeC1ZVS0OhzHFJDDsXmwJtFEWsdUP8KFLDB98QeWRnTthc7I5WtA2edl2OT4aqtr5-OjamWHlilLKHe8CuHGFdqj7G1B8JKB4pWnP2AuVCm-tO/s1111/dwarf-galaxies_01.jpg" title="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" /><figcaption><em><b>The Magellanic Clouds and the Auxiliary Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory in the </b></em><br /><em><b>Atacama Desert in Chile. Only 6 of the 9 newly discovered satellites are present in</b></em><br /><em><b> this image. The other three are just outside the field of view. The insets show images</b></em><br /><em><b> of the three most visible objects (Eridanus 1, Horologium 1 and Pictoris 1) and</b></em><br /><em><b> are 13x13 arcminutes on the sky (or 3000x3000 DECam pixels) </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: V. Belokurov, S. Koposov (IoA, Cambridge)/</b></em><br /><em><b>Photo: Y. Beletsky (Carnegie Observatories)]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A team of astronomers from the University of Cambridge have identified nine new dwarf satellites orbiting the Milky Way, the largest number ever discovered at once. The findings, from newly-released imaging data taken from the Dark Energy Survey, may help unravel the mysteries behind dark matter, the invisible substance holding galaxies together.</p><p>The new results also mark the first discovery of dwarf galaxies -- small celestial objects that orbit larger galaxies -- in a decade, after dozens were found in 2005 and 2006 in the skies above the northern hemisphere. The new satellites were found in the southern hemisphere near the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud, the largest and most well-known dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way's orbit.</p><p>The Cambridge findings are being jointly released today with the results of a separate survey by astronomers with the Dark Energy Survey, headquartered at the US Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Both teams used the publicly available data taken during the first year of the Dark Energy Survey to carry out their analysis.</p><p>The newly discovered objects are a billion times dimmer than the Milky Way, and a million times less massive. The closest is about 95,000 light years away, while the most distant is more than a million light years away.</p><p>According to the Cambridge team, three of the discovered objects are definite dwarf galaxies, while others could be either dwarf galaxies or globular clusters -- objects with similar visible properties to dwarf galaxies, but not held together with dark matter.</p><figure><img alt="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMQC3HEe1QYsjP4MxlbJjRNYAcKtIeDRFn9qOP8Ougpum0_PuGE0nf7-hE0iD38XnRtrhya6AZgGVNos43Z9dMF8UzvNAlM84oHaQvmOdWN9Ssn8co6TSaWsM98nuxdhaLLaUM6se1FNh/s1111/dwarf-galaxies_02.jpg" title="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" /><figcaption><em><b>The Magellanic Clouds and the stream of neutral hydrogen. The insets show the image</b></em><br /><em><b> of the largest satellite discovered (Eridanus 2) as well as the smallest one (Indus 1).</b></em><br /><em><b> The insets are 13x13 arcminutes on the sky (or 3000x3000 DECam pixels) for</b></em><br /><em><b> Eridanus 2 and 6.5x6.5 arcminutes (or 1500x1500 DECam pixels) for Indus 1 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: V. Belokurov, S. Koposov (IoA, Cambridge)/</b></em><br /><em><b>HI image: M. Putman (Columbia)]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"The discovery of so many satellites in such a small area of the sky was completely unexpected," said Dr Sergey Koposov of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, the study's lead author. "I could not believe my eyes."</p><p>Dwarf galaxies are the smallest galaxy structures observed, the faintest of which contain just 5000 stars -- the Milky Way, in contrast, contains hundreds of billions of stars. Standard cosmological models of the universe predict the existence of hundreds of dwarf galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way, but their dimness and small size makes them incredibly difficult to find, even in our own 'backyard'.</p><p>"The large dark matter content of Milky Way satellite galaxies makes this a significant result for both astronomy and physics," said Alex Drlica-Wagner of Fermilab, one of the leaders of the Dark Energy Survey analysis.</p><p>Since they contain up to 99 percent dark matter and just one percent observable matter, dwarf galaxies are ideal for testing whether existing dark matter models are correct. Dark matter -- which makes up 25 percent of all matter and energy in our universe -- is invisible, and only makes its presence known through its gravitational pull.</p><p>"Dwarf satellites are the final frontier for testing our theories of dark matter," said Dr Vasily Belokurov of the Institute of Astronomy, one of the study's co-authors. "We need to find them to determine whether our cosmological picture makes sense. Finding such a large group of satellites near the Magellanic Clouds was surprising, though, as earlier surveys of the southern sky found very little, so we were not expecting to stumble on such treasure."</p><figure><img alt="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ziLNKkjbJNgXBSPJdfPANvRerxUOtj_X1gxADzbOtm_GKSn3MkCs9ZK2_L1qsS31VRIjUuQWJK6dYlcZN1OKKUAyLaoeGEEy2prByjCXJ24wYr-tRE0tAKpn6qWuUfM3ko-qRhh77xxt/s1111/dwarf-galaxies_03.jpg" title="New dwarf galaxies discovered in orbit around the Milky Way" /><figcaption><em><b>Distribution of the Galactic satellites on the sky. The underlying background</b></em><br /><em><b> image is the Infrared Map produced by the 2MASS survey </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: S. Koposov, V. Belokurov (IoA, Cambridge)/</b></em><br /><em><b>Background: 2MASS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The closest of these pieces of 'treasure' is 97,000 light years away, about halfway to the Magellanic Clouds, and is located in the constellation of Reticulum, or the Reticle. Due to the massive tidal forces of the Milky Way, it is in the process of being torn apart.</p><p>The most distant and most luminous of these objects is 1.2 million light years away in the constellation of Eridanus, or the River. It is right on the fringes of the Milky Way, and is about to get pulled in. According to the Cambridge team, it looks to have a small globular cluster of stars, which would make it the faintest galaxy to possess one.</p><p>"These results are very puzzling," said co-author Wyn Evans, also of the Institute of Astronomy. "Perhaps they were once satellites that orbited the Magellanic Clouds and have been thrown out by the interaction of the Small and Large Magellanic Cloud. Perhaps they were once part of a gigantic group of galaxies that -- along with the Magellanic Clouds -- are falling into our Milky Way galaxy."</p><p>The Dark Energy Survey is a five-year effort to photograph a large portion of the southern sky in unprecedented detail. Its primary tool is the Dark Energy Camera, which -- at 570 megapixels -- is the most powerful digital camera in the world, able to see galaxies up to eight billion light years from Earth. Built and tested at Fermilab, the camera is now mounted on the four-metre Victor M Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in the Andes Mountains in Chile. The camera includes five precisely shaped lenses, the largest nearly a yard across, designed and fabricated at University College London (UCL) and funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).</p><p>The Dark Energy Survey is supported by funding from the STFC, the US Department of Energy Office of Science; the National Science Foundation; funding agencies in Spain, Brazil, Germany and Switzerland; and the participating institutions.</p><p>The Cambridge research, funded by the European Research Council, will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Cambridge [March 10, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-32769647523315544662022-02-08T14:42:00.000-08:002022-02-08T14:42:46.424-08:00Environment: Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet<a name='more'></a><p>The first annual <b>State of the World's Plants</b> report, which involved more than 80 scientists and took a year to produce, is a baseline assessment of current knowledge on the diversity of plants on earth, the global threats these plants currently face, as well as the policies in place and their effectiveness in dealing with threats.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7o1zazKCZj7_L8oJJsXt3Mbozq8SmcnEaeKxTSaHErj6nf9okdFspDUjUdRd1IL-SYB45S9veRo81u1vQ0kdZbPZsb2C8KigAorRaxTghJyfNQGDHjIPh3pEI0I2KJTMrvQDqOxjGK07/s1111/Kew_01.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>A fifth of the world's plant species are at risk of extinction, according to a survey by </b></em><br /><em><b>Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew [Credit: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"This is the first ever global assessment on the state of the world's plants. We already have a 'State of the World's ...birds, sea-turtles, forests, cities, mothers, fathers, children even antibiotics' but not plants. I find this remarkable given the importance of plants to all of our lives- from food, medicines, clothing, building materials and biofuels, to climate regulation. This report therefore provides the first step in filling this critical knowledge gap." said Professor Kathy Willis, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew at the report launch on Monday.</p><p>"But to have effect, the findings must serve to galvanise the international scientific, conservation, business and governmental communities to work together to fill the knowledge gaps we've highlighted and expand international collaboration, partnerships and frameworks for plant conservation and use," she added.</p><p>The status of plants outlined in the report is based on the most up to date knowledge from around the world as of 2016 and is divided into three sections; describing the world's plants, global threats to plants and policies and international trade.</p><p><b>Naming and Counting</b></p><p>The first section focuses on the diversity of plants on earth, noting that there are now an estimated 391,000 vascular plants known to science of which 369,000 are flowering plants -- with around 2,000 new vascular plant species described annually. Some of the most exciting were found during fieldwork while many others were detected only after they have already been preserved and filed as herbarium specimens and a few have been discovered in the glasshouses at Kew.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhTWbTQamhyJz0rdmy4sxvK6Jm1d3Ntq7ayCYdd9voySvSEh4190rzIfcJPrXkAsK4AUr57fOFD4LbeA80FBa5boi_ZXOKrVNeNqICcAgZY1Cb_9y5X3sfJRagjX2fcdiEU9_RbUivi-XM/s1111/Kew_02.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>Logging at the Amazon and other rainforests represents 21.3 percent of the total risk to plant species, </b></em><br /><em><b>according to a study by Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens [Credit: AFP/Raphael Alves]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>One of the largest carnivorous plants known (1.5m in height), a new insect-eating plant of the sundew genus called Drosera magnifica was even first discovered on Facebook. Eighteen new species of the genus Ipomoea in the morning glory family, were described from Bolivia last year, among them a close relative of the sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, offering exciting options for the future of this crop.</p><p>"But there are still large parts of the world where very little is known about plants. Identification of these important plant areas is now critical." said Steve Bachman, strategic output leader for the State of the World´s Plants report, RBG Kew. "Similarly, we still only know a fraction of the genetic diversity of plants and whole-genome sequences are currently available for just 139 species of vascular plants. Activity in this area needs to speed up," he added.</p><p><b>Useful plants</b></p><p>In terms of the uses of plants, the report collates data from multiple data sources to reveal that at least 31,000 plant species have a documented use for medicines, food, materials and so on. The majority (17,810 plants) of those now documented have a medicinal use.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOv8fs16hg27kuIQeVb4TUM47tZwor1KhDuMRIfNCJ4r-q6ZoRS208dNoLteJ3lufcUA2gUGHQK0PiAys1sPtq1DWgB90eFbIehajX_Z4p4eWEvODyRGyoeI0JL-kJiYuHYTA46nKkUqN/s1111/Kew_04.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>British scientists warn that farming -- such as mangroves being transformed into shrimp farms -- </b></em><br /><em><b>poses the biggest extinction threat to plant species [Credit: AFP/Sebastien Blanc]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Aside from the plants that are currently in use, the report looks at where collection efforts should focus to include plants that will be useful in the future. One set of plant species of critical importance to global food security are the wild relatives of crops, a pool of genetic variation that can help to drive the improvement of our crops into the future. A recent inventory has revealed that there are currently 3,546 prioritised global plant taxa identified as 'crop wild relatives' and Kew's Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) includes 688 crop wild relatives among its over 78,000 accessions, but there are still substantial gaps.</p><p>Research in this sector has found that the traits that have been bred into crops over years of domestication are not necessarily the same ones that will provide the greatest climate resilience. Given that many of the wild populations of these species are under considerable threat due to land-use and climate change there is an urgent need to conserve those species not adequately represented in current collections. More seed banking will help preserve a wider range of alternatives to the crops on which the world over relies today (report pages 20-23).</p><p><b>Climate change</b></p><p>The report also explores current knowledge around the impact of climate change on plants and finds that while there is a good understanding for some regions of the world, there are still large areas for which little or no research exists. In those areas where good data is available, clear impacts are visible, including changes in flowering times, turnover in plant communities and movement of species with changing climates.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCrHHneZWUlmWxcPVK5OZsZrZnlDRYynvvEvAZYHiB-jsIMKQlF22qENgtt4RozpJs1bdGhl3hFCdYZo6sTAWHtSd1QA6w1JL8ICsdhd5anA_qS3pVSSxWd2hU3BmP8Pf-iv0SFMXP0IF/s1111/Kew_05.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>Tim Utteridge of Kew Gardens shows a preserved Ferocactus fordii</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Research referenced in the report shows that all but one of the world's biomes have experienced more than 10% change in land-cover type in the past decade due to the combined impacts of land-use and climate change.</p><p>This research, led by teams at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia is also the first of its kind to allocate timeframes for the changes in policy and practice needed to maintain food production and security in Africa. It identifies that up to 30% of areas growing maize and bananas, and up to 60% of those growing beans, are likely to become unviable by the end of the century. But it also highlights some crops like cassava and yams that are showing much greater resilience and could worth focusing on in years to come (report pages 36-39).</p><p>"Having proof that root crops like cassava and yams are among the climate-smart crops of the future for sub Saharan Africa is vital for informing policy and planning today," added Professor Willis.</p><p>Further research into building a climate resilient coffee economy in Ethiopia published in this report highlights how coffee production is likely to be drastically affected by climate change, but claims that this could be offset if there were interventions now to develop new areas for coffee plantations, which may even lead to gains in coffee production.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZZf46AcsfI20-T7Do5psM-vPL3rcKB5BAYq6qEs4w5UOrivXRNMtcFbPNd8j7wROb1I2AHGv_s0Ib6ArSSfwR_-zknI6k9UxzNYycMv02nDVge-olFM2r199qbsrX-MLy0ou6-pc7sbH/s1111/Kew_06.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>Kew Gardens in southwest London has one of the world's largest plant collections </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Important plant areas</b></p><p>1,771 important plant areas have been identified globally but very few currently have conservation protection. In the UK alone, 165 such sites have been recognised, including parts of the Atlantic woodlands and the Celtic rainforests which are considered to be globally important. These sites include the Lizard in Cornwall, the Brecklands in East Anglia and parts of the west coast of Scotland. Important plant areas have also been identified in several of the UK Overseas Territories including the Falkland Islands and plans are underway to extend this programme to the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories.</p><p><b>Invasive species</b></p><p>A large movement of invasive alien plant species is also occurring. Nearly 5000 plant species are now documented as invasive in global surveys. These plants are causing large declines in native plants, damaging natural ecosystems, transforming land-cover and often causing huge economic losses. In the UK, this includes the highly invasive Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), introduced as an ornamental plant to Britain in the mid-19th century and costing Great Britain more than £165 million annually to control (report pages 48-51).</p><p>The report calls for closer collaboration between institutions and organisations working with invasive species to enable the establishment of a single global list that documents taxonomy, threat, distribution, control and other relevant information. Stricter enforcement of legislation and increased implementation of quarantine procedures would minimise the risk of further.</p><figure><img alt="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdL57agZNGTccBpfqFVLi28IAmyGTbQqw_DB_j9MH6lWr9LU8sdSS055wldXg70Wu7TfJaSzUDWnRcDWb3vC5nQTB4vfkTcAHEIxYkvCRLR1JzaaLoITF3OyDMB8Kb3yTYRHDBuckr-N7/s1111/Kew_07.jpg" title="Kew report urges global scientific community to secure health of the planet" /><figcaption><em><b>A technician picks up a sample of frozen DNA from a Ficus hispida at Kew Gardens </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p><b>Plant diseases</b></p><p>There are many emerging threats also occurring with plant diseases, and research effort into these diseases is skewed towards countries with a wealthier research infrastructure.</p><p><b>Threats and extinction</b></p><p>Best estimates lead us to believe that 21% of the world's plants are currently threatened with extinction and ongoing monitoring will allow us to determine whether the trend is of plants slipping closer towards extinction or becoming less threatened.</p><p><b>Plants and policies</b></p><p>Although trade in plants supports livelihoods worldwide, illegal or unsustainable trade is causing additional pressure on wild biodiversity and strict enforcement of international legislation is crucial. Adoption and implementation of policies such as CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) have had demonstrable benefits and there is cause for optimism that the Nagoya Protocol will enhance the effectiveness with which countries conserve and utilise their biodiversity.</p><p>One of the main plant groups that are still widely traded are orchids, a fact confirmed by data from the UK borderforce. Of all plants plants seized at Heathrow airport in 2015 over 42% were wild orchids.</p><p>"This is the most significant horizon-scanning document to be released by Kew in recent decades and I hope as many people as possible will access the findings," said Richard Deverell, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.</p><p>"Plants represent one of the most important constituents of biodiversity, the foundation of most of the world's ecosystems and hold the potential to tackle many of the world's present and future challenges. We are uniquely placed to unlock their importance and are proud to have both the catalogue of over 250 years of collections and active scientific field work globally that allows us to interpret the data so it will have multiple uses for generations to come," he added.</p><p>Read the report >here. </p><p><em><b>Source: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew [May 11, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-21587432395361471212022-02-08T08:57:00.000-08:002022-02-08T08:57:10.066-08:00United Kingdom: Greece looks to international justice to regain Parthenon marbles from UK<a name='more'></a><p>Greece has not abandoned the idea of resorting to international justice to repatriate the Parthenon marbles and is investigating new ways in which it might bring a claim against the British Museum.</p><figure><img alt="Greece looks to international justice to regain Parthenon marbles from UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyF8Qk_seiUdUYzZ3ZC1Upfx_nzJWaBwJimbmLn8vulG3Sf5cNrSonQ9U2MeTo5r9S6cZVThAmyzEELMlBXY_FKmYeYXkFYEqxEO4iXsga4B2Qm5Wu-Gr_NE7fXKvZsrObj_sbqujfrcZD/s1111/Parthenon_01.jpg" title="Greece looks to international justice to regain Parthenon marbles from UK" /><figcaption><em><b>A frieze that forms part of the Parthenon marbles [Credit: Graham Barclay/Getty Images]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>As campaigners prepare to mark the 200th anniversary of the antiquities’ “captivity” in London, Athens is working at forging alliances that would further empower its longstanding battle to retrieve the sculptures.</p><p>“We are trying to develop alliances which we hope would eventually lead to an international body like the United Nations to come with us against the British Museum,” the country’s culture minister, Aristides Baltas, revealed in an interview.</p><p>“If the UN represents all nations of the world and all nations of the world say ‘the marbles should be returned’ then we’ll go to court because the British Museum would be against humanity,” he said. “We do not regard the Parthenon as exclusively Greek but rather as a heritage of humanity.”</p><p>But the politician admitted there was always the risk of courts issuing a negative verdict that would wreck Athens’ chances of having the artworks reunited with the magnificent monument they once adorned.</p><p>“Courts do not by definition regard [any] issue at the level of history or morality or humanity-at-large. They look at the laws,” said Baltas, an academic and philosopher who played a pivotal role in founding Syriza, Greece’s governing leftist party. “As there are no hard and fast rules regarding the issue of returning treasures taken away from various countries, there is no indisputable legal basis.”</p><p>The move came to light as the world’s longest-running cultural row looks poised to intensify. Almost 200 years have elapsed since the British parliament voted on 7 June 1816 to purchase the collection from Lord Elgin, the Scotsman who as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire ordered the frieze to be torn from the Parthenon and shipped to England. Activists are counting down to what they call the “black anniversary”.</p><p>In London, only metres away from the British Museum, a huge billboard funded by campaigners in Australia this weekend showed six strategically placed words across a statue of classic nudity – and above a list of the vital contributions Greece has made to modern democratic life. The words read: “Please give us back our marbles.”</p><p><img alt="Greece looks to international justice to regain Parthenon marbles from UK" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-X3iD8Qjh-9gC-Ll7wgA89WCUzRzkl1qlaVdnyuo1_WXQMQLncQGppKCfBlXQd_h2KguukkIzwQkK5J_DHwsESJuVB6i3lAa-PWDb9QUtjQMaRJMGFYJUMkRllGg1R15m1aLH7dKZqIW/s1111/Parthenon_02.jpg" title="Greece looks to international justice to regain Parthenon marbles from UK" /><br />“There is no point any longer in taking the gentle approach because that has failed,” said Alexis Mantheakis, chairman of the New Zealand-based International Parthenon Sculptures Action Committee. “The British have never given anything back, be it colonies or artefacts, without pressure. To ignore that fact is to undermine the chances of any success in the campaign for the return of the Parthenon sculptures.”</p><p>Seen as the high point of classical art – a peerless example of beauty in carving – the antiquities were acquired for £35,000 on condition they be exhibited in the British Museum. Mortified, steeped in debt and determined to dispel rumours that he had exploited his post as emissary to plunder the Acropolis, Elgin reluctantly accepted. It had, all expenses considered, cost him nearly twice that he claimed.</p><p>But in a 141-page document of legal advice – the details of which have been leaked exclusively to the Guardian – QCs specialised in cultural restitution say Elgin clearly exceeded the authority, or firman, he was given when he ordered the treasures to be “stripped” from the monument. The lawyers, including the human rights expert Amal Clooney, insist that Greece could mount a strong case to win the marbles back.</p><p>“We consider that international law has evolved to a position which recognises, as part of the sovereignty of a state, its right to reclaim cultural property of great historical significance which has been wrongly taken in the past – a rule that would entitle Greece to recover and reunite the Parthenon sculptures.”</p><p>The advice – provided at the request of the country’s former centre-right coalition but previously only made public in summation – amounts to a toolbox of how Athens could pursue its claim to the classical masterpieces. Greece could either bring the UK before the European court of human rights, or the UN cultural body Unesco could apply for an advisory judgment by the international court of justice. Court action could prompt Britain, which has repulsed every entreaty to date, to agree to arbitration or mediation.</p><p>“The legal case is strongly arguable, both under international customary law and provisions of the European convention. [Greece] would stand a reasonable prospect of success.”</p><p>But the lawyers also counsel that Athens should move fast in pursuing litigation. Mired in its longest recession in modern times, many fear the cash-strapped country would not have the means to take such action.</p><p>The advice, which took almost a year to draft, was reputedly financed by a Greek shipowner sympathetic to the cause.</p><p>“Unless the claim is brought fairly soon, Greece may be met with the argument that it has ‘slept on its rights’ too long for them to be enforced,” the lawyers argue, adding that even if initial litigation failed it would not be the end of the fight.</p><p>“If Greece does fail, it will very likely be on technical ‘admissibility’ grounds, which will have nothing to do with the merits of its claim. A case lost on a legal technicality can often be fought again.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Helena Smith | Source: The Guardian [May 08, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-23085765794823391262022-02-08T08:56:00.001-08:002022-02-08T08:56:50.825-08:00Natural Heritage: Drowning history: Sea level rise threatens US historic sites<a name='more'></a><p>With scientists forecasting sea levels to rise by anywhere from several inches to several feet by 2100, historic structures and coastal heritage sites around the world are under threat. Some sites and artifacts could become submerged.</p><figure><img alt="Drowning history: Sea level rise threatens US historic sites" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1thnYHilop3AfBmg3u7YQsOUl9w4N0eEXNX-97AOiHNPjK3Z0q3dmglg8keo4DRFFQ2B5IutN8d2Eo9NKypTwCs0r0DX7KQiDtUY_lEXaY3qNUoHhI1mfvXj1VlDvH2oH3lZNTdxJub_/s1111/drowning_history-2.jpg" title="Drowning history: Sea level rise threatens US historic sites" /><figcaption><em><b>The Statue of Liberty stands beyond parts of a brick walkway damaged in Superstorm Sandy</b></em><br /><em><b> on Liberty Island in New York in 2012. With scientists forecasting sea levels to rise by</b></em><br /><em><b> anywhere from several inches to several feet by 2100, historic structures and coastal heritage</b></em><br /><em><b> sites around the world are under threat. A multidisciplinary conference is scheduled to </b></em><br /><em><b>convene in Newport, R.I., this week to discuss preserving those structures </b></em><br /><em><b>and neighborhoods that could be threatened by rising seas </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: AP/Richard Drew]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Scientists, historic preservationists, architects and public officials are meeting this week in Newport, Rhode Island—one of the threatened areas—to discuss the problem, how to adapt to rising seas and preserve historic structures.</p><p>"Any coastal town that has significant historic properties is going to be facing the challenge of protecting those properties from increased water and storm activity," said Margot Nishimura, of the Newport Restoration Foundation, the nonprofit group hosting the conference.</p><p>Federal authorities have encouraged people to elevate structures in low-lying areas, but that poses challenges in dense neighborhoods of centuries-old homes built around central brick chimneys, Nishimura said, especially ones where preservationists are trying to keep the character intact.</p><p>Many of the most threatened sites in North America lie along the East Coast between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and southern Maine, where the rate of sea level rise is among the fastest in the world, said Adam Markham, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a speaker at the conference.</p><p>"We're actually not going to be able to save everything," he said.</p><p>A look at some of the historic areas and cultural sites that are under threat from rising sea levels:</p><p><b>Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island</b></p><p>Situated in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are some of New York's most important tourist attractions.</p><p>In 2012, Superstorm Sandy submerged most of the low-elevation Liberty and Ellis islands. After the storm, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France in 1886, was closed for eight months. Ellis Island, the entry point for about 12 million immigrants to the United States from 1892 to 1954, remained closed for nearly a year.</p><p>A report by the National Park Service looked at how several parks would be threatened by 1 meter, or around 3 feet, of sea level rise. It found $1.51 billion worth of assets at the Statue of Liberty National Monument were highly exposed to sea level rise.</p><p>Much of historic Boston is along the water and is at risk due to sea level rise, including Faneuil Hall, the market building known as the "Cradle of Liberty," and parts of the Freedom Trail, a walking trail that links historic sites around the city.</p><p>Boston has seen a growing number of flooding events in recent years, up from two annually in the 1970s to an average of 11 annually between 2009 and 2013, according to a 2014 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists. If sea levels rise by 5 inches, the group reported, the number of floods is projected to grow to 31 annually. If seas rise by 11 inches, the number of flooding events is projected to rise to 72 per year.</p><p><b>Newport</b></p><p>The Point neighborhood in the Rhode Island resort town has one of the highest concentrations of Colonial houses in the United States, and it sits 4 feet above mean sea level. Tidal flooding is already occurring in the neighborhood, and that is expected to increase as sea levels rise, Nishimura said. The smell of sea water already permeates the basement of some homes.</p><p><b>Annapolis</b></p><p>Maryland's capital, on Chesapeake Bay, boasts the nation's largest concentration of 18th-century brick buildings. The city briefly served as the nation's capital in the post-Revolutionary War period, and the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the war, was ratified there. The city is also home to the U.S. Naval Academy.</p><p>The city already sees tidal flooding dozens of times a year, and scientists have predicted number could rise to hundreds annually in the next 30 years.</p><p><b>Jamestown</b></p><p>Established in 1607, it is the first permanent English colony in North America. It sits along the tidal James River in Virginia, and most of the settlement is less than 3 feet above sea level. A large part of the settlement has already eroded because of wave action, Markham said. Storms have also damaged the site, including Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which flooded nearly 1 million artifacts. A rising water table at the site also poses a threat to archaeological remains, Markham said.</p><p>He called the loss of archaeological artifacts "an urgent problem" along the U.S. coastline.</p><p><b>Hawaii</b></p><p>Reports by the National Park Service and others have found that rising sea level rises threaten archaeological sites at various historic places in Hawaii. Those include ancient fish ponds at Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site and a "Great Wall" at a sacred site in Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. It is considered the best-preserved such wall in Hawaii.</p><p><b>International Sites</b></p><p>Dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are under threat from sea level rise, according to a 2014 report by climate scientists Ben Marzeion, of the University of Innsbruck in Austria, and Anders Levermann, of the Potsdam Institute in Germany.</p><p>Among those are: the Tower of London; Robben Island in South Africa, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years; Venice, Italy, and its lagoon; Mont-Saint-Michel, home to an abbey built atop a rocky islet in France; the Kasbah of Algiers, Algeria; the historic district of Old Quebec, Canada; Old Havana in Cuba; and archaeological areas of Pompeii, Italy, and Carthage in Tunisia.</p><p>The authors wrote that their findings indicate that "fundamental decisions with regard to mankind's cultural heritage are required."</p><p><em><b>Author: Michelle R. Smith | Source: The Associated Press [April 11, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-18592891373917488072022-02-08T08:56:00.000-08:002022-02-08T08:56:35.867-08:00Israel: Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel<a name='more'></a><p>An extraordinary archaeological discovery was revealed in an excavation of the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to the construction of a road being built at the initiative of the Netivei Israel Company. During the excavation, carried out as part of the Jezreel Valley Railway Project between Ha-‘Emekim Junction and Yagur Junction, remains of the oldest kilns in Israel were discovered where commercial quantities of raw glass were produced. These kilns, c. 1,600 years old (dating to the Late Roman period), indicate that the Land of Israel was one of the foremost centers for glass production in the ancient world.</p><figure><img alt="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufN18EY3ICFzrQamN6bE7Lerrw8Wc1mti2wzSt0WPDxZJOA-hzKAD3dqNcz_2jSepyLqG_DABu5hUrHAvqnZIm6NnKYR1n68gRHjbXiXkclssSzY1rhEjGJQ00XRB4KsPJUA8yGHPtuLD/s1111/israel-1b.jpg" title="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" /><figcaption><em><b>The kilns that were exposed right next to the train tracks </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>According to Yael Gorin-Rosen, head curator of the Israel Antiquities Authority Glass Department, “This is a very important discovery with implications regarding the history of the glass industry both in Israel and in the entire ancient world. We know from historical sources dating to the Roman period that the Valley of ‘Akko was renowned for the excellent quality sand located there, which was highly suitable for the manufacture of glass. Chemical analyses conducted on glass vessels from this period which were discovered until now at sites in Europe and in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean basin have shown that the source of the glass is from our region. Now, for the first time, the kilns have been found where the raw material was manufactured that was used to produce this glassware”.</p><p>The excavation of the kilns has caused great excitement in recent weeks among glass researchers throughout the world, some of whom have come especially to Israel in order to see this discovery first hand. According to Professor Ian Freestone of the University College London, who specializes in identifying the chemical composition of glass, "This is a sensational discovery and it is of great significance for understanding the entire system of the glass trade in antiquity. This is evidence that Israel constituted a production center on an international scale; hence its glassware was widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean and Europe”.</p><figure><img alt="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM9GGoa6FFsYkrd1bdt7lGF5VLG_uFUqkK3DZ7SSSVcSp5fLMbrkpKBVnzwtkVhRMHS0ewrc8j2XXuan1bsPb73yK5Dr6yfPzmyUyjI_9Y5Zh9E1Puvpv0CF3Ku3Bt07U2AbtMfc7AqHX/s1111/israel-2b.jpg" title="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" /><figcaption><em><b>Small fragments of the raw glass as they were found at the site </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Shmuel Magal/Israel Antiquities Authority]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>This enormously important site was discovered by chance last summer by archaeologist Abdel Al-Salam Sa‘id, an inspector with the Israel Antiquities Authority. While overseeing infrastructure work being conducted on the new railway line from Haifa to the east, he suddenly observed chunks of glass, a floor and an ash layer inside a trench. He halted construction work at the site and began preparations for an archaeological excavation, the important results of which are now evident.</p><p>According to Abdel Al-Salam Sa‘id, the excavation direction, “We exposed fragments of floors, pieces of vitrified bricks from the walls and ceiling of the kilns, and clean raw glass chips. We were absolutely overwhelmed with excitement when we understood the great significance of the finds”.</p><figure><img alt="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegLTRN2jueopiJwV0Y_75somuvBSFXhFVVI_eMqvfbCShHaCVsEHpoVQKF5-xt0s1w-QbTfpFBItKqjGmtWzKFWD3LodK9Kk4YiHukdNHg1E8KBZouq1Etf6ExEp5ZSVQ65SiLo2MDr0S/s1111/israel-3b.jpg" title="Oldest glass production kilns found in Israel" /><figcaption><em><b>Glass fragments found at the site [Credit: Assaf Peretz/</b></em><br /><em><b>Israel Antiquities Authority]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The kilns that were revealed consisted of two built compartments: a firebox where kindling was burnt to create a very high temperature, and a melting chamber – in which the raw materials for the glass (clean beach sand and salt) were inserted and melted together at a temperature of c. 1,200 C degrees. The glass was thus heated for a week or two until enormous chunks of raw glass were produced, some of which weighed in excess of ten tons. At the end of the manufacturing process the kilns were cooled; the large glass chunks that were manufactured were broken into smaller pieces and were sold to workshops where they were melted again in order to produce glassware.</p><p>During the Early Roman period the use of glass greatly expanded due to its characteristics: its transparency, beauty, the delicacy of the vessels and the speed with which they could be produced by blowing – an inexpensive technique adopted at the time that lowered production costs. Glass was used in almost every household from the Roman period onward, and it was also utilized in the construction of public buildings in the form of windows, mosaics and lighting fixtures. Consequently, large quantities of raw glass were required which were prepared on an industrial scale in specialized centers. The installation that was discovered in the excavation is an example of one of these ancient production facilities.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/63J3glqFkg8?rel=0"></iframe><br />According to a price edict circulated by the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century CE, there were two kinds of glass: the first was known as Judean glass (from the Land of Israel) and the second – Alexandrian glass (from Alexandria, Egypt). Judean glass was a light green color and less expensive than Egyptian glass. The question was: Where were the centers that manufactured this Judean glass that was a branded product known throughout the Roman Empire and whose price was engraved on stone tablets so as to ensure fair trade. The current discovery completes the missing link in the research and indicates the location where the famous Judean glass was produced.</p><p>In a few months time the public will be able to see this discovery first-hand when it will be exhibited at the "Carmel Zvulun" Regional High school, in the Zevulun Regional Council.</p><p><b>Additional Background Information</b></p><p>Glass production kilns that date to the sixth or early seventh century CE were previously found at Apollonia in Herzliya and are c. 200 years later than the current discovery. The largest glass production facility from antiquity that has been found so far was exposed in the Bet Eliezer neighborhood in Hadera where it was dated to the seventh–eighth centuries CE, and the latest evidence we have of glass production in the country was revealed at Bet She‘arim (next to Khirbat ‘Asafna), dated to the late eighth and early ninth centuries CE.</p><p>The kilns that were just recently found are the earliest ones to be discovered so far in Israel. Their relatively good state of preservation will make it possible to better understand the production process. Researchers now hope that by means of its chemical composition they will be able to trace the export of the glass throughout the Roman Empire.</p><p>The raw glass industry at Khirbat ‘Asafna was part of an extensive industrial zone where there were oil presses, wine presses and a glassware workshop which was excavated in the 1960’s by an American archaeological expedition</p><p><em><b>Source: Israel Antiquities Authority [April 11, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-67293337100916302382022-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:002022-02-08T03:00:00.195-08:00Evolution: Chemistry of seabed's hot vents could explain emergence of life<a name='more'></a><p>Hot vents on the seabed could have spontaneously produced the organic molecules necessary for life, according to new research by UCL chemists. The study shows how the surfaces of mineral particles inside hydrothermal vents have similar chemical properties to enzymes, the biological molecules that govern chemical reactions in living organisms. This means that vents are able to create simple carbon-based molecules, such as methanol and formic acid, out of the dissolved CO2 in the water.</p><figure><img alt="Chemistry of seabed's hot vents could explain emergence of life" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Pc8c0A4UKUD8ytYVglhFzLAnosSveUG7c52QOC_UC8ufNHGoo-bJ6f6zPJ6Z04Wh7Gt8C66vXxcvFz0QSzxBexHTaehFnEsEpUlwxLPZHa7WHZHA7nn5ij_ePq1PXg8M9PFYDJUieWc/s1111/vent_white_smokers.jpg" title="Chemistry of seabed's hot vents could explain emergence of life" /><figcaption><em><b>White smokers emitting liquid carbon dioxide at the Champagne vent, </b></em><br /><em><b>Northwest Eifuku volcano [Credit: NOAA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The discovery, published in the journal Chemical Communications, explains how some of the key building blocks for organic chemistry were already being formed in nature before life emerged - and may have played a role in the emergence of the first life forms. It also has potential practical applications, showing how products such as plastics and fuels could be synthesised from CO2 rather than oil.</p><p>"There is a lot of speculation that hydrothermal vents could be the location where life on Earth began," says Nora de Leeuw, who heads the team. "There is a lot of CO2 dissolved in the water, which could provide the carbon that the chemistry of living organisms is based on, and there is plenty of energy, because the water is hot and turbulent. What our research proves is that these vents also have the chemical properties that encourage these molecules to recombine into molecules usually associated with living organisms."</p><p>The team combined laboratory experiments with supercomputer simulations to investigate the conditions under which the mineral particles would catalyse the conversion of CO2 into organic molecules. The experiments replicated the conditions present in deep sea vents, where hot and slightly alkaline water rich in dissolved CO2 passes over the mineral greigite (Fe3S4), located on the inside surfaces of the vents. These experiments hinted at the chemical processes that were underway. The simulations, which were run on UCL's Legion supercomputer and HECToR (the UK national supercomputing service), provided a molecule-by-molecule view of how the CO2 and greigite interacted, helping to make sense of what was being observed in the experiments. The computing power and programming expertise to accurately simulate the behaviour of individual molecules in this way has only become available in the past decade.</p><p>"We found that the surfaces and crystal structures inside these vents act as catalysts, encouraging chemical changes in the material that settles on them," says Nathan Hollingsworth, a co-author of the study. "They behave much like enzymes do in living organisms, breaking down the bonds between carbon and oxygen atoms. This lets them combine with water to produce formic acid, acetic acid, methanol and pyruvic acid. Once you have simple carbon-based chemicals such as these, it opens the door to more complex carbon-based chemistry."</p><p>Theories about the emergence of life suggest that increasingly complex carbon-based chemistry led to self-replicating molecules - and, eventually, the appearance of the first cellular life forms. This research shows how one of the first steps in this journey may have occurred. It is proof that simple organic molecules can be synthesised in nature without living organisms being present. It also confirms that hydrothermal vents are a plausible location for at least part of this process to have occurred.</p><p>The study could also have a practical applications, as it provides a method for creating carbon-based chemicals out of CO2, without the need for extreme heat or pressure. This could, in the long term, replace oil as the raw material for products such as plastics, fertilisers and fuels.</p><p>This study shows, albeit on a very small scale, that such products, which are currently produced from non-renewable raw materials, can be produced by more environmentally friendly means. If the process can be scaled up to commercially viable scales, it would not only save oil, but use up CO2 - a greenhouse gas - as a raw material.</p><p><em><b>Source: University College London [April 27, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-70376496925238076702022-02-07T03:00:00.000-08:002022-02-07T03:00:00.194-08:00Fossils: Scientists explain evolution of some of the largest dinosaurs<a name='more'></a><p>Scientists from the University of Liverpool have developed computer models of the bodies of sauropod dinosaurs to examine the evolution of their body shape.</p><figure><img alt="Scientists explain evolution of some of the largest dinosaurs" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppPcEnY2rRnG2KtFuByOc4B4KyZ-mIwNAKqNIm_YhUFd52chzQqLhVa-Hgm1Yzu6RoOuFonFviTC4nJCqmeKnKP5i745KCu923j_n89WJY_jGX-5UW238ruHy9SfayuYfCZcafuFt5MF0/s1111/dreadnoughtus.jpg" title="Scientists explain evolution of some of the largest dinosaurs" /><figcaption><em><b>An artist’s rendering of the dinosaur Dreadnoughtus </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Jennifer Hall]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Sauropod dinosaurs include the largest land animals to have ever lived. Some of the more well-known sauropods include Diplodocus, Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus. They are renowned for their extremely long necks, long tails as well as four thick, pillar-like legs and small heads in relation to their body.</p><p>To date, however, there have been only limited attempts to examine how this unique body-plan evolved and how it might be related to their gigantic body size. Dr Karl Bates from the University's Department of Musculoskeletal Biology and his colleagues used three-dimensional computer models reconstructing the bodies of sauropod dinosaurs to analyse how their size, shape and weight-distribution evolved over time.</p><p><b>Evolutionary history</b></p><p>Dr Bates found evidence that changes in body shape coincided with major events in sauropod evolutionary history such as the rise of the titanosaurs. The early dinosaurs that sauropods evolved from were small and walked on two legs, with long tails, small chests and small forelimbs. The team estimate that this body shape concentrated their weight close to the hip joint, which would have helped them balance while walking bipedally on their hind legs.</p><p>As sauropods evolved they gradually altered both their size and shape from this ancestral template, becoming not only significantly larger and heavier, but also gaining a proportionally larger chest, forelimbs and in particular a dramatically larger neck.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s6dMzDUUk3c?rel=0"></iframe><br />><em><b>A Giraffatitan model of a Sauropod showing how the centre of mass is moved by</b></em>><em><b> reconstructing the soft tissues differently using the convex hulling approach </b></em>><em><b>[Credit: Dr Peter L Falkingham/Liverpool John Moores University]</b></em><br />The team's findings show that these changes altered sauropods' weight distribution as they grew in size, gradually shifting from being tail-heavy, two-legged animals to being front-heavy, four-legged animals, such as the large, fully quadrupedal Jurassic sauropods Diplodocus and Apatosaurus.</p><p>The team found that these linked trends in size, body shape and weight distribution did not end with the evolution of fully quadrupedal sauropods. In the Cretaceous period - the last of the three ages of the dinosaurs - many earlier sauropod groups dwindled. In their place, a new and extremely large type of sauropod known as titanosaurs evolved, including the truly massive Argentinosaurus and Dreadnoughtus, among the largest known animals ever to have lived.</p><p><b>Front heavy</b></p><p>The team's computer models suggest that in addition to their size, the titanosaurs evolved the most extreme 'front heavy' body shape of all sauropods, as a result of their extremely long necks.</p><p>Dr Bates said: "As a result of devising these models we were able to ascertain that the relative size of sauropods' necks increased gradually over time, leading to animals that were increasingly more front-heavy relative to their ancestors."</p><p>Dr Philip Mannion from Imperial College London, a collaborator in the research, added: "These innovations in body shape might have been key to the success of titanosaurs, which were the only sauropod dinosaurs to survive until the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, 66 million years ago."</p><p>Dr Vivian Allen from the Royal Veterinary College London, who also collaborated in the research, added: "What's important to remember about studies like this is that there is a very high degree of uncertainty about exactly how these animals were put together. While we have good skeletons for many of them, it's difficult to be sure how much meat there was around each of the bones. We have built this uncertainly into our models, ranging each body part from emaciated to borderline obesity, and even using these extremes we still find these solid, trending changes in body proportions over sauropod evolution."</p><p>The paper has been published by the <em><b>Royal Society Open Science</b></em> journal.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Liverpool [March 29, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-39309030137705568812022-02-06T07:45:00.002-08:002022-02-06T07:45:52.217-08:00UK: Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam <a name='more'></a><p>They came from every parish of London, and from all walks of life, and ended up in a burial ground called Bedlam. Now scientists hope their centuries-old skeletons can reveal new information about how long-ago Londoners lived - and about the bubonic plague that often killed them.</p><figure><img alt="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotsp3PVynQ6vXr0_Cm_aYAzjYps2U6crUiyjdXMK2L96qsl21KVr_Yi4L3w-LB7qZI8ZDDfzfgqLKTy6dwCPcZQcmcqxruBbz3jkAAc-RaFJ0Rd7sFoEYjemB3QqhsVvnNbqGHVkGAzaN/s1111/UK_Bedlam_06.jpg" title="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists excavate the 16th and 17th century Bedlam burial ground uncovered </b></em><br /><em><b>by work on the new Crossrail train line next to Liverpool Street station</b></em><br /><em><b> in London [Credit: Matt Dunham/AP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Archaeologists announced Monday that they have begun excavating the bones of some 3,000 people interred in the 16th and 17th centuries, who now lie in the path of the Crossrail transit line. They will be pored over by scientists before being reburied elsewhere.</p><p>One recent workday, just meters (yards) from teeming Liverpool Street railway station, researchers in orange overalls scraped, sifted and gently removed skeletons embedded in the dark earth. In one corner of the site, the skeleton of an adult lay beside the fragile remains of a baby, the wooden outline of its coffin still visible. Most were less intact, a jumble of bones and skulls.</p><p>"Part of the skill of it is actually working out which bones go with which," said Alison Telfer, a project officer with Museum of London Archaeology, which is overseeing the dig.</p><figure><img alt="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTnc4WcbaLzo-neq1f_39iT7bv44pKZAlhAVvdQDd4cH73DOaCTW2ej-GGJrJoP-ysrvu5pDhdLvYTpocIepJaY84wnYWvMC_cNip7HVfuSq9BKJz_Hmpz4HEhalMmhezC0_96t8RS6jn/s1111/UK_Bedlam_07.jpg" title="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " /><figcaption><em><b>Skeletons of an adult and baby lie next to each other on the archeological excavation </b></em><br /><em><b>site at the 16th and 17th century Bedlam burial ground, uncovered by work on</b></em><br /><em><b> the new Crossrail train line next to Liverpool Street station in London </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Matt Dunham/AP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Due to open in 2018, the 118-kilometer (73-mile) trans-London Crossrail line is Britain's biggest construction project, and its largest archaeological dig for decades. The central 21-kilometer (13-mile) section runs underground, which has meant tunneling beneath some of the oldest and most densely populated parts of the city.</p><p>For Londoners, that has brought years of noise and disruption, but for archaeologists it's like Christmas. Almost every shovelful of earth has uncovered a piece of history, or prehistory: bison and mammoth bones; Roman horseshoes; medieval ice skates; the remains of a moated Tudor manor house.</p><p>Chief archaeologist Jay Carver says the Bedlam dig could be the most revealing yet.</p><figure><img alt="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6xOR4YfNnMgHZ9JHESeBrrI7T6DqfZUFe_ZSx6y8R1jm-dZZ4ajHgTED2eVg9jZVL0-IRgmX2nm6F2lZOFTex_b5ctYhClJLhJMXBuCRKk6e8RRSpUpq8Sp76rBNRuRaV_2A9XR8pcD4/s1111/UK_Bedlam_05.jpg" title="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " /><figcaption><em><b>Two adult skulls lie next to each other on the archeological excavation site at the </b></em><br /><em><b>16th and 17th century Bedlam burial ground, uncovered by work on the new </b></em><br /><em><b>Crossrail train line next to Liverpool Street station in London</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Matt Dunham/AP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"It's going to be archaeologically the most important sample we have of the population of London from the 16th and 17th centuries," Carver said.</p><p>Bedlam cemetery opened in 1569 to take the overspill as the city's churchyard burial grounds filled up. It is the final resting place of prosperous citizens and paupers, religious dissenters including the 17th-century revolutionary Robert Lockyer and patients from Bedlam Hospital, the world's first asylum for the mentally ill. The hospital's name, a corruption of Bethlehem, became a synonym for chaos.</p><p>Tests on the bones by osteologists may reveal where these Londoners came from, what they ate and what ailed them - which in many cases was the plague. There were four outbreaks of the deadly disease over the two centuries the cemetery was in use, including the "Great Plague" that killed 100,000 people in 1665.</p><figure><img alt="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JcvqW7cMiTYVncQfkSWui6JuPokfczm55JdRSZXDw4bqEWkH85SnJiemx7k70vLQ34BrzrZVOcet61QQGbosXi8EN0iAHOdvvKZ6KCqcNU0odguLTh7AZ6gjO7lrKWKz94WZa3jDS9Nb/s1111/UK_Bedlam_11.jpg" title="Thousands of skeletons removed from Bedlam " /><figcaption><em><b>A skeleton lies in the ground on the archeological excavation site at the</b></em><br /><em><b> 16th and 17th century Bedlam burial ground, uncovered by work on the new </b></em><br /><em><b>Crossrail train line next to Liverpool Street station in London</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b> [Credit: Matt Dunham/AP]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Carver says researchers will analyze DNA taken from pulp in the skeletons' teeth to help fill in the "evolutionary tree of the plague bacteria."</p><p>The technique was used to discover the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, in 14th-century skeletons excavated at another Crossrail site, identifying them as victims of the Black Death that wiped out half the city's population in 1348.</p><p>Scientists should be able to compare the bacterium found in Bedlam's plague victims with the 14th-century samples, helping to understand whether the disease - which still infects several thousand people a year - has evolved over the centuries.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/an8ceBvXn4E?rel=0"></iframe><br />Sixty archaeologists working in shifts - 16 hours a day, six days a week - will spend about a month removing the remains. After scientific study, they will be reburied on Canvey Island in the Thames Estuary - the latest in a long line of Londoners to move east out of the congested city.</p><p>The old burial ground will be the site of a new train station, whose users will probably give little thought to the history beneath their feet.</p><p>But Telfer says she never forgets that these fragile bones were once living, breathing individuals.</p><p>"When you are doing something like this, you do feel a connection with them," she said. "I think you have a responsibility to treat them with great respect. It's quite a special process."</p><p>Bedlam burial register: http://www.crossrail.co.uk/sustainability/archaeology/bedlam-burial-ground-register</p><p><em><b>Author: Jill Lawess | Source: The Associated Press [March 09, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-82172359205953204452022-02-06T07:45:00.001-08:002022-02-06T07:45:32.361-08:00UK: Christie’s artefacts linked to organised crime<a name='more'></a><p>The world’s leading auction house has withdrawn from sale more than £1.2 million of ancient artefacts identified by an expert at a Scottish university as having links to organised criminal networks in Europe, The Scotsman can reveal.</p><figure><img alt="Christie’s artefacts linked to organised crime" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEc0rmkGlX4dvf8Pi1DatIV9M0aZGImg2g-p6eIjZ5e8NXO5DabjJ62LwhcTB7e2unUPxnCQPFgkEd7PDXXb14XrqYrfRJqSeXmTOrIHR7CseYOueUJs5N80DgK-RsrOwm6C3hyJT9WuY/s1111/Christies_01.jpg" title="Christie’s artefacts linked to organised crime" /><figcaption><em><b>The artefacts which have been withdrawn and, left, expert </b></em><br /><em><b>Dr Tsirogiannis [Credit: Christies]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Eight rare antiquities have been pulled from auction by Christie’s over the past six months after a University of Glasgow academic uncovered images of them in archives seized from Italian art dealers convicted of trafficking offences.</p><p>The latest tranche of treasures were due to be sold at auction in London tomorrow, but after Dr Christos Tsirogiannis notified Interpol and Italian authorities, they were removed. Last night, the auction house vowed to work with Scotland Yard to scrutinise the items’ provenance.</p><p>Dr Tsirogiannis, a research assistant at the university’s Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, discovered the four lots catalogued in the confiscated archives of Giancomo Medici and Gianfranco Becchina, and warned Christie’s was failing to carry out “due diligence”.</p><p>Medici was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2004 by a Rome court after he was found guilty of conspiracy to traffic in antiquities. Becchina, a Sicilian antiquities dealer, was convicted in Rome four years ago of trafficking in plundered artefacts.</p><p>Dr Tsirogiannis, a forensic archaeologist, has access to their photos and documents via Greek police and prosecutors.</p><p>The items accepted for tomorrow’s antiquities sale date back to 540BC. They include an Attic black-figured amphora and an Etruscan terracotta antefix. Cumulatively, they are worth close to £100,000.</p><figure><img alt="Christie’s artefacts linked to organised crime" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CO2-nhimheTD_MW8oTNP8XoltHybV1AGrBlr9dVBzSCHe43n3uBi27P5tJ1-tXbU1AbU8_cTBA5LeHw0d2HP9Ih8g4WRY2UY7SQCD123klTFri_PNvpgEA6iDB9t2XJjLzQI3L4o_Obm/s1111/Christies_02.jpg" title="Christie’s artefacts linked to organised crime" /><figcaption><em><b>Despite repeated requests by the Greek government, Christies refuses to withdraw</b></em><br /><em><b> this marble grave stele dating from the fourth century BC [Credit: Christies]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>It is the second time in six months Dr Tsirogiannis has highlighted the dubiety of items being sold through Christie’s. The value of the eight withdrawn lots exceeds £1.2 million.</p><p>Dr Tsirogiannis, a member of Trafficking Culture, a Glasgow-based research programme which compiles evidence of the contemporary global trade in looted cultural objects, said: “Christie’s continues to include in its sales antiquities depicted in confiscated archives of convicted art dealers. Sometimes they sell the lots but nearly every time they withdraw them.</p><p>“I don’t understand why they can’t do due diligence beforehand. Clearly, it’s not taking place. Christie’s say they don’t have access to these archives which is not true. Every auction house, dealer and museum should refer to Italian and Greek authorities, who would check for free before the sales.” Dr Donna Yates, of Trafficking Culture, added: “Do they contact antiquities trafficking experts before their auctions? No, never. Do they make public whatever provenance documents they have for a particular piece? No, never. I can only conclude that they don’t take this particularly seriously.”</p><p>A spokeswoman for Christie’s said: “We have withdrawn four lots from our upcoming antiquities sale as it was brought to our attention that there is a question mark over their provenance, namely, that they are similar to items recorded in the Medici and Becchina archives.</p><p>“We will now work with Scotland Yard’s art and antiques unit to discover whether or not there is a basis for concerns expressed over the provenance.”</p><p>She said Christie’s would never sell any item it has reason to believe was stolen and called on those with access to the Medici and Becchina archives to make them “freely available.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Martyn McLaughlin | Source: The Scotsman [April 13, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-13438769833872905782022-02-06T07:45:00.000-08:002022-02-06T07:45:21.285-08:00Travel: 'Celts' at the National Museum of Scotland<a name='more'></a><p>Two golden torcs unearthed by a metal-detecting enthusiast are among the treasures on display at a major new exhibition celebrating the Celts.</p><p><img alt="'Celts' at the National Museum of Scotland" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvBHFexB-xKKqI9KTssalctlLXl-Dn9soRQL3yJd6L8shjNwIQn7x4m8EfMYlr1KkmlskfnD9Ajwnxd43REWsM_kwoqvFqJOliFMI6KtaRneK9hveecs5lO2vU_TkHPKKqGStlKAlMSE/s1111/Celts_03.jpg" title="'Celts' at the National Museum of Scotland" /><br />A collection of Celtic art from all over Europe will go on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh from Thursday.</p><p>It is the first major British exhibition on the Celts for more than 40 years and was last held at the British Museum in London.</p><p>Exhibits include two Iron Age neck ornaments famously discovered by David Booth in a Stirlingshire field on his first outing with a metal detector. The former safari park keeper netted £460,000 for the 2000-year-old find.</p><p>Other highlights include a reconstruction of a chariot from a burial excavated at Newbridge, Edinburgh, in 2001, and on display for the first time. Dating from 475-400BC, it is Scotland's only known chariot burial and the oldest in Britain.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IM5ejH2AIjc?rel=0"></iframe><br />Dr Fraser Hunter, principal curator of Iron and Roman Age Collections, said: "This is a once in a lifetime chance to see masterpieces of Celtic art from all across Europe.</p><p>"These allow us to explore connections and differences across the Europe of 2000 years ago, to think about what the idea of Celts means and to see the power that this art gave to objects which people cherished."</p><p>Many of the 350 objects on show have never been seen in Scotland, notably the Gundestrup Cauldron, a huge silver vessel from the National Museum of Denmark.</p><p>Dr Martin Goldberg, a senior curator at National Museums Scotland, said: "This exhibition has given us great opportunities to look afresh at our own material through new research and presentation, to display some exciting new finds from across Scotland and to work with exceptional objects from other national and international collections.</p><p>"The resulting breadth, variety and quality of objects tell us fascinating, occasionally challenging things about Celts."</p><p>The exhibition runs until September 25.</p><p><em><b>Source: STV [March 13, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-58172008706407403062022-02-06T05:51:00.000-08:002022-02-06T05:51:01.367-08:00Natural Heritage: Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates<a name='more'></a><p>Researchers surveying for endangered primates in national parks and forest reserves of Ivory Coast found, to their surprise, that most of these protected areas had been turned into illegal cocoa farms, a new study reports.</p><figure><img alt="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YUwscCRIPS4k-1788gIzdT17dI3LHjISmfJXUKi_zFsYeUhJsQYfi4jSeIyOit9DCQsrsgwWL8SihF2jy5iqEaZxAob7scD7Ptf_CHyMacCl8j1X38rctDACy_xZrj53VC78GfKCp32Y/s1111/Bitter-chocolate_01.jpg" title="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" /><figcaption><em><b>Study co-author Gonedele Sere, on left, holds a cocoa plant found </b></em><br /><em><b>at an illegal farm in the Dassioko Forest Reserve in Ivory Coast </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: W. Scott McGraw/Ohio State University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The researchers surveyed 23 protected areas in the West African nation between 2010 and 2013 and found that about three-quarters of the land in them had been transformed into cocoa production.</p><p>The Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans, providing more than one-third of the world's supply. Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate.</p><p>"The world's demand for chocolate has been very hard on the endangered primates of Ivory Coast," said W. Scott McGraw, co-author of the study and professor of anthropology at The Ohio State University.</p><p>McGraw said the original goal of this research was "just to do a census of the monkeys in these protected areas."</p><p>"But when we started walking through these areas we were just stunned by the scale of illegal cocoa production. It is now the major cause of deforestation in these parks," he said.</p><p>"There are parks in Ivory Coast with no forests and no primates, but a sea of cocoa plants."</p><figure><img alt="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRscr6uHdrCkvPW84z8P_RCaZdPuBt3rZdptb3I175v5pbIQ1EK-XT6DoOBXdetUXBBPSNHfVXhE8aOPA5zfB-Kqk7J2JITmM5F-irGLrft1vvVbiO-g4iIAs2E3eB4vm6f238RSetKdCW/s1111/Bitter-chocolate_04.JPG" title="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" /><figcaption><em><b>An illegal cocoa farm found in the Dassioko Forest Reserve </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: W. Scott McGraw/Ohio State University] </b></em></figcaption></figure><p>For the study, McGraw and his co-authors, all of whom work for Ivory Coast research institutions, spent a total of 208 days walking transects through nationally protected areas, most in the central and southern regions of the country. In each area, they noted the amount of forest that had been cut down or degraded and how much of this was replaced by cocoa or other types of farms. They also recorded the presence of 16 primate species, including monkeys and chimpanzees.</p><p>The results, McGraw said, were "depressing."</p><p>Of the 23 protected areas, 16 of them had more than 65 percent of their forests degraded by farms, logging or other human disturbance. While a variety of agricultural products were grown illegally in the parks, cocoa constituted 93 percent of the total crops grown.</p><p>Overall, 20 of the areas had illegal cocoa plantations and approximately 74 percent of the total land in these areas was transformed into cocoa production.</p><p>Unauthorized villages have sprung up within these parks, with one housing nearly 30,000 people.</p><p>"I've been doing survey work in these parks for 20 years, and it wasn't nearly this bad when I started. This is a relatively recent development," McGraw said.</p><p>The impact on primates has been dramatic.</p><p><ul><li>Overall, 13 of the protected areas (57 percent) had lost their entire primate populations, while another five had lost half of their species.</li></ul><ul><li>One species of monkey -- Miss Waldron's red colobus -- was not seen during this survey and has not officially been sighted since 1978. It is probably extinct.</li></ul><ul><li>Two other monkeys -- the Roloway monkey and the White-naped mangabey -- were seen in only two reserves and are critically endangered, at least partially due to the habitat destruction caused by illegal cocoa farms.</li></ul><br /><figure><img alt="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64OkntDcTN5aN8DCt-Hw85U1e_JVJRlTUkaqDXdTHW6leRAk5k4oEqbtqFd5NNi3VWcz8TXQ74qw4nxvrtMlhqeRiJgMzYwCmyc_0yhyVX05n-eZNLfNXMBxQtAtw6DDuX5Z5A2NwiEGP/s1111/Bitter-chocolate_03.jpg" title="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" /><figcaption><em><b>Farmers load a truck with cocoa beans inside a protected area </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anderson Bitty/Ohio State University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>"The Roloway monkey may be the next to go extinct," McGraw said. "It is not able to live in the degraded habitats that are left in many of these protected areas."</p><p>A variety of factors have led to these forest reserves being destroyed, he said. One has been the growing worldwide demand for chocolate. Ivory Coast produced a record 1.7 million metric tons of cocoa in the year that ended in September, according to the International Cocoa Organization in London.</p><p>Many of the older, legal cocoa plantations in the country have been blighted by disease or otherwise haven't produced at the same levels as previously, which has led some growers to establish new farms in the reserves. Moreover, migrants from outside the country have moved into Ivory Coast and turned to farming to survive.</p><p>At the same time, Ivory Coast has been in political turmoil in recent years and the government hasn't been focused on monitoring these forest reserves.</p><p>"There is little, if any, real active protection given to these parks and reserves," McGraw said. "People have moved in and settled with essentially no resistance, cut down the forest, and planted cocoa. It is incredibly blatant."</p><p>McGraw said that while the results are disappointing, there is still time to halt the disappearance of more primates and other wildlife. First, the land within protected areas needs to be actually protected.</p><figure><img alt="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJx97kWEE7k8v9YY5Dd33riW3H_MCD1-aCXkD-W-PDJo3m4iWc-yk9MermS82RwnupVkhlKERnSQAFxUe80GbGwJn_IkexoliEQMCRXnwXYIK_fVCQKRgazRIs9Da57NAEGjKMFaxUjj6/s1111/Bitter-chocolate_02.jpg" title="Bitter chocolate: Illegal cocoa farms threaten Ivory Coast primates" /><figcaption><em><b>Unauthorized village inside of a protected area </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Anderson Bitty/Ohio State University]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Outside these lands, growers should move toward shade-cocoa farming, which keeps some of the large existing trees, with cocoa plants interspersed among them. This would at least preserve some suitable habitat for monkeys that live in the country, he said.</p><p>In addition, there should be efforts to connect the many fragmented forest reserves in the country. "We need to view the protected areas not as individual islands, but as a matrix," he said.</p><p>One promising development is the establishment of community-based bio-monitoring programs that involve foot patrols conducted by local villagers. McGraw said his co-authors on this paper established a patrol in the Dassioko Forest Reserve and it has succeeded in reducing illegal activity in the area. Encounter rates with primates has risen in the area as a result.</p><p>The study appears in the March 2015 issue of the journal Tropical Conservation Science.</p><p><em><b>Author: Jeff Grabmeier | Source: Ohio State University [March 30, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-46919363714476303362022-02-06T05:50:00.001-08:002022-02-06T05:50:41.844-08:00France: 305 million-year-old ‘early spider’ fossil discovered <a name='more'></a><p>A team of researchers has discovered the fossil of a 305-million-year-old arachnid, which will help scientists to understand more about the early origins of modern-day spiders.</p><figure><img alt="305 million-year-old ‘early spider’ fossil discovered " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXxzLp0pQ-J-nhfaZI6-9CFfY15pP_uXa5qsKU3NPc9B36NWVEwejPmAaoIeCFwn5vbk3YYUu3O9ABHhY_y-e4gwDrIrRT0iLC8L3yzrWaL5dZ6d1rglz1Pw-wiwWHYn2ZsWi2RikKT85/s1111/ancient_spider-1.png" title="305 million-year-old ‘early spider’ fossil discovered " /><figcaption><em><b>Digital visualization of Idmonarachne brasieri based on laboratory-based scans of the fossil </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Garwood et al 2016/Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The new species, named Idmonarachne brasieri in honour of Professor Martin Brasier, University of Oxford, who passed away in December 2014, was found in Montceau-les-Mines, France, and researchers from The University of Manchester, Berlin's Museum fur Naturkunde, the University of Kansas and Imperial College London have worked with the Natural History Museum and the UK's Diamond Light Source to scan and examine the fossil in detail.</p><p>Details of the origins of spiders remain limited, with little knowledge of their predecessors and no insights into character acquisition early in their evolution. This fossil was preserved in 3D, which enabled the researchers to investigate its minute anatomical details.</p><p>We have known since 2008 that a group called the uraraneids were a sister group to true spiders -- they could make silk, but probably laid it down in sheets, rather than spinning it as modern spiders do. They also had a tail-like structure at the end called a flagellum.</p><figure><img alt="305 million-year-old ‘early spider’ fossil discovered " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf0JnSVfc63vP3u39WWUgdKeJdMwc8II0gPZqGKrel2gUpGCeaZ_9cIYGtp7iJc4-noL4mtC4Z0Vl5CfigMqu5MV7T04xeyl8RkiUU0SjQ-yYonjSRBuN2QiH5ki2hzh56zcn5k3mE6_1/s1111/ancient_spider-3.jpg" title="305 million-year-old ‘early spider’ fossil discovered " /><figcaption><em><b>Idmonarachne brasieri, from the Late Carboniferous period and found in Montceau-les-Mines</b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Garwood et al 2016/Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Analysis of Idmonarachne brasieri suggests that as the spider lineage evolved, the animals lost their tail-like structure, and developed spider-like fangs and limbs. Whilst they could likely make silk, the ancestors lacked the ability to spin it using specialised appendages called spinnerets. These are the features that define true spiders, and give them more control over the use and distribution of silk.</p><p>Lead author Russell Garwood, of The University of Manchester's School of Earth, Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, said, "Our new fossil occupies a key position in the evolution of spiders. It isn't a true spider, but has given us new information regarding the order in which the bits of the anatomy we associate with spiders appeared as the group evolved."</p><p>This is part of an ongoing effort to look at early arachnids, and see what this can tell us about the early evolution of the group, how they came onto land and what their evolutionary tree looks like. Arachnids as a whole are a very diverse group, but working out how they are all related to each other has proved a challenge. The authors hope that by better understanding these fossils, they can help fill in some of the blanks.</p><p>The discovery is published in the <em><b>Proceedings of the Royal Society B</b></em>.</p><p><em><b>Source: University of Manchester [March 31, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-16405130490974438152018-08-15T07:59:00.002-07:002018-08-15T07:59:21.625-07:00United Kingdom: British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed<p>An incredibly rare gold crown estimated to be more than 2,000 years old was found in a tattered cardboard box under a retiree’s bed in England.</p><figure><img alt="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj-jPSmJpjt-MGU4ld2gxTybXBKvDNTeNBBQzTAgim76hyphenhyphenLMTX03mh42NlTOFffTQqOrVK4NvlBNhAPpv7s6AJxZ8G_uzCKDfmwCPS4jWXaXDImwWIZP-vVn-rpFCu4GoubYQyYyx6xlE/s1111/Greek_Crown_05b.jpg" title="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" /><figcaption><em><b>The incredibly rare gold crown believed to be more than 2,000 years old has been discovered under</b></em><br /><em><b> a bed in a Somerset cottage [Credit: Dukes/BNPS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The elderly man— who wants to remain anonymous— says he inherited it from his grandfather and had put it away with other “stuff” he had accumulated over the years.</p><p>The perfectly preserved gold wreath, used in Ancient Greece to crown athletic and artistic competitions, as well as in religious ceremonies, could be worth more than $200,000, according to auctioneers who plan to put the item up for sale.</p><p>According to Guy Schwinge, the auctioneer who was invited to the man’s house to have a look at items he wanted to auction, “It is notoriously difficult to date gold wreaths of this type. Stylistically it belongs to a rarefied group of wreaths dateable to the Hellenistic period and the form may indicate that it was made in Northern Greece. It is eight inches across and weighs about 100 grams. It’s pure gold and handmade, it would have been hammered out by a goldsmith.”</p><figure><img alt="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVvCdt9yc0VY2Z0bydKLArhblS43WGJDRpHCWgjARwkpcSmYgWWNKObjXqX6Z-n_lxJReebIr8SFSVx1wNaMEVYp1PIL8fa5UWV9CKjjRDhKrsm0iC7oBERx0elii7jcTaLfedJnaY4an/s1111/Greek_Crown_02.jpg" title="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" /><figcaption><em><b>The valuable artefact has been estimated to be worth at least £100,000 </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Phil Yeomans/BNPS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Gold wreaths like the one found were meant to imitate the wreaths of real leaves that were worn in Ancient Greece in religious ceremonies and given as prizes in athletic and artistic contests.</p><p>They usually depicted branches of laurel, myrtle, oak and olive trees, which were symbolic of concepts such as wisdom, triumph, fertility, peace and virtue.</p><p>Due to their fragile nature, they were only worn on very special occasions. Many were dedicated to the Gods in sanctuaries or placed in the graves of royal or aristocratic people as funerary offerings.</p><figure><img alt="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi6wa8RnFv2kHd-qRRSkqClObZJB7_ky334lnTYUTEm0ub32XFFlYX6giwseZ80c9bEGJO2HqozVGNemLDhL-NhjQevC4pRyq8WlkZTY7osi_kIPER6zHKzuxSZuAYefNgwTj9V5e7Uea/s1111/Greek_Crown_04.jpg" title="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" /><figcaption><em><b>The delicate Greek myrtle wreath, which is thought to date to 300BC, was reportedly found in a tatty cardboard box under the pensioner's bed [Credit: Dukes/BNPS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Bits of dirt embedded on the wreath suggest this one was buried at some point, according to London’s Daily Mail, which first reported on the find.</p><a name='more'></a><p>Most date to the Hellenistic period (323BC to 31BC), which this one is also thought to date from, and show the exceptional skill of goldsmiths at that time.</p><p>Some were made during earlier periods but the wreaths became more frequent after Alexander the Great’s Eastern conquests, when gold was more available in Greece.</p><figure><img alt="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtO-vtnk-O-HDHN7mfOz0NhDp0w0gvuKfl5NJHHOk25c5-_FnucHyeLvQbPV3C8nusMdnpDpnpw0LF9BD1Nsmja0j2Sz5j4E5J8Av00M3t_7LXD-hklf3gGmePB5dyZ5qIgeUnD5ufoP_/s1111/Greek_Crown_03.jpg" title="British pensioner 'finds' 2,300 year old ancient Greek gold crown in box under his bed" /><figcaption><em><b>The current owner's grandfather is said to have 'acquired' the valuable crown sometime in the 1940s </b></em><em><b> </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Phil Yeomans/BNPS]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The current owner’s grandfather was a great collector who was fascinated by archaeology and the ancient world.</p><p>Although his family do not know how he acquired it, it is likely he bought it sometime in the 1940s when he travelled extensively.</p><p>The man said: ‘I knew my grandfather travelled extensively in the 1940s and 50s and he spent time in the north west frontier area, where Alexander the Great was, so it’s possible he got it while he was there. But he never told me anything about this wreath.”</p><p>“I inherited quite a lot of things from him and I just put this to one side for almost a decade and didn’t really think anything of it. Recently I decided I needed to sort through things and called in Duke’s (auctioneers) to have look at some of the items he’d passed on to me.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Gregory Pappas | Source: The Pappas Post [May 28, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-4298436752148362742018-08-15T07:58:00.001-07:002018-08-15T07:58:46.405-07:00Travel: Rare Medieval devotional panel goes on display at Museum of London<a name='more'></a><p>A rare devotional panel goes on display at the Museum of London from 28 March 2015. Depicting the capture, trial and execution of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, political rebel turned martyr, the object was discovered by our archaeologists, whilst excavating by the River Thames.</p><figure><img alt="Rare Medieval devotional panel goes on display at Museum of London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FLOTPTZNCLRmFdpGnubEHrUesLeJb6K5WuDvoAj-9Rb2mr3OhzGhNo5NMPjSaaT6ux2nG43_g-II7dhIuYLh52Gr7ih3TsxKHLtJtdWHX_B_ztzU0GwTzL1cwIfQ5xptMhIP98jkrVAC/s1111/UK_Medieval_02.jpg" title="Rare Medieval devotional panel goes on display at Museum of London"><figcaption><em><b>The 14th century lead-alloy devotional panel </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: (c) Museum of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A fascinating piece of political propaganda and religious art, the panel is one of the largest and the finest examples of its kind. Cast in metal, the scenes are a cautionary tale for ambitious politicians, yet the production of the object reveals another story; that, in death, Lancaster was elevated to an almost saintly status.</p><p>Lancaster was a cousin of King Edward II and one of a group of barons who tried to curb the king’s power. Having caused huge political unrest, in 1322 Lancaster was defeated by Edward and publicly executed for treason near Pontefract Castle.</p><p>Within six weeks of his death, miracles were being recorded in connection with his tomb. Whilst in life Lancaster had not been a saintly man, a cult soon built up around him, largely owing to the king’s unpopularity.</p><p>Jackie Keily, Museum of London Curator, said: “In the run-up to the election this is a timely reminder of the dangers of political ambition: Thomas sought to control the king’s power but paid the ultimate price with his execution.”</p><p>For the first time, this find reveals the maker’s intended message. In slightly garbled French, the panel is read clockwise from the top left: ‘here I am taken prisoner’; ‘I am judged’; ‘I am under threat’ and lastly ‘la mort’ (death). The Virgin Mary and Christ look down from heaven, ready to receive Lancaster’s soul.</p><p>Although a rare find today, the panel would have been mass produced at the time. A small number of parallels exist but these are fragmentary or in a poorer style.</p><p>Sophie Jackson, MOLA archaeologist, said: “It’s thanks to the wet ground of the Thames waterfront that this beautiful metal object survived in such remarkable condition. It has an intriguing story and reveals a great deal about the political climate of the day.”</p><p>Detailed research into the panel and the archaeological excavations that took place ahead of construction by Pace Investments, has just been published in Roman and medieval revetments on the Thames waterfront: excavations at Riverbank House, available to buy on our publications pages.</p><p>The panel will be displayed in the Museum of London’s Medieval Galleries from 28 March to the 28 September 2015.</p><p><em><b>Author: Nicola Kalimeris | Source: MOLA [March 30, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-50576065912498541722018-04-30T14:25:00.000-07:002018-04-30T14:25:11.615-07:00Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London<a name='more'></a><p>A 2,000-year-old triumphal arch destroyed by the Islamic State group in Syria has risen again - in replica - in London's Trafalgar Square.</p><figure><img alt="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EoQMp_r0L7A9JVmyYWoZPTixivhbry6DHqNjKI0VgssiMe7fFlu3TSpp9gf48Dage5EfliQDPClfgCclN_XACL6T_xuh4Whu5sGXAuMY2tDlNAG6prEop-KNGNBWWkSWAoHjApwvTAD-/s1111/Palmyra_arch_01.jpg" title="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" /><figcaption><em><b>Detail of the carvings on the arch [Credit: Marco Secchi/</b></em><br /><em><b>Getty Images]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The Arch of Triumph in Palmyra formed part of one of the world's most extensive ancient archaeological sites. The ancient city, a UNESCO world heritage site, was among Syria's main tourist attractions before the civil war erupted in 2011.</p><p>IS militants overran Palmyra in May 2015, demolishing Roman-era monuments including the archway and two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years - and posting videos of their destruction online. Syrian government forces retook the city last month and authorities have begun assessing the damage to its ancient monuments.</p><figure><img alt="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDRnMNV1gHxHrBCuXfnXbbd8DbfgtgidRoFyvoxSHJeRhmffEncHtI9FMF9RoqK2NDB51SRhRqZk9RodBTNTQJZUKhrquWxJZNwQ-CW-kK4V4JUya-eG-Li0ivwRmQW-y9L3AdiVU8jfC/s1111/Palmyra_arch_02.jpg" title="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" /><figcaption><em><b>The reconstruction of the arch nears completion in Trafalgar Square </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Built under the Roman emperor Septimius Severus between A.D. 193 and A.D. 211, the arch towered over the colonnaded streets of the ancient city, which linked the Roman Empire to Persia.</p><p>The six-meter (20-foot) Egyptian marble replica - about two-thirds the size of the original - was created by the Institute for Digital Archaeology from photographs of the original site using 3-D imaging technology and computer-aided carving tools.</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bq4_-iBCqp8?rel=0"></iframe><br />"When I saw the destruction, I felt like I needed to do something to try and make it right," said Roger Michel, executive director of the Institute for Digital Archaeology. The institute is a joint venture between Harvard University, the University of Oxford and Dubai's Museum of the Future.</p><p>"The first thing I thought was, when I saw Palmyra come down, is these folks are censoring history," Michel said.</p><figure><img alt="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfsv_IOwrVmDq0-jqNAypMxJj38eBZSybXZXKhLCm9EzoglspcUqhNMUMjVoE689HAK0vCsyAYT6subm75CKxDcarR0kTgluNx_NClCUFgxa1JPQYNR3J1IoDzJzCQZLcnzM2bFoeObxh/s1111/Palmyra_arch_03.jpg" title="Syria's Palmyra arch recreated in London" /><figcaption><em><b>An archive picture from 2014 showing the Arch of Triumph </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: : Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty Images]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>London Mayor Boris Johnson unveiled the model Tuesday. It will stay in London for three days before traveling to cities including New York and Dubai - and eventually to Palmyra itself.</p><p><em><b>Source: The Associated Press [April 19, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-26565629121446040522018-04-30T14:03:00.001-07:002018-04-30T14:03:47.026-07:00Archaeologists begin exploration of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre<a name='more'></a><p>Archaeologists have begun detailed exploration work on the Curtain Theatre, one of William Shakespeare’s least well-known playhouses, in east London.</p><figure><img alt="Archaeologists begin exploration of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-EhKqBMCBBbY73QDYHz7ao9cNKRkxD_EbIWbhXU6TtUIjQRqFu8f6bTl0bQ_QvgoBtKatrac_xThKUNfQJUhN7g7yvBsgDoAqFijuSdobIgw8n9xR7CJ-mlLwX7ufKBV5d1c4EMOwP-T/s1111/UK_shakespeare_01.jpg" title="Archaeologists begin exploration of Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre" /><figcaption><em><b>Culture Minister Ed Vaizey (left) officially marked the beginning of the dig</b></em><br /><em><b>at the site in Shoreditch, East London, where archaeologists from </b></em><br /><em><b>the MOLA excavated 10ft down [Credit: PA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The playhouse, which saw the first performance of Henry V, is now at the centre of a new residential development, The Stage, offering experts from the Museum of London a rare chance to excavate a key cultural location.</p><p>The dig was officially launched by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy just days after the nation marked the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death.</p><p>Trial explorations began in 2012 which offered promising indications that the site, two to three metres below modern ground level, has been well preserved.</p><p>Museum of London Archeology (Mola) is hoping to uncover more clues about the physical structure and use of the theatre and shed new light on the cultural makeup of the area and performances in the 16th and 17th centuries.</p><p>Archaeologists have started digging through the 18th century remains that encase the Curtain Theatre and now they have reached key layers from the 16th and 17th centuries.</p><p>Senior Mola archaeologist Heather Knight said: “We hope to find out more about the structure of the theatre – where Henry V was first performed – which will give us a clearer indication of how Elizabethan playhouses were used and the evolution of theatre.</p><p>“There is also the possibility of finding fragments of props, costumes or items used by the audience, including food remains or drinking vessels, which could tell us more about theatre productions and culture at the time. We look forward to sharing our findings in due course.”</p><p>Once the detailed dig is complete, the remains of the Curtain will be preserved in-situ, and artefacts discovered and records taken during the excavation will be studied in detail.</p><p>A display of the finds will sit alongside the theatre remains as part of a cultural and visitor centre at The Stage , a new £750million mixed-use scheme including 33,000 sq ft of retail, over 200,000 sq ft of office space, and more than 400 homes.</p><p>Mr Vaizey said: “Shoreditch is one of London’s most vibrant locations, and its prominence as a theatrical hotspot during Shakespeare’s time highlights this area’s enduring cultural appeal.”</p><p><em><b>Author: Giles Broadbent | Source: The Wharf [April 27, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-30583169571999767722018-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:002018-04-30T13:14:52.821-07:00UK: Remains of ‘father and son’ found in 2000 year old grave<a name='more'></a><p>Archaeologists have uncovered a 2000-year-old tomb believed to contain a wealthy father and son who were artisan weavers by trade and walked with the same “pigeon-toed” feet.</p><figure><img alt="Remains of ‘father and son’ found in 2000 year old grave" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6J3hJQZyc030XjWi4Lp8s3YblxmWr7vkCxLaoecQGIGvD7DpMo40UXMTNXqXZyjkn_VYtePBbU9oqMhsVGfpGmulNq8xZS9o0xrXlX9NJ1j65JWW6tgmFqRkuM8MSUhtO_Wf8ewUBjLr/s1111/Scotland_01.jpg" title="Remains of ‘father and son’ found in 2000 year old grave" /><figcaption><em><b>The skeletons were buried about 2000 years ago </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Edinburgh News]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The men were laid to rest in an Iron Age stone cist close to the National Trust for Scotland’s (NTS) House of the Binns near Linlithgow.</p><p>One skeleton belonged to a man aged around 40 when he died between 92BC-65AD, while his relative was around 20 when he died some time later, 44BC-79AD, and his body was pushed in alongside him.</p><p>Skeletal analysis shows both men stood around 5ft 5in tall and suffered from worn teeth associated with weaving.</p><p>They also shared an unusual anomaly of the muscle attachment in the upper leg, which would have caused their legs to rotate inwards and made them walk with their toes turned in – pigeon-toed.</p><p>The older man was buried clutching an oval-shaped iron brooch to his left shoulder. Experts say it showed “incredibly rare” evidence of thread from his cloak.</p><p>NTS archaeologist Daniel Rhodes said the discovery was “exciting in its rarity”.</p><p>He said: “The first skeleton was an adult male, aged around 40 years, with wear on his teeth which suggests he may have been a weaver.</p><p>“The younger man was around 20 years old. They were intentionally buried in the same place and when you look at the date range they could be father and son.</p><p>“The younger man also suffered from worn teeth, and they both shared the same family leg deformity. There is no sign of disease so it probably didn’t cause severe damage or disability in life, but they may have been pigeon-toed.”</p><p>The House of the Binns is a 17th-century laird’s house overlooking the Forth, and home to the Dalyell family for 400 years.</p><p>The house was built in 1612 by Thomas Dalyell, an Edinburgh merchant who made his fortune at the court of King James VI and I in London. The Dalyell family gifted the house and surrounding parkland to the NTS in 1944, retaining the right of the family to live there.</p><p>The wider property contains archaeological remains pre-dating the establishment of the house and surrounding parkland. Iron Age burials are rare in Scotland, and ones with grave goods even rarer. Just 50 accompanied burials are known.</p><p>Mr Rhodes added: “There has always been folklore about Binns Hill being the site of a hill fort. The fact that there is this kind of status burial found at the foot of the hill, there must have been other activity going on in this period. It’s an absolutely perfect spot.”</p><p><em><b>Author: George Mair | Source: Edinburgh News [March 29, 2015]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-48234626345710944692017-08-12T16:14:00.001-07:002017-08-12T16:14:25.238-07:00UK: Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years<a name='more'></a><p>A remarkable archaeological discovery in a Co. Clare cave has pushed back the date of human existence in Ireland by 2,500 years.</p><figure><img alt="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwu3U6GxtFPbJWtjoC9haM0TZLUDFYmaDsILBjQ6K9TQNFlcHX-4F0Sa9-h3CvbTxC3bRM2-6kDE7yq5S-YwT-xiGrArm5CeMI8SJqhpdL3wVj71EuUqKfMNvsfvbhImkxUIpQ5lTynw/s1111/Ireland_01c.jpg" title="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" /><figcaption><em><b>Dr Marion Dowd of IT Sligo with the brown bear bone in the Institute’s </b></em><br /><em><b>archaeology lab [Credit: James Connolly]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>This discovery re-writes Irish archaeology and adds an entirely new chapter to human colonisation of the island – moving Ireland’s story into a new era.</p><p>Radiocarbon dating of a butchered brown bear bone, which has been stored in a cardboard box at the National Museum of Ireland for almost 100 years, has established that humans were on the island of Ireland some 12,500 years ago – 2,500 earlier than previously believed.</p><p>Since the 1970s, the oldest evidence of human occupation on the island of Ireland has been at Mount Sandel in Co. Derry. This site has been dated at 8,000 BC, which is in the Mesolithic period, indicating that humans had occupied the island for some 10,000 years.</p><p>However, new analysis of the bear patella – or knee bone – originally found in Co. Clare in 1903 gives us undisputed evidence that people existed in Ireland during the preceding Palaeolithic period at 10,500 BC, some 12,500 years ago.</p><p>This is a major breakthrough for archaeologists who have spent decades searching for earlier signs of human occupation on the island.</p><p>The discovery was made by Dr Marion Dowd, an archaeologist at IT Sligo, and Dr Ruth Carden, a Research Associate with the National Museum of Ireland.</p><figure><img alt="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZgiO0LNgLUctNgUYx3edV586rZ6q6htrDEVl-fEveE42JGxwfY-QJnA9II5n8tpBF9gVWKUdTyl1zwpz5OuK2QiArEMRUi_b2i-4LEE1-32q9g8AyNW3RURkcwD0TdXXnO7ErnhVrPjc/s1111/Ireland_02.jpg" title="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" /><figcaption><em><b>The patella, or knee bone, bears seven or eight marks on its surface that appear </b></em><br /><em><b>to have been made with a stone knife [Credit: James Connolly]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>“Archaeologists have been searching for the Irish Palaeolithic since the 19th century, and now, finally, the first piece of the jigsaw has been revealed. This find adds a new chapter to the human history of Ireland,” said Dr Dowd.</p><p>Dowd and Carden’s paper on the discovery was published in the journal <em><b>Quaternary Science Reviews</b></em>. Dr Dowd is a lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology at the School of Science in IT Sligo and is a specialist in Irish cave archaeology.</p><p>The adult bear bone was one of thousands of bones originally discovered in Alice and Gwendoline Cave, Co. Clare in 1903 by a team of early scientists. They published a report on their investigations and noted that the bear bone had knife marks.</p><p>The bone was stored in a collection at the National Museum of Ireland since the 1920s. In 2010 and 2011, animal osteologist Dr Ruth Carden, a Research Associate at the museum, was re-analysing its animal bone collections from early cave excavations. She came across the bear bone and documented it along with many others.</p><p>As a specialist in cave archaeology, Dr Dowd, became interested in the butchered bear patella and, together with Dr Carden, the pair sought funding from the Royal Irish Academy for radiocarbon dating, which was carried out by the Chrono Centre at Queen’s University Belfast.</p><p>“When a Palaeolithic date was returned, it came as quite a shock. Here we had evidence of someone butchering a brown bear carcass and cutting through the knee probably to extract the tendons. Yes, we expected a prehistoric date, but the Palaeolithic result took us completely by surprise,” says Dr Dowd.</p><figure><img alt="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q980a5hNq3AynSr8RvbSfsDixJJcaUsrr3oLvTsVfW88sLlRRLvqmAxnUfsvcy38lXrQWbxlSkVxQyw14cXNpJzULJfcQo0Eyp5jz-VNRWS1g0nJXjRQpqW_Pj7Xx43fsDFNUmvJdrM/s1111/Ireland_03.jpg" title="Human presence in Ireland pushed back by 2,500 years" /><figcaption><em><b>Analysis of the bone suggested the cut marks were made while the bone was still fresh, </b></em><br /><em><b>meaning it may have been killed and certainly butchered by some of the first </b></em><br /><em><b>humans in Ireland after the last Ice Age [Credit: IT Sligo]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A second sample was sent to the University of Oxford for radiocarbon dating to test the validity of the initial result. Both dates indicated human butchery of the bear about 12,500 years ago.</p><p>The bone was then sent to three bone specialists for independent analysis of the cut marks. These were Dr Jill Cook at the British Museum in London; Prof. Terry O’Connor at the University of York and Prof. Alice Choyke at the Central European University in Hungary.</p><p>The experts were unaware of the radiocarbon dating results prior to their examinations but all determined that the cut marks were made on fresh bone, confirming that the cut marks were of the same date as the patella, and therefore that humans were in Ireland during the Palaeolithic period.</p><p>“This made sense as the location of the marks spoke of someone trying to cut through the tough knee joint, perhaps someone who was inexperienced,” explains Dr Dowd. “In their repeated attempts, they left seven marks on the bone surface. The implement used would probably have been something like a long flint blade.”</p><p>“The bone was in fresh condition meaning that people were carrying out activities in the immediate vicinity – possibly butchering a bear inside the cave or at the cave entrance,” said Dr Dowd.</p><p>Dr Ruth Carden said: “From a zoological point of view, this is very exciting, since up to now we have not factored in a possible ‘human-dimension’ when we are studying patterns of colonisation and local extinctions of species to Ireland.</p><p>“This paper should generate a lot of discussion within the zoological research world and it’s time to start thinking outside the box…or even dismantling it entirely!”</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2_CRQQ-loSo?rel=0"></iframe><br />Dr Dowd and Dr Carden are now hoping to get funding to carry out further analysis of other material recovered during the 1903 excavations, the cave itself and other potential cave sites around the country.</p><p>Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of IT Sligo said: “Academic research is often lauded for helping to shape new concepts and innovations of the future, but this ground-breaking discovery for Irish archaeology highlights the vital role it can play in challenging and deepening our understanding of our heritage and history.”</p><p>Nigel T. Monaghan, Keeper, Natural History Division of the National Museum of Ireland said: “The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, holds collections of approximately two million specimens, all are available for research and we never know what may emerge. Radiocarbon dating is something never imagined by the people who excavated these bones in caves over a century ago, and these collections may have much more to reveal about Ireland’s ancient past.”</p><p>The remarkable discovery comes just three years after the first evidence of Palaeolithic occupation of Scotland was uncovered. In 2013, a cache of flint tools was unearthed on the Isle of Islay, pushing the date of human existence in Scotland from the Mesolithic into the Palaeolithic era.</p><p><em><b>Source: Institute of Technology Sligo [March 20, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-19602653824405846352017-08-12T16:14:00.000-07:002017-08-12T16:14:09.058-07:00UK: Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery<a name='more'></a><p>Towering above the grassy Salisbury Plain, its eerie rock monoliths are steeped in myth and magical stories, yet despite decades of research, the original purpose of Stonehenge remains a mystery.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwD67lhuyMWxNoDIn6IjPAKieoIV68P44t7rGsnMg0kxHYHj-RX3AFABP-CAL1q-KvaoW-Tpo7d6k9_2VAtMEFRlrVh3h8swr8nOOIXxpvWH3ZDfwXW4o5ASkc7gDEtH3V1kofe1neDbL/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_03.jpg" title="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" /><figcaption><em><b>Archaeologists excavated the burned bones that had been previously dug up from around the site of Stonehenge </b></em><br /><em><b>during the 1920s. They say analysis suggests the site was used as a cemetery </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Adam Stanford/Aerial-Cam Ltd]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A new study by archaeologists, however, has suggested the imposing stone circle may have initially been used as a cremation cemetery for the dead.</p><p>Charred remains discovered on the site were unearthed in holes - known as the Aubrey Holes - that have been found have to once held a circle of small standing stones.</p><p>Fresh analysis of the burned bones has revealed they were buried in the holes over a period of 500 years between 3,100BC and 2,600BC.</p><p>During this time the enormous sarsen trilithons, many of which still stand today, were erected.</p><p>But after 2,500BC, the people who used Stonehenge appear to have stopped cremating and burying human remains in the stone circle itself, instead burying them in a ditch around the periphery.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqQiVOagYvkxGpZxebgZgmE5Iy0AErnu_EOiQ18teCPXAclwDzTKE2GVkMCIR9kJ7nVq-L6_43NGh5G4FcvA6a5CsOkMsJxzgCIGf1J23qJ7a3G1C52MC6HxeMEry31z-oL_VfTH1hL9O/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_01.jpg" title="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" /><figcaption><em><b>Between 100 and 200 people are said to have been buried across the Stonehenge site during the late Neolithic and </b></em><br /><em><b>copper age. A recent separate study, of Aubrey Hole seven, found the remains of 14 females and nine males, </b></em><br /><em><b>with the help of CT scans and osteological analysis [Credit: Adam Stanford/Aerial-Cam Ltd]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>This, according to Professor Mike Parker-Pearson, an archaeologist at University College London, and his colleagues, suggests there was a shift in the cultural significance of Stonehenge around this time.</p><p>They argue that it later became a place to revere long-dead ancestors who had been buried on the site.</p><p>Writing in the journal <em><b>Antiquity</b></em>, they said: 'Stonehenge changed from being a stone circle for specific dead individuals linked to particular stones, to one more diffusely associated with the collectivity of increasingly long-dead ancestors buried there.</p><p>'This is consistent with the interpretation of Stonehenge's stage two as a domain of the eternal ancestors, metaphorically embodied in stone.'</p><p>Stonehenge was built in five stages between around 3000BC to 1500BC and had initially consisted of a small circle of standing stones known as bluestones, imported from Wales.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR909ARWDCsAS3x7ejWfBTOJizn1jFKnduILRe6mdtgijpQzjemFvFO0APdqN5xNYmQe01rz8L8c9ZBxlKGXV2aO9EjemU2Pxfc4d1NEQTsy14-XdjKS7JyPG2_jL3NEYRKzd1iFxJ3Wa5/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_02.jpg" title="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" /><figcaption><em><b>Stonehenge has gone through several phases of development, the first of which is thought to have been a circle of bluestones </b></em><br /><em><b>from Wales sited on a ring of 56 Aubrey Holes (marked 13 in the plan). Bones found in these holes date to around </b></em><br /><em><b>the period when these stones were placed and the inner stone circles was built</b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Adamsan/WikiCommons]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>Later the larger inner circle of stones were erected with the giant monoliths and sarsen stones seen today.</p><p>In the 1920s archaeologist William Hawley discovered the remains of cremated bone in several Aubrey Holes around the Stonehenge site, which he estimated to belong to 59 individuals.</p><p>He noted many of the burials had been circular, indicating they had been placed in bags before being buried.</p><p>He also found just one policed gneiss mace-head with one of the burials but no other grave goods.</p><p>Sadly, at the time the remains were not considered to be important and were reburied all together in a single Aubrey hole.</p><p>But in the new study, researchers described how they re-excavated these remains and subjected them to modern analysis using radiocarbon dating.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoDiyN0Vd8wEG_ugreGrjsRDEqbG1SUgeQxs9BvKISu2VEmw1V9d_LuX_PhsqgWu1W0pnoqxbeejtLq_EM0J_GCBwskYMPl8n1rfK1pUUUUXceqCVBXwPNn-tRBXtfHMOB1yQd9WuUSw5/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_04.jpg" title="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" /><figcaption><em><b>Burials at Stonehenge were likely for people of higher status. The latest analysis of the burned bones revealed </b></em><br /><em><b>they were buried in the holes over a period of 500 years between 3,100BC and 2,600BC </b></em><br /><em><b>[Credit: Adam Stanford/Aerial-Cam Ltd]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>They found the remains of at least 27 adults and young adults and were able to identify nine of these as male and five as female.</p><p>The dating of the remains showed the remains found in the Aubrey Holes had been buried between 3,100BC and 2,600BC.</p><p>During the dig the archaeologists discovered a previously unexcavated burial of the cremated remains of an adult woman.</p><p>This suggested her bones remained where they had been buried around 5,000 years ago in the hole dug for the bluestone.</p><p>It suggests the bluestones had originally been used to identify individuals who had been buried beneath them.</p><figure><img alt="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixta1QtoxExW6JvSjZb8iF1dK2KHK2Dc3rtil7tozp6IYv_-afwz0_v2Q4P5WtRzj0y-5SOnSUrr8PwNXS1dVQPtzGDeJYA7PDQy7Qs4ceE6btLmkzV6aj1sCUApRHDg-XoCB5ASubFsz_/s1111/UK_Stonehenge_05.jpg" title="Stonehenge may have served as a cremation cemetery" /><figcaption><em><b>Researchers believe the site may have taken on a new significance around 2,500 years ago when </b></em><br /><em><b>it became more loosely associated with the dead as a place where ancestors were embodied </b></em><br /><em><b>metaphorically within the stones [Credit: PA]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>The researchers said the use of Stonehenge and its surrounding land as a cemetery probably ended with the Beaker period after 2140BC, by which time Stonehenge stages 2 and 3 were completed.</p><p>Professor Parker Pearson and his colleagues said: 'Our research shows that Stonehenge was used as a cremation cemetery for mostly adult men and women for around five centuries, during and between its first two main stages of construction.</p><p>'In its first stage, many burials were placed within and beside the Aubrey Holes. As these are believed to have contained bluestones, there seems to have been a direct relationship between particular deceased individuals and standing stones.</p><p>'Human remains continued to be buried during and after Stonehenge's second stage, demonstrating its continuing association with the dead.</p><p>'Most of these later burials appear, however, to have been placed in the ditch around the monument's periphery, leaving the stones, now grouped in the centre of the site, distant from the human remains.'</p><p><em><b>Author: Richard Gray | Source: Daily Mail [April 22, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184584167112093667.post-52335686943993498982017-08-12T16:13:00.004-07:002017-08-12T16:13:54.675-07:00UK: Evidence of early Christian presence in Roman London<a name='more'></a><p>A piece of broken pottery, newly identified 40 years after it was found as important evidence of an early Christian community in Roman London, is going on display for the first time at the Museum of London, over the Easter weekend.</p><figure><img alt="Evidence of early Christian presence in Roman London" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFmxmjWmQBd7q3ry3HmHjHEDmSuQiiVvJmVOnmKKL3ZUi_4oOHvI0dmg5ro91yEfYv1z9ab2gE1MmDNvuvpPZyEmtZLskAGDpU0TwdOKn7f1MXAJaaqTpeq6n_SylNVURUM1mByO_H-bu/s1111/UK_christians_01.jpg" title="Evidence of early Christian presence in Roman London" /><figcaption><em><b>A volunteer spotted the shard while sorting through hundreds of pieces </b></em><br /><em><b>of broken pottery found in the 1970s [Credit: Museum of London]</b></em></figcaption></figure><p>A sharp-eyed volunteer, sorting through hundreds of pieces of pottery shards found in the 1970s in an excavation on Brentford High Street, west London, noticed one fragment inscribed with the chi rho, the first two letters of Christ in the Greek alphabet, which was a common symbol in the early Christian church.</p><p>The pottery was made in Oxfordshire in the 4th century, rather than imported, so the symbol suggests a very early Thames-side Christian community.</p><p>Adam Corsini, the archaeology collections manager, said it was a very rare find. “Although we can’t say from one object that Roman London and its hinterland were practising Christianity, it does suggest that Christians were at least present at some point in 4th-century Roman Brentford.</p><p>“Christian symbols from the Roman period are rare, especially from sites within Londinium’s surrounding hinterland, and there are only a few examples in our collections relating to London.”</p><p>Although Brentford is now a nondescript suburb, carved up by main roads and scattered with tower blocks, it has a long and distinguished history. From prehistoric times it was an important river crossing, where the Thames could be forded at low tide. The museum has a wealth of material from Brentford, including beautiful bronze age metalwork believed to have been thrown into the river as ritual offerings.</p><p>There was a Roman settlement, and possibly an even earlier encounter with the invaders. A large pillar made from recycled stone was erected by an amateur historian in 1909, recording the belief that the local tribesmen fought Julius Caesar there in 54BC. Although historians doubt the story, the pillar still stands, though it has been moved from its original riverside site. There is better evidence for the battle in 1016 between King Canute and Edmund Ironside, which the pillar also marks.</p><p><em><b>Author: Maev Kennedy | Source: The Guardian [March 24, 2016]</b></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2022 «<a href="https://london-ban.blogspot.co.uk/">The Great London</a>»</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com