Although the Romans never actually went to ireland, confining themselves to the Big Island (and only making a brief foray into Scotland), it turns out that the Irish occupants did in fact interact with the Romans.
A new Irish Archaeological organization called the Discovery Programme is beginning to research how much of the Romans impacted and interacted with the Irish (including investigations into the possibility of a Roman invasion). While Irish archaeologists have uncovered Roman goods (ceramic-ware, beads, jewelry, etc), until now there has been little investigation into Ireland’s “Roman heritage.”
To read more about new archaeological investigations and the new Discovery Programme, see this article in the Irish Times: “So What Have the Romans Ever Done for US?“
Tags: Ancient Rome, Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Classics, Ireland, Roman Britain, Rome
Today, Discovery news highlighted that the fact that, contrary to the assertions of scientists a decade ago, human beings are not ‘naturally nasty.’ In fact, humans regularly engage in cooperate behavior
“… human children — and most higher animals — are “moral” in a scientific sense, because they need to cooperate with each other to reproduce and pass on their genes,” he said.
“Human morality is unthinkable without empathy.”
So, mean girls (and boys) of the world – sorry, you weren’t just born that way. Human begins are inherently cooperative and social. If you don’t believe me, check out the article in Discovery News.
Tags: Anthropology, behavioral evolution, cooperation, discovery news, human behavior, human morality, human nature, mean girls
Archaeologists working on the Orkney Islands, one of the northernmost regions of Scotland, have uncovered a stone-age complex that they believe to be a precursor to Stonehenge.
The ritual center called the “Ness of Brodgar” predates Stonehenge by at least a few centuries (early radiocarbon dating suggests that it was first occupied by 3200 BCE). The site hosted several stone age rituals that appear similar to those hosted in Salisbury more than 500 years later.
To learn more about this discovery, see the article in National Geographic or the Orkney Jar Dig Diary.
Tags: Anthropology, Archaeology, Ness, Ness of Brodgar, Orkney, Pre-historic, prehistoric, Scotland, Stonehenge, UK, United Kingdom
This month’s Scientific American highlights the forensic lab of Dr. Ann Helen Ross, whose lab specializes in identifying the remains, cause of death, or obtaining evidence from murder cases that boggle typical investigations.
Using what, to the lay person, might appear gruesome techniques (including removing soft tissue with harsh chemicals), Dr. Ross and her time help to provide evidence to investigators pertaining to unsolved murder cases (a disturbing number involving children).
To read more about the how forensic anthropology helps solve real life crime, read the short article at Scientific American blog or the longer version in October’s issue (requires a subscription).
Tags: Anthropology, CSI, Forensic, Forensic Anthropology, Physical Anthropology
2012 – it’s been the subject of conspiracy theories, catastrophic predictions, and terrible, terrible films. People frequently cite the ‘ancient wisdom’ of the Maya that the end of the world is nigh. However, the 2012 phenomenon is one of the greatest fallacies of history. The Maya, in fact, never predicted the world would end in 2012
While it is true that the Mayan calendrical cycle, which spans approximately 5,125 years and begins with their creation event (in 3114 BCE) ends December 21, 2012 it does not mean dire and catastrophic world’s end. In fact, it simply means that the clock will start over (much like when the odometer goes from 999,999 it starts back over at 0).
So, don’t get all your crazy partying out now, plan for 2013. If you want to learn more about the Mayan Calendar and the consequences of 2012, see the article in National Geographic.
Tags: 2012, Anthropology, Archaeology, doomsday, Maya, Meso America, New World, new world archaeology
Archaeologists are arguing that fishhooks, a microlithic tool technology, have been used by humans as early as 42,000 years ago. Archaeologists working in East Timor, within the island chain of Indonesia, have produced evidence that humans were using fish hook technology for deep sea fishing much earlier than thought.
To learn more about the findings, see the article on MSNBC.
Tags: Anthropology, Archaeology, east timor, fish hook, Fishing, Mesolithic, Microlith, Philippines
Pilgram Burials from the First Winter.
A wonderful assessment of the tragedy suffered by the Mayflower Pilgrims and their first winter in America. If you have not yet read “Bones Don’t Lie,” a great blog on osteology, archaeology, and anthropology, it’s a must! Even those with the most lay knowledge will gain a greater appreciation of mortuary analysis.
The particular article looks at the burial practices of those living in Plymouth during the tragic winter of 1620-1621. Check it out: “Pilgrim Burials from the First Winter.”
Tags: American History, History, Mayflower, Mortuary Analysis, Osteology, Pilgrims, Plymouth
A Section of the Copiale Cipher
A team of linguists and computer scientists from America and Sweden have cracked one of the oldest, undeciphered codes in history: the Copiale Cipher. The hand-written work is more than 100 pages in length and is a combination of symbols and letters.
The linguists and computer scientists used a code-breaking technique to ‘crack’ the language – essentially viewing translation as decipherment. While the “breaking” of this linguistic code is a huge breakthrough for linguistics, it still does not solve the issues of translation of older, still-undeciphered languages.
“There are these books and ancient languages of real historical value that contain historical information that we just can’t get out yet, and that’s of interest to a lot of people,” – Dr. Knight
To learn more about this recent discover, see the article in the New York Times.
Tags: Anthropology, Cipher, Code, Code-Breaking, Copiale Cipher, linguistics
Jennifer Barber, a Masters student at the University of Dundee, is reconstructing the face of a young boy that lived in Norway more than 500 years ago. Using forensic arts, she is reconstructing the soft tissue and features of the boy’s face based on the original skeletal features using a series of skull x-rays.
“People are drawn to faces. The Viste Boy will probably attract attention in a future exhibition at the museum, bringing the story of Vistehola, the Viste Boy and the other people who lived there more alive for visitors.”
To learn more about this project, see the article in Science Daily.
Tags: Anthropology, Archaeology, facial reconstruction, Forensic, Forensic Anthropology, human remains, Norway, Physical Anthropology
This week, PBS is airing a five part series entitled: “Women, War & Peace” highlighting the unique struggles of women during war time. Women, who in many countries are denied the rights of voting or serving in the military, often suffer disproportionately during warfare – the victims of domestic attacks and gender based torture methods (such as rape). PBS is highlighting the story of women during war in places such as Bosnia, Somalia, and Darfur.
To learn more about the series, see the website, which includes behind the scenes stories, analysis, and greater detail than covered in the television series. An important look at how warfare affects the home front and those who have the least power in starting or stopping it.
Tags: Africa, Anthropology, Bosnia, Darfur, Feminism, History, Somalia, War, warfare, Women, Women's issues, Yugoslavia
Although the Romans never actually went to ireland, confining themselves to the Big Island (and only making a brief foray into Scotland), it turns out that the Irish occupants did in fact interact with the Romans.
