BCU dig yields archaeological finds

Birmingham City University (place of my employ) are currently in the early stages of building a major new campus in the city centre. Before the bulldozers went in a team from the University of Leicester's Archaeological Services took the opportunity, late last year, to have a look to see what they find. Stone flints indicating signs of human activity dating back some 9000 years have been found.



Photo (c) University of Leicester Archaeological Services

Evidence of wood clearing was also found in an area which would have been boggy land at the time. Clay samples are currently being examined for traces of pollen and insects and is also being radiocarbon dated. More details of the archaeological excavation can be seen here.

Ancient Greek homes doubled as pubs and brothels

The kapeleia or lively Greek tavern features prominently in ancient Greek plays but so far no evidence of these establishments has been unearthed by archaeologists. Clare Kelly Blazeby, from the University of Leeds, however thinks she has found the kapeleias. They doubled as Greek private homes.

Some homes she investigated contained hundreds of drinking cups, far too many even for private parties of the well-off. Blazeby says that the most likely explanation is that the homes doubled as public houses. Porneia or brothels may also have been in private homes. An abundance of entrances, small rooms and facilities for bathing could indicate the dual use.

If this dual-use is true then it sheds interesting light on the classical Greek economy and also social life in ancient Greece. Blazeby said, "My research shows that a lot of trade was embedded within the domestic walls. It also changes our perception of who was drinking wine, and where they were doing it. Women, slaves and foreigners as well as ordinary Greeks, would all have enjoyed time and wine in a classical tavern."

Chinese writing 1000 years older than previously thought?

Professor Liu Fengjun at Shandong University has discovered Chinese inscriptions on bone, which if the dating is correct, would put the age of Chinese writing back 1000 years earlier than previously thought. The writing dates from the Longshan Culture which existed from 2800 to 2300 BCE. This would pre-date the Yinxu inscriptions which came from the Shang dynasty of the 2nd millennium BCE.

Not everyone is convinced the marking are the work of man though, some are saying the marks could have been left by worms or tree roots.

Neanderthal weaponry lacked projectile advantage

The Neanderthals of course are the most successful species of humans so far in that they were around on the planet for a lot longer than us and recent discoveries have begun to dispel the myths that Neanderthals were knuckle dragging morons. However despite being able to produce sophisticated tools and weapons the modern humans had a key advantage over them, projectile weapons.

Anthropologists have analysed the skeletons of early modern men and Neanderthals and found that the latter lack the backward displacement of the shoulder joint that results in overhead throwing activities. Without thrown overhead a projectile weapon has much greater speed and range. While the Neanderthals probably did still throw spears and other weapons modern humans who did throw overhead had a definite advantage. Steve Churchill, an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University, said "perhaps their...short, squat body build with short and massive limbs was not conducive to using throwing-based hunting technology".

A look at the 1911 census

I have taken a look at the 1911 census which was put on-line yesterday. I did a search for my Grandmother who was just 5 at the time. The occupations of her siblings as listed on the census was interesting. I knew my Great-Grandfather was a miner but it was interesting that his two eldest sons living in the house were "rubber workers". I assume this means they worked in a tyre factory! I live, literally, a rolling tyre journey away from Fort Dunlop, who knows maybe they worked there.

My Grandmother's eldest sister Amy lists her occupation as "painter". I assume she didn't mean a house painter (or maybe it was, how common was that for a woman in 1911?) so maybe she was a painter in a factory. As with most of my family history research so far all i seem to find are more questions rather than that many answers!

Unlocking secrets of Mediaeval manuscripts using DNA

North Carolina State University researcher Assistant Professor of English Timothy Stinson is working on techniques to use DNA analysis to date and locate the origins of the animal skin parchments used in many Mediaeval manuscripts. Up until now handwriting and linguistic analysis has been used but these methods have their limitations. Stinson is aiming to create a baseline of DNA markers from manuscripts with known dates and origins and then compare the DNA from manuscripts of unknown origin with the baseline. Genetic similarities could then assist in narrowing down the time scale and locale of the manuscript in question. It will also allow the tracing of the trade route of manuscripts through the mediaeval world.

1911 census goes online

The British 1911 census has been digitized and put on-line. The 1911 census was not originally intended to be made available until 2012 but a Freedom of Information Act request has seen it made available a few years early. When the 1901 census was made available it crashed the servers though at the moment the 1911 one seems fine, of course i am writing this at 8:20am!

Comet impacts may have caused ancient famine

Continuing the ancient climate change theme, scientists think multiple comet impacts 1500 years ago plunged the world into darkness and caused worldwide famines.

Historical records tell of a "global dimming" in 536CE where a fog of dust blanketed the Earth cutting daylight, dropping temperatures and causing crops to fail. Until now the cause of this dimming was unknown though some speculated it could have been due to volcanic activity. A team from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory now think it was due to multiple comet impacts. Tiny balls of condensed rock vapour found in ice cores taken at Greenland date back to 536, this is the kind of debris thrown up by a major impact. The length of time the debris was laid down indicates there was more than one impact. Two possible craters have also been identified by the team led by Dallas Abbott.

Decline of Roman and Byzantine Empires 1, 400 years ago may have been driven by climate change

A team of American and Israeli geologists have put together a much more detailed than previously possible climate record from 200 BCE to 1100 CE from geochemical analysis of a stalagmite from Soreq Cave near Jerusalem. Using an advanced ion microprobe they measured oxygen isotope signatures and impurities in the mineral layers of a stalagmite to sufficient resolution to be able to tell the rainfall for individual years and seasons. They were thus able to build up a detailed picture of the climate.

And they found the weather between 100 and 700CE became increasingly dry with "steep drops in precipitation" between 100 and 400 CE, a period that coincides with a drop in power and influence of the Roman and Byzantine Empires in the region. University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor John Valley said "Whether this is what weakened the Byzantines or not isn't known, but it is an interesting correlation."

Time to start studying again

I need to get back into the studying groove again, i did plan to start my next Open University course (AA312 Total war and social change: Europe 1914-1955) last Sunday but did not feel quite ready! Actually i have until early February until the course officially starts but i like to start early so i have a little slack in case i need to take the odd week off especially when the sun is finally shining in the Summer!

I have been doing quite a lot of background reading though, "The Origins of the Second World War in Europe" by PMH Bell is an excellent book i recommend. I've just finished the short but very interesting "The inter-war crisis 1919-1939" by RJ Overy too.