From Discovery
"Early modern humans mated with Neanderthals and possibly other archaic hominid species from Asia at least 100,000 years ago, according to a new study that describes human remains from that period in South China.
The remains are the oldest modern human fossils in East Asia and predate, by over 60,000 years, the oldest previously known modern human remains in the region."
And in related news from the Toronto Star
"There’s a touch of Neanderthal in Ozzy Osbourne. That’s now a scientific fact.
Osbourne, the hard-living rocker who used to down four bottles of Cognac a day, is among the first people in the world to get his entire genome sequenced."
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Exhibit of Nazi memorabilia explores Hitler personality cult
From France 24 (includes video)
"A new exhibit that opened in Berlin on Friday features Nazi memorabilia -- from propaganda posters to Christmas tree ornaments -- to explore the personality cult surrounding Adolf Hitler that enabled him to keep a tight grip on the German nation."
"A new exhibit that opened in Berlin on Friday features Nazi memorabilia -- from propaganda posters to Christmas tree ornaments -- to explore the personality cult surrounding Adolf Hitler that enabled him to keep a tight grip on the German nation."
Out of Asia? Ancient ancestor of modern man walked Sahara 39million years ago
From the Daily Mail
"The human family tree may have to be rewritten after scientists found evidence that the ancient ancestors of humans, apes and monkeys evolved in Asia - rather than Africa - tens of millions of years ago.
The astonishing claim follows the discovery of four species of early primate in the Sahara desert, dating back 39 million years."
"The human family tree may have to be rewritten after scientists found evidence that the ancient ancestors of humans, apes and monkeys evolved in Asia - rather than Africa - tens of millions of years ago.
The astonishing claim follows the discovery of four species of early primate in the Sahara desert, dating back 39 million years."
Going underground: Exploring the Paris Catacombs
From the Indy
"Cataphiles are Parisian urban explorers who illegally wander the Catacombs, a term popularly used to describe a vast network of underground galleries, tunnels and crypts under Paris. Originally built after the French Revolution to house the remains of destroyed tombs during the expansion of the city, the Catacombs are testimony to over two centuries of the city's historical heritage. For example, they were used as shelters by the French resistance during the Nazi occupation of Paris in the Second World War."
"Cataphiles are Parisian urban explorers who illegally wander the Catacombs, a term popularly used to describe a vast network of underground galleries, tunnels and crypts under Paris. Originally built after the French Revolution to house the remains of destroyed tombs during the expansion of the city, the Catacombs are testimony to over two centuries of the city's historical heritage. For example, they were used as shelters by the French resistance during the Nazi occupation of Paris in the Second World War."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Disorder in the House as Sir Ted's legacy leads to row
From the Indy
"The fate of Sir Edward Heath's legacy, his former home in the Close of Salisbury Cathedral and his personal artefacts, lies in the hands of the Charity Commission after a group of supporters challenged a decision to shut the house for good.
Arundells, the Queen Anne-style property that the former PM left to the nation, will close to the public on Wednesday unless the Charity Commission intervenes in an increasingly ugly row that has split the trustees and dismayed the Sir Edward Heath Charitable foundation, which has run the house since Sir Edward's death in July 2005."
Saturday, October 16, 2010
AA307 done!
My exam last Wednesday will hopefully be my final exam of my Open University BA Hons course. Six years of study, toil and tears (well maybe not the latter) come to an end. The exam seemed to go pretty well, i remembered everything that i revised anyway. Whether i wrote what i revised down in a coherent manner or not is another question and we'll just have to wait until December to find out. As least i didn't have a car crash before the exam this time unlike this year. Doing an exam in shock is probably not to be recommended.
Now i am thinking about to do for my further study. I am considering History MAs with the Open University and Birmingham University who do an interesting local history MA with Saturday classes. I am also thinking about a career related MA though, not fully decided what to do yet.
Now i am thinking about to do for my further study. I am considering History MAs with the Open University and Birmingham University who do an interesting local history MA with Saturday classes. I am also thinking about a career related MA though, not fully decided what to do yet.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Face to face with the past
From Euronews (includes video)
"Greek scientists and archaeologists have reconstructed the face and head of an 11-year-old girl who died from typhoid fever during a plague in Athens around 2,500 years ago."
"Greek scientists and archaeologists have reconstructed the face and head of an 11-year-old girl who died from typhoid fever during a plague in Athens around 2,500 years ago."
Cancer caused by modern man as it was virtually non-existent in ancient world
From the Telegraph
"Cancer is a modern man-made disease caused by the excesses of modern life, a new study suggests.
Researchers looking at almost a thousand mummies from ancient Egypt and South America found only a handful suffered from when now it accounts for nearly one in three deaths.
The findings suggest that it is modern lifestyles and pollution levels caused by industry that are the main cause of the disease and that it is not a naturally occurring condition."
"Cancer is a modern man-made disease caused by the excesses of modern life, a new study suggests.
Researchers looking at almost a thousand mummies from ancient Egypt and South America found only a handful suffered from when now it accounts for nearly one in three deaths.
The findings suggest that it is modern lifestyles and pollution levels caused by industry that are the main cause of the disease and that it is not a naturally occurring condition."
Badgers dig up human bones in graveyard
From the Telegraph
"Badgers are causing havoc in an ancient churchyard by digging up the remains of people buried there for several hundred years.
And locals have been warned they can do nothing about it because the animals are a protected species.
At least four graves have been disturbed so far; in one instance a child found a leg bone and took it home to his parents."
"Badgers are causing havoc in an ancient churchyard by digging up the remains of people buried there for several hundred years.
And locals have been warned they can do nothing about it because the animals are a protected species.
At least four graves have been disturbed so far; in one instance a child found a leg bone and took it home to his parents."
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
WWI ships to chart past climate
From the BBC
"A new project aims to use old Royal Navy logbooks to help build a more accurate picture of how our climate has changed over the last century.
The public are being called upon to re-trace the routes taken by some 280 Royal Navy ships including historic vessels."
"A new project aims to use old Royal Navy logbooks to help build a more accurate picture of how our climate has changed over the last century.
The public are being called upon to re-trace the routes taken by some 280 Royal Navy ships including historic vessels."
Monday, October 11, 2010
Ten 'most threatened' buildings in England and Wales
From the BBC
It follows a public appeal by the charity to find the most threatened Victorian and Edwardian buildings."
It follows a public appeal by the charity to find the most threatened Victorian and Edwardian buildings."
Monday, October 4, 2010
Document 'proves' Vichy France leader was an anti-Semite
From France24
"A recently discovered Vichy-era document has reignited one of the most divisive questions in post-war France: how far did the Vichy government go in aiding Nazi Germany in its endeavour to exterminate Europe’s Jews?
Serge Klarsfeld, a leading Holocaust historian and Nazi hunter, says a newly discovered document is definitive evidence that French wartime leader Philippe Petain was an anti-Semite who actively supported the holocaust."
"A recently discovered Vichy-era document has reignited one of the most divisive questions in post-war France: how far did the Vichy government go in aiding Nazi Germany in its endeavour to exterminate Europe’s Jews?
Serge Klarsfeld, a leading Holocaust historian and Nazi hunter, says a newly discovered document is definitive evidence that French wartime leader Philippe Petain was an anti-Semite who actively supported the holocaust."
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Why does Germany still owe money for the first world war?
From the Guardian
"According to Bild magazine, the first world war will finally end this weekend when Germany pays off the last instalment of the interest it owes on loans it took out in the 1930s to pay £22bn in reparations to the allied powers. The sum would, of course, have been paid off much earlier were it not for Adolf Hitler, who exploited public resentment at the economic crisis caused by said reparations to a) refuse to pay them, and b) kick off a whole other war – leading to a whole other load of reparations. But news that Germany was still paying reparations from 1919 in 2010 does rather prompt the question: what for?"
"According to Bild magazine, the first world war will finally end this weekend when Germany pays off the last instalment of the interest it owes on loans it took out in the 1930s to pay £22bn in reparations to the allied powers. The sum would, of course, have been paid off much earlier were it not for Adolf Hitler, who exploited public resentment at the economic crisis caused by said reparations to a) refuse to pay them, and b) kick off a whole other war – leading to a whole other load of reparations. But news that Germany was still paying reparations from 1919 in 2010 does rather prompt the question: what for?"
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