Post-medieval sheep (Ovis aries) metapodia from southern Britain

The ‘improvement’ of sheep (Ovis aries) in southern Britain during the post-medieval period is examined using measurements taken on the metacarpals and metatarsals from the late 18th to 19th centuries AD site of Tumbling Fields, Tiverton, Devon. This data set is a rare and important metric archive from which is derived information on the conformation (size and shape) of sheep. Comparisons are presented from other medieval and post-medieval sites, which demonstrate that Tumbling Fields is comparable to other sites of a similar period. The comparisons presented also reveal temporal variation with bones from later sites being taller and more robust on average than those from earlier sites. In addition, the abnormalities of sheep (O. aries) metapodia are examined. In particular, two different conditions are discussed: small, oval cavities in the proximal articulation of the metacarpals, and a ridge of bone on the proximal anterior shaft of the metatarsals. Comparisons are presented from other medieval and post-medieval sites, and potential aetiologies are discussed.     

NGOs and Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe: No Magic Bullets

A number of case studies of NGO projects have suggested that NGOs may have an important role to play in addressing environmental problems in developing countries. Drawing on research conducted in Zimbabwe, this analysis seeks to broaden and contextualize the discussion of NGO involvement in sustainable development initiatives. It reviews the theoretical basis for the current emphasis on NGOs, assesses the environmental problems in Zimbabwe within their historical and social contexts, and summarizes the findings of recent research on the characteristics of the NGO sector in the country. The purpose is not to evaluate specific NGO environment projects, but rather to assess the mechanisms through which the NGO sector as a whole might make a significant contribution to sustainable development, and the problems in doing so. It is argued that one major obstacle faced by NGOs is the demand made upon them to find simple, neat and comprehensive solutions to complex development problems. The tendency on the part of donors and NGO supporters to expect success stories is called here the ‘magic bullet syndrome’, and it is argued that this emphasis on simplicity and on success is unrealistic and counterproductive.     

Invisible radiation reveals who we are as people: environmental complexity,gendered risk,and biopolitics after the Fukushima nuclear disaster

The March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, and the subsequent tsunami and release of nuclear contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, is clearly one of the largest disasters of the past century and it has devastated large portions of eastern Japan. In this paper we explore the coping mechanisms of people navigating these landscapes of contamination, as well as examine state policies developed to deal with the disaster. We argue that there has been a significant discrepancy between state policies and the needs of people directly affected by the catastrophe. To more fully examine why this discrepancy exists – and how it is produced – we investigate the complex geographies of contamination and risk near the damaged Fukushima power plant through the conceptual lens of ‘wet ontologies’ coupled with an analysis of state strategies for the governance of the affected populations. In our research we found that Foucauldian theorizations on biopower, neoliberalism and environmental governance can help explain how nuclear power as a social institution can require states to sacrifice the well-being of hundreds of thousands of their citizens in ways that affect people in gendered and age-specific ways.     

Untangling creativity and art for policy purposes: ethnographic insights on Manchester International Festival and Manchester Day Parade

This paper draws on anthropological fieldwork of a civic parade in Manchester from 2010 to 2012 to argue for engaging with creativity as a process rather than an attribute of a particular sector or individual. It shows how the focus on funding and supporting ‘creative industries’ defined as ‘cinema, television, music, literature, performing arts, heritage and related areas’ actually excludes and diminishes the potential for others to engage with ideas and creative processes. Two major events in Manchester’s cultural calendar – Procession by artist Jeremy Deller, produced by Manchester International Festival and Manchester Day Parade, a council-led civic celebration – both combined community groups with artist input to put large-scale structures and people on the city’s streets. In this ethnographic analysis, I argue that the ‘creativity’ sought from these artists is their adaptive and productive approach to making ideas tangible. By focusing on creativity as a process rather than a character trait, there is even greater potential for stimulating a ‘creative’ city.     

Fossil Folklore from India: The Siwalik Hills and the Mahâbhârata

Many medievalists, especially scholars of Celtic literature, have observed that red-eared white animals are associated with fairies and other supernatural beings. What has not been satisfactorily answered is why this should be so. This article offers a possible explanation, suggesting that this widespread phenomenon is rooted not in fantasy but in zoology.     

Short Notices. Sociological Papers. Volume II. Macmillan, 1906. 8vo. pp. xiv, 308.

MAGIC AND RELIGION. By ANDREW LANG. Longmans, 10s. 6d.

THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE. By W. RIDGEWAY, Disney Professor of Archæology in the University of Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 21s.

MYTHS OF GREECE. By GEORGE ST. CLAIR. 2 vols. Williams and Norgate.

THE REALMS OF THE EGYPTIAN DEAD. By K. A. WIEDEMANN. London: David Nutt. 1901. Reviewed by A. H. Sayce.

THE ETHNO-BOTANY OF THE COAHUILLA INDIANS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. By DAVID PRESCOTT BARROWS. Chicago University Press. 1900. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

INDIAN STORY AND SONG FROM NORTH AMERICA. By ALICE C. FLETCHER. Boston : Small, Maynard, and Co. 1900. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

CONTES DES LANDES ET DES GRÈVES. By PAUL SÉBILLOT. Rennes: Hyacinthe Caillière. 1900. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

LES COQUILLAGES DE MER. By PAUL SÉBILLOT. Paris: Maisonneuve. 1900. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

LE FOLK-LORE DES PÊCHEURS. By PAUL SÉBILLOT. Paris: Maisonneuve. 1901. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

TRADIZIONI POPOLARI PISTOIESI. RACCONTI POPOLARI PISTOIESI IN VERNACOLO PISTOIESI. Raccolti e pubblicati da RUDOLFO NERUCCI, Pistoia. 1901. Reviewed by E. Sidney Hartland.

THE WIFE OF BATH'S TALE; ITS SOURCES AND ANALOGUES. By G. H. MAYNADIER, Instructor in English at Harvard University. (Grimm's Library. Vol. xiii.) Reviewed by Jessie L. Weston.

THE JUNIOR TEMPLE READER. By CLARA L. THOMPSON and E. E. SPEIGHT. Horace Marshall, 1s. 6d.

POPULAR STUDIES IN MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE. No. 10. THE ROMANCE CYCLE OF CHARLEMAGNE AND HIS PEERS. By JESSIE L. WESTON. D. Nutt. 6d.