Kinship between burials from Grave Circle B at Mycenae revealed by ancient DNA typing

The richness of the burials in Grave Circle B at Mycenae, Greece indicates that the 35 people interred there held elite status during their lifetimes 3500 years ago. It has been speculated that the groups of burials represent different dynasties or branches of the same family. To test this hypothesis, we carried out an exhaustive ancient DNA (aDNA) study of 22 of the skeletons. We were unable to identify nuclear aDNA in any specimen, but we obtained authentic mitochondrial aDNA sequences for four individuals. The results were compared with facial reconstructions and interpreted within the archaeological context represented by the organisation of the graves and the positions of the burials within the graves. We conclude that the contemporaneous male Γ55 and female Γ58 skeletons, which both possess the UK mitochondrial haplogroup, were brother and sister. The implication is that Γ58 was buried in Grave Circle B not because of a marital connection but because she held a position of authority by right of birth. The results illustrate the difficulty in using aDNA to study kinship relationships between archaeological specimens, but also show that aDNA can advance understanding of kinship when used to test hypotheses constructed from other evidence.     

DNA in cremated bones from an early bronze age cemetery cairn

The discovery of polymeric DNA in charred wheat grains and other burnt plant remains prompted us to examine a set of cremated bones for the presence of ancient DNA. Extracts of cremated bones from an early Bronze Age cemetery cairn were analysed by hybridization probing and the polymerase chain reaction. Hybridization with two probes targeting human DNA resulted in strong positive signals. Polymerase chain reactions directed at a multicopy sequence in human nuclear DNA were successful, extracts of five burials giving amplification products of the expected size. Exploitation of ancient DNA in cremated bones could be of great value in archaeology as it may enable information pertaining to sex and kinship to be obtained from fragmented material.     

Analysis and Design of Inter-Story Isolation Systems with Nonlinear Devices

Seismic isolation systems that mitigate seismic response are generally applied at the base of a building; however, architectural, functional, and cost considerations have motivated the application of isolation systems at inter-story locations. In this article, we systematically examine the effectiveness of inter-story isolation systems as a function of their location, and explore alternative approaches for selecting their properties. Single-story isolation systems are shown to be effective in mitigating force demands above the isolation system but less effective in mitigating forces below the isolation system. Finally, the practical aspects of designing an inter-story isolation system to accommodate light loads are discussed.     

Exceptional preservation of a prehistoric human brain from Heslington,Yorkshire, UK

Archaeological work in advance of construction at a site on the edge of York, UK, yielded human remains of prehistoric to Romano-British date. Amongst these was a mandible and cranium, the intra-cranial space of which contained shrunken but macroscopically recognizable remains of a brain. Although the distinctive surface morphology of the organ is preserved, little recognizable brain histology survives. Though rare, the survival of brain tissue in otherwise skeletalised human remains from wet burial environments is not unique. A survey of the literature shows that similar brain masses have been previously reported in diverse circumstances. We argue for a greater awareness of these brain masses and for more attention to be paid to their detection and identification in order to improve the reporting rate and to allow a more comprehensive study of this rare archaeological survival.     

Politicisation but not Responsiveness: Preferences and Experiences of New Zealand Councillors

This article reports the responses of New Zealand local government councillors concerning their preferences for, and experiences of, council officer employment; and the values councillors perceive that council officers adopt in their dealings with councillors. This study received responses from slightly fewer than one hundred councillors in New Zealand local government out of 247 and therefore, the results presented here should be viewed as indicative only because of the small sample. Nevertheless the survey found that 54 per cent to 77 per cent would prefer to have influence over council officer employment, with council officers displaying deference to the authority of councillors. Councillors prefer to have frank and fearless advice but they prefer not to be under pressure from council officers to accept that advice. This ensures that they obtain the type of support they need to carry out the tasks and responsibilities that have been conferred on local authorities; and they – the councillors rather than council officers – remain in control of the council affairs.     

Governance, institutional capacity and partnerships in local economic development: theoretical issues and empirical evidence from the Humber Sub-region

Recent research on local and regional economic development has focused upon transformations in local governance and institutional capacity. It has been argued that local authorities have ceded power to other actors and institutions involved in economic development and regeneration, and that the success of local and regional economic development is closely related to the strength of 'institutional capacity' within an area. In this paper, we examine these claims with reference to the operation of EU Structural Funds in the Humber Sub-region of the UK. Previous research on local governance and institutional capacity has had a limited empirical focus, drawing conclusions from studies of either economically 'successful' regions or regions undergoing regulatory and institutional transformation and precluding analysis of the nature and conditions of local governance and institutional capacity in less developed regions. Our case study evidence not only suggests that arguments about the declining influence of the local state are overdrawn, but also indicates a need for more nuanced accounts of the role of institutional capacity in regional development.     

Book reviews

Eastern Armenia in the Last Decades of Persian Rule, 1807–1828: A Political and Socioeconomic Study of the Khanate of Erevan on the Eve of the Russian Conquest. By George A. Bournoutian. Studies in Near Eastern Culture and Society, Vol. 5. Malibu: Undena Publications, 1982. 290 + 22 pp. $34.00 (cloth), $29.00 (paper).

Modern Islamic Political Thought. By Hamid Enayat. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1982. x + 225 pp. $8.95 paper.

Economic Origins of the Iranian Revolution. By Robert E. Looney. New York and Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1982. 302 pp. $32.50 cloth.

Mavane'‐ye Tarikhi‐ye Roshd‐e Sarmayehdari Daz Iran: Doureh‐ye Qajar. By Ahmad Ashraf. Tehran: Intesharat‐e Zamineh, 1359 H. Sh. 172 pp.

Epic Images and Contemporary History: The Illustrations of the Great Mongol “Shahnama.” By Oleg Grabar and Sheila Blair. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980. 210 pp., 6 color plates, 58 black & white illustrations, 8 figures, index. $27.50.