Fatal wounds in a Late Neolithic double inhumation—A probable case of meningitis following trauma

Among a group of seven skeletons from the southern part of Lower Saxony, dating to the Single Grave Culture (ca. 2500BC ), was a double inhumation, which showed an unusual burial position for one of the individuals interred. Deviating from the typical squatted position, this male was supine. Having been badly injured by an arrow shot into the back, he suffered from post-traumatic paraplegia and, most probably died from bacterial meningitis caused by the flint tip that penetrated the spinal cord. This infection was also responsible for the burial position, clearly pointing to an opisthotonus, which is indicative of the final stage of bacterial meningitis. The other individual, also male, had an arrow wound and died from the complications of a severe wound to the intestines.     

Explanation of the Pattern of P49a,f <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taq</Emphasis>I RFLP Y-Chromosome Variation in Egypt

The possible factors involved in the generation of the p49a,f TaqI Y-chromosome spatial diversity in Egypt are explored. The object is to consider explanations beyond those that emphasize gene flow mediated via military campaigns within the Nile corridor during the dynastic period. Current patterns of the most common variants (V, XI, IV) have been suggested to relate to Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom political actions in Nubia, including sometimes settler colonization, and the conquest of Egypt by Napata (in upper Nubia, northern Sudan) that initiated Dynasty XXV. Other events or processes have not been presented. However, a synthesis of evidence from archaeology, historical linguistics, texts, the distribution of haplotypes outside of Egypt, and some demographic considerations, lends greater support to the establishment, before the Middle Kingdom, of the observed distributions of the most prevalent haplotypes: V, XI, and IV. It is suggested that the pattern of diversity for these variants in the Egyptian Nile Valley, was largely the product of population events that occurred in the late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene through Dynasty I, and was sustained by continuous smaller scale bi-directional migrations/interactions. The higher frequency of V in Ethiopia than in Nubia or upper (southern) Egypt, has to be taken into account in any discussion of variation in the Nile Valley, especially in the context of the findings of historical linguistics.Les facteurs possibles qui etaient parmi la generation de p49a,f TaqI Y-divers chromosome spatiale en Egypte, avaient ete explores. L’objectif etait de prendre en consideration les explications autour de celles qui mettaient l’accent sur le gene flow qui avait ete medie a partir des campagnes militaries dans le corridor du Nil, pendant la periode dynastique. Les modeles courants des varieties communes (V, XI, IV) avaient ete suggeres pour qu’ils soient en lien avec les actes politiques du Royaume Moyen et du Royaume Nouveau de Nubie, inclu quelques colonies, et la conquete de l’Egypte par Napta (en Haut Nubie, au Nord du Soudan), cela avait initie la 25eme dynastie. D’autres evenements ou procedures, n’avaient pas ete presentes. Ainsi, une synthese d’evidence de l’archeologie, de langues historiques, de textes, la distribution des haplotypes en dehors de l’Egypte, et quelques considerations demographiques avaient servi de grand support a l’etablissement, avant le Royaume Moyen, des distributions observees des varietes les plus prevalents: V, XI, and IV. Il est suggere que le modele de diversite pour ces varieties dans la Vallee du Nil Egyptien, etait largement le produit des evenements populaires qui s’etaient passes dans la derniere periode du Pleistocene au Moyen-Holocene jusqu’a la Premiere Dynastie, et etait soutenu par de petites echelles continue de demi-migrations/interactions directional. La plus grande frequence de V en Ethiopie qu’en Nubie ou plus haut, au Sud de l’Egypte, doit etre prise en considerartion dans n’importe quelle discussion de variation dans la Vallee du Nil, speciallement dans le contexte des decouvertes de langues historiques.     

Death in the line of duty: late medieval burials at the site of Lepenski Vir,Serbia

Four late medieval burials were excavated at the site of Lepenski Vir in the Iron Gates Gorge, Serbia. One of the individuals, Lepenski Vir 62, exhibits evidence of a sharp‐force trauma on the left parietal, consistent with a combat wound. None of the other contemporaneous individuals show any evidence of trauma or other pathology on the few preserved bones. We argue that the skeletons belong to soldiers involved in the border warfare on the Danube which was quite common at the end of the 14^th and the first half of the 15^th century between Serbian, Hungarian and Turkish forces. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

清代木船业的衰落和中国轮船航运业的兴起

晚清中国的巨变之一,是西力东渐后中国社会经济结构引发的一系列变化。西方轮船在中国水域中的出现和强力竞争,导致中国传统木船业衰落。西方轮船同时是外国列强在中国获取势力范围的外在表现。在内忧外患双重压力下,中国自己的轮船航运业冲破重重阻碍终于得以诞生,这是中国社会大机器工业时代开始的象征,也是中国社会发生重大变革的表现之一。     

湖北大悟夏家河遗址发掘简报

夏家河遗址位于湖北省大悟县高店乡夏河村,2008年11月~12月,为配合郑(州)武(汉)高速铁路建设,湖北省文物考古所对该遗址进行了抢救性发掘。遗址包含新石器时代和西周两个时期的文化遗存。新石器时代遗存发现有石家河文化晚期的瓮棺和房址,出土器物有鼎、钵、高领罐、缸、擂钵等。西周时期遗迹多为灰坑、烧土堆积和房址,从鬲、罐、盂、豆等器物组合和形态来看,相当于西周晚期。     

Monks,dinars and date palms: hagiographical production and the expansion of monastic institutions in the early Islamic Persian Gulf

Recent archaeological studies have documented an expansion of monastic institutions in the Persian Gulf after the Islamic conquest, between the middle of the seventh and the end of the eighth centuries. Although the literary sources have often been invoked to support an earlier dating for the diffusion of coenobitic monasticism in the region, our principal source for the phenomenon — the History of Mar Yonan, hitherto misdated to the fourth century — confirms recent archaeologically informed interpretations. The narrative, moreover, provides an insight into the social and economic structures of monasticism in the seventh‐ and eighth‐century Persian Gulf as well as the ideological conflicts that attended the emergence of those structures.     

清末民初的“纪年”变革与国家建构

清末,中国传统时间思维受到西方线性时间观念的冲击而发生根本变革,纪年变革就是这种变化最为直接的表现。知识分子将纪年视为建构＂现代国家＂的重要方面,并为争夺纪年所具有的政治资源展开激烈论争。民国建立之后,革命党人将建构新纪年体系视为革新政治的重要标志,并在社会上大力播扬新纪年的意义,此做法却受到了普通民众的抵制。时间观念及与之相伴的生活习俗与现实政治之间的复杂关系是近代社会变革的重要论题。     

晚清时期英国在华租借地历史文化国际学术研讨会综述

在山东威海举办的“晚清时期英国在华租借地历史文化”国际学术研讨会上,来自世界各地的专家学者,以香港、威海两地特定时期的历史文化问题为主题,对近代英国在华租借地的历史事件、历史人物及相关研究进行了多方位的考察和讨论,丰富了晚清时期英国在华租借地研究的成果。     

洛阳市西工区八一路东周车马坑

2004年10月,洛阳市文物工作队在洛阳市西工区八一路发现和清理了一座车马坑,坑内残存二车一马,出土了陶、铜、铅、玉、蚌等质地的遗物27件套。依据出土器物的形制特征,该车马坑的年代应为春秋晚期。     

幕末日本的海洋国家论

确切地说,幕末日本海洋国家思想的发展以1778年俄国商船来蝦夷要求通商为契机。与幕府的锁国海防相对,林子平、本多利明、佐藤信渊等思想家也纷纷提出了海防思想及海洋国家论,其特点以开国海防与开拓海防为主。锁国海防、开国海防与开拓海防,成为幕末海洋国家论的有机构成。