Study of the medieval dogs from novgorod,Russia (X–XIV century)

The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of dogs in medieval Novgorod. Based on the unique osteological collection of canine bones from layers of 10th to 14th centuries AD, research showed that the ‘classical’ medium‐sized mesocephalic animals were the most widespread in the city in the discussed times. Well suitable for the alarm guarding, they were rarely used for food or skins. Smaller and larger specimens are rare and most likely represent the luxury breeds of upper classes or prosperous citizens. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neurocranial Trauma in the Late Archaic Human Remains from Xujiayao,Northern China

The early Late Pleistocene late archaic human remains from Xujiayao, northern China, reveal several abnormalities of the neurocranial vault. The Xujiayao site is located on the northwestern boundary of the Nihewan Basin, and on the basis of various indicators, it dates to the early Late Pleistocene. Among the 15 human neurocranial elements found at Xujiayao in the 1970s, three elements show minor traumatic lesions of the external table: the largely complete Xujiayao 5a immature parietal bone, the Xujiayao 8 small piece of anterior right parietal bone and the Xujiayao 12 partial occipital bone. The lesions are all superior to the temporal or nuchal lines and hence were subcutaneous, covered only by the pericranium, the galea aponeurotica and the overlying skin. The external tables are variably concave with irregular bone within the bony depressions, and the diploë show varying degrees of involvement. The Xujiayao abnormalities join a series of minor neurocranial healed lesions among Pleistocene humans, as well as more pronounced healed neurocranial and facial trauma. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.