Cross-Border Trade Liberalization: The Case of Lokmaci/Ledra Gate in Divided Nicosia,Cyprus

In the divided Walled City of Nicosia, there are two separate markets: one in the Greek Cypriot South and one in the Turkish Cypriot North. The division is the result of the unresolved Cyprus Problem. However, UN-sponsored negotiations are gradually liberalizing trade as well as movement of people across the border. On 3 April 2008, the Ledra Street/Lokmaci Gate was opened, allowing people, tourists and shoppers to cross to the other side. This event was further stimulated by action on the part of various aid agencies, principally the European Union, United States Agency for International Development and United Nations Development Program, who had invested heavily in revitalization projects to restore historic and heritage sites in the area. These two complementary effects (i.e. revitalization projects and opening the Gate) have generated significant trade creation in the business district near the Gate. It is the overall aim of this paper to quantify the “trade creation effect”. The paper reports the results of a special survey of primary shop owners in the neighbourhood of the Gate in the northern part of the capital. The study finds empirical evidence of substantial trade creation, especially for Turkish Cypriots. However, this optimistic finding is clouded by the on-going bitterness of the last divided European capital surrounded by barbwires and minefields of the UN buffer zone that prevent maximum economic prosperity of a potential political settlement.     

Ancient DNA Analysis of Anatolian Goat Remains Excavated from a Urartian Castle in Eastern Turkey

In recent years, mitochondrial diversity of goats has been extensively studied, in order to shed light on domestication processes. There are limited studies on genetic diversity and demographic history of Anatolian goat breeds, and these studies have focused only on modern goats. Until today, no research has been conducted on DNA analysis of ancient Anatolian goats. In the present study, seven ancient DNA samples of goat remains from Van‐Yoncatepe archaeological site in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, dating 1000 BC, were successfully extracted and amplified for the first time. A 230‐bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA Hypervariable Region 1 of the samples was analyzed. All of the ancient sequences belonged to haplogroup A, which is the most widely distributed and frequently encountered haplogroup in modern goats. The results also pointed out that Anatolian ancient goats might have contributed to the genetic structure of modern goats in the Near East, the Mediterranean Region and South‐Southeastern Asia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anatomical and Biomechanical Aspects of the Horse Spine: The Interpretation of Vertebral Fusion in a Medieval Horse from Wroclaw (Poland)

The investigation were carried out on the medieval horses thoracic and lumbar spine excavated between 2009‐2011 by the Institute of Archaeology, University of Wroclaw at New Market Square in Wroclaw (Wratislavia, Breslau), capital city of the Polish province of Lower Silesia. The pathological changes, like: ankylosis of the zygapophyses, fusion of the vertebral bodies and arches and the interspinal space calcification were observed. The X‐ray examination was done. During medieval artefact interpretation the biomechanical aspect of horse's locomotor system was taken into consideration. The archaeozoological material was compared with modern horse's spine (with similar pathological changes and known history of disease). The analysis proved, that the observed osseous reaction was a result of the long‐lasting inflammation. Such a disease appearance accompanies chronic inflammatory state of errector muscles of the spine. It is typical for those horses utilised for the saddle. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cynophagia in the Púchov (Celtic) Culture Settlement at Liptovská Mara,Northern Slovakia

This paper deals with the remains of butchered dogs from the La Tène and Early Roman sites in northern Slovakia. A large settlement revealed at Liptovská Mara was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of Cotini, representing the so‐called Púchov culture. The long‐term excavation of the site has yielded one of the largest collections from that time in Slovakia. During archaeozoological analysis, the skeletal remains of dogs were identified. Interestingly, a large portion of the specimens represent the cranial skeleton, and the majority of mandibles bear distinctive marks of butchery. On the basis of their placement and similar characteristics, the authors conclude that they resulted from tongue‐removal procedures. Moreover, their frequent occurrence clearly supports the idea of the use of dog flesh at the site. The authors argue that cynophagia occurred mainly for economic reasons; however, it might also have been part of the rituals documented in the sanctuary of Liptovská Mara. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Skeletal remains of dogs unearthed from the Van‐Yoncatepe necropolises

A total of 15 dog skulls and a number of bones have been discovered in two burial chambers dating from 1,000 BC in the necropolises of the Van‐Yoncatepe Castle in eastern Turkey. The finds were a dog skeleton in burial chamber M5 and 14 dog skulls and plenty of bones in burial chamber M6. It was determined on examination that the skeleton found in burial chamber M5 was an 11–12‐year female dog, and that the skulls unearthed from burial chamber M6 belonged to dogs with an age range of seven to eight months to 12–13 years. In the latter chamber, however, except for one skull whose sex could not be determined, one was ascertained to belong to a female dog and the rest to males. Calculations of 20 different indices and ratios were made on the skulls. This showed that these skulls were of the dolichocephalic type. It was observed that there were signs of a widespread periodontal disease and alveolar recession. Enamel hypoplasia and abscess chambers detected on the teeth, and deformations observed in the hard palate were evidence enough to suggest that these were undernourished dogs. There were also some facial fractures, which were noticed to have occurred before death. On the other hand, examination carried out on the bones revealed that the dogs were of medium size, and that they were likely to have had a withers height of 50–55 cm. The data obtained from both the burial chambers brought to light the fact that these dogs were more of the hunting or working types. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.