Prehistoric Times Research Articles

Building and living in Tlemcen (Algeria). From the traditional house to the colonial villa

Domestic architecture in the city of Tlemcen knew changes in architectural design and construction techniques over time, from prehistoric times, through the succession of Islamic dynasties, the colonial era and the current period. Individual housing during the colonial period was marked by the transition from the traditional patio house to suburban housing and individual villas with courtyards and gardens. A comparative study was carried out of a traditional Ottoman house in Bab El Hadid and a colonial villa in the avenue Allée des Pins. It reveals two architectural styles from two different eras, designed for two populations with different lifestyles, and highlights the traditional and modern construction techniques and materials used.

Skaldic Poetry across Borders. Sigvatr Þórðarson’s Austrfararvísur

The Austrfararvísur (Verses on a Journey to the East) could be defined as a poem of borders: in these vísur Sigvatr Þórðarson, the skald of Óláfr the Saint, narrates his crossing of various geographical, political, and religious borders. Austrfararvísur are preserved in Snorri Sturluson’s Óláfs saga helga and concern the famous episode of Sigvatr’s visit to Västergötland, where he attempted to mediate a peace deal between King Óláfr Haraldsson of Norway and the king of Sweden. The text describes dramatic moments and inhospitable places that Sigvatr experienced in his travel from Norway to Sweden, where an immense forest still serves as a natural border today. This was also the natural border that the Norwegian dynasty traversed when, in prehistoric times, Swedish kings moved from Sweden to Norway. Now Sigvatr follows the same path, but in the opposite direction.

Role of Exchange Cations and Layer Charge on the Dynamics of Confined Water.

Describing the dynamic behavior of water confined in clay minerals is a fascinating challenge and crucial in many research areas, ranging from materials science and geotechnical engineering to environmental sustainability. Water is the most abundant resource on Earth, and the high reactivity of naturally occurring hydrous clay minerals used since prehistoric times for a variety of applications means that water-clay interaction is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature. We have attempted to experimentally distinguish the rotational dynamics and translational diffusion of two distinct populations of interlayer water, confined and ultraconfined, in the sodium (Na) forms of two smectite clay minerals, montmorillonite (Mt) and hectorite (Ht). Samples hydrated at a pseudo one-layer hydration (1LH) state under ambient conditions were studied with quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) between 150 and 300 K. Using a simplified revised jump-diffusion and rotation-diffusion model (srJRM), we observed that while interlayer water near the ditrigonal cavity in Ht forms strong H-bonds to both adjacent surface O and structural OH, H-bonding of other more prevalent interlayer water with the surface O is weaker compared to Mt, inducing a higher temperature for dynamical changes of confined water. Given the lower layer charge and faster dynamics observed for Ht compared to Mt, we consider this strong evidence confirming the influence of the interlayer cation and surfaces on confined water dynamics.

Digitaria species (Acha): panacea for malnutrition and food insecurity in Nigeria

Acha (Digitaria sp) is a powerhouse of nutrient, filling, versatile, light, and delicious, yet the most underutilized food security crop in Nigeria. The value of the nutritional content (amino acids, protein, starch, crude fibre and ash) present in acha grain is higher than that reported for other cereals such as rice, maize and sorghum and as such, a panacea for malnutrition’. The grain is tolerated by even those with frail digestive systems, including small children, the elderly, and those who are health-conscious. More so, it is a very fast-growing cereal grain and it is considerably cheaper than most staple food crops. Acha is said to be a good food security crop as it blends well with other recipes. It has a texture similar to grits or couscous with a sand colour and due to the primitive conventional processing methods, it contains a load of gritty sand particles. These gritty sand particles can be prevented by threshing over a clean, hard, non-sandy surface. The consumption of acha daily brings you back to the prehistoric era of longevity and wellness.

Kelta temetkezések embertani vizsgálata Vác-Kavicsbánya lelőhelyről

In this paper the results of the physical anthropological analysis of 18 (12 inhumated, 6 cremated) Celtic graves – excavated from the site of Vác-Kavicsbánya – are presented. Among them 8 males, 7 females and 4 individuals of indeterminable sex (one of them is a child) could be distinguished. Due to the low number of the examinable graves the detailed paleodemographic analysis couldn’t be compiled. The morphometric analysis could be performed only in the case of 2 females, who showed the presence of the brachycranic individuals in the series. This anthropological component can be linked to the immigrant Celts. The pathological investigation based on macromorphological investigation, showed the occurrence of common diseases, which were characteristic in the prehistoric times (like poroticus hyperostosis or fracture). The examination of cremated graves showed that the amount/weight of the ashes was low, which could be caused by several factors (for example by selective collection of ashes from the pyre). Beside it, the colour of the ashes was mainly yellowish white, which suggests that the cremation proses were at a low temperature.

PITHECANTHROPUS ERECTUS BATIK FOR HAUTE COUTURE CLOTHES: A BLEND OF PRIMITIVE AND MODERN STYLES

ABSTRACTThe source of the idea for the creation of this final project is the discovery of the Pithecanthropus Erectus fossil which is enshrined in the Song Terus Pacitan museum, this discovery is one of the earliest evidences of human evolution in prehistoric times. Phitechanthropus Erectus is an ancient human species that lived 1.9 million years ago. The characteristics of ancient humans, Phitechanthropus Erectus, had a more robust body than their predecessors. The purpose of making this work is to 1. Create a written batik motif design with the source idea of Pithecanthropus Erectus with a blend of primitive and modern styles 2. Create a haute couture fashion design with a source of batik ideas from pithecanthropus erectus combining primitive and modern styles 3. Apply the Pithecanthropus written batik motif Erectus into Haute Couture fashion design. The method in creating this work uses the principle of 3 stages, namely Exploration, Design and Realization. The final work produced is in the form of 5 Haute couture clothing with abstract coloring techniques on batik motifs. The finished batik cloth is combined with brocade and toyyobo fabrics which are applied to haute couture clothing. The motif title for this work is "Primi Hominis" which comes from the Greek language which means the First Man. The resulting work consists of 5 batik consisting of 5 batik motif designs, namely (1) Pusering jagat Batik Motif Design (2) Pawonan Batik Motif Design (3) Hanguripi Batik Motif Design (4) Riba mburu Batik Motif Design (5) Batik Motif Design ancient stone, which has the main motif of pithechanthropus erectus and 5 Haute couture clothing, namely (1) Spelaiotai (2) Synergasia (3) Agrotikos (4) Dimiourgikos (5) Kainotomos. This batik will be mixed and matched with haute couture clothing. In every haute couture fashion has a different form.

The Paradox Of Indigeneity And Question Of Identity Of The Adivasi Community Of Assam

The Adivasi in India and Assam are traditionally known as the first people or indigenous people since pre-historic (stone) age migrating in different periods of time from different regions. However, Adivasi were among the first group of people to arrive in India before any other communities such as the Aryans, Dravidians, and Mongolians etc. The schedule tribe’s status for the Adivasi in Assam which has been a longstanding struggle in India offers certain rights –based legal benefits in the form of political representation, reservation and socio-economic subsidies. The most common perception against granting Schedule Tribes status to the Adivasi in Assam is their migratory history, however, in the tea gardens the fact that they came into the state as indentured labourers to work and their contribution to the economy of the state of Assam has been substantial. The Adivasi of Assam, branded as the Tea Garden Tribes, generally prefer to be called as Tea Tribes. Embracing Adivasi nomenclature is a deliberate move on the part of the tea tribes to assert their tribal identity as also to represent their collective demand for indigenous rights, including the recognition for achieving the status of ‘Schedule Tribe’. The paper is a modest attempt to address this debate.

New deposit of chocolate flint in Załęże gully (Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, Poland) – Raw material characterization and its availability for prehistoric communities

One of the valued chert raw materials used by prehistoric communities in Central and Eastern Europe was chocolate flint. Despite finding artefacts made of it over a wide area, for many years, it was thought to occur only in one location - in the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. However, the discoveries of recent years have shown that deposits of this raw material also occur in another region of Poland, in the northern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (KCU). The result of intensive field surveys conducted in this area is the finding of a new outcrop of chocolate flint in Załęże gully (Lesser Poland voivodeship) described in this paper. Based on the results obtained from the radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of sediments co-occurring with the flint deposit, a history of the paleogeographic development of this gully has been proposed. Access to the deposit in its present form is limited to modern times, but it was likely accessible elsewhere in this area. Macroscopic and microscopic (using optical and cathodoluminescence microscopy) examinations showed a high similarity with the material of other KCU provenance from the prehistoric mine in Poręba Dzierżna, site 24. In the vicinity of Załęże gully there are many archaeological sites where chocolate flint artefacts were found. Preliminary research suggests that they could have been made from the raw material from the newly discovered outcrop. The new location of chocolate flint occurrence in the KCU region described here is another premise to re-think the existing interpretations related to the extraction, use and distribution of this important chert raw material in prehistoric times in Central and Eastern Europe.

A RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY FOR “GROTTE DI PERTOSA” IN CAMPANIA, SOUTHERN ITALY

ABSTRACT The Pertosa Caves, today also known as the Pertosa-Auletta Caves, constitute an important karst system in the Campania region (southern Italy). Crossed by the waters of a river that re-emerges on the surface, they have an overall development of about 3 km. Thanks to the width of the entrance, the excellent location along a natural communication route through the mountains and the natural availability of water directly on the site, the initial part of the cavity was frequented by humans, without interruption, from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. During the protohistory, in particular, the moment of most marked human presence is recorded in the cave. In this phase an extensive pile dwelling system was built on the waters of the underground river. The system was probably created to make the location, subject to frequent flooding, suitable for human settlement. This structure today constitutes an archaeological unicum not only in Italy but throughout Europe. We briefly analyze its general characteristics providing the results of a radiocarbon dating campaign which allowed to assess the occupation phases of the different contexts and the life span of the wooden artifacts, which came to us in a very good state of preservation. Radiocarbon data allowed to assess the chronological range of the human frequentation of the caves and to date the exceptionally well preserved underground pile dwelling system.

Enhancement of heat and mass transfer in drying systems for bio-economy and sustainable development

Drying techniques have been developed and improved over the course of human development since prehistoric times. Originally developed for the preservation and storage of food, drying techniques have been applied in many areas of industrial processes to achieve faster progress and development. Conventional and advanced drying techniques can be applied to achieve solutions for the numerous problems and challenges faced by humans now. In addition to the routine applications in daily life, drying techniques have been an integral part of bio-processing, food processing, thermo-chemical conversions, waste treatments, and so on. This review gives a brief overview of the developments in drying techniques that help in the progress of the bio-economy, thus achieving sustainable development goals for humanity.

The Nexus of Storytelling and Collective Learning: A Synergistic Spark for Human Emergence

This paper explores the implications of storytelling as an essential complimentary concept to collective learning for labeling human emergence within the Big History thresholds framework. It proposes that the distinctively human cognitive capability for communicating explanatory descriptive narration (i.e., storytelling) was a foundational adaptive behavior and central driving force that launched humans into a unique evolutionary pathway as collective learners whose increasing knowledge has transformed the world. Storytelling provides a theorem for why human language skills and brain capacity increased so dramatically since our common ancestor with chimpanzees, and how our storytelling brain models our world through narratives that undergird human belief systems and facilitate complex social coordination. The paper outlines the symbiotic role that storytelling played in turning the cultural “ratchet” of collective learning throughout prehistoric times and its corresponding influence on prehistorical milestones. It goes on to explore the benefits of teaching storytelling as a complement to Big History threshold (6) collective learning and concludes with a look at the vulnerability of the human storytelling brain regarding its ability to unite or divide people through the power of narratives, whether they are factual or fictional. The paper invites the Big History community to consider embracing the emerging transdiscipline of storytelling within the Big History tent as synergistic complement to collective learning, that pulls together many Big History threads and which can help improve the effectiveness of telling Big History as a common human origin story for navigating the precarious prospects of the Anthropocene.

Jejak Sejarah Kesehatan Mental : Dari Prasejarah Hingga Era Kontemporer

The research aims to explain the history of mental health from pre-historic times to the contemporary era. The research focus involves the analysis of empirical factors, paradigm shifts, and the evolution of approaches to the treatment of mental disorders. The research method used is descriptive qualitative, allowing researchers to deepen historical concepts of mental health and analyze their development. Data was obtained through literature reviews from previous research and analysis of reference books. Relevant information is drawn from journal conclusions and book summaries to form a comprehensive understanding of the historical footprint of mental health. As a result of research from journals and books, it can be concluded that the history of the development of mental health has involved significant changes in the paradigm of treating mental disorders. Starting from the pre-scientific era with the concepts of animism and naturalism, to the transition to the modern era which marks the peak of scientific development in the field of mental health. With this shift, the history of mental health reflects the evolution of society's view of mental disorders from mystical beliefs to modern scientific understanding. This research summary provides in-depth insight into how the evolution of mental health concepts has influenced approaches and treatments in society.

Traditional cereal-based dishes of the Newari community of Nepal and their preparation process

Around the world, cereal grains provide a significant source of dietary nutrients. Since prehistoric times, cereal-based food products have formed the foundation of the human diet. Fermented foods made from cereals account for a significant portion of the calorie intake in developing nations. Worldwide dietary recommendations are urging the consumption of whole grains due to mounting evidence that these grains and food products made from them can improve health in ways other than just giving energy and minerals. The creation of novel food items with qualities that improve health will be aided by the understanding gained from the functional qualities of the many chemical components found in whole grains.
 Therefore, the main aim of this study is to illuminate the varied application of cereals like rice, maize, wheat, and barley in preparing a wide range of delightful dishes like (Aila, Dhindo, Yomari, Selroti, Chatamari, Khurma, Chiura, and Lakhamari) which holds immense significance in shaping the cultural identity of the Newari community. In this study, the nutritional advantages of cereals highlight their crucial role in maintaining the health and well-being of the Newar community. Cereals are abundant in essential vitamins, fibers, minerals, and carbohydrates as a fundamental component of a well-balanced diet that promotes overall well-being

Analyzing the Economic Dynamics of Mustard Farming in Eastern Chitwan, Nepal

Mustard cultivation boasts a rich historical legacy in Nepal, dating back to prehistoric times. Chitwan, a district located in Bagmati province, is one of major mustard producing districts of Nepal. The study entitled “Analyzing the Economic Dynamics of Mustard Farming in Eastern Chitwan, Nepal “was conducted from March 2022 to July 2022. The major objective of the study was to conduct a comprehensive economic appraisal of mustard production in Eastern Chitwan, Nepal. A total of 123 samples were taken from four municipalities of Eastern Chitwan using semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive and statistical tools including Cobb-Douglas production function were used to analyze the collected data. Farmers were found to be cultivating mustard on an average land of 0.47 hectare with an average production of 14,283 kg per hectare. The average cost of production per hectare was calculated to be NPR 12, 01,452. Mustard production business in the study area was observed to be a profitable business enterprise with a B/C ratio of 1.78 yielding an average return of NPR 21,42,440 and net profit of NPR 9,40,988. The major identified market areas were Tandi, Khairahani bazar, Bhandara, Kholesimal and Bakulahar. The most preferred marketing channel was observed to be from producers directly to consumers. The study revealed that higher costs of fertilizer, plant protection, and labor were associated with increased gross income in mustard farming, supported by statistical significance.

Rethinking basic taste terms

Abstract The general consensus about four basic tastes, sweet, bitter, sour and salty, is rooted in Aristotle’s writings. This inventory was expanded with the addition of umami (or savoury) in the early years of last century, a taste that wasn’t fully scientifically recognized until the mid-1980s. Work on this area of human cognition from various fields – psychology, physiology, chemistry and particularly food science – has led to new discoveries that allow us to have a better understanding of the mechanism of taste. However, linguistic work on this aspect of human perception is lacking. Questions remain to be asked as to the size of the vocabulary of basic tastes, and how language can reflect the organization of the taste domain. This paper proposes to look at basic tastes by examining Chinese historical texts with an aim to reveal how the ancient Chinese people classified and categorized tastes. It will be demonstrated that the Chinese concept of “taste” boasts a long history, going back to pre-historic times. The word for “taste”, 味 wèi, can also refer to “smell; flavour.” The term is primarily used as a category noun, which gets borrowed into Japanese to become the head element -mi of the compound word umami in Japanese. Significantly, a form with a similar sound shape, 美 měi, was found in ancient Chinese with the meaning “tasty”, an adjective describing the taste, flavour of fresh meat, akin to “savoury.” This indicates that we are dealing with a morphological process or doublet in this semantic field. It also indicates that the idea of “good taste, tasty, savoury” existed long before that of umami. Equally important is the form with related meaning, 鲜 xiān, which is made up of two graphic forms, “fish” （鱼） + “lamb” （羊）. This form etymologically denotes the flavour of fresh fish, now carrying the sense of “fresh, delicious, tasty, savoury” in Chinese, which further illustrates the point. Still another form, 旨 zhǐ “(n) good flavour; pleasant taste,” is the source of the meaning of umami, as defined in Japanese dictionaries. Several other tastes are also analysed. Their implications for the expansion of basic tastes are discussed. The connections between the taste domain and olfaction domain are explored, with insights from some neighbouring languages.

THE ROLE OF SINDHIND ZIJ AS THE FIRST ISLAMIC ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATION TABLE IN INDIAN CIVILIZATION

Astronomy has developed in India since prehistoric times. However, astronomy’s first work appeared during the Vedanga Jyotisa era, written by Lagadha, the oldest literary book in India. Using qualitative methods with a library research approach, it was found that Indian astronomers researched Astronomy and wrote books. One of the books that first made Muslim scientists interested in the world of astronomy was the book Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, which was translated into Arabic by Al-Fazari (d. 796 AD) during the Caliphate of Al-Manṣūr from the Abbasid dynasty. Al-Fazari (d. 796 AD) became the first Muslim astronomer to compile Zij, with his calculations converted into the Hijri Calendar. After Al-Fazari (d. 796 AD) collected this Zij, other Zijs were born, which became the forerunners for the composition of the epimeris and other counts. Around the beginning of the 11th century, Al-Biruni (973-1048 AD) spread da'wah to India and introduced the study of Islamic astronomy in India.

Impacts of the Use of Brazilian Fauna and Flora in Food and Medicinal Use

Objective: To describe the main repercussions of the use of Brazilian fauna and flora for food and medicinal purposes. Method: This is an integrative literature review with a descriptive and qualitative approach. Searches were conducted in the Virtual Health Library system of the Ministry of Health using the following descriptors: medicinal teas, phytotherapeutic medication, and medicinal plants. Initially, 415 results were found without filters, and after applying the filters, the number of studies reduced to 74. From these, the titles from the database search were read, resulting in a final sample of only 15 articles for qualitative synthesis. Results and conclusion: Through the conducted searches, it was found that the use of plants as medicines dates back to prehistoric times when humans began to utilize nature to cure their illnesses. Currently, medicinal plants are widely used in different parts of the world and are important sources of new bioactive molecules that can be used in the development of new medicines, dietary supplements, and natural cosmetics. Research implications: The study highlights the richness and diversity of Brazilian flora, emphasizing the importance of preserving these natural resources. This is crucial for the conservation of unique plant and animal species in Brazil. Originality/value: The study emphasizes the need for policies for the preservation and sustainable use of Brazilian fauna and flora resources. This is essential to ensure the survival of these species and to provide safe and effective treatments for people.

M.Yu. Lermontov and A.A. Velyaminov: History of Relations and Views on Caucasian Question

Based on the analysis of archival documents and literary texts, a comparative analysis is conducted of the similar ideas expressed by poet M.Yu. Lermontov and General A.A. Velyaminov regarding Russian-Caucasian relations. Their history of interaction is reconstructed through the identification of contemporary witnesses, analysis of the poet's letters, and determination of their shared circle of acquaintances. The hypothesis is put forward that they were acquainted before 1837, when Lermontov came under Velyaminov’s direct command. The influence of Velyaminov on Lermontov’s early works is demonstrated. Additionally, an overlooked essay by A.A. Velyaminov entitled “History of the Caucasus” is introduced into scholarly circulation, which provides a detailed chronicle of the Caucasus from prehistoric times to the present day. Through the study of Velyaminov’s publicistic works, a better understanding is gained of the origins and development of Lermontov’s Caucasian historiosophy in the context of messianic ideas prevalent in society during the 1830s due to Russia’s actions on its eastern borders. The shared belief of both Lermontov and Velyaminov in the peacemaking role of the Russian Empire is revealed. These newly discovered materials contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the formation of Lermontov’s historical thinking in regards to his perception of Russian-Caucasian relations.

Climate and human impact on vegetation and fire in an arid Colorado Plateau ecosystem in Western North America

Understanding how arid western North American environments have responded to past climatic conditions can help predict how they respond to anthropogenic climate change. Unfortunately, millennial-length continuous paleoecological records in these regions are scarce. Here we evaluate the human-environmental history of Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), USA, back to the Middle Holocene (ca. 7350). Our study presents new records of stratigraphic pollen and charcoal recovered from two sediment cores and pollen recovered from eleven Neotoma (packrat) middens. Our records cover an elevational gradient within pinyon-juniper woodlands, with one core (LP-12-03) recovered from a high elevation site (Lake Pasture) and one core (MC-12-03) and the eleven packrat middens recovered from a low elevation site (Meadow Canyon). Both of these sites contain archaeological records spanning from the Archaic to the Historic with increased occupation during the Formative. We analyze these paleoecological records with the goals of determining how vegetation and fire histories differ over an elevational range, what the records reveal about prehistoric agriculture, and the relative impact of natural climate variability and human land use on the environment through time in southern Utah. Our records provide pinyon-juniper vegetation and fire histories spanning back to the Middle Holocene (ca. 7350 years), evidence of agriculture from Terminal Archaic through Late Prehistoric times (ca. 178–1550 CE) in Meadow Canyon, the utility of non-invasive methods of archaeology in the form of sediment cores and packrat middens, and support for National Register of Historic Places eligibility for archaeological sites surrounding each core location. We conclude that the records of vegetation and fire differ markedly between the high and low elevation sites, the low elevation site contains direct evidence of prehistoric agriculture whereas the high elevation site does not, and that the climate-fire relationship at each site has been buffered by prehistoric land use.

The history of tourniquet use in limb surgery.

As tourniquets have been present in medicine since almost its conception, understanding and following their development through time is not only an exercise in history but also an insight into the evolution of medical devices over more than two millennia. From simple leather bands wrapped around patients' limbs to the modernised digital devices used widely in surgical theatres globally, tourniquets have undergone tectonic change both in their design and application, moving from battlefields to hospitals. Hence, the aim of this article is to outline the historical development of these devices alongside their present and modern use. The historical development of emergency and surgical tourniquets is chronologically outlined, with particular emphasis on the impact of warfare on their widespread adoption in trauma and emergency medicine and elective surgery. Novel surgical trends and their impact on the future of tourniquet use are evaluated. The development of tourniquets across two millennia has closely reflected both the scientific understanding of human physiology and anatomy as well as technological discoveries and advancements that have reshaped their design and application. Prominent figures in the field of surgery, such as Sushruta, Fabricius Hildanus, John Louis Petit, Joseph Lister, Harvey Cushing and James McEwen, all fundamentally influenced their evolution and helped popularise and modernise them. The views on their use have been controversial and drastically changed across different eras, with data collected from modern warfare serving to embed their use in clinical practice. The historical development of tourniquets since pre-historic times represents an excellent outline of the adaptive nature of medicine, led, firstly, by scientific rigour and discipline and, secondly, by pioneers who serve as catalysts for change and improvement. The modern inflatable cuff tourniquets that are omnipresent in theatres globally will undoubtedly remain the standard of care for the foreseeable future. Tourniquets that can dynamically monitor blood pressure and consequently adjust inflation pressures, as well as ones with inbuilt axonal excitability monitoring, will further improve their safety profile, reduce associated complication rates and represent the next step in the evolution of these devices. Notably, there might be a shift away from tourniquet use altogether, reflected by the wide use of the wide-awake local anaesthesia no-tourniquet technique that has become the new norm in hand surgery.