Ritual Purposes Research Articles

Essential Oils: Pharmaceutical Applications and Encapsulation Strategies into Lipid-Based Delivery Systems.

Essential oils are being studied for more than 60 years, but a growing interest has emerged in the recent decades due to a desire for a rediscovery of natural remedies. Essential oils are known for millennia and, already in prehistoric times, they were used for medicinal and ritual purposes due to their therapeutic properties. Using a variety of methods refined over the centuries, essential oils are extracted from plant raw materials: the choice of the extraction method is decisive, since it determines the type, quantity, and stereochemical structure of the essential oil molecules. To these components belong all properties that make essential oils so interesting for pharmaceutical uses; the most investigated ones are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound-healing, and anxiolytic activities. However, the main limitations to their use are their hydrophobicity, instability, high volatility, and risk of toxicity. A successful strategy to overcome these limitations is the encapsulation within delivery systems, which enable the increase of essential oils bioavailability and improve their chemical stability, while reducing their volatility and toxicity. Among all the suitable platforms, our review focused on the lipid-based ones, in particular micro- and nanoemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers.

Varietal selection in marginal agroecological niches and cultural landscapes: the case of rice in the Togo Hills

ABSTRACT The Togo Hills borderland between Ghana and Togo is known for its cultural and ecological diversity and dynamic socio-political history. In this setting, African rice (Oryza glaberrima) is cultivated together with other local cultivars of Asian rice (O. sativa), and smallholders are keen innovators. This article presents the results of participatory variety selection (PVS) trials, in four different cultural and ecological settings within the Togo Hills, designed to understand farmers’ innovation and variety choice. Farmers belonging to different ethnic groups organized their trials and evaluated fourteen farmer varieties from six West-African countries and one Nerica variety. The way the PVS trials took shape and evaluation was conducted reflected the socio-cultural and economic differences between the settings. Despite these differences, farmers showed a broad interest and preference for different varieties based on different criteria, related to agroecological conditions, household consumption needs, market demands and/or ritual purposes. We contend that ― in a period of climate crisis, bio- and agrobiodiversity depletion, rapid social change and market instability ― plant breeding in West Africa must be participatory, decenter from a focus on high external input agriculture and include farmers’ varieties, better contributing to food security, quality, and nutrition, while strengthening agroecological practices.

Occupation of Western Santa Cruz Island’s Interior Between 4,700 and 3,200 B.C.

ABSTRACT Investigations of two inland sites on western Santa Cruz Island containing red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) midden strata provides insight into aspects of settlement systems between 4,700 and 3,200 B.P. Oxygen isotope analysis of mussel (Mytilus californianus) shells revealed that both sites were occupied during the summer and fall. Artifacts and floral and faunal remains indicate that CA-SCRI-796 probably was a residential base whereas CA-SCRI-758 was a camp. The red abalone midden at CA-SCRI-758 is distinctive, given the site’s high-elevation location, its location more than 6 km from a source of red abalone, and its thoroughly burned shell within an ashy matrix. The site may have been occupied by separate residential groups for social and ritual purposes. The analysis reveals that settlement systems of the time period during which red abalone middens were created were complex and that larger samples from sites are necessary for a greater understanding of this complexity.

Первое антракологическое исследование древесных углей в Восточной Сибири: по материалам мастерской им. А.П. Окладникова

Archaeological wood is a rich source of information about people and paleoenvironment. Wood usually survives from the Paleolithic in the form of charcoal. That is why anthracological analysis or identification of timber species is the best way to study the remains of Paleolithic wood. Charcoal fragments found during the excavations in 1961 by V.E. Larichev and A.P. Okladnikov at the “A.P. Okladnikov Workshop” site located on Titovskaya Sopka (near the city of Chita) in the Eastern Transbaikal region, have been studied. Unique terrain, favorable location near a river valley, and presence of rich deposits of isotropic raw materials attracted humans to that area in the ancient times. Anthracological methods were employed for answering the questions about the strategies of using wood both for household needs and ritual purposes. The analysis of macroscopic features of anatomical wood structure has revealed that the samples belonged to the species of Rhododendron dauricum L. (Ericaceae). This species is widespread in the Eastern Transbaikal region and grows next to the archaeological site. For reconstructing the vegetation cover, the sources need to be expanded. The problem of the main type of fuel at that time remains open, since the Daurian rhododendron is a small shrub. Another curious question is how it was preserved after thermal exposure out of the variety of wood species. It might have been used for fumigation or for ritual purposes. Anthracological research is just beginning to be introduced into archeology, and therefore, testing the methodology on Siberian evidence is of crucial importance.

Turistička valorizacija i značaj sakralnih objekata na području opštine Titel

Sacral objects or sanctities represent the buildings used for religious or ritual purposes. The territory of the Titel municipality includes sacral objects built as the consequence o f certain historical events on this territory. All of the objects were built in the period of between 18th and 20th century and some were declared the cultural monuments. In order to assess the value of sacral buildings on the territory o f the municipality of Titel, from the point of view of tourism, it is necessary to perform their complex analysis, determine the significance for this and wider area, determine the current situation and possible opportunities for better promotion, evaluation and overall assessment.

Paleoetnología de la Hispania Céltica. Etnoarqueología, etnohistoria y folklore by Pedro R. Moya-Maleno

Reviewed by: Paleoetnología de la Hispania Céltica. Etnoarqueología, etnohistoria y folklore by Pedro R. Moya-Maleno David Wallace-Hare (bio) Pedro R. Moya-Maleno, Paleoetnología de la Hispania Céltica. Etnoarqueología, etnohistoria y folklore. (British Achaeological Reports S2996 (I–II)). Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2020. ISBN 9781407316703. 664 pages. £141 / €211.5 / US$282. With Paleoetnología de la Hispania Céltica. Etnoarqueología, etnohistoria y folklore, Pedro Moya-Maleno undertakes the ambitious project of surveying the economy, social organization, and religious views of pre-Roman societies of Hispania Celtica, essentially Celticspeaking areas of the pre-Roman Iberian Peninsula. The author uses both conventional routes for investigating this theme, viz., archaeology and literary sources, in addition to a novel ethnoarchaeological and ethnohistorical approach focusing on reading Celtic cultural features backwards and forwards using persistent local traditions. The inclusion and privileging of the latter data marks Moya-Maleno’s work as unique and pioneering. The book begins with what is arguably the most important section for Celticists, laying out the conceptual framework and providing a step-by-step guide to the author’s unique methodology (11–64). The introduction explains why folklore and laterdocumented local traditions have not been brought to bear for filling in large gaps in our understanding of ancient Hispano-Celtic populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Moya-Maleno outlines a history of the continual sidelining of the use of folklore and local traditions by various disciplines to understand ancient Celtic populations in Europe. He rejects a search for a single Celticity in Europe, but seeks rather sui generis Celtic cultural features in the Iberian Peninsula. He problematizes the concept of the Celt, and the introduction makes clear that he is fully aware of the on-going debates surrounding the application of the terms lo celto y la céltica ‘the Celt and the Celtic’ (30) either to evoke a pan-Celticity or as a catch-all term for the extensive cultural, linguistic, and [End Page 255] material correspondences we can see in temperate Europe during the first millennium bce and first few centuries ce. Productively, Moya-Maleno wants to recover active histories and unknown aspects of Celticity as expressed in areas of the Iberian Peninsula—the northern Peninsula especially—by including evidence derived from oral history, folklore, and local traditions. He helps readers see why this should be done by reviewing the history of the pre-Roman, Roman, and post-Roman Iberian Peninsula through the lens of the perdurance of traditions (38–51). Moya-Maleno takes great pains to show that Celtic strands of tradition are just one of many that those wishing to recover Celtic material via ethnographic data (for instance) must sort through carefully and cautiously. This awareness of the plurality of traditions in the Peninsula is refreshing to see in a work on Celtic Hispania and signals a healthy move in our field towards inclusion and interdisciplinarity. After the extensive introduction (comprising three chapters: an introduction, a chapter on methodology, and a review of types of sources), the book follows a fairly straightforward format which attempts to recover/uncover aspects of daily life in Hispania Celtica. These later sections comprise the bulk of the work and are well-segmented for ease of reference. Chapter 4 reviews the territory, economy, and subsistence modes of Celtic Hispania. Chapter 5 examines social organization in Celtic Hispania and rounds off Volume i. Volume ii is devoted to the religious worldview (cosmovisión) of Hispania Celtica. Readers will get the most out of the long-distance links Moya-Maleno is able to tease out regarding Celtic religion and social organization. Two sections that showcase the benefits of this book are the discussion of rites of passage (Chapter 5.3), where he examines animalization traditions—wherein villagers dress up as animals for ritual purposes—and their Celtic foundations, and the treatment of the complex topic of sacred trees (6.2.4b) in local and ancient Hispano-Celtic traditions. I mentioned that the work is ambitious in scope, attempting as it does to rescue important hermeneutic strands of Hispano-Celtic tradition in the oral literature and customs of pre-modern Spain and Portugal. Moya-Maleno has had to...

Историко–культурные связи населения бассейна р. Вычегды и Верхнего Прикамья в эпоху Средневековья (по материалам вымской и родановской археологических культур)

The latest materials of the excavations of medieval sites in the Vychegda basin and the Upper Kama region confirm the ethno-cultural proximity of the Rodanovo and Vym archaeological cultures associated with the related peoples – the ancestors of the Komi-Permians and Komi-Zyryans, which was proved by A.P. Smirnov, V.A. Oborin, A.F. Melnichuk, R.D. Goldina and other researchers. It can be traced in the most conservative, traditional elements of culture – in funeral rites, ceramics, and women's costume decorations. Both cultures are characterized by underground burial grounds, burials in which are made by the method of inhumation and cremation. Ceramics are represented by stucco vessels of cup-shaped and pot-shaped forms, ornamented with comb, rosette stamp, and cord prints. Common adornments of women's costume are umbonoid, arched, anchor and bronze bi-anchor rattle pendants, a variety of tubular thread decorations. The greatest affinity to the Rodanovo culture is found in the sites adjacent to the Upper Kama areas – Sysola, Mid-Vychegda, dating back to the 10th – 11th, 11th – 12th centuries. On the Sysola river, three burial grounds were investigated, different from the Vym, Mid- and Low Vychegda ones. The Votcha burial ground on the Middle Sysola river, dating back to the 10th – 11th centuries, refers to the earliest ones. According to the funeral rite and ware implements, it shows the greatest cultural proximity to the sites of the Kama region, which is most likely due to the relocation of a small group of the Kama population to the Sysola basin. The Uzhga I and II burial grounds on the Upper Sysola are distinguished by their great originality. The burial rite of the Uzhga burial grounds is characterized by dismembered burials, burials of individual skulls, and the tradition of deliberate destruction of graves for ritual purposes. These features of the funeral rite find analogies in the Upper Kama burial grounds, in particular, Averino I in the Afanasyevsky district of the Kirov region, as well as Plotnitsy, located in the Kudymkar district of the Perm region. It is most likely that the population that had left Uzhga burial grounds, was part of the same territorial–tribal association as the northern Upper Kama population, associated with Zyuzdino Komi-Permians, which is confirmed by the data of ethnography and linguistics. The infiltration of the Rodanovo population into the Vychegda basin in the 11th and 12th centuries is documented by the excavations of the Chezhtyyag and Vym Kichilkos I burial grounds. They belong to the Vym culture of the Vychegda Perm, the early complexes of which, dating from the 11th –12th centuries, may be associated with the Rodanovo newcomers. In the burial 37 of the Chezhtyyag burial ground, a characteristic Rodanovo women's costume is represented. At the Kichilkos I burial ground, numerous highly artistic Bulgar silver articles from the Kama region were found, as well as typical Rodanovo decorations, stucco vessels similar in shape and ornamentation, and burials that show the greatest similarity to the Early Rodanovo ones. These materials testify not only to the active trade and cultural relations between the population of the Vym and Rodanovo cultures, but also to the infiltration of the Upper Kama Rodanovo groups into the Vychegda basin in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Могильник Могильно-Старожильское V в Омском Прииртышье как источник по этнокультурной истории региона

This article presents the results of research at the burial ground near the village of Mogilno-Starozhilskoe in Bolsherechensky District of Omsk Region. Five mounds have been studied. Four mounds contained burials according to inhumation rite, and fifth mound was a ritual complex which the authors connected with funeral traditions of the population which created the site. The article describes the complexes and collections, as well as elements of the funeral rites. Four adult and one child burial have been studied. The deceased were buried in subrectangular pits in extended position on their backs with heads directed to the southwest. In one case, a structure above the grave - a logwork of five layers in the form of truncated pyramid - has been discovered. The accompanying inventory included elements of horse harness, knife, beads, plaques, and fragment of a round mirror made of white bronze. Several objects with traces of ritual (?) feasts, large vessel containing food remains, and the buried severed head and neck of a dog, which the authors interpret as signs of animal sacrifice, have been discovered under the mound of large ritual complex. All adult burials had been destroyed, most likely for ritual purposes. The analysis of the collection and elements of the funeral rite made it possible to date this site to the 14th-15th centuries and connect it with the nomadic Turkic-speaking population of the Irtysh forest steppe, closely related to the Turks of the Baraba forest steppe. The Mogilno-Starozhilskoe V burial ground represents a rich source of information for studying sophisticated ethnic and cultural processes in the forest steppe in the Late Middle Ages. The research data will be used for further study of ethnographic archaeological complexes expanding our knowledge of ethnic history and culture of the indigenous population which lived in Western Siberia.

Evaluation of phytochemical and ethnomedicinal uses of Bersama swinnyi E. Phillips (Francoaceae)

Bersama swinnyi is a small to medium-sized tree endemic to evergreen forests of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. The species is widely used as traditional medicine throughout its distributional range in the country. A systematic review of the literature studies was carried out to document the phytochemical and ethnomedicinal uses of B. swinnyi. The results of the current study are based on literature survey conducted using various search engines such as Web of Science, Elsevier, Pubmed, Google Scholar, Springer, Science Direct, Scopus, Taylor and Francis, and pre-electronic sources such as books, book chapters, scientific journals and other grey literature obtained from the University library. The bark and root extracts of B. swinnyi are mainly used as aphrodisiac, charm and ritual purposes, and traditional medicine for infertility, impotence, leprosy and menstrual problems. Chemical constituents identified from B. swinnyi include 23-hydroxy betulinaldehyde, 24-propylcholestan-7,15,20-triol, betunal, lupeol, oleanolic acid and swinniol. Bersama swinnyi is a valuable medicinal plant species and future research should focus on more exploratory research to gain a better understanding of the ethnopharmacological properties of the species. There is also a need for extensive toxicological evaluations of crude extracts and compounds isolated from the species since B. swinnyi contains potentially toxic compounds.

Abraham’s Luggage: A Social Life of Things in the Medieval Indian Ocean World. By Elizabeth A. Lambourn (New York, Cambridge University Press, 2018) 301 pp. $99.99 cloth $39.99 paper

The typical Indian Ocean history does not lend itself to social history or to close looks at the daily lives of actual humans. It can read like a 5,000 years-long weather report interspersed with lists of trade goods—a massive amount of research and scholarly synthesis that is more than a little dry. The other common feature of the Indian Ocean genre is recourse to Braudel’s longue duree, which allows authors to use more recent anthropological work to try to illuminate social and cultural practices from the distant past.1 Thus, a description of life on board a twentieth-century dhow might serve as an approximate guide to life on a twelfth-century ship. It might not be perfect for the task, but it is the best that we could do for now.Lambourn’s book, which is built around a list that was scribbled into the margins of a letter, represents a totally different approach to social history in the Indian Ocean. Abraham Ben Yiju, the list’s author, was a member of the community of North African Jews, whose correspondence is preserved in the contents of the Cairo Geniza.2 His list was made in 1149 as he was preparing to return from Malabar to Egypt. Lists of trade goods are a dime a dozen in Indian Ocean histories, but this one, of personal items, was meant to provide for the Ben Yiju party’s sea voyage home rather than to catalog trade goods. Items range from bags of rice to preserved fish, jars of lemons, a cabin door, and a rat trap (never go to sea without one). Lambourn also includes lists of goods that Ben Yiju’s friends and agents sent to him as gifts, which were clearly intended for household use rather than resale. Like the packing list, they shed light on the social and material culture of Ben Yiju’s world.From Lambourn we learn that raisins (which Ben Yiju received frequently as gifts) were macerated in water to make a substance that could be used as “wine” for Jewish ritual purposes. The silver trays that Ben Yiju packed for the sea voyage reveal something of South Indian rice-eating habits (dishes served on a platter and garnished with pickles). The cabin door and planks that he packed for the sea voyage testify to women’s modesty and their protection at sea. Some parts of the book consider Ben Yiju and his family’s life on land (and by inference that of the entire Jewish community), and other parts use Ben Yiju’s packing list to improve our knowledge of life at sea.In effect, Lambourn’s book is an ethnography of an 800-year-old cultural world, but its human feel makes it unlike any previous work about the region and period. Ghosh’s book also has this human element, but it is not always clear about the line between evidence and imagination. Lambourn’s is more attentive to the usual scholarly conventions about evidence. She discovers a wealth of information hiding in plain sight, waiting for new questions and contexts (most of the Geniza’s contents were translated and published decades ago). Hopefully, this good book is the first of many to deviate from the traditional lines-on-maps-and-commodity-list approach to Indian History.

Disease, demons and masks in the Iron Age Mediterranean

ABSTRACT This article first addresses the issue of defining ancient masks and briefly explores masking cultures in the Iron Age Mediterranean, then emphasizes the role that Carthage appears to have played in both maintaining and renewing the Levantine disguised traditions. Among the newly invented masks of Carthage, it focuses on and reviews a small group of masks and amulets portraying black African twisted faces and dating to between the seventh and mid-sixth century BC. These masks support the existence of wooden prototypes and currently provide the earliest evidence of black African imagery used for ritual purposes. Based on their features and compelling parallels, it is argued that their iconography was inspired by facial paralysis and they should be interpreted as images of a demon used in curing rituals.

N,N-dimethyltryptamine compound found in the hallucinogenic tea ayahuasca, regulates adult neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a component of the ayahuasca brew traditionally used for ritual and therapeutic purposes across several South American countries. Here, we have examined, in vitro and vivo, the potential neurogenic effect of DMT. Our results demonstrate that DMT administration activates the main adult neurogenic niche, the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, promoting newly generated neurons in the granular zone. Moreover, these mice performed better, compared to control non-treated animals, in memory tests, which suggest a functional relevance for the DMT-induced new production of neurons in the hippocampus. Interestingly, the neurogenic effect of DMT appears to involve signaling via sigma-1 receptor (S1R) activation since S1R antagonist blocked the neurogenic effect. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DMT treatment activates the subgranular neurogenic niche regulating the proliferation of neural stem cells, the migration of neuroblasts, and promoting the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus, therefore enhancing adult neurogenesis and improving spatial learning and memory tasks.

Anthropogenic hydrological staging of an upper Palaeolithic carved shelter in Paris basin

The Ségognole 3 carved shelter in Noisy-sur-Ecole (France) is known for its Palaeolithic-style panel engraved with two horses. They are arranged in file on either side of three slots, initially assumed to be natural, evoking a pelvic triangle. A thorough re-examination revealed the artificial character of the slots as well as numerous anthropogenic interventions to modify the hydrology of the shelter to drain water to the slot representing the vulva.The shelter has two galleries offset in height and separated by a thin wall. The upper gallery passes behind the engraved panel. It encompasses a basin that overhangs the pelvic triangle and often fills with rainwater. This disposition is the key part of the hydraulic system. Two particular interventions were made: (1) the slots at the front of the pelvic panel had been widened by percussion and grooving; and (2) the basin at the rear of the panel had been deepened by percussion, thus opening fractures on its floor. As a result, infiltration of meteoric water into the sandstone was encouraged and directed to the base of the pelvic triangle.An experiment demonstrated that filling the basin with 50 L of water caused the vulvar slot to drain after two days. The Palaeolithic people could potentially have operated the ‘vulvar outflow’ on demand and without weather constraints. It is likely that this setup had symbolic and ritual purposes and formed with the parietal arrangement an integral part of a complex and dynamic installation linked to the feminine sex symbol.

Božična jama pri Novi Štifti (Gornji Grad) – primer antičnega jamskega svetišča

This article presents the archaeological and ethnological research of the Božična jama Cave in Slovenia, Styria region, as a possible shrine of fertility. The archaeological finds from the cave indicate that the cave was used for cult purposes. The authors point out the artificially built circle in the middle of the cave and suggest that it was probably devoted to establishing a cosmic space suitable for ritual purposes. The archaeological finds indicate the symbolism of the Sun, phallus and solar deity which are usually connected with fertility. The Božična jama Cave is thus far the only archaeological site in Slovenia to be confirmed as a Late Antiquity archaeological cave site that can be assumed to be a ritual cave connected with fertility.

The spread of rice to Japan: Insights from Bayesian analysis of direct radiocarbon dates and population dynamics in East Asia

The shift from foraging to agriculture as an economic way of life can be influenced by multiple ecological and cultural factors. The introduction of rice cultivation in Japan appears to have facilitated a dietary and cultural transition from the Jomon to the Yayoi cultural repertoire (10th/4th century BCE). Here we examine how rice spread across the Yayoi cultural arena (Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu regions) using Bayesian modelling applied to a set of radiocarbon (14C) dates obtained from carbonized rice grains. The combined results of radiocarbon analysis and archaeological data suggest that rice could have appeared in the Central Highlands already in the 11th century BCE when the region was occupied by people of the Final Jomon culture group and was mainly used for ritual purposes. It then appeared in western Japan (northern Kyushu) in the 9th century BCE and continued to disperse discontinuously across eastern Japan. This dispersal pattern likely results from the fusion of Jomon hunter–fisher–gatherer groups in eastern Japan with cultural traits introduced from the Eurasian mainland. The main driving factors for the immigration of early rice farmers into Japan (starting around 1000 BCE) appears to have been sociopolitical. Transformations in China led to the dissemination of rice farmers into the Korean Peninsula about 500 years earlier. The main drivers likely comprised: (i) the eastward expansion of the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–1400 BCE); (ii) the eastward expansion of the Zhou kingdom, accompanied by the establishment of satellite states, such as Lu (Shandong Province) and Yan (Beijing), following the defeat of the Shang in 1045 BCE; and (iii) the strengthening of local states during the early 8th century BCE after the weakening of the Zhou, due to conflicts with agropastoralists from the Asian steppes. In addition, it is likely that the gradual middle–late Holocene decrease in summer monsoon precipitation negatively affected agricultural yields in the regions located closer to the summer monsoon boundary, such as the middle Yellow River, and thus further fostered the observed population dynamics including the spread of rice farmers to the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Trepanations in Sauromato-Sarmatian Crania from the Lower Volga

We describe artificial openings in crania of the Early Iron Age nomads of the Lower Volga region, owned by the Moscow State University’s Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology. Such openings were found in two male specimens of the Sauromato-Sarmatian age from Bykovo (burial 4, kurgan 13) and Baranovka (burial 2, kurgan 21). Using macroscopic and X-ray examination, we attempt to identify the surgical techniques and the reasons behind the operations. The cranial vault of the Bykovo individual was trepanned by scraping and cutting, for medical purposes. The man survived the surgery, as evidenced by healing. In the case of Baranovka, the operation was performed postmortem or peri-mortem by drilling and cutting, possibly for ritual purposes. Collating these cases with others relating to the Early Iron Age nomadic (Sauromato-Sarmatian) culture of the Lower Volga region and adjacent territories and with written and archaeological sources suggests that the closest parallels come from Central Asia, and Southern and Western Siberia, where the custom of post-mortem ritual trepanations was very common. The surgical techniques practiced in the Lower Volga region were likely due to the penetration of Greek and Roman medical traditions in the mid-first millennium BC.

Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll. Arg.: A comprehensive review on ethnomedicinal uses

Despite advances in biomedical technology, many communities and local people are still dependent on natural and herbal medications. A large number of different ethnic groups like the Tharu, Kani, Garo and other local inhabitants thrive in the Indian subcontinent and other parts of the world. These indigenous people traditionally use Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Mull. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) for a variety of medicinal, ritual and economic purposes. Therefore, the present article aims to assess how many various types of disorders are being treated by ethnic groups using formulations prepared from this tree. In addition, we aim to identify the gaps in knowledge and recommend future investigations based upon them. The present analysis based on 83 articles indicated that different ethnic groups are utilising this tree to treat about 142 health ailments that can be broadly categorised into 11 types of disorders. Among these disorder categories, helminthic infestations, dermatological and digestive disorders are most frequently treated with formulations prepared from the tree. Among plant parts, fruits are the most exclusively used component followed by leaves and bark. The usage of fruits as an anthelminthic is widespread and highly cited for both animals and human beings. Thus, the tree can serve as a promising ethnomedicine to treat helminthic infestations, dermatological and digestive problems. Therefore, the cultivation of this medicinal plant should be encouraged in order to promote conservation of this species.

Making skull cups: Butchering traces on cannibalised human skulls from five European archaeological sites

The presence of skull cups (bowls made from human calvaria) is considered evidence of the ritualistic treatment of human bodies. These artefacts are characterised by careful manufacturing which can be taphonomically observed in bone surface modifications (BSM) as cut marks and percussion marks. These BSM show morphological similarities across Upper Palaeolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age assemblages. This study is focused on the analysis of the frequency and spatial distribution of cut marks on skull cups from Gough's Cave (UK), Herxheim (Germany), and El Mirador Cave (Spain), as compared to the frequency and spatial distribution of modifications on human skulls (non-skull cups) from TD6.2 of Gran Dolina (Spain) and Fontbrégoua (France), with the aim of identifying a common pattern related to a symbolic background. Nearest neighbour analysis and Kernel analyses were used to identify the distribution pattern of anthropogenically induced modifications. The results indicate that the frequency and distribution of cut marks on human skulls modified into skull cups are unique and are most likely to be the result of meticulous cleaning of skulls. A similar frequency and distribution pattern of modifications was also observed on skulls from Fontbrégoua, possibly related to the collection of skulls as war trophies. No parallels with the treatment of skulls of Homo antecessor at TD6.2 of Gran Dolina were observed. We suggest that the treatment of human skulls for ritualistic purposes therefore results in a consistent pattern of modification.

Esther Webman, 1947–2020

Esther Webman, 1947–2020 Dina Porat (bio) Dr. Esther Webman, a dear friend for decades and an outstanding scholar (who was on the advisory board of this journal, among others) passed away suddenly on June 16, 2020. We find ourselves in deep mourning, and with the certainty that Esti—as she was fondly called by her many friends and colleagues—has left behind a void that cannot be filled. Esti's research was well-known internationally and highly acclaimed. She stood at the forefront of scholarship on antisemitism and perceptions of the Holocaust in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Her leadership in this field was evident in her many publications and numerous conference papers and lectures. She distinguished herself by her original thinking, sharp and critical eye, and deep understanding of the political and social realities in the Arab world at large, whether today, or in the recent past. Esti's writing was always lucid and well balanced, and she shied away from any sort of exaggeration or extremism. Born in Cairo, Esti grew up speaking Arabic and French as a child. She had a gift for languages and later in life wrote impeccable English. After being driven out of Egypt, her family immigrated to Israel. She grew up in Migdal Ha'Emek, a small town in the Galilee, and was educated in an excellent boarding school, always standing at the top of her class. She served as a lieutenant in an elite IDF intelligence unit that later became known as 8200. [End Page 388] Upon completing her army service shortly after the Six Day War, Esti embarked on a brilliant academic career at Tel Aviv University, winning the highest praise of her professors. Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Photo of Esther Webman. Reprinted with permission of Esther's family. Esti served as a senior researcher and editor-in-chief of publications at the Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies. She was a staff member at the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Antisemitism and Racism, and at the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, all housed at Tel Aviv University. Among her many publications are From Empathy to Denial: Arab Responses to the Holocaust, co-authored with Meir Litvak. This book won the gold prize of the Washington Institute for Middle Eastern Policy in 2010. She authored the sections on the Arab world for the reports on antisemitism that were published annually by the Stephen Roth Institute, and then by the Kantor Center beginning [End Page 389] in 1994. Those texts were exemplary in their accuracy, depth of analysis, use of a multitude of sources, and were characterized by their courageous assessments. Esti will be best remembered because of the steadfastness she displayed in defending the findings she reached after delving into a variety of primary sources. She insisted that in recent years, if one listened carefully, one could hear new voices in the Arab and Muslim worlds that deviate from the well-known antipathy toward Jews and the Jewish State, especially among intellectuals and political analysts. These bold individuals highlight the damage caused to the reputations of Arabs and Muslims in the West when The Protocols of the Elders of Zion or the idea that Jews use blood for ritual purposes are hailed as absolute truth along with other ludicrous notions about Jews. Esti had high hopes that these moderate voices would pave the way to at least a modest reconciliation between Israel and its neighbors. Those hopes matched her political and social convictions, which always led her to champion the rights of others, minorities, and the weak and disadvantaged. She leaves behind a son Oded, a daughter Adi, and a grandson Adam who was the apple of her eye. Her memory will definitely be a blessing. [End Page 390] Dina Porat Dina Porat is head of the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and incumbent of the Alfred P. Slaner Chair in Antisemitism and Racism at Tel Aviv University. She is also chief historian of Yad Vashem. Her most recent book is Vengeance and Recompence are Mine: The Yishuv, the Holocaust and...

ON ONE HYPOTHESIS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ORIGIN OF POTTERY

The article on the basis of long experiments, ethnographic and archaeological data discusses the hypothesis about the origin of forms of earthenware based on the techniques of primitive cooking. Experiments show that as a result of the preparation of meat food in the center, coated with clay of a special composition, it is possible to obtain a fully preserved clay container, which could be a prototype of the fi rst forms of vessels. This assumption is indirectly confi rmed by the results of a special study of the oldest ceramics of the monuments of the Amur Region. The article suggests that the fi rst clay vessels were used to cook hot food on fi re for ritual purposes.