Europe’s first farmers spread across the continent, bringing with them the benefits of having
food sources readily available, at least most of the time. But farming drains nutrients from the
soil, and without some means of replenishing those nutrients, eventually the soil wears out and
must be abandoned.
Up till now, the use of manure as fertilizer was thought to have begun about 3,000 years ago.
Now a new discovery indicates that farmers were using manure to fertilize their crops about
8,000 years ago.
A team led by University of Oxford archaeobotanist Amy Bogaard sampled grains and pulses
such as peas and lentils from sites all over Europe and ranging in age from 7900 to 4400 years
old. They were looking for the rare isotope nitrogen-15, which occurs in significantly higher
than normal quantities in manure.
The team studied 124 crop samples from 13 farming sites ranging in age from approximately
4400 to 7900 years and located in areas across Europe, such as Greece in the southeast and
Denmark in the northwest. The team analyzed 124 crop samples and found that nitrogen levels
in all those samples were unusually high for wild grains, but consistent with results found in
plants which had been treated with animal fertilizer.
There are at least two plausible theories to explain how the ancient farmers learned to fertilize
their fields. One is based on the idea that observant farmers realized that seeds spread in areas
where a relatively heavy presence of animal fertilizer grew faster and stronger. From those
observations, the farmers might originally have practiced a sort of “crop rotation,” moving their
animals and gardens every few years. In other cases, once they discovered that manure
improved their crops, farmers might have deliberately saved the manure and worked it into their
garden soils.
No matter how they discovered the use of fertilizer, early farmers were able to extend the life of
their land, which allowed them to remain on the same land for a longer time. This new
sedentary lifestyle permitted the development of larger families and social groups. New
technologies, such as the expanded use of grain storage, seed development, and even cooking
techniques were made possible as farming lifestyles spread and became more sophisticated.
Fertilizer is more important than many people may think it is. Without it, farmers could not
produce the prolific crops that keep us all fed. The need to periodically abandon unproductive
fields would limit the size of farms, and in areas all around the world, the abandoned land would
be subject to the devastating effects of windstorms and floods which create deserts and
unproductive badlands. We should be grateful to those innovative farmers who discovered
fertilizer all those years ago.
There’s more information on the first fertilizers here:
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The World’s Oldest Noodles
It has long been argued that noodles originated in Arabia, or maybe Italy, or maybe even China. So the discovery of the world’s oldest noodles in China certainly tilts the argument in favor of that ancient country.
Something really bad happened at Lajia on the Yellow River about 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists excavating the ancient site discovered skeletons in abnormal positions which indicated they were attempting to flee some sort of disaster. Some experts believe there was a catastrophic earthquake followed by a massive flood, possibly caused by a change in a nearby river’s course.
Archaeologists investigating the site found an earthenware bowl filled with a brownish-yellow, fine clay. They turned it over and found the noodles sitting on top of the sediment.
The noodles resemble the traditional Chinese noodle made by repeatedly pulling and stretching the dough by hand. But unlike modern noodles, which are made of wheat flour, these noodles appear to have been made with millet, a grain native to China.
The oldest written record mentioning noodles has been traced to a book written between 25 and 220 AD during the East Han Dynasty.
There’s more information and a photo of the ancient noodles here:
Something really bad happened at Lajia on the Yellow River about 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists excavating the ancient site discovered skeletons in abnormal positions which indicated they were attempting to flee some sort of disaster. Some experts believe there was a catastrophic earthquake followed by a massive flood, possibly caused by a change in a nearby river’s course.
Archaeologists investigating the site found an earthenware bowl filled with a brownish-yellow, fine clay. They turned it over and found the noodles sitting on top of the sediment.
The noodles resemble the traditional Chinese noodle made by repeatedly pulling and stretching the dough by hand. But unlike modern noodles, which are made of wheat flour, these noodles appear to have been made with millet, a grain native to China.
The oldest written record mentioning noodles has been traced to a book written between 25 and 220 AD during the East Han Dynasty.
There’s more information and a photo of the ancient noodles here:
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The World's Oldest Rice
At the age of 15,000 years, a few grains of burned rice in Korea are now recognized as the
world’s oldest rice. Since scientists have long believed they would find the oldest rice in China,
this discovery came as a bit of a surprise.
Prior to this discovery, experts believed that rice cultivation began about 12,000 years ago in
China. The Korean discovery pushes back the earliest date for rice cultivation by at least 3,000
years.
A total of 59 grains of carbonized rice was found during excavations at Sorori in the Chungbuk
Province. Their age alone was enough to generate a great deal of excitement, but there was
more. The ancient grains are generally different from modern rice. This will allow researchers
to trace its evolution. Results of this research may provide insight not into the history of rice,
but may provide clues to the diet and lifestyles of the people who grew and harvested it.
Rice is one of the most valuable foods in the world. More than half the world’s population depends heavily on rice for their primary caloric intake. More than 575 million tons were grown in 2002.
For more on this story, go here
world’s oldest rice. Since scientists have long believed they would find the oldest rice in China,
this discovery came as a bit of a surprise.
Prior to this discovery, experts believed that rice cultivation began about 12,000 years ago in
China. The Korean discovery pushes back the earliest date for rice cultivation by at least 3,000
years.
A total of 59 grains of carbonized rice was found during excavations at Sorori in the Chungbuk
Province. Their age alone was enough to generate a great deal of excitement, but there was
more. The ancient grains are generally different from modern rice. This will allow researchers
to trace its evolution. Results of this research may provide insight not into the history of rice,
but may provide clues to the diet and lifestyles of the people who grew and harvested it.
Rice is one of the most valuable foods in the world. More than half the world’s population depends heavily on rice for their primary caloric intake. More than 575 million tons were grown in 2002.
For more on this story, go here
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The World’s Oldest Man-Made Wells
here Six Neolithic wells on the island of Cyprus has changed our view of life on the island and eclipsed the
previous oldest wells by hundreds, or perhaps thousands of years.
The wells were found inside and around a new hotel complex being built at Mylouthkia. They appeared as circles of dark soil, or in some cases as long columns of soil where their stone sidewalls were quarried away. Researchers originally thought they were the remains of shallow pits dated only to the Bronze Age.
Archaeologist Paul Croft described how the shafts had been cut with antler picks and that hand- and foot-
holds still survived in their walls for climbing up and down. (101)
Excavators found that the wells had been dug more than 30 feet into the soft rock using deer antler picks.
Hand- and footholds used for climbing up and down were discovered in each well. The wells had been deliberately filled in, and the debris contained Neolithic artifacts, but no pottery. Charred grains of domestic wheat and barley were found and radiocarbon dating confirmed their early Neolithic age. Those early dates also pushed back the age of the first farming practices in Cyprus by at least 2,000 years.
One of the wells contained fragments of stone vessels, hammer-stones and flint flakes that may have come from a trash dump located a short distance from the well. Yet another, however, appeared to have been ceremonially covered. A carefully positioned human skull, along with a mace head made of polished pink stone was accompanied by 23 complete goat carcasses.
Some experts believe that crops and cultivation techniques used on the island may indicate that they were
originally brought there from the Levantine mainland. Other settlers may have brought farming to other areas around the Mediterranean and it continued to spread from there throughout southern Europe and eastern regions.
Mylouthkia may well prove to be an important stop on the route to spreading farming techniques and crops throughout Europe.
If you’re interested in more technical information, go here:
previous oldest wells by hundreds, or perhaps thousands of years.
The wells were found inside and around a new hotel complex being built at Mylouthkia. They appeared as circles of dark soil, or in some cases as long columns of soil where their stone sidewalls were quarried away. Researchers originally thought they were the remains of shallow pits dated only to the Bronze Age.
Archaeologist Paul Croft described how the shafts had been cut with antler picks and that hand- and foot-
holds still survived in their walls for climbing up and down. (101)
Excavators found that the wells had been dug more than 30 feet into the soft rock using deer antler picks.
Hand- and footholds used for climbing up and down were discovered in each well. The wells had been deliberately filled in, and the debris contained Neolithic artifacts, but no pottery. Charred grains of domestic wheat and barley were found and radiocarbon dating confirmed their early Neolithic age. Those early dates also pushed back the age of the first farming practices in Cyprus by at least 2,000 years.
One of the wells contained fragments of stone vessels, hammer-stones and flint flakes that may have come from a trash dump located a short distance from the well. Yet another, however, appeared to have been ceremonially covered. A carefully positioned human skull, along with a mace head made of polished pink stone was accompanied by 23 complete goat carcasses.
Some experts believe that crops and cultivation techniques used on the island may indicate that they were
originally brought there from the Levantine mainland. Other settlers may have brought farming to other areas around the Mediterranean and it continued to spread from there throughout southern Europe and eastern regions.
Mylouthkia may well prove to be an important stop on the route to spreading farming techniques and crops throughout Europe.
If you’re interested in more technical information, go here:
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Oldest Map Globe Including the New World
A globe made of two halves of an ostrich egg may be the oldest known “globe” showing the New World. And it appears that the globe dates from around the year 1500, only eight years after Columbus supposedly discovered the new lands.
While it has since been proven that Norse explorers had been in North America long before Columbus landed near South America, this still seems like a short time before the globe made its appearance.
A later globe, made of a copper alloy sometime between 1504 and 1506, seems to have been based on the ostrich egg model. There are slight differences in the wording of the engravings of the two globes, but to many their resemblance to one another is obvious.
Belgian researcher Stefaan Missinne was allowed to send the egg globe to a radiology lab for testing in an attempt to establish how old the globe was. By measuring the bone density loss of the shell and comparing the results with both modern ostrich eggs and others of known age, she determined that an ostrich egg loses approximately 10% of its density each century. She then calculated that the eggs dated to approximately 1500. She believes the globe was created in Florence and engraved by an Italian.
It’s interesting that by fusing the two egg halves together, the globe is actually somewhat flattened at the poles, much like the real planet. Was that an accident or did they know something we didn’t find out for many years afterward?
The copper-alloy globe is now on display at the New York Public Library. The ostrich egg globe is owned by a private collector.
There’s a picture of the globe, along with more information, here
While it has since been proven that Norse explorers had been in North America long before Columbus landed near South America, this still seems like a short time before the globe made its appearance.
A later globe, made of a copper alloy sometime between 1504 and 1506, seems to have been based on the ostrich egg model. There are slight differences in the wording of the engravings of the two globes, but to many their resemblance to one another is obvious.
Belgian researcher Stefaan Missinne was allowed to send the egg globe to a radiology lab for testing in an attempt to establish how old the globe was. By measuring the bone density loss of the shell and comparing the results with both modern ostrich eggs and others of known age, she determined that an ostrich egg loses approximately 10% of its density each century. She then calculated that the eggs dated to approximately 1500. She believes the globe was created in Florence and engraved by an Italian.
It’s interesting that by fusing the two egg halves together, the globe is actually somewhat flattened at the poles, much like the real planet. Was that an accident or did they know something we didn’t find out for many years afterward?
The copper-alloy globe is now on display at the New York Public Library. The ostrich egg globe is owned by a private collector.
There’s a picture of the globe, along with more information, here
Monday, August 19, 2013
The World’s Oldest Granaries
This is a case of having the chicken before the egg. The oldest grain storage facilities were apparently built more than a thousand years before people began domesticating grain for food.
The oldest known domesticated cereal grains are believed to be about 10,500 years old. But the four granaries discovered in the settlement of Dhra in what is now Jordan apparently date to about 11,300 years ago. They were found in a tiny village of about 10 buildings, some of which were houses while others were apparently used to process and store foods.
The buildings themselves were oval-shaped, about 9 feet in diameter and 9 feet high. The walls were constructed of stone and mud bricks, with mud floors. The best preserved granary featured notched stones, about 1 to 1½ feet high which may have supported wooden beams which were probably covered with plants and mud to create a raised floor.
The floor protected the food from rodents and would have allowed air to circulate through the stored grains. Traces of wild barley were found in one of the buildings.
Apparently these granaries were shared by all the villagers at the time. It was only later that storage facilities were separated and maintained by individual families in their own homes.
These granaries indicate that the members of this little community actually worked together to gather and store food. It also means that this little community lived at least a semi-settled life style at a time when most people were believed to have moved around as hunter-gatherers taking advantage of game and wild foods. At least a few small bands were already beginning to take advantage of some of the benefits of sedentary society such as shared labor.
Check here for more information.
The oldest known domesticated cereal grains are believed to be about 10,500 years old. But the four granaries discovered in the settlement of Dhra in what is now Jordan apparently date to about 11,300 years ago. They were found in a tiny village of about 10 buildings, some of which were houses while others were apparently used to process and store foods.
The buildings themselves were oval-shaped, about 9 feet in diameter and 9 feet high. The walls were constructed of stone and mud bricks, with mud floors. The best preserved granary featured notched stones, about 1 to 1½ feet high which may have supported wooden beams which were probably covered with plants and mud to create a raised floor.
The floor protected the food from rodents and would have allowed air to circulate through the stored grains. Traces of wild barley were found in one of the buildings.
Apparently these granaries were shared by all the villagers at the time. It was only later that storage facilities were separated and maintained by individual families in their own homes.
These granaries indicate that the members of this little community actually worked together to gather and store food. It also means that this little community lived at least a semi-settled life style at a time when most people were believed to have moved around as hunter-gatherers taking advantage of game and wild foods. At least a few small bands were already beginning to take advantage of some of the benefits of sedentary society such as shared labor.
Check here for more information.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
The World’s Oldest Rodeo
If you happen to be in Prescott, Arizona, between July 1 and July 7, you can join a huge crowd of rodeo fans attending the World’s Oldest Rodeo.
Ranked as among the best rodeos in the country, this event attracts some of the best of the rodeo competitors in the country, with more than 600 contestants taking part in eight different shows. Payouts are, of course, generous.
In addition to the rodeo, visitors can watch the second-largest parade in Arizona, take in an arts and crafts show, and attend a rodeo dance. There is a loud and lively fireworks display on the Fourth of July along with a carnival.
The first Prescott rodeo, called a “Cowboy Tournament” at the time, was held on July 4, 1888. It was an organizedaffair, with a committee in charge of planning and staging the event. They invited cowboys to the competitions and charged admission.
Ranchers and their hands had long tested their skills against one another on an informal basis. One of those more-or-less organized events took place in August 1884, when cowboys took part in an informal rodeo known as the Payson Rodeo, organized by Abraham (“Arizona Charlie) Meadows and John Collins Chilson. Local cowhands competed against each other in roping and riding, bronc riding and roping events, along with horse racing. Later, other events were added, such as greased pig contests, sack and foot races.
Chutes were not used in these early rodeos. The horses were led or dragged into the middle of the street, saddled and mounted. There were no attempts to time these events, which simply went on until the horse gave up or the rider was thrown. Other cowboys rode wild steers, cows and bulls. Still others tested their skills in roping. Horse racing was popular. The first races usually were among cow horses, but later on thoroughbreds became popular.
Over the years, as rodeos became more sophisticated, special “rodeo grounds” were developed. Chutes, corrals, grandstands and barns have replaced the streets and temporary corrals of the early days. The World’s Oldest Rodeo has its own home and continues to attract visitors from around the world.
If you are thinking about visiting the Prescott Rodeo, you can find its official website here.
Ranked as among the best rodeos in the country, this event attracts some of the best of the rodeo competitors in the country, with more than 600 contestants taking part in eight different shows. Payouts are, of course, generous.
In addition to the rodeo, visitors can watch the second-largest parade in Arizona, take in an arts and crafts show, and attend a rodeo dance. There is a loud and lively fireworks display on the Fourth of July along with a carnival.
The first Prescott rodeo, called a “Cowboy Tournament” at the time, was held on July 4, 1888. It was an organizedaffair, with a committee in charge of planning and staging the event. They invited cowboys to the competitions and charged admission.
Ranchers and their hands had long tested their skills against one another on an informal basis. One of those more-or-less organized events took place in August 1884, when cowboys took part in an informal rodeo known as the Payson Rodeo, organized by Abraham (“Arizona Charlie) Meadows and John Collins Chilson. Local cowhands competed against each other in roping and riding, bronc riding and roping events, along with horse racing. Later, other events were added, such as greased pig contests, sack and foot races.
Chutes were not used in these early rodeos. The horses were led or dragged into the middle of the street, saddled and mounted. There were no attempts to time these events, which simply went on until the horse gave up or the rider was thrown. Other cowboys rode wild steers, cows and bulls. Still others tested their skills in roping. Horse racing was popular. The first races usually were among cow horses, but later on thoroughbreds became popular.
Over the years, as rodeos became more sophisticated, special “rodeo grounds” were developed. Chutes, corrals, grandstands and barns have replaced the streets and temporary corrals of the early days. The World’s Oldest Rodeo has its own home and continues to attract visitors from around the world.
If you are thinking about visiting the Prescott Rodeo, you can find its official website here.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The World’s Oldest Chocolate
Archaeologists studying pottery in the lower Ulua Valley discovered what is, at least until now, the oldest evidence of chocolate. The find pushes the earliest known date for chocolate by at least 500 years.
The beverage was identified by analyzing residue from potsherds. Chemical analysis revealed traces of theobromine, which is found only in the cacao plant. Cacao beans are dried and then processed into chocolate. It is likely that the people who made the ancient form found in the Ulua Valley made use of the same techniques found today.
The style and quality of the pottery analyzed by researchers indicates the drink was used ceremonially. It likely was served at religious festivals, wedding and birth celebrations. This ancient custom was still in use when the Spaniards first landed in South America.
It is interesting that the customs that developed around this ancient drink survived nearly intact for almost 3,000 years.
The beverage was identified by analyzing residue from potsherds. Chemical analysis revealed traces of theobromine, which is found only in the cacao plant. Cacao beans are dried and then processed into chocolate. It is likely that the people who made the ancient form found in the Ulua Valley made use of the same techniques found today.
The style and quality of the pottery analyzed by researchers indicates the drink was used ceremonially. It likely was served at religious festivals, wedding and birth celebrations. This ancient custom was still in use when the Spaniards first landed in South America.
It is interesting that the customs that developed around this ancient drink survived nearly intact for almost 3,000 years.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The World’s Oldest Lunar Calendar
Archaeologists working in the Dee Valley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland have identified what may be the world’s oldest calendar. They also believe the calendar, created as a series of 12 specially shaped pits arranged in a semi-circle and nearly 10,000 years old, may have been maintained and updated until around 4,000 years ago.
Until now the oldest calendars were the Bronze Age monuments found in Mesopotamia. The Scottish calendar predates them by thousands of years, pushing back calendar-making to roughly the end of the last Ice Age. The pits aligned perfectly on the midwinter solstice, adding credibility to the claim that this is an actual lunar calendar.
The pits are even shaped to reflect the various phases of the moon. Waxing, waning, crescents and gibbous phases are all present in their proper positions and arranged in a 164-foot (50 meter) long arc. The center pit, representing the full moon, is circular, roughly 7 feet (2 meters) across.
The pits were first discovered in 2004 on aerial photographs but only recently studied using remote-sensing technology. Specially developed software was used to work out the positions of sunrises and sunsets experienced 10,000 years ago.
It seems obvious that the early people who created this calendar so long ago needed to know about the changes of seasons. It would have helped them to know when game might be available, when crops could be harvested, and even to predict when salmon and other migrating fish could be harvested.
Once again, our ancient ancestors have left evidence of their astronomical knowledge and their ability to take advantage of that knowledge.
There is more detailed information about this intriguing discovery here
Until now the oldest calendars were the Bronze Age monuments found in Mesopotamia. The Scottish calendar predates them by thousands of years, pushing back calendar-making to roughly the end of the last Ice Age. The pits aligned perfectly on the midwinter solstice, adding credibility to the claim that this is an actual lunar calendar.
The pits are even shaped to reflect the various phases of the moon. Waxing, waning, crescents and gibbous phases are all present in their proper positions and arranged in a 164-foot (50 meter) long arc. The center pit, representing the full moon, is circular, roughly 7 feet (2 meters) across.
The pits were first discovered in 2004 on aerial photographs but only recently studied using remote-sensing technology. Specially developed software was used to work out the positions of sunrises and sunsets experienced 10,000 years ago.
It seems obvious that the early people who created this calendar so long ago needed to know about the changes of seasons. It would have helped them to know when game might be available, when crops could be harvested, and even to predict when salmon and other migrating fish could be harvested.
Once again, our ancient ancestors have left evidence of their astronomical knowledge and their ability to take advantage of that knowledge.
There is more detailed information about this intriguing discovery here
Sunday, July 21, 2013
The World’s Oldest Known Poison
Border Cave, located on the border between South Africa and Swaziland, has produced surprise after surprise for researchers analyzing layers representing literally tens of thousands of years of occupation. One of those surprises is the evidence of the deliberate use of poisons by hunters over 44,000 years ago
Researchers dated a lump of beeswax mixed with a toxic resin to about 35,000 years ago. They believe it was used to attach stone points to the shafts of arrows or spears. Coincidentally, this is also the oldest evidence for the use of beeswax.
Researchers also dated a wooden stick with marked with scratch marks up and down its length and dated at about 20,000 years old. Traces of ricinoleic acid, the notorious poison found in castor beans, were found during a chemical analysis of residue on the stick. The stick closely resembles poison applicators used by the people of the early San culture, which was emerging at about that time.
Bows and arrows were also thought to be emerging about 20,000 years ago and there is a good possibility that they were coming into use when the applicator was created. The thin, small points found in the younger debris at Border Cave resemble the bone points produced by the San people, who are known to have used poison-tipped bone points on their arrows to help bring down medium and some large-sized game.
There is more information on this ancient poison technology here
Researchers dated a lump of beeswax mixed with a toxic resin to about 35,000 years ago. They believe it was used to attach stone points to the shafts of arrows or spears. Coincidentally, this is also the oldest evidence for the use of beeswax.
Researchers also dated a wooden stick with marked with scratch marks up and down its length and dated at about 20,000 years old. Traces of ricinoleic acid, the notorious poison found in castor beans, were found during a chemical analysis of residue on the stick. The stick closely resembles poison applicators used by the people of the early San culture, which was emerging at about that time.
Bows and arrows were also thought to be emerging about 20,000 years ago and there is a good possibility that they were coming into use when the applicator was created. The thin, small points found in the younger debris at Border Cave resemble the bone points produced by the San people, who are known to have used poison-tipped bone points on their arrows to help bring down medium and some large-sized game.
There is more information on this ancient poison technology here
Monday, July 15, 2013
The World’s Oldest Grape Vine
An ancient vine in Maribor, Slovenia, has been authenticated by experts as the world’s oldest producing grape vine. It is at least 400 years old, and its age has been confirmed by experts in both Paris and Slovenia. It also appeared in paintings known to have been completed between the years 1657 and 1681 which show that this elderly vine was already mature at the time.
Its fruit is also one of the oldest domesticated noble wine grapes known in Slovenia. Its descendants are now found on nearly every continent of the world.
Its owners still produce wine from Old Vine. They bottle anywhere from 35 to 55 kilograms annually, bottling the product in more than 100 2.5 decaliter glass bottles per year. The annual Pruning of the Old Vine is a ceremonial event. The scions are naturally highly sought after and the bestowal of the ancient plant’s scion is cause for celebration by the lucky cities chosen to receive one as a gift. Another annual ceremonial involves the harvest of its grapes which takes place as part of the Old Vine Festival.
Old Vine is registered in the Guinness Book of Records. This revered plant is carefully tended and watched over, and is showing no signs of weakness.
Old Vine might provide the perfect excuse to visit Maribor. A lively tourist industry has grown up around the old vine. Sightseers can visit the Old Vine House itself, visit wine cellars and museums, and just enjoy the town and its surroundings. All in all, Old Vine sounds like a good excuse to take in a part of traditional Slovenia.
Its fruit is also one of the oldest domesticated noble wine grapes known in Slovenia. Its descendants are now found on nearly every continent of the world.
Its owners still produce wine from Old Vine. They bottle anywhere from 35 to 55 kilograms annually, bottling the product in more than 100 2.5 decaliter glass bottles per year. The annual Pruning of the Old Vine is a ceremonial event. The scions are naturally highly sought after and the bestowal of the ancient plant’s scion is cause for celebration by the lucky cities chosen to receive one as a gift. Another annual ceremonial involves the harvest of its grapes which takes place as part of the Old Vine Festival.
Old Vine is registered in the Guinness Book of Records. This revered plant is carefully tended and watched over, and is showing no signs of weakness.
Old Vine might provide the perfect excuse to visit Maribor. A lively tourist industry has grown up around the old vine. Sightseers can visit the Old Vine House itself, visit wine cellars and museums, and just enjoy the town and its surroundings. All in all, Old Vine sounds like a good excuse to take in a part of traditional Slovenia.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
The World’s Oldest Bone Tumor
This "world’s oldest" also goes to the Neanderthals, but it’s not really happy news. It seems that a 120,000-year old Neanderthal was the victim of a bone tumor that plagues people even today. It is actually 100,000 older than the previous record-holder.
This particular tumor was a benign fibrous dysplasia found on a rib recovered from the well-known Neanderthal site at Krapina, Croatia that is arguably of one of the richest Neanderthal sites ever found. It is identical to its modern-day descendants. One unusual aspect of this tumor is that Neanderthals did not generally have a long life-span. Tumors such as this one generally only appear as an individual ages.
While many Neanderthals died as a result of accidents or other types of violence, we now know that they also suffered from many of the same diseases which afflict people today. Evidence has been found that these early people suffered from tuberculosis, arthritis, periodontitis and other potentially deadly diseases. Some of this evidence has been found in individuals who lived 100,000 or more years ago.
We sometimes think of Neanderthals as living in an idyllic world where they were free to hunt and roam where they liked without suffering the ravages of disease. Mounting evidence indicates that this was not always the case. It also seems clear that at least some so-called "modern" diseases may have evolved much earlier than has been generally believed.
If you’d like more technical information on how the tumor was discovered, visit here
This particular tumor was a benign fibrous dysplasia found on a rib recovered from the well-known Neanderthal site at Krapina, Croatia that is arguably of one of the richest Neanderthal sites ever found. It is identical to its modern-day descendants. One unusual aspect of this tumor is that Neanderthals did not generally have a long life-span. Tumors such as this one generally only appear as an individual ages.
While many Neanderthals died as a result of accidents or other types of violence, we now know that they also suffered from many of the same diseases which afflict people today. Evidence has been found that these early people suffered from tuberculosis, arthritis, periodontitis and other potentially deadly diseases. Some of this evidence has been found in individuals who lived 100,000 or more years ago.
We sometimes think of Neanderthals as living in an idyllic world where they were free to hunt and roam where they liked without suffering the ravages of disease. Mounting evidence indicates that this was not always the case. It also seems clear that at least some so-called "modern" diseases may have evolved much earlier than has been generally believed.
If you’d like more technical information on how the tumor was discovered, visit here
Thursday, June 27, 2013
The World’s Oldest Smart Bombs
Today it seems like all bombs are "smart." But when was the first guided missile actually used? The answer may surprise you.
Smart bomb development actually started in 1938 when a scientist named Dr. Max Kramer, working for a German company, successfully added a radio-controlled spoiler to the tail of a 550-pound bomb. Two years later the system had proven itself on the smaller bombs and was then added to a much larger bomb called the FX-1400. This bomb weighed 3,469 pounds and was ten and a half feet long. It was popularly dubbed the Fritz-X. The bomb boasted an armor-piercing warhead and could sink large battleships.
The new bomb required good visibility because after it was released, the bombardier visually guided it with radio signals by sighting on a bright flare mounted on the bomb’s tail. A total of 750 Fritz-Xs were eventually produced and kept at coastal airfields throughout Europe.
Perhaps the best-known action involving Fritz-X bombs occurred when the Italian Fleet defected and was intercepted by a flight of six German Do217's. The fleet consisted of three battleships, six cruisers, and many auxiliary ships. The ultra-modern Roma was among the battleships.
The Roma took a direct hit just forward of her front smokestack, starting a major fire which reached the forward magazine. The explosion ripped open her hull and the Roma sank, taking over 1,250 sailors with her. The Roma was the first capital ship sunk by a guided bomb. This bomb proved only partially effective, which is not surprising for such a radical new technology. Between August 1943 and February 1944, the Germans launched 28 separate attacks against ships, but sank only one and damaged four others with their "smart bomb." Still, when you consider that the technology was so new, and relatively primitive, the experiments were successful enough to continue research and further advances.
It is also worth knowing that in 1942 the Allies began developing its own guided bombs designed to attack bridges, railways, and other narrow targets. These bombs were the first of the Vertical Bomb-1 (VB1), forerunners of the azimuth-only family of weapons used in Burma, Europe, and in the Pacific Theater.
Smart bomb development actually started in 1938 when a scientist named Dr. Max Kramer, working for a German company, successfully added a radio-controlled spoiler to the tail of a 550-pound bomb. Two years later the system had proven itself on the smaller bombs and was then added to a much larger bomb called the FX-1400. This bomb weighed 3,469 pounds and was ten and a half feet long. It was popularly dubbed the Fritz-X. The bomb boasted an armor-piercing warhead and could sink large battleships.
The new bomb required good visibility because after it was released, the bombardier visually guided it with radio signals by sighting on a bright flare mounted on the bomb’s tail. A total of 750 Fritz-Xs were eventually produced and kept at coastal airfields throughout Europe.
Perhaps the best-known action involving Fritz-X bombs occurred when the Italian Fleet defected and was intercepted by a flight of six German Do217's. The fleet consisted of three battleships, six cruisers, and many auxiliary ships. The ultra-modern Roma was among the battleships.
The Roma took a direct hit just forward of her front smokestack, starting a major fire which reached the forward magazine. The explosion ripped open her hull and the Roma sank, taking over 1,250 sailors with her. The Roma was the first capital ship sunk by a guided bomb. This bomb proved only partially effective, which is not surprising for such a radical new technology. Between August 1943 and February 1944, the Germans launched 28 separate attacks against ships, but sank only one and damaged four others with their "smart bomb." Still, when you consider that the technology was so new, and relatively primitive, the experiments were successful enough to continue research and further advances.
It is also worth knowing that in 1942 the Allies began developing its own guided bombs designed to attack bridges, railways, and other narrow targets. These bombs were the first of the Vertical Bomb-1 (VB1), forerunners of the azimuth-only family of weapons used in Burma, Europe, and in the Pacific Theater.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The World’s Oldest Primate Fossil
There has been some talk lately that humans originated in Asia rather than Africa. New evidence has just emerged in the form of a tiny fossil recognized as the oldest primate discovered so far. It was found in China’s Hubei province, and is 7 million years older than the previous oldest primate fossil.
The little primate, Archicebus achilles, is a primitive tarsier. This primate group is closely related to monkeys, apes and humans, although it lived before the evolutionary split that divided the three groups. It is a descendant of the ancestor of all primates, but it is not clear yet whether it is a direct ancestor of humans.
The tiny, primitive animal, barely 3 inches (7 centimeters) long and weighing only about 30 grams, lived some 55 million years ago. The world was very warm and its home was a lush rainforest. It probably climbed trees and dined on insects. Dinosaurs had been extinct for some 10 million years when this little fellow lived, and mammals, reptiles and birds were beginning to thrive in a world that had experienced drastic environmental changes 65 million years ago.
The tiny animal somewhat resembles a modern squirrel but with the feet of a monkey. Its arms, legs and teeth resemble those of a primitive primate, and its primitive skull contained surprisingly small eyes.
Scientists will now be kept busy trying to determine where this tiny newcomer fits into the primate family tree. They do not believe that Archicebus achilles is the first primate, but they are certain that it is a descendant of the first one. For now, however, the focus of the search for our possible first primate ancestor almost certainly must shift to the far East.
If you’d like more information about this little primate, visit here
The little primate, Archicebus achilles, is a primitive tarsier. This primate group is closely related to monkeys, apes and humans, although it lived before the evolutionary split that divided the three groups. It is a descendant of the ancestor of all primates, but it is not clear yet whether it is a direct ancestor of humans.
The tiny, primitive animal, barely 3 inches (7 centimeters) long and weighing only about 30 grams, lived some 55 million years ago. The world was very warm and its home was a lush rainforest. It probably climbed trees and dined on insects. Dinosaurs had been extinct for some 10 million years when this little fellow lived, and mammals, reptiles and birds were beginning to thrive in a world that had experienced drastic environmental changes 65 million years ago.
The tiny animal somewhat resembles a modern squirrel but with the feet of a monkey. Its arms, legs and teeth resemble those of a primitive primate, and its primitive skull contained surprisingly small eyes.
Scientists will now be kept busy trying to determine where this tiny newcomer fits into the primate family tree. They do not believe that Archicebus achilles is the first primate, but they are certain that it is a descendant of the first one. For now, however, the focus of the search for our possible first primate ancestor almost certainly must shift to the far East.
If you’d like more information about this little primate, visit here
Monday, June 10, 2013
Oldest Known Preserved Dissected Human
The Dark Ages weren’t really so dark after all. Historians have long thought that science stagnated in Europe during the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and some indistinct time before the beginning of the Renaissance. Those views are changing at last. Here’s one example of a "Dark Ages" scientific surprise.
Researchers studying a preserved human dissection originally believed that it dated from the 15th or 16th century, putting it firmly into the Renaissance period. In fact, radiocarbon dating revealed that it actually dates from 1200 to 1280 A.D.
The specimen consists of the head and shoulders of a man. The skullcap and brain had been so skillfully removed that it is obvious that the man who conducted the dissection was quite skilled, which means he had obviously done the procedure before and knew how to preserve his specimen by filling the arteries with a red compound composed of beeswax, lime, and cinnabar mercury.
Researchers and historians are beginning to see that the people of the "Dark Ages" weren’t as ignorant and backward as earlier believed.
The identity of the man whose body was dissected will never be known. Why was it preserved? It may have been saved as a training tool for physicians. Or perhaps the dissector wanted to preserve it for further study.
Even the great Greco-Roman physician Galen was not permitted to conduct human autopsies in the 2nd century AD. His research was limited to dissecting animals and studying the wounds of gladiators. For centuries, his texts were relied upon by European and Near Eastern doctors until the Renaissance despite the fact that there is evidence that both Catholic and secular dissections were being performed, leading to new information about the human body and how it worked. For example, records show that an Italian physician conducted autopsies in 1286 in an attempt to determine the origin of a deadly epidemic.
The artifact is now in private hands, but will soon be on display at the Parisian Museum of the History of Medicine.
There’s a photo of the macabre artifact, along with information about the myths about the Catholic Church’s supposed repression of scientific advancement here
Researchers studying a preserved human dissection originally believed that it dated from the 15th or 16th century, putting it firmly into the Renaissance period. In fact, radiocarbon dating revealed that it actually dates from 1200 to 1280 A.D.
The specimen consists of the head and shoulders of a man. The skullcap and brain had been so skillfully removed that it is obvious that the man who conducted the dissection was quite skilled, which means he had obviously done the procedure before and knew how to preserve his specimen by filling the arteries with a red compound composed of beeswax, lime, and cinnabar mercury.
Researchers and historians are beginning to see that the people of the "Dark Ages" weren’t as ignorant and backward as earlier believed.
The identity of the man whose body was dissected will never be known. Why was it preserved? It may have been saved as a training tool for physicians. Or perhaps the dissector wanted to preserve it for further study.
Even the great Greco-Roman physician Galen was not permitted to conduct human autopsies in the 2nd century AD. His research was limited to dissecting animals and studying the wounds of gladiators. For centuries, his texts were relied upon by European and Near Eastern doctors until the Renaissance despite the fact that there is evidence that both Catholic and secular dissections were being performed, leading to new information about the human body and how it worked. For example, records show that an Italian physician conducted autopsies in 1286 in an attempt to determine the origin of a deadly epidemic.
The artifact is now in private hands, but will soon be on display at the Parisian Museum of the History of Medicine.
There’s a photo of the macabre artifact, along with information about the myths about the Catholic Church’s supposed repression of scientific advancement here
Friday, May 31, 2013
The World’s Oldest Artificial Pigment
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The world’s oldest artificial pigment, Egyptian Blue, was first used over 4,500 years ago. It was apparently first formulated in Egypt, but was used by Greeks and other contemporary cultures as well. And now some of its unique properties are finding potential applications in today’s world.
The creation of Egyptian Blue involved a complex chemical process. It is a mixture of silica, copper, lime and natron, and had to be heated at least once during its formulation. Its blue coloring is caused by the presence of a calcium-copper tetrasilicate which is also found as a natural mineral called cuprorivaite. The Egyptians called it hsbd-iryt, which means artificial lapis lazuli.
The Egyptians loved bright colors and applied Egyptian Blue to numerous objects. They used it on stone, wood, papyrus, plaster and canvas and included it as a coloring agent when they made beads, scarabs, cylinder seals, pots, statuettes and numerous other products. It has been found on wall paintings at Luxor and on sculptures recovered at the Parthenon. It was used by artisans in the Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean, and appeared throughout the Roman Empire until the end of the Fourth Century AD.
When a red light is shone on the Egyptian Blue pigment, it reflects infrared light which is easily detected by night-vision goggles or cameras. Archaeologists and other experts have taken advantage of this unusual property to help identify genuine antiquities since the pigment was not used after the 4th century AD. It appears that the secret to its manufacture was lost about that time. Sir Humphry Davy and other 19th-century scientists began studying Egyptian Blue and now it is the subject of investigation by chemists at the University of Georgia. Those same researchers are not looking at a related compound, barium copper tetrasilicate, which was used as a pigment by the ancient Chinese.
The University of Georgia team of chemists is excited about the possible modern uses of these ancient compounds. Perhaps this will encourage other researchers to investigate other ancient technologies.
If you’d like to read further, visit Archaeology’s website
You can also read my post about the potential modern-day uses of Egyptian Blue here
The world’s oldest artificial pigment, Egyptian Blue, was first used over 4,500 years ago. It was apparently first formulated in Egypt, but was used by Greeks and other contemporary cultures as well. And now some of its unique properties are finding potential applications in today’s world.
The creation of Egyptian Blue involved a complex chemical process. It is a mixture of silica, copper, lime and natron, and had to be heated at least once during its formulation. Its blue coloring is caused by the presence of a calcium-copper tetrasilicate which is also found as a natural mineral called cuprorivaite. The Egyptians called it hsbd-iryt, which means artificial lapis lazuli.
The Egyptians loved bright colors and applied Egyptian Blue to numerous objects. They used it on stone, wood, papyrus, plaster and canvas and included it as a coloring agent when they made beads, scarabs, cylinder seals, pots, statuettes and numerous other products. It has been found on wall paintings at Luxor and on sculptures recovered at the Parthenon. It was used by artisans in the Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean, and appeared throughout the Roman Empire until the end of the Fourth Century AD.
When a red light is shone on the Egyptian Blue pigment, it reflects infrared light which is easily detected by night-vision goggles or cameras. Archaeologists and other experts have taken advantage of this unusual property to help identify genuine antiquities since the pigment was not used after the 4th century AD. It appears that the secret to its manufacture was lost about that time. Sir Humphry Davy and other 19th-century scientists began studying Egyptian Blue and now it is the subject of investigation by chemists at the University of Georgia. Those same researchers are not looking at a related compound, barium copper tetrasilicate, which was used as a pigment by the ancient Chinese.
The University of Georgia team of chemists is excited about the possible modern uses of these ancient compounds. Perhaps this will encourage other researchers to investigate other ancient technologies.
If you’d like to read further, visit Archaeology’s website
You can also read my post about the potential modern-day uses of Egyptian Blue here
Saturday, May 18, 2013
The World’s Oldest Flowing Water
The world’s oldest flowing water has been found in a buried reservoir beneath a copper and zinc mine in Timmins, Ontario in Canada. The numbers are staggering, both for its age and the depth at which it was found.
The water was found by a team of miners drilling into bedrock about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beneath the surface. It did not start out there, however. Originally it seeped from above ground from primeval oceans. Chemical analyses of the water indicate that it contains high levels of hydrogen as well as methane and xenon gases. The xenon, which is an isotope, was used to estimate the water’s age. The tests revealed that the water is no less than 1.5 billion years old and may be more than 2.6 billion years old. This means that it existed during the time that the first multi-celled life forms were making their appearance on the planet. It also provides insights into the chemical composition of earth’s ancient oceans and atmosphere.
It is the possibility that microbial life forms might be present in this ancient water that excites many scientists. They are testing water samples to see if they can detect life forms. If they do, there may be a chance that some form of life may still exist on Mars, which once contained significant oceans. They may also offer insights into how microbes evolve in isolation. There is a precedent for this theory. Microbes have been found in water with a similar chemistry that was isolated beneath a South African gold mine. These tiny creatures used hydrogen gas as an energy source.
The Canadian water offers scientists an invaluable look at our planet’s evolution. It will be interesting to see what scientists learn as they study this remarkable discovery.
If you’d like more technical information about the water and its implications, go here.
The water was found by a team of miners drilling into bedrock about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) beneath the surface. It did not start out there, however. Originally it seeped from above ground from primeval oceans. Chemical analyses of the water indicate that it contains high levels of hydrogen as well as methane and xenon gases. The xenon, which is an isotope, was used to estimate the water’s age. The tests revealed that the water is no less than 1.5 billion years old and may be more than 2.6 billion years old. This means that it existed during the time that the first multi-celled life forms were making their appearance on the planet. It also provides insights into the chemical composition of earth’s ancient oceans and atmosphere.
It is the possibility that microbial life forms might be present in this ancient water that excites many scientists. They are testing water samples to see if they can detect life forms. If they do, there may be a chance that some form of life may still exist on Mars, which once contained significant oceans. They may also offer insights into how microbes evolve in isolation. There is a precedent for this theory. Microbes have been found in water with a similar chemistry that was isolated beneath a South African gold mine. These tiny creatures used hydrogen gas as an energy source.
The Canadian water offers scientists an invaluable look at our planet’s evolution. It will be interesting to see what scientists learn as they study this remarkable discovery.
If you’d like more technical information about the water and its implications, go here.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
One of the World’s Oldest Lab Experiments
In 1927 an experiment began at Queensland University. It is still ongoing, making it one of the world’s oldest continuous laboratory experiments. And its total production is so small it’s sort of like watching cold molasses flow.
Actually, it’s not molasses. It’s pitch, which is at least 230 billion times more viscous than water. It’s also the world’s stickiest substance. It’s so slow that no one has actually been around when a small drop falls from the lump.
The experiment itself involves a block of pitch. Pitch is so brittle that it can be smashed with a hammer, but actually behaves like a fluid. So scientists have watched this particular block of pitch for more than 95 years. Recently, however, there’s been a little excitement. Only eight drops have been produced since the experiment began, but now it looks as though a ninth is getting ready to fall. No one knows, of course, when it will actually fall. The last drop fell in 2000.
Professor John Mainstone has run the pitch experiment since the 1960s. He says that no one has actually seen a drop fall. Mainstone missed one when he stepped out for coffee and came back to find the new drop. A webcam failed in 1988 when another drop fell. A watch has been established and cameras are at the ready. Prof. Mainstone plans to share the impending drop with web users hoping to actually see it fall.
For more information, go here
Actually, it’s not molasses. It’s pitch, which is at least 230 billion times more viscous than water. It’s also the world’s stickiest substance. It’s so slow that no one has actually been around when a small drop falls from the lump.
The experiment itself involves a block of pitch. Pitch is so brittle that it can be smashed with a hammer, but actually behaves like a fluid. So scientists have watched this particular block of pitch for more than 95 years. Recently, however, there’s been a little excitement. Only eight drops have been produced since the experiment began, but now it looks as though a ninth is getting ready to fall. No one knows, of course, when it will actually fall. The last drop fell in 2000.
Professor John Mainstone has run the pitch experiment since the 1960s. He says that no one has actually seen a drop fall. Mainstone missed one when he stepped out for coffee and came back to find the new drop. A webcam failed in 1988 when another drop fell. A watch has been established and cameras are at the ready. Prof. Mainstone plans to share the impending drop with web users hoping to actually see it fall.
For more information, go here
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The World’s Oldest Railway Tunnel
British archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the world’s oldest railway tunnel, although there may be some dispute between the newly discovered tunnel and another which up to now was believed to be the oldest. Coincidentally, both tunnels are located in Derbyshire.
The newly discovered tunnel lies on a route known as the Butterley Gangroad. In the beginning the railway was literally powered by horses and was built in 1793. The archaeologist in charge of the project believes that at least parts of the tunnel were built at about the same time the rest of the route was completed. If this is true, its competitor, located on the Peak Forest Tramway and built in 1795, is about two years younger than the Butterley Gangroad tunnel.
The Butterley Gangroad line was originally engineered by Benjamin Outram. In November 1813, legendary Scottish engineer William Brunton tested a steam locomotive built at the Butterley works located in Ripley. (This locomotive was the first steam locomotive to operate in the East Midlands.) The old route was turned into a narrow gauge line during a modernization project in the 1840s and was used by steam engines until it was closed down in 1933. It was used as an air raid shelter during World War II and was finally sealed off in 1980.
The current landowners approached the Derbyshire Archaeological Society and requested an investigation of the tunnel. The Society agreed and opened the tunnel. One of the first projects completed after the tunnel was reopened was the creation of a three-dimensional computer model its interior.
The entire investigation is expected to take approximately two years. Once the work is completed the tunnel will be resealed to preserve it.
If you’d like to learn more, visit here
The newly discovered tunnel lies on a route known as the Butterley Gangroad. In the beginning the railway was literally powered by horses and was built in 1793. The archaeologist in charge of the project believes that at least parts of the tunnel were built at about the same time the rest of the route was completed. If this is true, its competitor, located on the Peak Forest Tramway and built in 1795, is about two years younger than the Butterley Gangroad tunnel.
The Butterley Gangroad line was originally engineered by Benjamin Outram. In November 1813, legendary Scottish engineer William Brunton tested a steam locomotive built at the Butterley works located in Ripley. (This locomotive was the first steam locomotive to operate in the East Midlands.) The old route was turned into a narrow gauge line during a modernization project in the 1840s and was used by steam engines until it was closed down in 1933. It was used as an air raid shelter during World War II and was finally sealed off in 1980.
The current landowners approached the Derbyshire Archaeological Society and requested an investigation of the tunnel. The Society agreed and opened the tunnel. One of the first projects completed after the tunnel was reopened was the creation of a three-dimensional computer model its interior.
The entire investigation is expected to take approximately two years. Once the work is completed the tunnel will be resealed to preserve it.
If you’d like to learn more, visit here
Sunday, April 28, 2013
World’s Oldest Viable Seeds
Until recently, the oldest regenerated ancient plans were date palms grown from seeds found at the famous Masada fortress. That record was not only eclipsed, it was shattered when Russian scientists managed to grow plants from seeds buried by squirrels more than 30,000 years ago.
The seeds were those of a fruit-bearing plant known as Silene stenophylla. The seeds were found in a permafrost layer in Siberia and carefully carbon dated. They were found to be 31,800 years old plus or minus 300 years.
Silene stenophylla never became extinct and is still found on the Siberian tundra, giving scientists a chance to study differences and similarities between the modern plants and their ancient ancestors. It also suggests that other plant materials stored in permafrost could also be brought back, including some extinct species.
Technically, the plants were grown not from the actual seeds themselves, but from the tissues in the fruit to which the seeds were attached. Nevertheless, it is a remarkable achievement for the team led by cryologists Svetlana Yashina and David Gilichinsky of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is likely that once these plants have bloomed, viable seeds can be recovered.
This remarkable achievement began with the discovery of about 70 squirrel hibernation burrows found along the banks of the lower Kolyma River in northeastern Siberia. These burrows were found to contain hundreds of thousands of seed samples from a number of different plants. They were 65 to 130 feet (20 to 40 meters) below the present day surface of the river bank. These layers also contained bones of such Late Pleistocene-age animals as wooly rhinoceros, bison, deer, horse, and mammoth. Apparently, the burrows were quickly covered with ice and remained frozen continuously until they were discovered. Could these frozen burrows yield clues to the event that produced Siberia’s flash-frozen mammoths?
There’s more information about these ancient plants here:
The seeds were those of a fruit-bearing plant known as Silene stenophylla. The seeds were found in a permafrost layer in Siberia and carefully carbon dated. They were found to be 31,800 years old plus or minus 300 years.
Silene stenophylla never became extinct and is still found on the Siberian tundra, giving scientists a chance to study differences and similarities between the modern plants and their ancient ancestors. It also suggests that other plant materials stored in permafrost could also be brought back, including some extinct species.
Technically, the plants were grown not from the actual seeds themselves, but from the tissues in the fruit to which the seeds were attached. Nevertheless, it is a remarkable achievement for the team led by cryologists Svetlana Yashina and David Gilichinsky of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is likely that once these plants have bloomed, viable seeds can be recovered.
This remarkable achievement began with the discovery of about 70 squirrel hibernation burrows found along the banks of the lower Kolyma River in northeastern Siberia. These burrows were found to contain hundreds of thousands of seed samples from a number of different plants. They were 65 to 130 feet (20 to 40 meters) below the present day surface of the river bank. These layers also contained bones of such Late Pleistocene-age animals as wooly rhinoceros, bison, deer, horse, and mammoth. Apparently, the burrows were quickly covered with ice and remained frozen continuously until they were discovered. Could these frozen burrows yield clues to the event that produced Siberia’s flash-frozen mammoths?
There’s more information about these ancient plants here:
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Oldest Condom Still in Existence?
We tend to think of condoms as modern devices designed to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But its history goes back many thousands of years. Now the oldest existing condoms have been found in Lund, Sweden and Birmingham, England, which shows that the use of condoms to protect wearers against sexually transmitted diseases was common during the early 1600's.
The Swedish condom is made of pig intestine, and believed to have been made and used around 1640 AD. It is completely intact and was found with a user’s manual written in Latin. Among other things, the manual instructs its wearer to soak it in warm milk to prevent diseases. The moistening probably made it more comfortable for its wearer, too.
Actually, this condom is a relative latecomer, although it’s one of the oldest examples we have. Other condoms of a similar age were found by archaeologists exploring the foundations of Dudley Castle near Birmingham, England. The English condoms were made of animal and fish intestines and may have been used during the war between Cromwell and King Charles I.
There is evidence that condoms were used by Egyptians as far back as 1,000 BC. Cave paintings at Combarelles in France are believed to show condom use and are approximately 2,000 years old. Condoms made of dried sheep intestines were used by Roman soldiers to protect themselves during long campaigns away from home.
While it appears that most condoms were made from animal intestines, some accounts describe prophylactics made of linen. Literature suggests that the men had long recognized that condoms prevented unwanted pregnancies. In fact, Casanova, the legendary 19th century womanizer, was said to have used linen condoms regularly. He referred to them as "Redingote Anglaise," meaning ‘English Riding Coat."
Today’s condoms are generally made of rubber and plastic, but the basic shape and uses of these devices are really no different than those of their ancient ancestors. Sometimes, it seems, it’s hard to improve on a good basic idea.
You probably know more about condoms than you care to. But in case you’re interested in finding out more, go here.
The Swedish condom is made of pig intestine, and believed to have been made and used around 1640 AD. It is completely intact and was found with a user’s manual written in Latin. Among other things, the manual instructs its wearer to soak it in warm milk to prevent diseases. The moistening probably made it more comfortable for its wearer, too.
Actually, this condom is a relative latecomer, although it’s one of the oldest examples we have. Other condoms of a similar age were found by archaeologists exploring the foundations of Dudley Castle near Birmingham, England. The English condoms were made of animal and fish intestines and may have been used during the war between Cromwell and King Charles I.
There is evidence that condoms were used by Egyptians as far back as 1,000 BC. Cave paintings at Combarelles in France are believed to show condom use and are approximately 2,000 years old. Condoms made of dried sheep intestines were used by Roman soldiers to protect themselves during long campaigns away from home.
While it appears that most condoms were made from animal intestines, some accounts describe prophylactics made of linen. Literature suggests that the men had long recognized that condoms prevented unwanted pregnancies. In fact, Casanova, the legendary 19th century womanizer, was said to have used linen condoms regularly. He referred to them as "Redingote Anglaise," meaning ‘English Riding Coat."
Today’s condoms are generally made of rubber and plastic, but the basic shape and uses of these devices are really no different than those of their ancient ancestors. Sometimes, it seems, it’s hard to improve on a good basic idea.
You probably know more about condoms than you care to. But in case you’re interested in finding out more, go here.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Oldest Cave Paintings in Malaga, Spain Made by Neanderthals
Score another one for my Neanderthals. I have long believed that Neanderthals were far more accomplished than many experts were willing to acknowledge. Now there is more proof.
The paintings, found in the Nerja cave near Malaga, may in fact be the oldest found to date, and the first to have been created by Neanderthals. Charcoal found beside six of the paintings indicate that the images were created between 43,500 and 42,300 years ago. This makes these paintings far older than those found at Grotte Chauvet cave in southeast France. The Chauvet paintings are currently thought to be the earliest paintings by Homo sapiens and are believed to have been created around 30,000 years ago.
José Luis Sanchidrián of the University of Cordoba says the images depict seals which were hunted by the local Neanderthals. The images are heavily stylized and the interpretation may prove to be incorrect. Some observers say that the images resemble a double helix.
Homo sapiens is believed to have entered eastern Europe some time around 40,000 to 42,000 years ago. Although it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely that they would have migrated to Spain at such an early stage.
Plans are underway to date the paint pigments themselves with testing expected to begin sometime after 2013. In the meantime the extensive Nerja cave system, discovered in 1959, is still being explored.
It is interesting that cave paintings, among other ancient artifacts, have traditionally been attributed to Homo sapiens partly because Neanderthals were believed to be incapable of producing "art." Recently, though, this belief has been challenged by the discovery of large numbers of decorated shell and stone objects in areas known to have been inhabited exclusively by Neanderthals. Some experts, more or less grudgingly, are now crediting Neanderthals with the potential to create art.
One problem I have with all these new discoveries is that I am constantly having to update the information in my upcoming book on Neanderthal life and culture as new information becomes available. But for me, that’s a good thing. Neanderthals deserve more credit than they are currently getting.
Here’s an interesting article on these cave paintings
The paintings, found in the Nerja cave near Malaga, may in fact be the oldest found to date, and the first to have been created by Neanderthals. Charcoal found beside six of the paintings indicate that the images were created between 43,500 and 42,300 years ago. This makes these paintings far older than those found at Grotte Chauvet cave in southeast France. The Chauvet paintings are currently thought to be the earliest paintings by Homo sapiens and are believed to have been created around 30,000 years ago.
José Luis Sanchidrián of the University of Cordoba says the images depict seals which were hunted by the local Neanderthals. The images are heavily stylized and the interpretation may prove to be incorrect. Some observers say that the images resemble a double helix.
Homo sapiens is believed to have entered eastern Europe some time around 40,000 to 42,000 years ago. Although it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely that they would have migrated to Spain at such an early stage.
Plans are underway to date the paint pigments themselves with testing expected to begin sometime after 2013. In the meantime the extensive Nerja cave system, discovered in 1959, is still being explored.
It is interesting that cave paintings, among other ancient artifacts, have traditionally been attributed to Homo sapiens partly because Neanderthals were believed to be incapable of producing "art." Recently, though, this belief has been challenged by the discovery of large numbers of decorated shell and stone objects in areas known to have been inhabited exclusively by Neanderthals. Some experts, more or less grudgingly, are now crediting Neanderthals with the potential to create art.
One problem I have with all these new discoveries is that I am constantly having to update the information in my upcoming book on Neanderthal life and culture as new information becomes available. But for me, that’s a good thing. Neanderthals deserve more credit than they are currently getting.
Here’s an interesting article on these cave paintings
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The World’s Oldest Written Valentines
You would probably not recognize a Medieval-age Valentine. Until about 1400 AD, lovers either sang or spoke Valentine poems and verses to the object of their affection. Some of these verses were likely written down, but if any have survived they are probably in private family collections. But there is one collection of written "Valentine" verses that are generally considered to be the first modern day valentines.
Charles, Duke of Orleans was captured following the Battle of Agincourt, and imprisoned in the Tower of London leaving his beloved wife in France. Lonely and far from home, the Duke began composing romantic verses to his second wife, Bonne of Armagnac.
The English King Henry V had left instructions that Charles was not to be ransomed, so the Duke remained in prison for 24 years. While he was not free to return to his home in France, nevertheless he was allowed to live in some luxury. He was moved from one English castle to another, and spent much of his time writing poetry.
Charles was finally released and returned to France in 1440. Unfortunately, Bonne had passed away before his release. Charles married Marie of Cleves soon after his return and the couple had three children, one of whom became King Louis XII of France.
Charles was perhaps best known for his own poetry and for his support of other poets and writers. He wrote literally hundreds of pieces, many of which survive in libraries and museums throughout Europe. His poems appear in a number of collections, and many are available on-line. About sixty of Charles’ "Valentine" poems remain. They are currently housed among the royal papers in London’s British Museum.
Did Charles become a great poet because of his imprisonment or in spite of it? Many of his themes are directly connected to the conditions of his imprisonment, but others, like his Valentines, are filled with expressions of love and hope. In any case, he left a legacy of beauty despite the tragedy of his own life.
Charles, Duke of Orleans was captured following the Battle of Agincourt, and imprisoned in the Tower of London leaving his beloved wife in France. Lonely and far from home, the Duke began composing romantic verses to his second wife, Bonne of Armagnac.
The English King Henry V had left instructions that Charles was not to be ransomed, so the Duke remained in prison for 24 years. While he was not free to return to his home in France, nevertheless he was allowed to live in some luxury. He was moved from one English castle to another, and spent much of his time writing poetry.
Charles was finally released and returned to France in 1440. Unfortunately, Bonne had passed away before his release. Charles married Marie of Cleves soon after his return and the couple had three children, one of whom became King Louis XII of France.
Charles was perhaps best known for his own poetry and for his support of other poets and writers. He wrote literally hundreds of pieces, many of which survive in libraries and museums throughout Europe. His poems appear in a number of collections, and many are available on-line. About sixty of Charles’ "Valentine" poems remain. They are currently housed among the royal papers in London’s British Museum.
Did Charles become a great poet because of his imprisonment or in spite of it? Many of his themes are directly connected to the conditions of his imprisonment, but others, like his Valentines, are filled with expressions of love and hope. In any case, he left a legacy of beauty despite the tragedy of his own life.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The World’s Oldest Known Tin Mine
Somewhere around 5,000 years ago, men living in what is now Turkey learned to combine copper and tin to create bronze. But the source of the tin had long remained a mystery. Some thought it came from Cornwall in England, others believed it might have been brought in from what is now Afghanistan. But in 1994, a team led by Dr. Aslihan Yener of the University of Chicago announced the discovery what has proven to be the oldest known tin mine in the Taurus Mountains of Turkey.
The mine consists of a network of narrow tunnels and shafts. Analysis of artifacts, including skeletons of what are believed to be miners, shows that the mine was most active for about a thousand years beginning in approximately 2870 B.C. The Bronze Age is thought to have begun around 5,000 years ago, so this mine dates from the beginning of the revolutionary technology, which eventually replaced the use of stone for weapons and tools.
The ancient mine is located in rural Kestel in the Central Taurus Mountains. It had actually been discovered several years before Dr. Yener’s team published its findings, but the team waited several years while they recovered and analyzed evidence discovered at the mine itself and other material found in the surrounding area.
Bronze remained one of the most important metals for nearly 3,000 years. Eventually, however around 1100 B.C, ancient metallurgists learned to work iron, which was much stronger than bronze. Bronze remained important in the arts. Bronze statues are still being created today.
Was bronze discovered accidentally by a metalworker who was using contaminated copper, or was it created as the result of experimentation? We will probably never know the answer to that question.
There’s more information on the Kestrel tin mine here
The mine consists of a network of narrow tunnels and shafts. Analysis of artifacts, including skeletons of what are believed to be miners, shows that the mine was most active for about a thousand years beginning in approximately 2870 B.C. The Bronze Age is thought to have begun around 5,000 years ago, so this mine dates from the beginning of the revolutionary technology, which eventually replaced the use of stone for weapons and tools.
The ancient mine is located in rural Kestel in the Central Taurus Mountains. It had actually been discovered several years before Dr. Yener’s team published its findings, but the team waited several years while they recovered and analyzed evidence discovered at the mine itself and other material found in the surrounding area.
Bronze remained one of the most important metals for nearly 3,000 years. Eventually, however around 1100 B.C, ancient metallurgists learned to work iron, which was much stronger than bronze. Bronze remained important in the arts. Bronze statues are still being created today.
Was bronze discovered accidentally by a metalworker who was using contaminated copper, or was it created as the result of experimentation? We will probably never know the answer to that question.
There’s more information on the Kestrel tin mine here
Friday, March 22, 2013
Is He the World’s Oldest Newspaper Deliveryman?
I don’t usually feature people in this blog, but this story is too good to pass up. His name is Newt Wallace, and he is still delivering weekly newspapers in Winters, California, at the age of ninety-three.
Eight carriers work for the newspaper in this town with a population of 6,600 and a circulation of 2,300. Wallace, however, has been walking his route since 1947. And his boss, the publisher of the Winters Express, won’t let him quit. That’s because the publisher is Charley Wallace, Newt’s son, who believes that his father is still alive and active because he still works at the newspaper. He may well be right.
Newt began his career in Muskogee, Oklahoma, selling newspapers on street corners in 1930 at the age of eleven. The next year, he had his own route, delivering The Muskogee Times-Democrat’s afternoon edition.
Wallace served in World War II. When he was discharged in 1946 in Long Beach, California, he learned that The Winters Express was for sale. He immediately boarded a train from Los Angeles to Davis, California. He then walked the remaining ten miles to Winters, where he bought the newspaper and the building that housed it.
Wallace ran the newspaper for the next 37 years. His son Charley then took over as publisher, but Newt remained active, writing columns and a local history page. Then he began delivering the newspaper. The work is sometimes a bit tiring for a man of his age, but when he thinks about quitting, his son reminds him that he has outlived retired friends of his own age.
Another elderly carrier, 93-year-old Ted Ingram is the official Guinness World Record holder as the world’s oldest newspaper delivery person. He delivers The Dorset Echo in the English village of Winterborne Monkton. Wallace is eight months older than Ingram, and once Wallace’s son completes the paperwork, Wallace will replace Ingram as the world’s oldest delivery boy.
There is a News Carrier Hall of Fame maintained by the Newspaper Association of America. Honorees include John Wayne, Tom Brokaw, and legendary investor Warren Buffett. I suspect that Newt Wallace will be elected to the Hall of Fame sometime in the near future. It’s an honor he earned over a very long lifetime.
Eight carriers work for the newspaper in this town with a population of 6,600 and a circulation of 2,300. Wallace, however, has been walking his route since 1947. And his boss, the publisher of the Winters Express, won’t let him quit. That’s because the publisher is Charley Wallace, Newt’s son, who believes that his father is still alive and active because he still works at the newspaper. He may well be right.
Newt began his career in Muskogee, Oklahoma, selling newspapers on street corners in 1930 at the age of eleven. The next year, he had his own route, delivering The Muskogee Times-Democrat’s afternoon edition.
Wallace served in World War II. When he was discharged in 1946 in Long Beach, California, he learned that The Winters Express was for sale. He immediately boarded a train from Los Angeles to Davis, California. He then walked the remaining ten miles to Winters, where he bought the newspaper and the building that housed it.
Wallace ran the newspaper for the next 37 years. His son Charley then took over as publisher, but Newt remained active, writing columns and a local history page. Then he began delivering the newspaper. The work is sometimes a bit tiring for a man of his age, but when he thinks about quitting, his son reminds him that he has outlived retired friends of his own age.
Another elderly carrier, 93-year-old Ted Ingram is the official Guinness World Record holder as the world’s oldest newspaper delivery person. He delivers The Dorset Echo in the English village of Winterborne Monkton. Wallace is eight months older than Ingram, and once Wallace’s son completes the paperwork, Wallace will replace Ingram as the world’s oldest delivery boy.
There is a News Carrier Hall of Fame maintained by the Newspaper Association of America. Honorees include John Wayne, Tom Brokaw, and legendary investor Warren Buffett. I suspect that Newt Wallace will be elected to the Hall of Fame sometime in the near future. It’s an honor he earned over a very long lifetime.
Friday, March 15, 2013
The World’s Oldest Rope
More than 30 coils of rope were found carefully stored in a hand-hewn cave on the Red Sea coast of Egypt at Marsa Gawasis. These ropes proved to be nearly 4,000 years old, the oldest actual examples known so far, and have given Egyptologists and maritime researchers a lot to think about.
They were originally discovered in 2005. Excited researchers described the ropes as well preserved and undisturbed. Surprisingly, they were coiled and tightened in the same way that today’s sailors handle their ropes. They were stored in piles and researchers believe there are actually more than 60 coils. Most were found at the back of the cave
.
Egyptian rope is believed to be one of the strongest ropes ever made in the ancient world, and researchers hope to learn the secrets of Egyptian rope-making by studying the physical composition and method of manufacturing used by their ancient makers
.The coils are described as about 98 feet (30 meters) long and very thick. Experts believe they were used to produce structural stability on the ship. They would have been secured at the bow and stern of the ship to prevent the vessel from weakening and collapsing at either end. Ancient Egyptian portrayals of ships distinctly show the use of these rope trusses, and Thor Heyerdahl’s experiments with ancient replicas clearly showed the need for these stabilizers, especially on papyrus boats.
The ropes are made of a single type of unidentified vegetable fiber. Scientists have so far ruled out materials such as halfa grass, papyrus and palm as the source of the fibers and have begun looking at reed.
While there is evidence that cords and ropes were being made many thousands of years earlier, these Egyptian ropes are now believed to be the oldest actual examples of ancient ropemaking.
For more information about these ancient ropes and other discoveries made in caves at Marsa Gawasis, visit this site
They were originally discovered in 2005. Excited researchers described the ropes as well preserved and undisturbed. Surprisingly, they were coiled and tightened in the same way that today’s sailors handle their ropes. They were stored in piles and researchers believe there are actually more than 60 coils. Most were found at the back of the cave
.
Egyptian rope is believed to be one of the strongest ropes ever made in the ancient world, and researchers hope to learn the secrets of Egyptian rope-making by studying the physical composition and method of manufacturing used by their ancient makers
.The coils are described as about 98 feet (30 meters) long and very thick. Experts believe they were used to produce structural stability on the ship. They would have been secured at the bow and stern of the ship to prevent the vessel from weakening and collapsing at either end. Ancient Egyptian portrayals of ships distinctly show the use of these rope trusses, and Thor Heyerdahl’s experiments with ancient replicas clearly showed the need for these stabilizers, especially on papyrus boats.
The ropes are made of a single type of unidentified vegetable fiber. Scientists have so far ruled out materials such as halfa grass, papyrus and palm as the source of the fibers and have begun looking at reed.
While there is evidence that cords and ropes were being made many thousands of years earlier, these Egyptian ropes are now believed to be the oldest actual examples of ancient ropemaking.
For more information about these ancient ropes and other discoveries made in caves at Marsa Gawasis, visit this site
Friday, March 8, 2013
The World’s Oldest Living Tree
The spruce tree has long been thought to be a relative newcomer in Sweden’s mountain region. So it came as no small surprise to discover that the world’s oldest living tree is a Swedish spruce found in the Dalarna province.
In fact, the ancient spruce is the oldest of a four-generation cluster of spruce found under the crown of a spruce tree in Fulu Mountain. These trees range in age from 375 to 9,550 years old and are genetically identical to the trees above them. Spruce trees can multiply by producing identical copies of themselves.
These ancient trees eclipse the previous record holders. Ancient bristlecone pines found in the southwest United States were dated to 4,000 to 5,000 years of age and were considered to be the world’s oldest living trees until the discovery of the Swedish spruce trees.
Future studies of these trees may shed light on weather conditions over the past 10,000 years, and may even add to our knowledge of climate change in northern Europe. They may also be able to provide information on whether they came from the east, or whether their ancestors lived west or southwest of Norway and spread to the north as the last Ice Age ended.
If you’d like more information on these elderly trees, visit here
In fact, the ancient spruce is the oldest of a four-generation cluster of spruce found under the crown of a spruce tree in Fulu Mountain. These trees range in age from 375 to 9,550 years old and are genetically identical to the trees above them. Spruce trees can multiply by producing identical copies of themselves.
These ancient trees eclipse the previous record holders. Ancient bristlecone pines found in the southwest United States were dated to 4,000 to 5,000 years of age and were considered to be the world’s oldest living trees until the discovery of the Swedish spruce trees.
Future studies of these trees may shed light on weather conditions over the past 10,000 years, and may even add to our knowledge of climate change in northern Europe. They may also be able to provide information on whether they came from the east, or whether their ancestors lived west or southwest of Norway and spread to the north as the last Ice Age ended.
If you’d like more information on these elderly trees, visit here
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Lake Baikal: The World’s Oldest Lake
One-fifth of the world’s fresh water is located in Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia. It is not only the world’s oldest lake, but at more than 5,000 feet (1637 m) deep, it is also the deepest. Lake Baikal is estimated to have formed about 20 to 25 million years ago. It also appears that it’s on its way to becoming an ocean as a cleft in the tectonic plate beneath it splits Asia apart.
Lake Baikal is located in one of the most beautiful areas in the region. The mountains surrounding it provide food and shelter for wild animals. There are several small, self-reliant villages nearby which often play host to tourists and researchers.
This giant lake is nearly 400 miles (640 km) long and 49 miles (79k) wide. It is so large that it creates its own micro-climate. And while more than 300 rivers and streams flow into the lake, only one, the Angara River, flows out.
The giant lake’s oxygen-rich waters and surrounding forest support about 1,200 different animal species, both land-based and aquatic, and over 600 types of plants. About 75 percent are found only in this environment. For example, the world’s only freshwater seals live in Lake Baikal and their favorite food is a pink, scaleless, partly transparent fish that bears live young.
Lake Baikal’s seals may have migrated southward from the Arctic and adapted to their new home by producing more blood, making it possible for them to swim underwater for more than an hour. They are also deep divers, able to reach depths of more than 800 feet (300 meters) below the surface.
Some of the lake’s fish survive more than a mile beneath the surface where water pressures are dramatically high. Like their deep sea counterparts, they literally explode when brought to the surface.
If you’re interested in learning more about the world’s oldest lake, go here
Lake Baikal is located in one of the most beautiful areas in the region. The mountains surrounding it provide food and shelter for wild animals. There are several small, self-reliant villages nearby which often play host to tourists and researchers.
This giant lake is nearly 400 miles (640 km) long and 49 miles (79k) wide. It is so large that it creates its own micro-climate. And while more than 300 rivers and streams flow into the lake, only one, the Angara River, flows out.
The giant lake’s oxygen-rich waters and surrounding forest support about 1,200 different animal species, both land-based and aquatic, and over 600 types of plants. About 75 percent are found only in this environment. For example, the world’s only freshwater seals live in Lake Baikal and their favorite food is a pink, scaleless, partly transparent fish that bears live young.
Lake Baikal’s seals may have migrated southward from the Arctic and adapted to their new home by producing more blood, making it possible for them to swim underwater for more than an hour. They are also deep divers, able to reach depths of more than 800 feet (300 meters) below the surface.
Some of the lake’s fish survive more than a mile beneath the surface where water pressures are dramatically high. Like their deep sea counterparts, they literally explode when brought to the surface.
If you’re interested in learning more about the world’s oldest lake, go here
Friday, February 22, 2013
The World’s Oldest McDonald’s Restaurant
If you happen to be in Downey, California, you can take a step back into fast food history.. This city boasts the oldest McDonald’s restaurant in existence.
The restaurant opened in 1953 and though it has been renovated, the franchise carefully retained it in its original condition. Its iconic red and white striped exterior remains, along with a 60-foot tall neon sign featuring "Speedee the Chef." It still has walk-up windows and outdoor seating.
Employees at this restaurant proudly wear the same uniforms they would have worn in the 1950s. These include white shirts and bolo ties, and paper hats. The store retained the original menu featuring hamburgers, cheeseburgers and fries. You can even order an old-fashioned milkshake. They also decided to update their menu with Big Macs, Happy Meals, and other more modern items.
The old building also boasts an addition housing a museum and gift shop, which were added during its restoration.
The Speedee McDonald’s is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, which would ensure its survival.
If you would like to stop by this piece of history, Spedee McDonald’s is located on Lakewood Avenue at the intersection with Florence Avenue. You can also visit its website here
The restaurant opened in 1953 and though it has been renovated, the franchise carefully retained it in its original condition. Its iconic red and white striped exterior remains, along with a 60-foot tall neon sign featuring "Speedee the Chef." It still has walk-up windows and outdoor seating.
Employees at this restaurant proudly wear the same uniforms they would have worn in the 1950s. These include white shirts and bolo ties, and paper hats. The store retained the original menu featuring hamburgers, cheeseburgers and fries. You can even order an old-fashioned milkshake. They also decided to update their menu with Big Macs, Happy Meals, and other more modern items.
The old building also boasts an addition housing a museum and gift shop, which were added during its restoration.
The Speedee McDonald’s is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, which would ensure its survival.
If you would like to stop by this piece of history, Spedee McDonald’s is located on Lakewood Avenue at the intersection with Florence Avenue. You can also visit its website here
Friday, February 15, 2013
The World’s Oldest Working Computer
It may be old and slow, but it has been brought back to life, and that’s no small accomplishment. The world’s oldest working computer is 64 years old. And it has reclaimed its place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Its first entry as the world’s oldest working computer in the Guinness Book of World Records ended in 1973 when it was decommissioned.
The computer is Britain’s Harwell Dekatron, also known as the WITCH computer. The 2.5-ton monster was built in 1951 at Britain’s Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Harwell, Oxfordshire. It was built to be reliable rather than fast, and it certainly lived up to expectations over its long life. It needs 10 seconds to divide a number, for example.
Volunteers spent three years restoring the giant machine and it was rebooted in 2012. The monster stands 6-1/2 feet (2 m) tall, nearly 20 feet (6 m) wide, and 39 inches deep. It contained 828 vacuum tubes with 480 relays and 7073 relay switches. One hundred ninety-nine lamps are used to interact with the machine.
The WITCH computer is now on display at the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, where it serves as a teaching tool.
If nothing else, the Harwell Dekatron computer shows us how far technology has come in a few short years. You can find more information about this venerable giant here
The computer is Britain’s Harwell Dekatron, also known as the WITCH computer. The 2.5-ton monster was built in 1951 at Britain’s Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Harwell, Oxfordshire. It was built to be reliable rather than fast, and it certainly lived up to expectations over its long life. It needs 10 seconds to divide a number, for example.
Volunteers spent three years restoring the giant machine and it was rebooted in 2012. The monster stands 6-1/2 feet (2 m) tall, nearly 20 feet (6 m) wide, and 39 inches deep. It contained 828 vacuum tubes with 480 relays and 7073 relay switches. One hundred ninety-nine lamps are used to interact with the machine.
The WITCH computer is now on display at the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, where it serves as a teaching tool.
If nothing else, the Harwell Dekatron computer shows us how far technology has come in a few short years. You can find more information about this venerable giant here
Friday, February 8, 2013
The World’s Oldest Running Car
A steam-powered car built in France is the oldest running car in the world at the age of 128 years. Though it is one of six of its kind still in existence of the twenty that were built, it is the only one that still runs.
The car, a De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, was originally built in 1884 especially for French Count De Dion, one of the three founders of the company that built it. It reportedly remained in one family for 81 years before being sold.
The design features three wheels, two in front and one in the rear. It is powered by coal, wood and paper, and takes about half an hour to build up enough steam to move. When it does, though, it can achieve a top speed of about 38 miles an hour, which was remarkable in its day. It can go about 20 miles on a tankful of water.
"Le Marquise," as it was nicknamed, is said to have been the only car to show up for the world’s first automobile race in 1887, averaging 16 miles per hour over the 20-mile long course.
The car was sold to an unidentified buyer for $4.6 million at an auction held in Hershey, Pennsylvania in October 2011. It literally came onto the stage under its own steam, to the delight of the audience.
If you are interested in seeing pictures of this remarkable old vehicle, go here
The car, a De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, was originally built in 1884 especially for French Count De Dion, one of the three founders of the company that built it. It reportedly remained in one family for 81 years before being sold.
The design features three wheels, two in front and one in the rear. It is powered by coal, wood and paper, and takes about half an hour to build up enough steam to move. When it does, though, it can achieve a top speed of about 38 miles an hour, which was remarkable in its day. It can go about 20 miles on a tankful of water.
"Le Marquise," as it was nicknamed, is said to have been the only car to show up for the world’s first automobile race in 1887, averaging 16 miles per hour over the 20-mile long course.
The car was sold to an unidentified buyer for $4.6 million at an auction held in Hershey, Pennsylvania in October 2011. It literally came onto the stage under its own steam, to the delight of the audience.
If you are interested in seeing pictures of this remarkable old vehicle, go here
Friday, February 1, 2013
The World’s Oldest Known Flag
This record is going to prove to be hard to beat. The metal flag, known as the Shahdad Flag, is about 5,000 years old. It was found in 1971 by a team of archaeologists working at Dasht-e Lut in the Khabis region of eastern Iran.
Mounted on a 1.09 meter (40 inches) long metal pole, the flag itself measures approximately 22 centimeters by 24 centimeters (about 9" x 9"). A perching eagle adorns one end of the pole.
The engraving on the flag feature a woman standing behind sitting goddess. Other figures include three women, two lions with a long-horned cow standing between them. There is a garden featuring two palm trees, and another palm tree was placed beneath the feet of the three women. A flower-shaped motif located between the goddess and the three women is believed to represent the sun while twisted patterns have been interpreted as flowing water. Taken all together, the designs carved into the flag seem to represent an idyllic landscape
.
The flag is surrounded by a thick metal frame with two moving metal hooks.
The flag is currently thought to be under repair. It is reported that once it is restored it will be placed on display, although there is currently no information on when or where it will be housed.
Two other brass plates were also found at the site. These plates were decorated with depictions of fish and deer. Experts point out that the techniques used in creating the flag and the brass plates were highly advanced and are fine examples of the metalwork produced in the Khabis region.
Mounted on a 1.09 meter (40 inches) long metal pole, the flag itself measures approximately 22 centimeters by 24 centimeters (about 9" x 9"). A perching eagle adorns one end of the pole.
The engraving on the flag feature a woman standing behind sitting goddess. Other figures include three women, two lions with a long-horned cow standing between them. There is a garden featuring two palm trees, and another palm tree was placed beneath the feet of the three women. A flower-shaped motif located between the goddess and the three women is believed to represent the sun while twisted patterns have been interpreted as flowing water. Taken all together, the designs carved into the flag seem to represent an idyllic landscape
.
The flag is surrounded by a thick metal frame with two moving metal hooks.
The flag is currently thought to be under repair. It is reported that once it is restored it will be placed on display, although there is currently no information on when or where it will be housed.
Two other brass plates were also found at the site. These plates were decorated with depictions of fish and deer. Experts point out that the techniques used in creating the flag and the brass plates were highly advanced and are fine examples of the metalwork produced in the Khabis region.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Are The World’s Oldest Stone Spear Points Really Half a Million Years Old?
If these spear points are actually as old as they seem to be, they represent an archaeological and anthropological game-changer. Could it be that some of our most ancient human ancestors mastered the complex processes that were required to create and mount stone tips to wooden spears a quarter of a million years earlier than has been generally thought?
The spear tips were found at a site called Kathu Pan 1 in the Kalahari Desert. The sediments that held the stones were not dated until 2010. But even though the artifacts resembled younger points that were used as spear tips, their actual use remained uncertain. Researchers stabbed a springbok carcass with replicas of the original points. Then they compared the damage caused to the replicas with damage found on the ancient tips. They determined that the damage found on both sets of points closely resembled one another.
While it may seem relatively simple to successfully attach a stone point to a spear, the reality is that it was a complex process. The hunter needed not only the tip and the wooden spear, but also some sort of string, which could have made of sinew, finely sliced animal hide, preferably rawhide, which would shrink as it hardened around the assembly. He also needed some sort of glue. In primitive societies, glue is commonly based on a tree resin, often mixed with other ingredients. Fire was required to melt the glue and the temperature had to be carefully controlled so that the mixture did not burn.
The actual age of the artifacts could not be established by direct evidence. Neither radiocarbon nor argon potassium dating methods could be used. Argon testing could not be done because there are no volcanic rocks in the area. Radiocarbon dating tests cannot be done on stone objects, not do they work on objects as old as the spear tips are believed to be. So the researchers used indirect methods to date the spear points, which, of course, leaves the door open to other theories.
As with every other remarkable archaeological discovery, new questions have been raised. If these artifacts are really half a million years old, why have no others been found dating between 500,000 and 250,000 years old? Was this valuable technology simply lost for a quarter of a million years, or have other examples simply not been found yet? Or is this another case where archaeologists were not looking for them simply because they did not expect to find them? Another question that arises concerns whether or not H. heidelbergensis used the same glue and string technique to half hand axes, knives, or other tools.
The discovery of the spear points also adds fuel to the argument about whether ancient people such as H. heidelbergensis and his successor, H. neanderthalis, possessed speech. Recently there has been some agreement that Neanderthals could speak. But the idea that H. heidelbergensis could speak is still generating controversy. The existence of the ancient spear points supports the idea that those ancient people could indeed speak. There is almost no other way that the spear-hafting technology could have been passed on or handed down.
An article written detailing the findings was published in the November 2012 issue of the journal Nature. The lead author was anthropologist Jayne Wilkins of the University of Toronto.
There’s a great article with additional detail and photographs here
The spear tips were found at a site called Kathu Pan 1 in the Kalahari Desert. The sediments that held the stones were not dated until 2010. But even though the artifacts resembled younger points that were used as spear tips, their actual use remained uncertain. Researchers stabbed a springbok carcass with replicas of the original points. Then they compared the damage caused to the replicas with damage found on the ancient tips. They determined that the damage found on both sets of points closely resembled one another.
While it may seem relatively simple to successfully attach a stone point to a spear, the reality is that it was a complex process. The hunter needed not only the tip and the wooden spear, but also some sort of string, which could have made of sinew, finely sliced animal hide, preferably rawhide, which would shrink as it hardened around the assembly. He also needed some sort of glue. In primitive societies, glue is commonly based on a tree resin, often mixed with other ingredients. Fire was required to melt the glue and the temperature had to be carefully controlled so that the mixture did not burn.
The actual age of the artifacts could not be established by direct evidence. Neither radiocarbon nor argon potassium dating methods could be used. Argon testing could not be done because there are no volcanic rocks in the area. Radiocarbon dating tests cannot be done on stone objects, not do they work on objects as old as the spear tips are believed to be. So the researchers used indirect methods to date the spear points, which, of course, leaves the door open to other theories.
As with every other remarkable archaeological discovery, new questions have been raised. If these artifacts are really half a million years old, why have no others been found dating between 500,000 and 250,000 years old? Was this valuable technology simply lost for a quarter of a million years, or have other examples simply not been found yet? Or is this another case where archaeologists were not looking for them simply because they did not expect to find them? Another question that arises concerns whether or not H. heidelbergensis used the same glue and string technique to half hand axes, knives, or other tools.
The discovery of the spear points also adds fuel to the argument about whether ancient people such as H. heidelbergensis and his successor, H. neanderthalis, possessed speech. Recently there has been some agreement that Neanderthals could speak. But the idea that H. heidelbergensis could speak is still generating controversy. The existence of the ancient spear points supports the idea that those ancient people could indeed speak. There is almost no other way that the spear-hafting technology could have been passed on or handed down.
An article written detailing the findings was published in the November 2012 issue of the journal Nature. The lead author was anthropologist Jayne Wilkins of the University of Toronto.
There’s a great article with additional detail and photographs here
Thursday, January 10, 2013
The World’s Oldest Known Prosthetic
A toe made of wood and leather is thought to be the oldest known prosthetic. It was found on a female mummy buried at Luxor and has been dated to approximately 950 and 710 BC.
The loss of a big toe hampers walking. Researchers, with the help of two volunteers who had lost big toes, showed that the artificial toe was a practical device that would have helped its wearer walk more naturally in sandals, although there were some problems when the testers walked barefoot. This lends support to the idea that these devices were not created for mere cosmetic purposes.
There are other examples of ancient prosthetic devices, though none are currently thought to be older than the Egyptian toe. One is a big toe known as the Greville Chester toe which dates before 600 BC and is currently in the British Museum. This toe is made of cartonnage, a papier mache made with a mixture of animal glue, linen and plaster. A much later example is a Roman bronze and wooden leg, known as the Capua leg, dated to approximately 300 BC.
The Cairo toe is currently at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. For more information and to view photos of the Cairo toe, go here
The loss of a big toe hampers walking. Researchers, with the help of two volunteers who had lost big toes, showed that the artificial toe was a practical device that would have helped its wearer walk more naturally in sandals, although there were some problems when the testers walked barefoot. This lends support to the idea that these devices were not created for mere cosmetic purposes.
There are other examples of ancient prosthetic devices, though none are currently thought to be older than the Egyptian toe. One is a big toe known as the Greville Chester toe which dates before 600 BC and is currently in the British Museum. This toe is made of cartonnage, a papier mache made with a mixture of animal glue, linen and plaster. A much later example is a Roman bronze and wooden leg, known as the Capua leg, dated to approximately 300 BC.
The Cairo toe is currently at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. For more information and to view photos of the Cairo toe, go here
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