Heritage Daily

Cosford Museum : Wiki Commons

Wargaming is pleased to announce that the company will be funding an exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum set to explore the background of the Museum’s groundbreaking Dornier 17 recovery project. The exhibition will take place in both the London and Cosford locations of the Museum.

As part of the sponsorship package, Wargaming will also build an Education Centre at Cosford. This will provide the museum’s Access and Learning department with an important resource to engage with schools and teachers in the Midlands and the surrounding areas. The grant of £75,000 will allow the museum to develop new approaches to the display and interpretation of the Dornier as it undergoes conservation. A number of interventions will tell the story of the Dornier, its recovery and preservation.

At both sites the public will be able to see an augmented reality version of the Dornier flying above the Museum, giving museum guests a glimpse of the aircraft as it would have been seen in 1940. Visitors will also be able to view this through their smartphones and through specially created viewing equipment at the Museum. The science behind the recovery and conservation of the Dornier will be explored through a specially created mobile app. The new Education Centre will allow the Museum to develop new education offerings focusing on the STEM subjects as well as creating a space where community groups and adult education partners can take part in the Dornier experience.

A specially created website will also showcase the social history behind the Dornier, the forensic science behind its discovery and recovery, archival footage from the Museum as well as user generated content. The website will evolve as the Dornier project progresses and will function as an innovative hyper textual documentary for the project.

“Wargaming is passionate about military history, so we jumped at the opportunity to help be part of a truly historic endeavor,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. “The story behind the Dornier 17 is truly unique and we’re looking forward to helping share that tale at the new Education Centre at Cosford.”

“I am delighted that Wargaming are supporting the Museum’s Dornier project by funding our exciting plans to tell the story of the recovery and conservation of the Dornier 17. This is innovative project and the support of Wargaming will allow us to tell that story in an innovative way,” said Peter Dye, Director General, Royal Air Force Musem.  “Augmented reality, mobile applications and the use of user generated content are new developments for the Museum and we are excited about exploring their possibilities.

Dornier Do 17 : Wiki Commons

The Museum has embarked on a ground breaking project that will see the retrieval of what is the only known survivor of the Luftwaffe’s ‘flying pencil’ bomber from the Goodwin Sands, off the coast of Kent where it crash-landed in 1940. Using pioneering techniques, it will take approximately three weeks to complete the recovery of the aircraft which will then be transported to the Michael Beethan Conservation Centre at RAF Museum Cosford for the next phase of the project.

The aircraft is the only known example of its kind in the world and was spotted by divers in 2008. After sonar scans conducted by the Museum, Wessex Archaeology and the Port of London Authority, the identity was confirmed as the DORNIER Do 17Z Werke nr. 1160.

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles and employs over 1500 people across such key regions as North America, Europe, Russia, Asia, and Australia.

Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to mid-20th century warfare that will include the company’s flagship armored MMO World of Tanks, launched in April 2011 and currently boasting 55 million players worldwide, the flight combat World of Warplanes, named one of the most anticipated MMOs, and the naval World of Warships, both scheduled for release in 2013.

In June 2012, Wargaming announced the Wargaming.net Service, the epicenter of the online battle gaming universe that will gather the series under a single portal — www.wargaming.net.

Wargaming is a strong supporter of military history and education. The company has worked on projects with several museums, including USS Iowa, USS Yorktown, National WW2 Museum, and most recently the Bovington Tank Museum, which recently unveiled the Wargaming Educational Centre.

Contributing Source : Wargaming HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Credit : University of Leicester

University of Leicester Archaeological Services finds 1,700-year-old cemetery with unusual practice of Christian and pagan burials.

The University of Leicester archaeological unit that discovered King Richard III has spearheaded another dig and discovered a 1,700-old- Roman cemetery – under another car park in Leicester.

The latest dig follows the historic discovery of King Richard III by colleagues from the same unit.

The find has revealed remains thought to date back to 300AD – and includes personal items such as hairpins, rings, belt buckles and remains of shoes.

In addition, the team has found a jet ring with a curious symbol etched onto it, apparently showing the letters IX overlain.  Opinion as to its meaning is divided; it may just be an attractive design but it is also reminiscent of an early Christian symbol known as an IX (Iota-Chi) monogram taken from the initials of Jesus Christ in Greek.

The University of Leicester archaeologists have also identified the unusual practice of Christian burials alongside pagan burials.

Credit : University of Leicester

In total, archaeologists have identified 13 sets of remains at the car park in Oxford Street in Leicester’s historic city centre.

Archaeological Project Officer John Thomas said: “We have discovered new evidence about a known cemetery that existed outside the walled town of Roman Leicester during the 3rd-4th Centuries AD.

“The excavation, at the junction of Oxford Street and Newarke Street, lay approximately 130m outside the south gate of Roman Leicester, adjacent to one of the main routes into the town from the south (Oxford Street).  Roman law forbade burial within the town limits so cemeteries developed outside the walls, close to well-used roads.

Credit : University of Leicester

“Previous excavations on Newarke Street had discovered numerous burials to the immediate east and north of the present site, all of which appeared to have been buried according to Christian traditions – buried in a supine position, facing east with little or no grave goods. “Unusually the 13 burials found during the recent excavations, of mixed age and sex, displayed a variety of burial traditions including east to west & north  to south oriented graves, many with personal items such as finger rings, hairpins, buckles and hob-nailed shoes.

“One in particular appears to have been buried in a Christian tradition, facing east and wearing a polished jet finger ring on their left hand which has a possible early Christian Iota – Chi monogram etched onto it, taking the initial letters from the Greek for Jesus Christ.  If so this would represent rare evidence for a personal statement of belief from this period.

“In contrast a nearby and probably near contemporary grave appeared to indicate very different beliefs.  This grave had a north-south orientation, with the body laid on its side in a semi-foetal position, with the head removed and placed near the feet alongside two complete pottery jars that would have held offerings for the journey to the afterlife.  This would seem to be a very pagan burial, so it is possible from the variety of burials found that the cemetery catered for a range of beliefs that would have been important to people living in Leicester at this time.”

Credit : University of Leicester

The excavations also add information to the increasingly well documented medieval southern suburb of the town, revealing remains of 12th-13th century quarries, cess-pits and rubbish pits that would have been dug in the backyards of properties fronting onto Oxford Street

Mr Thomas added: “All of these pits contained a wealth of information from pottery, bone and environmental remains to help build a picture of medieval life in this part of the town.  A large 17th century defensive ditch running alongside Newarke Street was also discovered which was part of the town’s defences during the English Civil War.”

The site is currently earmarked for development.

• The Search for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council, and in association with the Richard III Society.

 

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Credit : Leicester University

University of Leicester researchers have released a wealth of evidence that led to their conclusion in the discovery of Richard III. This includes DNA analysis, radiocarbon dating and skeletal examination data. Evidence from bone analysis

Dr Jo Appleby, an osteoarchaeologist based at the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History, conducted an extensive examination of the Grey Friars skeleton.

Her main findings were:

• The individual was male, in his late 20s to late 30s, and had gracile or feminine build

• He had severe scoliosis – perhaps with an onset at the time of puberty

• Although around 5feet 8 inches tall (1.61m), his disability meant he would have stood up to one foot (0.3m) shorter and his right shoulder would be higher than the left

• Trauma to the skeleton suggests death following a significant blow to the rear of the skull

• Other injuries may have occurred at around the time of death. These include several injuries to the head, one to the rib and one to the pelvis – thought to have been caused by a wound through the right buttock.

• Evidence suggests significant post-mortem mutilation – ‘insult wounds’ although the face may have been deliberately left intact to ensure he was still recognisable

Dr Appleby said: “Taken as a whole, the skeletal evidence provides a highly convincing case for identification as Richard III.

“The analysis of the skeleton proved that it was an adult male, but with an unusually slender, almost feminine, build for a man. This is in keeping with historical sources which describe Richard as being of very slender build. There is, however, no indication that he had a withered arm – both arms were of a similar size and both were used normally during life.

“The skeleton is that of an individual aged between the late twenties and late thirties. We know that Richard III was 32 when he died, and this is entirely consistent with the Grey Friars skeleton.

“Without the spinal abnormality, the Grey Friars skeleton would have stood roughly 5’ 8”  (1.72m) high. This would have been above average height for a medieval male; however, the curve in the spine would have taken a significant amount off his apparent height when standing.

“This individual was not born with scoliosis, but it developed after the age of ten. The condition would have put additional strain on the heart and lungs, and it may have caused pain, but we cannot be specific about this.

“Our work has shown that a large wound to the base of the skull at the back represents a ‘slice’ cut off the skull by a bladed weapon. We cannot say for certain exactly what weapon caused this injury, but it is consistent with something similar to a halberd.

“A smaller injury, also on the base of the skull, was caused by a bladed weapon which penetrated through to the inner surface of the skull opposite the entry point, a distance of 10.5 cm. Both of these injuries would have caused almost instant loss of consciousness, and death would have followed quickly afterwards.

“A further three wounds have been identified on the outer surface of the vault of the skull. In addition to these, there is a small rectangular injury on the cheekbone. Finally on the skull, there is a cut mark on the lower jaw, caused by a bladed weapon, consistent with a knife or dagger. We speculate that the helmet had been lost by this stage in the battle.

“This has led us to speculate that they may reflect attacks on the body after death, although we cannot confirm this directly from the bones. Examples of such ‘humiliation injuries’ are well known from the historical and forensic literature, and historical sources have suggested that Richard’s body was mistreated after the battle.

“In addition, there is a cut mark on a rib which did not penetrate the ribcage and an injury on the right pelvis. This is highly consistent with being a blade wound from a knife or dagger, which came from behind in an upward movement.

“Detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of the pelvis has indicated that this injury was caused by a thrust through the right buttock, not far from the midline of the body.

“These two wounds are also likely to have been inflicted after armour had been removed from the body. This leads us to speculate that they may also represent post-mortem humiliation injuries inflicted on this individual after death.”

Evidence from radiocarbon dating

The University of Leicester commissioned analysis from the Universities of Oxford and Glasgow who carried out radiocarbon dating analysis of the skeleton to help determine the time period in which the individual would have died.

Radiocarbon dating is also useful for telling us about the individual’s diet – which can be an indicator of their social status.

The radiocarbon dating shows:

• The individual had a high protein diet – including significant amounts of seafood – meaning he was likely to be of high status

• The individual died in the second half of the 15th or in the early 16th century – consistent with Richard’s death in 1485

Comparison with historical sources

There are a several contemporary accounts which claim to tell us about Richard III’s appearance and character – but it can be difficult to know how much their representations were affected by contemporary or later events, including the Tudor ascent.

Fifteenth century scholar John Rous completed his History of England in 1486, which contained some unflattering but not entirely derogatory material about Richard III.

John Rous said:

• Richard was “slight in body and weak in strength” – which corresponds with Dr Jo Appleby’s description of the skeleton as “gracile”.

• He was buried among the Friars Minor (Franciscans) of Leicester in the choir of the church. This was the part of the church where the Search team discovered the remains.

Similarly, fifteenth-century Silesian nobleman Nicolas von Poppelau – who met and clearly liked Richard III – said Richard was taller and slimmer than himself, not so solid and far leaner with delicate arms and legs.

Professor Lin Foxhall, Head of the University of Leicester’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History, said: “Jo’s discoveries about the delicate, ‘gracile’ character of the skeleton and some of its gender-ambivalent characteristics might encourage us now to see these historical descriptions in a new light, and to read these descriptions rather differently than I suspect translators have done in the past.

“In Latin, ‘vis’, ‘strength, vigor’, is often a characteristically masculine quality. If we have identified this skeleton as the right individual, Rous’s and von Poppolau’s accounts could actually have been more acute and precise descriptions of the living person than anyone has realized.

“Our archaeological research does not tell us anything about the character of Richard III, and of course his physical condition and appearance were not a manifestation of his character. Texts also don’t always tell us ‘the facts’ in a straightforward way.

“But, now that we may be able to set these texts against the archaeological finds, we could end up re-writing a little bit of history in a big way.”

DNA Evidence

The modern DNA work was carried out by Dr Turi King at the University of Leicester. Dr Turi King carried out the ancient DNA analysis in dedicated ancient DNA facilities at the University of York, in the lab of Professor Michael Hofreiter with Gloria Gonzales Fortes, and travelled to the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse to work with Dr Patricia Balaresque and Laure Tonasso and where the work was independently verified.

This was checked with mitochondrial DNA from the two female-line descendents – Canadian-born furniture maker Michael Ibsen and a second person who wishes to remain anonymous.

Their link with Richard III was verified by a genealogical study led by University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Kevin Schürer.

Dr Turi King said: “The aim of our part of the project is to use DNA evidence to help identify the skeletal remains found at the Grey Friars site: does the DNA analysis corroborate the archaeological evidence and point to these being the remains of Richard III?

“The first step was to determine if the two female line relatives – Michael Ibsen and a second person who wishes to remain anonymous – shared the same mitochondrial DNA sequences.  The analysis showed that these two individuals shared the same relatively rare mitochondrial DNA sequence.

“We then had to see if it was even possible to retrieve ancient DNA from the Grey Friars skeleton. DNA breaks down over time and how quickly this happens is very dependent on the burial conditions. Therefore, we were extremely pleased to find that we could obtain a DNA sample from the skeletal remains.

“Finally, the DNA sequence obtained from the Grey Friars skeletal remains was compared with the two maternal line relatives of Richard III. We were very excited to find that there is a DNA match between the maternal DNA from the family of Richard the Third and the skeletal remains we found at the Grey Friars dig.

“Like a forensic case, the DNA evidence must be assessed alongside the other evidence.  Here the results of the archaeological and osteological analysis, combined with the genealogical and genetic evidence make for a strong and compelling case that these are indeed the remains of Richard III.

In addition, the researchers are hoping to compare the skeleton’s DNA with descendents down the male line.

To do this, they will need to obtain Y chromosome data – the male sex chromosome. Preliminary analysis of the DNA confirmed that these are indeed the remains of a male and so researchers are hopeful that they will be able to analyse the Y chromosome.

“A number of the men identified as descendents of Edward III through his son John of Gaunt  – who would both have shared the same Y chromosome as Richard III – have been kind enough to donate their DNA to our project.

“The analysis of their DNA is complete and I now have a consensus Y chromosome type of these individuals.

“As such, this side of the work is in its early stages, and may indeed prove inconclusive, but we are hopeful that, if it’s possible to conduct a full analysis, it will provide a complete picture on both the male and female lines.”

Evidence from the genealogical study

Professor Kevin Schürer, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor with special responsibility for Research and Enterprise, led a genealogical study to verify the connection between Canadian-born furniture maker Michael Ibsen and Richard III.

They also aimed to find other descendents of the King by exploring both the male and female lines of descent.

The team included David Annal, previously Principal Family History Specialist at the Family Records Centre, The National Archives, and Dr Morris Bierbrier, a Fellow of the Society of Genealogists, specializing in royal lineage.

The team found:

• Confirmation of the maternal link between Anne of York – Richard III’s sister – and Michael Ibsen’s mother Joy

• Documentary evidence for each ‘link’ of the chain between Anne of York and Joy Ibsen

• A second maternal descendent – who wishes to remain anonymous – whose DNA has been used to verify the link between the skeleton and Michael Ibsen.

Professor Kevin Schürer said:

“We wanted to try and verify the identity of the skeleton against present DNA. We wanted to both look on the male line of direct descent and the female line of direct descent to match both aspects of the DNA.

“What we have done is to look at the line from Anne of York to Michael Ibsen and accurately checked every link of the chain. This was to ensure that we can give documentary evidence that the daughters and the mothers match up all the way to Joy Ibsen and Michael Ibsen.

“We have been successful in proving that link, and I think that’s an important part of the scientific experiment. There is always a risk that you may have a match between ‘A’ and ‘B’ – but without having all the links in the chain, the link may be spurious.

“Right from the start of the project, we did not want to rely entirely on the DNA between Michael and the skeleton. We always wanted – for scientific reasons – to triangulate that wherever possible.

“We set about trying to secure a second maternal line, and after several weeks of research we actually did discover this person. The documentary evidence again is there to support this.”

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Richard II : University of Leicester

University of Leicester geneticist Dr Turi King found a match between DNA from the skeleton and two direct descendents of Richard III on the female line.

The modern DNA work was carried out by Dr Turi King at the University of Leicester. Dr Turi King carried out the ancient DNA analysis in dedicated ancient DNA facilities at the University of York, in the lab of Professor Michael Hofreiter with Gloria Gonzales Fortes, and travelled to the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse to work with Dr Patricia Balaresque and Laure Tonasso and where the work was independently verified.

This was checked with mitochondrial DNA from the two female-line descendents – Canadian-born furniture maker Michael Ibsen and a second person who wishes to remain anonymous.

Their link with Richard III was verified by a genealogical study led by University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Kevin Schürer.

Dr Turi King said: “The aim of our part of the project is to use DNA evidence to help identify the skeletal remains found at the Grey Friars site: does the DNA analysis corroborate the archaeological evidence and point to these being the remains of Richard III?

“The first step was to determine if the two female line relatives – Michael Ibsen and a second person who wishes to remain anonymous – shared the same mitochondrial DNA sequences.  The analysis showed that these two individuals shared the same relatively rare mitochondrial DNA sequence.

“We then had to see if it was even possible to retrieve ancient DNA from the Grey Friars skeleton. DNA breaks down over time and how quickly this happens is very dependent on the burial conditions. Therefore, we were extremely pleased to find that we could obtain a DNA sample from the skeletal remains.

“Finally, the DNA sequence obtained from the Grey Friars skeletal remains was compared with the two maternal line relatives of Richard III. We were very excited to find that there is a DNA match between the maternal DNA from the family of Richard the Third and the skeletal remains we found at the Grey Friars dig.

“Like a forensic case, the DNA evidence must be assessed alongside the other evidence.  Here the results of the archaeological and osteological analysis, combined with the genealogical and genetic evidence make for a strong and compelling case that these are indeed the remains of Richard III.

In addition, the researchers are hoping to compare the skeleton’s DNA with descendents down the male line.

To do this, they will need to obtain Y chromosome data – the male sex chromosome. Preliminary analysis of the DNA confirmed that these are indeed the remains of a male and so researchers are hopeful that they will be able to analyse the Y chromosome.

“A number of the men identified as descendents of Edward III through his son John of Gaunt  – who would both have shared the same Y chromosome as Richard III – have been kind enough to donate their DNA to our project.

“The analysis of their DNA is complete and I now have a consensus Y chromosome type of these individuals.

“As such, this side of the work is in its early stages, and may indeed prove inconclusive, but we are hopeful that, if it’s possible to conduct a full analysis, it will provide a complete picture on both the male and female lines.”

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

The extinction took out species like Dicynodon; other herbivores then moved in. Credit: Marlene Donnelly/Field Museum of Natural History

Fossil-hunting expeditions to Tanzania, Zambia and Antarctica provide new insights

Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when nine out of 10 species disappeared during Earth’s largest mass extinction 252 million years ago.

Or did they?

That thinking was based on fossil records from sites in South Africa and southwest Russia.

It turns out, however, that scientists may have been looking in the wrong places.

Newly discovered fossils from 10 million years after the mass extinction reveal a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs in Tanzania and Zambia.

That’s still millions of years before dinosaur relatives were seen in the fossil record elsewhere on Earth.

“The fossil record from the Karoo of South Africa, for example, is a good representation of four-legged land animals across southern Pangea before the extinction,” says Christian Sidor, a paleontologist at the University of Washington.

Pangea was a landmass in which all the world’s continents were once joined together. Southern Pangea was made up of what is today Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and India.

“After the extinction,” says Sidor, “animals weren’t as uniformly and widely distributed as before. We had to go looking in some fairly unorthodox places.”

Sidor is the lead author of a paper reporting the findings; it appears in this week’s issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The insights come from seven fossil-hunting expeditions in Tanzania, Zambia and Antarctica funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Additional work involved combing through existing fossil collections.

“These scientists have identified an outcome of mass extinctions–that species ecologically marginalized before the extinction may be ‘freed up’ to experience evolutionary bursts then dominate after the extinction,” says H. Richard Lane, program director in NSF’s Division of Earth Sciences.

The researchers created two “snapshots” of four-legged animals about five million years before, and again about 10 million years after, the extinction 252 million years ago.

 Ken Angielczyk, Roger Smith and Sebastien Steyer cast a skull of a dicynodont. Credit: Christian Sidor/UW

Prior to the extinction, for example, the pig-sized Dicynodon--said to resemble a fat lizard with a short tail and turtle’s head–was a dominant plant-eating species across southern Pangea.

After the mass extinction, Dicynodon disappeared. Related species were so greatly decreased in number that newly emerging herbivores could then compete with them.

“Groups that did well before the extinction didn’t necessarily do well afterward,” Sidor says.

The snapshot of life 10 million years after the extinction reveals that, among other things, archosaurs roamed in Tanzanian and Zambian basins, but weren’t distributed across southern Pangea as had been the pattern for four-legged animals before the extinction.

Archosaurs, whose living relatives are birds and crocodilians, are of interest to scientists because it’s thought that they led to animals like Asilisaurus, a dinosaur-like animal, and Nyasasaurus parringtoni, a dog-sized creature with a five-foot-long tail that could be the earliest dinosaur.

“Early archosaurs being found mainly in Tanzania is an example of how fragmented animal communities became after the extinction,” Sidor says.

A new framework for analyzing biogeographic patterns from species distributions, developed by paper co-author Daril Vilhena of University of Washington, provided a way to discern the complex recovery.

It revealed that before the extinction, 35 percent of four-legged species were found in two or more of the five areas studied.

Some species’ ranges stretched 1,600 miles (2,600 kilometers), encompassing the Tanzanian and South African basins.

Ten million years after the extinction, there was clear geographic clustering. Just seven percent of species were found in two or more regions.

The technique–a new way to statistically consider how connected or isolated species are from each other–could be useful to other paleontologists and to modern-day biogeographers, Sidor says.

Beginning in the early 2000s, he and his co-authors conducted expeditions to collect fossils from sites in Tanzania that hadn’t been visited since the 1960s, and in Zambia where there had been little work since the 1980s.

Two expeditions to Antarctica provided additional finds, as did efforts to look at museum fossils that had not been fully documented or named.

The fossils turned out to hold a treasure trove of information, the scientists say, on life some 250 million years ago.

Other co-authors of the paper are Adam Huttenlocker, Brandon Peecook, Sterling Nesbitt and Linda Tsuji from University of Washington; Kenneth Angielczyk of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago; Roger Smith of the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town; and Sébastien Steyer from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

The project was also funded by the National Geographic Society, Evolving Earth Foundation, the Grainger Foundation, the Field Museum/IDP Inc. African Partners Program, and the National Research Council of South Africa.

Contributing Source : National Science Foundation HeritageDaily : Palaeontology News : Palaeontology Press Releases

The Western Deffufa : Wiki Commons

Researchers have solved the riddle of how one of Africa’s greatest civilisations survived a catastrophic drought which wiped out other famous dynasties.

Geomorphologists and dating specialists from The Universities of Aberystwyth, Manchester, and Adelaide say that it was the River Nile which made life viable for the renowned Kerma kingdom, in what is now northern Sudan.

Kerma was the first Bronze Age kingdom in Africa outside Egypt.

Their analysis of three ancient river channels where the Nile once flowed shows, for the first time, that its floods weren’t too low or too high to sustain life between 2,500 BC and 1,500 BC, when Kerma flourished and was a major rival to its more famous neighbour downstream.

They also show that the thousand year civilisation came to end when the Nile’s flood levels were not high enough and a major channel system dried out – though an invasion by resurgent Egyptians was the final cause of Kerma’s demise.

Downstream in Egypt, a catastrophic 30 year drought 4,200 years ago, which produced low Nile floods, created chaos in the old kingdom for at least a century.

Other civilisations in the near east and Mesopotamia were also severely hit by this drought.

The team’s findings, funded by the Sudan Archaeological Research Society (SARS) and the Australian Research Council, are published in the journal ‘Geology’.

Kerma : Wiki Commons

Professor Mark Macklin from The University of Aberystwyth said: “This work is the most comprehensive and robustly dated archaeological and palaeoenvironmental dataset yet compiled for the desert Nile.

“The relationship between climate change and the development of Old World riverine civilizations  is poorly understood because inadequate dating control has hindered effective integration of archaeological, fluvial, and climate records.”

Professor Jamie Woodward from The University of Manchester said: “In Nubia four thousand years ago the Kerma people farmed what we might call the Goldilocks Nile: its floods were just large enough to support floodwater farming, but not so big as to cause damage to the riverside settlements.”

“It’s quite remarkable that the Kerma civilization was able to flourish, produce amazing craftsmanship and wealth, at a time when their Egyptian rivals to the North were struggling with environmental, social, and political strife.

“Until now we didn’t understand why that was – but thanks to our field work in Sudan, this riddle has now been solved.”

The team used cutting edge geological dating methods to analyse the dried up channels; now 20 km from the today’s river course. It is the first time individual flood events on the desert Nile have been dated.

Using hundreds of deep irrigation pits dug by modern Sudanese farmers, Macklin and Woodward were able to observe the geological history of the old channels. In places, these old channel belts are well preserved at the modern land surface. They are between 1 and 3 km wide with Kerma sites on their margins.

According to Derek Welsby from the British Museum who led the archaeological survey, Kerma’s wealth and power may have been underpinned by its agriculturally-rich hinterland utilising the banks of the ancient channels.

Archaeological surveys of the floodplain in the Dongola Reach to the south of Kerma have discovered more than 450 sites spanning the Neolithic (pre–3500 B.C.) to the Medieval Christian period (A.D. 500–1500). Many sites are associated with the Nile’s ancient channels.

He said: “Kerma’s success was also down to their reliance on animal husbandry practices that are less susceptible to changes in flood level, more mobile, and better able to cope with environmental stress.

“They were a truly remarkable civilisation, producing some of the most exquisite pottery in the Nile Valley.”

This  pioneering work on human settlement history and the channels of the desert Nile in northern Sudan is featured in the new Ancient Worlds Galleries at the Manchester Museum.

Contributing Source : University of Manchester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Credit : University of Leicester

Dig team to investigate 600-year old stone coffin and to learn more about Church that housed a King.

Archaeologists who discovered King Richard III under a car park now plan to exhume a second discovery found nearby- a 600-year-old lead lined stone coffin.

University of Leicester Archaeological Services has applied to the Ministry of Justice for an exhumation licence and to Leicester City Council to extend their dig to discover more about the Church of the Grey Friars where King Richard III was buried

Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, of the University of Leicester, said the stone coffin potentially contains the 14th century remains of a medieval knight called Sir William Moton. He is believed to have been buried at Grey Friars Church in 1362 – over a century before King Richard III.

The dig, due to start in July, will involve digging at the site of the former Alderman Newton Grammar School, next to the car park, and will entail partial demolition of a Victorian  wall separating the sites.

Mr Buckley said: “This will be a great opportunity to confirm the plan of the east end of the Grey Friars church to learn more about its dating and architecture, and will give us the chance to investigate other burials known to be inside the building.”

Mr Buckley said the tomb is one of four graves uncovered during the Search for Richard III.

The dig is funded by the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, and will add to the historical information available about medieval Leicester.

The former School where the dig is due to take place is being converted into a Richard III heritage centre to coincide with the reinterment at nearby Leicester Cathedral next year.

City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “It’s important that the University is given the chance to continue its excavation of the site, as it’s quite possible there are more interesting discoveries to be made within the old Grey Friars church.

“Our aim is for the gravesite located within 6-8 St Martins to become part of the new visitor centre, and the removal of part of the wall will be necessary to make this happen.  This application is therefore a step forward in the development of the site.”

The archaeological excavation would start at the beginning of July and last for around four weeks. There will be opportunities for the public to see the work in progress.

The University of Leicester discovered human remains with signs of battle trauma in August 2012.   The remains were exhumed in September and, following extensive scientific investigations, a team from the University of Leicester confirmed the remains were those of King Richard III in February 2013.

Following further examination by the University of Leicester, preparations are taking place for a reinterment at Leicester Cathedral in spring 2014.

The Search for Richard III was led by the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council and in association with the Richard III Society.

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Our resident Archaeological legend is fresh, (well not so much fresh as gin soaked) from his explorations in the grounds of Archaeosoup Towers!

Today, ‘Gin’ conducts the long-awaited debrief interview with Andy Brockman of the ‘spitfires in Burma’ expedition!

“The Lost Spitfires of Burma- Anatomy of a Legend”

Ceibal : chez_fenotte The ancient Maya civilization of Mesoamerica may have developed its unique culture and architecture via contact with many other groups—not just exclusive contact with the Olmec people or on its own, without any outside influences, as researchers have debated. According to a new study, the formal plazas and pyramids at Ceibal, an ancient Maya site in Guatemala, probably arose from broad cultural exchanges that took place across southern Mesoamerica from about 1,000 to 700 BCE.

Until now, two theories have dominated the debate concerning the origin of the Maya civilization: one suggesting that the Maya developed almost entirely on their own in what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, and another suggesting that the older Olmec civilization was the Maya’s dominant cultural influence. Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan, a husband-and-wife team from the University of Arizona in Tucson, along with colleagues from the U.S. and Japan, however, found that neither of these theories could tell the full story of the Maya.

“In terms of the origins of lowland Maya civilization, their relationship [with the Olmec] is always a focus of debate,” Inomata explained. “We’re now saying that it probably wasn’t just the Olmec, but a lot of other groups—for example, those living in central Chiapas and those on the southern Pacific coast—that had a lot of important interactions with the lowland Maya.”

The researchers’ report appears in the 26 April issue of the journal Science, which is published by AAAS, the science society.

his shows the excavation of Platform A-24 at Ceibal

By the time sedentary communities began appearing in the Maya lowlands of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize during what’s known as the early Middle Preclassic period—from about 1,000 to 700 BCE—the Gulf Coast Olmec were already well-established in nearby regions, researchers say. Given this timeline, many anthropologists have viewed the Olmec as a “mother culture,” or one that provided cultural innovations, such as art styles and political structure, to other populations.

The coastal Olmec hub of La Venta, for example, hosted architectural styles that were likewise found at Ceibal. But, Inomata and the other researchers now provide radiocarbon dating measurements taken from some of the ceremonial structures at Ceibal, like plazas and platforms, which predate the growth of La Venta as a major center by as much as 200 years. These findings imply that La Venta could not have been the primary influence on Ceibal that researchers once thought it was. Instead, Inomata and his team suggest that both Ceibal and La Venta participated in a broader cultural shift that was taking place in Mesoamerica between about 1,150 and 800 BCE.

“The main complex at Ceibal is made up of a plaza area, a western platform or pyramid and an eastern mound,” said Inomata. “This is generally known as an ‘E-Group Assemblage,’ and they can be found across southern Mesoamerica.” Many researchers have resisted using the term to refer to the structures at La Venta, since it was originally coined to describe Mayan architecture. But, Inomata and his team argue that the ceremonial constructions at La Venta should also be classified as such E-Group Assemblages.

“Possibly, their uses were very similar,” Inomata continued. “Ritual was very important to these civilizations, and there is a series of ritual deposits in the plaza at Ceibal… Such rituals often included greenstone axes, made from jade or other imported, precious stones, which were deposited [in the plaza] as a kind of offering.”

Such ritualistic offerings have been found elsewhere in southern Mesoamerica, including two contemporaneous sites in Chiapas, Mexico.

Inomata and his team suggest that E-Group Assemblages at Ceibal began as small structures, just two meters tall. But, with continuous renovation, the ceremonial constructions grew taller and taller, eventually becoming pyramids, which became very important to the later Maya people.

Taken together, the findings do not suggest that the Maya civilization was older than the Olmec culture, nor do they prove that the Maya developed independently. Instead, they show that the Maya actively participated in a major social shift that took place over a wide area.

“We are seeing this new form of architecture, which probably reflects a new form of society and social order,” says Inomata. “This new form of social order emerged not from one center, such as the Gulf Coast Olmec, but through broad interactions among diverse groups, including the lowland Maya.”

Contributing Source : American Association for the Advancement of Science

HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Credit : Wiki Commons

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have spent many years studying the remains of a Stone Age community in Karleby outside the town of Falköping, Sweden.

The researchers have for example tried to identify parts of the inhabitants’ diet. Right now they are looking for evidence that fertilisers were used already during the Scandinavian Stone Age, and the results of their first analyses may be exactly what they are looking for.

Credit : University of Gothenburg

Using remains of grains and other plants and some highly advanced analysis techniques, the two researchers and archaeologists Tony Axelsson and Karl-Göran Sjögren have been able to identify parts of the diet of their Stone Age ancestors.

‘Our first task was to find so-called macrofossils, such as old weed seeds or pieces of grain. By analysing macrofossils, we can learn a lot about Stone Age farming and how important farming was in relation to livestock ranching,’ says Axelsson.

Another aim has been to collect animal bone material – or simply 5,000 year old food remains. The researchers know that pieces of bones from cattle, pigs and sheep can be found at the site.

‘By studying the levels of isotopes in the bones, we can for example find out where the animals were raised, which in turn can give important information about their role in trade,’ says Sjögren.

The results of the first grain analyses have now been presented, and besides revealing that both barley and wheat were farmed at the site, they point to elevated levels of the isotope N15 (nitrogen 15). The elevated levels may indicate that fertilisers were used in the area of Karleby already 5,000 years ago.

‘We will continue our analyses both in the field and in the lab, and are hoping to find more macrofossils. Hopefully we’ll find some weed seeds, as they may help confirm that fertilisers were indeed used since the type of weeds found in a field can signal whether fertilisers or some other method was used,’ says Axelsson.

The site is located east of the Logården farm Karleby outside the town of Falköping. Click the link to view a map: http://kartor.eniro.se/m/9gC0J

Contributing Source : University of Gothenburg HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Ceibal Ruins : Wiki Commons

A new paper in the journal Science challenges the two prevailing theories on how the ancient civilization began

The Maya civilization is well-known for its elaborate temples, sophisticated writing system, and mathematical and astronomical developments, yet the civilization’s origins remain something of a mystery.

A new University of Arizona study to be published in the journal Science challenges the two prevailing theories on how the ancient civilization began, suggesting its origins are more complex than previously thought.

Anthropologists typically fall into one of two competing camps with regard to the origins of Maya civilization. The first camp believes that it developed almost entirely on its own in the jungles of what is now Guatemala and southern Mexico. The second believes that the Maya civilization developed as the result of direct influences from the older Olmec civilization and its center of La Venta.

It’s likely that neither of those theories tells the full story, according to findings by a team of archaeologists led by UA husband-and-wife anthropologists Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan.

“We really focused on the beginning of this civilization and how this remarkable civilization developed,” said Inomata, UA professor of anthropology and the study’s lead author.

In their excavations at Ceibal, an ancient Maya site in Guatemala, researchers found that Ceibal actually predates the growth of La Venta as a major center by as much as 200 years, suggesting that La Venta could not have been the prevailing influence over early Mayan development.

That does not make the Maya civilization older than the Olmec civilization – since Olmec had another center prior to La Venta – nor does it prove that the Maya civilization developed entirely independently, researchers say.

Ceibal Photo by Takeshi Inomata)

What it does indicate, they say, is that both Ceibal and La Venta probably participated in a broader cultural shift taking place in the period between 1,150-800 B.C.

“We’re saying that the scenario of early Maya culture is really more complex than we thought,” said UA anthropology graduate student Victor Castillo, who co-authored the paper with Inomata and Triadan.

“We have this idea of the origin of Maya civilization as an indigenous development, and we have this other idea that it was an external influence that triggered the social complexity of Maya civilization. We’re now thinking it’s not actually black and white,” Castillo said.

There is no denying the striking similarities between Ceibal and La Venta, such as evidence of similar ritual practices and the presence of similar architecture – namely the pyramids that would come to be the hallmark of Mesoamerican civilization but did not exist at the earlier Olmec center of San Lorenzo.

However, researchers don’t think this is the case of simply one site mimicking the other. Rather, they suspect that both the Maya site of Ceibal and the Olmec site of La Venta were parts of a more geographically far-reaching cultural shift that occurred around 1,000 B.C., about the time when the Olmec center was transitioning from San Lorenzo to La Venta.

“Basically, there was a major social change happening from the southern Maya lowlands to possibly the coast of Chiapas and the southern Gulf Coast, and this site of Ceibal was a part of that broader social change,” Inomata said. “The emergence of a new form of society – with new architecture, with new rituals – became really the important basis for all later Mesoamerican civilizations.”

The Science paper, titled “Early Ceremonial Constructions at Ceibal, Guatemala, and the Origins of Lowland Maya Civilization,” is based on seven years of excavations at Ceibal.

Additional authors of the paper include Japanese researchers Kazuo Aoyama of the University of Ibaraki, Mito and Hitoshi Yonenobu of the Naruto University of Education, Tokushima.

“We were looking at the emergence of specific cultural traits that were shared by many of those Mesoamerican centers, particularly the form of rituals and the construction of the pyramids,” Inomata said. “This gives us a new idea about the beginning of Maya civilization, and it also tells us about how common traits shared by many different Mesoamerican civilizations emerged during that time.”

Contributing Source : University of Arizona HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Credit : Royal Veterinary College

Research published on 24 April 2013 from The Royal Veterinary College, in the journal Nature, uses realistic three-dimensional computer models of the skeletons and bodies of dinosaurs and their relatives to show how body shape changed during dinosaur evolution and its consequences for the way dinosaurs, and eventually birds, stood and moved.

The study reveals for the first time that, contrary to popular opinion, it was the enlargement of the forelimbs over time, rather than the shortening and lightening of the tail, that led to bipedal (two-legged) dinosaurs gradually adopting an unusually crouched posture, with the thigh (femur) held nearly horizontally – a trait inherited by their descendants: birds (see Figure 1 below).

The research group used scanning or digitising technology to create 3D images of the skeletons of 17 archosaurs (land animals including living crocodiles and birds as well as extinct dinosaurs), then digitally added “flesh” around the skeletons to estimate the overall shape of the body as well as the individual body segments such as the head, forelimbs and tail.

The research was led by Dr. Vivian Allen and Professor John R. Hutchinson of The Royal Veterinary College’s Structure & Motion Lab, stemming from Dr. Allen’s PhD work with Prof. Hutchinson. Allen and Hutchinson invited colleagues Dr. Karl Bates (University of Liverpool) and Zhiheng Li (at the time, at the Institute for Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China) to join their team.

Dr. Allen says, “We basically started from a simple digital ‘shrink-wrap’ of the whole skeleton. From this, we expanded the ‘shrink-wrap’ to match how we much flesh we think existed around the different parts of the skeleton. This was based on both detailed reconstruction of the muscular anatomy of each animal, and on what we have measured from CT scans of their living relatives. ‘Accuracy’ can be a misleading term in reconstructing extinct animals, but this approach gave us a repeatable and scientifically-sound estimate for the size and shape of these animals as they were in life, not just as skeletons.”

Prior research had shown that the first archosaurs, around 245 million years ago, were superficially like modern crocodiles – four-legged animals with long, heavy tails, although with longer limbs for living and moving on land. However, early in the evolution of the dinosaur lineage, about 235 million years ago, dinosaurs became bipedal, a trait inherited by their descendants: birds. Birds stand and walk in an unusually crouched posture, with the thigh (femur) held nearly horizontally (see Figure 1c); unlike the more vertical limbs in humans, for example.

Palaeontologists had agreed for years that this strange way of moving evolved gradually as the tail became shorter, shifting the centre of mass of certain dinosaurs progressively forward as those dinosaurs became more “bird-like”, and thereby requiring the legs to become less vertical and more crouched to keep the centre of mass balanced over the feet (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Animal standing or at the midpoint of a step (a). For the animal to balance, forces applied by the feet (red) must match the force of body weight (blue) pointing downwards from the centre of mass (yellow/black). If the centre of mass moves forward (b), then the feet must move forward (and thus the limb must get more crouched) to maintain balance, as in (c).

Prof. Hutchinson says, “Our results surprised even us: it wasn’t primarily the shortening and lightening of the tail that drove the change in dinosaur centre of mass and thus posture, but rather the enlargement of the forelimbs. Birds (flying dinosaurs) obviously have large forelimbs for flight. But dinosaurs close to the origin of birds enlarged their forelimbs for reasons other than powered flight, such as prey capture or negotiating complex terrain. These enlarged forelimbs became noticeable in animals such as the famed feathered dinosaurs Microraptor and Velociraptor, as well as the earliest bird, Archaeopteryx.

“We’d never doubted the hypothesis that the tail was responsible for the major changes in dinosaur balance and posture. The tail is the most obvious change if you look at dinosaur bodies. But as we analyzed, and re-analysed, and punishingly scrutinised our data, we gradually realized that everyone had forgotten to check what influence the forelimbs had on balance and posture, and that this influence was greater than that of the tail or other parts of the body.”

Allen adds, “We had set out to simply use modern, computer-aided techniques to illustrate how and when the centre of mass changed its position in dinosaurs, because the timing of that change had been controversial: either gradual, or more sudden and associated with the first birds and the origin of flight. We found some support for both scenarios: there were gradual changes early on in dinosaurs, but we were amazed by how much the increase in forelimb size began altering the centre of mass just before when flight may have first evolved, in early birds and their closest relatives.”

A major, unexpected implication of the team’s discovery is that, due to the effects on centre of mass position on leg posture, forelimb size and leg function are biomechanically linked. So, these changes in the forelimb anatomy of dinosaurs, both before and after flight, also altered the way they stood, walked and ran.

Bates adds, “The evolution of birds from their dinosaurian ancestors is historically important not only to dinosaur research but also to the development of the theory of evolution itself. Way back in the 1860’s, Thomas Huxley used Mesozoic dinosaurs and modern birds as key evidence in promoting Darwin’s theory of evolution. In this study, modern digital technologies have allowed us to quantify the ‘descent with modification’ observed by Huxley all those years ago. This quantifiable evidence, derived from fossils, helps make evolution more apparent to a general audience, and helps demonstrate exactly how scientists understand what they do about evolution.”

Hutchinson concludes, “What was great about this project for us is that we were able to reconstruct the evolution of whole body dimensions in extinct animals in a quantitative way for the first time, and yet that way was honest about how much we don’t know about those dimensions. However, all that uncertainty ended up not mattering so much- there were clear patterns in changes in dinosaur body dimensions even when considering all the unknown factors. I really like the challenge of tackling such problems in science. It’s gratifying when you feel you’ve done your best to be very cautious and a cool discovery emerges from the hard work everyone put in. And anyone can join in the fun– we’ve shared all the major methods and 3D images from our study so others can use them for any purpose. It’s a win for dinosaur fans and scientists.”

The study was partly supported by funds from the Natural Environment Research Council and the Royal Society.

See Evolution of Dinosaur Body Shape and Locomotion for more information.

Contributing Source : Royal Veterinary College HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

 

Canadian Lynx : Wiki Commons

The rediscovery of a mystery animal in a museum’s underground storeroom proves that a non-native ‘big cat’ prowled the British countryside at the turn of the last century.

The animal’s skeleton and mounted skin was analysed by a multi-disciplinary team of Durham University scientists and fellow researchers at Bristol, Southampton and Aberystwyth universities and found to be a Canadian lynx – a carnivorous predator more than twice the size of a domestic cat.

The research, published today in the academic journal Historical Biology, establishes the animal as the earliest example of an “alien big cat” at large in the British countryside.

Edwardian Lynx © Bristol Museums

The research team say this provides further evidence for debunking a popular hypothesis that wild cats entered the British countryside following the introduction of the 1976 Wild Animals Act. The Act was introduced to deal with an increasing fashion for exotic – and potentially dangerous – pets.

The academics believe such feral “British big cats” as they are known, may have lived in the wild much earlier, through escapes and even deliberate release. There is no evidence that such animals have been able to breed in the wild.

The study of the Canadian lynx, rediscovered by research team member Max Blake among hundreds of thousands of specimens at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, details records unearthed at the museum which showed the animal had originally been mislabelled by Edwardian curators in 1903 as a Eurasian lynx – a close relative of the Canadian lynx.

The records also showed that the lynx was shot by a landowner in the Devon countryside in the early 1900s, after it killed two dogs.

“This Edwardian feral lynx provides concrete evidence that although rare, exotic felids have occasionally been part of British fauna for more than a century,” said lead researcher, Dr Ross Barnett, of Durham University’s Department of Archaeology.

“The animal remains are significant in representing the first historic big cat from Britain.”

Co-author Dr Darren Naish, from the University of Southampton, added: “There have been enough sightings of exotic big cats which substantially pre-date 1976 to cast doubt on the idea that one piece of legislation made in 1976 explains all releases of these animals in the UK.

“It seems more likely that escapes and releases have occurred throughout history, and that this continual presence of aliens explains the ‘British big cat’ phenomenon.”

The researchers point out in their paper that Eurasian lynxes existed in the wild in Britain many hundreds of years ago, but had almost certainly become extinct by the 7th century. Laboratory analysis of the Bristol specimen’s bones and teeth established it had been kept in captivity long enough to develop severe tooth loss and plaque before it either escaped or was deliberately released into the wild. Ancient DNA analysis of hair from the lynx proved inconclusive, possibly due to chemicals applied to the pelt during taxidermy.

Julie Finch, head of Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives, said: “Bristol Museum, Galleries and Archives were pleased to be a part of this ground-breaking research, which not only highlights the importance of our science collections, it establishes the pedigree of our 100-year old Lynx and adds to our knowledge and understanding of ‘big cats’ in the UK.

“Our museum collections are extensive and caring for them requires the considerable skills of our collections officers. We have an amazing collection of taxidermy animals on display and we welcome museum visitors to come along, to take a closer look and discover more about the natural world.”

Dr Greger Larson, a member of the research team from Durham University and an expert in the migration of animals, said: “Every few years there is another claim that big cats are living wild in Britain, but none of these claims have been substantiated. It seems that big cats are to England what the Loch Ness Monster is to Scotland.

“By applying a robust scientific methodology, this study conclusively demonstrates that at least one big cat did roam Britain as early as the Edwardian era, and suggests that additional claims need to be subjected to this level of scrutiny.”

The lynx is now on public display at the museum.

Contributing Source : Durham University HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

NASA picture of Mangaia Island north

Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth’s crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie’s Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature.

Oceanic crust sinks into the Earth’s mantle at so-called subduction zones, where two plates come together. Much of what happens to the crust during this journey is unknown. Model-dependent studies for how long subducted material can exist in the mantle are uncertain and evidence of very old crust returning to Earth’s surface via upwellings of magma has not been found until now.

The research team studied volcanic rocks from the island of Mangaia in Polynesia’s Cook Islands that contain iron sulfide inclusions within crystals. In-depth analysis of the chemical makeup of these samples yielded interesting results.

The research focused on isotopes of the element sulfur. (Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.) The measurements, conducted by graduate student Rita Cabral, looked at three of the four naturally occurring isotopes of sulfur–isotopic masses 32, 33, and 34. The sulfur-33 isotopes showed evidence of a chemical interaction with UV radiation that stopped occurring in Earth’s atmosphere about 2.45 billion years ago. It stopped after the Great Oxidation Event, a point in time when the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen levels skyrocketed as a consequence of oxygen-producing photosynthetic microbes. Prior to the Great Oxidation Event, the atmosphere lacked ozone. But once ozone was introduced, it started to absorb UV and shut down the process.

This indicates that the sulfur comes from a deep mantle reservoir containing crustal material subducted before the Great Oxidation Event and preserved for over half the age of the Earth.

“These measurements place the first firm age estimates of recycled material in oceanic hotspots,” Hauri said. “They confirm the cycling of sulfur from the atmosphere and oceans into mantle and ultimately back to the surface,” Hauri said.

Contributing Source : Carnegie Institution HeritageDaily : Natural World News : Nature News

Iron Age gaming pieces that were found (dice at the top & ‘dominoes’/counters either side)

Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have uncovered one of the biggest groups of Iron Age metal artefacts to be found in the region- in addition to finding dice and gaming pieces.

A dig at a prehistoric monument, an Iron Age hillfort at Burrough Hill, near Melton Mowbray, has given archaeologists a remarkable insight into the people who lived there over 2000 years ago.

Both staff and students from the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History and University of Leicester Archaeological Services are involved in the project, now in its fourth year.

About 100 pieces, including iron spearheads, knives, brooches and a reaping hook, as well as decorative bronze fittings from buckets and trim from an Iron Age shield, have been found.

Project Director John Thomas said: “To date the three excavation seasons have produced a wide array of finds that have transformed our understanding of how the hillfort was used, the length of occupation and the contacts that its occupants had with other regions.  The last excavations focussed on a series of large storage pits that had become filled in with domestic refuse and produced a significant collection of objects including one of the largest groups of Iron Age metalwork from the East Midlands.

“All of the artefacts provide a remarkable insight into the lives of people who lived at Burrough Hill during the Iron Age.  Further finds shed light on their social lives; a bone dice and gaming pieces were discovered alongside a polished bone flute and beautifully decorated blue glass bead from a necklace.  These finds contrast sharply with artefacts found on other contemporary sites such as small farmsteads, suggesting differences in status and access to a wider range of material culture.

“The results of the project so far have been very impressive and tell us a lot about the history of Burrough Hill and its changing story over time.  Not only that, but these results will enable comparison with other contemporary settlements and feed into a broader frame of research into the Iron Age occupation of Leicestershire and the East Midlands.”

The five-year Burrough Hill Project brought to light a huge amount of new evidence to enable a better understanding of the site which until recently had not seen extensive excavation due to its protected status as a Scheduled Monument.

Mr Thomas added: “This year we will be excavating further areas of the hillfort interior to increase understanding of how the hillfort was used.  A Public Open Day will be held on Sunday 30 June between 11am – 4pm.”

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Christopher Elphick, grandson of Private Elphick, being presented with the flag that covered his grandfather’s coffin by Prince Michael of Kent [Picture: Corporal Steve Blake, Crown copyright]

The remains of 2 First World War soldiers have finally been laid to rest nearly 100 years after they were killed in action.

Lieutenant John Harold Pritchard and Private Christopher Douglas Elphick, both of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), were buried yesterday, 23 April, with full military honours at the HAC Cemetery in Ecoust-St Mein, near Arras in France, just 2 miles from where they fell in Bullecourt, next to the Hindenburg Line.

Their remains were found where they died in battle, along with 2 other unidentified HAC soldiers, in 2009 by elderly farmer Didier Guerle who unearthed one of the soldiers’ gas canisters. He dug a little deeper to remove the canister and discovered the soldiers’ remains.

From left:Sergeant John Harold Pritchard taken in 1914 and one of John Pritchard as a boy in 1890 [Pictures: via MOD]

It took 3 years however to trace the named soldiers’ relatives after they were identified by Lieutenant Pritchard’s silver identity bracelet and Private Elphick’s gold signet ring bearing his initials.

The families of both soldiers, together with His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, the Royal Honorary Colonel of the HAC, were at the funeral.

Lieutenant Pritchard, who survived the Battle of the Somme and a gunshot wound to the neck, was killed alongside Private Elphick when their battalion was attacked in the early hours of 15 May 1917 during the Second Battle of Bullecourt.

The area was fought over for several months, and the bodies were lost for nearly 10 decades until the chance discovery.

Lieutenant Pritchard never married, but Private Elphick left a widow and newborn son Ronald Douglas, who was born in August 1916. Ronald never knew his father but kept his memory alive for his 2 sons – Christopher, named after his grandfather, and Martin, who travelled to France for the burial with their families.

Martin Elphick said:

We were never expecting him to be found, so being here has brought back a lot of emotions and sadness that my grandmother and father aren’t still here to feel the honour that is being given to my grandfather. It would have been the closing of the circle for them.

Also making the journey to France were the nephew and great-nieces of Lieutenant Pritchard, who like the Elphick family, were brought up with stories of their fallen relative.

Eighty-nine-year-old John Harold Shell, son of one of Lieutenant Pritchard’s sisters, remembers his mother and her sisters talking about their lost brother:

My mother and her sisters used to talk about him in front of me, and even as a very small boy I was aware of the great sense of loss they felt. I can’t help but think what they would have felt if they could be here, and stood in the field where their brother was killed.

It makes being here all the more moving, more so than I thought it would, because I know what effect it had on them.

The remains were reinterred with full military honours, carried by 2 bearer parties with a military firing party, and accompanied by the HAC Band. As is tradition, the respective families were presented with the flags covering the coffins, but were also given Lieutenant Pritchard’s identity bracelet and Private Elphick’s signet ring.

Contributing Source : Defence News HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Gloster Meteor – 1955 : Wiki Commons

Located at Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire, home of NATO’s Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC), the aircraft, an early 1950s’ Meteor, was lifted by a Chinook helicopter and moved to its new home at the Jet Age Museum, located at Gloucestershire Airport in Staverton.

The Meteor was once the ‘gate guardian’ for the Imjin Barracks site in its former life as RAF Innsworth. Following the RAF station’s closure in 2008, transfer to the British Army and reopening as Imjin Barracks in 2010, the Meteor was moved to a new location next to HQ ARRC’s Installation Briefing Centre.

Imjin’s Meteor was recently purchased by the Jet Age Museum and is slated for restoration and inclusion in its exhibits, which will focus on the region’s extensive aircraft production history and affiliation with the aviation industry.

The Gloster Meteor was both the UK’s first jet aircraft and the Allies’ first operational jet fighter. The Meteor’s development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, developed by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd.

Development of the aircraft began in 1940. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations in July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the RAF. Although the Meteor was not an aerodynamically advanced aircraft, it proved to be a successful and effective combat fighter.

The Chinook helicopter begins to lift the Meteor gate guardian [Picture: Senior Aircraftman Dave Turnbull, Crown copyright]

Several major variants of the Meteor were made to incorporate technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to serve in the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.

The Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War, while Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force made a significant contribution to the Korean War, and several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel also flew Meteors in regional conflicts. As of 2011, 2 Meteors have remained in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds.

Imjin’s Meteor T7, built in 1949 at Hucclecote, has had something of a chequered operational history and was involved in a number of minor flying accidents, some of which required return to the manufacturer for repairs.

It served primarily with No 604 Squadron at North Weald and was once flown by former Conservative MP, now Lord, Norman Tebbit when he joined the squadron in January 1952.

In 1957, it was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, where it performed a variety of flying and ground test roles before ending its flying life some 2,000 flight hours later in 1968.

Officially ‘struck off charge’ in 1977, the aircraft was transported to RAF Innsworth in 1981, where it underwent long-term restoration. It was unveiled as the HQ Personnel and Training Command ‘gate guardian’ in 1994.

The relocation of the Meteor T7 to Gloucestershire Airport means there are now no reminders at Imjin Barracks of the site’s RAF past. HQ ARRC spokesman Major Chris Hyde said:

“I can’t think of anything more fitting than for Imjin’s Meteor aircraft to ‘fly’ to its final destination. We’re honoured that we have had the opportunity to host this splendid aircraft, one that has been part of Britain’s and the Allies’ treasured history.”

Major Hyde explained:

“The Meteor aircraft represents a very important link to Gloucestershire’s military and industrial heritage. It embodies a period of rapid technological progress in the region that is still represented in the area today. In military terms, the Meteor defines an era where former adversaries forged military alliances that aided the development and establishment of NATO, the ARRC’s parent organisation.”

HQ ARRC is a NATO Rapid Deployment Corps headquarters, founded in 1992 in Germany, and headquartered in Gloucestershire since August 2010.

Although HQ ARRC’s ‘framework nation’ is the United Kingdom, comprising approximately 60% of the overall staff, the ARRC is fully multinational in nature and organisation, with 15 partner nations contributing the remaining complement of personnel (Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States).

Contributing Source : Defence News HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Margaret Thatcher : Wiki Commons

The Government of Margaret Thatcher played a crucial, if unwitting, role in the development of modern UK Archaeology. Yet as former UK Prime Minister is buried in London her Conservative heirs in the governing coalition are busy undoing her Government’s system for protecting archaeology and the environment in the planning process. Andy Brockman reflects on this unexpected legacy.

For someone whose cultural terms of reference supposedly did not extend much further than the novels of Frederick Forsyth and porcelain models of Royal Marines, Margaret Thatcher, whose funeral took place on Wednesday, made a huge, if perhaps unintended, contribution to the development of modern British Archaeology.

Indeed, it is ironic that, as the sound of the minute guns fades away and the BBC returns to being able to play seventy year old songs from “the Wizard of Oz” without a political commentary to explain why they are suddenly so popular, the same Tory Party which last week spent seven hours eulagising its lost leader [six and thee quarter hours more than was spent paying tributes to Winston Churchill], this week came close to losing a Parliamentary vote which represented another step in undoing the Thatcher legacy. In this case it is the legacy of protection for our archaeological heritage embodied in the Planning System which is under threat, most recently from the proposal in Chancellor George Osborne’s March budget to exempt large ground floor extensions to domestic houses from the need to apply for Planning Permission from the local planning authority.

That Thatcherite legacy to archaeology came into force in November 1990, just as Prime Minister Thatcher was being defenestrated by the self same people who have been cheer leading at her £10 million funeral. In November 1990 the Thatcher Government introduced “Planning Policy Guidance 16-Archaeology in Planning”, mercifully soon shortened to PPG16. PPG16 was a guidance paper which required the impact of any development on archaeology to be considered as a routine and integral part of the planning process by anyone who wished to undertake a development requiring planning permission. The unwitting effect of PPG16 was to change the practice of British Archaeology out of all recognition. As the impact of PPG16 rippled through the system, archaeology as a discipline found itself putting on a suit, becoming a profession and sitting down in planning meetings with architects and developers to discuss fitting in an excavation alongside the other building site preparation and ground works.

While it came on top of other high profile sites destroyed or threatened by development during the tenure of the Wilson, Callaghan and Thatcher Governments in the 1970′s and 1980′s, the immediate spur to the creation of PPG 16 was the slow motion omnishambles following the discovery of Shakespeare’s Rose Theater in Southwark in the Spring and Summer of 1989. The discovery of “Shakespeare’s Rose” during an office development, saw leading actors including Sir Ian Mckellen and Dame Peggy Ashcroft, facing down the developers bulldozers, standing alongside archaeologists, the general public and local children waiving placards declaiming “Don’t Doze the Rose”.

Faced with this highly public demand that the historic site be protected, the Environment Department, under Secretary of State Nicholas Ridley, proved utterly incapable of formulating a coherent policy to dig the developer Imry Merchant and the Government out of the mire they had been placed in by the media, the campaigners, the Museum of London Archaeologist’s trenches and not least their own attempts to deregulate planning controls. The legal and planing systems to cope with such an important and high profile archaeological discovery simply did not exist amid the ideological commitment to a free market in development. To make matters worse, those in charge of planning, from Townhall to Whitehall completely failed to take account of the strength of public opinion when faced with the loss of a significant and evocative piece of Our Heritage.

The immediate cost of this organisational shambles and public relations disaster, which became coupled with a strong showing by the Green Party in the May 1989 European elections highlighting the political importance of environmental policy, was the head of Secretary of State Ridley who lost his job in Prime Minister Thatcher’s July 1989 reshuffle. However, with the immediate political price paid and the future of the Rose fudged in a way which pleased all parties at least in part, minds in Whitehall turned to finding a way of preventing such a debacle happening again.

Everyone accepted that development and change was inevitable and often desirable, so what was clearly needed was a tool in planning which could predict and neutralise potential issues such as the Rose before they jumped up to bite the politicians. The system would have to allow a breathing space for the decision makers in local and national government, to work with developers, heritage professionals and even the public who had proved so embarrassing to Ridley, to develop mitigation strategies. Therefore under the new system, which became PPG16, what was really important would be preserved for the future in situ, while what had to be destroyed would be preserved by record through desk based research and, if judged to be necessary, excavation. There should be no more cases like the Temples of Mithras, saved by public campaign like the Rose, only to be lifted stone by stone and reconstructed on a new site, out of alignment and out of context as had occurred across the River Thames in the City of London during the earlier free for all building boom of the 1950′s.

Of course Baroness Thatcher was famously careful of the Government purse strings so the system could not cost the Exchequer. Therefore, alongside the principles of preservation in situ and preservation by record, the overarching principle which PPG16 established was “the polluter pays”. This principle that those wishing to pollute, damage or change the environment paid for any mitigation, including archaeology, was taken from other environmental legislation and was a recognition that developers have a right to develop, but with that right comes responsibilities to wider society which are greater than providing short term jobs in construction, minimising their own costs and maximising their profits. By this definition the polluter also includes the domestic developer who fancies building an extension to their house- perhaps over some previously unknown archaeology. It is this principle, which is seen as “a Tax on development,” by the free market right. A view which has led to the the attempts to water down environmental and heritage protection by the Cameron Government, led by Chancellor Osborne.

Back in 1989 there was an immediate problem in introducing PPG16. A formalised structure for archaeology in planning, such as that provided by PPG16, clearly needed to be serviced by people with the same ability to engage with the system to the same schedules and using the same language as the architects and developers whose plans the system was designed to facilitate. This was beyond the capability of the traditional local Archaeological Society or Universities which could not deliver excavations in the quantity and to the time scale required by developers. Thus PPG16 also gave the spur to the professionalisation of archaeology outside traditional academic, local society and museum structures. In particular the new regime gave rise to the development of professional contracting archaeological units such as Museum of London Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology and the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, which had often existed in embryo since the Rescue Archaeology boom of the 1970′s, but which now had a formal reason to exist to facilitate the new planning system and income streams from PPG16 related work which would allow them to be grown as businesses with all the accouterments of management and consultants.

PPG16′s origins as a response to a crisis within an existing industry, building and development, meant Archaeologists were late to the professional structure of development and, for the bulk of archaeologists, wages and conditions for archaeologists on site have never caught up with other sectors of the building industry such as skilled craftsmen, architects and engineers, but at least archaeologists were there inside the tent doing what they could to mitigate the threats to our collective past and hopefully in the process generate new knowledge.

PPG16 was not perfect, for one thing it was only ever advisory, while professionalisation has proved a double edged sword with some archaeologists in other sectors of the discipline feeling excluded. A further criticism lay in the fact that, by the very nature of the development process, sites were chosen by developers, not archaeologists so new data was skewed towards sites with a high turnover of development sites such as the City of London and other urban areas. However, in pulling together previous unfocused, uneven and ineffective guidance into one document which had as a foundation the principle that our archaeology represents an irreplaceable finite and non renewable resource, it was certainly better than anything which had gone before. In addition, once PPG16 and the concept of developer funded archaeology was in place, pipeline surveys and large scale infrastructure projects like Heathrow Terminal 5 and HS1, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, did offer the chance to develop practice and sample large transects of landscape to sometimes startling effect.

The political lesson of PPG16 and what led to it, must be that if even free marketeers like Baroness Thatcher herself, could see that some aspects of our collective past are beyond financial and political price, then all Politicians and not least her ideological successors, forget that at their peril. Faced with the political dangers of another collision between development and cherished aspects of our heritage and environment, such as the Rose, perhaps the current Government should adopt a little historical perspective and return to those Thatcherite principles which accepted archaeology and development could co-exist and must, because our archaeology is irreplaceable and finite. If they did so they would also realise that at some point they will have to put the system of protection for the historic and natural environment they are currently destroying back in place, or potentially face another PR, career destroying, disaster of Rose Theatre proportions.

Ministers might also realise that to operate such a system you need the trained, experienced, professionals which were created by the demands of PPG16 and who are currently leaving the archaeological profession in droves, or who; thanks to cuts to education provision, the concentration of University authorities on profit centers and the chilling effect of University Tuition Fees; might never enter the profession in the first place.

On 29 May 1989 still Prime Minister Thatcher told Simon Hughes MP for Southwark, who had taken a leading role in attempts to save the Rose,

“I agree that the discovery of the remains of the Elizabethan Rose theatre is a historic event, and that everything possible must be done to preserve those remains so that one day they may be on public display. I understand that there have been very constructive discussions—as the hon. Gentleman has said—between the developers, English Heritage and the Museum of London, and that as a result the remains are to be preserved with minimal damage. I welcome that; and it does not rule out the possibility of a scheme for public display one day. In the meantime, constructive discussions continue.”

Margaret Thatcher : Prime Ministers Questions, 11 May 1989

Those “constructive discussions” over the fate of the Rose, pre-figured the discussions PPG16 and its successors, PPS 5 and the National Planning Policy Framework [NPPF], are supposed to enshrine as a routine part of the planning system. However the selective suspension and, in some cases, destruction, of elements of heritage and environmental protection in the name of cutting “Red Tape”, coupled with the ignoring of professional advice, such as occurred in June 2011 when then Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt overruled advice from English Heritage and refused to list the Broadgate Center in the City of London, threatens, not only our environment and our past, but also Minister’s own reputations for even handedness. It also threatens the effective working relationships with organisations like English Heritage and the National Trust built up in the years since PPG16 came into force. By refusing to honour the principle that the polluter pays, on the dubious grounds that all that is preventing the UK Economy from roaring away is the environmental protections offered by the planning system, the Cameron Government is picking a fight which it does not need, apparently to please a small, but financially powerful, lobby within the Conservative Party.

To misquote another of Mrs Thatcher’s, Ministers, Lord Howe, English Heritage and others in the Heritage and Environmental Community are currently being sent into bat “…only to find their bats have been broken before the game by the team Captain.” Of course the bats of Conservative Party donors from the development lobby and the City of London remain intact. Team Captains, Chancellor Osborne and Prime Minister Cameron should remember the fate of Nicholas Ridley and the Conservative Party’s reputation in the Spring and Summer of 1989, and take note of the power of the Heritage and Environmental lobby which prevented them turning the NPPF into a “Developers Charter” in 2012, in case they receive the gift of another Rose.

Written by Andy Brockman HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

Richard III : Wiki Commons

Richard III may have gone through very painful treatments for his spinal deformity, according to University of Leicester researcher.

Dr Mary Ann Lund, of the University’s School of English, has carried out research into the kinds of scoliosis treatments available at the time Richard III was alive.

The remains of Richard III discovered by University of Leicester scientists revealed that the King suffered from severe scoliosis, which he probably developed in early adolescence.

Scoliosis – a lateral or side-to-side curvature of the spine – can be a very painful condition to live with.

But some of the treatments practised in the late medieval period would have themselves caused sufferers a lot of anguish.

Among the “cures” practised was traction – the same principle on which “the Rack” worked as an instrument of torture.

The patient would be tied under the armpits and round the legs. The ropes were then pulled at either end, often on a wooden roller, to stretch the patient’s spine.

The treatment would probably have only been available to those who could afford it.

Richard III would certainly have been able to afford the highest levels of medical care available – and his physicians would have been well aware of the standard “traction” methods for treating the condition.

Dr Lund charted the influence of Greek philosopher Hippocrates – who developed early prototype methods of dealing with spinal disorders – to the 11th century Persian polymath Avicenna.

Avicenna’s treatises on medicine and philosophy were highly regarded in Medieval Europe. His theories on using traction in scoliosis treatment would have been widely read and practised by doctors in Richard III’s lifetime.

Avicenna also advocated the massage techniques practised in Turkish baths, and herbal applications, as treatments for back disorders.  In the longer term, patients might wear a long piece of wood or metal in an attempt to straighten their back.

Dr Lund said: “Scoliosis is a painful illness, and Richard would have been in quite a lot of pain on a daily basis. These methods could also have been very painful – but people would have expected treatments to be unpleasant.

“Medical practices could exacerbate conditions rather than improving them. These treatments would have only been open to people in the upper echelons. Richard would have probably received these treatments because he was a member of the nobility.”

Later methods of treatment for scoliosis included the orthosis, which was developed by French physician Ambroise Paré in the late 16th century.

This was a tightly fitting metal corset for treating scoliosis made by an armourer, which would have been worn by patients to brace the skeleton in an attempt to correct the curvature of the spine.

Contributing Source : University of Leicester HeritageDaily : Archaeology News : Archaeology Press Releases

at the RAF MUSEUM HENDON 19.30hrs - 19 JUNE 2013

It was a CSI Cold Case like no other.

The missing person was a machine and a world icon- the Spitfire fighter.

The crime scene was a battle-scarred airfield in the Far East.

And the crime, if it took place at all, took place more than sixty five years ago.

In January 2013 the World’s media watched as a crack team of historians, archaeologists and geophysicists assembled by global game company Wargaming.net, set out to solve the mystery of the lost squadron of Spitfires which, according to aviation enthusiast David Cundall, were buried by Allied Forces at airfields in Burma at the end of the Second World War.

The Wargaming team approached the project as a CSI style police procedural mystery, looking for alleged ‘missing persons’ – the Spitfires.  To solve the mystery the team went in search of the Royal Air Force’s “Means”, “Motive” and “Opportunity” to bury the aircraft, following up clues in the military archives; examining geophysical data and testing it against historical photographs of the site; and pouring over the RAF shipping records and Operational Record Books.

Recognising that this was a very human story they also read numerous witness statements, talked to surviving witnesses and in the ultimate test of their theories, visited the ‘crime scene’ at Yangon International Airport, in order to turn months of documentary research and the perceptions of witnesses into facts on the ground.

As a result of this archive research and the ‘ground truthing’ by archaeology at Yangon Airport, the team are now confident that the legend of the buried Spitfires of Burma is just that: a captivating legend about a beautiful and iconic aircraft.

As the world now knows, after weeks of specifically targeted surveys and excavations, no trace of crated Spitfires was found at Mingaladon. At Myitkyina, in northern Kachin State, the Burmese-led surveys also produced no trace of the Spitfires which were also alleged to have been buried there. This had the effect of independently confirming the conclusion of earlier documentary work carried out regarding the Myitkyina site by the Wargaming team.

Wargaming’s research team now believes that these facts on the ground, endorse the conclusion of their documentary research which proves beyond reasonable doubt that no crated Spitfire aircraft were ever delivered to Mingaladon or Myitkyina, let alone buried in crates at either site.

However, this disappointing conclusion turns out to have a silver lining.  The missing Spitfires of Burma are the first and only such piece of World War Two folklore to have ever been investigated objectively and scientifically. This means that,  although though there will not be a newly discovered squadron of vintage aircraft gracing the skies, the Wargaming team can demonstrate the fascinating genesis and evolution of a wartime legend, born in the mud and chaos of RAF Mingaladon in 1945 in a world which now lies at the fragile edge of living memory.

The case of the Burma Spitfires goes to the very heart of how we remember this traumatic and endlessly fascinating period of our shared history; while the worldwide interest in the project has demonstrated how the Spitfire remains alive in the hearts and memories of all those who love the history of aviation and recognise its value.  This is the case even though it is over two generations since the glory days of R J Mitchell’s masterpiece in the skies of every theatre of war between 1939 and 1945 and a number of conflict zones thereafter.

Now for the first time the Wargaming research team are going to present the full findings of the investigation at Mingaladon in a special multimedia presentation at the Royal Air Force Museum Hendon on 19th June 2013 with the main presentation starting at 19.30hrs.

The historians, archaeologists and scientists who actually carried out the research will take you on a journey which will place you behind the lens of a reconnaissance camera in 1945; at a desk at the UK National Archives as a crucial document which has never before been looked at comes to light and at the screen of a laptop on the sun beaten expanse of Yangon Airport as a lost road which is key to the story takes form out of the electronic background.

The evening will be fully illustrated by slides and video of the expedition and will include the team’s suggestion as to how and why the legend of the Burma Spitfires came to be so widely believed by the public and the media.

The evening will include opportunities to ask questions of the team and special arrangements will be made for members of the media who wish to undertake more extensive interviews.

Wargaming Thanks the Royal Air Force Museum for enabling us to mount this event.

About Wargaming

Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher and one of the leaders in the free-to-play MMO market. Founded as a privately held company in 1998, Wargaming has shipped more than 15 titles and employs over 1500 people across such key regions as North America, Europe, Russia, Asia, and Australia. Currently, Wargaming is focused on its team-based MMO war series dedicated to mid-20th century warfare that will include the company’s flagship armoured MMO World of Tanks, launched in April 2011 and currently boasting 55 million players worldwide, the flight combat World of Warplanes, named one of the most anticipated MMOs, and the naval World of Warships, both scheduled for release in 2013. In June 2012, Wargaming announced the Wargaming.net Service, the epicentre of the online battle gaming universe that will gather the series under a single portal — www.wargaming.net.
Official website:

www.wargaming.com

A detailed Programme and final Ticketing Arrangements will be announced shortly so please do not contact the Royal Air Force Museum.-

To register an interest in attending please e-mail: frazer@wargaming.net and state which in which capacity you wish to attend,

1.  Media: stating which organisation or outlet you represent

2.  Professional Interest: stating which organisation you represent

3.  Member of the Public.