Ancient bone artefact found
Archaeologists describe rare Lower Murray find
2021-03-16
(Press-News.org) The discovery of a rare bone artefact near the Lower Murray River casts more light on the rich archaeological record on Ngarrindjeri country in southern Australia.
Details of the Murrawong bone point, dated between c. 5,300-3,800 years old, has have been described by Flinders University, Griffith University and other experts in a new paper in Australian Archaeology.
Probably made from a macropod (kangaroo or wallaby) bone, the point was likely used for piercing soft materials - for example, used as a pin on a cloak made of possum furs - or possibly as a projectile point, say the research leaders Dr Christopher Wilson and Professor Amy Roberts from Flinders University Archaeology.
While stone artefacts and shell middens are commonly found on the surface, bone objects are mostly uncovered during excavations. The last similar one was uncovered in the Lower Murray River Gorge was in the 1970s.
Dr Wilson, a Ngarrindjeri man, says that "even one find of this kind provides us with opportunities to understand the use of bone technologies in the region and how such artefacts were adapted to a riverine environment."
"Bone artefacts have lacked the same amount of study in comparison to artefacts made of stone, so every discovery reminds us of the diverse material culture used by Aboriginal peoples in this country," adds Professor Roberts.
The artefact was found during recent excavation work. The project was undertaken in collaboration with the Ngarrindjeri community.
INFORMATION:
This research forms part of a larger project that Dr Wilson is leading to investigate the rich archaeological record on Ngarrindjeri country.
The paper, 'Analysis and contextualisation of a Holocene bone point from Murrawong (Glen Lossie), Lower Murray River Gorge, South Australia' (2021) by C Wilson, AL Roberts, M Langley, L Wallis, R Luebbers, C Westell, C Morton and the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation has been published in Australian Archaeology DOI: 10.1080/03122417.2021.1886893
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-03-16
Vision impairment is a pervasive problem facing nearly 2.2 billion people globally, according to the World Health Organization. But help is on the way: Neuroscientists are working at the cutting edge of technology and brain science to develop new ways for the vision impaired to navigate the world around them. At the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS), researchers are presenting new techniques for integrating digital haptics and sound technology to transform vision rehabilitation for both children and adults alike.
"Vision rehabilitation requires bridging fundamental research, modelling and neuroimaging methods," ...
2021-03-16
FAIRFAX, Va. (March 16, 2021)--Many women suffering significant postpartum bleeding continue to receive hysterectomies, rather than uterine artery embolization (UAE), despite evidence that UAE results in reduced hospital stays and costs, and offers an opportunity to preserve fertility, according to new research to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting.
"Giving birth has become increasingly dangerous for women in the U.S., and postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of the loss of life related to childbirth," said Janice M. Newsome, MD, FSIR, associate professor, Department of Radiology and Imaging ...
2021-03-16
FAIRFAX, Va. (March 16, 2021)-- A minimally invasive treatment for patients whose cancer has spread to their bones provides quick and sustained pain relief and improves quality of life, according to a new study to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting. The palliative treatment known as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is effective in providing relief in as little as three days, and the benefits last more than 12 months--a significant improvement over radiation treatment.
"Commonly used radiation treatments can take weeks to provide pain relief," said Jason R. Levy, MD, a vascular and interventional radiologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta and ...
2021-03-16
FAIRFAX, Va. (March 16, 2021)-- A non-surgical treatment for arthritis in the knee is safe and effective in providing immediate and long-term pain relief, according to a new study to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting. Genicular artery embolization (GAE) reduces inflammation in the knee to improve function and quality of life for people with moderate to severe knee pain. Osteoarthritis is one of most common causes of disability, limiting daily activities of 40% of all U.S. adults.
"Prior to treatment, patients' knee pain had taken over their whole life," said Siddharth A. Padia, MD, FSIR, professor of radiology, UCLA Health, and lead researcher of the study. ...
2021-03-16
In an analysis that explores the structural underpinnings of a SARS-CoV-2 strain, G614, that quickly became dominant early in the pandemic, researchers discovered interactions that prevent this strain's spike from shedding its host binding domain too early. This may explain the enhanced infectivity of the G614 virus, they say. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, epidemiologists have monitored evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with particular focus on the spike (S) protein. Spike trimers decorate the viral surface and facilitate host cell entry. An early variant with a single-residue substitution ...
2021-03-16
March 16, 2021, PORT ST. LUCIE, FL: Researchers from Cleveland Clinic's Florida Research and Innovation Center (FRIC) have identified a potential new target for anti-COVID-19 therapies. Their findings were published in Nature Microbiology.
Led by FRIC scientific director Michaela Gack, Ph.D., the team discovered that a coronavirus enzyme called PLpro (papain-like protease) blocks the body's immune response to the infection. More research is necessary, but the findings suggest that therapeutics that inhibit the enzyme may help treat COVID-19.
"SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - has evolved quickly against many of the body's well-known ...
2021-03-16
The storms, which consist of brightenings and broadenings of the dawn flank of an oval of auroral activity that encircles Jupiter's poles, evolve in a pattern surprisingly reminiscent of familiar surges in the aurora that undulate across Earth's polar skies, called auroral substorms, according to the authors.
The new study is the first to track the storms from their birth on the nightside of the giant planet through their full evolution. It was published today in AGU Advances, AGU's journal for high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences.
During a dawn storm, Jupiter's quiet and regular auroral arc transforms into a complex and intensely bright auroral ...
2021-03-16
The market for air purifiers is booming, but a new study has found that some air cleaning technologies marketed for COVID-19 may be ineffective and have unintended health consequences.
The study, authored by researchers at Illinois Tech, Portland State University, and Colorado State University, found that cleaning up one harmful air pollutant can create a suite of others.
Both chamber and field tests found that an ionizing device led to a decrease in some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including xylenes, but an increase in others, most prominently oxygenated VOCs (e.g., acetone, ethanol) and toluene, substances commonly found in paints, ...
2021-03-16
Those who have persistent trouble sleeping may have an especially difficult grieving process after the death of a loved one, a new study co-authored by a University of Arizona researcher finds.
Most people who lose a close friend or family member will experience sleep troubles as part of the grieving process, as the body and mind react to the stress of the event, said study co-author Mary-Frances O'Connor, a professor in the UArizona Department of Psychology.
But O'Connor and her collaborators found that those who had persistent sleep challenges before losing someone were at higher risk for developing complicated grief after a loss. Complicated grief is characterized by a yearning for a lost loved one ...
2021-03-16
It would surprise no one that pursuing a graduate degree can be a stressful endeavor, and for students who are transgender and nonbinary (TNB), the atmosphere can become toxic, according to University of Houston researcher Nathan Grant Smith. In a new paper published in Higher Education, Smith provides an analysis of current literature pertaining to TNB graduate student experiences and suggests interventions in graduate education to create more supportive environments for TNB students.
"Nearly 50% of graduate students report experiencing emotional or psychological distress during their enrollment in graduate school. Levels of distress are particularly high for transgender ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Ancient bone artefact found
Archaeologists describe rare Lower Murray find
