Category: Continental European History

First modern Britons had ‘dark to black’ skin, Cheddar Man DNA analysis reveals

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First modern Britons had ‘dark to black’ skin, Cheddar Man DNA analysis reveals

The genome of Cheddar Man, who lived 10,000 years ago, suggests that he had blue eyes, dark skin and dark curly hair

Follow this link to read the entire post: www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/07/first-modern-britons-dark-black-skin-cheddar-man-dna-analysis-reveals

Iron Age Britain’s Oldest Gold – Archaeology Magazine

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Iron Age Britain’s Oldest Gold – Archaeology Magazine

Staffordshire, England.  Four torcs uncovered in Leekfrith are the earliest Iron Age gold items ever found in Britain. Torcs are jewelry that were worn around neck, by both men and women.  They can be dated to between 400 and 250 B.C. based on their stylistic qualities, says Julia Farley of the British Museum, who notes they were most likely worn by women. The torcs’ age is remarkable because, for several hundred years starting around 800 B.C., people in Britain appear to have largely abandoned wearing and manufacturing gold jewelry.  Follow the link below for more on these:

Source: www.archaeology.org/issues/282-features/top10/6176-england-iron-age-gold-torcs

A Female Viking Warrior Confirmed by Genomics

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A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics

The objective of this study has been to confirm the sex and the affinity of an individual buried in a well-furnished warrior grave (Bj 581) in the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden. Previously, based on the material and historical records, the male sex has been associated with the gender of the warrior and such was the case with Bj 581. An earlier osteological classification of the individual as female was considered controversial in a historical and archaeological context. A genomic confirmation of the biological sex of the individual was considered necessary to solve the issue.


Materials and methods

Genome-wide sequence data was generated in order to confirm the biological sex, to support skeletal integrity, and to investigate the genetic relationship of the individual to ancient individuals as well as modern-day groups. Additionally, a strontium isotope analysis was conducted to highlight the mobility of the individual.
Results

The genomic results revealed the lack of a Y-chromosome and thus a female biological sex, and the mtDNA analyses support a single-individual origin of sampled elements. The genetic affinity is close to present-day North Europeans, and within Sweden to the southern and south-central region. Nevertheless, the Sr values are not conclusive as to whether she was of local or nonlocal origin….

Checkout the full article here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.23308/full

1816: The Year Without a Summer That Changed The World

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This astounding event caused massive loss of life and impacted the world for centuries to come. Yet, we never read about it in school!
The 1815 Eruption of Mount Tambora was one of the most powerful eruptions in recorded history and is classified as a VEI-7 event. The eruption of the volcano, on the island of Sumbawa in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), reached a climax on 10 April 1815 and was followed by between six months and three years of increased steaming and small phreatic eruptions.
The eruption column lowered global temperatures, and some experts believe this led to global cooling and worldwide harvest failures.
Folks began to notice that the usual signs of spring weren’t there in 1816. First-hand accounts tell us that the weather was so cold that birds dropped from the sky mid-flight (presumably from exposure or starvation). The ground was frost-covered in May in some regions, but that was the least of the problems to come since snows in June and July were a huge problem for Appalachian and New England farmers. The spring and summer months were dotted with slightly warmer periods that did not last, giving false hope to some. Crops could not grow and yields were reduced by 90% in some places.
To read more click the following link: Source: 1816: The Year Without a Summer That Changed The World

Lincolnshire, England couple spend two decades building Saxon house in their back garden

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Retired teachers Steve and Judith Jones built the home over 20 years. They have just had a new roof thatching crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The pair use the house to teach local children about the Saxon era. They don’t live in the hut – but have admitted to sleeping in it several times

To see the compete post follow this link:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3512679/Couple-spend-two-decades-building-Saxon-house-garden-mud-hair-lime-horse-manure-raising-money-crowdfunding.html