Early Makuria Research Project. Royal ornaments of the Late Antique African kingdom, Early Makuria, Nubia (AD 450–550)

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 687-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Then-Obłuska
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
South India ◽  
Glass Beads ◽  
Late Antique ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Marine Mollusk ◽  
Metal Sheets ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Mollusk Shell

After the fall of the Meroe kingdom, three entities – Nobadia, Early Makuria, and Alwa (Alodia) – emerged in northeast Africa between the 4th and the 6th centuries AD. Richly furnished elite cemeteries with tombs of the Nobadian kings are known from Qustul and Ballaña in Lower Nubia (Emery and Kirwan 1938), but until now no royal tombs of Early Makuria have been identified. A comparative analysis of some recently excavated adornments and ornaments from the tumulus cemetery of el-Zuma in Upper Nubia have now enabled the Early Makuria royal tombs (AD 450–550) to be placed there. The assemblages from three large tumuli are dominated by personal adornments (beads, pendants, earrings, chains, crosses, and a ring), royal regalia (cabochons and settings), and other decorated items (metal sheets, an intarsia and ivory gaming pieces). Apart from beads of various materials, like marine mollusk shell, ostrich eggshell, faience and stone, which were made probably in local workshops, the remaining items were imports from the Mediterranean and Sri Lanka/South India (glass beads in the latter case). Moreover, many of the decorated objects and the techniques used to make them find parallels in the elite Nobadian cemeteries of Qustul and Ballaña, hinting at the royal origin of some of the Early Makuria tomb owners at el-Zuma. These parallels induce the thought that there was a single workshop in late antique Nubia producing artifacts for the elite.

Alexandria, Kom el-Dikka. Fieldwork in the 2019 season

2020 ◽  
pp. 469-496
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Majcherek
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Geometric Design ◽  
Late Antique ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Floor Tiles ◽  
Stone Material ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Late Roman

The report offers an account of archaeological and conservation work carried out at the site. Excavations in the central part of the site (Sector F) were continued for the fourth season in a row. Exploration of remains of early Roman houses led to the discovery of a well preserved multicolored triclinium mosaic floor with a floral and geometric design. A large assemblage of fragments of polychrome marble floor tiles, recorded in the house collapse, showed the scale of importation of decorative stone material from various regions of the Mediterranean. Overlying the early Roman strata was direct evidence of intensive construction work carried out in the vicinity in the form of large-scale kilnworks, supplying lime most probably for the building of the late Roman bath and cistern. Included in the presentation is a brief review of the limited conservation work that was conducted in the complex of late antique auditoria.

Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Profiles of Selected Solanum Species Grown in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
pp. 103847
Author(s):  
Harshani Nadeeshani ◽  
Gamini Samarasinghe ◽  
Swarna Wimalasiri ◽  
Renuka Silva ◽  
Danny Hunter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Solanum Species ◽  
Nutritional Profiles

scholarly journals Taxonomic status of Flexopecten glaber ponticus (Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1889) – the Black Sea Flexopecten glaber (Linnaeus, 1758) (Bivalvia: Pectinidae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 14-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Bondarev
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Marmara Sea ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Republic

The name Flexopecten glaber ponticus (Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1889) is generally used for the only Pectinidae representative inhabiting the Black Sea. It is registered in the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea as endemic subspecies reducing in amount. F. glaber ponticus is listed in WoRMS MolluscaBase as the only accepted subspecies of Flexopecten glaber (Linnaeus, 1758). In the past its taxonomic status has been changed from a geographic variety to valid species. The purpose of this study is to establish its correct taxonomic status. The study is based on a comparative analysis of conchological features of Flexopecten glaber and F. glaber ponticus in relation with the brief natural history of population in the Black Sea. Sampling was performed by snorkel equipment in Kazach’ya Bay (Black Sea, Crimea, Sevastopol) at 2–6 m depths. A total of 100 scallop specimens were sampled in September 2017. To assure a better understanding in a broader context those results are compared with the previously published morphological data based on the analysis of a large amount of material from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea – Marmara Sea regions. Comparative analysis of conchological features of F. glaber ponticus from the Black Sea with F. glaber from the Mediterranean region has not revealed any distinct differences between them. Thus, there are no evidenced data for the diagnosis of F. glaber ponticus as a subspecies. Species F. glaber appeared in the Black Sea not earlier than 7,000 years ago and formed a well developed population less than 3,000 years ago. We have to conclude that the specified divergence period is not long enough to form a subspecies. As a result of the present survey the subspecific status of F. glaber ponticus is not retained and the name is placed in synonymy of the parent species Flexopecten glaber.

scholarly journals Methodological elements for the comparative analysis of the first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic in France, Italy, and Spain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Néstor Aldea-Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Mortality Index ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Demographic Patterns ◽  
Health Situation ◽  
Official Data

The three European countries included in the northwest littoral of the Mediterranean region – Italy, France and Spain – reported their first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus early in 2020. The subsequent epidemic strongly impacted these countries, challenging the healthcare systems efficiency, and the capacity and transparency of their public statistics structures. Because public statistics were not fully adapted to such a new health situation, the available official data could not wholly describe the epidemic correctly. This paper developed an indicator derived from the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 aiming to describe the time and spatial dynamics of the epidemic. Although the analysis was not applied to France due to the lack of data available, the comparative analysis among Spain and Italy highlighted some similarities and certain divergences, partially attributable to the features of each country‘s national demographic patterns and the peculiarities of applied health protocols. Finally, mortality during the first wave of the epidemic has been analysed for the three countries, demonstrating higher mortality index in Spain, although the reported number of SARS-CoV-2 declared deaths does not explain a portion of this mortality excess.

On some new and little-known southern Asiatic species of Lithobiidae (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha)

1981 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
South India ◽  
Asiatic Species

AbstractFive southern Asiatic species of Lithobiidae are described: Hessebius barbipes (Porat) n.comb. from Iran, Lithobius erraticulus Silvestri from Kashmir, Lithobius indicus n.sp. from south India, Lithobius sculpturatus Pocock from Sri Lanka, and Lithobius degerboeli n.sp. from Thailand.

The phylogenetic position of the enigmatic Assam day gecko Cnemaspis cf. assamensis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) demonstrates a novel biogeographic connection between Northeast India and south India-Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Ishan Agarwal ◽  
Rachunliu G. Kamei ◽  
Stephen Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
South India ◽  
Northeast India ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Nd2 Gene ◽  
Isolated Species

Abstract Northeast Indian biodiversity has long been considered to have a stronger affinity to Southeast Asian rather than Peninsular Indian fauna, however, few molecular phylogenetic studies have explored this hypothesis. In Asia, the polyphyletic gekkonid genus Cnemaspis sensu lato is comprised of two distantly related groups; one primarily from South Asia with some members in Southeast Asia, and the other exclusively from Southeast Asia. Cnemaspis assamensis is a systematically obscure and geographically isolated species (>1400 km from its nearest congeners) from the Brahmaputra River Valley in Northeast India. We provide the first molecular phylogenetic assessment of this species based on a partial ND2 gene fragment. Cnemaspis assamensis is determined to be a deeply divergent (Oligocene) member of the South Asian radiation and is sister to the podihuna clade which is endemic to Sri Lanka. The biogeographic implications of this find are discussed and this is suspected to represent a rare example of true disjunction between the wet zones of Northeast India and southern India/Sri Lanka. These results further emphasise the importance of Northeast India as a refuge for unique ancient faunal lineages.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document