More farting cattle, please Humans 'may have saved world from ice age'
HUMANS may have unwittingly saved themselves from a looming ice age by interfering with the Earth's climate, according to a new study.
The findings from a team of American climate experts suggest that were it not for greenhouse gases produced by humans, the world would be well on the way to a frozen Armageddon.
Scientists have traditionally viewed the relative stability of the Earth's climate since the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago as being due to natural causes, but there is evidence that changes in solar radiation and greenhouse gas concentrations should have driven the Earth towards glacial conditions over the last few thousand years.
What stopped it has been the activity of humans, both ancient and modern, argue the scientists.
We think a more likely explanation is that most climate scientists' models are about as accurate and useful as most archaeologists' models.
Web site update
Thierry Benderitter has put up some new pages on his El Kab site:
The tomb of Paheri:
http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/el_kab/pahery/e_pahery1.htm . This publication is the most complete illustrated publication on this tomb since 1894, to my knowledge.
The tomb of Ahmes son of Ibana:
http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/el_kab/ahmes/e_ahmes.htm You can find on the page the complete renowned autobiographical inscription.
The repository temple of Amenhotep III:
http://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/el_kab/e_el_kab.htm
Semi-breaking news: Perfect mummy found in Egypt Two news reports here and here.
Pictures here (and text if you can read Japanese): EEF poster Kei Yamamoto explains:
Regarding the intact burial that the Waseda University team found in Dahshur
North, this article from a Japanese newspaper also provides the photograph
of the outer coffin. In addition, it identifies the tomb owner as an
administrative official named "Senu" and dates the tomb to "around 13th
Dynasty (ca. 3800 - 3600 years ago)". The archaeologists believe that this
late MK tomb escaped plundering because there was a NK tomb (dated "ca.
3300-3100 years ago") on top of it.
Archaeologists Show Off
Pot shards, glass bottles, animal bone and plant remains were only a few of the items on display at an open house sponsored by Santa Fe's Friends of Archaeology on Wednesday.
The open house at the Office of Archaeological Studies offices near the Plaza featured items excavated from projects around the Santa Fe area, including a recent dig at the Palace of the Governors.
The event was a rare occasion. The last open house occurred some 10 years ago, said Jim Oore, a project director for the Office of Archaeological Studies. The Friends group had suggested the event, and the Office of Archaeological Studies was happy to oblige.
"We enjoy talking about what we do," Oore said. "There are a lot of misconceptions about archaeology. I enjoy Indiana Jones movies as much as the next person. It's not like that -- anymore, anyway."
Except, you know, we all look strikingly like either Indiana Jones or Lara Croft.
Such a beautiful bunch we are.
CSI: Mexico City
Evidence May Back Human Sacrifice Claims
It has long been a matter of contention: Was the Aztec and Mayan practice of human sacrifice as widespread and horrifying as the history books say? Or did the Spanish conquerors overstate it to make the Indians look primitive? In recent years archaeologists have been uncovering mounting physical evidence that corroborates the Spanish accounts in substance, if not number.
Using high-tech forensic tools, archaeologists are proving that pre-Hispanic sacrifices often involved children and a broad array of intentionally brutal killing methods.
Kind of a gruesome article, but informative.
[Update]
More on this from CNN and The Salt Lake Tribune.