Getting to the root of the problem: new evidence for the use of plant root foods in Mesolithic Khunter-gatherer subsistence in Europe

This paper presents new evidence for the harvesting of edible plant roots and tubers at Northton, a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site on Harris, in the Western Isles of Scotland, in the north-west corner of Europe. The excavations uncovered abundant root tuber remains of Ficaria verna Huds. (lesser celandine), an excellent high energy and carbohydrate-rich food source, and produced the first evidence for the use of tubers of Lathyrus linifolius (Reichard) Bässler (bitter-vetch) at a hunter-gatherer site in Europe. Here we report on the analysis of the charred root and tuber remains and other charred plant macrofossils from the site and consider the significance of these results within the wider context of European hunter-gatherer subsistence. The wide range of root and tuber taxa recovered from European hunter-gatherer sites and the importance of appropriate sampling on hunter-gatherer sites are highlighted.publishedVersio

Arkeologisk og naturvitenskapelig undersøkelse av hus fra yngre romertid og folkevandringstid på Løland gnr. 247 bnr. 2 i Sandnes kommune, Rogaland (id. 219567)

Oppdragsgiver: NCC RoadsFra april til august 2021 gjennomførte Arkeologisk museum, UiS, ei utgraving på garden Løland, gr. 247 bnr. 2, i Sandnes kommune. Bosettingssporene registrert av Rogaland fylkeskommune i 2016 (Frækhaug 2016) ligger på ei terrasseflate ovenfor Espedalselva i Espedal (id. 219567). Lokaliteten er en fortsettelse av bosettingssporene undersøkt av Arkeologisk museum i 2007 (id. 95308). Da som nå er bakgrunnen for undersøkelsen en utvidelse av masseuttaket tilhørende NCC Roads. Det viste seg å være svært varierende bevaringsforhold innenfor undersøkelsesområdet. Innenfor store deler av feltet var den svært steinete og aurholdige undergrunnen preget av nedpløying og større inngrep i forbindelse med jordbearbeiding. I nordvestlig hjørne av feltet ble det imidlertid påvist bedre bevarte lommer der det ble funnet et verkstedhus med rester av gulvlag, tilgrensende dyrkingslag og avfallslag. Sistnevnte viser til ulike deponeringer av avfall fra samtidig bebyggelse like ved, noe som sjeldent finnes bevart og gjøres til gjenstand for utgraving ved flateavdekkinger i regionen. Likeledes er verkstedhuset fra folkevandringstid, med gulvlag, kullag og et høyt antall ildsteder, oppsiktsvekkende godt bevart og har således stort potensiale for framtidig forskning. Parallelt med verkstedhuset ble det undersøkt en tilhørende hovedbygning med et ekstra oppholdsrom for mennesker i østlig ende, bak fjøset. Videre ble det undersøkt to bygninger fra yngre romertid; et langhus tolket som hovedbygning med en tilhørende firestolperbygning. I feltets nordvestlige hjørne ble det funnet stolpehull tolket som østlig ende av et hus fra yngre romertid påvist på andre siden av bruksskillet i 2007. De fem identifiserte bygningene fra eldre jernalder undersøkt i 2021 må ses i sammenheng med de seks bygningene påvist på samme terrasse i 2007 (Gil 2007). De omfattende botaniske analysene viser lite variasjon i avlingene med en dominans av bygg og havre. I de to best bevarte bygningene fra folkevandringstid er det moderat høy til høy frøtetthet, men lav korntetthet, noe som kan peke i retning av mindre vekt på korndyrking i et høytliggende område med lett tilgang til vide beiteområder og varierte utmarksressurser (Dahl, 2022)

Mapping past human land use using archaeological data: A new classification for global land use synthesis and data harmonization

In the 12,000 years preceding the Industrial Revolution, human activities led to significant changes in land cover, plant and animal distributions, surface hydrology, and biochemical cycles. Earth system models suggest that this anthropogenic land cover change influenced regional and global climate. However, the representation of past land use in earth system models is currently oversimplified. As a result, there are large uncertainties in the current understanding of the past and current state of the earth system. In order to improve repre- sentation of the variety and scale of impacts that past land use had on the earth system, a global effort is underway to aggregate and synthesize archaeological and historical evi- dence of land use systems. Here we present a simple, hierarchical classification of land use systems designed to be used with archaeological and historical data at a global scale and a schema of codes that identify land use practices common to a range of systems, both imple- mented in a geospatial database. The classification scheme and database resulted from an extensive process of consultation with researchers worldwide. Our scheme is designed to deliver consistent, empirically robust data for the improvement of land use models, while simultaneously allowing for a comparative, detailed mapping of land use relevant to the needs of historical scholars. To illustrate the benefits of the classification scheme and meth- ods for mapping historical land use, we apply it to Mesopotamia and Arabia at 6 kya (c. 4000 BCE). The scheme will be used to describe land use by the Past Global Changes (PAGES) LandCover6k working group, an international project comprised of archaeologists, historians, geographers, paleoecologists, and modelers. Beyond this, the scheme has a wide utility for creating a common language between research and policy communities, link- ing archaeologists with climate modelers, biodiversity conservation workers and initiatives.publishedVersio

Prospective observational cohort study on grading the severity of postoperative complications in global surgery research

Background The Clavien–Dindo classification is perhaps the most widely used approach for reporting postoperative complications in clinical trials. This system classifies complication severity by the treatment provided. However, it is unclear whether the Clavien–Dindo system can be used internationally in studies across differing healthcare systems in high- (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods This was a secondary analysis of the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), a prospective observational cohort study of elective surgery in adults. Data collection occurred over a 7-day period. Severity of complications was graded using Clavien–Dindo and the simpler ISOS grading (mild, moderate or severe, based on guided investigator judgement). Severity grading was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Data are presented as frequencies and ICC values (with 95 per cent c.i.). The analysis was stratified by income status of the country, comparing HICs with LMICs. Results A total of 44 814 patients were recruited from 474 hospitals in 27 countries (19 HICs and 8 LMICs). Some 7508 patients (16·8 per cent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, equivalent to 11 664 complications in total. Using the ISOS classification, 5504 of 11 664 complications (47·2 per cent) were graded as mild, 4244 (36·4 per cent) as moderate and 1916 (16·4 per cent) as severe. Using Clavien–Dindo, 6781 of 11 664 complications (58·1 per cent) were graded as I or II, 1740 (14·9 per cent) as III, 2408 (20·6 per cent) as IV and 735 (6·3 per cent) as V. Agreement between classification systems was poor overall (ICC 0·41, 95 per cent c.i. 0·20 to 0·55), and in LMICs (ICC 0·23, 0·05 to 0·38) and HICs (ICC 0·46, 0·25 to 0·59). Conclusion Caution is recommended when using a treatment approach to grade complications in global surgery studies, as this may introduce bias unintentionally

The surgical safety checklist and patient outcomes after surgery: a prospective observational cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis

© 2017 British Journal of Anaesthesia Background: The surgical safety checklist is widely used to improve the quality of perioperative care. However, clinicians continue to debate the clinical effectiveness of this tool. Methods: Prospective analysis of data from the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), an international observational study of elective in-patient surgery, accompanied by a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature. The exposure was surgical safety checklist use. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. In the ISOS cohort, a multivariable multi-level generalized linear model was used to test associations. To further contextualise these findings, we included the results from the ISOS cohort in a meta-analysis. Results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We included 44 814 patients from 497 hospitals in 27 countries in the ISOS analysis. There were 40 245 (89.8%) patients exposed to the checklist, whilst 7508 (16.8%) sustained ≥1 postoperative complications and 207 (0.5%) died before hospital discharge. Checklist exposure was associated with reduced mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.49 (0.32–0.77); P\u3c0.01], but no difference in complication rates [OR 1.02 (0.88–1.19); P=0.75]. In a systematic review, we screened 3732 records and identified 11 eligible studies of 453 292 patients including the ISOS cohort. Checklist exposure was associated with both reduced postoperative mortality [OR 0.75 (0.62–0.92); P\u3c0.01; I2=87%] and reduced complication rates [OR 0.73 (0.61–0.88); P\u3c0.01; I2=89%). Conclusions: Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine

Critical care admission following elective surgery was not associated with survival benefit: prospective analysis of data from 27 countries

This was an investigator initiated study funded by Nestle Health Sciences through an unrestricted research grant, and by a National Institute for Health Research (UK) Professorship held by RP. The study was sponsored by Queen Mary University of London