The reassessment of the Roman military presence in Galicia and northern Portugal through digital tools: Archaeological diversity and historical problems

This is the final version. Available on open access from the University of the Aegean via the DOI in this recordTraditionally, the study of the Roman military presence in Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal has been based on the fragmentary documentation offered by Greek and Latin authors or epigraphy, with archaeology occupying a very secondary place in these historical narratives. In particular, the information is very scarce for the period between the 2nd century BCE and 1st century CE, when these territories were conquered and integrated into the Roman world. This work presents new Roman military sites discovered through an integrated methodology involving an intensive application of remote sensing techniques in order to provide information to foster a paradigm shift in this field of study. Distributed over a wide geographical area and displaying a wide morpho-typological and locational diversity, this new archaeological evidence not only reflects the ability of the Roman army to adapt to local natural and cultural environments, but also reveals a major operational and logistical assortment that may relate to the diachronic nature of the military presence in the region.Regional Government of GaliciaGalician Innovation Agency (GAIN)European Union Horizon 202

O Penedo dos Lobos: Roman military activity in the uplands of the Galician Massif (Northwest Iberia)

This is the final version. Available from Routledge via the DOI in this record. A new Roman military site was recently detected in Galicia, Spain, an area where the army presence had been challenging to trace until date. O Penedo dos Lobos is a playing-card shaped camp with very distinctive, fortified entrances. The archaeological survey conducted on this site in the summer of 2018 allowed us to recover some elements of Roman militaria, as well as numismatic evidence dating back to late 1st c. BC, thus suggesting a connection with the Cantabrian-Asturian Wars of Augustan times. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding the specific task undertaken by the military contingent that occupied this site. Besides its historical implications, a focus will be given to the methodology applied for the archaeological survey of this site. This has shed new light on the Roman military presence in Galicia, allowing its integration into wider European debates on Roman conquest and expansion.European CommissionXunta de GaliciaXunta de Galici

A GIS-based analysis of the rationale behind Roman roads. The case of the so-called VIA XVII (NW Iberian Peninsula)

This is the final version. Available on open access from the University of the Aegean via the DOI in this recordThe aim of this paper is to dig deeper in order to gain a better understanding of the territorial logic of Roman roads, following some recent approaches based on the use of digital modelling tools. Taking the case of the so-called via XVII (a ca. 330 km itinerary which joined Bracara Augusta and Asturica Augusta, NW Iberian Peninsula), the paper explores various factors, both natural and cultural, which may have been determinant in the layout of main roads in the Roman period. This study has followed a non-reconstructive methodology based on the theoretical idea of "least-cost paths" implemented by way of GIS tools. The analysis combines different variables which have an impact on human mobility (such as terrain slope and altitude, and the a priori existence of some primary nodes) and different spatial scales of analysis. As an outcome, we have achieved a detailed understanding of the factors behind the layout of this road and, in doing so, we have also drawn some conclusions regarding the historical context of its origin and development. The methodology and some of the results may be pertinent for the analysis of Roman roads elsewhere and, to some extent, for the wider analysis of ancient roads

Exploring Ephemeral Features with Ground-Penetrating Radar: An Approach to Roman Military Camps

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordThis paper addresses an experimental approach to the archaeological study of Roman camps in NW Iberia using ground-penetrating radar (henceforth GPR). The main goal is to explore the capabilities of GPR to extract datasets from ephemeral features, such as temporary camps or siege works, among others. This information aims to maximise the data available before excavation, orienting it to areas that could provide good results in terms of feature detection and contrast between soil matrix and archaeological deposits. This paper explores the potential of the GPR approach and volumetric data visualisation to improve our understanding of four ephemeral sites: Alto da Raia (Montalegre, Portugal–Calvos de Randín, Spain), Sueros de Cepeda (Villamejil, Spain), Los Andinales (Villsandino, Spain), and Villa María (Sasamón, Spain). Despite the focus of this paper, other survey techniques (namely LiDAR, aerial photography, and magnetometry) were used in combination with GPR. Further excavation of the sites provided ground truthing for all data remotely gatheredEuropean Commissio

Following the Roman Army between the Southern Foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains and the Northern Plains of Castile and León (North of Spain): Archaeological Applications of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Tools

This is the final version. Available on open access from MDPI via the DOI in this recordSixty-six new archaeological sites have been discovered thanks to the combined use of different remote sensing techniques and open access geospatial datasets (mainly aerial photography, satellite imagery, and airborne LiDAR). These sites enhance the footprint of the Roman military presence in the northern fringe of the River Duero basin (León, Palencia, Burgos and Cantabria provinces, Spain). This paper provides a detailed morphological description of 66 Roman military camps in northwestern Iberia that date to the late Republic or early Imperial eras. We discuss the different spatial datasets and GIS tools used for different geographic contexts of varied terrain and vegetation. Finally, it stresses out the relevance of these novel data to delve into the rationale behind the Roman army movements between the northern Duero valley and the southern foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. We conclude that methodological approaches stimulated by open-access geospatial datasets and enriched by geoscientific techniques are fundamental to understand the expansion of the Roman state in northwestern Iberia during the 1st c. BC properly. This renewed context set up a challenging scenario to overcome traditional archaeological perspectives still influenced by the cultural-historical paradigm and the pre-eminence of classical written sources.Autonomous Government of Castile and LeónProvincial Council of BurgosCSIC-Junta de ExtremaduraAutonomous Government of GaliciaEuropean Union Horizon 2020Spanish Ministry of Scienc

Reassessing Roman military activity through an interdisciplinary approach: Myth and archaeology in Laboreiro Mountain (Northwestern Iberia)

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordData availability: Data will be made available on request.The present work aims at the archaeological characterisation and historical contextualisation of two large enclosures recently located through remote sensing in the Laboreiro Mountain on the border between Portugal and Galicia: Lomba do Mouro and Chaira da Maza. Ancient written sources, remote sensing, archaeological survey, and absolute dating will be combined in order to shed new light on these enclosures. Given the specificity of the archaeological structures and contexts under study, the need to use complementary absolute dating methods will be discussed, including luminescence and radiocarbon dating. The results in the case of the Lomba do Mouro enclosure point to it possibly being a Roman military camp of late-Republican chronology.European Union Horizon 2020Fundação para a Ciência e TecnologiaFEDERLisboa Regional ProgrammeEuropean Regional Development Fund (FEEI

Structure and function of mammalian cilia

In the past half century, beginning with electron microscopic studies of 9 + 2 motile and 9 + 0 primary cilia, novel insights have been obtained regarding the structure and function of mammalian cilia. All cilia can now be viewed as sensory cellular antennae that coordinate a large number of cellular signaling pathways, sometimes coupling the signaling to ciliary motility or alternatively to cell division and differentiation. This view has had unanticipated consequences for our understanding of developmental processes and human disease

PI3Kδ and primary immunodeficiencies.

Primary immunodeficiencies are inherited disorders of the immune system, often caused by the mutation of genes required for lymphocyte development and activation. Recently, several studies have identified gain-of-function mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) genes PIK3CD (which encodes p110δ) and PIK3R1 (which encodes p85α) that cause a combined immunodeficiency syndrome, referred to as activated PI3Kδ syndrome (APDS; also known as p110δ-activating mutation causing senescent T cells, lymphadenopathy and immunodeficiency (PASLI)). Paradoxically, both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mutations that affect these genes lead to immunosuppression, albeit via different mechanisms. Here, we review the roles of PI3Kδ in adaptive immunity, describe the clinical manifestations and mechanisms of disease in APDS and highlight new insights into PI3Kδ gleaned from these patients, as well as implications of these findings for clinical therapy