Interpretation of history

The bulk of the paper comprises edited excerpts from an undergraduate diploma dissertation: White, A. 1985. "Guidelines for Interpreting History". This work is the basis for this paper since it provides a comprehensive overview of the topic. Material from two other dissertations is also used to provide specific examples of historic interpretation complementary to the work of White ( 1985). These dissertations are: Gardiner, J. 1983. "Ruapekapeka Pa Historic Reserve: Management Plan Proposal". Francis, D. 1986. "Cost-Benefit Analysis and Interpretation Planning for Historic Resources - Using the Tautuku Trails Tractor as a Case Study" All material in this paper is based upon White (1985), unless otherwise indicated by author 'initials' 1 before and after the material concerned.Without a doubt, New Zealanders have become increasingly interested in their cultural heritage over the past ten years. Perhaps the pace at which the quality of our life is decreasing is a contributing factor towards this. In our often artificial and 'processed' world, the term 'old fashioned' with its associated connotations of wholesomeness will now sell bread. There was an era when goods, processes and ways of life associated with times past were often scorned as being obsolete. Society in general could not wait to toss the 'old' away in favour of obtaining a 'new improved' quality of life. Consequently, our lives have become increasingly empty of functions that were common in the past, for example, the healthy exercise and satisfaction of chopping wood for fires, for warmth and cooking, is denied to many today. Much of our lives has become 'softer' physically, but more stressful mentally. Perhaps it is, that by looking to history, people are seeking to find a balance in their lives. But whatever people's motives are for exploring the avenues of history, it can be a fascinating and valuable past-time. To open these avenues and to share them with others is not only challenging, but also an important function to our society. The monumental approach: glittering brass plaques set in concrete or a string of facts and figures, has probably never been a very successful method of preserving history. If we desire to see people (not just a select few) take an interest in history and benefit from it, it must be presented in such a way as to make it 'live'. History should not consist of a dead past, but rather be meaningful and living in the minds of present generations

The St. James walkway study

Prior to the opening of the St James Walkway in 1981, David Simmons of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at Lincoln College, proposed a five year research programme to the New Zealand Walkways Commission. This proposal took advantage of the 1981 opening to initiate a longitudinal study which could identify any subsequent changes in use or use impacts on the Walkway. The general aims of this research were to: (i) Describe the user population of the Walkway and any changes to it over the study period; (ii) Describe the role played by the Walkway in the recreation life histories of users; and (iii) Identify any physical impacts from use that occurred following the opening of the new track. This paper presents a compilation, summary and assessment of data gathered from the research programme

Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from across Western Europe reveal early diversification during the First Pandemic (541–750)

The first historically documented pandemic caused by Yersinia pestis began as the Justinianic Plague in 541 within the Roman Empire and continued as the so-called First Pandemic until 750. Although paleogenomic studies have previously identified the causative agent as Y. pestis, little is known about the bacterium’s spread, diversity, and genetic history over the course of the pandemic. To elucidate the microevolution of the bacterium during this time period, we screened human remains from 21 sites in Austria, Britain, Germany, France, and Spain for Y. pestis DNA and reconstructed eight genomes. We present a methodological approach assessing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ancient bacterial genomes, facilitating qualitative analyses of low coverage genomes from a metagenomic background. Phylogenetic analysis on the eight reconstructed genomes reveals the existence of previously undocumented Y. pestis diversity during the sixth to eighth centuries, and provides evidence for the presence of multiple distinct Y. pestis strains in Europe. We offer genetic evidence for the presence of the Justinianic Plague in the British Isles, previously only hypothesized from ambiguous documentary accounts, as well as the parallel occurrence of multiple derived strains in central and southern France, Spain, and southern Germany. Four of the reported strains form a polytomy similar to others seen across the Y. pestis phylogeny, associated with the Second and Third Pandemics. We identified a deletion of a 45-kb genomic region in the most recent First Pandemic strains affecting two virulence factors, intriguingly overlapping with a deletion found in 17th- to 18th-century genomes of the Second Pandemic. © 2019 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved

Estimating population size, density and dynamics of Pre-Pottery Neolithic villages in the central and southern Levant: an analysis of Beidha, southern Jordan

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) of the central and southern Levant played an integral role in the Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT) from mobile hunter-gatherer to village-based, agro-pastoralist societies. An understanding of population dynamics is essential for reconstructing the trajectories of these early village societies. However, few investigations have produced absolute estimates of population parameters for these villages and those which have base estimates on a limited methodological framework. This research examines the methodological and theoretical basis for existing estimates, and explores a range of methodologies in order to derive more empirically-robust demographic data. Results reveal that commonly utilized methodologies and population density coefficients employed for estimating PPN village populations require re-evaluation. This article presents the application of methodologies to the PPNB site of Beidha in southern Jordan

Mycobacterium leprae diversity and population dynamics in medieval Europe from novel ancient genomes

Hansen’s disease (leprosy), widespread in medieval Europe, is today mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with around 200,000 new cases reported annually. Despite its long history and appearance in historical records, its origins and past dissemination patterns are still widely unknown. Applying ancient DNA approaches to its major causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, can significantly improve our understanding of the disease’s complex history. Previous studies have identified a high genetic continuity of the pathogen over the last 1500 years and the existence of at least four M. leprae lineages in some parts of Europe since the Early Medieval period

Modeling adsorption in metal-organic frameworks with open metal sites : propane/propylene separations

We present a new approach for modeling adsorption in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with unsaturated metal centers and apply it to the challenging propane/propylene separation in copper(II) benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC). We obtain information about the specific interactions between olefins and the open metal sites of the MOP using quantum mechanical density functional theory. A proper consideration of all the relevant contributions to the adsorption energy enables us to extract the component that is due to specific attractive interactions between the pi-orbitals of the alkene and the coordinatively unsaturated metal. This component is fitted using a combination of a Morse potential and a power law function and is then included into classical grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of adsorption. Using this modified potential model, together with a standard Lennard-Jones model, we are able to predict the adsorption of not only propane (where no specific interactions are present), but also of propylene (where specific interactions are dominant). Binary adsorption isotherms for this mixture are in reasonable agreement with ideal adsorbed solution theory predictions. We compare our approach with previous attempts to predict adsorption in MOFs with open metal sites and suggest possible future routes for improving our model

National parks policy and planning: a comparative analysis of friluftsliv (Norway) and the dual mandate (New Zealand)

This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events on 26.02.2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/19407963.2016.1145688.Conservation management in Norway is anchored in the historical tradition of friluftsliv although Norway's evolving economic policy signals that growing priority is being given to recreation and nature-based tourism development in association with protected natural areas (PNAs). Here we present the results of an international comparative study that examined conservation policy and recreation/tourism management in Norway and New Zealand, where a legislated dual mandate of conservation and tourism in PNAs is longstanding. Our analysis of conservation policy and planning documents in Norway and New Zealand highlights important contrasts in conservation and recreation/tourism management that are deeply embedded in national socio-historical contexts. Our findings highlight lessons that may be learned and applied in Norway. However we also caution that the application of lessons from New Zealand's ‘utilitarian conservation’ policy context may require a reformulation or refinement of the friluftsliv tradition.submittedVersio