Flesh on the Bones: Animal Bodies in Atlantic Roundhouses

This volume presents the state of research across Europe to illustrate how comparable interpretative frameworks are used by archaeologists working with both prehistoric and historical societies

The 2dF gravitational lens survey

The 2 degree Field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey will involve obtaining approximately 2.5 x 10^5 spectra of objects previously identified as galaxy candidates on morphological grounds. Included in these spectra should be about ten gravitationally-lensed quasars, all with low-redshift galaxies as deflectors (as the more common lenses with high-redshift deflectors will be rejected from the survey as multiple point-sources). The lenses will appear as superpositions of galaxy and quasar spectra, and both cross-correlation techniques and principal components analysis should be able to identify candidates systematically. With the 2dF survey approximately half-completed it is now viable to begin a systematic search for these spectroscopic lenses, and the first steps of this project are described here.Comment: PASA (OzLens edition), in press; 4 pages, 0 figure

New evidence for diverse secondary burial practices in Iron Age Britain: A histological case study

Iron Age (c. 700 BCe43AD) funerary practice has long been a focus of debate in British archaeology. Formal cemeteries are rare and in central-southern Britain human remains are often unearthed in unusual configurations. They are frequently recovered as isolated fragments, partially articulated body parts or complete skeletons in atypical contexts, often storage pits. In recent years, taphonomic analysis of remains has been more frequently employed to elucidate depositional practice (e.g. Madgwick, 2008, 2010; Redfern, 2008). This has enhanced our understanding of modes of treatment and has contributed much-needed primary data to the discussion. However, only macroscopic taphonomic analysis has been undertaken and equifinality (i.e. different processes producing the same end result) remains a substantial obstacle to interpretation. This research explores the potential of novel microscopic (histological) methods of taphonomic analysis for providing greater detail on the treatment of human remains in Iron Age Britain. Twenty human bones from two Iron Age sites: Danebury and Suddern Farm, in Hampshire, central-southern Britain were examined and assessed using thin section light microscopy combined with the Oxford Histological Index (OHI). Results suggest that diverse mortuary rites were practised and that different configurations of remains were subject to prescribed, varied treatment, rather than resulting from different stages of the same process. Practices that may be responsible for these patterns include exhumation followed by selective removal of elements and sheltered exposure prior to final burial. Only one sample provided evidence for excarnation, a practice that has been widely cited as a potential majority rite in Iron Age Britain

Measuring galaxy segregation using the mark connection function

(abridged) The clustering properties of galaxies belonging to different luminosity ranges or having different morphological types are different. These characteristics or `marks' permit to understand the galaxy catalogs that carry all this information as realizations of marked point processes. Many attempts have been presented to quantify the dependence of the clustering of galaxies on their inner properties. The present paper summarizes methods on spatial marked statistics used in cosmology to disentangle luminosity, colour or morphological segregation and introduces a new one in this context, the mark connection function. The methods used here are the partial correlation functions, including the cross-correlation function, the normalised mark correlation function, the mark variogram and the mark connection function. All these methods are applied to a volume-limited sample drawn from the 2dFGRS, using the spectral type as the mark. We show the virtues of each method to provide information about the clustering properties of each population, the dependence of the clustering on the marks, the similarity of the marks as a function of the pair distances, and the way to characterise the spatial correlation between the marks. We demonstrate by means of these statistics that passive galaxies exhibit stronger spatial correlation than active galaxies at small scales (r <20 Mpc/h). The mark connection function, introduced here, is particularly useful for understanding the spatial correlation between the marks.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study

Background: Interventions to promote sun safety in the UK construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. Aims: To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in response to an educational intervention. Methods: A baseline questionnaire was administered, followed by a bespoke sector-specific DVD-based intervention. At 12-month follow-up participants completed a further questionnaire. Results: Analyses were conducted on a sample of 120 workers (intervention group, n = 70; comparison group, n = 50). At follow-up the proportion of intervention group participants that reported correct sun safety knowledge was not significantly greater than at baseline. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant positive change on nine out of ten behavioural measures, the greatest change being use of a shade/cover when working in the sun followed by regularly checking skin for moles or unusual changes. Conclusions: Exposure to this intervention was linked to some specific positive changes in construction workers’ self-reported sun safety practices. These findings highlight the potential for educational interventions to contribute to tackling skin cancer in the UK construction sector. The findings support the development of bespoke educational interventions for other high-risk outdoor worker groups

Spectroscopic detection of quasars in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey

The 100,000 spectra from the 2 degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS) in the 100k Public Data Release represent the largest single compilation of galaxy spectra available. By virtue of its sheer size and the properties of the photometric catalogue that defines the sample, the 2dFGRS is expected to contain a number of potentially interesting objects other than galaxies. A search of the spectra in the 100k Data Release results in a census of 55 candidate high-redshift (z > 0.3) quasars. One additional 2dFGRS spectrum of a low-redshift galaxy shows an apparent anomalous broad emission feature perhaps indicating the presence of a gravitationally lensed quasar. These objects have been identified primarily using two automated routines that we have developed specifically for this task, one of which uses a matched filter and the other a wavelet transform. A number of the quasar images possess complicated morphologies, suggesting the presence of either diffuse foreground objects along the line-of-sight or very nearby point sources. The quasar catalogue will form a target list for future absorption and lensing studies, as well as providing an assessment of the loss of quasars with non-stellar images from the companion 2dF QSO Redshift Survey.Comment: Latex 13 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA