Middle Neolithic pits and a burial at West Amesbury, Wiltshire

Excavations on the south-eastern slopes of King Barrow Ridge, 1.5 km east of Stonehenge, revealed five pits, a grave and other features of Middle Neolithic date. Analysis of the pit assemblages and the partial inhumation interred in the grave has provided insights into lifeways in this landscape in the late fourth millennium cal BC. Evidence suggests that the area was visited by a pastoralist, mobile community on a semi-regular basis for a significant period, in late autumn or winter. Selected remnants of craft-working and consumption were deposited in pits, before deliberate infilling. These depositions repeatedly memorialised activity on the hillside at a time of contemporary activity elsewhere on King Barrow Ridge and at the future site of Stonehenge. Middle Neolithic pits are present in significant numbers across King Barrow Ridge, and alongside pits in the Durrington area, form one of the densest concentrations of such activity in the region. Long distance mobility is suggested by the possible Irish origins of the inhumation, the first Middle Neolithic individual excavated in the environs of Stonehenge. Whilst of significance for understanding the Middle Neolithic in the WHS and the region, this research also hints at the roots of Late Neolithic monumentalisation of this landscape

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

A Spatial Approach to Phytolith Analysis for the Detection of Interior and Exterior Spaces at Songo Mnara, Tanzania

This thesis reports on phytolith research in and around a domestic structure at the Swahili stonetown of Songo Mnara, Tanzania, elucidating the use of space at the site on a micro-scale through the development of a methodology for intra-site sampling, and the refinement of a phytolith extraction methodology for tropical environments. This project forms part of a broader programme of excavation at Songo Mnara aimed at exploring use of space within a Swahili stonetown occupied between the late 14th-16th centuries AD. Songo Mnara was part of a network of stonetowns engaged in Indian Ocean trade along the coast of East Africa. The town plan comprises extensive architecture, including stone-built houses and wattle and daub structures of broadly contemporary date. The site’s relatively short occupation sequence and its simple stratigraphy make it ideal for spatial analysis. This thesis, employing a phytolith extraction methodology contextualised through a review of current practice, reports on an intensive sampling strategy focused on a wattle and daub house, and opportunistic sampling of external areas and stone built structures. This is one of the most comprehensive spatial studies of an archaeological structure to date. In addition, the thesis develops an ethnographic reference collection, and a methodology for recovery of phytoliths in tropical environments. Preservation of phytoliths was variable, with significant local challenges including higher pH and a sandy sediment matrix. It was, however, possible to distinguish between interior and exterior spaces, and to identify certain plant-based activity areas. Discussion of these results is framed within a comprehensive assessment of visibility and potential of phytolith analysis in this environment, considering that production of diagnostic phytoliths and subsequent deposition into the domestic contexts explored, may be limited