Santuarios y espacios sacralizados entre los antiguos canarios

Desde una arqueología de las prácticas sociales, se estudian algunas categorías de yacimientos originados por actividades mágico-religiosas de los antiguos pobladores de Canarias, muchos de ellos ubicados en las cimas de montañas. Esos sitios tuvieron la consideración de suelo sagrado, según las fuentes etnohistóricas, y jugaron un papel destacado en el plano ideológico como lugares de cohesión y reproducción social. Al mismo tiempo, en determinadas zonas hay extraordinarias concentraciones de elementos simbólicos, como grabados rupestres y lugares de culto, que se explican porque fueron territorios con un papel vital dentro de su modelo productivo

Arqueología, identidad y patrimonio. Un diálogo en construcción permanente

Se analiza el papel histórico que ha tenido la arqueología en el proceso de configuración de una identidad canaria y, en relación con ello, cómo surgió y ha evolucionado el concepto de patrimonio arqueológico hasta el momento presente. Por último, se valora la relación entre patrimonio y arqueología en la actual coyuntura socioeconómica y administrativa.We analyse the historical role played by archaeological science in the configuration of a canarian identity, and the way in which it has influenced the development of the concept of Canarian Archaeological Heritage. We also discuss the situation of Archaeological science in relation with the Archaeological Heritage in the current socio-economic and politic environment

Archaeology of the territory in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Se expone el estado de las investigaciones sobre arqueología del territorio en la isla de La Gomera, cómo está organizada la investigación, las fases desarrolladas y los proyectos inacabados; así como las estrategias de gestión, difusión y conservación que se desarrollan en paralelo. Los resultados están expuestos de manera sintética, en particular las interacciones de las diferentes categorías de análisis, como los pireos, manifestaciones rupestres, concheros, lugares de hábitat y de enterramiento. Se destacan las singularidades arqueológicas del bosque y monte bajo que cubre una porción importante de la isla, en la zona montañosa central.We describe the state of research on the archeology of the territory on the island of La Gomera, how research is organized, developed phases and unfinished projects as well as management strategies, dissemination and preservation that are developed in parallel. The results are presented in summary form, in particular the interactions of different categories of analysis, such as stone structures for pyres, rock art, shell middens, places of habitat and burial. It highlights the archaeological singularities of forest and scrub that covers a significant portion of the island, in the central highlands

Fernando Álamo Torres (1957-2016), an archaologist and expert on heritage who always was Innovative

Se analiza la trayectoria profesional del arqueólogo Fernando Álamo, uno de los mejores expertos en la gestión del patrimonio cultural a través del planeamiento territorial y urbanístico. Su principal característica ha sido la permanente innovación y la aplicación magistral al ámbito de la arqueología y el patrimonio de las últimas novedades tecnológicas.It analyses the career of the archaeologist Fernando Alamo, one of the best experts in the management of cultural heritage through territorial and urban planning. Its main feature has been the permanent innovation and the masterful application to the field of archaeology and heritage of the latest technological developments

La Comisaría y Delegación de Excavaciones Arqueológicas en las islas de El Hierro y La Gomera (1944-1970)

Los trabajos de la Comisaría-Delegación de Excavaciones Arqueológicas en La Gomera y El Hierro fueron muy escasos en comparación con otras zonas y, además, se concentraron en la etapa 1944-1960, caracterizada por un marcado positivismo con notables deficiencias metodológicas. Las causas de esa carencia fueron las difíciles comunicaciones y los pocos medios de que disponía de la Comisaría. Cuando en la década de 1960 empezaron a solucionarse esos problemas, estas islas quedaron totalmente relegadas, porque las predilecciones del delegado eran otras y ningún otro investigador se interesó por ellas.The work of the Comisaría-Delegación de Excavaciones Arqueológicas in La Gomera and El Hierro was limited in comparison with other areas, and was concentrated in the period 1944-1960 of a marked positivism with methodological deficiencies. The reasons were the difficult communications and the lack of resources of the Comisaría. When the problems started to be solved in the sixties, these islands were totally pushed into the background, because the Commissioners interest were somewhere else and no other investigator took an interest in them

El diezmo a Orahan: Pireos o aras de sacrificio en la prehistoria de la Gomera (Islas Canarias)

Se presentan los primeros resultados del estudio de las construcciones interpretadas como «pireos» o «aras de sacrificio», dentro del proyecto de investigación «Garajonay: arqueología de las montañas». Se profundiza en aspectos de carácter territorial, como una de las expresiones del contexto social prehistórico de La Gomera.First results about a research on the structures interpreted as altars of stones are presented, into «Garajonay: arqueología de las montañas» project. Using different analysis levels, particularly from the territory perspective, are studied in depth these constructions and their relation with the social context of La Gomera island prehistory

Reconstructing formation processes at the Canary Islands indigenous site of Belmaco Cave (La Palma, Spain) through a multiproxy geoarchaeological approach

The indigenous populations of La Palma (Canary Islands), who arrived on the island from Northwest Africa ca. 2000 years B.P., were predominantly pastoralists. Yet, many aspects of their subsistence economy such as the procurement, management, and use of wild plant resources remain largely unknown. To explore this, we studied the 600–1100-year-old archaeological site of Belmaco Cave, which comprises a stratified sedimentary deposit representative of a fumier. Here, we present a high-resolution, multiproxy geoarchaeological study combining soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, X-ray diffraction, μ-X-ray diffraction, μ-X-ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, to characterize formation processes and explore plant sources. Recurrent goat/sheep habitation and maintenance activities are represented by interstratified layers of unburned dung, charcoal-rich sediment, and dung ash. Lipid biomarker data show a herd diet mainly composed of herbaceous plants, which is key to understanding the mobility of indigenous shepherds. Our results also revealed an unusual suite of authigenic minerals including hazenite, aragonite, and sylvite, possibly formed through diagenetic processes involving interaction between ash, dung, urine, volcanogenic components, and bacterial activity, coupled with arid and alkaline conditions. Our study shows the potential of a multiproxy approach to a fumier deposit in a volcanogenic sedimentary context.publishedVersio

Single nucleotide variations in ZBTB46 are associated with post-thrombolytic parenchymal haematoma

Haemorrhagic transformation is a complication of recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator treatment. The most severe form, parenchymal haematoma, can result in neurological deterioration, disability, and death. Our objective was to identify single nucleotide variations associated with a risk of parenchymal haematoma following thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. A fixed-effect genome-wide meta-analysis was performed combining two-stage genome-wide association studies (n = 1904). The discovery stage (three cohorts) comprised 1324 ischaemic stroke individuals, 5.4% of whom had a parenchymal haematoma. Genetic variants yielding a P-value < 0.05 1 x 10(-5) were analysed in the validation stage (six cohorts), formed by 580 ischaemic stroke patients with 12.1% haemorrhagic events. All participants received recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator; cases were parenchymal haematoma type 1 or 2 as defined by the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study (ECASS) criteria. Genome-wide significant findings (P < 5 x 10(-8)) were characterized by in silica functional annotation, gene expression, and DNA regulatory elements. We analysed 7 989 272 single nucleotide polymorphisms and identified a genome-wide association locus on chromosome 20 in the discovery cohort; functional annotation indicated that the ZBTB46 gene was driving the association for chromosome 20. The top single nucleotide polymorphism was rs76484331 in the ZBTB46 gene [P = 2.49 x 10(-8); odds ratio (OR): 11.21; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.82-26.55]. In the replication cohort (n = 580), the rs76484331 polymorphism was associated with parenchymal haematoma (P = 0.01), and the overall association after meta-analysis increased (P = 1.61 x 10(-8), OR: 5.84; 95% CI: 3.16-10.76). ZBTB46 codes the zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 46 that acts as a transcription factor. In silica studies indicated that ZBTB46 is expressed in brain tissue by neurons and endothelial cells. Moreover, rs76484331 interacts with the promoter sites located at 20q13. In conclusion, we identified single nucleotide variants in the ZBTB46 gene associated with a higher risk of parenchymal haematoma following recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator treatment.Peer reviewe

Multi-ancestry GWAS reveals excitotoxicity associated with outcome after ischaemic stroke

During the first hours after stroke onset, neurological deficits can be highly unstable: some patients rapidly improve, while others deteriorate. This early neurological instability has a major impact on long-term outcome. Here, we aimed to determine the genetic architecture of early neurological instability measured by the difference between the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) within 6 h of stroke onset and NIHSS at 24 h. A total of 5876 individuals from seven countries (Spain, Finland, Poland, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico and Korea) were studied using a multi-ancestry meta-analyses. We found that 8.7% of NIHSS at 24 h of variance was explained by common genetic variations, and also that early neurological instability has a different genetic architecture from that of stroke risk. Eight loci (1p21.1, 1q42.2, 2p25.1, 2q31.2, 2q33.3, 5q33.2, 7p21.2 and 13q31.1) were genome-wide significant and explained 1.8% of the variability suggesting that additional variants influence early change in neurological deficits. We used functional genomics and bioinformatic annotation to identify the genes driving the association from each locus. Expression quantitative trait loci mapping and summary data-based Mendelian randomization indicate that ADAM23 (log Bayes factor = 5.41) was driving the association for 2q33.3. Gene-based analyses suggested that GRIA1 (log Bayes factor = 5.19), which is predominantly expressed in the brain, is the gene driving the association for the 5q33.2 locus. These analyses also nominated GNPAT (log Bayes factor = 7.64) ABCB5 (log Bayes factor = 5.97) for the 1p21.1 and 7p21.1 loci. Human brain single-nuclei RNA-sequencing indicates that the gene expression of ADAM23 and GRIA1 is enriched in neurons. ADAM23, a presynaptic protein and GRIA1, a protein subunit of the AMPA receptor, are part of a synaptic protein complex that modulates neuronal excitability. These data provide the first genetic evidence in humans that excitotoxicity may contribute to early neurological instability after acute ischaemic stroke. Ibanez et al. perform a multi-ancestry meta-analysis to investigate the genetic architecture of early stroke outcomes. Two of the eight genome-wide significant loci identified-ADAM23 and GRIA1-are involved in synaptic excitability, suggesting that excitotoxicity contributes to neurological instability after ischaemic stroke.Peer reviewe

Table_3_A Polygenic Risk Score Based on a Cardioembolic Stroke Multitrait Analysis Improves a Clinical Prediction Model for This Stroke Subtype.DOCX

[Background] Occult atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the major causes of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). Knowing the underlying etiology of an ESUS will reduce stroke recurrence and/or unnecessary use of anticoagulants. Understanding cardioembolic strokes (CES), whose main cause is AF, will provide tools to select patients who would benefit from anticoagulants among those with ESUS or AF. We aimed to discover novel loci associated with CES and create a polygenetic risk score (PRS) for a more efficient CES risk stratification.[Methods] Multitrait analysis of GWAS (MTAG) was performed with MEGASTROKE-CES cohort (n = 362,661) and AF cohort (n = 1,030,836). We considered significant variants and replicated those variants with MTAG p-value < 5 × 10−8 influencing both traits (GWAS-pairwise) with a p-value < 0.05 in the original GWAS and in an independent cohort (n = 9,105). The PRS was created with PRSice-2 and evaluated in the independent cohort.[Results] We found and replicated eleven loci associated with CES. Eight were novel loci. Seven of them had been previously associated with AF, namely, CAV1, ESR2, GORAB, IGF1R, NEURL1, WIPF1, and ZEB2. KIAA1755 locus had never been associated with CES/AF, leading its index variant to a missense change (R1045W). The PRS generated has been significantly associated with CES improving discrimination and patient reclassification of a model with age, sex, and hypertension.[Conclusion] The loci found significantly associated with CES in the MTAG, together with the creation of a PRS that improves the predictive clinical models of CES, might help guide future clinical trials of anticoagulant therapy in patients with ESUS or AF.Peer reviewe