The absolute chronology of collective burials from the 2nd Millennium BC in East Central Europe

This article discusses the absolute chronology of collective burials of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle communities of the Middle Bronze Age in East Central Europe. Based on Bayesian modeling of 91 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates from 18 cemeteries, the practice of collective burying of individuals was linked to a period of 400-640 (95.4%) years, between 1830–1690 (95.4%) and 1320-1160 (95.4%) BC. Collective burials in mounds with both cremation and inhumation rites were found earliest in the upland zone regardless of grave structure type (mounded or flat). Bayesian modeling of 14C determinations suggests that this practice was being transmitted generally from the southeast to the northwest direction. Bayesian modeling of the dates from the largest cemetery in Z· erniki Górne, Lesser Poland Upland, confirmed the duration of use of the necropolis as ca. 140–310 (95.4%) years. Further results show the partial contemporaneity of burials and allow formulation of a spatial and temporal development model of the necropolis. Based on the investigation, some graves were used over just a couple of years and others over nearly 200, with up to 30 individuals found in a single grave

EOSC-SYNERGY EU Deliverable D2.3: Final report on EOSC integration

This report is delivered in the form of a "Handbook" on how to integrate national clouds, thematic resources, and data repositories conformant to common quality standards, and harmonised in terms of technological, policy, and legal aspects.EOSC-SYNERGY receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 857647.Peer reviewe

Unraveling ancestry, kinship, and violence in a Late Neolithic mass grave

The third millennium BCE was a period of major cultural and demographic changes in Europe that signaled the beginning of the Bronze Age. People from the Pontic steppe expanded westward, leading to the formation of the Corded Ware complex and transforming the genetic landscape of Europe. At the time, the Globular Amphora culture (3300–2700 BCE) existed over large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, but little is known about their interaction with neighboring Corded Ware groups and steppe societies. Here we present a detailed study of a Late Neolithic mass grave from southern Poland belonging to the Globular Amphora culture and containing the remains of 15 men, women, and children, all killed by blows to the head. We sequenced their genomes to between 1.1- and 3.9-fold coverage and performed kinship analyses that demonstrate that the individuals belonged to a large extended family. The bodies had been carefully laid out according to kin relationships by someone who evidently knew the deceased. From a population genetic viewpoint, the people from Koszyce are clearly distinct from neighboring Corded Ware groups because of their lack of steppe-related ancestry. Although the reason for the massacre is unknown, it is possible that it was connected with the expansion of Corded Ware groups, which may have resulted in competition for resources and violent conflict. Together with the archaeological evidence, these analyses provide an unprecedented level of insight into the kinship structure and social behavior of a Late Neolithic community

Assessment of the Efficacy and Mode of Action of Benzo(1,2,3)-Thiadiazole-7-Carbothioic Acid S-Methyl Ester (BTH) and Its Derivatives in Plant Protection Against Viral Disease

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) induction is one of the primary defence mechanisms of plants against a broad range of pathogens. It can be induced by infectious agents or by synthetic molecules, such as benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH). SAR induction is associated with increases in salicylic acid (SA) accumulation and expression of defence marker genes (e.g., phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), the pathogenesis-related (PR) protein family, and non-expressor of PR genes (NPR1)). Various types of pathogens and pests induce plant responses by activating signalling pathways associated with SA, jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET). This work presents an analysis of the influence of BTH and its derivatives as resistance inducers in healthy and virus-infected plants by determining the expression levels of selected resistance markers associated with the SA, JA, and ET pathways. The phytotoxic effects of these compounds and their influence on the course of viral infection were also studied. Based on the results obtained, the best-performing BTH derivatives and their optimal concentration for plant performance were selected, and their mode of action was suggested. It was shown that application of BTH and its derivatives induces increased expression of marker genes of both the SA- and JA-mediated pathways

Neolithic circular enclosure in Nowe Objezierze and its settlement context. Preliminary research results from the years 2017–2020

Artykuł prezentuje wstępne wyniki badań terenowych i gabinetowych przeprowadzonych w latach 2017–2020 w Nowym Objezierzu (gm. Moryń, woj. zachodniopomorskie). Objęły one fragment wczesnoneolitycznego obiektu typu rondel oraz jego otoczenie, jako możliwy obszar zamieszkania użytkujących go grup.The article presents preliminary results of field and desk research conducted in Nowe Objezierze (Moryń commune, West Pomeranian Voivodeship) in 2017–2020 which covered a fragment of the Early Neolithic circular enclosure (roundel) and its surroundings, being a potential area of settlement of groups using it

New Dual Functional Salts Based on Cationic Derivative of Plant Resistance InducerBenzo[1.2.3]thiadiazole-7-carbothioic Acid, S‑Methyl Ester

Plant resistance induction is one of the most promising ways to support plants in fights against pathogens, especially viruses, due to the fact there are no plant protection agents acting directly on them. Certain chemicals, including benzo[1.2.3]­thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid, S-methyl ester (BTH) and its derivatives, were discovered as effective inducers of plant immunity. In this article, new BTH derivatives, in the form of organic salts composed of cations based on the plant resistance inducer BTH and anions introduced in order to modify physical (solubility in water, dissolution rate, thermal stability, melting points, p<i>K</i>_a and logP values), and biological (antibacterial) properties are presented. The physical properties of resulting salts were altered by, for example, changing water solubility and also through the introduction of a second ion with a biological function (bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria). The major impact this new approach in plant protection may have is that the synthetic plant resistance inducers (used in very low dosages) may in the future become an alternative to the pesticides commonly used in large amounts, thus significantly reducing the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture and their negative impact on the environment and human health

Patrilocality and hunter-gatherer-related ancestry of populations in East-Central Europe during the Middle Bronze Age

The demographic history of East-Central Europe after the Neolithic period remains poorly explored, despite this region being on the confluence of various ecological zones and cultural entities. Here, the descendants of societies associated with steppe pastoralists form Early Bronze Age were followed by Middle Bronze Age populations displaying unique characteristics. Particularly, the predominance of collective burials, the scale of which, was previously seen only in the Neolithic. The extent to which this re-emergence of older traditions is a result of genetic shift or social changes in the MBA is a subject of debate. Here by analysing 91 newly generated genomes from Bronze Age individuals from present Poland and Ukraine, we discovered that Middle Bronze Age populations were formed by an additional admixture event involving a population with relatively high proportions of genetic component associated with European hunter-gatherers and that their social structure was based on, primarily patrilocal, multigenerational kin-groups. By analysing 91 Bronze Age genomes from East-Central Europe, the authors discovered that Middle Bronze Age populations were formed by an admixture event involving hunter-gatherers and that the social structure of resulting population was primarily patrilocal