Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Evidence of Prostatic Stones at Al Khiday Cemetery, Central Sudan

The recovery of three stone-like ovoid objects within the burial of a pre-Mesolithic (Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene) individual at Al Khiday cemetery (Central Sudan) raises the question of the nature and origin of these objects. The position in which the objects were found in relation to the human skeleton suggested a pathological condition affecting the individual, possibly urinary bladder, kidney stones or gallstones. To solve this issue, a multi-analytical approach, consisting of tomographic, microstructural and compositional analyses, was therefore performed. Based on their microstructure and mineralogical composition, consisting of hydroxylapatite and whitlockite, the investigated stones were identified as primary (endogenous) prostatic calculi. In addition, the occurrence of bacterial imprints also indicates on-going infectious processes in the individual. This discovery of the earliest known case of lithiasis extends the appearance of prostatic stones into the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene, a disease which therefore can no longer be considered exclusive to the modern era, but which also affected prehistoric individuals, whose lifestyle and diet were significantly different to our own

Wild Food:Plants, Fish and Small Animals on the Menu for Early Holocene Populations at al-Khiday, Central Sudan

Al Khiday, located on the bank of the White Nile in Sudan, offers an exceptionally preserved stratigraphic sequence, providing a unique opportunity to use organic residue analysis to investigate diet and subsistence over the full course of the Khartoum Mesolithic together with possible continuity or change into the Early Neolithic, a period of nearly 3000 years (8900-6000 cal BP). Whilst the vast and diverse Mesolithic fish assemblage indicates a strong reliance on products from aquatic habitats, floodplains, vegetated marshes and open water, results from the lipid residue analysis suggest that the fish were not cooked in the pots, likely being consumed in other ways. Rather, pots were more specialised in processing plants, wild grasses, leafy plants and sedges, confirmed by experimental analysis, and for the first time, providing direct chemical evidence for plant exploitation in the Khartoum Mesolithic. Non-ruminant fauna, such as warthog and low lipid-yielding reptiles such as Adanson’s mud turtle and Nile monitor lizard, which were found in significant numbers at al-Khiday, were also cooked in pots. There is little evidence for the processing of wild ruminants in the pots, suggesting either that ruminant species were not routinely hunted, or, that large wild fauna may have been cooked in different ways, possibly grilled over fires. These data suggest sophisticated economic strategies by sedentary people likely exploiting their ecological niche to the fullest. Pottery use changes considerably in the Early Neolithic, with ruminant products being more routinely processed in pots, and while the exploitation of domesticates cannot be confirmed by a small faunal assemblage, some dairying does take place. In summary, our results provide valuable information on Early and Middle Holocene lifeways in central Sudan

Risultati preliminari delle indagini archeologiche ed etnografiche presso il sito di Togolok 1

Modern Turkmenistan is mainly constituted by a desert landscape, yet despite its harsh climate, cultures have been able to construct networks of water channels since the Bronze Age. This has resulted in a man-made landscape that integrates towns and villages. Extensive surveys and recent archaeological excavations have highlighted that between 2400 and 2100 BC (Namazga V period), the region of the Murghab alluvial fan was characterised by the development of complex urban societies. However, starting from the Late Bronze Age, a new group of mobile pastoralists appeared in the Murghab region and settled along the edges of the sedentary sites. Although their presence is well-attested both by survey and excavation data, their degree of interaction with the sedentary farmers is still debated. In modern Turkmenistan, semi-mobile shepherds continue to drive their cattle across the Murghab, using mobile camps for different months. This paper presents the preliminary results of the excavation of the sedentary site of Togolok 1, as well as the first ethnographic study of the mobile communities of the Murghab region

Ilgynly-depe (Turkmenistan) and the 4th Millennium BC Metallurgy of Central Asia

On the surface of the site of Ilgynly-depe (southern Turkmenistan) we identified a cluster of artefacts indicating the local performance of multiple metallurgical activities. About 100 objects were mapped and collected. The finds were studied in detail by the means of basic analytical techniques. The surface record can be ascribed to the middle of the 4th millennium BC. As a result, we provide a new picture of the metallurgy of the Kopetdagh piedmont in such time range, discussing not only copper-bronze artefacts, but also some aspects of the manufacturing of lead, silver and gold products. We argue that the protohistoric metallurgy of southern Turkmenistan had reached a noticeable level of technical complexity at least 1,000 years before the “ urban revolution” of the Middle Bronze Age.À la surface du site d’Ilgynly-depe (Turkménistan méridional) nous avons identifié un groupe d’objets qui témoigne de plusieurs activités métallurgiques exécutées sur place. Environ 100 objets ont été enregistrés spatialement et recueillis. Les pièces ont été étudiées en détail selon des techniques analytiques de base. Ces objets peuvent être attribués au milieu du IVe millénaire avant J.-C. Cette découverte fournit une nouvelle vision de la métallurgie dans les piedmonts du Kopetdagh au cours de cette période, concernant non seulement les objets en cuivre-bronze, mais aussi certaines productions en plomb, en argent et en or. Nous en déduisons que la métallurgie protohistorique du Turkménistan méridional a atteint un niveau de complexité technique remarquable au moins 1 000 ans avant que ne se produise la «révolution urbaine » du Bronze moyen.Salvatori Sandro, Vidale Massimo, Guida Giuseppe, Masioli Elisa. Ilgynly-depe (Turkmenistan) and the 4th Millennium BC Metallurgy of Central Asia. In: Paléorient, 2009, vol. 35, n°1. pp. 47-67

Discriminating pottery production by image analysis: a case study of Mesolithic and Neolithic pottery from Al Khiday (Khartoum, Sudan)

Pottery from Al Khiday (Khartoum, Sudan), where a number of sites with well-preserved stratified archaeological sequences have been excavated and radiometrically dated to the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (7000e4000 calibrated BC), was archaeometrically analysed with the main aim of quantifying the textural parameters of the inclusions in the ceramic pastes. A set of 360 samples was studied, and quantitative and qualitative information was obtained regarding paste production recipes and the raw materials used over time. Three main petrographic groups were identified, according to contents in alkali-feldspar and quartz, and the grain-size of quartz inclusions. Further sub-groups were defined and described in terms of grainsize distribution and abundance of the various types of inclusions. Digital image analysis on both scanning electron back-scattered images and elemental maps enabled validation of petrographic groups by quantitative description of the type, abundance and shape of inclusions, and the inclusion-to-matrix ratio. Correlations among the paste production recipes and decorative motifs revealed changes in production technology over time

Advances in differential diagnosis and management of growth hormone deficiency in children

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) in children is defined as impaired production of GH by the pituitary gland that results in growth failure. This disease might be congenital or acquired, and occurs in isolation or in the setting of multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. Isolated GHD has an estimated prevalence of 1 patient per 4000-10,000 live births and can be due to multiple causes, some of which are yet to be determined. Establishing the correct diagnosis remains key in children with short stature, as initiating treatment with recombinant human GH can help them attain their genetically determined adult height. During the past two decades, our understanding of the benefits of continuing GH therapy throughout the transition period from childhood to adulthood has increased. Improvements in transitional care will help alleviate the consequent physical and psychological problems that can arise from adult GHD, although the consequences of a lack of hormone replacement are less severe in adults than in children. In this Review, we discuss the differential diagnosis in children with GHD, including details of clinical presentation, neuroimaging and genetic testing. Furthermore, we highlight advances and issues in the management of GHD, including details of transitional care

Late Quaternary environments and prehistoric occupation in the lower White Nile valley, central Sudan

Despite the major contributions provided over fifty years ago by A.J. Arkell and J.D. Tothill to our understanding of late Quaternary environments and prehistoric occupation near the confluence of the Blue and White Nile in central Sudan, three key questions have remained unresolved since then. (a) Was the decline in Nile flood levels from early Holocene times onwards caused by a reduction in Nile discharge, or by channel incision, or both? (b) Was the regional climate wetter during times of high Nile floods and drier during times of low Nile floods? (c) Given the high degree of disturbance of Mesolithic and later prehistoric sites, is it possible to identify primary-context, stratified and undisturbed occupation? Drawing upon dated evidence from three sites to the east of and three to the west of the lower White Nile, we provide a qualified answer to the first question and documented affirmative answers to the second and third questions