Frozen in the Ashes

Fossil footprints are very useful palaeontological tools. Their features can help to identify their makers and also to infer biological as well as behavioural information. Nearly all the hominin tracks discovered so far are attributed to species of the genus Homo. The only exception is represented by the trackways found in the late 1970s at Laetoli, which are thought to have been made by three Australopithecus afarensis individuals about 3.66 million years ago. We have unearthed and described the footprints of two more individuals at Laetoli, who were moving on the same surface, in the same direction, and probably in the same timespan as the three found in the 1970s, apparently all belonging to a single herd of bipedal hominins walking from south to north. The estimated stature of one of the new individuals (about 1.65 m) exceeds those previously published for Au. afarensis. This evidence supports the existence of marked morphological variation within the species. Considering the bipedal footprints found at Laetoli as a whole, we can hypothesize that the tallest individual may have been the dominant male, the others smaller females and juveniles. Thus, considerable differences may have existed between sexes in these human ancestors, similar to modern gorillas

THE RESTORATION OF THE ALTAR OF SANTA MARIA DEL PRIORATO CHURCH (ROME)

A distanza di 250 anni dalla visita al cantiere della costruzione della chiesa di Santa Maria del Priorato, alla presenza di Giovan Battista Piranesi, dei «Sig. Cavalieri di Malta il primo Maggio 1765» l'ordine militare di Malta ha intrapreso gli interventi di restauro dell'importante chiesa. Nel mese di maggio 2015 sono stati completati gli interventi conservativi dell'altare maggiore disegnato da Piranesi, realizzato dallo scultore romano Tommaso Righi e dedicato alla gloria di San Basilio. La dedicazione riprende quella della primi¬tiva chiesa dei Cavalieri di Malta presso il foro di Augusto fondata da alcuni monaci basiliani. L'intervento di restauro dell'altare, voluto e finanziato dal Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta in un cantiere appositamente allestito e visibile ai visitatori ed eseguito sotto la supervisione della Soprintendenza Speciale per il Patrimonio Storico Artistico ed Etnoantropologico e per il Polo Museale e la Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici per il Comune di Roma, è stato diretto da S.E. Arch. G. L. Magliocco di Brugneto quale referente per i restauri del SMOM, coordinato dal prof. Arch. N. Santopuoli dell’Università di Roma La Sapienza e realizzato dalla restauratrice Dr.ssa S. Sarmati. Nel progetto per l’altare, Piranesi ha utilizzato fonti decorative diverse, come è nella sua poetica, ridando con la fantasia senso agli antichi elementi. Nel 1828 la chiesa fu oggetto di un intervento di consolidamento da parte di Giuseppe Valadier. L’altare, da allora, ha subito interventi di ordinaria manutenzione che, condotti in passato con materiali e metodi non idonei, hanno provocato sulle superfici dell’opera incrostazioni, dovute alle applicazioni di scialbature e verniciature non pertinenti, secondo gli usi e il gusto del tempo. Il contributo proposto vuole illustrare il restauro dell’altare, i risultati degli studi e delle indagini multidisciplinari che hanno interessato l'opera nella sua globalità sulla cui base sono stati realizzati gli interventi di restauro conservativo che permettono oggi una corretta lettura cromatica delle superfici e delle patine originarie dell’altare

Interventions

The studies developed by the team of the School of Specialization in Architectural Heritage and Landscape of "Sapienza" University of Rome, concerned the mosaics, mural paintings and coloring have been aimed to the comprehension of the complicated relation between the single analyzed part and the architectural complex. The ”reading” of the current state of the Basilica, i.e. the historical events that made it as we can see today, has been the starting point for the necessary critical to start the restoration project. Mosaics decorated all the walls in the Church of the Nativity. The decorative cycle included a Tree of Jesse on the counter-façade, whereas the provincial councils of Palestine, the seven Ecumenical Councils, a lower band showing Christ’s ancestors and an upper band between the windows with full-length images of angels were put on display in the central nave. The mosaic is made of glass tesserae, gold tesserae, silver tesserae and stone tesserae

Plasters

The studies developed by the team of the School of Specialization in Architectural Heritage and Landscape of "Sapienza" University of Rome, concerned the mosaics, mural paintings and coloring have been aimed to the comprehension of the complicated relation between the single analyzed part and the architectural complex. The ”reading” of the current state of the Basilica, i.e. the historical events that made it as we can see today, has been the starting point for the necessary critical to start the restoration project. Mosaics decorated all the walls in the Church of the Nativity. The decorative cycle included a Tree of Jesse on the counter-façade, whereas the provincial councils of Palestine, the seven Ecumenical Councils, a lower band showing Christ’s ancestors and an upper band between the windows with full-length images of angels were put on display in the central nave

La Basilica della Natività a Betlemme: progetto e intervento di restauro delle superfici decorate Nicola Santopuoli, Elisabetta Concina, Susanna Sarmati

Starting from spring 2012, an international team selected by the Palestinian National Authority has been carrying out studies and research on the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, to gain a general and detailed knowledge of the monument, both to its current state and in its historical layers. This article summarizes the results of investigations, studies and restoration work carried out on the finishes of the building, coordinated by a team of the Specialization School in Architectural Heritage and Landscape of "Sapienza' University of Rome. These studies initially involved the entire Basilica, and then were focused on the main nave, the side aisles, the transept and bema. The investigation carried out on the architectural scale, especially on the mosaics, the wall paintings, the colouring and the plasterwork, in relation to a reading on a wider scale, were aimed at understandig the complex relationship between the parts analyzed and the architectural complex. The reading of the current state, which historical events made as it appears now, constitutes the moment in which the restoration work begins according to a critical approach

Materials and techniques

The studies developed by the team of the School of Specialization in Architectural Heritage and Landscape of "Sapienza" University of Rome, concerned the mosaics, mural paintings and coloring have been aimed to the comprehension of the complicated relation between the single analyzed part and the architectural complex. The ”reading” of the current state of the Basilica, i.e. the historical events that made it as we can see today, has been the starting point for the necessary critical to start the restoration project. Mosaics decorated all the walls in the Church of the Nativity. The decorative cycle included a Tree of Jesse on the counter-façade, whereas the provincial councils of Palestine, the seven Ecumenical Councils, a lower band showing Christ’s ancestors and an upper band between the windows with full-length images of angels were put on display in the central nave. The mosaic is made of glass tesserae, gold tesserae, silver tesserae and stone tesserae. One special feature that makes the mosaic even more precious is the presence of mother-of-pearl

Archaeology in Africa. Potentials and perspectives on laboratory & fieldwork research

Africa encompasses a multitude of environments and biomes that require specific scientific strategies – from desktop studies to field research to laboratory analysis – to tackle research questions that may range from the emergence of early humans to the ethnoarchaeological investigation. In several areas, turmoil, social instability and security constraints hamper or limit field activities and long-term funded programs. The kidnapping of German colleagues and the tragic death of two local collaborators in Nigeria urge to rethink our agenda and challenge our view of current research practice. This 1st Workshop on “Archaeology in Africa”, organized by Sapienza University of Rome, convened several researches from Italy or Italy-based researchers. The aim was to present and discuss theoretical, methodological and financial problems for Africanist researchers today. In a global perspective, the synergy between research groups is crucial. The need to intensify the national and international cooperation is also an essential step. This book collects a selection of the different perspectives presented to the workshop, mostly focussing from North Africa and East Africa

New footprints from Laetoli (Tanzania, 3.66 Ma). Discovery, analysis, inferences, research project and conservation plans

Fossil footprints are of great interest. A number of features help to identify their makers and can be used to investigate on biological and ecological issues. This is of crucial interest in palaeoanthropology, particularly in view of the emergence of our peculiar pattern of posture and locomotion. However, hominin footprints are rare and most of them are ascribed to the genus Homo. The only exception is represented by the trackways discovered in 1978 at Laetoli Site G, northern Tanzania, and referred to Australopithecus afarensis. These footprints were left on volcanic ashes about 3.66 million years ago by three bipedal creatures walking on a humid layer that was subsequently cemented. At Laetoli Site S (about 150 meters from Site G), we have unearthed new bipedal footprints of two different individuals, who were moving on the same palaeosurface, in the same direction and at the same speed as the three exposed at Site G. Our analysis based on advanced photogrammetric methods shows that the estimated stature and related body mass of one of the new individuals greatly exceed the estimates for those from Site G. This evidence supports marked intraspecific variation, pointing out the occurrence of a considerable difference in size between sexes and suggesting inferences on reproductive behaviour and social structure of these ancient bipedal hominins. A research project combined with conservation plans urgently needs to be developed and submitted to the Tanzanian Authorities for the knowledge, preservation and valorisation of such an extraordinary cultural heritage

Brain and cognitive functions in two groups of naïve HIV patients selected for a different plan of antiretroviral therapy. A qEEG study

OBJECTIVE: Cortical sources of electroencephalographic (EEG) rhythms were investigated in two sub-populations of naïve HIV subjects, grouped based on clinical criteria to receive different combination anti-retroviral therapies (cARTs). These EEG sources were hypothesized to reflect beneficial effects of both regimes. METHODS: Eyes-closed resting state EEG data were collected in 19 (Group A) and 39 (Group B) naïve HIV subjects at baseline (i.e. pre-treatment; T0) and after 5months of cART (T5). Compared with the Group A, the Group B was characterized by slightly worse serological parameters and higher cardiovascular risk. At T0, mean viral load (VL) and CD4 count were 87,694copies/ml and 435cells/μl in the Group A and 187,370copies/ml and 331cells/μl in the Group B. The EEG data were also collected in 50 matched control HIV-negative subjects. Cortical EEG sources were assessed by LORETA software. RESULTS: Compared to the Control Group, the HIV Groups showed lower alpha (8-12Hz) source activity at T0 while the Group B also exhibited higher delta source activity. The treatment partially normalized alpha and delta source activity in the Group A and B, respectively, in association with improved VL, CD4, and cognitive functions. CONCLUSIONS: Different cART regimens induced diverse beneficial effects in delta or alpha source activity in the two naïve HIV Groups. SIGNIFICANCE: These sources might unveil different neurophysiological effects of diverse cART on brain function in naïve HIV Groups as a function of clinical status and/or therapeutic compounds

Parietal intrahemispheric source connectivity of resting-state electroencephalographic alpha rhythms is abnormal in Naïve HIV patients

Previous evidence showed abnormal parietal sources of resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) delta (< 4 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) rhythms in treatment-Naive HIV (Naive HIV) subjects, as cortical neural synchronization markers in quiet wakefulness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these local abnormalities may be related to functional cortical dysconnectivity as an oscillatory brain network disorder.The present EEG database regarded 128 Naive HIV and 60 Healthy subjects. The eLORETA freeware estimated lagged linear EEG source connectivity (LLC). The area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve indexed the accuracy in the classification between Healthy and HIV individuals.Parietal intrahemispheric LLC solutions in alpha sources were abnormally lower in the Naive HIV than in the control group. Furthermore, those abnormalities were greater in the Naive HIV subgroup with executive and visuospatial deficits than the Naive HIV subgroup with normal cognition. AUROC curves of those LLC solutions exhibited moderate/good accuracies (0.75-0.88) in the discrimination between the Naive HIV individuals with executive and visuospatial deficits vs. Naive HIV individuals with normal cognition and control individuals.In quiet wakefulness, Naive HIV subjects showed clinically relevant abnormalities in parietal alpha source connectivity. HIV may alter a parietal "hub" oscillating at the alpha frequency in quiet wakefulness as a brain network disorder