The gender perspective in climate change and global health

Background: Population health is a primary goal of sustainable development. United Nations international conferences like the Beijing Platform for Action have highlighted the key role of women in ensuring sustainable development. In the context of climate change, women are affected the most while they display knowledge and skills to orient themselves toward climate adaptation activities within their societies. Objective: To investigate how the gender perspective is addressed as an issue in research and policy-making concerning climate change and global health. Methods: A broad literature search was undertaken using the databases Pubmed and Web of Science to explore the terms ‘climate change,’ ‘health,’ ‘gender,’ and ‘policy.’ Climate change and health-related policy documents of the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Communications and National Adaptation Programs of Action reports submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of selected countries were studied. Assessment guidelines to review these reports were developed from this study's viewpoint. Results: The database search results showed almost no articles when the four terms were searched together. The WHO documents lacked a gender perspective in their approach and future recommendations on climate policies. The reviewed UN reports were also neutral to gender perspective except one of the studied documents. Conclusion: Despite recognizing the differential effects of climate change on health of women and men as a consequence of complex social contexts and adaptive capacities, the study finds gender to be an underrepresented or non-existing variable both in research and studied policy documents in the field of climate change and health

Mapping a millstone: The dynamics of use-wear and residues on a Central Australian seed-grinding implement

Despite continuing interest in whether plant residues and microwear can give an archaeological 'signature' for the grinding of grain, few studies have looked at what is actually present on ethnographic seed-grinders. In this paper, we map the distribution of use-polish and residues on a classic Central Australian millstone. We begin by setting out an explanatory 'cradle�to�grave' model of the dynamics of millstones to assist our interpretations. We then apply various methods of functional analysis to map the distribution of microwear and residues across the millstone. Several dynamics are evident: (1) the kinetics of grinding create spatial variability in use�polish and residues; (2) systemic factors lead to a palimpsest of different residues, not all of which relate to the major function of the implement; and (3) various systemic factors degrade some of the traces on millstones well before they are buried. Our results for this Central Australian millstone show that there is substantial variability within and between grinding grooves, reflecting the continuing attrition of these surfaces. Starch, which was presumably a primary residue, is poorly preserved, even on the most recent ground surfaces. There is a diversity of other residues present, reflecting secondary use of this millstone as an impromptu work surface. We conclude that the long systemic use�lives of these durable implements can complicate their identification as seed�grinders, and raise issues for future functional research

Grinding grounds: function and distribution of grinding stones from an open site in the Pilbara, western Australia

Grinding stones are sometimes found as isolated artefacts but more commonly as minor components of archaeological sites, defined in site registers as lithic scatters or lithic concentrations that are dominated by flakes and cores. Here we describe a case study where lithic technology on an open site is almost exclusively dominated by grinding and pounding. In a functional study of 48 stones with macroscopic traces of surface smoothing, we identify 46 grinding stones, including eight near-complete implements and 38 fragments, found on flood-prone land (about 2.8\ua0km) in the Pilbara, northwestern Australia. A variety of flat, concave and convex grinding surfaces were recorded on ironstone (n\ua0=\ua044) and sandstone (n\ua0=\ua02) artefacts. Analysis shows that the dominant wear is typical of grinding seeds, from locally available food sources. However, microscopic residues from five grinding stones indicate both animal (collagen and bone) and plant (cellulose, starch, phytoliths) processing. Specific plant taxa indicated by the residue study are: Chloridoid and Panicoid grasses (including Triodia spinifex), Acacia, Marsilea nardoo and tubers (most likely Ipomoea costata, native bush potato, or possibly Vigna lanceolata pencil yam). We discuss site function; other evidence for a proposed new open site type—grinding grounds; possible rates of visitation; and associated tasks. We conclude that grinding grounds, either in the form of scattered grinding stones and fragments or bedrock grinding patches, provide a significant source of information about past settlement, subsistence and resource-use

Experimental replication of Australian grinding stone implements

Until recently in Australia, lithic tool-use experiments were dominated by flaked stone with relatively few studies of ground-stone. This poster reports on a workshop, during which tool-use experiments were designed to document the wear traces associated with grinding various materials (n=7), different processing techniques (n=3), and sandstones of different hardness (n=5). The specific variables were selected to build a use-wear and residue reference library applicable to Australian archaeological grinding implements proposed for detailed functional analysis

Mapping a millstone: the dynamics of use-wear and residues on a Central Australian seed-grinding implement

Despite continuing interest in whether plant residues and microwear can give an archaeological \u27signature\u27 for the grinding of grain, few studies have looked at what is actually present on ethnographic seed-grinders. In this paper, we map the distribution of use-polish and residues on a classic Central Australian millstone. We begin by setting out an explanatory \u27cradle-to-grave\u27 model of the dynamics of millstones to assist our interpretations. We then apply various methods of functional analysis to map the distribution of microwear and residues across the millstone. Several dynamics are evident: (1) the kinetics of grinding create spatial variability in use-polish and residues; (2) systemic factors lead to a palimpsest of different residues, not all of which relate to the major function of the implement; and (3) various systemic factors degrade some of the traces on millstones well before they are buried. Our results for this Central Australian millstone show that there is substantial variability within and between grinding grooves, reflecting the continuing attrition of these surfaces. Starch, which was presumably a primary residue, is poorly preserved, even on the most recent ground surfaces. There is a diversity of other residues present, reflecting secondary use of this millstone as an impromptu work surface. We conclude that the long systemic use-lives of these durable implements can complicate their identification as seed-grinders, and raise issues for future functional research

A Scientific Study of a new cupule site in Jabiluka, Western Arnhem Land

Cupules (engraved pits) have been observed on every continent with the exception of Antarctica, and cover Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic contexts. Despite this remarkable spatial distribution and the perceived antiquity of these petroglyphs very few detailed scientiic studies have been conducted at cupule sites, with fundamental aspects of morphology, manufacture and function poorly understood. In Australia, lack of detailed recording has led to diferential classiication and disputed identiication. In this paper we review literature for Australian cupule sites and present detailed archaeological results from a new site in western Arnhem Land. By applying metric, use-wear and residue analysis we reassess these issues, providing insight into cupule classiication, function and intra-site complexities

The more you know...........various approaches in the analysis of tools from Liang Bua, Flores Indonesia

Chipped stone flakes from sedimentary deposits from the Liang Bua site, Flores, Indonesia have been found in association with faunal remains and skeletal remains identified as Homo floresiensis. Use-wear and well-preserved organic residues on these flakes provide an opportunity to understand subsistence and behaviour of Homo floresiensis by determining how they were manipulated and what they were used for. This paper describes the analytical techniques including various microscope and staining methodologies used in residue analyses. It compares the efficacy and describes the outcome of these techniques in relation to the functional analysis of the Liang Bua lithic assemblage