Talking About My Generation: the Date of the West Kennet Long Barrow

Thirty-one radiocarbon results are now available from the West Kennet long barrow, and are presented within an interpretive Bayesian statistical framework. Two alternative archaeological interpretations of the sequence are given, each with a separate Bayesian model. In our preferred interpretation, the barrow is seen as a unitary construction (given the lack of dating samples from the old ground surface, ditches or constructional features themselves), with a series of deposits of human remains made in the chambers following construction. Primary deposition in the chambers is followed by further secondary deposition of some human remains, including children, and layers of earth and chalk, the latest identifiable finds in which are Beaker sherds. In the Bayesian model for this sequence, the construction of the monument at West Kennet, as dated from the primary mortuary deposits, occurred in 3670–3635 cal. BC, probably in the middle decades of the thirty-seventh century cal. BC. The last interments of this initial use of the chambers probably occurred in 3640–3610 cal. BC. The difference between these two distributions suggests that this primary mortuary activity probably continued for only 10–30 years. After a hiatus probably lasting for rather more than a century, the infilling of the chambers began in 3620–3240 cal. BC and continued into the second half of the third millennium cal. BC. In an alternative interpretation, we do not assume that all the people dated from the primary mortuary deposits were placed in the monument in a fleshed or partially articulated condition; they could therefore have died before the monument was built, although they must have died before the end of the formation of the mortuary deposit. In the Bayesian model for this interpretation, the monument appears to belong either to the thirty-seventh century cal. BC or the mid-thirty-sixth century cal. BC, and deposition again appears short-lived, but the model is unstable. Results are discussed in relation to the setting and sequence of the local region

Acceptance, Empowerment, and Change: The Experiences of LGBTQ Jewish Women at Camp Ramah and Beyond

The overlap between being Jewish, LGBTQ, and a woman has not been well studied, and the nuances of these intersecting identities have often been overlooked. Focusing on these intersections, my research examines a group of LGBTQ Jewish women linked by their experiences with one Jewish summer camping network, Camp Ramah, focusing on how they experienced inclusion or exclusion and empowerment or disempowerment. Those I interviewed all had communities they felt fully accepted in, and all felt that Judaism was compatible with their sexuality or gender identity; however, participants did face discrimination at Ramah and in the wider Jewish community. At Ramah, they experienced some discomfort from their peers about their sexuality, and in the wider Jewish community, their sexuality was not acknowledged. Particularly in Orthodox spaces, they also faced discrimination because of their gender. Despite these experiences of discrimination, the participants in my study felt generally accepted in Jewish communities, empowered to change tradition, and able to shape Jewish communities to become even more accepting and inclusive. My research demonstrates how the Conservative movement and the Ramah Camping Movement have become more accepting of LGBTQ Jews and Jewish women, while also showing how those shaped by Conservative movement institutions are now seeking to create more welcoming and diverse communities

IC5063: AGN driven outflow of warm and cold gas

We present new ATCA 17- and 24-GHz radio images and ESO-NTT optical spectra of the radio-loud Seyfert galaxy IC5063, the first galaxy in which a fast (~ 600 km/s) outflow of neutral hydrogen was discovered. The new radio data confirm the triple radio structure with a central core and two resolved radio lobes. This implies that the previously detected fast outflow of neutral gas is occurring off-nucleus, near a radio lobe about 0.5 kpc from the core. The ionised gas shows complex kinematics in the region co-spatial with the radio emission. Broad and blueshifted (~ 500 km/s) emission is observed in the region of the radio lobe, at the same location as the blueshifted HI absorption. The velocity of the ionised outflow is similar to the one found in HI. The first order correspondence between the radio and optical properties suggests that the outflow is driven by the interaction between the radio jet and the ISM. Despite the high outflow velocities, no evidence is found for the ionisation of the gas being due to fast shocks in the region of the outflow, indicating that photoionisation from the AGN is likely to be the dominant ionisation mechanism. The outflow rate of the warm (ionised) gas is small compared to that of the cold gas. The mass outflow rate associated with the HI is in the same range as for ``mild'' starburst-driven superwinds in ULIRGs. However, in IC5063, the AGN-driven outflow appears to be limited to the inner kpc region of the galaxy. The kinetic power associated with the HI outflow is a small fraction (a few x 10^-4) of the Eddington luminosity of the galaxy but is a significant fraction (~ 0.1) of the nuclear bolometric luminosity. In IC5063, the outflows may have sufficient kinetic power to have a significant impact on the evolution of the ISM in the host galaxy.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 11 pages, 8 figure

Graphite electrode dc arc technology development for treatment of buried wastes

A ``National Laboratory-University-Industrial`` three-way partnership has been established between the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Electro-Pyrolysis, Inc. (EPI) to develop graphite electrode DC arc technology for the treatment of buried wastes. This paper outlines the PNL-MIT-EPI program describing a series of engineering-scale DC arc furnace tests conducted in an EPI furnace at the Plasma Fusion Center at MIT, and a description of the second phase of this program involving the design, fabrication, and testing of a pilot-scale DC arc furnace. Included in this work is the development and implementation of diagnostics to evaluate and optimize high temperature thermal processes such as the DC arc technology

Genetic Diversity among Ancient Nordic Populations

Using established criteria for work with fossil DNA we have analysed mitochondrial DNA from 92 individuals from 18 locations in Denmark ranging in time from the Mesolithic to the Medieval Age. Unequivocal assignment of mtDNA haplotypes was possible for 56 of the ancient individuals; however, the success rate varied substantially between sites; the highest rates were obtained with untouched, freshly excavated material, whereas heavy handling, archeological preservation and storage for many years influenced the ability to obtain authentic endogenic DNA. While the nucleotide diversity at two locations was similar to that among extant Danes, the diversity at four sites was considerably higher. This supports previous observations for ancient Britons. The overall occurrence of haplogroups did not deviate from extant Scandinavians, however, haplogroup I was significantly more frequent among the ancient Danes (average 13%) than among extant Danes and Scandinavians (∼2.5%) as well as among other ancient population samples reported. Haplogroup I could therefore have been an ancient Southern Scandinavian type “diluted” by later immigration events. Interestingly, the two Neolithic samples (4,200 YBP, Bell Beaker culture) that were typed were haplogroup U4 and U5a, respectively, and the single Bronze Age sample (3,300–3,500 YBP) was haplogroup U4. These two haplogroups have been associated with the Mesolithic populations of Central and Northern Europe. Therefore, at least for Southern Scandinavia, our findings do not support a possible replacement of a haplogroup U dominated hunter-gatherer population by a more haplogroup diverse Neolithic Culture

Mediterranean Jellyfish Venoms: A Review on Scyphomedusae

The production of natural toxins is an interesting aspect, which characterizes the physiology and the ecology of a number of marine species that use them for defence/offence purposes. Cnidarians are of particular concern from this point of view; their venoms are contained in specialized structures–the nematocysts–which, after mechanical or chemical stimulation, inject the venom in the prey or in the attacker. Cnidarian stinging is a serious health problem for humans in the zones where extremely venomous jellyfish or anemones are common, such as in temperate and tropical oceanic waters and particularly along several Pacific coasts, and severe cases of envenomation, including also lethal cases mainly induced by cubomedusae, were reported. On the contrary, in the Mediterranean region the problem of jellyfish stings is quite modest, even though they can have anyhow an impact on public health and be of importance from the ecological and economic point of view owing to the implications on ecosystems and on some human activities such as tourism, bathing and fishing. This paper reviews the knowledge about the various aspects related to the occurrence and the stinging of the Mediterranean scyphozoan jellyfish as well as the activity of their venoms