This is fossilised pollen of Chenopodiaceae which appeared on the tomb. Credit: UPV/EHU
Posted on 05/10/2015 10:18:58 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The burial of the so-called Red Lady, dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic, was discovered in El Mirón cave (Cantabria) in 2010. The Journal of Archaeological Science has devoted a special edition to all the studies conducted at this unique burial site, because there are hardly any Palaeolithic tombs like this one which is intact and which has not been contaminated. One study is the research led by the UPV/EHU's Ikerbasque lecturer Mª José Iriarte, who analysed the remains of fossilised pollen dating back more than 16,000 years ago and which appeared on the tomb. "They put whole flowers on the tomb, but it has not been possible to say whether the aim of placing plants was to do with a ritual offering for the dead person, or whether El Mirón cave (Ramales de la Victoria, Cantabria, Spain) was inhabited between the Middle Palaeolithic and the Bronze Age and therefore contains a significant archaeological deposit. It had been known since 1903, but systematic archaeological investigations did not begin until 1996 (led by L. G. Straus and M. González-Morales) and it was not until the 2010 campaign that a human burial site was found in the levels corresponding to the Cantabrian Lower Magdalenian.
The grave containing the osseous remains of a woman aged between 35 and 40 is located at the back of the cave in a small space between the wall and a block that has come away from the roof. What is more, there are various engravings on this block that could belong to the same period as the burial. The reddish colour of the bones and the sediment in which they lie point to the use of ochre as part of the interment. Hence the name 'Red Lady' given to the remains.
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
This is fossilised pollen of Chenopodiaceae which appeared on the tomb. Credit: UPV/EHU
Red Lady cave burial reveals Stone Age secrets
New Scientist | March 18, 2015 | Penny Sarchet
Posted on 03/29/2015 11:54:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3273546/posts
A Caucasian human hair is about 100 microns in diameter.
Intel and Samsung are making chips with feature sizes of 14 nanometers. (that's about 150 carbon atoms in size)
.
what the hell is an ‘interment’?
ok, I am corrected via google.
The version in the Big Lebowski soundtrack is pretty special. :’)
Sure, that is tiny, but hair has been around a lot longer, and will be around long after Intel and Samsung are gone and forgotten. ;’)
sorry Civ. I actually minored in Lit and do not remember that word.
You may have a point:
Not especially striking, but I suppose it was tough to grow mums in the 16,000 years ago climate.
;’)
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