Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has maintained a double-digit lead in a new poll — but Andrew Cuomo has narrowed the gap significantly.The mayoral race has gained national prominence as more Democratic leaders have tossed their fortunes behind the socialist and extremist candidate, while Cuomo has tried to shore up the centrist vote.'You don't know how to run a government, you don't know how to handle an emergency, and you've literally never proposed a bill on anything that you're now talking about.'A Suffolk poll released Monday showed that Mamdani's lead of 20 percentage points from September had shrunk to 10 points.Mamdani had support from 44% of the respondents, while Cuomo had 34%. Outsider Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa also increased his support slightly from 9% to 11%.Suffolk's political research center director David Paleologos said that Cuomo had made the biggest gains with Hispanics and independents.Cuomo went on the attack against Mamdani's extremism and inexperience in their recent debate, which will be the last of the election. Mamdani fired back to paint Cuomo as the face of failed policies of the establishment party."You have never had a job. You’ve never accomplished anything!" said Cuomo at the debate."There is no reason to believe you have any merit or qualification for eight and a half million lives!" he added. "You don't know how to run a government, you don't know how to handle an emergency, and you've literally never proposed a bill on anything that you're now talking about in your campaign!"RELATED: Rolling Stone is getting crushed online for trying to whitewash controversies around Zohran Mamdani Many have been calling on Sliwa to drop out in hopes that his supporters would mostly go to Cuomo, and the Suffolk poll appeared to support that thesis. It showed that far more Sliwa voters supported Cuomo as a second choice than those who supported Mamdani.Mamdani would become the first Muslim mayor of the Big Apple if he is able to win the election. He was born in Kampala, Uganda.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Songmei Hu/AntiquityResearchers radiocarbon-dated the skeletons to 2,300 years ago during China’s Tang dynasty. When researchers entered ancient noblewoman Cui Shi’s tomb in Xi’an, China in 2012, they were stunned to find it littered with donkey bones. Researchers thought it odd that a woman of such status would be buried among lowly animals like this. But now, researchers believe that the noblewoman was an avid donkey polo player and wanted to be able to continue the game well into her afterlife. Their new research has since been published in the journal Antiquity. “There was no reason for a lady such as Cui Shi to use a donkey, let alone sacrifice it for her afterlife,” said Songmei Hu, lead study author and Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology anthropologist, in a statement. “This is the first time such a burial has been found.” But according to a couple of ancient documents and the noblewoman’s history, the find isn’t so unbelievable after all. J. Yang/AntiquityCui Shi’s tomb as it was uncovered in 2012. A donkey skeleton is visible on the left side. Indeed, texts from the Tang dynasty suggest that even the upper crust had recreational hobbies, including a version of polo called Lvju, which used donkeys in lieu of horses for polo matches. Furthermore, Cui Shi was married to Bao Gao — a polo player so skilled that Emperor Xizong promoted him to the rank of general. Emperors commonly used polo to asses their generals’ overall skills. But horse polo can be dangerous and so valuable assets to the empire commonly played donkey polo instead. Donkeys were considered steadier and more stable for the sport, especially since even the skilled Bao Gao lost an eye during one match on horseback. With safer precautions in place, researchers thought, the game must have also begun to cross the gender gap. “Historical documents also showed that ladies of the late Tang court loved to play donkey polo,” said Fiona Marshall, co-author of the study and archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis. TwitterThese donkey figurines from Xi’an depict just one of the many uses people had for the animals. From ceremonies and warfare to polo, the beasts of burden were not considered as lowly as some previously thought. In order to prove this theory, however, researchers had to show that the donkeys were put in the tomb upon Cui Shi’s request and not by looters. The bones also had to be the same age as Cui Shi’s, which was proven using radiocarbon dating. Further investigation showed that the donkeys had all sustained severe stress in their lifetime — likely from polo. The patterns of strain in the donkeys’ bones were consistent with constant running and their skeletons were also smaller than normal donkeys, which currently has researchers wondering whether they were specifically bred to play polo. All of the donkeys discovered in Cui Shi’s tomb were found to have stopped aging at around six, which experts believe is a prime age for the sport. “This context provides evidence the donkeys in her tomb were for polo, not transport,” said Hu. “This confirms the claims of donkey polo from historic literature.” Songmei Hu/AntiquityAll the bones in Cui Shi’s tombs were of six-year-old donkeys — an age believed to be ideal for the animals to play polo. The domestication of donkeys began between 3,000 and 4,000 B.C., the study explained. Donkeys were largely used to pick up trash in Eurasia, but also routinely used in war, ceremonies, and social events. This find, however, suggests that they also had a place in the upper echelons of society. “Donkeys are hardy and strong animals as well as gentle, and fill really important roles in everyday life for small farmers and traders carrying loads in many parts of the world,” said Marshall. “This finding shows that donkeys have also had a place as high status rather than humble animals.” Polo itself was very popular during the Tang dynasty, which spanned from 618 to 907 A.D. However, it’s generally agreed upon that the game began in Iran and spread across the continent between 247 B.C. and 224 A.D. With Xi’an (formerly known as Chang’an) having been the capital of the Tang dynasty — and considered as the beginning of the Silk Road — it’s no wonder the grave of a polo-obsessed noblewoman was found accompanied by her steed. However, until now, that remained purely theoretical. Next, read about these Mayan child sacrifices found buried with “supernatural” stones. Then, learn about ancient infants that were found buried in Ecuador with helmets made from skulls. The post A Polo-Obsessed Tang Dynasty Noblewoman Was Buried With Donkeys So She Could Keep Playing In Afterlife appeared first on All That's Interesting.

University of Eastern FinlandScientists examine the rock paintings at Astuvansalmi. Towering over the shore of Lake Yövesi near Ristiina, Finland, is a cliff covered in prehistoric rock art. The site, known as Astuvansalmi, features around 80 paintings of humans, animals, and other figures that date back some 5,000 years. Now, thanks to the latest imaging technology, scientists are uncovering new patterns on the rocks. Hyperspectral cameras are picking up previously unknown images and revealing even more information about the existing art, such as how the pigments changed over time. This research is also creating a digital archive of the site, virtually preserving it for future generations. How New Imaging Technology Is Revealing More About The Astuvansalmi Rock Paintings University of Eastern FinlandThis latest research is adding to the 80 known rock paintings at Astuvansalmi. A team that includes researchers from the University of Eastern Finland recently set out to Ristiina to study the rock art at Astuvansalmi using the latest imaging methods, including panoramic photography, 3D scanners, and hyperspectral cameras. “We have been here for three hours now and have found three possible new patterns,” project coordinator Veikko Miettinen, a computer science professor at the University of Eastern Finland, said in a statement. While there are dozens of clear rock paintings on the face of the cliff, there are also spots that have faded over time or that are concealed by moss. These areas could conceal previously unknown art. However, another purpose of this research is to learn more about the existing paintings. “The idea of ​​our research is to identify different red colors in the rock and determine their age and composition,” Miettinen explained. “At least three different shades of red can be distinguished from the rock just by looking at it with the naked eye.” These various shades could indicate the use of different mixtures of paint over time. The art was seemingly made with emulsions, such as red pigment combined with egg whites, blood, or fat. If different colors mean different formulas, this study could determine which paintings were made at the same time or by the same artist. Perhaps most importantly, however, this research is preserving the rock art for generations to come. Creating A Digital Archive Of Finland’s Prehistoric Rock Art University of Eastern FinlandThe research team uses state-of-the-art imaging technology to scan the paintings on the cliff. Due to daily exposure to sunlight, rain, and snow over the past 5,000 years, the rock paintings at Astuvansalmi are slowly fading. They likely won’t last another 1,000 years, so it’s important for scientists to document them as accurately as possible for the future. “Images of unclear objects are taken with a very precise hyperspectral camera and a system camera,” said Miettinen. “The imaging techniques and applications used to interpret the images are based on computer science.” These photos and scans are creating a digital archive of the rock art that will virtually preserve it long after the paintings vanish from the cliff. What’s more, current scientists — and the general public — will be able to analyze the art without visiting the site themselves. Ultimately, researchers hope that they may even be able to use virtual reality to recreate the site in museums, allowing visitors to don VR glasses and step into a 3D rendering of Astuvansalmi. As research manager Dmitri Semenov explained in the university’s statement, “Digital storage ensures the accessibility of the paintings to everyone in the future.” After reading about the new research into prehistoric rock art in Finland, learn about 11 of the most fascinating prehistoric animals. Then, discover more about 44 ancient artifacts that give insight into our past. The post New Imaging Technology Is Revealing Prehistoric Paintings On Finland’s Astuvansalmi Cliff appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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