Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation/GuardianA mining company destroyed a 46,000-year-old rock shelter that was sacred to Australia’s Indigenous peoples. A 46,000-year-old cultural site significant to Australia’s indigenous people was destroyed by a mining company expanding its iron ore territory. The destructive act was deliberately done with the permission of the Australian government. According to the Guardian, the destroyed site was a rock shelter located in Juukan Gorge in western Australia that had been continuously occupied for over 46,000 years. The cave was one of the oldest in the western Pilbara region and the only inland site with evidence of continual habitation which lasted through the last Ice Age. “It’s one of the most sacred sites in the Pilbara region…we wanted to have that area protected,” said Burchell Hayes, the director of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) Aboriginal Corporation which oversees the land. Mark Evans/Getty ImagesReforms to the Aboriginal Heritage Act were postponed due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In addition to its meaning to indigenous people, the site also held great archeological value. Excavations there unearthed a bevy of precious artifacts, including a 4,000-year-old length of plaited human hair. Incredibly, DNA analysis showed the hair belonged to the direct ancestors of the PKKP peoples today. “It is precious to have something like that plaited hair, found on our country, and then have further testing link it back to the Kurrama people. It’s something to be proud of, but it’s also sad. Its resting place for 4,000 years is no longer there,” Hayes said. Rio Tinto, the mining company that destroyed the cave, had received permission to demolish the sacred site in 2013. The permission was granted by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs under Western Australia’s outdated Aboriginal Heritage Act which was first established in 1972. In 2014, an archaeological dig was approved so that researchers could salvage the artifacts inside the rock shelter. The excavation revealed that the site was actually twice as old as previously estimated and carried a trove of more than 7,000 sacred artifacts, including 40,000-year-old grindstones and thousands of bones from refuse piles which showed changes in wildlife during the prehistoric period. Archeologist Michael Slack, who led the project, said it was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. But the Aboriginal Act law was drafted in favor of mining proponents and did not allow for amendments to consent orders or agreements. On May 24, 2020, the cave was blasted by Rio Tinto to make way for its iron ore mining expansion. FlickrThe cave site in Western Australia boasted a trove of precious artifacts that told of the country’s rich history. Now, the 46,000-year-old enclave no longer exists. “Now, if this site has been destroyed, then we can tell them stories but we can’t show them photographs or take them out there to stand at the rock shelter and say: this is where your ancestors lived, starting 46,000 years ago,” Hayes said of the sacred site’s demolition. Rio Tinto first signed a native title agreement with the traditional PKKP owners in 2011, four years before the tribespeople’s native title claim was formally ruled on by the federal court. The company also facilitated the dig in 2014. Following the new discoveries, the company pushed for its original agreement with the government over the Juukan site to be carried out, even after the Aboriginal Heritage Act was put under review when the Labor administration took over in 2017. The company stated it was supportive of the proposed reforms but argued that the consent orders that had already been approved should continue. The final consultation of the bill’s draft was pushed back by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt due to the coronavirus outbreak this year. Meanwhile, the loss of a rich source of Australia’s history is mourned by Indigenous advocates and researchers. “It was the sort of site you do not get very often, you could have worked there for years,” Slack said. “How significant does something have to be, to be valued by wider society?” Next, read about the terrifying megafauna that lived alongside Australia’s early inhabitants before they went extinct and take a look inside Coober Pedy, Australia’s underground city. The post A Mining Company Just Blew Up A 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site — And It Was Totally Legal appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wikimedia CommonsMost modern dogs have at least a little recent wolf DNA that entered their genome after the two species’ evolutionary split roughly 20,000 years ago. Most of today’s domesticated dogs have noticeable, albeit often small, amounts of wolf DNA in their genome, according to a new study. This discovery challenges the theory that, since dogs made their evolutionary split from wolves roughly 20,000 years ago, there has been very limited breeding between the two groups. Researchers analyzed nearly 2,700 genomes from modern and ancient canines and found that most modern domesticated dogs have at least a little recent wolf DNA. Furthermore, the wolf DNA present in modern dogs may have had an impact in shaping their behaviors and adaptability to human environments. However, the exact correlation between prevalence of wolf DNA and a given dog’s behavior remains unclear. How Researchers Uncovered Recent Wolf DNA In The Genomes Of Modern Dog Breeds Wikimedia CommonsResearchers analyzed nearly 2,700 canine genomes. The new study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that at least two-thirds of modern dog breeds have wolf DNA that was acquired about 1,000 generations ago. This would have been after domesticated dogs and wolves split off from each other in the evolutionary tree. “Prior to this study, the leading science seemed to suggest that in order for a dog to be a dog, there can’t be very much wolf DNA present, if any,” said lead study author Audrey Lin in a statement from the American Museum of Natural History. “But we found if you look very closely in modern dog genomes, wolf is there. This suggests that dog genomes can ‘tolerate’ wolf DNA up to an unknown level and still remain the dogs we know and love.” While there have been times when dogs and wolves have been deliberately cross-bred, there had previously been little evidence to suggest regular breeding between the two groups since the two species split. This is despite the fact that these two groups have often inhabited similar environments. To further investigate how often wolves and dogs may have actually cross-bred, the researchers looked at the genomes of 146 ancient dogs and wolves covering about 100,000 years of history. They also studied 1,872 modern dogs, including everything from golden retrievers, to chihuahuas to malamutes — 246 breeds in total. Researchers also included about 300 “village dogs” in their analysis, or dogs that are not owned by one specific person, but instead are independent yet rely on proximity to human environments in order to live. While these dogs, unsurprisingly, had a higher proportion of wolf DNA than their fully domesticated counterparts, the other data regarding amounts of wolf DNA in various breeds was often unexpected. How Much Wolf DNA Is In Each Of Today’s Various Dog Breeds? Audrey LinPip, a shepherd mix, as photographed by one of the new study’s lead authors. Unsurprisingly, dog breeds like the Czechoslovakian and Saarloos wolfdogs had the most amount of recent wolf DNA, as these dog types were purposefully bred with wolves. Of non-wolfdog breeds, Anglo-French tricolour hounds had the greatest amount of wolf DNA, averaging between 4.7 and 5.7 percent. Shiloh shepherds weren’t too far behind with about 2.7 percent wolf DNA. In general, dogs bred to complete specific tasks, such as sled dogs, had more wolf ancestry than other breeds. But it wasn’t just the larger, working dogs that had higher proportions of recent wolf DNA — even chihuahuas had about 0.2 percent wolf ancestry. “This completely makes sense to anyone who owns a chihuahua,” Lin said. “And what we’ve found is that this is the norm — most dogs are a little bit wolfy.” Logan KistlerDogs bred for specific jobs — like Tilly, a sled dog mix — were more likely to have recent wolf ancestry. Not all modern breeds have wolf DNA, however. In fact, researchers found that some larger, imposing guard dogs — like the Neapolitan mastiff, bullmastiff, and the St. Bernard — had no traceable recent wolf DNA. Researchers speculate that it’s possible that wolf DNA has contributed to some breeds’ abilities to adapt to human environments, as there is some evidence that it gives them a genetic advantage. However, more research is needed to conclude whether a correlation exists between wolf ancestry and dog behavior. “When dogs encountered evolutionary challenges such as how to survive harsh climates, scavenge for food in the streets or guard livestock, it appears they’ve been able to tap into wolf ancestry as part of their evolutionary survival kit,” Lin and study co-author Logan Kistler wrote in The Conversation. But still, much about the connection between wolves and modern dogs remains a mystery. After reading about the wolf DNA present in modern dogs, discover the stories of these famous dogs from history. Then, meet the dogs of famous historical figures and celebrities of decades past. The post Surprising Study Finds That Most Modern Dogs Have Wolf DNA — And Reveals Which Breeds Are Most Wolflike appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Wat Rat Prakongtham Temple/FacebookThe woman, Chonthirat Sakulkoo, was taken to the hospital and stabilized shortly after she was found alive in her coffin. A 65-year-old woman who was believed to be dead stunned workers at a Thai Buddhist temple when, moments before she was meant to be cremated, she began rattling her coffin and knocking on the lid — clear indicators that she was, in fact, alive. The shocking incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 23, at Wat Rat Prakongtham, a temple in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok that livestreams its cremation ceremonies as a community service. In the video captured of the incident, temple staff are seen looking bewildered as they prepare for the ritual, only to realize that the woman lying in her coffin in the back of a pick-up truck is moving her arms and head. Naturally, the abbot immediately stopped the ceremony and called for the woman, identified as Chonthirat Sakulkoo, to be taken to the hospital. Knocking From Inside The Coffin Alerts Staff “I was a bit surprised, so I asked them to open the coffin, and everyone was startled,” Pairat Soodthoop, the temple’s general and financial affairs manager, told the Associated Press. “I saw her opening her eyes slightly and knocking on the side of the coffin. She must have been knocking for quite some time.” Mongkol Sakulkoo, Chonthirat’s brother, told the Bangkok Post that his sister’s health had been declining and that she was bedridden for about two years prior to this incident. “I’ve cared for my sister for three years. Officials told us she had died,” he said. “All the documents had been issued, so we placed her in a coffin and brought her to the temple for cremation.” Mongkol told reporters that he had found his sister unresponsive in their home a day earlier, leading relatives and local officials to believe she was dead. Although no death certificate was issued, the village headman did sign documentation for a coffin donation. Thai hospitals, however, require an official death certificate before they can accept bodies for organ donation — which Chonthirat wished to do. So, to honor his sister’s wish, Mongkol had driven roughly 300 miles to Bangkok after leaving his home at 3 a.m. to take Chonthirat to Chulalongkorn University Hospital. The hospital declined to take the corpse and instructed Mongkol to obtain an autopsy report. Now worried that his sister’s corpse would begin to decompose, Mongkol instead drove the coffin to Wat Rat Prakongtham temple, which provides free cremation services. As the temple workers were explaining that they, too, needed an official death certificate before they could cremate the body, Chonthirat made everyone aware that she was still quite alive. Chonthirat Sakulkoo’s Miraculous Recovery Wat Rat Prakongtham Temple/FacebookTemple staff visiting Chonthirat Sukulkoo in the hospital. Once temple officials realized that Chonthirat was breathing and moving, they rushed her to the hospital, where doctors stabilized the 65-year-old and determined what had caused her unresponsive condition. As they explained, Chonthirat had been suffering from extreme hypoglycemia, a critically low level of blood sugar that can result in unresponsiveness that resembles death. By Sunday evening, however, Chonthirat was stable enough to return home. Soodthoop noted that he had overseen thousands of cremations, but he had never seen someone who had been declared dead regain consciousness. Authorities clarified that the family, temple, and hospital had all complied with medical and legal standards, though the incident has drawn significant public attention in Thailand for exposing potential holes in end-of-life procedures. The family had received proper documentation to transport a corpse, for instance, but had not gone through a formal hospital or medical process to obtain a declaration of death. Had everyone involved not responded so quickly, things may very well have turned out differently. After reading about this nearly premature cremation, go inside the terrifying stories of five people who were buried alive. Or, learn about the death and bizarre cremation of Gram Parsons. The post A 65-Year-Old Thai Woman Was Declared Dead — Then She Knocked On Her Coffin Just Before Her Cremation appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Chigi vase, 6th century BCE. Source: joshobrouwers.com   Popular illustrations of ancient Greek fighters portray them as citizen soldiers bound by civic duty. However, as warfare became increasingly complicated, so too did the civic obligations associated with being a warrior. The later 5th-century BCE, in particular, saw the rise of a new class of paid professionals who altered the way war was conducted, and eventually, the way Greek city states operated.    Warfare in Ancient Greek City States Ancient Greek city states Sparta and Athens.   Warfare between city-states in ancient Greece was generally limited and seasonal, usually ending in one decisive battle. Additionally, battles were typically fought using the hoplite phalanx strategy, a tight mass of heavily-armed infantrymen.    The hoplite phalanx was a tight shoulder-to-shoulder formation of citizen soldiers that formed a shield wall with rows of soldiers of up to eight rows or more. Each soldier in the formation carried a large round hoplon (or aspis) shield on their left arm to protect themselves and the exposed right side of the soldier directly to his left.   A Phalanx, by Fallow Deer Painter, ca. 560 BCE. Source: Hellenica World   The primary offensive weapon of the hoplite (the heavily armed citizen soldier) was the dory — a long thrusting spear typically seven to ten feet long. In the event that the dory snapped, each soldier had access to a xiphos (short sword) for hand-to-hand combat.   The ability to afford the hoplite equipment was directly related to an individual’s status as a citizen and their participation in governance.   The system, however, had several drawbacks, and one of them was that the campaigns were short. This was due to the need for soldiers to return to their farms for planting and harvesting. As such, hoplites were ill-equipped for prolonged siege warfare.   The Impact of the Peloponnesian War on Fighting Strategies Amphora depicting Hoplite Race, ca 5th BCE. Source: Eagles and Dragon Publishing   The extended duration of the Peloponnesian War (431 BCE – 404 BCE), and the repeated invasion of Attica by the Spartans, severely damaged agricultural lands. The ensuing instability caused thousands of people in the affected lands, many of whom had prior military experience, to become unemployed. The situation left the veterans with two main options. One of them was to fight for their exhausted city-states again and the other was to work for foreign powers such as Persia, as mercenaries for a higher wage.    Not only did the war create a large pool of skilled and experienced veterans, it also created the opportunity for city-states to test new military strategies, like the extensive use of peltasts, who were lightly armored infantrymen. Peltasts were successful at disrupting the slow and rigid formation of traditional hoplites and soon became a favorite among mercenary units. One result of this was the eventual decline of the hoplite phalanx.    Greek peltast, by Johnny Shumate. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The rise of mercenary units also altered the manner in which battles were fought and won. Unlike citizen-soldiers, who were often constrained by their equipment and home duties, mercenaries were professional soldiers, capable of adapting to dynamic situations on the battlefield, including long sieges.   How the March of the Ten Thousand Influenced Warfare Tactics Cyrus, King of Persia, from “Four Illustrious Rulers of Antiquity” by Adrian Collaert, Maerten de Vos, Netherlands, 1590s. Source: Elisha Whittlesey Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York   The most detailed account of Greek mercenaries is found in Xenophon’s Anabasis. It detailed the struggles of The Ten Thousand, a force of Greek mercenaries hired by the Persian prince Cyrus to defeat his brother, Artaxerxes II. The Greeks successfully defeated the opposing forces in the Battle of Cunaxa. However, they found themselves stranded in hostile territory, over 1,500 miles from home after Cyrus was killed in battle.   Although they faced numerous dangers and hardships, the mercenaries successfully fought their way back to safety utilizing discipline and innovative tactics. Their success showed the Greek world that even a relatively small, well-disciplined, and organized force could successfully penetrate the interior of the large, distant Persian Empire. The lessons learned from the March of the Ten Thousand would have significant influence on the military strategies employed by future conquerors such as Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great.    Greek States and Mercenaries Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus.   As being a soldier became a modern, full-time profession, the concept of the citizen-soldier disappeared. By the Hellenistic period (323 BCE to 31 BCE), which immediately followed the conquests of Alexander the Great, mercenaries had reached the pinnacle of their power. The enormous kingdoms established by Alexander’s successors were nearly completely reliant on professional, paid armies to enforce their rule and dominance. Today, most governments around the world maintain professional, paid militaries.

  In Greek myth, the Telchines were thought to be the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, but were also present on the islands of Ceos and Crete. Hesiod called them malignant wizards, and Ovid celebrated their legendary skill as artisans. They were described as fish-like creatures and demons who acted as guardians and nurtured Poseidon and Zeus. Although they often helped the gods, they also worked malevolent magic. Eventually, their hubris and lust for power led to their downfall.   The Origins of the Telchines The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn, by Giorgio Vasari and Cristoforo Gherardi, c. 16th century. Source: USEUM   The origin of the Telchines is recorded differently in the various Greek and Roman sources. Some accounts suggest that they are the offspring of Tartarus, the primordial father of monsters, and Nemesis, the goddess of retribution. Other sources claim that the Telchines are the children of the primordial gods Pontus and Gaia, the personifications of the sea and the earth. Still, others report that Thalassa, the female personification of the sea, is their mother.   In another version, the Telchines were created from Uranus’ blood. Uranus was the primordial god and personification of the sky. Uranus was castrated with a scythe by his son, the Titan Cronos. In this version, the Telchines were formed when Uranus’ blood dripped onto the Earth, similar to how the Furies and Aphrodite were created.   Perseus and Andromeda (detail of a Telchines), by Joachim Wtewael, 1611. Source: Louvre Museum   All the origin stories of the Telchines, usually four in number, describe them as the children of Protogenoi, the primordial gods who established the tangible fabric of the universe and personified the forces of nature. This means that they were ancient beings who thrived during ancient times when the primordial gods and Titans ruled, before being overthrown by the Olympian Gods.   What Did They Look Like? Man with a dog head, by Hartmann Schedel, 1493. Source: Beloit College   The Telchines were strange creatures associated with the sea and often referred to as fish children. They were known to have fin-like hands and dog-like heads. Descriptions of them are similar to those of merfolk. Some accounts state that they had a fish’s lower body and a human-like upper body. Their skin was described as rough, like echinoids or sea urchins, which are hard-shelled sea animals with venomous spikes. However, the Telchines were not limited to the sea. They were also said to be able to walk and live on land.   Malevolent Wizards  Manfred and the Witch of the Alps, by John Martin, 1837. Source: Web Gallery of Art   The Telchines were renowned for their extraordinary magical abilities. They were often referred to as sorcerers or wizards by ancient writers. They could control nature itself, controlling lightning and snow, manipulating the seas, and even bringing about devastating earthquakes. Furthermore, the Telchines could produce a poisonous substance that could harm all living things.   The Telchines are rare male wizards, with most of the magic workers in Greek mythology being women like Circe and Medea.   In addition to their power, the Telchines could change their shape at will. They mostly used their powers for malevolent purposes, harming and cursing innocent people. The most heinous act the Telchines were accused of committing was mixing the waters of the Styx with sulphur and pouring it over the fertile fields of Rhodes. This act resulted in the destruction of all plant and animal life on the island.   Benevolent Artisans  Neptune menaçant les vents, by Pietro della Vecchia, 1650. Source: Augustinian Museum   The Telchines were feared for their magical abilities, but they were also known for their exceptional skills as artisans and metallurgists. They were believed to be the first to work and shape iron and bronze into tools and weapons. Their excellent skills as metallurgists led to the creation of remarkable objects.   The Telchines created two of Greek mythology’s most famous magical artifacts: the scythe of the Titan Cronos and the trident of Poseidon. The scythe of Cronus, used to castrate Uranus, the primordial personification of the sky, was the first weapon created in the mythological canon. The trident of Poseidon is also one of the most identifiable symbols from Greek mythology, often used to represent both Poseidon and the Telchines themselves.   The Telchines’ metallurgical skills were not always necessarily benevolent. For instance, Hephaestus tasked them with assisting him in forging Harmonia’s cursed necklace. Despite the cursed nature of the creation, the Telchines were still working for the benefit of the Olympians, in contrast to their use of magic, often performed in opposition to the gods.   Hephaestus was the Greek god of the forge, who also made an elaborate throne to trap the goddess Hera.   The Telchines were known not only for their skills in metallurgy but also for stone sculpting. They were the first to create marble statues of the gods, and the ancient Greeks highly regarded their masterpieces. According to the historian Diodorus Siculus, the Telchines were responsible for crafting statues of Apollo and Hera on the island of Rhodes in Lindus and Camirus, respectively.   Raising the Gods Jupiter Raised by the Korybantes, by Noël Coypel, 1705. Source: Château de Versailles   Two stories from Greek myth suggest that the Telchines helped raise the Olympian gods. According to one myth, the Titaness Rhea entrusted the Telchines with caring for Poseidon, with the help of Capheira, an Oceanid Sea nymph who nursed the infant Poseidon.   Other myths suggest the Telchines were crucial in Zeus’s upbringing. His mother, Rhea, took nine Telchines from Rhodes to Crete and tasked them with protecting and nurturing Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida. These nine Telchines were later known as the Kouretes. They protected the infant Zeus from his father, Cronos, by performing a frenzied dance. During this dance, they would bang their shields and spears together to drown out the sound of the infant’s cries.   The association between the Telchines and the Kouretes is not certain. The Kouretes were also considered daemons or spirits, like the Telchines. However, they presided over mountains, hunting, beekeeping, and shepherding on the island of Crete. Unlike the Telchines, the Kouretes had no connection to the sea. However, both the Telchines and the Kouretes are credited with inventing metalworking. It seems that this shared similarity, along with their respective care for an Olympian, led to the two groups being merged into one at some point in history.   Turning Against the Gods Jupiter; statue of the nude god seated on an eagle, holding a double trident, plate 2, from Statues of Roman Gods, artist, and publisher Philips Galle, after Jacques Jonghelinck, 1586. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   One constant theme in myths about the Telchines is their eventual downfall. The exact catalyst for their downfall was the Telchines’ hubris, as they turned to evil magic and lusted for power.   Initially portrayed as benevolent servants of the gods, the Telchines’ behaviour took a turn for the worse after they created Poseidon’s trident. They became engrossed in pursuing methods to create more powerful items and fixated on acquiring other means of power. This new obsession transformed the Telchines’ reputation from respected artisans to malevolent sorcerers who cursed any who tried to learn their secret art.   The Olympians became concerned about the Telechine’s use of destructive magic. However, the final straw was when they mixed the waters of the river Styx with sulphur, poisoning all living things on Rhodes. The reason for this act of destruction is not apparent in many sources. In a later Roman account by Nonnus, it is suggested that the Telchines performed this foul magic as revenge against the Heliades, who had driven them out of Rhodes. The Heliades were the seven sons of Helios, the sun god, and Rhode, a sea nymph goddess who personified the island of Rhodes.   Downfall of the Telchines  Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Plate 68 Jupiter, by Johann Wilhelm Baur, 1641. Source: British Museum.   There are different versions of the story of how the Telchines were destroyed. In some accounts, Zeus destroys them with thunderbolts or creates a flood that sinks them into the sea. Other versions claim that the Telchines were driven off the island of Rhodes when Zeus caused a great deluge to punish humanity, and they weren’t explicitly killed for their malevolent magic or hubris. In other versions, Poseidon destroys the Telchines using the trident they created for him. In some accounts, Apollo transforms into a wolf and kills the Telchines, leading to their demise. After being defeated, the Telchines were banished to Tartarus by the gods.   Unfortunately, very little information about the Telchines has survived over time. Although several ancient writers mention them, they only do so briefly and often present contradictory images of these elusive beings. The Telchines are often confused with other mythological figures like the Cyclopes, who lived underwater and forged Zeus’s thunder, the Kouretes dancers from Crete, and the ancient smiths and healers, the Dactyls.