Europe's oldest lake settlement uncovered in Albania
They are also collecting bones of domesticated and wild animals, copper objects and ceramics, featuring detailed carvings.
Albert Hafner, from the University of Bern, said similar settlements have been found in Alpine and Mediterranean regions, but the settlements in the village of Lin are half a millennium older, dating back between 6,000 and 8,000 years.
"Because it is under water, the organic material is well-preserved and this allows us to find out what these people have been eating, what they have been planting," Hafner said.
Multiple studies show that Lake Ohrid, shared by North Macedonia and Albania, is the oldest lake in Europe, at over one million years.
The age of the findings is determined through radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology, which measures annual growth rings in trees. More than one thousand wood samples have been collected from the site, which may have hosted several hundred people.
It is believed to cover around six hectares, but so far, only about 1% has been excavated after six years of work.
Hafner said findings show that people who lived on the lake helped to spread agriculture and livestock to other parts of Europe.
"They were still doing hunting and collecting things but the stable income for the nutrition was coming from the agriculture," he said.
Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi said it could take decades to fully explore the area.
"(By) the way they had lived, eaten, hunted, fished and by the way the architecture was used to build their settlement we can say they were very smart for that time," Anastasi said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
Gut health isn't just about your gut. It's about your whole body.
Next Story Neal Templin , Barrons Bacteria help digest food, produce essential nutrients, and fight cancer and heart disease. Diets full of whole foods and fiber produce a more diverse biome, which is good. (Image: Pixabay) Gift this article Your body has around 37 trillion cells, and they play a crucial role in your health. It has even more bacteria cells, mostly in your gut. They also play a crucial role. Your body has around 37 trillion cells, and they play a crucial role in your health. It has even more bacteria cells, mostly in your gut. They also play a crucial role. The bacteria in your gut help you digest food, produce key nutrients, fight off life-threatening maladies including cancer and heart disease, and are linked to mental health. Scientists are investigating whether gut bacteria may play some role in neurological diseases like Parkinson's or autism. Research on the gut microbiome has exploded over the past 15 years. 'Now it's recognized that virtually all disease can be impacted by your microbiome," Michael Snyder, a professor of genetics at Stanford Medicine, tells Barron's. Snyder led a six-year study of the gut, mouth, nose, and skin microbiomes of 86 people. Our bodies harbor key bacteria in all these locations, but the most numerous and important bacteria are in the gut. For example, people with Type 2 diabetes had a less stable and less diverse microbiome. 'Our results underscore the idea that we each have individualized microbiomes in our bodies that are special to us," Snyder told the Stanford Medicine publication. 'Your genetics, your diet and your immune system are all shaping this ecosystem." Some elements of your biome are shaped in the early years of your life. Others can be affected by what you are eating now. Diets full of whole foods and fiber produce a more diverse biome, which is good. As in so many areas of health, the Mediterranean diet—which emphasizes whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts—is believed to be beneficial for gut bacteria. Want to improve your biome? Up your fiber intake, says Snyder. The government recommends that women eat 25 grams a day of fiber, and that men eat 38. The best way to hit those numbers is to eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. But if that proves too difficult, fiber supplements will help produce a more diverse biome, Snyder says. In a 2018 study, scientists were able to produce measurable drops in LDL cholesterol, the fat that causes plaque buildups in our arteries, by giving study participants regular doses of psyllium, a plant fiber used to treat constipation. No one knows for sure why there has been a surge in colon cancer cases among young adults in recent years. One theory is that they eat too much processed food, which encourages the growth of unhealthy gut bacteria. Another theory is that heavy use of antibiotics during childhood harmed gut bacteria. In the future, your doctor—whether she is a cardiologist, nephrologist, or endocrinologist—may prescribe treatments for your gut microbe that will help your heart disease, kidney disease, or diabetes. 'I think that is where the future lies," says Dr. Stanley Hazen, chair of the department of cardiovascular & metabolic sciences at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute. 'Understanding what the microbes in your gut are making and how it affects you." Some of the strongest links between the microbiome and disease come in cardiology, Dr. Hazen says. Consider trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite that is produced by gut bacteria and the human body. 'It is a waste product of the foods we eat, especially the animal products," Dr. Hazen says. High TMAO levels in your blood are linked to arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, heart failure, and aortic aneurysms, Dr. Hazen says. You can reduce TMAO levels through the foods you eat, but its precursors are present in many foods, making it difficult to control by diet alone. Cleveland Clinic researchers are developing drugs that block gut microbes from producing TMAO. When given to mice, these drugs reduce heart disease, says Hazen, who led the Cleveland Clinic team. He expects versions of the drugs to be approved for humans eventually, and says they could change heart disease treatment. Hazen says he changed his own diet because of what he learned about the gut microbiome. 'I dramatically reduced the amount of red meat I eat. I used to eat meat in some form almost every day. Now it's a rarity." Gut bacteria help humans digest food. The human body doesn't have enzymes to break down all the nutrients and fibers we eat. It relies on bacteria to break down certain ones. 'Gut bacteria do have a strong role in modulating gut function," says Dr. Purna Kashyap, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist who studies the interaction between gut bacteria and dietary carbohydrates and how they influence the human digestive system. 'It's logical. They live there. They want the environment to be as conducive for their survival as possible." Despite research showing growing links between gut bacteria and various illnesses, Dr. Kashyap cautions that it doesn't necessarily mean the microbiome is the culprit. 'When we say the gut biome has been linked to a plethora of diseases, it means there is an association," he says. 'It doesn't mean the microbiome is causing all these diseases." Babies are born with a small amount of bacteria in their biome. Through exposure to their mother, to different foods, and to their environment, their biome quickly develops. By the age of three, it can be close to that of an adult. Once you have a complete biome, it takes more work to change it. For example, if you eat a lot of meat, you will have lots of bacteria linked to meat consumption. If you adopt a vegetarian diet, it will take time for your biome to change over to the bacteria needed for the consumption of plant products. 'It doesn't mean you can't change your microbiome," Dr. Kashyap says. 'It just means it will be much harder." Write to Neal Templin at Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
News18
a day ago
- News18
Photos: Adarsh Gourav Attends Alien: Earth's ‘Magical' European Premiere
Last Updated: Adarsh Gourav will be seen as the character Slightly in Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth. Actor Adarsh Gourav walked the red carpet of the European premiere of his upcoming show Alien: Earth on July 29. He is all set to be seen in a completely different role than his usual ones in the sci-fi series. The premiere event took place at the Barbican Centre, London, and the BAFTA-nominated actor graced the red carpet alongside the rest of the cast of the upcoming show. Taking to his Instagram account on Friday, August 1, Adarsh dropped some glimpses from the premiere. In one picture, he was seen with his co-stars Sydney Chandler, Kit Young, Erana James, Jonathan Ajayi, and Lily Newmark, posing on the red carpet. Another few captured some of their behind-the-scenes antics. Through some pictures in the carousel, Adarsh also gave a closer look at his stylish outfit for his red carpet appearance. In the monochrome pictures, he was rocking an all-black look, comprising a half-sleeved leather shirt paired with a tie, a leather jacket and pants. He was seen posing for photos in the streets of London and was even seen giving autographs to fans who gathered at the event. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adarsh Gourav (@gouravadarsh) Adarsh Gourav Says It Was His 'Privilege' To Work With The Cast Of Alien: Earth In the caption of the post, he wrote, 'The European premiere of @alienearthfx was magical. Such a privilege to work alongside the best talent in the world. Super excited for the show to drop on the 12th of August on @hulu and @disneyplus worldwide." Adarsh's sweet words for the cast of Alien: Earth immediately received reactions from his co-stars. The show's lead actress, Sydney Chandler, reacted to the post with red hearts, whereas his co-star, Babou Ceesay, wrote, 'You're an icon." Actress Diem Camille penned, 'Absolute superstar and heart." The upcoming show, directed by Noah Hawley, is a prequel set two years before the events of the original 1979 film Alien. Alien: Earth will follow the story of a young woman and a group of tactical soldiers who must fight to survive after a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth. The entire series was reportedly filmed in Thailand to immerse viewers in a world that is both completely foreign and familiar. The show, led by Sydney Chandler as Wendy, the first hybrid, features Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, David Rysdahl, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, and Diem Camille as Siberian, among others. Alien: Earth will premiere on August 12 and after an eight-episode run, will end in September. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Why airplanes use nautical miles instead of kilometers to measure distance
We travel by road, water, or air. On roads, the odometer shows meters, and the speedometer displays kilometers per hour (km/h). But measuring distance in air or water isn't as straightforward. This is where nautical miles, a unit of length specially designed for navigation in air, sea, and space, comes in. 'The nautical mile is based on geography, history, and practicality. It equals 1.852 km (1.851853 km by international standard) and was defined in 1929 by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). While both units relate to Earth's size, the meter (1/10,000,000 of the Earth's meridian) suits land measurements better and lacks a clear link to latitude and longitude. The nautical mile isn't part of the International System of Units (SI),' explained Dr Harshada Babrekar, Ph.D. Physics, consultant for Academic Development, Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL). Prof. Jayant Pande, Faculty of Physics, FLAME University, said historically, sailors used nautical miles for centuries to navigate over large distances in the sea. 'Particularly when global navigation started to be carried out widely by European explorers in the 16th century, it was a matter of great convenience for them to know that the distance traveled by ship over a sea along a longitudinal meridian held a direct relationship to the degrees of latitude that had been crossed by the ship,' said Prof. Pande. Since the latitudes are equally spaced along the Earth's surface, such that there are 180 degrees of latitude in total from the North Pole to the South Pole, the calculation meant that one nautical mile equalled 1/(180*60)th of the distance along a meridian from the North to the South Pole. 'Again, this assumes the Earth to be a sphere, which is a close approximation to its actual shape of an oblate spheroid. This definition of a nautical mile, based on the distance between two degrees of latitude, makes it a handy unit for navigation, both for sailors and pilots, and helps them to pinpoint the latitude of a point easily and precisely,' said Prof. Pande. Take, for instance, Dr Harshada explained that if a plane is passing from Point A with Latitude 35° N, Longitude 118° W, and Point B: Latitude 38° N, Longitude 120° W (not taking into account longitude difference just for simplicity): Latitude Difference: 38° – 35° = 3° Convert to Minutes: 3° * 60 minutes/degree = 180 minutes Nautical Miles: 180 minutes * 1 nautical mile/minute = 180 nautical miles (approximately) Kilometers: 1 nautical mile = 1.852 kilometers = 180 * 1.852 = 333 km The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandate the use of nautical miles as a global standard for ships and aircraft to reduce confusion. 'Each nautical mile equals one minute of latitude, allowing pilots to map routes precisely and navigate with ease. This standardisation helps maintain course using maps, ensures safer flights, and supports accurate GPS-based navigation,' said Dr Harshada. Prof. Pande said that a nautical mile is more suited to navigation over a body of water, whose surface can be constantly changing, than ground-based units such as kilometers and miles. 'With that said, due to reasons of standardisation, in modern times, an international nautical mile has been globally defined to have a length of exactly 1852 meters, which means that one can, if needed, convert from the nautical mile to an SI unit such as a kilometer,' said Prof. Pande. Using nautical miles also streamlines flight planning and promotes international coordination in aviation. 'If global adoption of the metric system grows like the gradual shift in the United States, kilometers may become common in everyday use. But in professional navigation and aviation, nautical miles will continue to dominate,' said Dr Harshada. DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
