Vagheesh M. Narasimhan, N. Patterson, Priya Moorjani
et al.
Ancient human movements through Asia Ancient DNA has allowed us to begin tracing the history of human movements across the globe. Narasimhan et al. identify a complex pattern of human migrations and admixture events in South and Central Asia by performing genetic analysis of more than 500 people who lived over the past 8000 years (see the Perspective by Schaefer and Shapiro). They establish key phases in the population prehistory of Eurasia, including the spread of farming peoples from the Near East, with movements both westward and eastward. The people known as the Yamnaya in the Bronze Age also moved both westward and eastward from a focal area located north of the Black Sea. The overall patterns of genetic clines reflect similar and parallel patterns in South Asia and Europe. Science, this issue p. eaat7487; see also p. 981 Genome-wide analysis of ancient DNA from more than 500 individuals from Central and South Asia illuminates the spread of Indo-European languages. RATIONALE To elucidate the extent to which the major cultural transformations of farming, pastoralism, and shifts in the distribution of languages in Eurasia were accompanied by movement of people, we report genome-wide ancient DNA data from 523 individuals spanning the last 8000 years, mostly from Central Asia and northernmost South Asia. RESULTS The movement of people following the advent of farming resulted in genetic gradients across Eurasia that can be modeled as mixtures of seven deeply divergent populations. A key gradient formed in southwestern Asia beginning in the Neolithic and continuing into the Bronze Age, with more Anatolian farmer–related ancestry in the west and more Iranian farmer–related ancestry in the east. This cline extended to the desert oases of Central Asia and was the primary source of ancestry in peoples of the Bronze Age Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC). This supports the idea that the archaeologically documented dispersal of domesticates was accompanied by the spread of people from multiple centers of domestication. The main population of the BMAC carried no ancestry from Steppe pastoralists and did not contribute substantially to later South Asians. However, Steppe pastoralist ancestry appeared in outlier individuals at BMAC sites by the turn of the second millennium BCE around the same time as it appeared on the southern Steppe. Using data from ancient individuals from the Swat Valley of northernmost South Asia, we show that Steppe ancestry then integrated further south in the first half of the second millennium BCE, contributing up to 30% of the ancestry of modern groups in South Asia. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the unique features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages. The primary ancestral population of modern South Asians is a mixture of people related to early Holocene populations of Iran and South Asia that we detect in outlier individuals from two sites in cultural contact with the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), making it plausible that it was characteristic of the IVC. After the IVC’s decline, this population mixed with northwestern groups with Steppe ancestry to form the “Ancestral North Indians” (ANI) and also mixed with southeastern groups to form the “Ancestral South Indians” (ASI), whose direct descendants today live in tribal groups in southern India. Mixtures of these two post-IVC groups—the ANI and ASI—drive the main gradient of genetic variation in South Asia today. CONCLUSION Earlier work recorded massive population movement from the Eurasian Steppe into Europe early in the third millennium BCE, likely spreading Indo-European languages. We reveal a parallel series of events leading to the spread of Steppe ancestry to South Asia, thereby documenting movements of people that were likely conduits for the spread of Indo-European languages. The Bronze Age spread of Yamnaya Steppe pastoralist ancestry into two subcontinents—Europe and South Asia. Pie charts reflect the proportion of Yamnaya ancestry, and dates reflect the earliest available ancient DNA with Yamnaya ancestry in each region. Ancient DNA has not yet been found for the ANI and ASI, so for these the range is inferred statistically. By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages.
Материалы, впервые публикуемые в настоящей статье, представляют собой результаты изучения изделий из металла поселения эпохи бронзы Токсанбай. Полевые исследования, проводившиеся в течение многих лет, позволили собрать коллекцию предметов из металла. Следует указать, что практически вся коллекция изделий — это подъёмный материал со склонов останца, на котором расположено поселение. Одно из помещений содержало в себе следы плавки металла — очажную печь, тигли разной сохранности, капельки металла, но — ни одного готового изделия. Изделия изготовлены из низколегированной однофазной бронзы и загрязнены неметаллическими включениями. Температура горячей обработки отмечена в диапазоне 750—600°C. Основная технология изготовления орудий — ковка в горячем состоянии, с применением кратковременного отжига. Во многих изделиях фиксируются признаки повторной термо-механической обработки. Вся серия предметов демонстрирует устоявшуюся технологическую традициюобработки низколегированных бронз на финальном этапе производства, включавшую чередование ковки и отжига для улучшения пластичности и устранения дефектов. Технология изготовления изделий характерна для развитых металлургических центров позднего бронзового века Урало-Казахстанского региона.
Andrei Ionut Cucu, Catalin M. Buzduga, Navena Widulin
et al.
<b>Background:</b> In the 19th century, pulmonary tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in Europe, responsible for up to one-quarter of all mortality. Before Robert Koch’s discovery of the tubercle bacillus in 1882 and the advent of effective therapies, treatment relied on rest, high-caloric diets, and sanatoria. <b>Objectives:</b> This study aims to reconstruct the medical biography of Dr. Șerban Eminovici (1841–1874), Romanian physician and elder brother of poet Mihai Eminescu, and to contextualize his life and death within the broader history of tuberculosis and pre-antibiotic medical practice. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted a historical case study using archival sources, including university registers from Erlangen, Munich, and Vienna, hospital admission records from the Charité Hospital in Berlin, and contemporaneous correspondence. Secondary literature on the history of tuberculosis and the Eminovici family was also reviewed. <b>Results</b>: Eminovici pursued medical studies across Central Europe, obtaining his doctorate in Vienna and later practicing medicine in Berlin, where he was a member of the Berliner Medizinische Gesellschaft. Despite early signs of respiratory illness, treated at spa resorts such as Gleichenberg, his condition progressed to advanced pulmonary tuberculosis with neuropsychiatric complications. Hospital records confirm his admission to the Charité on 10 October 1874, and his death from “Lungenschwindsucht” (pulmonary tuberculosis) on 29 November 1874, at age 33. His trajectory illustrates both the transnational mobility of Romanian intellectual elites and the therapeutic limitations of pre-antibiotic medicine. <b>Conclusions:</b> The case of Dr. Șerban Eminovici highlights the devastating impact of tuberculosis on 19th-century intellectuals, the reliance on lifestyle-based therapies before the discovery of the tubercle bacillus, and the importance of Central European medical networks in shaping Romanian professional identities. Beyond its biographical significance, this case underscores the persistent social and cultural burden of tuberculosis in Eastern Europe.
This article is devoted to the initial period of Poland’s economic transformation from a administrative-command system to a market economy. It covers the years 1988–1991, that is, three successive government cabinets. On the one hand, that transformation was accompanied by struggles arising from the legacy of the Polish People’s Republic – above all, inflation and shortages in the domestic market. On the other hand, during the same period, Poland initiated the efforts to integrate with the European Communities and to reorient its foreign trade priorities. The author argues that, in the economic sphere, the transformation preceded the political fall of communism.
In the 1960s and 1970s a series of observations and theoretical developments highlighted the presence of several anomalies which could, in principle, be explained by postulating one of the following two working hypotheses: (i) the existence of dark matter, or (ii) the modification of standard gravitational dynamics in low accelerations. In the years that followed, the dark matter hypothesis as an explanation for dark matter phenomenology attracted far more attention compared to the hypothesis of modified gravity, and the latter is largely regarded today as a non-viable alternative. The present article takes an integrated history and philosophy of science approach in order to identify the reasons why the scientific community mainly pursued the dark matter hypothesis in the years that followed, as opposed to modified gravity. A plausible answer is given in terms of three epistemic criteria for the pursuitworthiness of a hypothesis: (a) its problem-solving potential, (b) its compatibility with established theories and the feasibility of incorporation, and (c) its independent testability. A further comparison between the problem of dark matter and the problem of dark energy is also presented, explaining why in the latter case the situation is different, and modified gravity is still considered a viable possibility.
The article examines the collection of photographic negatives from the funds of the Bakhchisarai Museum-Reserve, which is the most valuable material for a wide range of researchers. It contains architectural monuments (Khan’s Palace, mosques, fountains, mausoleums, residential buildings, etc.), museum staff, cultural and educational figures, residents of Bakhchisarai, villages of Crimea, museum objects that have not survived to the present day. Special attention is paid to the images of the museum’s exhibitions in the 1920s and 1930s.
The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the San Francisco Exposition, which marked the ceremonial opening of the Panama Canal, and the Ottoman Empire’s approach to this event. Additionally, the study examines the historical, political, economic, strategic, and social importance of the Panama Canal from its inception to completion.
The scientific novelty of research paper lies in its detailed examination and analysis of the Panama Canal’s construction and opening, with a specific focus on the Ottoman Empire’s interactions and responses. The study provides unique insights into the diplomatic interactions between the United States and the Ottoman Empire during the canal’s inauguration. This research uncovers lesser-known aspects of the canal’s history, highlighting the persistent efforts of the United States to involve the Ottoman Empire and other nations in the celebrations, thereby showcasing the complex global geopolitical dynamics of the early 20th century.
Conclusions. The history of the Panama Canal is a testament to remarkable engineering feats, international diplomacy, and significant geopolitical shifts. Initially envisioned by the Spanish, attempted by the French, and ultimately realized by the United States, the canal has had a profound impact on global trade by reducing maritime distances and fostering economic growth.
The United States’ successful construction of the canal was a demonstration of advanced engineering and a strategic diplomatic achievement. By supporting Panama’s independence and carefully navigating international agreements, the US secured its control over this vital waterway, further solidifying its influence on the global stage.
The absence of the Ottoman Empire at the San Francisco Exposition, despite persistent American invitations, highlights an intriguing diplomatic nuance. Ottoman archival documents reveal multiple efforts by the United States to engage the Empire, underscoring the canal’s significance in international relations. This diplomatic episode illustrates the broader geopolitical implications of the canal’s opening and US’s message of emerging dominance.
In summary, the Panama Canal’s history is not only about engineering triumphs but also about the complex interplay of international relations, exemplified by the interactions with the Ottoman Empire. The canal’s completion marked the beginning of a new era, with the United States at the forefront, reshaping global trade and political dynamics.
The purpose of the research paper. The article deals with one of the few hillforts of the Final Bronze - Early Iron Age on the northern coast of the Black Sea - the Uch-Bash settlement.
Scientific novelty. Discovered remains of fortification, the system and stages of their construction, the reason and time of fortification of the settlement, the place of the site in the system of synchronous fortified settlements of the region are discussed in the article.
Conclusions. The settlement of Uch-Bash is one of the points that arose on the shores of the Black Sea during the final Bronze Age – around the end of the 12 century B.C. The site was badly damaged by the detonation of the Black Sea Fleet’s ammunition depots during the retreat of the Primors’ka Army in 1942.
The settlement was founded on a place with landscape protection. From the side of the Inkerman valley and the sea, Uch-Bash was impregnable, its protected steep rock was about 15 meters high. From the land, the plateau of the Uch-Bash smoothly descended towards the hill of Malakhovy Kurgan on the Heraklion Peninsula.
The first remains of an ancient fortification were excavated in the 1950s by the expedition of S.F. Strzelecki. 2006-2012 research revealed the remains of walls, an ancient entrance and a ditch on the west side of the settlement. The direction of the walls corresponded to the direction of the fortifications excavated in the 1950s. The context of the remains of the fortification allows them to date from the end of the 12th to the mid of 8th century BC.
Archaeological excavations have shown that the fortifications at the Uch-Bash settlement were built in several stages. The second stage dated on the middle of the 8th century BC. It is likely that the construction of the fortress was not finished. The remains of these buildings are covered by a layer of destruction and fire associated with an attack by nomads, which left a number of finds of the Novocherkassk type in the fire layers.
The fortifications of Uch-Bash are not the only one site in the north of Pontus. Various types of fortifications have sites in the mouth and lower reaches of the Danube, the Southern Bug, and the Don. Landmarks with similar geographical characteristics are known in the headwaters of the estuaries of other large rivers in the north of the Black Sea. Fortified settlements of this time also appear further north on the border of the steppe and forest-steppe, in the forest-steppe region, further east near the steppe zone of Eurasia.
There are grounds for asserting that the northern coast of the Black Sea had an economically and socially determined system of fortified settlements and hillforts, which was located on the border of coastal settlements and the steppe zone of the region.
Статтю присвячено проблемі відносин та соціальної взаємодії українських громад (передусім міщан і селян) з єврейським населенням Волинського воєводства першої половини XVII ст. Звернено увагу на актуальність об’єктивного аналізу цієї проблеми з огляду на хибні стереотипи про глибокі традиції українського антисемітизму та недостатню увагу вітчизняних науковців до вивчення досвіду соціальної взаємодії іудеїв і християн Волині литовсько-польської доби. Проаналізовано найважливіші дослідження й публікації, в яких започатковано розв’язання проблеми, підкреслено пріоритетні напрямки подальших студій, пов’язаних з цією тематикою.
Порушено питання про специфіку конфліктів між християнами та іудеями Волині. При цьому наголошено, що конфліктних ситуацій, пов’язаних саме з національно-релігійними непорозуміннями, виявлено порівняно небагато. Водночас у низці випадків їхній аналіз дає можливість отримати (як фонову інформацію) відомості про співпрацю представників християнських та іудейських громад.
Проаналізовано чотири епізоди з історії українсько-єврейських взаємин, які засвідчували співпрацю представників цих громад у реаліях повсякдення Волині першої половини XVII ст. Зокрема, відзначено практику запрошень українських міщанок і селянок до єврейських родин годувальницями немовлят; при цьому наголошено, що згадана співпраця мала давню історію й практикувалася на Волині попри виразну заборону в ІІ Литовському статуті. Розглянуто також випадки реакції українських селян і міщан у кризових ситуаціях, коли їхніми зусиллями євреїв було врятовано від грабіжників та юрби, що мала намір вчинити самосуд.
Дослідження дало можливість підтвердити уже заявлений у працях вітчизняних дослідників факт розмитості національно-релігійних кордонів між євреями й українцями в умовах повсякдення першої половини XVII ст. Це знаходило підтвердження не лише на прикладі комунікації євреїв зі шляхтою, але й на рівні інших станів, а саме міщан і селян. Підкреслено, що міф про системний антисемітизм українців не знаходить підтвердження в джерелах, тому дослідження реальних конфліктів українців і євреїв потребують нових підходів.
Quantum entanglement is a key resource, which grants quantum systems the ability to accomplish tasks that are classically impossible. Here, we apply Feynman's sum-over-histories formalism to interacting bipartite quantum systems and introduce entanglement measures for bipartite quantum histories. Based on the Schmidt decomposition of the matrix comprised of the Feynman propagator complex coefficients, we prove that bipartite quantum histories are entangled if and only if the Schmidt rank of this matrix is larger than 1. The proposed approach highlights the utility of using a separable basis for constructing the bipartite quantum histories and allows for quantification of their entanglement from the complete set of experimentally measured sequential weak values. We then illustrate the non-classical nature of entangled histories with the use of Hardy's overlapping interferometers and explain why local hidden variable theories are unable to correctly reproduce all observable quantum outcomes. Our theoretical results elucidate how the composite tensor product structure of multipartite quantum systems is naturally extended across time and clarify the difference between quantum histories viewed as projection operators in the history Hilbert space or viewed as chain operators and propagators in the standard Hilbert space.
Knowledge graphs have been adopted in many diverse fields for a variety of purposes. Most of those applications rely on valid and complete data to deliver their results, pressing the need to improve the quality of knowledge graphs. A number of solutions have been proposed to that end, ranging from rule-based approaches to the use of probabilistic methods, but there is an element that has not been considered yet: the edit history of the graph. In the case of collaborative knowledge graphs (e.g., Wikidata), those edits represent the process in which the community reaches some kind of fuzzy and distributed consensus over the information that best represents each entity, and can hold potentially interesting information to be used by knowledge graph refinement methods. In this paper, we explore the use of edit history information from Wikidata to improve the performance of type prediction methods. To do that, we have first built a JSON dataset containing the edit history of every instance from the 100 most important classes in Wikidata. This edit history information is then explored and analyzed, with a focus on its potential applicability in knowledge graph refinement tasks. Finally, we propose and evaluate two new methods to leverage this edit history information in knowledge graph embedding models for type prediction tasks. Our results show an improvement in one of the proposed methods against current approaches, showing the potential of using edit information in knowledge graph refinement tasks and opening new promising research lines within the field.