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Attempts to cut EU funding for research

October 30, 2012, 11:20 pm
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Please sign this petition and forward it to your colleagues for signing:

http://www.no-cuts-on-research.eu

The discussions at and around the next summit of the European Union heads of states and governments, scheduled for 22 and 23 November, will be decisive in determining the EU research budget for the next seven years. Several Member States are demanding severe cuts on the total EU budget and research will have to compete with other policy priorities.

This is a time when we, the scientific community, should act together and make our case to protect research funding, including that of the European Research Council (ERC), from cuts. Decisions will be prepared in discussions among politicians at the national level. All of us must look for opportunities to affect these decisions and send a strong signal to the Heads of State or Government.

An open letter signed by European Nobel laureates has been published in top European newspapers this week. The impact of this letter will be increased if it is followed by a mobilization of the national scientific communities.

An online petition has been launched to keep the momentum going:

http://www.no-cuts-on-research.eu

I would like to ask you to sign it and to encourage your research group members and colleagues to do likewise. Note that in the past less than 30 000 scientists signed the largest petition for a scientific cause in Europe compared to the hundreds of thousands of signatures on petitions from other groups of society. We must do better than that.

This action is coordinated by the Initiative for Science in Europe (ise@i-se.org ), of which EMBO is a member. Please contact Wolfgang Eppenschwandtner, Executive Coordinator of the ISE if you have any questions or suggestions.


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Apollo Fellowship in Australia

October 30, 2012, 11:30 pm
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Applications are invited for a short-term Visiting Fellowship at the Centre for Classical and Near Eastern Studies of Australia (CCANESA) at The University of Sydney, Australia.   
The Apollo Visiting Fellowship
 
Value: AUD $4,000
 
Background and Aims: Thanks to the generosity of Alumni of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, the Department of Classics & Ancient History is able to offer the Apollo Visiting Fellowship to enable a young scholar to come to Sydney to consult with academic experts in their field and to work on their research at the Centre for Classical and Near Eastern Studies of Australia at the University of Sydney for a concentrated period.
 
For information about the Centre please follow this link: http://sydney.edu.au/ccanesa/  
 
 
Terms and Conditions: 
 
The Fellowship is open to young scholars of any country who are within three years after the award of their PhD. PhD. students in the final stages of the writing of their thesis may also apply, if they can demonstrate the benefit of consulting the academic expertise available at the University of Sydney for the completion of their doctorate.
 
The sum of AUD $4,000 is intended to serve as a total contribution toward the costs of travel to and accommodation in Sydney for the period of the Fellowship. The Fellow may determine the length of their stay but it is hoped that they will be able to remain for a minimum of two weeks. It would be desirable if some of their stay coincided with an academic semester (roughly: March-June; August-November). Office space will be made available for Fellows in CCANESA.  Fellows may be asked to give a seminar or lecture.

 
Method of Application and Award:
 
Applicants should:
 
1) Identify and make contact with a relevant member of academic staff in the Department of Classics & Ancient History whom they wish to consult, asking them to act as a sponsor. A list of staff and their contact details can be found here:
 

http://sydney.edu.au/arts/classics_ancient_history/staff/academic.shtml

 
 
2) Once a sponsor has agreed to act, applicants should submit a CV and statement of the research they propose to work on while in Sydney. They should also state the period during which they would wish to hold the Fellowship, and indicate what sources of funding they have to cover any shortfall in their expenses.  In the case of PhD students in the final stages of the writing of their thesis, evidence to demonstrate the benefit of consulting the academic expertise available at the University of Sydney for the completion of their doctorate must also be included. All of the preceding information should be sent by email to:  Dr Wendy Reade (Classics Research Administrator, CCANESA) via email: wendy.reade@sydney.edu.au  
 
Applications will be considered by a committee made up of members of the Department of Classics & Ancient History, and the Fellowship will be awarded on the criteria of research quality and the likely value of the award to both the Fellow and the community of scholars in CCANESA / The Department of Classics & Ancient History.

 
Timeline:
 
Deadline for applications:  Monday 3 December 2012
 
Committee decision:   Monday 17 December 2012
 
Further inquiries should be directed to Dr Wendy Reade: wendy.reade@sydney.edu.au
 


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The Final Roman Emperor Was Crowned

October 30, 2012, 11:50 pm
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On This Day in Ancient History - October 31:

On this Day in A.D. 475, the last western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was crowned in Ravenna. He was about 14 at the time. Romulus Augustulus was ousted a year later by Odoacer and sent to Campania, marking one of the more popular dates for the Fall of Rome.

Related:

Read My Updates: Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

The Final Roman Emperor Was Crowned originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 at 06:50:47.

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Guess Whose Columns

October 30, 2012, 11:52 pm
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Improved phylogenetic resolution within Y-haplogroup R1a1

October 31, 2012, 12:30 am
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AJPA DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22167

Brief communication: New Y-chromosome binary markers improve phylogenetic resolution within haplogroup R1a1

Horolma Pamjav et al.

Abstract

Haplogroup R1a1-M198 is a major clade of Y chromosomal haplogroups which is distributed all across Eurasia. To this date, many efforts have been made to identify large SNP-based subgroups and migration patterns of this haplogroup. The origin and spread of R1a1 chromosomes in Eurasia has, however, remained unknown due to the lack of downstream SNPs within the R1a1 haplogroup. Since the discovery of R1a1-M458, this is the first scientific attempt to divide haplogroup R1a1-M198 into multiple SNP-based sub-haplogroups. We have genotyped 217 R1a1-M198 samples from seven different population groups at M458, as well as the Z280 and Z93 SNPs recently identified from the “1000 Genomes Project”.

The two additional binary markers present an effective tool because now more than 98% of the samples analyzed assign to one of the three sub-haplogroups. R1a1-M458 and R1a1-Z280 were typical for the Hungarian population groups, whereas R1a1-Z93 was typical for Malaysian Indians and the Hungarian Roma. Inner and Central Asia is an overlap zone for the R1a1-Z280 and R1a1-Z93 lineages. This pattern implies that an early differentiation zone of R1a1-M198 conceivably occurred somewhere within the Eurasian Steppes or the Middle East and Caucasus region as they lie between South Asia and Eastern Europe. The detection of the Z93 paternal genetic imprint in the Hungarian Roma gene pool is consistent with South Asian ancestry and amends the view that H1a-M82 is their only discernible paternal lineage of Indian heritage.

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2012.10.60: Die Schätze der Erde – Natürliche Ressourcen in der antiken Welt. Stuttgarter Kolloquium zur Historischen Geographie des Altertums 10, 2008. Geographica Historica, Bd. 28

October 31, 2012, 1:20 am
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Review of Eckart Olshausen, Vera Sauer, Die Schätze der Erde – Natürliche Ressourcen in der antiken Welt. Stuttgarter Kolloquium zur Historischen Geographie des Altertums 10, 2008. Geographica Historica, Bd. 28. Stuttgart: 2012. Pp. 425. €64.00 (pb). ISBN 9783515101431.
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2012.10.61: Fibeln und Gürtelzubehör der späten römischen Kaiserzeit aus 'Augusta Vindelicum'/ Augsburg. Münchner Beiträge zur Provinzialrömischen Archäologie, 3

October 31, 2012, 1:20 am
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Review of Martina Paul, Fibeln und Gürtelzubehör der späten römischen Kaiserzeit aus 'Augusta Vindelicum'/ Augsburg. Münchner Beiträge zur Provinzialrömischen Archäologie, 3. Wiesbaden: 2011. Pp. 182; 18 plates. €38.00. ISBN 9783895007835.
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Author of the day: John the Lydian

October 31, 2012, 1:59 am
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John the Lydian or John Lydus (Latin: Joannes Laurentius Lydus; Greek: Ἰωάννης Λαυρέντιος ὁ Λυδός) was a 6th century Byzantine administrator and writer on antiquarian subjects. His works are of interest for specific data about classical events.
He was born in 490 AD at Philadelphia in Lydia, whence his cognomen "Lydus". At an early age he set out to seek his fortune in Constantinople, and held high court and state offices in the praetorian prefecture of the East under Anastasius and Justinian. In 552 he lost favour, and was dismissed. The date of his death is not known, but he was probably alive during the early years of Justin II (reigned 565-578).
During his retirement he occupied himself in the compilation of works on the antiquities of Rome, three of which have been preserved: De Ostentis (Gr. Περὶ Διοσημείων), on the origin and progress of the art of divination De Magistratibus reipublicae Romanae (Gr. Περὶ ἀρχῶν τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας), especially valuable for the administrative details of the time of Justinian; the work is now dated to 550 by Michael Maas.[1] De Mensibus (Gr. Περὶ τῶν μηνῶν), a history of the different pagan festivals of the year. The chief value of these books consists in the fact that the author made use of the works (now lost) of old Roman writers on similar subjects. Lydus was also commissioned by Justinian to compose a panegyric on the emperor, and a history of his campaign against Sassanid Persia; but these, as well as some poetical compositions, are lost.
Source: Wikipedia
Texts by or on John the Lydian:
Book on divination
Manuscript of the Liber de ostentis
PROCOPIUS' PORTRAYAL OF THEODORA IN THE SECRET HISTORY
Ruling the Later Roman Empire

See also


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Egyptian Wand [Object of the Day #97]

October 31, 2012, 2:00 am
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Wand

Wand

 

This Egyptian wand was created sometime between 1300 and 1200 BC and was found at a Temple in Beth Shan. It is created from a hippopotamus tusk, an animal that was once native to region that is now Syria/Palestine. On the wand, is the face of Hathor, goddess of love, music, and joy. She is shown traditionally as a woman with cow ears and a large wig. Hathor’s form can be can vary from completely in the form of a cow to a woman with cow ears or horns.

This object is thought to have been used in religious ceremonies. An identical pair of these objects would have been clapped over the head of a priest.

Penn Museum Object #29-105-217

To learn more about other objects found at the Canaanite Temple at Beth Shan read Expedition article The Ultimate Attire by Patrick McGovern

See this and other objects like it on Penn Museum’s Online Collection Database

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Blogosphere ~ Coin of the Emperor Marius – AD269

October 31, 2012, 2:06 am
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Blogosphere ~ Teaching Latin to students who have dyslexia

October 31, 2012, 2:07 am
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Blogosphere ~ More on Aurum ex Stercore

October 31, 2012, 2:11 am
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Blogosphere ~ “Good,” “Noble” and Occasionally “Large”

October 31, 2012, 2:12 am
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Blogosphere ~ Need Some Ancient Advice on Campaigning?

October 31, 2012, 2:12 am
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Blogosphere ~ Suddenly Rich

October 31, 2012, 2:13 am
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This Day in Ancient History: pridie kalendas novembres

October 31, 2012, 2:15 am
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pridie kalendas novembres

  • ludi Victoriae Sullanae (day 6) — games held in honour of Victoria commemorating Sulla’s defeat of the Samnites in 82 B.C.
  • 286 — martyrdom of Quentin

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Classical Words of the Day

October 31, 2012, 2:17 am
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Dogged exploration

October 31, 2012, 2:37 am
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Apotheon: Black Figure Gaming?

October 31, 2012, 2:38 am
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The incipit from a piece at Gamasutra:

Apotheon looks nothing like the last game independent developer Alientrap put out, Capsized — that title inhabited a verdant alien world, lush with detailed hand-drawn illustrations of the planet’s exotic flora.

This newest project more resembles the rash of silhouetted sidescrollers that have popped up in recent years, like Limbo, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, and Outland. But Apotheon stands out from that style by adopting an aesthetic that’s hardly been explored in games, the “Black Figure” paintings that adorn ancient Greek pottery.

It’s a striking look the Canadian studio might have never settled on if the team stayed with the project’s initial concept: a cyberpunk, sci-fi-themed open-world game with some mythological trappings.

Apotheon started as “space Greek mythology” before the studio dropped the “space” part and realized classical mythology alone is a great source for stories that translates well to video games, which the God of War series can attest to.

“The Black Figure pottery art style seemed like a no-brainer after that,” Alientrap artist and co-designer Jesse McGibney tells Gamasutra. “It’s simple to animate, bold and easy to read, transitions great into a 2D platformer perspective, and perfectly meshes with the narrative and theme. We were honestly surprised that hardly any games have used this style before.” [...]

… there’s more at the original article, including the first ‘gameplay video’. It kind of reminds me of the opening of Disney’s Hercules flick years ago but is actually really neat. There is some unfortunate terminology (e.g. Greeks wearing “togas”) and one of the characters kind of looks like a Roman standard bearer, but those seem to be minor quibbles for this sort of thing …


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Swords into Ploughshares: Archaeological Applications of CORONA Satellite Imagery in the Near East by Jesse Casana, Jackson Cothren and Tuna Kalayci

October 31, 2012, 2:40 am
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Since their declassification in 1995, CORONA satellite images collected by the United States military from 1960-1972 have proved to be an invaluable resource in the archaeology of the Near East. Because CORONA images pre-date the widespread construction of reservoirs, urban expansion, and agricultural intensification the region has undergone in recent decades, these high-resolution, stereo images preserve a picture of archaeological sites and landscapes that have often been destroyed or obscured by modern development. Despite its widely recognised value, the application of CORONA imagery in archaeological research has remained limited to a small group of specialists, largely because of the challenges involved in correcting spatial distortions produced by the satellites' unusual panoramic cameras. This article presents results of an effort to develop new methods of efficiently orthorectifying CORONA imagery and to use these methods to produce geographically corrected images across the Near East, now freely available through an online database. Following an overview of our methods, we present examples of how recent development has affected the archaeological record, new discoveries that analysis of our CORONA imagery database has already made possible, and emerging applications of CORONA including stereo analysis and DEM extraction.
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