Heroes: Wellesley and Framingham, Mass. police Find and Return Stolen Puppy

There is nothing more cruel than kidnapping a child, human or animal- and that's what 2 losers did to a puppy in Massachusetts. Today's Blog honors the HEROES in the 2 police departments that worked together to find the dog and bring her home. Officers Derek Harris and  Officer Mike Mankavech, of the Wellesley Police worked with the Framingham Police and are the Heroes of the week.   Here's the story from the Boston Globe>>>

(Photo: Wellesley police officer Derek Harris with Ember'.. Credit: Wellesley Police) 

Stolen puppy returned to Wellesley family after being tracked down in Framingham Ember 

– the eight-month-old black lab – disappeared on Thursday. Ember was on a tether in the front yard of her Wellesley when she disappeared. 

\Christiana Botic / The Boston GlobeBy Mia McCarthyJuly 26, 2021

A puppy stolen from her Wellesley home was found and returned to her family on Sunday, after police say she was taken by two Framingham suspects last week.

Ember – the eight-month-old black lab – was on a tether in the front yard of her Wellesley home on Redwing Road when she disappeared “during a very short time frame” on Thursday, July 22. Her owners, Neil and Illana Nissenbaum and their three kids, were surprised she had gone missing after being tied up outside to dry off after a swim, the Boston Globe reported.

“She doesn’t ever get out,” Illana told the Globe. “The only way that she gets loose is when she runs out the door.”

Wellesley police reported that the tether and its clasp appeared to be working correctly, leading Officer Derek Harris to believe the dog was stolen. Locals were quick to help the Nissenbaums look for Ember, who the Globe reported is “famous” in the neighborhood.

“Everybody stepped up,” Neil Nissenbaum said. “I think my wife told me that in the morning the mailman, the UPS driver, and the police were all looking for Ember.”

Video of Ember's Reunion with her parents

Officer Harris, along with Officer Mike Mankavech, then talked to neighbors on the street, some of whom had security cameras and provided footage to police. The statement said Harris noticed one vehicle circling around the family’s Wellesley residence multiple times before the disappearance.

(Photo: Officer Michael Mankavech, Wellesley Police. Credit: Wellesley, Mass. Police)

After running the license plate, officers found the suspicious car belonging to a Framingham resident. On Sunday, police arrived at the suspect’s residence, where they saw Ember “in plain sight.”

The statement said Wellesley police worked with Framingham police to recover the puppy and identify the suspects. Ember was returned to her owners later that evening and was not harmed.

Police announced they arrested a 40-year-old male Framingham resident at the scene. Another suspect – a 32-year-old female Framingham resident – was also identified and will be summonsed to court according to police. According to NBC10 Boston, the suspects told police they took the dog to make themselves “feel better” for an unidentified health issue.

(Caption:  Ember being pet by her family before a press conference held at the Wellesley Police Department on Sunday. – Christiana Botic / The Boston Globe)

The suspects are facing charges of stolen property over $1200 and conspiracy. The male suspect was arraigned on Monday at Dedham District Court while the female suspect will be arraigned at a later date.

“The Wellesley Police Department would like to thank all the citizens in the Redwing Road and Cedar Street neighborhoods that we spoke to over the course of the last few days,” the statement said. “Without the help of the neighbors, this case would probably not have had such a great ending.” “[Ember] brought us together as a family,” said Illana to the Globe.

Why are vinegar and baking soda so good for cleaning? (and some cleaning tips)

I use vinegar and baking soda every month to clean out the drains and sinks. I swear by it! Recently I came across an article about why it's so good for cleaning so I thought I would share it with you!

Why are vinegar and baking soda so good for cleaning? 

By Stacy Kish - Live Science Contributor

More and more people are tossing out the harsh chemicals from their daily cleaning routine and instead turning to natural products, such as baking soda and vinegar, to remove grime, disinfect surfaces and leave spaces shiny and clean, according to Reader's Digest. So why are these household items such effective cleaning agents? The answer is pretty basic — baking soda and vinegar lie on opposite ends of the pH scale. 

 "When you are cleaning using baking soda or vinegar, you are actually doing very complicated manipulations of molecules," said May Nyman, a professor in the department of chemistry at Oregon State University. 

 Baking soda is the common name for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Most people probably associate it with cooking, because it makes your cakes and breads big and puffy. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid (HC2H3O2), produced by bacteria during fermentation. 

 "Baking soda is the opposite of vinegar. It is harsh like vinegar but dissolves organic matter," Nyman told Live Science. "Like vinegar, it cannot harm you and will not be harmful when cleaning places where you store your food." 

Cleaning one-two punch 

As a base, baking soda dissolves organic compounds like dirt, grease and other sticky ickies. In addition, the mineral structure of each baking soda particle provides a gentle abrasive to clean without leaving scratches behind.  As an acid, vinegar breaks down minerals that form from hard tap water, forming unsightly stains on sinks, tubs and counters. Combining these two common household substances can produce incredible results in the kitchen, but it's important to not combine them in equal amounts because you need to keep the mixture in either the acidic or basic side of the neutral value.

 When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned. 

 CLEANING TIPS 

- Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar. This mixture unlocks an effervescent fizz of carbon dioxide that cleans and freshen drains. 

 - Remove hard water stains by placing a vinegar-soaked towel over the affected area. After a few hours, remove the cloth and scrub the affected area with a paste made of baking soda and water. 

- Kill mildew in laundry using baking soda and vinegar. Add a half a cup of baking soda with the laundry detergent to supercharge the cleaning process. Follow this with one cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle to kill bacteria and soften fabric. 

- Clean grout by applying a baking soda paste made of baking soda and water. Spray the paste with vinegar before scrubbing the grime away.

Cats and dogs get COVID-19 from their owners at extremely high rates

 If you're a pet parent and you haven't received your vaccines against COVID 19, you're also putting your dog or cat at risk (in addition to human friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers). The vaccines WORK. If you're a Pet Parent and you love your dog or cat, please get your shot. They rely on us to take care of them. We need to be responsible pet parents, too. Here's the story and research from Live Science.

(Image: Kitten and Puppy. Credit: https://www.startribune.com/) 

Cats and dogs get COVID-19 from their owners at extremely high rates 

By Rachael Rettner -LIVE SCIENCE.COM

About two-thirds of pet cats and more than 40% of pet dogs in the study caught COVID-19 after their owners had the disease. 

Pet cats and dogs often catch COVID-19 from their owners, a new study suggests. The study researchers found that, among the pets of people who had recovered from COVID-19, about two-thirds of cats and more than 40% of dogs had antibodies against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, meaning the pets had been infected with the virus in the past. In particular, cats that slept in their owners' beds had a high risk of catching the disease.

"If someone has COVID-19, there is a surprisingly high chance they will pass it on to their pet," study co-author Dr. Dorothee Bienzle, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, said in a statement. 

The authors recommend that people with COVID-19 keep their distance from their pets, and "keep [pets] out of your bedroom," Bienzle said. The study was presented in early July, 2021 at this year's virtual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2021) and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

For the study, the researchers tested 48 cats and 54 dogs, from 77 households, for antibodies against the novel coronavirus. (Owners in all of the 77 households had previously tested positive for COVID-19.) Owners were also asked about their interactions with their pets, including whether they kissed their pets or allowed the pets to sleep on their bed. 

 The researchers also tested 75 dogs and cats housed in animal shelters, and 75 stray cats that were seen at a low-cost veterinary clinic, for antibodies against the novel coronavirus.

 They found that 67% of the pet cats (32 out of 48 cats) tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, as did 43% of the pet dogs (23 out of 54 dogs). 

In contrast, only 9% of the cats and dogs in the animal shelters, and 3% of stray cats, tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. This finding suggests that COVID-19 is most likely spreading from people to pets, rather than the other way around, given that strays and shelter animals likely have less contact with humans than pets do. Fortunately, most pets that had coronavirus antibodies were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. 

About 20% of the 54 pet dogs showed symptoms around the time their owners got sick, including reduced energy levels, loss of appetite and cough; but these symptoms cleared up quickly, the researchers said. 

About 27% of the 48 pet cats had symptoms, including runny nose and difficulty breathing. Three of the feline cases, or 6%, were severe. Advertisement Dogs that had close contact with their owners or slept on their owner's beds were no more likely to catch COVID-19 than dogs that didn't have this type of contact. However, cats that spent more time with their owners or slept on their owner's bed were more likely to catch COVID-19, as compared with the perhaps more aloof cats.

Cats appear to be more susceptible to COVID-19 than dogs. This may be because the virus binds more easily to the receptors on the surface of cats' cells compared with dogs' cells, the authors said. In addition, cats may be more likely to sleep near their owners' faces compared with dogs, they said. 

No data suggests that pets can pass COVID-19 back to people, and the risk of this happening is low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But since the possibility of pet-to-human transmission can't be ruled out, it's all the more reason to isolate pets from people sick with COVID-19, the authors said. Pets that test positive for COVID-19 should also be kept away from other people and pets, according to the CDC.

DISCOVERY! Ancient ship and burial ground discovered in underwater city in Egypt

Archaeologists and divers have made a huge discovery in the Mediterranean Sea of a 2,200 year old ancient Egyptian ship!  Wow! Here's the story: 

(Caption: Elaborate offerings were found in the burial ground. The decorated pot in this photo shows what appear to be images of waves.  (Image credit: Christoph Gerigk ©FranckGoddio/Hilti Foundation)

Ancient ship and burial ground discovered in underwater city in Egypt

By Owen Jarus - Live Science Contributor  

Galley sunk when it was slammed with blocks from famous temple of Amun.

Archaeologists have discovered the 2,200-year-old wreck of an ancient Egyptian ship that sank after being struck with giant blocks from the famous temple of Amun. The so-called galley, along with a burial ground, were discovered beneath the Mediterranean Sea in Thonis-Heracleion, a city that fell into the water long ago. 

The ship is called a fast galley, a type of vessel with a large sail that would have been propelled to relatively high speeds by a team of oarsmen. The recently discovered fast galley is 82 feet (25 meters) long with a flat keel, a feature that is commonly found among ancient vessels that navigated the Nile River. It "sank after being hit by huge blocks from the famed temple of Amun, which was totally destroyed [during] a cataclysmic event in the second century B.C.," a team of archaeologists said in an emailed statement released by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology. 

That "cataclysmic event" was probably an earthquake, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a July 19 statement. The galley now lies beneath just over 16 feet (5 m) of clay and rubble from the temple.

Researchers used a new type of sonar to locate it. 

(Image: Blocks from the Temple of Amun fell on the galley sinking the ship. The vessel was found beneath 5 meters (16.4 feet) of clay and blocks. A sophisticated sonar had to be used to find the vessel. image credit: Christoph Gerigk ©FranckGoddio/Hilti Foundation)

"The finds of fast galleys from this period remain extremely rare," Franck Goddio, the president of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, said in the institute's statement. The ship was constructed with a mortise-and-tenon technique, in which pieces of wood with protrusions called tenons are placed into pieces of wood with holes called mortises cut into them. The result is a ship made of wood sections that interlock like a jigsaw puzzle. It's not clear what cargo, if any, the galley was carrying when it sank. 

At the site of this sunken city, the archaeologists also discovered a burial ground that was in use as far back as 2,400 years ago. The team found elaborately decorated pottery, including one piece that appears to have images of waves painted on it. 

Archaeologists also found a gold amulet depicting Bes, an Egyptian god associated with childbirth and fertility. Ancient Egyptians sometimes used images of the god to protect young children and women giving birth. 

Discovery! Archaeologists found 1200 yr old lair of an exiled Anglo-Saxon hermit king

Archaeologists found a series of caves in the U.K. back in the 18th century, but recently research shows that it was where an exiled king fled. Here's the story from LIVESCIENCE.

(Caption:  Anchor Church Caves, located by the River Trent. Credit: Smithsonian)

Archaeologists have found the lair of an exiled Anglo-Saxon hermit king 

By Ben Turner - Staff Writer  July 23, 2021

Anchor Church cave could be one of the oldest intact domestic interiors in the U.K.

Until recently, archaeologists thought the cave dated to the 18th century. Their estimate was nearly 1000 years off the mark.  A British cave dwelling has been identified as the refuge for an exiled Anglo-Saxon king, according to archaeologists.

Anchor Church Caves, located by the River Trent in a secluded part of the countryside in central England, was long considered to be an 18th-century "folly" — an extravagant building made solely for ornamentation or as a joke. But a new study has revealed that the cave house is the real deal. The 1,200-year-old structure was built during the tumultuous life of the Northumbrian king Eardwulf, who was hounded from his throne to live as a hermit, and later became a saint.

(Photo: this handsome actor played Eardwulf of Mercia,  a supporting character in both The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom UK television series.)

WHO WAS EARDWULF?  According to Historica Fandom.com, Eardwulf was born in Northumbria in 730 to a noble family. 

In 790, King Aethelred I of Northumbria attempted to have Eardwulf assassinated, but Eardwulf survived, which was seen as showing divine favor. He took the throne after Aethelred himself was murdered in 796, marrying an illegitimate daughter of Charlemagne. Eardwulf was king of Northumbria from 796 to 806, when he was deposed and went into exile.  In 798, he crushed a rebellion at Billington Moor, and he battled against Coenwulf of Mercia in 801. He was deposed in 806 and died in 810. 

CAVE DWELLING  - Local legend said Eardwulf, or St. Hardulph as he was later known, lived inside the cave dwelling after he was deposed and exiled for mysterious reasons in A.D. 806. A fragment from a 16th-century book states that Eardwulf ''has a cell in a cliff a little from the Trent,'' and the banished king was buried in A.D. 830 at a location just 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the cave. Eardwulf lived in the cave along with his disciples, researchers believe 

(Caption: Anchor Church, by Wendy Baldwin. )  

Edmund Simons, an archaeologist at the Royal Agricultural University in England and the principal investigator of the project, is convinced that Eardwulf lived in the caves under the watchful eyes of his enemies.  Eardwulf lived and ruled during a time of persistent political instability in medieval England. During the seventh, eighth and ninth centuries, seven key kingdoms and over 200 kings intrigued, murdered and warred against each other in a fervent, constant scramble for supremacy.

"It was not unusual for deposed or retired royalty to take up a religious life during this period, gaining sanctity and in some cases canonization," he said. "Living in a cave as a hermit would have been one way this could have been achieved."

FIGURING OUT HOW THE CAVES WERE USED -  The cave's narrow openings were widened to allow for 18th century parties.  The researchers reconstructed the original plan of the caves, which includes three rooms and an easterly facing chapel, using detailed measurements, a drone survey, and a careful study of the architectural features — which closely resemble other Saxon architecture. Despite having been overlooked by historians until recently, cave dwellings may be "the only intact domestic buildings to have survived from the Saxon period," Simons said. The team has identified over 20 other cave houses in west-central England that could date back as far as the fifth century. The Anchor Church Caves were later modified in the 18th century, according to the team. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the University of Bristol Speleological Society. Originally published on Live Science.

SCIENCE NEWS: Dogs tune into people in ways even human-raised wolves don’t

As a dog dad, I've read many books about dog behavior and I love the science-based books. Most-recently I read about dogs and neuroscience. New research shows that dogs are very much in tune with humans from an early age.  Here's the article from Science News. 

Dogs tune into people in ways even human-raised wolves don’t 

A study supports the idea that domestication has wired dogs’ brains for communicating with people 

By Jaime Chambers JULY 12, 2021 AT 11:00 AM Science News Source:

From an early age, dogs outpace wolves at engaging with and interpreting cues from humans, even if the dogs have had less exposure to people, researchers report online July 12 in Current Biology. The result suggests that domestication has reworked dogs’ brains to make the pooches innately drawn to people — and perhaps to intuit human gestures.

Compared with human-raised wolf pups, dog puppies that had limited exposure to people were still 30 times as likely to approach a strange human, and five times as likely to approach a familiar person. “I think that is by far the clearest result in the paper, and is powerful and meaningful,” says Clive Wynne, a canine behavioral scientist at Arizona State University in Tempe who was not involved in the study.

Wolf pups are naturally less entranced by people than dogs are. “When I walked into the [wolf] pen for the first time, they would all just run into the corner and hide,” says Hannah Salomons, an evolutionary anthropologist studying dog cognition at Duke University. Over time, Salomons says, most came to ignore her, “acting like I was a piece of furniture.”

But dogs can’t seem to resist humans’ allure (SN: 7/19/17). They respond much more readily to people, following where a person points, for example. That ability may seem simple, but it’s a skill even chimpanzees — humans’ close relatives — don’t show. Human babies don’t learn how to do it until near their first birthday. When wolves have been put to the task, the results have been mixed, suggesting that wolves need explicit training to learn the skill. Scientists haven’t been sure if dogs’ ability is learned or, after at least 14,000 years of domestication, has become innate (SN: 1/7/21).

To find out, Salomons and colleagues showered attention on wolf pups, while restricting dog puppies’ access to people. Days after birth, 37 wolves got round-the-clock human attention. Caregivers even slept amid a pile of wolf pups on outdoor mattresses. Meanwhile, 44 retriever puppies stayed with their mothers and littermates until they were 8 weeks old, with only brief visits from people.

The researchers then exposed both types of puppies to familiar and unfamiliar people and objects. Puppies’ memories were tested by hiding treats in their view. A cylinder with food inside — solvable only by going around to an open end, but tempting to gnaw on the middle —challenged puppies’ self-control. To observe puppies’ response to human gestures, researchers pointed at hidden treats or placed a small wooden block next to a hiding spot to draw the eye.

Wolves and dogs were evenly matched in memory and self-control, the researchers found. But in tasks involving human communication, dogs surpassed wolves. Dogs were twice as likely to follow a pointed finger or a wooden block as a clue. Dogs also made twice as much eye contact, meeting humans’ gaze in four-second bursts compared with wolf pups’ average of 1.47 seconds.

Dogs intuit human gestures from a young age, Salomons and colleagues conclude, lending support for the idea that domestication has wired dogs’ brains for communicating with humans. Dogs “are born with this readiness to understand that a person would be trying to communicate with them,” Salomons says. “Wolves didn’t have that tendency. It wouldn’t really occur to them that a person would be trying to help them.”

Domestication’s effects on dogs’ brains may be more emotional than cognitive, Wynne says. Though the researchers tested only wolves willing to approach people, “it doesn’t strike me as surprising” that dogs explore objects near humans more often, he says. “I think that is most likely to do with the fact that dogs are just generally happier getting close to a person.”

One thing is clear: Domestication has molded dogs into people-seeking missiles, drawn to humans from the start. The dog pen is all licks, wiggles and eye contact, Salomons says, nothing at all like a cage full of disinterested wolf pups.

Idiot of the Week; Woman Steals Truck, Endangers People, Arrested with Chicken Nuggets at McDonald's DriveThru

Crooks are stupid, and this one is a good example. A woman in Massachusetts stole a company vehicle (that had GPS on it), and faces 15 charges. The idiot was caught in a McDonald's Drive Thru. Here's the story from the Boston Globe newspaper on-line.

(

(Image: 38-year-old Johanna Gardell of Oriol Drive in Worcester. Credit; WCVB-TV, Boston) 

A 2-hour chase for a stolen truck ended in a Worcester McDonald’s drive-thru "

She was ordering chicken nuggets and they actually held her up." 

By Mia McCarthyJuly 7, 2021 Boston.com

Worcester police arrested a woman ordering McDonald’s in a stolen truck on Tuesday morning after a two-hour chase for the vehicle.

“She was actually in the drive-thru ordering food and that’s when they got her,” said Raymond James Simoncini, owner of the truck who witnessed the arrest.

The woman was later identified as 38-year-old Johanna Gardell of Oriol Drive in Worcester. “She backed into somebody in the drive-thru to try to escape the cops,” said Simoncini. “She ended up in a flower bed.”

According to the Worcester Police Department, officers were dispatched at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday morning after Raymond James Restoration Inc. reported a stolen company vehicle. Gardell then got into the maroon pick-up truck and drove off of the 11 Lake Ave site while workers were unloading materials. Simoncini, who owns the restoration company, said no one saw Gardell take the car, but security footage shows her driving away with the car after trying to break into other vehicles.

The truck had a GPS tracking device, which allowed police to follow Gardell throughout the area for the next few hours. Worcester police reported they were met with a driver whose car was hit by the stolen truck while following her to Pelham St. Police chased Gardell, who refused to pull over but called the chase off twice due to safety concerns. Gardell was seen running red lights and driving in the wrong direction, as well as crashing into multiple vehicles.

Later, two detail officers and another officer attempted to stop Gardell and pull her out of the vehicle. Worcester police reported one of these officers was hit and dragged by Gardell and is in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Simoncini said he noticed the truck’s location stopped at the Worcester McDonald’s on Shrewsbury Street while looking at the GPS. “She was ordering chicken nuggets and they actually held her up,” Simoncini said. “The officers called ahead to hold her and slow down the line.” While being extracted from the car and arrested, Simoncini said Gardell continued to tell officers the truck belonged to her.

The truck was damaged from the various crashes, but Simoncini said he is not sure of the truck’s condition. “It looks pretty bad, but I’m not an insurance adjuster,” Simoncini said.

The Worcester District Attorney’s Office said Gardell faces 15 charges – including Assault and Battery by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Personal Injury, and Resisting Arrest.

The DA’s office said Gardell is pleading not guilty and will appear in court next Tuesday, July 13.

Good news! UK Lifeboat Rescuers find lost dog at Sea

Here's a good news story, thanks to the volunteer heroes of a United Kingdom lifeboat crew. A Springer Spaniel went for a swim and wound up needing a rescue.  Here's the story from BBC News.

(Caption: Ollie safely recovered on a boat with the  Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crew. Credit: UK Indepedent)

UK Lifeboat Rescuers find lost dog at Sea

BBC NEWS ,July 19, 2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-wales-57880619 

A Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crew rescued a springer spaniel dog who went missing after going swimming in the sea off the coast of Wales.

Ollie, a springer spaniel, had failed to return to shore during a walk at Newton Beach, in Wales, and continued to swim out to sea.  He disappeared for three hours, and a and his owner alerted rescue teams to his whereabouts, sparking the rescue operation near Porthcawl, Bridgend county. Porthcawl is a holiday resort in South Wales.

The dog went for a paddle at Newton Point "but failed to return to shore, instead continuing to swim out to sea", said his rescuers.

He was eventually spotted three miles away (4.8km) at the base of a cliff at Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan, on Saturday, just after 11:30 BST.

"We were delighted to find Ollie safe and well having been spotted and assisted by a kayaker who had been in the area," said Simon Emms from Porthcawl RNLI .

"He seemed very happy to see us and enjoyed his ride on the lifeboat back to Porthcawl."

 

Archaeology in Japan: The Foundation of the House of an Empress from the 700s AD

According to the website CrazyAsianHistory, there have been 126 emperors in Japan, from the first Emperor Jinmu. Although women are not allowed to be emperors today, there was a time when they could (that changed in the Meiji era). Today's blog is about an archaeological finding of Empress Koken who ruled Japan in the 700s AD. 

(Photo: Former Site of Heijokyu Imperial Palace, Nara city, Nara prefecture. Credit: Nara Prefectural Film Commission) 

ABOUT EMPRESS KOKEN- Empress Koken’s father was the 45th Emperor Shomu. Emperor Shomu had no male children, and his daughter, Koken became the 46th empress. Empress Koken’s mother, Empress Komyo was from the Fujiwara, a powerful noble family. Fujiwara family was also behind Empress Koken’s power. Source: CrazyAsianHistory

Massive ruins found in Nara likely a former imperial home

By TAKUMI OKADA/ Ashai Staff Writer

 NARA--Archaeologists have excavated one of the largest ruins of a building ever found at the former site of the Heijokyu palace in this ancient capital.

The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties announced the findings at the government-designated special historic site on June 30. It believes the structure was the center piece of a residence for emperors and crown princes during the late eighth century.

One expert said the building was likely a residence for female Emperor Koken (718-770).

Archaeologists began examining a roughly 924-square-meter plot in the northern Toin district in March, according to the institute. Toin is located in the eastern part of the Heijokyu palace, the nerve center of politics during the Nara Period (710-784).

They unearthed ruins of a rectangular-shaped structure, which spans 27 meters in an east-west direction and 12 meters in a north-south direction. Also found were 50 pits dug in the ground to place pillars into them. The holes are lined up about 3 meters apart.

The building, supported by pillars placed in a grid-like formation, likely served as a living space, according to the institute.

The researchers concluded that the structure stood there between 749 and 770 during the Nara Period, based on the characteristics of a pattern on roof tiles found in the pits.

Archaeology Find: Stone Carving of Roman God (?) Unearthed at Vindolanda

Recently in Northumberland, England, a stone carving was found in an ancient Roman settlement (because the Romans invaded and ruled England.  The Romans remained in Britain from 43 AD to 410 AD. That is almost four hundred years (four centuries). Here's the story about the finding: 

 

IMAGE:   Archaeologists are trying to identify the naked horseman carving as there was no inscription. Credit: VINDOLANDA / BBC News

 Stone Carving of What May be a Roman God Unearthed 

BBC NEWS

NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that two volunteers discovered a piece of sandstone carved with an image of a donkey or horse and a naked man holding a spear at Vindolanda, a Roman fort along Hadiran’s Wall in northern England. 

The carving, which measures about 12 inches long and six inches wide, was found near a fourth-century A.D. cavalry barrack and may depict the god Mars or Mercury.

Archaeologist Marta Alberti explained that Mars, the god of war, is often shown carrying a spear in his left arm, while the two almost circular features near his head resemble the wings attributed to Mercury, the god of travel. “Horses and donkeys are also often associated with Mercury as a protector of travelers,” she added. 

 Video SHORT to learn about Mercury: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfAmOP-kC9A

 

  To read about first-century A.D. writing tablets unearthed at Vindolanda, go to "Commander's Orders."

Archaeologists Uncover 1,000-year-old church built by Otto the Great in Saxony

Imagine being an archaeologist and searching for an ancient palace and instead you find a 1,000 year old church!  That's what happened in Germany recently, and it belonged to Otto the Great. In today's blog, you'll read about the discovery from an article in LIVE SCIENCE, and I'll tell you a bit about Otto. Here's the story>  

(Image: An aerial view of the church built for Otto the Great, along with nearby burials, as seen from the southwest. (Image credit: State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt/UK Daily Mail)  

1,000-year-old church built by Otto the Great found in Saxony 

By Owen Jarus - Live Science Contributor 2 days ago 

Archaeologists searching for a royal palace in Germany have discovered a 1,000-year-old church constructed for Otto the Great (also called Otto I).

 Otto I, who lived from A.D. 912 to 973, consolidated and expanded the Holy Roman Empire. According to  Europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com, Otto I (November 23, 912 – May 7, 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great, was German king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of Heinric I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim. Otto inherited the Duchy of Saxony and the kingship of the Germans upon his father’s death in 936.

(IMAGE: Otto I, Credit: Europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com)

About the Empire -  The empire, which was centered in Germany, controlled territory throughout central Europe. Historical records indicated that a palace and church were built near Helfta in Saxony for the Roman emperor; and archaeologists with the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt started searching for it in May, they said in a German language statement

Royal church 

The three-aisled church is about 100 feet (30 meters) long and was shaped like a cross, excavations revealed. The church was destroyed during the Protestant Reformation that swept through Europe in the 16th century and led to the creation of new branches of Christianity, the archaeologists said in the statement. The church and palace would have "dominated" the valley where they were built, the archaeologists said.

Among the artifacts found so far are a Romanesque bronze crucifix decorated with enamel that was made in Limoges in New Aquitaine (in modern-day France) in the 13th century, archaeologists said. Archaeologists also discovered a large fragment of a church bell, an enameled ninth-century brooch and numerous coins.

The archaeologists have also found several burials around the church, including some tombs made out of bricks. Excavations and analysis of the remains are ongoing at the site. Right now, excavating the church is a priority, but historical records indicate that the palace is nearby and remains of it may be found as work continues. 

 Historical records say that while Otto I ordered the construction of the church and a nearby palace, he himself only visited it once, when the church was inaugurated around A.D. 968. The archaeologists noted that Otto I had numerous palaces with nearby churches located throughout his empire. Felix Biermann, an archaeologist with the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt is leading the excavation team.

Science Magazine: Songbirds are mysteriously dying across the eastern U.S.

 Since we live on the U.S. East Coast, we've seen some local stories about songbirds dying from a yet undetermined disease. SCIENCE Magazine provided an in-depth story about what has been happening and all of the things that scientists in the region have already ruled out. Here's the story: 

(Image; An American Robin. Credit: National Audubon Society. 

Songbirds are mysteriously dying across the eastern U.S. Scientists are scrambling to find out why

SCIENCE Magazine: David Malakoff and Erik Stokstad

Jul. 6, 2021 , 5:00 PM (click for source article) 

Jennifer Toussaint, chief of animal control in Arlington, Virginia, can’t forget the four baby blue jays. In late May, worried residents had delivered the fledglings to her clinic just outside of Washington, D.C., within just a few hours. Each was plump, indicating “their parents had done a great job caring for them,” Toussaint says. But the birds were lethargic, unable to keep their balance, and blinded by crusty, oozing patches that had grown over their eyes.

Toussaint and her staff soon reached a gloomy diagnosis: the jays were the latest victims of a mysterious deadly disease that had emerged in their area just a few weeks earlier and had already killed countless wild birds. There was no known treatment, so they euthanized the jays. “It was difficult to feel so helpless,” Toussaint recalls.

Others are sharing Toussaint’s frustration. Since May, when the illness was first recognized in and around Washington, D.C., researchers have documented hundreds of cases in at least a dozen species of birds in nine eastern and midwestern states. State, federal, and academic scientists are hunting for clues to a cause in bird carcasses and the environment. Last week, they reported some modest progress: Studies have ruled out a number of agents known to cause mass mortality in birds, including Salmonella bacteria, several families of viruses, and Trichomonas parasites.

“Learning what isn’t the cause can be just as helpful as learning what it is,” Toussaint says. But it also means “We’re still scratching our heads on this one,” says wildlife epidemiologist David Stallknecht, director of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia, Athens, which is involved in the effort.

Despite the uncertainty, researchers are beginning to get a clearer picture of the outbreak, thanks in part to thousands of people who have responded to calls from government agencies and scientists to report sick or dead birds. Not all species, for example, appear to be at high risk. “It’s been quite species specific,” says veterinarian Megan Kirchgessner of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. So far, most cases involve just four species—common grackles, blue jays, American robins, and European starlings—according to a 2 July statement from the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center. Young birds appear to be especially susceptible.

Those demographics could change as more data come in, especially from rural areas that so far have produced few observations, says Allisyn-Marie Gillet, Indiana’s state ornithologist. At this point, the outbreak doesn’t appear to pose a serious threat to bird populations, researchers say. Still, they are watching to see whether its geographic scope expands; reports of sick birds now stretch west to Indiana and Kentucky and north to Pennsylvania.

The geography suggested one suspect. In May and June, portions of the outbreak area saw the emergence of billions of periodical cicadas, members of the 17-year Brood X. Birds feast on cicadas, prompting some researchers to wonder whether the outbreak might be linked to the insects. Cicadas spend most of their lives underground, where they may have accumulated pesticides or other contaminants. A type of fungus called Massospora that infects cicada broods might also play a role; one Massospora species produces compounds that alter the behavior of cicadas, perhaps to increase its spread. But the cicadas appear to be blameless. Birds tend to avoid eating fungus-ridden cicadas, and sick birds have been observed in areas where cicadas were rare. “It does not look like it’s a match,” says Brian Evans, a migratory bird ecologist with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Researchers note that mass bird mortalities are not uncommon, especially among species that form dense flocks or gather at feeders. In the mid-1990s, bird watchers in the eastern United States noticed that house finches, a common introduced songbird, were dying in relatively large numbers from an illness characterized by swollen and encrusted eyes. Researchers ultimately determined the cause was a bacterium, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, that had likely spread from domestic poultry. Over the past few decades, researchers have also tracked outbreaks of West Nile virus, avian influenza, and Salmonella that caused noticeable kills.

Many of those suspects have been ruled out in this case, according to the 2 July statement. But researchers continue to look at other possibilities. They are using electron microscopy to examine tissues for telltale damage, for example, and employing a battery of tests to detect suspect microbes, viruses, parasites, and chemical pollutants.

Many of the dead birds that have been tested were infected with Mycoplasma bacteria. That is not uncommon, Evans says, but the bacterium has evolved to become more infectious and deadly, and it might be playing a role in the current outbreak. “In terms of mycoplasma this might be something new,” he says. Others, however, are skeptical, noting Mycoplasma rarely affects fledglings.

In the meantime, officials in several states told Science there are signs that the outbreak might be easing. In Virginia, for example, “the number of birds being brought to rehab centers is starting to decline,” Kirchgessner says, and Toussaint’s clinic recently had multiple days with no admissions of symptomatic birds. Until the outbreak ends, however, officials are asking bird lovers to take steps that could slow the spread of any disease, including burying dead birds and taking down feeders where birds congregate.

Wow! U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club Covers Dolly Parton's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning"

 Our friend Bill was in the U.S. Navy and works with cadets at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He sponsors cadets, works with gymnasts and does so many other things, and sees so much that others miss. Fortunately, he knows that Dolly Parton is my favorite singer/songwriter/entertainer, and when the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club covered Dolly's song, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning," he shared it with me. It brought a tear to my eyes. Enjoy today's video blog:

USNA Glee Club: "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning"

Arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. This virtual performance was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict safety protocols were established in collaboration with appropriate medical and leadership personnel and followed at all times during the rehearsal and filming process.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/gTLqDQQqVjg

Lyrics

It's been a long dark night
And I've been a waitin' for the morning
It's been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day a dawning
I've been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain't seen it in so long
But everything's gonna work out just fine
And everything's gonna be all right
That's been all wrong

'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

It's been a long long time
Since I've known the taste of freedom
And those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don't need 'em
Oh, I've been like a captured eagle, you know an eagle's born to fly
Now that I have won my freedom, like an eagle I am eager for the sky

And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh, everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

And I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Ooh and everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay

Source: LyricFind