Search results for "SWORD"

Exposure to mercury among 9-year-old Spanish children: Associated factors and trend throughout childhood

2019

Mercury is considered a neurotoxicant and human exposure occurs mainly from the consumption of marine species. We aimed to describe total mercury concentrations (THg) and associated factors in 9-year old children, as well as to explore the trend in THg from 4 to 9 years of age. The study population consisted of 9-year-old children participating in the INMA (Environment and Childhood) birth cohort study in Valencia, Spain (n = 405, 2013–2014). THg in hair samples was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry at the age of 4 and 9 years. Sociodemographic and dietary data was obtained through questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the association between THg and covari…

The Bronze Age in France

2013

Deadly impalement of a blue shark Prionace glauca by a swordfish Xiphias gladius

2017

In September, 2016, an adult female blue shark (Prionace glauca) 247 cm long stranded alive on the coast of Valencia (Spain, Western Mediterranean) but died shortly afterwards. The necropsy revealed ongoing pregnancy, with 65 embryos in early stage of development, and a healthy condition with no signs of starvation. Two fishing hooks surrounded by scarred tissue were detected in the mandible, indicating past interaction with fisheries. In addition, a fragment of the tip of a swordfish (Xiphias gladius) rostrum (length: 18 cm long, width: 0.5 cm (distal) and 3 cm (proximal)) was removed from the animal. The fragment had pierced the head producing an incision of 3.5 cm close to the left eye, …

Aggressive interactions between juvenile swordfishes and blue sharks in the Western Mediterranean: a widespread phenomenon?

2019

There are numerous reports of billfishes spearing objects, marine organisms, and even humans. Whether or not this behaviour is intentional and, if so, what is its functional meaning, are open questions. In 2016, an adult blue shark (Prionace glauca) was found to be killed by a juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the western Mediterranean. Here we report on three more recent cases involving both species in the same area. In February 2017, an adult male blue shark was found stranded in Garrucha (Spain) with a fragment of a juvenile swordfish’s rostrum (18cm long x 2cm wide at proximal end) inserted in its cranium. In March 2017, an adult pregnant female blue shark was stranded alive on th…

The Protohistoric sword from Le Gué-de-Velluire (Vendée, France): a pasticcio's history unveiled by archaeometrical research

2020

International audience; The Gué-de-Velluire sword (Vendée, France) is part of the Rochebrune collection collected during the 19 th and the 20 th centuries and now preserved in the Dobrée Museum in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, France). The unusual shape of its hilt, its uncorroded rivets and the rather uncommon combination of a bronze grip with an iron blade made this sword an exceptional object. It has been depicted in a large number of papers since the 20 th century, but the question of its authenticity has hardly ever been tackled. New analyses performed with the support of the Dobrée Museum, the Arc'Antique laboratory and Ghent University delivered new data enabling us to discuss this delic…

Carp’s-tongue swords - morphological, metallurgical and cultural aspects

2010

This contribution discusses the results from a study of the spatial distribution of different morphological sub-groups of carp’s-tongue swords at a European scale, relating morphological types to the metallurgial make-up of the respective pieces. From this study some surprising conclusions concerning the chronological as well as the spatial dimension of the evolution of carp’s-tongue swords emerge. We also look at the degree of variability in the deposition of these artefacts and in the composition of the assemblages in question, with considerable repercussions for our understanding of the depositional contexts of metal objects in the Atlantic Bronze Age world in general.

„Na Ukrainie za owych dobrych czasów” – „Przed laty. Powieść ukraińska” Paulina Święcickiego

2020

The forgotten work and life of Paulin Święcicki (1841–1876), a writer from Kiev region and active in Galicia, represents a rare, authentic example of Polish‑Ukrainian cultural border. His debut work entitled 'Przed laty. Powieść ukraińska' (1865), despite being an artistic failure, is an interesting link between the heritage of the Romantic 'Ukrainian School' and the historical vision of Polish Borderlands in With fire and sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz. The creation of the 17th‑century reality of Ukrainian grasslands (noble, rural and Cossack existence), battle scenes (fights against the Tatars), romantic‑melodramatic plot – these are all adapted to a unique Ukrainian (not Polish‑centred) per…

Production et circulation des épées à poignée métallique de l'âge du Bronze en Europe occidentale

2022

Several regional syntheses have been published on Bronze Age solid-hilted swords, but none for France and the Benelux countries. This dissertation aims first at filling this gap by listing the swords from this region. By adding data from these pre-existing studies, it is possible to study the distribution of solid-hilted swords on a European scale. The building of an inventory is an essential condition to study the diffusion of these weapons over long distances. This must come along with models to characterise the organisation of the swords production and the ways they spread out. It requires us to question the status of the craftsmen, their organisation and their location. One of the first…

L’épée, arme et symbole. Le point de vue technique sur les fonctions des épées à poignée métallique de l’âge du Bronze

2018

The sword, which was invented during Bronze Age, is certainly the ultimate weapon, associated to war and warriors, designed to fight during combats. However, because of its technical complexity, its ostentatious aspect, especially when it is equipped with a bronze hilt, or its strong individualization for example through ornaments, swords can also be considered as symbols. This symbol can be connected to an individual, a social position, a community or to another concept we cannot precisely understand. Of course, material and immaterial aspects do not always exclude each other, and a single object can be used for both. However, a first inspection of these weapons shows that some of them cou…

L’épée à poignée métallique de Niffer (Haut-Rhin) : un exemple de production occidentale au Bronze moyen

2018

National audience