. | . |
Study reveals differences between nobles, commoners in Middle Ages by Clyde Hughes Washington DC (UPI) Jul 15, 2020 A chemical analysis of bones from Danish and Italians from the Middle Ages revealed interesting clues on how they lived, particularly in the differences between noble families and less fortunate. The research, that was published in the journal Heritage Science earlier this month, looked at 87 samples taken from femoral bones from 69 individuals from Svendborg, Denmark, and Montella, Italy. Kaare Lund Rasmussen, the lead researcher from the University of Southern Denmark, said samples were taken from the burial sites of noble families and others from common townspeople. "This is the first comprehensive and comparative study of post-medieval noble families in Denmark and Italy," said the study's abstract. "The results show that there are distinct similarities in the trace element distribution patterns in the noble family members irrespective of country, which is tentatively suggested to be due to their higher social status." One example displaying the difference in the life of nobles of both countries and their common residents was that there was less strontium and barium in the bones of nobles. It was a sign that the nobles ate more animal meat. Researchers found more lead in the nobles than the commoners as well. Lead was expensive and used for everything from kitchen utensils to capturing rainwater. This showed nobles were more likely to suffer from lead poisoning. Something that both Italian nobles and commoners shared was copper. Copper was used regularly for cooking and found at rates 21 percent higher in them than the Danes, who used copper much less. Mercury was often used during the Middle Ages as a medicine for everything from leprosy to syphilis. While none of the bones from Italian commoners showed traces of mercury, a few of Italian nobles indicated use. In contrast, the use of mercury was detected in the bones of both noble and commoners in Denmark, suggesting that both groups had equal access to the medicine.
Racism in the UK: the effects of a 'hostile environment' London (AFP) June 30, 2020 Ijeoma Moore came to Britain from Nigeria as a toddler and is now 25. "I have lived here since I was two. I feel very much British," she said. But two years after a scandal involving the "Windrush" generation of 500,000 Caribbean migrants who came to Britain after World War Two, race and identity remain hot topics. The death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during a US police arrest has sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the country. And there have been calls to take ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |