Northwest and Columbia Plateau Tribes (North America)

Posted on June 15, 2016 by technotink

Totems (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3801); Pacific Northwest Tribal Art (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3803)

The Northwest and Columbia Plateau Peoples
Article and research by Thomas Baurley, Technogypsie Research, August 7, 2017

The region of the Pacific Northwest was home to what Anthropologists call the indigenous Northwest Pleateau Peoples or Tribes. The region around the inland Columbia River, Fraser River, and the Columbia Basin were the Columbia Plateau Peoples just north of the Great Basin cultures. Many of the Plateau tribes shared languages, resources, culture, trade, and environment. The Plateau peoples dwell in the areas of the inland (non-coastal regions) Pacific Northwest that are now eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana, northeast and central Oregon, northeastern California, and southeastern British Columbia. Commonly, the Plateau peoples historically lived in small villages located along rivers. The region contains the eastern flank of the Cascade Mountain Ranges. They hunted and fished trout, salmon, deer, and some buffalo. They gathered plants and roots, eventually planting their own.

Tribes:

    Chinook peoples:

  • Cathlamet, WA
  • Clackamas, OR
  • Clatsop, OR
  • Kathlamet
  • Multnomah, OR
  • Wasco-Wishram, OR and WA
  • Watlata, WA
    Interior Salish:
  • Chelan
  • Coeur d’Alene Tribe, ID, MT, WA
  • Entiat, WA
  • Flathead (Selisch or Salish), ID and MT
  • Bitterroot Salish
  • Kalispel (Pend d’Oreilles), WA and MT
  • Lower Kalispel, WA
  • Upper Kalispel, MT
  • In-SHUCK-ch, BC (Lower Lillooet)
  • Lil’wat, BC (Lower Lillooet)
  • Methow, WA
  • Nespelem, WA
  • Nlaka’pamux (Thompson people), BC
  • Nicola people (Thompson-Okanagan confederacy)
  • Okanagan, BC and WA
  • Sanpoil, WA
  • Secwepemc, BC (Shuswap people)
  • Sinixt (Lakes), BC, ID, and WA
  • Sinkayuse
  • Sinkiuse-Columbia, WA (extinct)
  • Spokane people, WA
  • St’at’imc, BC (Upper Lillooet)
  • Wenatchi (Wenatchee)
    Sahaptin people
  • Upper Cowlitz or Taidnapam
  • Kittitas (Upper Yakima)
  • Klickitat Tribe, WA
  • Nez Perce, ID
  • Pshwanwapam (Pswanwapam)
  • Skinpah (Skin)
  • Tenino (Warmsprings)
  • Tygh (Upper Deschutes), OR
  • Umatilla, OR
  • Walla Walla, WA
  • Wanapum, WA
  • Wauyukma
  • Wyam (Lower Deschutes)
  • Yakama, WA
    Other Tribes:
  • Cayuse, OR
  • Celilo (Wayampam)
  • Cowlitz, WA
  • Fort Klamath, OR
  • Kalapuya, northwest OR
  • Atfalati (Tualatin, northwest OR)
  • Mohawk River, northwest OR
  • Santiam, northwest OR
  • Yaquina, northwest OR
  • Kutenai (Kootenai, Ktunaxa), BC, ID, and MT
  • Lower Snake people: Chamnapam, Wauyukma, Naxiyampam
  • Modoc, CA and OR
  • Molala (Molale), OR
  • Nicola Athapaskans (extinct), BC
  • Palus (Palouse), ID, OR, and WA
  • Upper Nisqually (Mishalpan)
  • First Nations of the Plateau
  • Flathead/Salish
  • Interior Salish (Canada)
  • Kalispel
  • Klamath
  • Kutenai (Canada/US)
  • Lillooet (Canada)
  • Modoc
  • Nez Perce
  • Okanagan of the Okanagan River Valley (Canada)
  • Palus
  • Secwepemc (Shuswap) of the Fraser River Valley (Canada)
  • Thompson First Nations (Fraser River Valley/Canada)
  • Walla Walla
  • Yakima / Yakama

    • Northern Bering Straight and Alaska Region:

  • Inuit
  • Inupiaq and Yup’ik

Climate/Geography:
Plateaus, Rivers, Lakes, Forests, Woodlands, Valleys. Environments vary from semi-arid to lush mountain meadows. The peoples chose areas of lakes, rivers, and coniferous trees which dominated the landscape of the Plateau region. Climates were snowy and cold winters, warm summers. Temperatures range from −30 °F (−34 °C) in winter to 100 °F (38 °C) in summer. Precipitation is generally low and forms a snow cover during the winter, particularly at higher altitudes. The Middle Columbia area is a steppe of sagebrush and bunch grass fringed by yellow pine on higher levels. The Upper Columbia consists mainly of wooded areas, although grassland is found in river valleys. The Fraser area is a semi-open coniferous forest interspersed with dry grassland and a partly maritime flora.

Culture:
Historically Plateau tribes tended to live in woods, forests, prairies, and plateaus along the rivers – most notably the Nez Perce, Flathead, Kutenai, Palus, Coeur D’Alene, Cayuse, and Kalispel. The Plateau peoples identified their cultures as “tribes”. Most of the tribes were nomadic hunter-gatherers and fishers. Today, most tribes have adopted Western culture and live in houses, RVs, trailers, house boats, or apartments. Today while most historic men wore their hair long, many today have short haircuts. Tribal dress is usually only worn during traditional ceremonies and events, while Westerner fashion – jeans, t-shirts, and clothing is more commonly observed.

Diet: The Plateau peoples hunted, fished, and gathered their foodstuffs. The most important was Salmon – diet as well as spirituality. They primarily ate vegetables, fruits, meat and fish. This was accomplished by the various methods:
Fishing: Trout, Salmon. Gathering: Berries, roots, and bulbs. These included but not limited to camassia, bitterroot, kouse root, service berry, chokecherry, huckleberry, and wild strawberry. Plateau women made berry cakes using Saskatoon berries.
Hunting: Buffalo, Elk, deer, bear, mountain goat, groundhog, coyote, fox raccoon, porcupine, weasel, beaver, hare.
Today most tribes have adopted Westerner diets, although they have noted that they eat 10 times the amount of Salmon than the normal American diet.

Ethnicity:
Native Americans with primary physical characteristics of dark brown eyes, prominent cheek bones, straight black hair, scantiness of beard. Skin color very light (Cheyenne) to yellowish (Flatheads), to almost black (Caddo)

Housing/Shelter:
For Nomadic shelters were tepees, tule mat lodges, lean-to’s, and pit houses. Commonly built were semi-subterranean Pit Houses. Also common were Tule Mat Lodges. Winters were often spent together with the rest of the tribe in larger, more permanent villages and/or winter camps. Pit houses were more common in the villages. Tule mats were made from the bulrush or tule grass which grew in marshes which was used for roofing over a shallow dug pit with poles lining the roof atop which was placed the woven tule mats or tree bark. Canvas eventually replaced the tule mats and bark. Once the tribes adopted horses in the 1600s, teepees were more commonly used, especially when travelling on horseback. Teepees were tall lodged poles braced against each other and covered with hides or woven tule mats. Today, Native Americans primarily have adopted Western culture and housing – living in houses, apartments, RVs, trailers, and/or houseboats.

Languages: – the primary language group is Sahaptian and Interior Salish languages. Some groups also speak Chinookan languages, which are often classified as Penutian languages, The Ktunaxa speak the Kutenai language, which is a language isolate. The peoples of the Plateau belong mainly to four linguistic families: Salishan, Sahaptin, Kutenai, and Modoc and Klamath.
Athabaskan language:
Algonquian:
Caddoan language:
Penutian language: Klamath, Modoc, Nez Perce, Walla Walla, Yakama/Yakima
Salishan language: Salish (Flathead)
Siouan language:
Uto-Aztecan:
Today, most Native Americans have lost much of their historical languages and have adopted predominantly English with Spanish as a secondary language.

Religion/Spirituality
Primarily the Plateau peoples were Animistic. Animism predominated spiritual believe. Animism is the belief that all things held a spirit or soul, including rocks, plants, animals, and elements. Places also held spirits – including rivers, caves, and mountains. Common was a great spirit called “Coyote” who was responsible for bringing the salmon up and down the river every spring and fall. Common were Vision or power quests, smudging ceremonies, and vigils. The religious elder was a shaman who acted as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds. Shamanism was also a predominant spiritual path of the elders and leaders of the tribe. Shamans were also the healers of the tribe. They predicted the future, the hunt, and advised the leaders. Today most Native Americans have embraced Christianity and/or other Western spiritual belief systems while traditionally holding onto elements of their historical beliefs. They would typically feature personifications of myths into their tools, weapons, and material cultural artifacts such as Sculpin Figurines.

Art & Culture:
The Artwork of the Native American Pacific Northwest Cultures is phenomenal, embedded with myths, legends, and spirituality that empowers their people.

Crafts:
Basketry was of special art, skill, and importance amongst the Plateau people especially to hold and store dried foods. Pine resin was used to coat the inside of the basket to make them semi-waterproof. Special cooking baskets were woven around large flat rocks – these would hold soups and stews upon which the cook would drop hot stones to boil the water. Tribes would weave hats and mats for the houses, clothing, and bedding. Plateau peoples commonly used hemp dogbane, tule, sagebrush, or willow bark for textiles and basketry. The Fort Rock sandals are the oldest known shoes in the world which were made of twined sagebrush and dating between 10,390–9650 years BCE. The historic age Pacific Northwest peoples are constantly evolving with their material culture. One such example of this is their creation and use of Button blankets.

Tools/Weapons:
Many tools and weapons were made from stone, bone, wood, and fiber. Tools and weapons were often decorated with feathers, beads, and carvings. Bow and arrows or traps were the most common tools for the hunt. However, today – many hunters use guns and rifles. Arrow shafts were commonly made of wood. Arrowheads typically of stone, predominantly obsidian. Digging sticks, wedges, and weapons were often made of elk and deer antler. Harpoons and Toggles are made of wood, metal, bone, or ivory.

Transportation: Dugout canoes, walking, snowshoes. As a nomadic peoples, they often traveled and followed food resources. The Nez Perce travelled across the Rock Mountains to hunt buffalo on the Great Plains and returned to the Plateau in the winter to continue fishing the rivers. In the 1600’s with the introduction of the horse, horses became a predominent method of transportation. Today, most Native Americans have adopted Westerner means of transport including planes, trains, automobiles, motorcycles, boats, and bicycles.

Columbia River Tribes:

Along the Columbia River, extending from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho is a region called the “Columbia Plateau” – home to four major indigenous Native American tribes. These tribes, share similarities in their culture, religion, diet, and language patterns.

  • Nez Perce Tribe
  • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
  • Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
  • The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama NationIt was common for these tribes to intermarry, interact often, and share resources, and trade with one another. The site of Celilo Falls was a common meetup place and resource that was shared together. These tribes share a common respect for the natural environment and have similar belief systems and mythologies of where they came from – believing their spirits were tied directly to the natural world and all of its inhabitants, one of which specially connected – the Salmon. Salmon brough sustenance and prosperity to the region’s rivers and streams. More information about these tribes can be found at http://www.critfc.org/member_tribes_overview/.

    Indigenous Fishing on the Columbia River
    Indigenous peoples of the Columbia Plateau have been fishing all of the bodies of water found in the Columbia Basin for thousands of years. As a monumental source of life, these waters have become central to each people’s society, culture, and spirituality. While each tribe had different languages and culture, there were more similarities than differences between the peoples of the Columbia Plateau. The regional economy shared was based around Salmon. This is still true today, although in pre-contact periods – there was a self-regulation with resource availability, and today this relationship suffers with the depletion and near extinction of various salmon species due to the overkill caused by Westerners. In prehistoric times, tribes fished for not only sustenance and trade, but also for ceremonial reasons. Tribes today in the region still prefer salmon as their main course, often recorded as being ten times the U.S. average consumption. This has suffered greatly through the years. In 1855, The Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes made a special treaty with the United States to give away millions of acres of their lands to the U.S. in exchange for various terms including peace and rights to be guaranteed upon them. One of these was the ability to harvest fish in all of the various tribes techniques and practices, culture and spirituality, ceremony and commerce including within waters on or off of reservations. This has suffered greatly. Today the Columbia Plateau tribes struggle to protect their sacred food source directly competing with Westerner pollution of waters, over fishing, property rights, access, and ease of livlihood.

    Columbia River Tribe Fishing Techniques

More information: Columbia inter-tribal fishing commission: http://www.critfc.org/

Continue reading →

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Platform Fishing : Columbia River Tribes

Posted on June 15, 2016 by technotink

Cascade Locks Marina ( http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=26681 ). Volcanic Legacy: Chronicle 25 - Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Prince Cian. Adventures in Idaho & Wyoming. Photos taken June 6, 2016. To read the adventures, visit http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=21521. To read reviews, visit: www.technogypsie.com/reviews. All photos and articles (c) 2015/2016 Technogypsie.com - by Leaf McGowan, Eadaoin Bineid and Thomas Baurley. All rights reserved. www.technogypsie.com/photography

Cascade Locks Marina ( http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=26681 ).

Columbia River Tribes:

Along the Columbia River, extending from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho is a region called the “Columbia Plateau” – home to four major indigenous Native American tribes. These tribes, share similarities in their culture, religion, diet, and language patterns.

  • Nez Perce Tribe
  • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
  • Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
  • The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

It was common for these tribes to intermarry, interact often, and share resources, and trade with one another. The site of Celilo Falls was a common meetup place and resource that was shared together. These tribes share a common respect for the natural environment and have similar belief systems and mythologies of where they came from – believing their spirits were tied directly to the natural world and all of its inhabitants, one of which specially connected – the Salmon. Salmon brought sustenance and prosperity to the region’s rivers and streams. More information about these tribes can be found at http://www.critfc.org/member_tribes_overview/.

Indigenous Fishing on the Columbia River
Indigenous peoples of the Columbia Plateau have been fishing all of the bodies of water found in the Columbia Basin for thousands of years. As a monumental source of life, these waters have become central to each people’s society, culture, and spirituality. While each tribe had different languages and culture, there were more similarities than differences between the peoples of the Columbia Plateau. The regional economy shared was based around Salmon. This is still true today, although in pre-contact periods – there was a self-regulation with resource availability, and today this relationship suffers with the depletion and near extinction of various salmon species due to the overkill caused by Westerners. In prehistoric times, tribes fished for not only sustenance and trade, but also for ceremonial reasons. Tribes today in the region still prefer salmon as their main course, often recorded as being ten times the U.S. average consumption. This has suffered greatly through the years. In 1855, The Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes made a special treaty with the United States to give away millions of acres of their lands to the U.S. in exchange for various terms including peace and rights to be guaranteed upon them. One of these was the ability to harvest fish in all of the various tribes techniques and practices, culture and spirituality, ceremony and commerce including within waters on or off of reservations. This has suffered greatly. Today the Columbia Plateau tribes struggle to protect their sacred food source directly competing with Westerner pollution of waters, over fishing, property rights, access, and ease of livlihood.

Fishing Techniques:

Various techniques have been used through the ages to fish the waters of the Columbia Plateau. Some of these techniques are still used, while others are no longer sustainable nor effective. Some of these techniques are more suited for smaller rivers and streams, while others are based primarily on the waters of the Columbia River. Modern Westerner techniques and equipment are also used today.

Platform Fishing

This technique is most common around the larger rivers of the Columbia Basin. It involves the construction of wooden structures that are more stable than they appear to be, as platform sites extending out onto the river providing access to fishing spots that the fisher person finds success at. These are also usually privately held belonging to certain families or individuals continually using the same location their ancestors did. Some are extended docks from the shoreline, others are hinged fold down platforms off of rocks, banks, or cliff walls. Adaptation to modern Westerner contributions to the rivers include them being placed off of man-made rock walls, locks, or canals today. Dipnetting is commonly practiced off of the platforms.

Dipnetting
One of the most popular forms of fishing are “dipnets”. These are fishing nets attached to poles. These are often used off of these platforms. THere are two common types of nets used in platform fishing: (1) fishing nets attached to poles and (2) hoop nets where the nets are held open by hoops ranging in size from 6-8 feet in diameter. These are lowered into the water beneath the platforms. The nets are pulled up when heavy with salmon using the scaffolding as a brace. Poles can be as long as 25 feet in length. Traditionally hemp twine was used to tie the nets that were bound to the wooden hoops, and the poles were constructed of pliant green branches curved into a hoop and secured to the pole with sinew, binded and sealed with pine pitch. Longer poles were constructed from stripped pine saplings. Today, many of the traditional manufacture materials have been replaced by modern materials such as steel-reinforced plastic net wire on steel hoops, or poles made from bamboo, fiberglass, or aluminum.

Set nets
“Bag nets” are a more modern conversion of the old hoop nets used by platform fishers. These are constructed of a large net bag held open by a hoop which are set within the river’s waters weighted down and marked with floats. These are left in the waters as a “trap: to catch salmon. As salmon swim through the hoop they become trapped. The fisher person will pull them into the boat along with any salmon caught within them.

Gillnet
This is a modern practice utilizing large nets up to 200-400 feet in length that are strung along various loations of the river. The net diameter is set to catch the head of a salmon, but not the body, thereby snagging the gills of the fish on the net. The fisher person then hauls in the net tangled with the salmon.

Article by Thomas Baurley

Cascade Locks Marina ( http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=26681 ). Volcanic Legacy: Chronicle 25 - Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Prince Cian. Adventures in Idaho & Wyoming. Photos taken June 6, 2016. To read the adventures, visit http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=21521. To read reviews, visit: www.technogypsie.com/reviews. All photos and articles (c) 2015/2016 Technogypsie.com - by Leaf McGowan, Eadaoin Bineid and Thomas Baurley. All rights reserved. www.technogypsie.com/photography

Cascade Locks Marina ( http://www.technogypsie.com/reviews/?p=26681 ). Volcanic Legacy: Chronicle 25 – Chronicles of Sir Thomas Leaf, Lady Etain, and Prince Cian. Adventures in Idaho & Wyoming. Photos taken June 6, 2016. To read the adventures, visit http://www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/?p=21521. To read reviews, visit: www.technogypsie.com/reviews. All photos and articles (c) 2015/2016 Technogypsie.com – by Leaf McGowan, Eadaoin Bineid and Thomas Baurley. All rights reserved. www.technogypsie.com/photography

Continue reading →

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Cairns and stacked rocks

Posted on May 18, 2016 by technotink
Potential power quest cairns (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3289)

Potential power quest cairns (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3289)

Cairns and Stacked Rocks
By Thomas Baurley

The stacking of stones is a widespread cultural practice all around the world. You know it is a remnant of modern, historical, or prehistoric cultural manufacture because they were not placed there by nature. Most likely a “human” moved one stone atop another. They vary in size from one or two rocks or more stacked on top of each other in simplicity to complexity of mounds, cairns, pyramids, tombs, and massive megalithic complexes.

The meaning behind the practice varies between cultures and time periods throughout history. Archaeologists however, are only interested in those that are at least 50 years old (historical archaeology in America), 100 years old (Europe and other parts of the world), or prehistoric (hundreds to thousands of years in age). They can be field clearing piles, fence piles, burial mounds, markers, signifiers, monuments, spiritual tools, graves, food stores, game drives, rock alignments, power quest markers, altars, shrines, prayer seats, hearths, circles, and/or memorials. Their uses can vary from remnants of field clearing for plowing, stabilizing fences, make walls, clearing or road construction, markers of a road trail or path, survey markers, memorial, burial, vision quest marker, or part of something bigger like a structure, burial, tomb, underground chamber, prayer seat, tipi ring, or offering to Gods, spirits, entities.

These commonly can be found along streams, creeks, lakes, springs, rivers, waterways, sea cliffs, beaches, in the desert, tundra, in uplands, on mountaintops, ridges, peaks, and hill tops. In underpopulated areas they can represent emergency location points. North American trail markers are often called “ducks” or “duckies” because they have a “beak” that points in the direction of the route. Coastal cairns or “sea markers” are common in the northern latitudes can indicate navigation marking and sometimes are notated on navigation charts. Sometimes these are painted and are visible from off shore. This is a common practice in Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and Scandinavia.

Cairns / stacked rocks (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3289).

Cairns / stacked rocks (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3289).

ROCK STACKS

Often the practice of stacking rocks is used to mark a trail, path, or road. Many say without these markings, it is often hard to follow a laid out trail, especially in areas that receive deep snowfall. When modern cairn builders place their “art” or message of ego along a trail they can be causing harm, hiding the true trail markers and if placed in a wrong place can lead a hiker astray or get them lost. Original use is often as a route marker and it’s important to preserve that integrity. Modern application of this practice can not only lead people astray but disrupt cultural studies, archaeology, geology, and the environment. Moving stones can upset plant life, insect habitats, as well as homes of lizards, rats, mice, and other creatures.

Other times these rock stacks have spiritual or religious purpose. These are sometimes offerings to the little people, fairies, faeries, nature spirits, Saints, entities, or God/desses. Sometimes these are arranged for a vision quest, other times as a prayer seat, or part of a stone circle. Many times if found around rivers, streams, creeks, or springs – they are offerings to the nature spirits, water spirits, nymphs, naiads, and/or dryads. Sometimes these are markers for portals, vortexes, gateways between worlds, lei lines, or places of spiritual importance. They honor spirits, Deities, Ancestors, or the Dead.

Sometimes these stacked rocks are considered “art”, a meditative exercise, or something someone does out of boredom.

Prince Cian making Cairns (http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=3289).

Prince Cian making Cairns

In spiritual “new age” hotspots, modern creations of these “cairns” or “rock stacks” are actually quite problematic because they have become invasive upon the landscape, blocking access or movement. In addition, modern creations of them destroy, hide, or change importance of historical or prehistoric ones that existed before. This is a similar impact between modern graffiti and rock art. This has become a major problem in places like Sedona Arizona; Telluride, Colorado; Arches National Park, Utah.

Prehistoric use

Aborigines, Natives, Tribes, and Original Peoples have utilized cairns and rock stacks all over the world. Mostly the intent was as a “marker”. In the Americas, various tribes such as the Paiutes as well as early Pioneers left them to mark important trails or historic roads. The Inuksuk practice used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other Arctic aborigines in North America ranging from Alaska to Greenland to Iceland are markers for “way finding” and to locate caches of food, supplies, and other goods.

Cairns and rock stacks have been used prehistorically for hunting, defense, burials, ceremonial structures, astronomical structures or markers. Continue reading →

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Offerings of the Naiads Book Project

Posted on January 4, 2016 by technotink

Please help fund our research project and publication of our book “Offerings of the Naiads: Holy Wells and Sacred Springs in Western Culture” by our Founders.

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Irish Genetic Studies: Closest relatives in Galicia and the Basque region

Posted on October 8, 2015 by technotink

Genetic studies show our closest relatives are found in Galicia and the Basque region

by Dick Ahlstrom, Monday Feb 16, 2009

(cross-posted for research here from http://www.irishtimes.com/news/genetic-studies-show-our-closest-relatives-are-found-in-galicia-and-the-basque-region-1.700877 for research and reference) 
ANCESTRAL LINKS:WHAT DO pygmy shrews, badgers, mountain hares, pine martins and Irish people have in common? All probably originally came to Ireland on boats from northern Spain.

Our closest relatives are found in various parts of Galicia and the Basque country according to genetic studies led by Prof Dan Bradley of Trinity College Dublin’s Smurfit Institute of Genetics. He presented his research over the weekend at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago.

He was joined by Queen’s University Belfast archaeologist and linguist Prof James Mallory who talked about efforts to link these DNA studies with the transmission of languages across western Europe.

The chair of the session was the Government’s chief scientific adviser, Prof Patrick Cunningham.

Prof Bradley and colleagues have done extensive genetic analysis into where the Irish came from and how they got to Ireland. He studies genes associated with the Y chromosome, a genetic inheritance that comes via the father.

By tracking the presence of certain Y chromosome markers he can travel back in time to map our relatedness to others across Europe. He explained how he had also done this with the two main species of cattle, the familiar flat-backed cattle and the hump-backed cattle seen in India and Africa.

The human data definitively showed that our strongest relatedness was with the northern Iberian peninsula, with this genetic signal strongest for the Irish living today in the west of Ireland. These in turn were likely the closest relatives of the migrants who originally settled in Ireland.

Genetic studies of Irish fauna also showed this distinctive signal, he said. “The Irish badgers are Spanish, but the British badgers are not. The fauna of Ireland seems to be divergent. How does one explain this,” he asked.

The most likely explanation was that the island was settled by migrants from northern Spain as the glaciers that covered Ireland from the last ice age melted away. “It seems to me that most animals in Ireland came by boat. There seems to have been some communication with southern Europe.”

The Book of Invasions from the 8th century talked about an invasion by the Spanish king Milesius, he said.

His group also looked for genetic linkages between people sharing a common surname, something passed along from the male lineage like the Y chromosome.

They found linkages that traced back, to the famous Ui Neill kindred, from whom Niall Noigiallagh, Niall of the nine hostages was descended.

Prof Mallory described attempts to match up the transmission of languages with the dispersal of DNA as people migrated across Europe. It was extremely difficult however due to confounding influences including language transmission via “elite dominance”.

Settled areas with a unique language later taken over by invaders would see language displacement, with the newcomers imposing their own language. However, the local gene pool would remain and would dilute the genetic influence of the newcomers.

This was possibly the reason why when one looked for genetic evidence of the Celts in Ireland these Celtic genes could not be found. Studies of this dynamic has occurred in what is now Hungary showed a mismatch between the dominant language and the dominant genetic influence. “Modern DNA is no predictor of the modern Hungarian language,” Prof Mallory said.

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Viking Burials in Ireland

Posted on September 14, 2014 by technotink
120813-054Vikings are no strangers to Ireland

Irish history is colored with Viking raids, settlement, and invasion. Vikings were first spotted off the Irish coast as early as 792 C.E. It comes to no surprise that the Irish landscape is dotted with Viking remains including Irish-Viking burials inside or outside their settlements and villages. Dublin always has them popping up now and then. There is the infamous Male Viking Burial at Larne. The Museum of Archaeology Ireland has the best collection of artifacts found of Ireland’s Viking era, including the burial history. The first recorded raids by the Vikings onto Ireland took place around 795 C.E. (common era, AD) with raids in the west and northern coasts of Eire. From there the Vikings traveled up the rivers building bases and settlements in 840 C.E. They targeted Christianity and their monasteries for the gold, silver, and slaves.

Hordes of burial goods were found within the 9th century Pagan Viking Burials at Islandbridge and Kilmainham Dublin especially long swords superior to Irish swords, purses, tongs, weights, scales, oval brooches, whalebone ironing board, spindle whorls, bronze needle case, and hammers telling tales of other Viking professions such as artisans, merchants, and blacksmiths settling in the village. By the 10th-12th century, the Vikings effectively changed the Irish landscape which was exquisitely rural at the time. Viking settlements gave birth to the roots of Ireland’s current larger cities such as Cork, Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick whose roots go to the Vikings. They brought in trade markets with western Asia, the Byzantine and Muslim markets around the region bringing in great wealth and treasures. Vikings primarily built their houses of wattle and daub, posts with willow wattle weave daubed with mud or dung. They built ships, furniture, toys, board games, iron tools, cups, barrels, bowls, hasps, locks, hinges, keys, swords, and weapons. They were master craftsmen and women. They began to convert to Christianity by the 10th century with Irish and Viking art merging to a point one couldn’t tell the difference between the styles. By 11th-12th century the artistic styles became a fusion and labelled Hiberno-Norse culture. Many of these artifacts were buried with the dead. Viking burials in the region of Dublin were extraordinary especially with burial effects, many of which is being cataloged and logged by the Museum of Archaeology Ireland published in a 800 page tome documented these goods. One of the most famous Viking burials in Dublin is that of a 9th century skeleton buried with a spearhead and sword found near the War Memorial Park in Islandbridge during a 1934 excavation. Earlier discoveries were not well recorded, but with this burial a change in Irish Archaeology of Vikings took place. While not every Viking was buried with burial goods, a high number of aristocratic or militaristic burials have been recorded including at least 59 graves in the Kilmainha-Islandbridge region increasing in numbers to this very day. These remains help document and validate the purported numbers of Vikings coming to Dublin. In the Dublin region, they buried their dead on both sides of the Liffey River and along the Poddle. Shallow graves and military goods were common place around Dublin for Viking warriors with swords, rings, beads, daggers, shields, spears, and other weapons for use in the afterlife. At the Golden Lane site west of Dublin were two Viking burials excavated in 2005 just outside an early medieval cemetery next to the church of St. Michael le Pole – that of an elderly female and the other a young 20-30 year old male – the female buried with a decorated bone buckle and the male with a knife, spear-head, belt buckle, and 2 lead weights both dating to around 688-870 CE (radiocarbon dating) similar to those found on Ship Street and Georges street Dublin that were accompanied by a shield boss, spear-head, Bronze Age halberd, and other grave goods relating to warrior activity. Viking burial mounds as very elaborate cist burials began to appear as well surviving into the 17th century after which point were demolished. The sheer number of burials with weapons found in Ireland account for nearly half of those found in the British Isles.

Extensive Viking burials are beneath Dublin streets. A 15+ year long study on Viking remains in Dublin is nearing completion and publication. Cataloguing began in 1999 will result in an 800+ page tome called “Viking Graves and Grave Goods in Ireland”. The largest grave complex is still the Kilmainham-Islandbridge Viking graves with 59+ findings as the largest found in Western Europe (except Scandinavia). Artifacts dating from AD 841 and AD 902 significantly mark Dublin’s importance in the Viking realm although not every Viking grave had an artifact.

Could the Four Bodies Found At Under Trinity Road Works Be Vikings? (alternative backup: here)

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Could the four bodies found at Trinity roadworks be Vikings?

Posted on September 14, 2014 by technotink

Reprinted from http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Could-the-four-bodies-found-at-under-Trinity-road-works-be-Vikings.html

Jane Walsh @irishcentral August 15,2014 01:15 AM

\"Team

Team of experts believe they have unearthed a per-medieval cemetery at the heart of Dublin city.Photo by: Rubicon Heritage

The archaeological firm excavating the site outside Trinity College, in Dublin’s city center, have discovered at least four bodies, the age of which they have not yet determined, but they could be from the Viking era.

On July 16 skeletal remains were discovered by the construction team working on the cross-city Luas (tram) line in Dublin, on College Green at the north gates of Trinity College.Rubicon Heritage Service was brought in to examine what seemed to be a historic site.

They have determined that the initial skeletal remains, buried at a depth of 1.5 meters, were “situated below the known level of post-medieval activity, suggesting the remains are most likely medieval or earlier in date.”

“Over the course of subsequent days the partial remains of at least four more individuals were uncovered within the trench; these were archaeologically excavated from the area in July. This suggests that this part of College Green functioned as a cemetery at some point in Dublin’s past.”

Nikolah Gilligan, the Site Director, said in a statement, “All, bar one of the individuals, were positioned in north-south orientated grave cuts, apparently with no grave goods present.

She added, “‘It is too early to confirm the date of the human remains, though the possibility that they are Viking cannot be discounted, given previously recorded Viking activity in the area.”

The area of College Green was once known as Hoggen Green, from the Old Norse word “haugr” meaning mound, or barrow. The cemetery in the area consisted of several burial mounds, which are thought to have contained the remains of some of the Norse kings of Dublin. Evidence of Viking burials has previously been found in the area.

Human Remains Specialist, Carmelita Troy, has carried out a visual assessment of the remains, confirming that at least one of the individuals was an adult male, while one of the others was a sub-adult, aged under 18 years at the time of their death.

A detailed archaeological and osteoarchaeological analysis will now be carried out by Rubicon Heritage Services.

Just three years ago a construction team working in Temple Bar’s Meeting House Square, less than a mile from College Green, discovered a small Viking settlement, located on what was an island in the River Poddle.

More about Irish Viking Burials here: http://www.technogypsie.com/science/?p=1863

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Vesta Talent Agency: Science and Lore

Posted on June 19, 2014 by technotink

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Overnight Reputation for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Neolithic Wooden Wells (Germany)

Posted on March 9, 2014 by technotink

journal.pone
Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Neolithic wooden wells from Germany

We were fascinated by this publishing online of these several wooden wells found in Germany that date to the Neolithic. We had hoped to see them on our last trip to Germany, but were not able to make the area in daylight. Of course we’re not even sure where they are located or if they could be visited. They have been dated by archaeologists to the Neolithic and reveal information about the first farming practices in the area as well as influenced around Europe, the construction methodology used in constructing them, and paleo-climatic data from the tree rings from timbers recovered from them.

Around 12,000 B.P. (Before Present), environmental and geologic changes in the landscape had changed Central Europe from “steppes” into dense woodlands, creating a warmer and wetter climate. During the 6th century (B.C.E.), cultures and peopling began to show signs of staying in one place, choosing a more sedentary lifestyle as opposed to nomadic travels. Agriculture took root and with it came farming, cultivation, care taking of livestock, production of tools and ceramics, as well as exploiting the woodlands for its timber. This was the start of the Neolithic period when cultures began to change their natural environment into a cultural landscape. Permanent buildings began to appear, storage facilities, encampments, fortifications, and villages constructed. The manufacture of tools became specialized and techniques used in working with wood were optimized. The first Central European farmers most likely came from the Carpathian basin and Balkan peninsula around 7,500 years ago leaving a uniform archaeological record of structures and tools including long houses, pottery, and stone tools. The decorated pottery at this time was a particular type that archaeologists call the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK). Settlements sprang up across the fertile loess regions and unfortunately due to a lack of preserved organic artifacts not much is known on how they farmed, their skills, and the subsistence strategies of the time. Today, current archaeological evidence is showing some light.

The figure 1 above is one of Willy Tegel’s images demonstrating the wooden well constructions and Neolithization. He shows LBK wells from (A) Eythra 1, (B) Eythra 2, (C) Brodau 1, and (D) Altscherbitz. (E) Central European loess distribution with the superimposed phases of expansion of the LBK (lines), based on Carbon 14 dates, and the maximum extension of the LBK (light blue) along with the 12 known early Neolithic wells featuring waterlogged wood preservation. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g001) He states in his research that a precise chronological framework beyond radiocarbon dates and LBK pottery typology is required for a better understanding of the Neolithization process.

Below he demonstrates tree-ring dating samples from 151 oak timbers abstracted from four water well constructions in Altscherbitz, brodau, and Eythra. The individual ring width measurements cover 371 years from between 5469 to 5098 BCE originating from at least 46 mature trees having a individual felling dates of wells A, B, E1 and E2 correspond to construction activities in 5099, at 5190±10, in 5098 and after 5206 BC, respectively (Figure 2). (See Willy Tegel research)

journalpone0051374jpg
Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Figure 2. Tree-ring samples and chronologies. (A) Temporal distribution of 147 oak ring width series, indicating the lengths of the individual tree-ring sequences, and the youngest felling date per well construction, based on the presence of waney edges (annually precise) or sapwood (±10 years). The inset shows a 3D reconstruction of the wooden lining of the well from Altscherbitz displaying each tree using a different color. (B) The Expressed Population Signal (dotted line grey) and the inter-series correlation (dotted line black) calculated over 50 years lagged by 25 years along all of the individual samples. (C) Single ring width measurements (green) and their mean (red). (D) Absolute dating of the new Saxon oak chronology (red) against the reference chronology from the Main River Valley [30] after 10-year low-pass filtering (r = correlation coefficient, TV = T-value, GL = Gleichläufigkeit). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g002. (Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012. Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374)

These timbers recovered show that the mature oak trees used in the construction by early Neolithic farmers dated up to 300 years old and measured a maximum of a meter in diameter. These were cut with transversely hafted bladed stone adzes cutting just about breast height of the farmer. Based on ethnological evidence, Tegel stated the logging techniques could be reconstructed pretty accurately by splitting the logs first in half with wooden wedges hammered in using wooden mauls as is a common practice since prehistoric times. Evidence on the timbers show the log halves were cut to their final length with the adzes and use of burning charcoals to mold by fire, as found in commonplace use with Neolithic log boat construction methodology. The final timbers came from radial or tangential splitting from the trimmed halves, smoothed using adzes, and boards made for use in construction.

journal.pone.0051374-figure3
Figure 3: Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Figure 3. Charred end grain surfaces at terminal ends of oak timbers from well A (A, B). The timbers were cut to length using fire. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g003

There were found to be two different types of linings used around the wells excavated, and these were assembled into the construction pits reaching down to the ground level as deep at seven meters. The first kind was a chest-like well lining using timber logs and the second a tube-like well lining using hollowed trunk sections. In Well B, a chest-like construction in the well stabilized the construction pit before a hollowed trunk was inserted.
The chest-like well linings were built using notched timbers that were either cogged or interlocked at their corner joints. Some rested on basal frames constructed with mortise and tenon joints, and Well A extended beyond the outer face of the joined timbers perforated and keyed by wooden wedges.

journal.pone.0051374-fig4
Fig 4: Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Figure 4: Early Neolithic craftsmanship from well A. 3D laser rendering of (A) a timber bearing tool marks on the surface, (B) various timbers with cogging joints. (C) 3D model of the well lining set-up using laser images. (D) Sketch of the base frame with wedged tusk tenon joints and the frame with interlocked corner joints.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g004.

journal.pone.0051374-fig5
Figure 5: Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Figure 5. Basal frame construction of well A. (A) Wedged tusk tenon joint. (B) 3D laser rendering of the basal frame. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g005.

The Well known as “Well A” was found at the margin of a LBK settlement consisting of approximately 100 longhouses and a cemetery with roughly 24 graves. This well’s lumber had exceptional preservation in its lining, with 134 timbers (20 or more tree-rings) and they dated 47 timbers from the log construction, 72 from the construction pit, and 5 wooden remains from internal deposits – all of which came from 13 individual oaks harvested in 5102 BCE. Theses trees were radially and tangentially split into well-shaped beams. A small plank from the construction pit dated to 5099 BCE and defines the initial construction onset. The internal back fill contained a small board dating at 5087±10 BCE suggesting the well wasn’t used long though could have been a reused board.

journal.pone.0051374-fig6
Figure 6: Willy Tegel et al. Early Neolithic Water Wells
Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012.
Open access Image:http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Figure 6. Finds from the fill of well A. (A) Well A during excavation. Within the square wooden lining, a dense deposition of pottery consisting of intact and broken vessels has been uncovered. (B) Selection of intact and restored pots representative of the ceramic spectrum of the LBK, consisting of jars, necked vessels and bowls (to scale, photo-realistic renderings of laser scans). (C) Complete ear of Einkorn (Triticum monococcum, 70 mm in length).doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.g006.

Excavated around the well-lining (outside surrounding pit) dated 100 years older than the well lining demonstrating a long settlement activity of at least four generations before the well was constructed. Within the well were uncovered rich botanical remains shedding some light on environmental conditions and history as well as the Neolithic diet for this site. Staple foods were deduced from these remains consisting of two types of hulled wheat (Triticum monococcum) and Emer (Triticum dicoccum) (figure 6c above) It is believed the carbohydrates from the cereals were complimented with proteins from legumes, such as peas (Pisum sativum) and lentils (Lens culinaris), oils obtained from linseed (Linum usitatissimum) as well as Poppy (Papaver somniferum). Wild fruits were added to the diet including strawberries, sloe, apples, raspberries, and hazelnuts. Abundant remains of bladder cherry (Physalis alkekengi) and black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger). Henbane has strong hallucinogenic properties as well as beneficial as a medicine suggesting ritual drug use. At the bottom of the well filled with sediment after abandonment was found over 25 complete LBK ceramic vessels (see Figure 6) as well as bone, stone, and flint tools. The decorations suggests the earlier phases of the LBK typology and these could have been offerings to the well, especially being complete pots. These researchers found that contrary to common belief, broken pottery wasn’t always discarded, but often mended with birch tar and used in this state before abandonment. Two of the vessels found at the bottom of the well were redecorated after mending, covered with a thin layer of birch tar with intricate patterns made of cut-out strips of birch bark pasted on. Tool marks found on the timbers match with typical early Neolithic ground stone adze use. Much was learned from the markings on the timbers as to wood construction and techniques.

The Neolithization of Central Europe coincided with the Holocene Climate Optimum occurring around 7500 years ago and supportive of agricultural success for these first farmers with their agriculture, forest clearing, and timber exploitation practices. According to the research by Willy Tegel, Rengert Elburg, Dietrich Hakelberg, Harald Stäuble, and Ulf Büntgen this study demonstrates that the first farmers were also the first carpenters dispelling the belief that complex wood construction techniques did not rely upon the invention of metal woodworking tools as the evidence found in these wells show that they could build sophisticated corner joints and log constructions for their massive water well linings. This also implies complex construction methods for the LBK longhouse architecture.

Full report can be found here: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374

Copyright: © 2012 Tegel et al. (Rengert Elburg, Dietrich Hakelberg, Harald Stäuble, and Ulf Büntgen ) This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

    Bibliography, Recommended Reading, and References:
  • Maju 12/20/2012 “Neolithic wooden wells from Germany” on Blog “For What They Were .. We Are”. Website referenced March 8, 2014 at http://forwhattheywereweare.blogspot.de/2012/12/neolithic-wooden-wells-from-germany.html.
  • Willy Tegel et al. (Rengert Elburg, Dietrich Hakelberg, Harald Stäuble, and Ulf Büntgen) 2012 Early Neolithic Water Wells
    Reveal the World’s Oldest Wood Architecture. PLoS ONE 2012: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0051374.

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Revenge of the Neanderthals

Posted on January 28, 2014 by technotink

Crossposted from Pleasance, Chris Jan-2014 “Revenge of the Neanderthals: ‘Legacy genes from ancient humans may be to blame for modern killer diseases such as cancer and diabetes'”. UK Mail Online. Website referenced 1/25/2014 at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2546191/Revenge-Neanderthals-Legacy-genes-ancient-humans-blame-modern-killer-diseases-cancer-diabetes.html.

Revenge of the Neanderthals: ‘Legacy’ genes from ancient humans may be to blame for modern killer diseases such as cancer and diabetes

  • Humans wiped out Neanderthals around 30,000 years ago
  • However the two co-existed for thousands of years and interbred
  • Modern Europeans have around 2 per cent Neanderthal DNA
  • Those genes have been linked to high risk from cancer and diabetes

By Chris Pleasance

PUBLISHED: 07:29 EST, 26 January 2014 | UPDATED: 08:54 EST, 26 January 2014

But new research shows that the extinct species could be taking revenge on us from beyond the grave by making us more vulnerable to potentially killer diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Neanderthals and modern humans are thought to have co-existed for thousands of years and interbred, meaning Europeans now have roughly 2 per cent Neanderthal DNA.

 
Seeking revenge: While early humans wiped out Neanderthals around 30,000 years ago, their DNA could be making modern Europeans vulnerable to diseases such as cancer and diabetes

 

Seeking revenge: While early humans wiped out Neanderthals around 30,000 years ago, their DNA could be making modern Europeans vulnerable to diseases such as cancer and diabetes

 

These ‘legacy’ genes have been linked to an increased risk from cancer and diabetes by new studies looking at our evolutionary history.

 

However, it is not all bad news, as other genes we inherited from our species’ early life could have improved our immunity to diseases which were common at the time, helping us to survive.

However scientists looking into the Neanderthal genome believe their DNA could also have made us more resistant to ancient diseases, helping us to evolve

 

However scientists looking into the Neanderthal genome believe their DNA could also have made us more resistant to ancient diseases, helping us to evolve

Speaking to MailOnline, professor Chris Stringer, research leader in human origins at the Natural History Museum in London, said: Neanderthals had been evolving outside of Africa of thousands of years and had been exposed to diseases which our species had not come into contact with.

‘Studies have shown we could have taken part of our HLA system, which effects our white blood cells, from them.

‘We got a quick fix to our own immune system by breeding with Neanderthals which helped us to survive.

‘Studies have also already been published which show that humans outside of Africa are more vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes, and that is because we bred with Neanderthals, while those who stayed inside Africa didn’t.’

The HLA system helps white blood cells to identify and destroy foreign bodies when they enter the system.

Last year researchers from Oxford and Plymouth universities announced that genes thought to be risk factors in cancer had been discovered in the Neanderthal genome, and last month Nature magazine published a paper from Harvard Medical School suggesting that a gene which can cause diabetes in Latin Americans came from Neanderthals.

By examining the genes found in the toe bone of a female Neanderthal, scientists have been able to build up a more complete version of early human history and how modern-humans evolved.

 

Analysis of the DNA found that Neanderthal families were highly interbred, both among themselves, and among other early humans such as Denisovans.

The research potentially suggests that Neanderthals became extinct not because early humans killed them, but because they bred with them and incorporated their DNA into the much larger human population.

 
Last year researchers from Oxford and Plymouth universities announced that genes thought to be risk factors in cancer had been discovered in the Neanderthal genome

 

Last year researchers from Oxford and Plymouth universities announced that genes thought to be risk factors in cancer had been discovered in the Neanderthal genome

 

Next month the Natural History Museum will stage an exhibition, Britain: One Million Years of the Human Story, describing Homo erectus, an early human species that first populated Britain about 900,000 years ago, and displaying life-size models of Neanderthals, a later species.

Neanderthals may not, however, be the only contributors to modern human DNA. New studies suggest that during one period, between 100,000-500,000 years ago, there were up to seven species of early human alive at the same time.

People from sub-Saharan Africa, have DNA suspected to come from Homo heidelbergensis – the Heildelberg Man – a primitive ancestor, while some Asian groups carry DNA from the Denisovans.

 

 
 
Check out our book about Animism and Ai which covers some of Neanderthal’s first animistic thinking. 
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