TOP 100 SCIENCE SITES
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| In Greenland, warming fuels dream of hidden wealth TASIILAQ, Greenland (AP) -- Gert Ignatiussen returns to this fjord-front Inuit town with the spoils of his hunting trip. Six seals, all killed with a single shot to the head.... hosted.ap.org |
Doctor and Patient: Holding Doctors Accountable for Medical Errors To improve patient safety, physicians must begin acknowledging their roles in medical mistakes, a medicine professor said. feeds.nytimes.com |
Observatory: Working as a Team, Bacteria Spin Gears The process, though not efficient, is a step toward the development of hybrid biological and micromechanical machines. feeds.nytimes.com |
Keeping the Midlands bling | Stephen Deuchar This massive hoard of Anglo-Saxon has put Mercia back on the archeological map. We must do all we can to keep it thereYesterday, David Starkey coined the phrase "gangland bling" to describe the vast hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold, mostly of a military nature, that was unearthed in a field in Staffordshire in July last year. He was speaking at the launch this week of The Art Fund's campaign to raise £3.3m to save these bejewelled and glistening items of gold and silver by 17 April, so that the story of the ancient region of Mercia can begin to be told. It is vital that the hoard can be assured a permanent home in the West Midlands, where it was found.As soon as the news of the find broke in September, it instantly seemed to capture the imagination of the nation. Queues around the block were reported on a daily basis during the 19 days that items were displayed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, prior to the hoard's valuation, and over 40,000 people were able to see the astonishing treasure that had lain underground for 1,500 years.There is no doubt about it – the Staffordshire hoard is a unique discovery. No hoard of gold and silver objects from this period has ever emerged before. The earlier, notable discoveries have been grave burials such as the find at Sutton Hoo of 1939. The actual objects found in the hoard are most unusual as there is virtually no trace of anything that would have been used by women; it is almost exclusively what might be termed "war-gear". The treasure includes numerous precious fittings from the hilts of swords and other trophies from the battleground, as well as crosses and religious artefacts. Bling indeed, but distinguished and deeply evocative too.Who did it belong to and how did it come to be buried in that field? At present we can only speculate. Perhaps the treasure belonged to an invading army who were defeated by the Mercians, or perhaps it was part of an armoury built up over a longer period of time. We just don't know, but what we now have is a golden opportunity to find out – and to deepen radically our understanding of Anglo-Saxon history. Before, much of what we knew about this period was focused on Kent and East Anglia, but now Mercia is centre stage – and the study and conservation of the hoard will begin to unlock the region's history in wholly new dimensions.One thing is for certain, though: this is great news for the West Midlands. With so many people having pressed to see the hoard in the few days it was shown in Birmingham, no one doubts that the West Midlands is the region that should own and treasure the hoard for good. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent are bidding jointly to acquire it.The collection, which is so deeply rooted in local history, must remain in context in the West Midlands. Regional museums are of incomparable importance – economically, culturally, educationally and socially. They provide regions with a wealth of history and heritage, and are integral to telling the story of a region's identity. This is why we must seize the opportunity to save the hoard for the West Midlands.However, the success of the campaign is by no means a foregone conclusion. If the £3.3m cannot be raised, ultimately the landowner and finder of the hoard would be free to split it up and sell it on the open market. The Art Fund has kick-started the campaign with an initial grant of £300,000 towards the acquisition, and Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent city councils have each given £100,000 – bringing the total raised so far to £500,000. But there is a very long way to go before the hoard can be considered saved for the nation.ArchaeologyHeritageStephen Deucharguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Hi-tech insurance for Kenya herds A insurance scheme using satellite technology is launched in Kenya to offer herdsmen livestock protection during drought. news.bbc.co.uk |