Cavemen 'may have used language'

They are typically portrayed as primitive brutes capable only of grunting, but new research now suggests Neanderthals may have whiled away the hours in their caves in conversation.

Scientists who have been trawling through the DNA found in Neanderthal bones have discovered that the now extinct species had a “language gene” that is only found in modern humans.

Their controversial findings create the tantalising possibility that Neanderthals were in fact capable of speech much like humans and communicated with each other through their own language.

As language is seen as one of the key cornerstones that has set humans apart from other animals and allowed sophisticated cultures to develop, many anthropologists now believe it may have allowed Neanderthals to have their own culture.

It is a stark contrast to the traditional image of Neanderthals as simple-minded cavemen and the latest research has shed new light on how Neanderthals evolved from our common ancestor more than 400,000 years ago.

Secretary of Spelelogy Federation Alexey Zhalov: We expect great and perhaps interesting findings

The Bulgarian Federation of Spelelogy has trained ten youngsters, half of them being beginners by a project of Smolyan Municipality called ‘The Bio Diversity in the Rhodope – Underground Life and Daylight’. The speleologists uncovered three new caves. A visitors’ and information centre in Smilyan will be opened. It will have speleological equipment. For that reason Radio FOCUS – Smolyan spoke to Alexey Zhalov, secretary of the Bulgarian Federation of Spelelogy:

FOCUS: Mr. Zhalov, you trained speleologists by a project of Smolyan Municipality, what was the purpose and how many people did you train?
Alexey Zhalov: When there are interesting and poorly explored landschafts and having in mind their rational use and protection we need a well-prepared team of people. That’s why the project will involve training of one group of people, which is divided in two. Five people have been trained for speleologists at a beginner stage, another five were trained in more advanced modes. The trainees passed this course, following programs that have been unified by training programs, which are valid within the Bulgarian Federation of Spelelogy with almost the full number of hours set for theoretical and practical training. The best thing is that they all managed to pass the exam with excellence after all and obtained certificates and diplomas. Now the Mursalitsa spelelogy and extremist tourism club has five trained speleologists, who we hope will urge the new activities. Five people from the club got a better qualification that will help the club’s activity, firstly, as a unity of NGOs, secondly, as a team that has taken the first steps and now develops caving and extremist tourism in the municipality. Everyone is looking forward to that. The idea was to have both goals achieved – one of them being a hobby. Along with that our federation now has ten new trained aides.

FOCUS: What caught your attention in the course of training, we heard you found new caves along the Arda River?
Alexey Zhalov: What is worth mentioning is that our training passed in an expedition, which means that we managed to find new caves within the practical lessons. The map of caves of the municipality increased with four new markings. It turned out that one of the caves has two entrances, so they are three caves. Having in mind what we did in the previous two stages of the project and in the two previous expeditions, now we see the number of caves has reached 21.

FOCUS: Will you continue exploring?
Alexey Zhalov: I want to say that we spotted a few new sites for exploration with positive perspectives. The team will work at its best in the near future. We expect great, perhaps very interesting findings. When we concluded our work last night I said the region was like a flour sack that the more you beat, the more you get – caves, speleologists, which is very good, of course.
I want to point to the role of the municipality. I want to note that this is the country’s first pioneer project that binds these activities. Opening, rational use and protection of caves, making a tourist product that works for enriching the region in all meanings of the word. We train people here and we help the progress of caving by implementing this project. This is praiseworthy, I would like to note that we found a good partner here, meaning the municipality and working together for another time I see we proved to each other we can be useful. I want to thank the municipality for having lent a hand and I hope we will remain good partners, because there are many interesting things here. We can make not only geographic explorations, as is the finding of a new cave, we can help for their exploring and assimilating in terms of tourist potential, as well as preserving as a natural resource.

Source: Focus Information Agency

Brit woman survives cave flood

A 24-year-old British woman survived flash floods in a Thai cave which killed seven others by clinging to the ceiling.

A British man, five other Western tourists and two Thai guides were swept away by the floods while exploring the cave in a southern Thai national park.

The British tourist, Helena Carroll, told Thai television station TITV that she was shouting: "'Help me! Help me!' all night. Then I saw a light."

Carroll was shown leaving the national park in tears by boat with her rescuers, who she said were "good men."

The other victims are four Swiss citizens and a 10-year-old German boy, police Lt Col.Pichan Kanayasiri said.

The group had been trekking through the Khao Sok national park in Surathani province late Saturday afternoon when a heavy rainfall sent water surging through the cave, which is near a waterfall.

"The tourists were inside the cave and didn't know what was happening outside," Pichan said. "They were trapped inside the cave."

The province's governor, Winai Phopradit, said he had ordered the national park to close during the current rainy season.

"We have signs both in English and Thai warning tourists not to go into the cave during heavy rains," he said.

Several years ago a Belgian tourist died at the same location.

Source: The Sun

When low-tech triumphs: a cave rescue

Emergency workers resort to Vietnam-era phones, telephone cable and glow sticks in the search and rescue of three cavers lost under the streets of Austin, Texas.

Three college students were rescued Sunday after spending two days in a narrow limestone cave under the streets of Austin, Texas.

What stands out to me about the rescue effort is that high-tech gear was of little or no use to the emergency workers.

Cell phones and even radios were useless in the underground complex. Rescue workers resorted--successfully--to a Vietnam-era phone system, thousands of feet of telephone cable, and glow sticks. And, oh yeah, just as important were the skinny rescue workers who were willing to subject themselves to the claustrophobia-inducing cave.

Central Texas is chock full of caves. Until Sunday, I had never heard of Airman's Cave, where the cavers got lost, even though it lies directly under a couple of popular shopping centers in south Austin that I frequent.

This 2-mile-long cave isn't like the caverns of renown. For most of the way through Airman's Cave, you end up on your hands and knees or on your belly. There are areas where the cave is only about 18 inches wide.

Airman's Cave, which is not gated or blocked off, is considered one of the most difficult caves in the region to navigate, according to a member of a local caving group quoted in the Statesman. It takes an expert caver about 12 hours to navigate, the caver said, and only 40 to 50 people have ever made it through.

The three University of Texas students--two women and one man--entered the cave on Saturday morning. They'd been smart enough to tell a friend to call for help if they weren't back by midnight. That friend surely agonized much of, if not the entire night, before calling 911 at 5 a.m. Sunday.

After 11 hours of searching, the three cavers were found. They were not injured, though they had run out of water. Altogether, the trio was underground for about 35 hours before emerging late Sunday night.

The only disappointment--other than the fact that high-tech gear was pretty much useless--was the students' response after they emerged from the cave. Dirty and dehydrated, they profusely thanked the rescue workers. However, all three said they would "absolutely" try it again.

"Really, nothing went wrong except us getting lost," one of the students told reporters.

Don't get me started about the cost of their adventure to taxpayers.
Source: CNET

In Memoriam: Kenneth A. Hornung

Kenneth A. Hornung, 85, of Lake of the Woods, Locust Grove, died Friday, Oct. 12, 2007, at the home of his son and daughter-in-law after a brief illness.

He was born on July 15, 1922, son of the late George and Winifred Hornung. Ken retired in 1990 from IBM, after 25 years of service as an engineer. He previously lived in Lake Arrowhead in Stafford County where he was active with the lakes committee, and helped to design and build the beach shelter. Previously he lived in New York and raised three children. Up until the time of his death, Ken volunteered for ChildHelp, and was active in his community. He enjoyed spending time with his family, caving and being outdoors. He was a founding member of the National Speleological Society. He was a loving father to son Michael Hornung and his wife, Amy, of Brasher Falls, N.Y.; and two daughters, Jennifer Eckhart and her husband, Mike, of Fredericksburg, and Allison Weitzel and her husband, Dave, of Ashburn. He was a loving and devoted Papa to Parker, Sean and Gabriel Hornung; Austin, Logan and Ashyln Eckhart; and William and Andrew Weitzel. He is also survived by his friends of 60 years, Bob Richter and Al Vargo. In addition to his parents, Ken was preceded in death by his wife of 35 years, Rhoda Fuchs Hornung; and a brother, George Hornung.

A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Mullins and Thompson Funeral Service, Fredericksburg Chapel. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery, Fredericksburg. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley, 6805 State Highway 11, Potsdam, N.Y .13676.

Condolences to the family may be sent to mullins thompson.com.