Origin of skillful stone-tool-sharpening method pushed back more than 50,000 years

Still Bay bifacial point from Blombos Cave in
South Africa made of silcrete and finished by
pressure flaking, primarily at the tip

Researchers discover oldest evidence of pressure flaking in South African cave

A highly skillful and delicate method of sharpening and retouching stone artifacts by prehistoric people appears to have been developed at least 75,000 years ago, more than 50,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The new findings show that the technique, known as pressure flaking, took place at Blombos Cave in South Africa during the Middle Stone Age by anatomically modern humans and involved the heating of silcrete -- quartz grains cemented by silica -- used to make tools. Pressure flaking takes place when implements previously shaped by hard stone hammer strikes followed by softer strikes with wood or bone hammers are carefully trimmed on the edges by directly pressing the point of a tool made of bone on the stone artifact.

The technique provides a better means of controlling the sharpness, thickness and overall shape of bifacial tools like spearheads and stone knives, said Paola Villa, a curator at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and a study co-author. Prior to the Blombos Cave discovery, the earliest evidence of pressure flaking was from the Upper Paleolithic Solutrean culture in France and Spain roughly 20,000 years ago.

Speleological expedition: Lukina jama 2010

The Speleological expedition „Lukina jama 2010“ was held between 24th of July and 15th of August 2010.

It was organized by Speleological section Velebit and the Speleological Committee of the Croatian Mountaineering Association in cooperation with Northern Velebit National Park, with logistic support of The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (CMRS).

Around hundred of speleologists from 14 Croatian speleological clubs and associations participated in the expedition as well as colleagues from Bulgaria, England, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Spain.

This was one of this year’s most challenging expeditions in Europe given the logistics and large amounts of equipment transported to the bottom of the pit in conditions of low temperature and significant water activity.

The expedition resulted in cave diving in the lake at the bottom of the pit, in new speleological topographical maps and scientific research which includes studies of the subterranean fauna, hydrogeology, physical, chemical properties and other characteristics of the pit.

Cave divers and members of the Speleological section Velebit as well as CMRS, Ivica Ćukušić and Robert Erhardt, dived into the submerged passage at the bottom of the dry part of the pit for 135 m in length and 21 m in depth, increasing the overall cave depth to 1400 m and more.

During the expedition, well known Croatian cave diver and member of Speleological section of HPD Željezničar as well as Croatian Biospeleological Society (CBSS), Branko Jalžić, dived into the submerged passage at the bottom of the pit at 40 m in depth.

New overall cave depth is now 1421 m, which makes it the 15th deepest cave in the world.

The 'Rodney Dangerfield' of Halloween Icons

Myotis septentrionalis, or long-eared myotis, are among the bat
species studied by Dr. Erin Gillam and her research team at
North Dakota State University as they conduct field research
on bats in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
in the North Dakota Badlands.
Credit: Paul Barnhart

While many people will be pursuing the latest pop culture icons as Halloween costumes this year, one of the annual icons of Halloween might be viewed as the Rodney Dangerfield of Halloween symbols. The legendary comedian based his career on the line "I get no respect," which might also apply to the misunderstood flying mammal known as bats. The animals often carry a negative connotation that doesn't reflect the respective role bats play in biological ecosystems.

Dr. Erin Gillam, a biological researcher at North Dakota State University, Fargo, conducts research on the role bats play in ecosystems around the globe, as well as on their ability to communicate.

Her research is designed to help understand how behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary factors influence the structure of animal communication signals. She has focused on investigating natural flexibility in bat echolocation and examining how bats adjust their calls in response to characteristics of their signaling environment. Most recently, information about her research was published in the Journal of Mammology.

Studies on Himalayan caves to help in climate forecast

Himalayan limestone caves will be an effective instrument of forecasting the climate of the region in future with the help of studies being conducted on the climatic trend of the last 3,000 years, says a geologists working on it.

"We will not only be able to find the climatic trends in Himalayan region during last 3,000 years but also forecast the future trends as well," said Dr BS Kotlia, a geologist of Kumaun University who is working on three projects of studying limestone caves in Uttarakhand in order to determine the climatic conditions in the past.

"We are studying year-to-year climatic conditions of last three thousand years in Uttarakhand making these limestone caves a symptom of climate change," he said.

Kotlia said that his studies on limestone caves of the region will focus on the climatic conditions that had prevailed during the last 3,000 years.

"It will reflect the rainfall and temperature from year to year as well as the trend of climate," he said.

The Himalayan caves are made of limestone which contains calcium carbonate which is soluble in water, he said.

Volunteer cave rescuers pick up Queen's award

CRO member Roy Holmes receives the award from Lord Crathorne

A cave and mountain rescue group has received royal approval for its volunteer work.

The Cave Rescue Organisation, based in Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales, was announced as a winner of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The team carries out searches and rescues both in the limestone caves and on the fells around its North Yorkshire base.

It was one of 103 groups throughout the UK granted the award, dubbed the ‘MBE for voluntary groups’.

North Yorkshire’s Lord Lieutenant, Lord Crathorne, presented the award – a certificate signed by the Queen and a commemorative crystal. Four team members also received an invitation to a Buckingham Palace garden party earlier in the summer.

The CRO celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.

Half a ton of hashish found at Cerro Gordo, near La Herradura

The drugs were being stored in the 'Cueva de la Virgen'

17 bales amounting to half a ton of hashish has been found in the ‘Cueva de la Virgen’ at Cerro Gordo near La Herradura. The cave is only accessible by sea, and the drugs were found on Wednesday by customs officials from Motril, who noticed the blue colour of some plastic inside the grotto.

Their inspection resulted in 15 bales of drugs being found initially, and then divers found two more on the sea bed. All contained hashish pollen and the total weight was 480 kilos.

A statement from the Guardia Civil said that they consider the find shows a new method of hiding drugs by the traffickers.

Source: Typically Spanish

Bulgarian Moutain Rescue Retrieve Young Man from Cave

Image from Pepelyankata cave nearby Pernik.
Photo by Svetlin Marionv at caves.4at.info

A 23-year own man was rescued by the Mountain Rescue Service in a very difficult operation after falling badly in Pepelyankata cave near the Bulgarian city of Pernik.

The operation continued for five hours over Saturday late afternoon and night and was extremely complicated by the terrain of the cave.

Speleologists and a doctor joined the mountain rescuers to help them in the unfamiliar environment.

The young man had apparently suffered back injuries and taking him out had to be organized extremely carefully.

He had been exploring the cave with a couple of friends. They all had experience and adequate equipment, so his fall is more probably accidental.

After being removed from the cave, the yound man was switfly transported to Pernik hospital.

Source: Novinite