Foods high in fat, salt or sugar are to be banned from meals and vending machines in English schools.
The ban, from next September, has been announced by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly at the Labour Party conference.
Vending machines in schools will not be allowed to sell chocolates, crisps or fizzy drinks, Ms Kelly announced.
The School Meals Review Panel next week will give details of the nutritional standards for ingredients to be allowed in school meals.
Junk food scandal
"I am absolutely clear that the scandal of junk food served every day in school canteens must end," said Ms Kelly.
FOODS LIKELY TO BE BANNED
Burgers and sausages from 'meat slurry' and 'mechanically recovered meat'
Sweets including chewing gum, liquorice, mints, fruit pastilles, toffees and marsh mallows
Chocolates and chocolate biscuits
Snacks such as crisps, tortilla chips, salted nuts, onion rings and rice crackers
"So today I can announce that we will ban poor quality processed bangers and burgers being served in schools from next September."
The review panel, an expert advisory group, was set up after a campaign to improve school meals by TV chef Jamie Oliver.
LIKELY TO BE EXEMPT
Bread products such as crumpets, English muffins, bagels and croissants
Cakes and biscuits made fresh by school caterers, digestive and ginger nut biscuits, cake bars, iced buns and doughnuts
Yoghurts
Dried fruit, unsalted nuts, peanut and raisin mixes and unsalted popcorn
In response, the government promised extra funding to bring the primary school meal budget up to 50p per pupil per day, with 60p for secondaries - and created the panel to set minimum nutritional standards.
These will be introduced from this term - and will become mandatory from September 2006.
Monitoring the standards of food served to pupils will be part of the responsibility of Ofsted school inspectors.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Kelly said it was "common sense" that some sorts of foods should be excluded from school menus.
"For example, meat products that are made from reconstituted meat slurry that bears no resemblance to the original product."
But plans to raise the standard of school food will not benefit pupils in local authorities where there is no school meals service.
Shadow education secretary David Cameron said: "We welcome this belated U-turn from Ruth Kelly. At the election ministers rejected Conservative proposals to extend a ban on junk food to vending machines, so this is a positive step."
Kitchen staff
But tighter standards were only part of the solution.
"They must be backed by sufficient resources for schools to provide the extra staff and kitchen facilities required - two crucial elements which are not being met in many schools."
Welsh Education Minister Jane Davidson said: "In Wales we have already set up a new group which will be looking at how to improve the quality and nutritional standards of school meals and to ensure we have a consistent and coherent approach to driving forward improvements in food and nutrition in our schools."
Nutritional standards were introduced a few years ago for meals in Scotland's schools, which typically spend more on ingredients than those in England.
The Northern Ireland School Caterers Association says schools there cook from fresh ingredients and do not rely as heavily on convenience foods as those in England.
'Deprived communities'
As well as presenting plans to improve school food, Ms Kelly also pointed to the priorities of her forthcoming White Paper - including the need for greater parental choice.
"Every parent should be able to choose the school that is right for their child.
"For too long, access to some schools has only been open to those who could afford to buy an expensive house next to a good school, while the rest were told to accept what they'd been given. There was nothing fair about that approach," she said.
She promised more good schools, improved transport, advice for parents and fair admissions.
And she emphasised the importance of city academies, "working at the heart of our most deprived communities".
Special Thanks to BBC News
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ancient Mexicans Ate Spicy Food
Mexican cuisine as we know it today goes back at least 1,500 years, according to a new study that looked at 500-1,500 A.D. food preparation ingredients discovered in two Oaxacan caves.
Based on the evidence, the cave's residents had 122 dried and fresh chiles, along with corn, squash, beans, avocados, agaves, prickly pears, tropical zapote fruit, berries, wild onions and more at their culinary disposal.
Like a well-organized pantry, the chiles had pride of place just to the right of the entrance for one of the caves.
"Chiles may be an acquired taste for Europeans and Americans, but not for the Indians of Mexico," co-author Kent Flannery, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan, told Discovery News.
He added, "Especially in the early periods, when bland foods like prickly pear cactus, acorns, mesquite pods, etc. were relied upon, plants like chiles and wild onions put some zip into their diet."
Flannery and Smithsonian researcher Linda Perry analyzed the chile finds, which were unearthed at two dry rock shelter caves — Guilá Naquitz and Silvia's Cave, northwest of Mitla, Oaxaca. During prehistoric periods, the caves housed family groups, but they later became convenient places for hunters and planters to temporarily camp out.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers can distinguish wild from domesticated chiles based on seed size, fruit size and starch content. Based on these characteristics, the scientists determined the chiles were all domesticated cultivars, mostly from the species that today gives us jalapeño, Serrano and ancho peppers.
"A couple of the cultivars look quite a bit like Tabasco and cayenne peppers," Perry told Discovery News.
Old chiles excavated in other Mexican caves suggest peppers first were domesticated around 8,000 years ago, after gourds and squash were domesticated at 8,000 B.C. Wild beans were being collected at 6,000 B.C., then corn at 4,000 B.C. The first tortilla press dates to 500-300 B.C., well before the Oaxacan cave finds.
Chemical analysis of starch granules on the cave chiles yielded residues of common beans, runner beans, corn and a few unidentified starches. While it is not possible to precisely recreate what the ancients were cooking up, Perry said the food probably was "very much like today" with "fresh peppers in salsas" and dried peppers tossed into stews or ground into moles.
Based on the discoveries, the scientists believe the region had a thriving economy centered on multiple crops grown in different environments, with perhaps warm valley tropical fruits obtained at markets or through trade. Other evidence suggests they utilized their bounty in a ritual that involved burning incense and drinking pulque, an alcoholic drink made of fermented agave sap, in bat claw effigy vessels.
Danise Coon, program director of the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, told Discovery News that the Oaxacan cave finds "provide great evidence for early cultivation of Mexican vegetables and fruits, especially chiles."
Coon believes chiles first became popular for medicinal purposes. High in vitamins A and C, chiles also contain the heat-producing alkaloid capsaicin.
"Even today, capsaicin is added to arthritis creams," she said. "It produces a heat/pain response in the brain that can be even bigger than the individual's arthritis or muscle soreness."
She said it is appropriate the evidence for early Mexican foods came from Oaxaca, because the state is still known for its "delicious, traditional and complex cuisine."
Special Thanks to The Discovery Channel
Based on the evidence, the cave's residents had 122 dried and fresh chiles, along with corn, squash, beans, avocados, agaves, prickly pears, tropical zapote fruit, berries, wild onions and more at their culinary disposal.
Like a well-organized pantry, the chiles had pride of place just to the right of the entrance for one of the caves.
"Chiles may be an acquired taste for Europeans and Americans, but not for the Indians of Mexico," co-author Kent Flannery, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan, told Discovery News.
He added, "Especially in the early periods, when bland foods like prickly pear cactus, acorns, mesquite pods, etc. were relied upon, plants like chiles and wild onions put some zip into their diet."
Flannery and Smithsonian researcher Linda Perry analyzed the chile finds, which were unearthed at two dry rock shelter caves — Guilá Naquitz and Silvia's Cave, northwest of Mitla, Oaxaca. During prehistoric periods, the caves housed family groups, but they later became convenient places for hunters and planters to temporarily camp out.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers can distinguish wild from domesticated chiles based on seed size, fruit size and starch content. Based on these characteristics, the scientists determined the chiles were all domesticated cultivars, mostly from the species that today gives us jalapeño, Serrano and ancho peppers.
"A couple of the cultivars look quite a bit like Tabasco and cayenne peppers," Perry told Discovery News.
Old chiles excavated in other Mexican caves suggest peppers first were domesticated around 8,000 years ago, after gourds and squash were domesticated at 8,000 B.C. Wild beans were being collected at 6,000 B.C., then corn at 4,000 B.C. The first tortilla press dates to 500-300 B.C., well before the Oaxacan cave finds.
Chemical analysis of starch granules on the cave chiles yielded residues of common beans, runner beans, corn and a few unidentified starches. While it is not possible to precisely recreate what the ancients were cooking up, Perry said the food probably was "very much like today" with "fresh peppers in salsas" and dried peppers tossed into stews or ground into moles.
Based on the discoveries, the scientists believe the region had a thriving economy centered on multiple crops grown in different environments, with perhaps warm valley tropical fruits obtained at markets or through trade. Other evidence suggests they utilized their bounty in a ritual that involved burning incense and drinking pulque, an alcoholic drink made of fermented agave sap, in bat claw effigy vessels.
Danise Coon, program director of the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, told Discovery News that the Oaxacan cave finds "provide great evidence for early cultivation of Mexican vegetables and fruits, especially chiles."
Coon believes chiles first became popular for medicinal purposes. High in vitamins A and C, chiles also contain the heat-producing alkaloid capsaicin.
"Even today, capsaicin is added to arthritis creams," she said. "It produces a heat/pain response in the brain that can be even bigger than the individual's arthritis or muscle soreness."
She said it is appropriate the evidence for early Mexican foods came from Oaxaca, because the state is still known for its "delicious, traditional and complex cuisine."
Special Thanks to The Discovery Channel
First Beehives In Ancient Near East Discovered
Archaeological proof of the Biblical description of Israel really as "the land of milk and honey" (or at least the latter) has been uncovered by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Institute of Archaeology.
Amihai Mazar, Eleazar L. Sukenik Professor of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, revealed that the first apiary (beehive colony) dating from the Biblical period has been found in excavations he directed this summer at Tel Rehov in Israel's Beth Shean Valley. This is the earliest apiary to be revealed to date in an archaeological excavation anywhere in the ancient Near East, said Prof. Mazar. It dates from the 10th to early 9th centuries B.C.E.
Tel Rehov is believed to have been one of the most important cities of Israel during the Israelite monarchy. The beehives there were found in the center of a built-up area there that has been excavated since 1997 by Dr. Nava Panitz-Cohen of the Hebrew University. Three rows of beehives were found in the apiary, containing more than 30 hives. It is estimated, however, based on excavations to date, that in all the total area would have contained some 100 beehives.
Each row contained at least three tiers of hives, each of which is a cylinder composed of unbaked clay and dry straw, around 80 centimeters long and 40 centimeters in diameter.
One end of the cylinder was closed and had a small hole in it, which allowed for the entry and exit of the bees. The opposite end was covered with a clay lid that could be removed when the beekeeper extracted the honeycombs. Experienced beekeepers and scholars who visited the site estimated that as much as half a ton of honey could be culled each year from these hives.
Prof. Mazar emphasizes the uniqueness of this latest find by pointing out that actual beehives have never been discovered at any site in the ancient Near East. While fired ceramic vessels that served as beehives are known in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, none were found in situ, and beekeeping on an industrial level such as the apiary at Tel Rehov is hitherto unknown in the archaeological record. Pictorial depictions of apiaries are known from Pharaonic Egypt, showing extraction of honey from stacked cylinders which are very similar to those found at Tel Rehov.
Cylindrical clay beehives placed in horizontal rows, similar to those found at Tel Rehov, are well-known in numerous contemporary traditional cultures in Arab villages in Israel, as well as throughout the Mediterranean. The various products of beehives are put to diverse use: the honey is, of course, a delicacy, but is also known for its medicinal and cultic value. Beeswax was also utilized in the metal and leather industries, as well as for writing material when coated on wooden tablets.
The term "honey" appears 55 times in the Bible, 16 of which as part of the image of Israel as "the land of milk and honey". It is commonly believed that the term refers to honey produced from fruits such as dates and figs. Bees' honey, on the other hand, is mentioned explicitly only twice, both related to wild bees. The first instance is how Samson culled bees' honey from inside the corpse of the lion in the Soreq Valley (Judges 14: 8-9). The second case is the story of Jonathan, King Saul's son, who dipped his hand into a honeycomb during the battle of Mikhmash (Samuel I 14:27).
While the Bible tells us nothing about beekeeping in Israel at that time, the discovery of the apiary at Tel Rehov indicates that beekeeping and the extraction of bees' honey and honeycomb was a highly developed industry as early as the First Temple period. Thus, it is possible that the term "honey" in the Bible indeed pertains to bees' honey.
Cultic objects were also found in the apiary, including a four-horned altar adorned with figures of naked fertility goddesses, as well as an elaborately painted chalice. This could be evidence of deviant cultic practices by the ancient Israelites related to the production of honey and beeswax.
Study of the beehives found at Tel Rehov is being conducted with the participation of various researchers. Dr. Guy Bloch of the Silberman Institute of Life Sciences of the Hebrew University is studying the biological aspects of the finds; he already discovered parts of bees' bodies in the remains of honeycomb extracted from inside the hives. Dr. Dvori Namdar of the Weizmann Institute of Science succeeded in identifying beeswax molecules from the walls of the beehives, and Prof. Mina Evron from Haifa University is analyzing the pollen remains in the hives.
Dating of the beehives was done by measuring the decaying of the 14C isotope in organic materials, using grains of wheat found next to the beehives. This grain was dated at the laboratory of Groningen University in Holland to the period between the mid-10th century B.C.E. until the early 9th century B.C.E. This is the time period attributed to the reign of King Solomon and the first kings of the northern Kingdom of Israel following the division of the monarchy. The city of Rehov is indeed mentioned in an Egyptian inscription dating to the time of the Pharaoh Shoshenq I (Biblical Shishak), whom the Bible notes as the contemporary of King Solomon and who invaded Israel following that monarch's death.
A particularly fascinating find at the site is an inscription on a ceramic storage jar found near the beehives that reads "To nmsh". This name was also found inscribed on another storage jar from a slightly later occupation level at Tel Rehov, dated to the time of the Omride Dynasty in the 9th century BCE. Moreover, this same name was found on a contemporary jar from nearby Tel Amal, situated in the Gan HaShelosha National Park (Sachne).
The name "Nimshi" is known in the Bible as the name of the father and in several verses the grandfather of Israelite King Jehu, the founder of the dynasty that usurped power from the Omrides (II Kings: 9-12). It is possible that the discovery of three inscriptions bearing this name in the same region and dating to the same period indicates that Jehu's family originated from the Beth Shean Valley and possibly even from the large city located at Tel Rehov. The large apiary discovered at the site might have belonged to this illustrious local clan.
The excavations at Tel Rehov were supported by John Camp from Minneapolis in the U.S. with the participation of archaeological students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and numerous volunteers.
Special Thanks to Science Daily
Amihai Mazar, Eleazar L. Sukenik Professor of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, revealed that the first apiary (beehive colony) dating from the Biblical period has been found in excavations he directed this summer at Tel Rehov in Israel's Beth Shean Valley. This is the earliest apiary to be revealed to date in an archaeological excavation anywhere in the ancient Near East, said Prof. Mazar. It dates from the 10th to early 9th centuries B.C.E.
Tel Rehov is believed to have been one of the most important cities of Israel during the Israelite monarchy. The beehives there were found in the center of a built-up area there that has been excavated since 1997 by Dr. Nava Panitz-Cohen of the Hebrew University. Three rows of beehives were found in the apiary, containing more than 30 hives. It is estimated, however, based on excavations to date, that in all the total area would have contained some 100 beehives.
Each row contained at least three tiers of hives, each of which is a cylinder composed of unbaked clay and dry straw, around 80 centimeters long and 40 centimeters in diameter.
One end of the cylinder was closed and had a small hole in it, which allowed for the entry and exit of the bees. The opposite end was covered with a clay lid that could be removed when the beekeeper extracted the honeycombs. Experienced beekeepers and scholars who visited the site estimated that as much as half a ton of honey could be culled each year from these hives.
Prof. Mazar emphasizes the uniqueness of this latest find by pointing out that actual beehives have never been discovered at any site in the ancient Near East. While fired ceramic vessels that served as beehives are known in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, none were found in situ, and beekeeping on an industrial level such as the apiary at Tel Rehov is hitherto unknown in the archaeological record. Pictorial depictions of apiaries are known from Pharaonic Egypt, showing extraction of honey from stacked cylinders which are very similar to those found at Tel Rehov.
Cylindrical clay beehives placed in horizontal rows, similar to those found at Tel Rehov, are well-known in numerous contemporary traditional cultures in Arab villages in Israel, as well as throughout the Mediterranean. The various products of beehives are put to diverse use: the honey is, of course, a delicacy, but is also known for its medicinal and cultic value. Beeswax was also utilized in the metal and leather industries, as well as for writing material when coated on wooden tablets.
The term "honey" appears 55 times in the Bible, 16 of which as part of the image of Israel as "the land of milk and honey". It is commonly believed that the term refers to honey produced from fruits such as dates and figs. Bees' honey, on the other hand, is mentioned explicitly only twice, both related to wild bees. The first instance is how Samson culled bees' honey from inside the corpse of the lion in the Soreq Valley (Judges 14: 8-9). The second case is the story of Jonathan, King Saul's son, who dipped his hand into a honeycomb during the battle of Mikhmash (Samuel I 14:27).
While the Bible tells us nothing about beekeeping in Israel at that time, the discovery of the apiary at Tel Rehov indicates that beekeeping and the extraction of bees' honey and honeycomb was a highly developed industry as early as the First Temple period. Thus, it is possible that the term "honey" in the Bible indeed pertains to bees' honey.
Cultic objects were also found in the apiary, including a four-horned altar adorned with figures of naked fertility goddesses, as well as an elaborately painted chalice. This could be evidence of deviant cultic practices by the ancient Israelites related to the production of honey and beeswax.
Study of the beehives found at Tel Rehov is being conducted with the participation of various researchers. Dr. Guy Bloch of the Silberman Institute of Life Sciences of the Hebrew University is studying the biological aspects of the finds; he already discovered parts of bees' bodies in the remains of honeycomb extracted from inside the hives. Dr. Dvori Namdar of the Weizmann Institute of Science succeeded in identifying beeswax molecules from the walls of the beehives, and Prof. Mina Evron from Haifa University is analyzing the pollen remains in the hives.
Dating of the beehives was done by measuring the decaying of the 14C isotope in organic materials, using grains of wheat found next to the beehives. This grain was dated at the laboratory of Groningen University in Holland to the period between the mid-10th century B.C.E. until the early 9th century B.C.E. This is the time period attributed to the reign of King Solomon and the first kings of the northern Kingdom of Israel following the division of the monarchy. The city of Rehov is indeed mentioned in an Egyptian inscription dating to the time of the Pharaoh Shoshenq I (Biblical Shishak), whom the Bible notes as the contemporary of King Solomon and who invaded Israel following that monarch's death.
A particularly fascinating find at the site is an inscription on a ceramic storage jar found near the beehives that reads "To nmsh". This name was also found inscribed on another storage jar from a slightly later occupation level at Tel Rehov, dated to the time of the Omride Dynasty in the 9th century BCE. Moreover, this same name was found on a contemporary jar from nearby Tel Amal, situated in the Gan HaShelosha National Park (Sachne).
The name "Nimshi" is known in the Bible as the name of the father and in several verses the grandfather of Israelite King Jehu, the founder of the dynasty that usurped power from the Omrides (II Kings: 9-12). It is possible that the discovery of three inscriptions bearing this name in the same region and dating to the same period indicates that Jehu's family originated from the Beth Shean Valley and possibly even from the large city located at Tel Rehov. The large apiary discovered at the site might have belonged to this illustrious local clan.
The excavations at Tel Rehov were supported by John Camp from Minneapolis in the U.S. with the participation of archaeological students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and numerous volunteers.
Special Thanks to Science Daily
Ancient Seal Belonged To Queen Jezebel
Utrecht University Old Testament scholar Dr Marjo Korpel has discovered that a seal found in 1964 and dating from the 9th century BCE belonged to the biblical figure Queen Jezebel. The seal's symbols served as the basis for Korpel's conclusion.
In Israel in 1964, archaeologist Nahman Avigad found a seal engraved with the name yzbl in ancient Hebrew. It was initially assumed that the seal had belonged to Queen Jezebel (Izebel), the Phoenician wife of the Israelite King Ahab (9th century B.C.). However, because the spelling of the name was erroneous and the personal seal could just as easily have belonged to another women of the same name, there was uncertainty regarding the original owner.
A new investigation by the Utrecht Old Testament scholar Marjo Korpel demonstrates that the seal must have belonged to the infamous Queen Jezebel. Korpel reached this conclusion after more careful investigation of the symbols that appear on the seal.
Seal characteristics
The seal not only bears symbols that indicate a woman but also symbols that designate a royal female owner. Furthermore, the seal is exceptionally large compared to the seals commonly possessed by ordinary citizens. With regard to the name, Korpel demonstrates through comparison with similar seals that the upper edge of the seal must have carried two broken-off letters that point to Jezebel as owner and lead to a correct spelling of Jezebel’s name (in mirror image).
The seal is included in the ‘Israel Antiquities Authority Collection’ of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which thus vouches for the authenticity of the object.
Queen Jezebel
Jezebel was the Phoenician (and therefore foreign, and according to the Bible also pagan) wife of the Israelite King Ahab (9th century BCE). The Bible portrays Queen Jezebel as a woman who, in the background, exerted enormous influence, including on her husband (1 Kings 21:25). She sees the opportunity to bend the country's affairs to her will by devious means, including using her husband's seal (1 Kings 21:8) to forge letters.
Nonetheless, she now appears to have possessed her own seal, which enabled her to deal with matters independently of Ahab. Eventually, Jezebel came to a bad end. The prophets of Israel accused her of prostitution, murder, idolatry and sorcery. She is made to suffer a horrific death.
Special Thanks to Science Daily
In Israel in 1964, archaeologist Nahman Avigad found a seal engraved with the name yzbl in ancient Hebrew. It was initially assumed that the seal had belonged to Queen Jezebel (Izebel), the Phoenician wife of the Israelite King Ahab (9th century B.C.). However, because the spelling of the name was erroneous and the personal seal could just as easily have belonged to another women of the same name, there was uncertainty regarding the original owner.
A new investigation by the Utrecht Old Testament scholar Marjo Korpel demonstrates that the seal must have belonged to the infamous Queen Jezebel. Korpel reached this conclusion after more careful investigation of the symbols that appear on the seal.
Seal characteristics
The seal not only bears symbols that indicate a woman but also symbols that designate a royal female owner. Furthermore, the seal is exceptionally large compared to the seals commonly possessed by ordinary citizens. With regard to the name, Korpel demonstrates through comparison with similar seals that the upper edge of the seal must have carried two broken-off letters that point to Jezebel as owner and lead to a correct spelling of Jezebel’s name (in mirror image).
The seal is included in the ‘Israel Antiquities Authority Collection’ of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which thus vouches for the authenticity of the object.
Queen Jezebel
Jezebel was the Phoenician (and therefore foreign, and according to the Bible also pagan) wife of the Israelite King Ahab (9th century BCE). The Bible portrays Queen Jezebel as a woman who, in the background, exerted enormous influence, including on her husband (1 Kings 21:25). She sees the opportunity to bend the country's affairs to her will by devious means, including using her husband's seal (1 Kings 21:8) to forge letters.
Nonetheless, she now appears to have possessed her own seal, which enabled her to deal with matters independently of Ahab. Eventually, Jezebel came to a bad end. The prophets of Israel accused her of prostitution, murder, idolatry and sorcery. She is made to suffer a horrific death.
Special Thanks to Science Daily
Ancient Nile Gold-Making Factory Found
Traces of a gold factory along the banks of the river Nile are shedding a glittering new light on the kingdom of Kush, one of the great forgotten civilizations of Africa, U.S. archaeologists announced on Tuesday.
The first recorded kingdom in sub-Saharan Africa, little-known Kush flourished from about 2400 B.C. until the 2nd century A.D. It might have controlled a territory as much as 750 miles in length across what is now northern Sudan.
"Our excavation suggests that the kingdom was more vast, powerful and rich than previously thought. Kush was a rival to Egypt by 2000 B.C. and threatened to conquer this country at the height of Kushite power from 1650-1550 B.C.," archaeologist Geoff Emberling of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, told Discovery News.
Emberling's team dug around a region called the Fourth Cataract of the Nile. This is one of the six cataracts, or shallow stretches of the river where rapids and rocky terrain make it unnavigable.
In the fall of 2008, the Merowe Dam will create a 100-mile-long lake south of the Fourth Cataract, displacing some 50,000 people and flooding undiscovered archaeological records.
Right there, at the desolate site of Hosh el Geruf, about 225 miles north of Khartoum, Emberling's team rescued from the rising Nile the concrete evidence of a gold-processing center — 55 grinding stones made of a granite-like rock called gneiss.
The stones were once used to crush and grind ore and recover flakes of gold. The ground ore was likely washed with water nearby to separate the gold flakes, according to the archaeologists.
"It was a surprise to find remains of gold processing from the Kingdom of Kush...we now are able to suggest that organized extraction of gold was of importance for the economy," Emberling said.
Nearby, at a site called Al-Widay, the team found an ancient burial ground with the remains of about 90 people.
Made from about 1900 B.C. to 1500 B.C. — the 400 years the gold-processing center was in operation — the graves feature the characteristic Kushite funerary practice, appearing as closely packed circular shafts lined with stone.
Among the artifacts found in the burial grounds were pottery vessels and objects that appear to have been made in the center of the kingdom, a city called Kerma, some 225 miles downstream.
Apart from one tiny gold bead, there was no trace of gold objects in the burials, suggesting that the precious metal was not used locally. The residents simply shipped their gold to Kerma, according to Emberling.
"In exchange, they received a few high-status, symbolic gifts such as fine ceramic vessels and faience (earthenwater) scarab seals. It appears to have been a system of unequal exchange of precious objects, rather than extensive payments in subsistence goods, that connected these areas," Emberling said.
The discovery is giving Kush some prominence outside the shadow of Egypt, according to Gil Stein, director of the Oriental Institute in Chicago.
"Until now, virtually all that we have known about Kush came from the historical records of their Egyptian neighbors, and from limited explorations of monumental architecture at the Kushite capital city Kerma," Stein said in a statement. "The excavations at Hosh el-Geruf will allow scholars to understand the rural sources of the riches of Kush."
Special Thanks to theDiscovery Channel
The first recorded kingdom in sub-Saharan Africa, little-known Kush flourished from about 2400 B.C. until the 2nd century A.D. It might have controlled a territory as much as 750 miles in length across what is now northern Sudan.
"Our excavation suggests that the kingdom was more vast, powerful and rich than previously thought. Kush was a rival to Egypt by 2000 B.C. and threatened to conquer this country at the height of Kushite power from 1650-1550 B.C.," archaeologist Geoff Emberling of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, told Discovery News.
Emberling's team dug around a region called the Fourth Cataract of the Nile. This is one of the six cataracts, or shallow stretches of the river where rapids and rocky terrain make it unnavigable.
In the fall of 2008, the Merowe Dam will create a 100-mile-long lake south of the Fourth Cataract, displacing some 50,000 people and flooding undiscovered archaeological records.
Right there, at the desolate site of Hosh el Geruf, about 225 miles north of Khartoum, Emberling's team rescued from the rising Nile the concrete evidence of a gold-processing center — 55 grinding stones made of a granite-like rock called gneiss.
The stones were once used to crush and grind ore and recover flakes of gold. The ground ore was likely washed with water nearby to separate the gold flakes, according to the archaeologists.
"It was a surprise to find remains of gold processing from the Kingdom of Kush...we now are able to suggest that organized extraction of gold was of importance for the economy," Emberling said.
Nearby, at a site called Al-Widay, the team found an ancient burial ground with the remains of about 90 people.
Made from about 1900 B.C. to 1500 B.C. — the 400 years the gold-processing center was in operation — the graves feature the characteristic Kushite funerary practice, appearing as closely packed circular shafts lined with stone.
Among the artifacts found in the burial grounds were pottery vessels and objects that appear to have been made in the center of the kingdom, a city called Kerma, some 225 miles downstream.
Apart from one tiny gold bead, there was no trace of gold objects in the burials, suggesting that the precious metal was not used locally. The residents simply shipped their gold to Kerma, according to Emberling.
"In exchange, they received a few high-status, symbolic gifts such as fine ceramic vessels and faience (earthenwater) scarab seals. It appears to have been a system of unequal exchange of precious objects, rather than extensive payments in subsistence goods, that connected these areas," Emberling said.
The discovery is giving Kush some prominence outside the shadow of Egypt, according to Gil Stein, director of the Oriental Institute in Chicago.
"Until now, virtually all that we have known about Kush came from the historical records of their Egyptian neighbors, and from limited explorations of monumental architecture at the Kushite capital city Kerma," Stein said in a statement. "The excavations at Hosh el-Geruf will allow scholars to understand the rural sources of the riches of Kush."
Special Thanks to theDiscovery Channel
12 Dangerous Food Additives to Watchout For
In the United States, more than 3,000 substances can be added to foods for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture, increasing flavor and more. While each of these substances is legal to use (at least here in the States), whether or not they are all something you want to be consuming is another story all together.
The food colorings that make candy pretty colors have been linked to cancer and tumors of the brain, thyroid, adrenal gland and kidney in animal studies.
With any processed food you run the risk of coming across additives, and reading through ingredient labels can be like trying to decode a puzzle.
Of course, eating largely fresh, whole foods is the best way to stay away from unsavory additives, but, assuming you do include some processed foods in your diet, the following additives are ones you surely want to stay away from. Look for them on ingredient labels and if one turns up, take a pass.
Propyl Gallate
This preservative, used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, might cause cancer. It's used in vegetable oil, meat products, potato sticks, chicken soup base and chewing gum, and is often used with BHA and BHT (see below).
BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used similarly to propyl gallate -- to keep fats and oils from going rancid. Used commonly in cereals, chewing gum, vegetable oil and potato chips (and also in some food packaging to preserve freshness), these additives have been found by some studies to cause cancer in rats. If a brand you commonly buy uses these additives, look for a different variety, as not all manufacturers use these preservatives.
Food Additives and Your Brain:
Free e-Book
If you want to know more about the effects of food additives on your brain, check out this FREE 300+-page e-book "Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System."
Some food additives are neurotoxic, which means they're capable of altering the normal activity of the nervous system -- and even killing neurons. Symptoms include:
Limb weakness or numbness
Loss of memory, vision, and intellect
Headache
Cognitive and behavioral problems
Sexual dysfunction
See and Download "Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System." Now
Potassium Bromate
This additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many more. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, there is a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners. Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, "A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die."
Many consumers have also personally experienced the ill effects of MSG, which leave them with a headache, nausea or vomiting after eating MSG-containing foods. To find out more about the side effects associated with MSG, as well as a complete list of which foods contain it, see our past article MSG: If it's Safe: Why do They Disguise it on the Labels?
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
This artificial sweetener is found in Equal and NutraSweet, along with products that contain them (diet sodas and other low-cal and diet foods). This sweetener has been found to cause brain tumors in rats as far back as the 1970s, however a more recent study in 2005 found that even small doses increase the incidence of lymphomas and leukemia in rats, along with brain tumors.
People who are sensitive to aspartame may also suffer from headaches, dizziness and hallucinations after consuming it.
Like diet soda? The aspartame that's used to sweeten it increases lymphomas, leukemia and brain tumors in rats -- even in small doses.
Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener that's about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It's used in baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts and soft drinks. Two rat studies have found that this substance may cause cancer, and other studies to reliably prove this additive's safety have not been conducted. Acesulfame-K also breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.
Olestra
Olestra is a fat substitute used in crackers and potato chips, marketed under the brand name Olean. This synthetic fat is not absorbed by the body (instead it goes right through it), so it can cause diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal cramps and flatulence, along with other effects. Further, olestra reduces the body's ability to absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients, including lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene.
Sodium Nitrite (Sodium Nitratte)
Sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate) is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. These additives can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines.
Some studies have found a link between consuming cured meats and nitrite and cancer in humans.
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
The process used to make hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) creates trans fats, which promote heart disease and diabetes. The Institute of Medicine has advised that consumers should eat as little trans fat as possible. You should avoid anything with these ingredients on the label, which includes some margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, bread and more. It's used because it reduces cost and increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.
Blue 1 and Blue 2
Blue 1, used to color candy, beverages and baked goods, may cause cancer. Blue 2, found in pet food, candy and beverages, has caused brain tumors in mice.
Red 3
This food coloring is used in cherries (in fruit cocktails), baked goods and candy. It causes thyroid tumors in rats, and may cause them in humans as well.
Yellow 6
As the third most often used food coloring, yellow 6 is found in many products, including backed goods, candy, gelatin and sausages. It has been found to cause adrenal gland and kidney tumors, and contains small amounts of many carcinogens.
Special Thanks to Sixwise.com
The food colorings that make candy pretty colors have been linked to cancer and tumors of the brain, thyroid, adrenal gland and kidney in animal studies.
With any processed food you run the risk of coming across additives, and reading through ingredient labels can be like trying to decode a puzzle.
Of course, eating largely fresh, whole foods is the best way to stay away from unsavory additives, but, assuming you do include some processed foods in your diet, the following additives are ones you surely want to stay away from. Look for them on ingredient labels and if one turns up, take a pass.
Propyl Gallate
This preservative, used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, might cause cancer. It's used in vegetable oil, meat products, potato sticks, chicken soup base and chewing gum, and is often used with BHA and BHT (see below).
BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used similarly to propyl gallate -- to keep fats and oils from going rancid. Used commonly in cereals, chewing gum, vegetable oil and potato chips (and also in some food packaging to preserve freshness), these additives have been found by some studies to cause cancer in rats. If a brand you commonly buy uses these additives, look for a different variety, as not all manufacturers use these preservatives.
Food Additives and Your Brain:
Free e-Book
If you want to know more about the effects of food additives on your brain, check out this FREE 300+-page e-book "Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System."
Some food additives are neurotoxic, which means they're capable of altering the normal activity of the nervous system -- and even killing neurons. Symptoms include:
Limb weakness or numbness
Loss of memory, vision, and intellect
Headache
Cognitive and behavioral problems
Sexual dysfunction
See and Download "Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System." Now
Potassium Bromate
This additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many more. According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, there is a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners. Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, "A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die."
Many consumers have also personally experienced the ill effects of MSG, which leave them with a headache, nausea or vomiting after eating MSG-containing foods. To find out more about the side effects associated with MSG, as well as a complete list of which foods contain it, see our past article MSG: If it's Safe: Why do They Disguise it on the Labels?
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
This artificial sweetener is found in Equal and NutraSweet, along with products that contain them (diet sodas and other low-cal and diet foods). This sweetener has been found to cause brain tumors in rats as far back as the 1970s, however a more recent study in 2005 found that even small doses increase the incidence of lymphomas and leukemia in rats, along with brain tumors.
People who are sensitive to aspartame may also suffer from headaches, dizziness and hallucinations after consuming it.
Like diet soda? The aspartame that's used to sweeten it increases lymphomas, leukemia and brain tumors in rats -- even in small doses.
Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener that's about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It's used in baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts and soft drinks. Two rat studies have found that this substance may cause cancer, and other studies to reliably prove this additive's safety have not been conducted. Acesulfame-K also breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.
Olestra
Olestra is a fat substitute used in crackers and potato chips, marketed under the brand name Olean. This synthetic fat is not absorbed by the body (instead it goes right through it), so it can cause diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal cramps and flatulence, along with other effects. Further, olestra reduces the body's ability to absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients, including lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene.
Sodium Nitrite (Sodium Nitratte)
Sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate) is used as a preservative, coloring and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. These additives can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines.
Some studies have found a link between consuming cured meats and nitrite and cancer in humans.
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
The process used to make hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) creates trans fats, which promote heart disease and diabetes. The Institute of Medicine has advised that consumers should eat as little trans fat as possible. You should avoid anything with these ingredients on the label, which includes some margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, bread and more. It's used because it reduces cost and increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.
Blue 1 and Blue 2
Blue 1, used to color candy, beverages and baked goods, may cause cancer. Blue 2, found in pet food, candy and beverages, has caused brain tumors in mice.
Red 3
This food coloring is used in cherries (in fruit cocktails), baked goods and candy. It causes thyroid tumors in rats, and may cause them in humans as well.
Yellow 6
As the third most often used food coloring, yellow 6 is found in many products, including backed goods, candy, gelatin and sausages. It has been found to cause adrenal gland and kidney tumors, and contains small amounts of many carcinogens.
Special Thanks to Sixwise.com
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