UKR Drone attack triggers earthquake-sized blast at RUS arsenal

ByLucy Papachristou and Lidia Kelly
September 19, 2024


KEY POINTS

Ukrainian drone attack hits major Russian arsenal.

Massive blasts detected by earthquake monitors.

NASA picked up multiple heat sources from space.

London: A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia triggered an earthquake-sized blast at a major arsenal in the Tver region on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of a nearby town, war bloggers and some media reported.

Unverified video and images on social media showed a huge ball of flame blasting into the night sky and multiple detonations thundering across a lake about 380 km west of Moscow.

The aftermath of a large series of explosion on an ammunition depot 

in Toropets, Russia. CREDIT: MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES VIA AP

NASA satellites picked up intense heat sources emanating from an area of about 14 square kilometres at the site in the early hours and earthquake monitoring stations noted what sensors thought was a small earthquake in the area.

“The enemy hit an ammunition depot in the area of Toropets,” said Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger. “Everything that can burn is already burning there (and exploding).”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, hailed the outcome of the attack without referring specifically to the target.

“A very important result was achieved last night on Russian territory and such actions weaken the enemy,” Zelensky said. “I thank everyone involved. Such precision is truly inspiring.”



He thanked the SBU security service, the HUR intelligence service and the Special Operations Forces.

A source in Ukraine’s SBU state security service had earlier told Reuters the drone attack had destroyed a warehouse storing missiles, guided bombs and artillery ammunition.

Russian state media have in the past reported that a major arsenal for conventional weapons was located at the site of the blasts. State media, now subject to military censorship laws, was muted in its reporting on Wednesday.

Two satellite images of an ammunition depot in Toropets, Russia, 

on Saturday, left, and the same ammunition depot in the aftermath 

of a large series of explosions.CREDIT:MAXAR/ AP

Igor Rudenya, governor of the Tver region, said that Ukrainian drones had been shot down, that a fire had broken out and that some residents were being evacuated. He did not say what was burning.

One woman told Reuters that members of her family had been evacuated from Toropets.

“A fire started with explosions,” said the woman, who identified herself only as Irina.

Rudenya later said the situation in Toropets was stable as of midday local time and that evacuated residents could return. The fire had been put out and there were no recorded fatalities, he said.

Russia and Ukraine each reported dozens of enemy drone attacks on their territory overnight, with Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine.

Before and after the Ukrainian drone attack.CREDIT:AP/MAXAR
Major explosion

The size of the main blast shown in the unverified social media video was consistent with 200-240 tonnes of high explosives detonating, said George William Herbert of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California.

A Toropets chatroom on the Russian social media site VK was flooded with messages of support from other parts of the country and offers of help to people fleeing the town.

Some people were asking whether buildings at specific addresses were still standing.

“People, does anyone know what’s happened to Kudino village??? They told me nothing is left of our house,” posted one woman.

Another woman replied: “It’s horror there.” Kudino is a village 4.5 km northeast of Toropets.

Some war bloggers asked how drones could trigger such large blasts at what was thought to be a highly fortified facility.

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According to an RIA state news agency report from 2018, Russia was building an arsenal for the storage of missiles, ammunition and explosives in Toropets, a 1,000-year-old town, with a population of just over 11,000.

Dmitry Bulgakov, then a deputy defence minister, told RIA in 2018 that the facility could defend weapons from missiles and even a small nuclear attack. Bulgakov was arrested earlier this year on corruption charges, which he denies.

“It (the concrete facilities) ensures their reliable and safe storage, protects them from air and missile strikes and even from the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion,” RIA quoted Bulgakov as saying at the time.

Some Russians on chat groups expressed anger.

“Why wasn’t the ammunition underground?! What are you doing???? In Kudino, houses were blown away! Why is the forest burning and no one is there... What kind of negligence is this!!!!” one woman posted.

Russia reported that its air defence units had destroyed 54 drones launched against five Russian regions overnight, without mentioning Tver. Ukraine said it had shot down 46 of 52 drones launched by Moscow overnight and that Russia had used three guided air missiles which did not reach their targets.

UK

FEMINIST ECONOMICS

Rachel Reeves commits to improving women’s lives by closing gender pay gap

Rhiannon James, PA Political Staff
Wed 18 September 2024


Rachel Reeves has said she intends to use her position as the first female Chancellor to “improve life for women”, as she set out plans to support women in business.

Ms Reeves said it is a “huge responsibility” to head the Treasury and she is aiming to close the gender pay gap, strengthen rights at work and invest in childcare.

Announcing the Government’s support for the Invest in Women Taskforce, which aims to increase investment funding pools for female founders, the Chancellor vowed to improve the economic opportunities available to women.

The taskforce is aiming to create a funding pool of more than £250 million for female-founded businesses through private capital, making it one of the world’s largest investment funding pools aimed solely at female founders.

The Rose Review, an independent review of female entrepreneurship led by Dame Alison Rose, found that if the UK were to have the same share of female entrepreneurs as similar countries, £200 billion of value would be added to the economy.

Ms Reeves is expected to take an active role in steering the taskforce’s priorities and objectives.

She said: “It is a huge responsibility to sit in the Treasury as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer and be able to use my position to improve life for women across the UK – one that I don’t take lightly.

“That includes ending the gender pay gap, strengthening rights at work and investing in childcare.

“And by backing the Invest in Women Taskforce we can establish one of the world’s largest dedicated investment funding pools for female-powered businesses, helping grow our economy.

“This event gathers together some very powerful women, but the truth is everyone can do something for women’s equality – whether that’s supporting the women and girls in their lives with their ambitions or making their workplace a fairer playing field.”

On Wednesday, which is International Equal Pay Day, the Chancellor is hosting a reception in Number 11 Downing Street for female business leaders from various sectors, such as financial services, technology and the creative industry.

Rachel Reeves to replace No 11 paintings with art of or by women

Heather Stewart
Wed 18 September 2024 

THE GUARDIAN

Rachel Reeves in her office at No 11 Downing Street, London.Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA


Rachel Reeves has announced plans to replace every painting in the lavish state room at No 11 Downing Street with artworks of or by women.

Speaking at a reception for female business leaders on Wednesday evening, the chancellor said she wanted to mark the lives of the “amazing women who have gone before us”.

Addressing the all-female gathering, she said: “This is King James behind me, but next week the artwork in this room is going to change.


“Every picture in this room is either going to be of a woman or by a woman – and we’re also going to have a statue in this room of Millicent Fawcett, who did so much for the rights of women.”

King James II, who is posing in a suit of armour, with a lustrous head of shoulder-length hair, is likely to be relegated to a storage room. Most other paintings around the large room currently feature men.

The chancellor is planning to take the same approach to choosing artworks to hang in her study, downstairs in No 11.

Reeves received a warm cheer when she underlined her delight at “smashing the glass ceiling” to become the first female chancellor, and reiterated her commitment to closing the gender pay gap.

“It’s 54 years now since Barbara Castle introduced that legislation on equal pay and yet there is still a 14% gap between what men and women are paid,” she said. “I want to be the chancellor who closes that gap once and for all.”

She mentioned affordable and flexible childcare as one aspect of that challenge.

Taking a break from preparations for next month’s crunch budget, Reeves has discussed her plans for a feminist rehang with the curator of the government art collection. Ministers can choose which works from the extensive collection to put on display.

Keir Starmer, the prime minister, has removed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher, one of his Conservative predecessors, since he moved in to Downing Street.

The grand state room at No 11, with its red silk wallpaper, has large windows overlooking the Downing Street garden, and is used for formal receptions and entertaining guests.

Reeves faces a series of tough tax and spending decisions in the coming weeks that will set the direction for the government. Her announcement that the winter fuel allowance would be scrapped for the vast majority of pensioners attracted widespread concern including within her own party, underlying the trade-offs that lie ahead.

 

UK

Fighting racism & the far-right – the agenda we need

18th September 2024Leave a Commenton Fighting racism & the far-right – the agenda we need

“I urge you all to make the case for mobilising against the far right on the streets, because there are those that argue against mobilising. But this is crucial to beating them back. So please join us on 26th October” – Sabby Dhalu

We reproduce the Co-Convenor of Stand Up to Racism, Sabby Dhalu’s, speech to the Arise Festival TUC fringe, “A Labour Movement Agenda for the Labour Government”.

I’m delighted that the TUC General Council agreed a strong statement on uniting against racism and the far right, including urging unions to support Stand up to Racism.

I would also like to thank Unison, the NEU and the NASUWT for the “Challenging the politics of hate” composite motion, which amongst  other things condemns Reform UK and included a call to “mobilise for demonstrations and campaigns against the far right called by Stand Up to Racism and others.”

I want to deal with two points:

Firstly this summer’s far right riots illustrated the power of mobilising on the streets against the far right. Anti-racists mobilising in vast numbers turned the tide and stopped the far right riots in their tracks. So I’m pleased the composite motion states the importance of mobilising.

This is particularly important in light of Tommy Robinson announcing another demonstration on 26th October outside Downing St. We’ve got to unite the biggest possible mobilisation against this fascist demonstration. We’ve got to outnumber the fascists, we’ve got to send them message, like we did at the beginning of August, that our streets belong to anti-racists.

I urge you all to make the case for mobilising against the far right on the streets, because there are those that argue against mobilising. But this is crucial to beating them back. So please join us on 26th October. We’re only two months into a Labour government and we’re going to have to mobilise against fascist and racists again and again in the next 5 years.

Secondly I want to stress the importance of a Labour government challenging racism, not conceding to it – because it’s morally correct and also because it will benefit Labour electorally.

Reticence to call out the racism & Islamophobia of the riots but the racism & Islamophobia needs to be challenged head on & opposed. Following the riots Yvette Cooper announced the stepping up of deportations and detentions of asylum seekers.

I agree with Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon who last week urged Labour to drop the Tory rhetoric, adopt the language of ‘compassion and humanity’ and focus on humane alternatives instead of costly deportations.

Labour received fewer votes in the 2024 general election, compared to 2019 and 2017. In order to win the next general election Labour needs more votes so it needs to mobilise anti-racist voters. That means mobilising those that took to the streets and stopped the riots. Labour must own and champion anti-racism.

---

• Sabby Dhalu is the co-convenor of Stand up to Racism. You can join SUTR here.
• Follow Stand up to Racism on X and Facebook.
• Attend the demonstration against Tommy Robinson on 26 October. Full details here.

Union criticises 'censorship' after play cancelled

BBC

The Royal Exchange in Manchester had been due to stage A Midsummer Night's Dream for five weeks

Acting union Equity has criticised a "growing culture of censorship" after a play was cancelled, reportedly in a dispute over references to the Israel-Gaza war and trans rights.

The Royal Exchange, Manchester's main producing theatre, has scrapped its entire five-week run of a modern retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Equity said it was "deeply frustrated" at the lack of transparency over the cancellation, and that it was speaking to theatre bosses to "protect the principle of artistic freedom".

The theatre has said it wants "to work with artists who address complex issues" but the play faced "a number of challenges".

It said those challenges included "injuries, a delayed technical week and changes late in the process".

The Manchester Evening News reported that the show, set in the city's present-day rave scene, was axed after managers objected to a song with lyrics that referred to trans rights and the phrase "free Palestine".

Theatre news outlet The Stage reported that one of the points of contention was "free Palestine" being daubed on the set as well as featuring in a rap.

Equity said union officials met the theatre's management on Wednesday and "received assurances that they take our concerns seriously".

A statement said: "While we welcome the engagement, we remain deeply frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding the events leading to the cancellation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

"For Equity, this is an issue of dignity at work and freedom of expression. We absolutely back the rights of our members – performers, stage management, creative team and all involved in the production – to be treated with dignity and respect at work.

"We reject the growing culture of censorship created by funders and pressure groups. We are fighting for artistic integrity, as well as dignity for our members, and all working people.

"We remain in conversation with Royal Exchange management to protect the principle of artistic freedom, guarantee our members’ dignity at work, and ensure the integrity of our collective agreements."

A theatre spokesperson said: "At the Royal Exchange Theatre we want to work with artists who address complex issues.

"Sadly, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream a number of challenges occurred which led to a decision to cancel the production - including injuries, a delayed technical week and changes late in the process.

"Despite our best efforts we were unable to get the show on as planned and took the difficult decision to cancel the production. Every effort was made to get the production on stage."

The show's director Stef O'Driscoll and cast have not commented on the reasons for the cancellation.

The decision has damaged the theatre's credibility among some observers.

Actor Giovanni Bienne, a member of Equity's LGBT+ committee, wrote on X: "Every director worth their salt who wants to address 'complex issues' will laugh and spit in the @rxtheatre's face whenever they try to hire them.

"Working there will make you an establishment stooge. And who wants that reputation."

Denise Fahmy, who co-founded the group Freedom in the Arts, wrote: "The production sounds dreadful - perhaps that’s the reason ⁦@rxtheatre⁩ cancelled it - but once commissioned, shouldn’t audiences decide whether to see it or not?"

The venue receives £2.4m a year from Arts Council England, the body's third-highest annual theatre grant, behind the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company.

A spokesperson for Arts Council England said all recipients of funding "remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities".

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority, one of the theatre's other main funders, did not respond to a request for comment.

Last year, the Royal Exchange scrapped its artistic director post and replaced it with a less senior creative director role.

UK

BAE Systems had more meetings with prime ministers than ANY OTHER private company

 by The Canary
18 September 2024

A major new report by Campaign Against Arms Trade and World Peace Foundation details the disturbing level of influence the arms industry has on UK government.

The revolving door of the UK arms industry and government

Key findings from the report, From revolving door to open-plan office: the ever-closer union between the UK government and the arms industry, include:BAE Systems had more meetings with ministers, and more with prime ministers, than any other private company. Two other arms companies, Airbus and Rolls-Royce, were also high on these lists.

Over 40% of top-ranked military officers and civilian Ministry of Defence (MoD) personnel took roles in the arms and security industry upon leaving public service, including as employees, board members, and independent consultants to the industry, including a clear majority working in procurement.

On average, between 2009-19, senior government officials and ministers met with their arms industry counterparts 1.64 times a day.

The report shows how the arms industry influences government policy, and how it has developed such a close relationship with government over the years that the lines between the two have been virtually erased.

The consequences of this include a broken MoD procurement system, that nonetheless ensures steady profits for the UK’s top arms companies, and a lax arms export control regime that has allowed the industry to continue fuelling atrocities in Yemen and Palestine, while evading accountability for severe corruption.
Two channels

Two key channels of influence for the arms industry are identified in the report.

The continued Revolving Door between government and the arms industry – principally from the MoD, but also other departments, including:An analysis of lists of senior MoD personnel found that over 40% of top-ranked military officers and civilian MoD personnel took roles in the arms and security industry upon leaving public service, including as employees, board members, and independent consultants to the industry.
This included a clear majority of those who worked in procurement roles, the part of the MoD that works most closely with industry.

While the revolving door is far from unique to the arms industry, separate research by Transparency International shows that the revolving door is far more common for the arms industry than others.

An unparalleled level of access for the arms industry to the top levels of government, including:Joint government-industry advisory bodies, where arms industry chiefs regularly meet with ministers.

A dedicated arms export promotion agency within the Department of Business and Trade.

Regular meetings between arms companies and ministers and top civil servants on a variety of topics. On average, between 2009-19, senior government officials and ministers met with their arms industry counterparts 1.64 times a day.

Analysis of data from a Transparency International open data portal, shows that from 2012-23, BAE Systems had more meetings with ministers, and more with prime ministers, than any other private company. Two other arms companies, Airbus and Rolls-Royce, were also high on these lists.

The ‘ever closer union’ and the ‘open-plan office’

While all industries seek to influence the government, the arms industry is unique in the closeness of its relationship at the highest levels. This is not simply the result of industry efforts, but as the report documents a deliberate policy by successive governments to draw the industry into a tighter embrace.

As the MoD has come to see its relationship with industry less as one of customer and supplier, and more as one of partners and allies, the report asserts that this has increasingly blurred or even erased the lines between the two. This is especially true of BAE Systems, which dominates the UK industry, and which has become almost a privately-owned branch of the state. The report argues that the flow of personnel between the government and industry is not so much a ‘revolving door’, as an ‘open-plan office’, a natural move from one part of the national security establishment to another.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY 

UK

It was LABOUR who SIGNED OFF on Palestine Action co-founder terror charges

 by Steve Topple
18 September 2024

Palestine Action has revealed that the Labour government’s attorney general, Richard Hermer, personally signed off on the terrorism charges the state is bringing against the group’s co-founder Richard Barnard.
Palestine Action: terror charges signed off by Labour government

Barnard, Palestine Action co-founder, appeared for a plea hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday 18 September. It was over three charges relating to two speeches.

After the hearing, Palestine Action revealed that Labour’s attorney general Hermer approved the charges against Barnard:

Cops first arrested Barnard for the accusations he has been charged on 9 November 2023.

This was four days before he was due to begin trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court as part of Palestine Action’s ‘Elbit Eight’. During that trial, the state accused him of several offences. The court acquitted him of three of them, including a charge of encouraging criminal damage.

Authorities previously stopped him under Schedule 7 counter-terrorism powers in November 2020 alongside fellow activist Huda Ammori.


Charges

Palestine Action co-founder Barnard’s charges this time were first authorised by director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson. However, for the terror-related charges, the government had to intervene. They are as follows:On 8 October 2023 Richard Loxton Barnard did an act capable of encouraging the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage, and intended to encourage its commission contrary to section 44 Serious Crime Act 2007.

On 8 October 2023, Richard Loxton Barnard expressed an opinion or belief that was supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Hamas, being reckless as to whether it encouraged support of that organisation contrary to section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
On 11 October 2023 Richard Loxton Barnard did an act capable of encouraging the commission of an offence, namely criminal damage, and intended to encourage its commission contrary to section 44 Serious Crime Act 2007.

His charges relate to speeches during a Manchester protest on 8 October and in Bradford on 11 October. The decision to charge came after 10 activists from Palestine Action were detained without charge for seven days under the Terrorism Act, following an action which cost Israel’s biggest weapons producer, Elbit Systems, over £1million in damages.
‘We will not stop’

Outside court, Palestine Action co-founder Ammori said that both her and Barnard had previously been acquitted of the same charge last year by a jury. She said:

It’s a very vindictive charge. It’s one that has been spurred on by a Zionist campaign, an adoption campaign against Richard and Palestine Action. But I also want to remind everyone that we have 16 political prisoners.

16 people from Palestine Action are in prison for trying to stop a genocide. The Filton Ten were held under the Terrorism Act and interrogated day after day, whilst being held in solitary confinement in this country for taking action against Elbit Systems.

They are wielding counter-terrorism powers in a bid to protect Israel’s weapons trade. And they are doing it because they know Palestine Action is a threat to the companies arming genocide.

But Palestine Action will not stop. We will not give in. We will not surrender. And Elbit’s days in this country are numbered. And this trial and this prosecution proves that.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of a Lead Coffin Discovered Beneath Notre-Dame

New research suggests the sarcophagus’ occupant, previously known only as “the horseman,” is Joachim du Bellay, a French Renaissance poet who died in 1560


Meilan Solly
Senior Associate Digital Editor, History

SMITHSONIAN

September 18, 2024 

In 2022, researchers nicknamed the occupant of the lead sarcophagus "the horseman." Now, they say he's actually a 16th-century poet. © Denis Gliksman / INRAP

When excavations at Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral unearthed a pair of lead coffins hidden beneath the church’s nave in early 2022, archaeologists immediately recognized the sarcophagi’s significance. Lead, a metal that keeps out moisture and prevents decomposition, has long been the chosen coffin material of the elite, used even to line the casket of England’s Elizabeth II.

Because the two individuals buried at Notre-Dame were laid to rest in such expensive sarcophagi, they must have been high-status members of French society, experts concluded. But who were they? And how did they end up here?


The team answered some of the questions surrounding the mysterious burials in December 2022. Using an inscription on one of the coffins, researchers identified its occupant as Antoine de la Porte, a high priest who died in 1710 at age 83.

Joachim du Bellay Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

But they knew very little about the other individual, a man in his 30s whom they nicknamed “the horseman”—an allusion to a skeletal deformity that suggested he spent much of his time riding. Now, after nearly two years of research, scholars have proposed a likely candidate for the skeleton’s true identity: Joachim du Bellay, a prominent French Renaissance poet who died in 1560.

A number of compelling clues led the researchers to link the horseman to du Bellay. The poet’s equestrian abilities are well documented: He once “rode from Paris to Rome, which is no mean feat when you have tuberculosis like he did,” said Eric Crubézy, a biological anthropologist at the University of Toulouse III, at a September 17 press conference, per Euronews’ David Mouriquand. “In fact, he almost died from it.”

Du Bellay suffered from poor health throughout his life; the horseman’s skeleton, meanwhile, showed signs of chronic meningitis caused by bone tuberculosis, both of which were rare diseases at the time.

“He matches all the criteria of the portrait,” Crubézy told reporters, per La Croix International’s Cécile Jaurès. “He is an accomplished horseman; suffers from both conditions mentioned in some of his poems, like in ‘The Complaint of the Despairing,’ where he describes ‘this storm that blurs [his] mind’; and his family belonged to the royal court and the pope’s close entourage.”

Aerial view of the excavation of Notre-Dame's transept crossing 

© Denis Gliksman / INRAP

Official records state that du Bellay, the nephew of a French cardinal named Jean du Bellay, was interred in Notre-Dame’s Saint-Crépin chapel following his death at about age 37. But excavations conducted in 1758 failed to uncover the poet’s bones, which were supposed to be buried near his uncle’s in the chapel.

According to a statement from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), scholars suspect that du Bellay’s remains were moved to the crossing of the transept at Notre-Dame at a later date, perhaps in 1569, after the publication of his complete works, or in a switch that was supposed to be temporary. As Charles Bremner reports for the London Times, the site where the sarcophagus was found was “previously occupied by another coffin” in an area of the cathedral that was typically reserved for high church dignitaries.

Not everyone is convinced that the skeleton belonged to du Bellay. At the press conference, Christophe Besnier, an INRAP archaeologist and dig leader, pointed out that isotope analysis of the horseman’s teeth indicates he grew up in the Paris or Lyon regions. Du Bellay was born in Anjou. In response, Crubézy argued that du Bellay was raised by his uncle, who once served as the bishop of Paris, and therefore spent much of his time in the French capital.

INRAP’s president, Dominique Garcia, thinks the existing evidence is persuasive. “What more can we have?” he asks Le Monde’s Nathaniel Herzberg. “Find [du Bellay’s] toothbrush to check that the DNA matches? His age and pathology alone offer remarkable statistical solidity.”

Archaeologists unearthed the lead coffins while conducting excavations at Notre-Dame in the aftermath of a devastating 2019 fire. In addition to identifying the two sets of remains, researchers have found more than 1,000 fragments of the cathedral’s rood screen, an architectural element that separated the choir from the nave. These pieces, some of which still bear traces of their original colored paint, will be used to restore the medieval-era structure. Notre-Dame is slated to reopen on December 8, more than five years after the inferno ravaged its wooden spire and roof.


Meilan Solly | | READ MORE
Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's senior associate digital editor, history.

AMERIKA BEGAN AS A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY

New research reveals that America's oldest tombstone came from Belgium and belonged to an English knight

by Sandee Oster , Phys.org

Jamestown Knight's tombstone. Credit: Jamestown Rediscovery (Preservation Virginia) in 

International Journal of Historical Archaeology (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10761-024-00756-4

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607 and was the first English permanent settlement in America. It has been the subject of many archaeological and historical analyses, including a recent study by Prof. Markus M. Key and Rebecca K. Rossi, which set out to determine the provenance of Jamestown's black "marble" knight's tombstone. What they determined was unexpected, says Prof. Key.

"For the past decade, I have been interested in determining the provenance of lithic artifacts using fossils contained within them. While working on the following project, determining the provenance of colonial black 'marble' tombstones from the Chesapeake Bay region, U.S.

"We found that the oldest tombstone was the knight's tombstone in Jamestown from 1627. The particular historical archaeological question we were trying to answer was: How extensive was the trade network in the Chesapeake Bay during colonial times?

"Little did we realize that colonists were ordering black marble tombstones from Belgium like we order items from Amazon, just a lot slower."

During the 17th century, affluent English colonists often memorialized themselves and their wealth with impressive tombstones. In the Chesapeake Bay region, these were often black "marble" tombstones. The Jamestown knight's tombstone was one such example.

Placed in the Jamestown Church in 1627, it remained in situ until it was relocated in the 1640s due to construction at the southern entrance. In 1907, the broken tombstone was rediscovered, repaired and placed in the present-day Memorial Church chancel.

Despite its name, the tombstone was not made of marble but rather of black limestone. In historical documents, any stone capable of being polished was often referred to as "marble."

The tombstone had carved depressions, indicating it had once held brass inlays. These were likely destroyed during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. The inlays included a shield, which may have depicted a family crest, an unfurled scroll, and an armored man standing upon a pedestal, which may have once featured inscriptions.

To the right and left of the man's body were protrusions that may have indicated a sword hilt and shield, respectively. This led to the interpretation that the tombstone belonged to a knight.

Only two knights died in Jamestown during the life of the second Jamestown church (1617–1637). One was Sir Thomas West, the first resident governor of the colony. He died in 1618 during a transatlantic voyage to Jamestown. No historical or archaeological evidence could link the tombstone to Sir Thomas West.

The second knight was Sir George Yeardley. His step-grandson, Adam Thorowgood II, made a request for his own black "marble" tombstone in the 1680s, asking that it be engraved with the crest of Sir George Yeardley and the same inscription as the one on the "broken tomb." This indicated that the knight's tombstone was already broken in the 17th century, prior to its discovery in 1901.

If the tombstone was indeed Yeardley's, as the familial evidence suggests, this would make it the oldest surviving tombstone in North America. Sadly, no DNA testing could be undertaken to confirm if the bones at the original tombstone site had belonged to Yeardley,

"The part of the Jamestown Church where the knight's tomb was found has already been completely excavated by archaeologists. Unfortunately, no bones with recoverable DNA were preserved to independently test for the connection to Sir George Yeardley."

George Yeardley was born in 1588 in Southwark, England. He first came to Jamestown in 1610 after initially being shipwrecked on Bermuda. He served as captain of Lt. Governor Sir Thomas Gates's guard and later as Lt. Governor of Virginia. He returned to England in 1617, a year after which he was appointed governor of Virginia and knighted by King James I.

He returned to Jamestown and remained in his position until 1621, until a few years later, he returned to England, only to be reappointed as Lord Governor in 1626. He returned to Jamestown once more and died the following year in 1627.

For his grave, a tombstone was commissioned, but where it had come from remained a mystery. According to Prof. Key, "A 'tombstone' is a dimension stone cut (and typically engraved) for use to mark a burial site.

"Native Americans undoubtedly had earlier grave markers (perhaps made of wood that did not survive), but they were not made of carved stone. Nor did the English settlers have the technology and skills to cut and engrave tombstones; that is why they imported them."

Furthermore, Prof. Key says, "The main cost of dimension stone is typically transportation costs as the stone itself is relatively low cost, and they weigh a lot. Therefore, most dimension stone is sourced locally. Thus, one would expect the source of the knight's tombstone to be local (our first hypothesis).

"Unfortunately, Jamestown is on the coastal plain physiographic province, which lacks rocks. Therefore, the stone had to be transported to Jamestown."

To determine the provenance of the tombstone, researchers studied and identified the enclosed fossils within it. Prof. Key elaborates on why this method was chosen, "Due to the evolutionary process, biological species are much more unique through time and space than chemical elements or isotopic ratios."

The results, based on the microfossils identified (Omphalotis minima and Paraarchaediscus angulatus, and P. concavus), indicated that the tombstone had to have come from either Ireland or Belgium, as none of these species were ever found in North America.

Historical evidence suggests Belgium is the likely source, as Belgium has been the most common source of the Lower Carboniferous "black" marble for centuries, from Roman times through to the present. It was particularly popular among the wealthy in England during Yeardley's life.

He and other Virginian colonists would have been very aware of the latest fashions in England and would likely try to replicate them in the colonies.

The research, published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, provides new insights into the extent of trade networks at Chesapeake Bay during colonial times and into the lengths some colonists went to in order to obtain goods and materials not available to them in their new homes.

More information: M. M. Key et al, Sourcing the Early Colonial Knight's Black "Marble" Tombstone at Jamestown, Virginia, USA, International Journal of Historical Archaeology (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10761-024-00756-4

© 2024 Science X Network

Jamestown DNA helps solve a 400-year-old mystery and unexpectedly reveals a family secret

Ancient sword from the era of Moses, Book of Exodus uncovered in Egypt

The sword, which dates back 3,200 years, was found at a former fort

 By Andrea Vacchiano Fox News
Published September 18, 2024 

Archaeology team in Egypt find lion mummy at famed pyramid site

Lion mummy discovered near famous tourist site.

Egyptian archaeologists recently found an ancient sword belonging to the military of Ramesses II, the pharaoh that scholars believe was referenced in the Book of Exodus.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the find in a press release on Sept. 5. The excavation took place in Housh Eissa, a city in the Beheira Governorate.

At the site, which is named Tell Al-Abqain, archaeologists found "a series of mudbrick architectural units, including military barracks for soldiers and storage rooms for weapons, food, and provisions from the New Kingdom era."


One of the finds was a bronze sword with the cartouche, or hieroglyphic symbol, of Ramesses. A picture of the sword shows that the artifact has decayed over time, but has still retained the symbol of the Egyptian ruler.

1,000-YEAR-OLD VIKING TREASURE FOUND HIDDEN IN DIRT: 'UNIQUE FINDING'

A bronze sword from the time of Moses and the Book of Exodus was found during a recent dig in Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via Facebook)

"In addition to the barracks, numerous artifacts and personal items belonging to soldiers were unearthed," the tourism ministry added. "[These] artifacts provide insight into the daily lives, religious beliefs, and military activities of the fort's occupants."

A range of relics were discovered, from weapons and tools to hygiene items and jewelry.

DIVERS SHOCKED AFTER FINDING 1856 SHIPWRECK OFF COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS: 'NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK'

The sword, which bears the symbol of King Ramesses II, is over 3,000 years old. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via Facebook)

"These [findings] include weapons used in battle, hunting tools, personal adornments, and hygiene items, such as ivory kohl applicators, carnelian and faience beads, scarabs, and protective amulets," Egyptian officials added.

Ramesses, whose name is also spelled Ramses, was born in 1303 B.C. and died in 1213 B.C. He is believed to be the pharaoh that ruled over Egypt in the Book of Exodus.





The artifacts were uncovered at the Tell Al-Abqain site in Beheira Governorate. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via Facebook)

According to biblical accounts, Moses led enslaved Israelites out of Egypt to the Desert of Paran. Although the Bible does not name the pharaoh who interacted with Moses in the Book of Exodus, most scholars believe that the text references Ramesses.

Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the press release that the fort was historically important to Egypt and served as a key outpost. It protected Egyptian borders from the Sea Peoples, which consisted of several tribes that attacked Egypt.




Archaeologists say that the wide range of artifacts uncovered during the excavation reflect the social and religious lives of the soldiers who lived there. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via Facebook)

"[T]he architectural units are meticulously designed, divided into two identical groups separated by a narrow passage," the press release explained. "This regular layout demonstrates the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptian engineers in adapting their surroundings to serve a variety of practical purposes."

Artefact from Bronze Age returned to Turkiye after being stolen more than 40 years ago

September 18, 2024 

An artefact that was proven to have been illicitly excavated from the Aegean region of Turkiye in the early 1980s and smuggled out of the country was returned Wednesday, via efforts of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Anadolu Agency reports.

A rare bronze kline – a rectangular couch used in ancient Greece and Rome, dating back to 530 BC – was returned to Turkiye by the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Scientific studies have proven that the historical kline, purchased by a museum in 1982, was illicitly excavated from a grave near Manisa province.

The kline was delivered to the Istanbul Restoration and Conservation Centre and Regional Laboratory Directorate, where it was opened and examined by experts.

Conservator and restorer, Deniz Nurcan told Anadolu that the kline, which dates to the 6th century BC, is one of the rare examples of its kind.​​​​​​​

READ: Turkiye repatriates 55 historical artefacts to Iran

“This is a bronze piece. It is produced with a copper and bronze mesh over an iron skeleton, with cast bronze feet. In this sense, it is rare; we typically don’t see such examples,” said Nurcan, who noted that klinas are generally made from stone and wood.

She pointed out that linen fragments adhering to the kline matched precisely with the wooden and bronze plates found by Turkish archaeologists in the grave.

“It is known that it was smuggled abroad in the 1980s. As a result of the joint efforts of Turkish archaeologists and experts from the Getty Museum, the bronze and wooden examples found at the excavation site were matched with the linen fragments on the artefact,

“It was determined that they date to the same period. Thus, it has been established that the artefact is indeed a part of our cultural heritage. The Getty Museum experts sent us a very detailed report. They prepared a meticulous report on the materials and manufacturing techniques. We will first carry out documentation work and conduct our own analyses. We will determine the conservation methods and prepare the artefact for display,” added Nurcan.
Features of kline

The kline is a type of furniture that is rarely encountered.

Such klinas, seen in historical paintings and depictions in pottery from the Bronze Age, were used for resting and dining.

Constructed on an iron skeleton with cast bronze feet and rails, the kline is made up of perforated copper plates.

With its turned legs, protruding tenons at the corners and a lattice surface supporting the cushions, it represents a bronze example of the wooden klinas that were commonly produced during that era.

With the return of the kline, the number of artefacts returned to Turkiye in 2024 has hit 36.

In the last six years, 7,840 artefacts have been returned to Turkiye, and since 2002, a total of 12,155 artefacts have been repatriated.

Early Medieval Metal Workshop Uncovered in Scotland

News September 18, 2024

© GUARD Archaeology

Upper part of a rotary quern

© GUARD Archaeology

COULTORSAY, SCOTLAND—According to a report in The National, traces of an early medieval iron smelting workshop belonging to the early Scots kingdom of Dál Riata have been uncovered on the island of Islay by researchers from GUARD Archaeology. The building was used to smelt bog ore to extract iron bloom for making tools and weapons between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. Metalworking waste, the upper part of a rotary quern for grinding grain, a bone needle, and shale bracelet fragments were also unearthed at the site. The shale bracelets are thought to have been made in central Scotland. An earlier Pictish-style domestic building shaped like a figure eight was found beneath the workshop. “Indeed, it is easy to imagine the early medieval landscape of Islay characterized more by slight buildings such as this, where the majority of the population resided,” explained archaeologist Maureen Kilpatrick. To read about the political landscape of ninth-century Britain, go to "Secrets of Scotland's Viking Age Hoard."

Shale bangle fragment

© GUARD Archaeology

Hawaii to Boost Power Grid by Harnessing Ocean Waves

An 826-ton buoy hooked up at the U.S. Navy's Wave Energy Test Site off the coast of Oahu will be connected to the state's electrical grid by an undersea cable, making a small but important move away from fossil fuels.

September 18, 2024 

Ocean Energy
On the windward side of Oahu in Kaneohe Bay sits a giant buoy that could help move Hawaii’s electric grid toward more renewable resources by harnessing the motion of the ocean.

The 826-ton buoy, the OE-35 from Irish firm Ocean Energy, measures 125 feet by 60 feet and is hooked up at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site off the island’s coast. It draws energy from the ocean by using the waves to drive a turbine that generates power. The system has already been tested in Scotland as part of a $12 million project funded by both the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

After final testing, the OE-35 buoy will be connected to Hawaii’s electric grid via undersea cable. While the 1.25 megawatts it can produce will make only a small dent in the state’s energy needs, it’s still progress away from fossil fuels.


“This internationally significant project couldn’t come online at a more critical time for the U.S. and Ireland as the world needs to accelerate the pace of decarbonization with new and innovative technologies,” said Tony Lewis, Ocean Energy’s chief technology officer.

Source: New Atlas

This story originally appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Government Technology magazine. Click here to view the full digital edition online.