Ancient Brits ate dead and made skulls into cups

By Madeleine Cowley

February 18, 2011, 1:59am

 

LONDON (Reuters Life!) – Ancient Britons devoured their dead and created gruesome goblets from the skulls of their remains, according to new research published on Wednesday.
Researchers from London's Natural History Museum discovered 15,000-year-old human bones in southern England which showed signs of cannibalism and skulls made into drinking cups.
The skulls -- found in Gough's Cave in the Cheddar Gorge in the southwestern English county of Somerset -- had been meticulously cleaned of soft tissue, cut to remove the base and facial bones, and had their rough edges smoothed to create skull-cups or bowls, paleontologist Silvia Bello wrote in a study in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.
"All in all it was a very painstaking process given the tools available," Bello said in a statement.
The researchers said the cups may have been used as containers or for some ritualistic purpose.
"It's impossible to know how the skull-cups were used back then, but in recent examples they may hold blood, wine or food during rituals," said Chris Stringer, who helped excavate one of the skull-cups in 1987.
At about 14,700 years old, the skull-cups from Gough's Cave are the oldest directly dated examples in the world, the researchers said.
They said the circumstances behind the deaths of the Cro-Magnons (European early modern humans), whose bones they discovered, can only be guessed at.
They may have been killed, butchered and eaten -- with the skull-cups just the end of this event -- or may have been part of the group who died and were eaten in a crisis situation, with the skull-cups created as a tribute to the dead.
"We simply do not know," they said in a joint emailed response to questions.
The use of skulls as drinking vessels has been well-documented in historical accounts and recent ethnographic studies, the researchers explained in their study.
Ancient Greek historian Herodotus portrayed the Scythians as people who drank from the skulls of their enemies and similar practices have been recorded among Vikings, Australian Aborigines and in tantric Buddhist rituals.
A precise cast of one of the skull-cups, complete with cut marks, will go on display in the Natural History Museum in London from March 1 for three months.

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Super-alkaline-capsule as natural mineral supplement

printed at Balita.com //By Ben Cal
MANILA, Feb. 6 (PNA) – Alkaline capsule, a natural mineral supplement developed by a Filipino inventor, is gaining popularity after many of its users claimed that they have been cured of their varied ailments, ranging from high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney trouble, prostate problem, emphysema, complication of the lungs and cancer, among others.
“It’s my humble contribution to the Filipino people,” Filipino inventor Pablo Planas told this writer in an interview at his office on Timog Avenue, Quezon City.
He said that since he developed the alkaline capsule a few years ago, many of his customers wrote him letters profusely thanking him after they have been cured of their ailments.
One of the letter senders, Rodrigo Sagun, 73, from Dasmarinas City, Cavite, said that he was suffering from kidney problem and high blood pressure since 1997 and was taking medicines prescribed by his doctor but his blood pressure was not cured until he took alkaline capsule as his last recourse.
Sagun said his doctor told him to start using insulin injection but he refused because he could not afford the price.
“I felt numbness all over my body and my eyesight was fading,” he said.
Then one day he heard that alkaline capsule is a good supplement for those who are sick, Sagun said. He started taking alkaline capsule and in two months, his blood sugar became normal, he added.
“In fact, my doctor was surprised of my recovery,” Sagun said.
Another letter sender identified as Pedro G. Abenojar Jr. said he was cured of his emphysema, kidney trouble, pain in his throat and prostrate problem after taking alkaline capsule for two weeks.
Marilyn Andres from Taytay, Rizal, claimed that she was cured of her various ailments such as asthma, cyst in her right ovary, diabetes, lung infection and diarrhea. She said she had previously taken many medicines to no avail.
“The Planas alkaline capsule cured me,” Andres said in her letter to the inventor.
Ernesto A. Paswal from Lubao, Pampanga, who had difficulty of breathing because of a heart ailment, said he is now breathing normally after taking the alkaline capsule.
Planas explained the importance of alkaline in one’s health.
“Alkaline or pH which stands for ‘hydrogen potential’ measures the degree of acidity or alkalinity in water,” he said.
“The pH of what you drink becomes important when you consider the function of water in the body. The cells in the human body produce acids as by-products of normal cellular function. These acids must be removed from the body to remain health,” Planas stressed.
He continued: “The presence of too much acid in the diet may reduce the body’s ability to function correctly and may increase the risk of disease. There are many studies being performed that show an alkaline body pH may provide improved cellular function and reduce these risks. Proper hydration of the body with water (near neutral pH, not acidic) improves removal of the body’s cellular wastes.”
Planas said medical doctors are prescribing alkaline as a supplement for their patients.
“Total healing of chronic illness only takes place when and if the blood is restored to a normal, slightly alkaline pH,” Planas said.
He added: “The higher the pH reading, the more alkaline and oxygen rich the fluid is. The lower the pH reading, the more acidic and oxygen deprived the fluid is.”
The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic.
He said that the super pH he developed measures 9 to 9.5. (PNA)

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Dr. Oz’s: 60 Second Beauty Fixes, Foot Pain Relief, Age-Proof Your Mind & Hot List

Dr. Oz’s 60 Second Beauty Fixes featured some home-made remedies for beauty problems. For wrinkles, mash up half an avocado and mix with a tablespoon of honey. Apply to your face for 60 seconds. For red, irritated skin, mix up two tablespoons of oatmeal in some ice water to make an oatmeal compress. Soak a washcloth in the mixture and put on your face for 60 seconds. For puffy eyes, Dr. Oz says to apply olive oil to your eyelids, then apply frozen tea bags for 60 seconds. 


To age-proof your mind and stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia you need to keep your mind active. Do crossword puzzles at least four times a week. Improve your concentration by eating coldwater fish and using olive oil. To boost your mood, drink two cups a day of Ashwagandha Tea, take a SAMe supplement and increase your folic acid intake by eating bananas, okra and lentils. .
In the Foot Pain Relief segment, Dr. Oz talked about plantar fasciitis as a source of foot pain. To treat this, you should stretch your feet in the morning before you get out of bed. Also use shoe inserts to support your arches. Hammertoe is another cause of foot pain, and you should practice picking up marbles with your toes to ward it off. Metatarsalgia is another foot pain problem, especially when you wear high heels. Dr. Oz recommends Aerosoles high heeled shoes.

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Men Aren’t Just Interested in Finding a Hot Chick

Last  February 3   Good Morning America televised a study commissioned by Match.Com that helped prove men are more ready for commitment then women.  Shocking, isn’t it?!? 

According to cultural anthropologist, Helen Fisher, Ph.D., she took a sampling of men and women aged 21 –65 in an effort to learn more about singles and their thoughts and goals.  The study was based on the census so they could make sure they had a proper sampling.

It seems men are more interested in marriage then women, especially in the age bracket of men age 21 – 24.  Going further, in the age bracket of 21-34, men are 51% more interested in having kids compared to 46% of women.  Could it be because they don’t have to be pregnant with the little blessing??

Basically women are more interested in keeping their independence.  They’re more likely to want their own bank accounts.  Women are also more likely to want to hang out with their girlfriends than men wanting to go out with their guy friends.  What surprised me the most were more women wanted to travel sans their spouse, than visa versa.   I guess it didn’t surprise me that men wouldn’t want to travel without their wives — after all, who would take care of them?  But I was more so surprised that anyone would want to vacation without their spouse.  That just doesn’t seem like a smart way to keep a marriage healthy!  Vacations are when you can let loose and have fun together!

It was also interesting to note that singles are less concerned about race, religion, and being the same age than they have been in the past.  Also, men are more likely to marry a woman who has everything they’re looking for in a partner, but they’re not sexually attracted to.  Read that: their choice for a spouse is based more on desired traits than attractiveness! 

Apparently singles over age 65 are the most satisfied singles out there.  They enjoy their singleness and are only likely to get involved in a relationship if it’s a deep, intense feeling. 

The Bottom Line:  Singles are very romantic and believe in love at first sight, but 35% had ended up passionately in love with someone they hadn’t initially found attractive.  They fell in love because of great conversation and things they had in common.  So give that person in the office, church, or the gym a second look.  You just might find your one true love!  

Psychology 101: if you marry someone without a personality who doesn’t have anything in common with you outside the bedroom, then you’re in for an unhappy marriage.  More times than naught your looks will fail before anything else, and if you take the time it takes to stay that perfect size 2 there  might be problems from that, too.  

Tell us what you think..

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