This is going to seem so self-referential, but I'm delighted to say that archaeologist Reinhard Maag added such an immensely useful chunk to my blog on the story about Otzi the Iceman and the different species of moss found in his, umm, interior, that I'm reblogging it here.

In the story about the species of moss found inside Otzi's body, I missed the implications—basically, I don't know the Alps well enough (okay, I don't know the Alps, full stop) to understand the meaning of the locations mentioned in the academic paper. Maag lives in the Swiss Alps and was kind enough to pass along a long, funny and illuminating description of what the moss locations signify about Otzi's travels and, most helpfully, what the Alps are like. You can find Reinhard's description here.

Also, the stuff I have on Otzi is pretty scattered, so while I was adding Maag's comments to that blog, I compiled all the various articles for easy access.

• Moss and the Iceman (with addendum by Reinhard Maag)
• Otzi the Iceman Resources

Is a fatty this month, hosted at Corvus moneduloides, which the ever-present Wikipedia tells me is the latin name for New Caledonian Crow.

It is not my practice to comment on videos I haven't seen, but editor Zach Zorich of Archaeology magazine says that the Discovery Channel series "Treasure Quest" which begins tonight, is pretty dreadful. The series follows the adventures of Odyssey Marine Exploration, a commercial underwater salvage company that has worked on several shipwrecks.

"The Diver: Regeneration". Sculpture by John Kaufman, located in the Thames River near Rainham, England. Photo by Andrew Wilkinson

Not surprisingly, I suppose, Odyssey has come under fire from archaeologists and various sovereign governments for making a profit off the cultural heritage of whatever country happens to claim the wrecks. One of the major complaints against Odyssey is they don't provide scientific or much public access to their results. It might be argued that this series will allow them to share what they've discovered. Since I haven't seen the program, I can't swear that there's no attention paid to the history of the shipwreck or the science of the findings, but I guess we'll get a glimpse later today.

• Finding Treasure and Losing History, Archaeology magazine
• Treasure Quest: The Discovery Channel
• Odyssey Marine Exploration

These links are underwater archaeology programs that have nothing to do with the Odyssey team, but are good places to explore the concept of maritime archaeology.

• Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology
• Online Museum of Underwater Archaeology
• Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University

UNESCO and Odyssey

On a related note, on January 2, 2009, the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage went into effect. Twenty countries, not including the United States or the United Kingdom, have signed the convention so far. The convention is based on four principles:

• The obligation to preserve underwater cultural heritage
• In situ preservation as a preferred option
• No commercial exploitation
• Cooperation among states to protect the cultural legacy

Spain has signed the convention, and that country is currently locked in an intense, long term battle with Odyssey over the wrecksite called the "Black Swan." The Spanish government argues the wreck is that of the Nuestra Senora de la Mercedes, sunk in 1804, making it their property. Odyssey claims the site is a 'debris field', where pirates dropped treasure overboard: but they won't tell anyone where it is or reveal data proving (or disproving) their claims.

• Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage enters into force in January 2009, UNESCO

There was an interesting paper in Antiquity last summer written by Karen Hardy, discussing how making string is an often overlooked but incredibly important, tiny skill useful to human beings.

String making, says Hardy, was an essential tool of the paleolithic person. String was used in prehistory to tie things up; to make clothing (as in the string skirt of the Iron Age Egtved girl seen in the glamorous drawing); to make bags for carrying things; bowstrings for hunting; nets for fishing and small game trapping; to hang decorative pendants. And, in an extraordinary case, to make quipu, that communication strategy of 5,000 years of South American society.

The problem is, as Olga Soffer and James Adovasio have pointed out, that vegetal matter is only very rarely preserved in archaeological contexts. Oh, sure, we can see it when it is used as decoration for clay pots, and sometimes it will burn and be preserved in wattle and daub houses, but by and large, when it rots, it's gone.

Earliest String

On occasion we're very lucky indeed. The earliest sites with direct evidence for string making include Ohalo II in Israel (ca. 19,000 years bp), Lascaux Cave in France (ca. 17,000 years bp), and Fukui Cave in Japan (ca. 15,000 bp). Chances are good, though that string making has been around a lot longer--perforated beads have been found at Howiesons Poort/Still Bay sites like Blombos cave in South Africa at some 75,000-80,000 years ago.

More on Textiles in Archaeology

• Textiles in Archaeology
• Textiles in Archaeology Bibliography

String Sites

• Ohalo II, Israel
• Blombos Cave, South Africa
• Lascaux Cave, France
• Fukui Cave, Japan

Hardy, Karen 2008 Prehistoric string theory: How twisted fibres helped to shape the world. Antiquity 82(316):271–280.

Inuit Sculpture of Girl with Cat's Cradle, National Gallery, Ottawa, Canada Photo by Jen Millward