Latest news with #Archaeological
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MCD invites applications for food vans in Khau Gali
New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi has now invited applications from mobile food trucks and vans, in addition to kiosk vendors, from across the city under its revised plan for the Khau Gali pilot initiative. The selected vendors will display and sell Delhi's delicacies at a food night market behind Salimgarh Fort in central Delhi. "The current applications are invited exclusively from mobile food trucks and vans. We have only 50 slots available, and selected vendors will be allowed to operate on this stretch from 6-10pm. The preferred colours of the food vans should be red, yellow and blue. They will need to submit anominal municipal and sanitation fee," stated the MCD proposal. Besides the carts, the food trucks and vans will also have to vacate the site after operational hours, and during the working hours, MCD will make arrangements to park them. As the current site is located right next to Red Fort and Salimgarh Fort, both protected by Archaeological Survey of India, MCD cannot develop any permanent structure on this patch. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi In April, Municipal Corporation of Delhi began accepting vendor applications for setting up food stalls. "After discussion, it was realised that many vendors, including those who don't have a food cart, asked about the permanency and profitability of the project. Since it is a pilot project, even we can't say anything right now," said an official. "Moreover, our priority is to vacate the site after 10pm at any cost. Keeping these things in mind, we have invited the food trucks also to participate," he added. In total, 50 vendors will be accommodated at the location, with the possibility of daily rotation based on the application volume. In case of a large number of applications, the vendors will be selected through a draw of lots. The project was proposed in 2023 after the lieutenant governor visited the site. "If the model is successful, it can be replicated in other parts of the city to showcase the variety of Delhi's popular street foods," an MCD official said.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Roman era statue encrusted with marine life sat on seabed for years — until now
For centuries, a Roman era statue fragment lay on the ocean floor off Italy, camouflaged by marine encrustations. But now, the ancient artifact has finally been brought to light. Archaeologists at the University of Salento found the statue segment in the Port of Leuca, located in Puglia, the southeastern tip of the Italian peninsula. After identifying the overgrown artifact during an underwater photogrammetric survey, a team of divers was dispatched to recover it, according to a June 25 university news release. Video footage shows four divers loading the object — which blends in with the rest of the seafloor — into a basket and using a balloon to float it to the surface. The Coast Guard then transported it to the mainland, where it was sent to be desalinated and cleaned. The piece, made from bronze, measures 41 by 25 inches. It is believed to represent the front portion of a larger-than-life male torso. Smaller fragments, thought to depict portions of the statue's clothing, were also found. It's not clear yet whether the newfound torso belongs to a recovered statue or whether it was part of a hitherto unknown piece of art. It's also not a rare find for the region. The area where the fragment was discovered is littered with other ancient bronze scraps, known to the scientific community since 1992. Pieces of other statues, some of huge proportions, have previously been found there and are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Brindisi, located several miles away. The discovery provides further evidence for the importance of marine trade routes that cut through the Adriatic Sea in the Roman era, about 2,000 years ago. The bronze scraps were likely transported to be melted down and cast into new forms. Recycled material has frequently been found in bronze Roman statues, according to the Bryn Mawr Classical Review. In fact, during antiquity, most statues depicting gods, heroes and politicians were later destroyed or melted down to make tools, such as weapons or even kitchen utensils, according to the University of Maryland. 'Only in rare, catastrophic events, like the eruption of Vesuvius that entombed the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D., were hundreds of these bronze statues ever preserved in one place,' the university stated. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the University of Salento.
India Gazette
21-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Began people's movement worldwide": Bansuri Swaraj lauds PM Modi's efforts in promoting yoga
New Delhi [India],June 21 (ANI): BJP MP from Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in promoting yoga globally, starting with the proposal for International Yoga Day in 2014 at the United Nations. Swaraj joined thousands of people at Delhi's Purana Qila to celebrate the 11th International Yoga Day, highlighting the significance of this ancient practice in promoting physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. She performed yoga alongside several enthusiasts under the guidance of Yogacharya Tanmay Gaud. The event was organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and featured a large turnout from across the city. 'I extend greetings to all on the occasion of International Yoga Day. When PM Modi put forth the resolution for this International Yoga Day in 2014, he began a people's movement worldwide in this regard,' she said while speaking to ANI. She also expressed gratitude to Guruji Tanmay Gaud and appreciated the Ministry of Culture for hosting the session at a heritage site like the Old Fort, linking India's ancient wisdom with contemporary practice. Swaraj highlighted that yoga is not just a physical discipline but a holistic practice that connects the body and soul, drawing from the core of Indian philosophy. Speaking on this year's theme, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health', Swaraj said it reflects the need for harmony not only within individuals but also with nature. 'Today, the Prime Minister has rightly said that this theme is about global balance--about aligning mankind with nature, and moving from inner peace to global peace,' she added. Emphasising the significance of June 21, which is the longest day of the year, she said it symbolises the light and energy that yoga brings into our lives. Yoga Guru Acharya Tanmay Gaud, leading the session, said his organisation Nirvana Yogadham conducted yoga programs across various Archaeological Survey of India sites in Delhi to mark the occasion. 'We taught yoga to hundreds at Purana Qila today. Yoga is not just movement--it's a tradition and treasure that has guided humanity for millennia,' he said. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, he added, 'Yoga is not just about flexibility of the body, but about living life skillfully. Lord Krishna said in the Gita: 'Yogah karmasu kausalam'--Yoga is excellence in action. It is a path to experience joy and uncover our true self.' Meanwhile, 2121 participants held the cobra pose for two minutes and nine seconds while performing yoga in Gujarat's Vadnagar on Saturday and achieved the Guinness World Record. According to Richard Stunning, official adjudicator at Guinness World Records, a record with a title for the most people performing the cobra pose in yoga began on Saturday. The minimum number of participants for the record was 250; they had to hold the Yoga Cobra pose for at least a minute. A total of 2184 participants breached the one-minute timeline; they ended up holding the cobra pose for two minutes and nine seconds. The Guinness World Records discounted 64 participants, after which 2121 participants held the cobra pose for two minutes and nine seconds to clinch the Guinness World Record. 'The Guinness World Records title that starts today is the most people performing the cobra pose in yoga, simultaneously. We set a guideline that everyone had to do it for at least a minute each, and we set a minimum target of 250 participants. Today, they did it for more than a minute, they did it for two minutes and nine seconds, and the total was 2185. We had to discount 64 participants. So the confirmed title is 2121 participants. Given we set a minimum of 250, this is smashing the Guinness World Record. Congratulations to everyone involved, and it's a fantastic achievement', Richard Stunning told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the main national event on the 11th International Yoga Day from Visakhapatnam. (ANI)
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu History Congress urges Centre to immediately release Keeladi reports
The Tamil Nadu History Congress on Wednesday urged the Union government to immediately release reports submitted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who headed two phases of excavations in Keeladi in the Sivaganga district. In a statement, S.S. Sundaram, general secretary, Tamil Nadu History Congress, said over two years, Mr. Ramakrishna excavated several artifacts at Keeladi that were scientifically tested in various labs in the U.S. and in India. Results confirmed the existence of an advanced urban Tamil civilisation dating back 2,600 years. Despite this, Mr. Ramakrishna was abruptly transferred to Assam, and a subsequent report in 2017 claimed little archaeological potential remained, recommending closure of the excavation. Then the State Archaeology Department resumed the excavations and unearthed over 5,800 artifacts, including several with Tamil-Brahmi script, he said, adding that the Centre, without any further delay, should release the Keeladi report.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Scientists Found the Oldest Ever Fingerprint Left by a Human
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story. Archaeologists discovered a human fingerprint left on a rock in Spain now considered the oldest known human fingerprint. Experts believe a Neanderthal intentionally made the print roughly 43,000 years ago. The rock was used only for the art—a rarity for the ancient time period—rather than a tool or some other utilitarian usage. A Neanderthal may have given us the oldest-known human fingerprint by attempting to paint a face on a small granite pebble in what is now modern-day Spain In a new study published in Archaeological and Anthropological Science, experts claim that a 43,000-year-old fingerprint left in red ocher pigment was intentionally placed on the rock in what was possibly an early form of art. The Neanderthal was attempting to paint a face on a small granite pebble in what is now modern-day Spain. 'This object contributes to our understanding of Neanderthals' capacity for abstraction, suggesting that it could represent one of the earliest human facial symbolizations in prehistory,' wrote the study authors, a collaboration between the Complutense University of Madrid, the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, the General Commissariat of Scientific Police of the National Police, and the University of Salamanca. Discovered in the San Lazaro rock shelter in central Spain, the team used scanning electron microscopy and multispectral spectroscopy analyses to find the complete fingerprint and then forensic analyses to determine it had to come from a human. 'It is not just a fingerprint; it is the signature of an individual who manipulated this object with a purpose that goes beyond the utilitarian,' the researchers wrote. The authors believe the fingerprint was intentionally placed and the pigment suggests it was applied with the tip of a finger after being soaked in pigment. 'Someone held it, painted it, and placed it there,' the researchers wrote. Found on a pebble believed to have originated from the Eresma River and moved to the shelter, the rock shows no signs of ever being used as a tool, giving the pebble a rare non-utilitarian function from the Middle Paleolithic period, according to a translated statement from the researchers. The painted fingerprint matches up with the pebble's form to make it seem that the Neanderthal who added the red-soaked print meant to create a 'human face, with eyes, a mouth, and a ridge shaped like a nose.' 'This pebble could thus represent one of the oldest known abstractions of a human face in the prehistoric record,' the authors wrote, noting it could be 'face pareidolia,' the act of humans giving objects human-like qualities. The study said that detailed analyses of the print showed it was 'unequivocally attributed to Neanderthals.' The human who dipped their finger into the pigment 'intentionally manipulated' the rock for non-utilitarian purposes and by bringing the rock into the shelter, the Neanderthal could have been following ritualistic behavior or simply trying to liven up a space with a little abstract art. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
