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Right-wing extremism is a form of political extremism. In recent years, strengthening far-right forces has been an unnoticeable trend and a global problem. The main aim of the study will be to find out whether and to what extent the inclination of the respondents living in the territory of the Prešov and Košice regions is related to the views and attitudes of the extreme right in Slovakia in the context of the above-mentioned socio-political developments related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the theoretical definition of the basic terminological background, the paper includes the interpretation of the results of quantitative research aimed at determining the degree of acceptance of right-wing radicalism and extremism and identifying the manifestations of covert and overt support for these phenomena in eastern Slovakia in the context of the war in Ukraine. The article uses analytical and descriptive methods and a representative survey by a questionnaire.

Objective: to substantiate the existence of national cyber sovereignty as a legal concept; by introducing the concept of state cyber interests as an innovative determinant, to review the traditional concepts of national sovereignty and state borders in the context of the dynamic nature of cyberspace and the need to develop a hybrid mechanism for cyber borders protection, based simultaneously on law and technology.Methods: the doctrinal method was used to identify the basic discrepancies in the views of leading scientists in different fields on fundamental theoretical-methodological, conceptual and categorical issues, including the justification of a single algorithm for establishing borders in cyberspace. The doctrinal method is supplemented by the analysis of judicial practice of different countries, which allows considering the courts extending their jurisdiction to disputes related to cyberspace.Results: the study presents the application of traditional and modern legal concepts of sovereignty in the new digital environment, resulting in a combination of legal and technological approaches. The author reveals functional significance of the concept of state cyber interests for demarcating cyberspace and defining the boundaries of national sovereignty. The adaptability of this concept to the technically uncertain nature of cyberspace is shown. The conclusion is made about the main directions in forming the concept of cyber interests in cyberspace and its political and legal implications, based, among other things, on the practice of courts of different countries in resolving cyber disputes.Scientific novelty: the concept of state cyber interests is considered as an innovative method of defining cyber borders. It leads to the transformation of the traditional sovereignty concept and the close national interest concept in relation to cyberspace in the context of fulfilling security requirements and intensifying national defense against cyber threats.Practical significance: the obtained results eliminate existing contradictions in the definition of sovereignty and its spatial limits under the modern technology development; contribute to the elaboration of a disciplinary standard of cyber sovereignty based on a reliable demarcator necessary for the definition of state sovereignty and borders in cyberspace; adapt traditional legal concepts of sovereignty and national interests to the global modern cyber challenges; contribute to the transformation of traditional legal concepts of sovereignty and national interests in cyberspace.

The North East Region of India, comprising Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram, is characterized by a distinctive blend of ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic diversity. Connected to the rest of the country via the Siliguri Corridor, also known as Chicken’s Neck, this paper delves into the historical context of conflicts in the region. It assesses various contributing factors such as ethnic diversity, migration patterns, resource allocation, and political interests. Given China's proximity through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the Siliguri Corridor, India's attention to this area becomes crucial. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the socio-economic impact of these conflicts and proposes potential strategies for conflict resolution and peace-building efforts. Specifically, it focuses on analyzing border disputes between Assam and neighboring Northeastern states, identifies primary causes of conflict, and offers actionable recommendations for resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Quebec, geopolitics has not given rise, as a research field, to lively epistemological debates as was the case in France and elsewhere. At the crossroads of the French and Anglo‐Saxon schools of thought, Quebec's geopolitics developed progressively, with a few pioneers in the 1960s, to become an integral part of the geography discipline in the 1980s, driven by geopolitical issues related to the issue of Quebec within Canada. From the 2000s onwards, geopolitics diversified and became more international, becoming a commonly accepted sub‐field of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Migraciones is the property of Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Instituto Universitario de Estudios sobre Migraciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Field Ornithology is the property of Resilience Alliance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The mainstream approach of regional integration impact assessments is mainly limited to assessing cross-border development projects/programmes. There is still a lack of critical assessment of how stakeholders at different institutional levels conceptualise the border. Local (municipal) strategic plans provide a reflection of the spatial imaginaries of stakeholders, perception planners, institutional power structures, and, to some extent meaning of the border to the local people. Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in South Africa were adopted as an important development planning strategy in the post-apartheid era. IDPs of 49 borderland municipalities were systematically reviewed using the Key-Word-in-Context (KWIC) content analysis technique of the keyword 'border' to determine the importance of state borders in light of regional integration. Border security and management is one of the most common themes associated with the border. This suggested that borders were mainly perceived as threats and barely considered as a potential resource for cross-border cooperation or integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive Summary: This paper examines the staffing needs of the US Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), as it seeks to eliminate an immigration court backlog, which approached 2.5 million pending cases at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2023. A previous study by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) attributed the backlog to systemic, long-neglected problems in the broader US immigration system. This paper provides updated estimates of the number of immigration judges (IJs) and "judge teams" (IJ teams) needed to eliminate the backlog over ten and five years based on different case receipt and completion scenarios. It also introduces a data tool that will permit policymakers, administrators and researchers to make their own estimates of IJ team hiring needs based on changing case receipt and completion data. Finally, the paper outlines the pressing need for reform of the US immigration system, including a well-resourced, robust, and independent court system, particularly in light of record "encounters" of migrants at US borders in FY 2022 and 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narcotic Detection Dogs (NDDs) are essential tools in the fight against drug trafficking, acting with high precision and improving efficiency at border posts. When trained efficiently, these dogs can detect a great variety of compounds, such as cocaine, marijuana and its derivatives, and synthetic drugs, among others. Most of the knowledge on canine detection processes and efficiency has been determined in experimentally controlled conditions, but narcotic seizures detected by dogs in realistic anti-drug operations have not yet been critically determined in a Country with continental dimensions such as Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the data set concerning the performance, operations, efficiency, and success rate of NDDs used by the Brazilian Customs Authority (Aduana) in the fight against drug trafficking. Narcotic seizure rates increased in luggage and packages detected by NDDs working at border crossings from 2010 to 2020, with an estimated value of over US$ 2 billion in losses to the cocaine drug trafficking business. NDD units also increased most narcotic groups seized in the same period. The number of NDDs and anti-drug operations, and Customs Border Post (CBP) influenced the rates of drugs seized. NDDs provided an increase of 3,157 kg/animal of drugs seized for every new dog introduced into the inspection systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Mexico is located along the U.S.–Mexico border, and as such, Spanish, English, and language mixing form an integral part of the New Mexican identity. New Mexico is often divided into a northern and a southern region with the north known for Spanish archaisms due to historic isolation, and the south associated with ties to a Mexican identity due to the location of the U.S.–Mexico border. The current study uses perceptual dialectology to capture the way in which speakers in the south of New Mexico perceive this north/south divide and communicate their identity. Overall, there is evidence of the north/south divide, but speakers in southern New Mexico focus much more on language use such as Spanglish, English, and Spanish than on their northern counterparts. Participants reference language mixing over language "purity" and borders over an explicit rural/urban divide. Like previous accounts, we see reference to the "correctness" of both English and Spanish, examples of specific terminology used in different parts of the state, and descriptions of accents throughout the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article expands on David Garland’s proposal that punitive practices are influenced by logics of (in)sensitivity, shaping how punishment is conceived and applied. It argues that (in)sensitivity is not a mere peripheral aspect of punishment but a central element thereof. Drawing from this premise, the article elucidates the most prominent features of Garland’s proposition, highlighting the conceptual framework it builds upon. Based on this foundation, the discussion branches into two closely related directions. Firstly, it analytically explores Garland’s contribution, explicating the depth underlying notions of meaning and sensitivity; a development that will underscore the significance of corporeality in fully understanding the imposition of punishment. Secondly, this analysis will be projected onto the context of the current discursive hegemony of security and, more specifically, in the specific manner it manifests in the regulation of migrant mobility. The undeniable preeminence of securitized borders will thus become the fundamental space of analysis to project Garland’s proposal regarding an underlying (in)sensitivity permeating the imposition of punishment. Within this context, it asserts that migrant bodies crossing the border endure punishment, yet their suffering lacks empathy within the security discourse

pp. 1-16 This article analyzes how Carmen Boullosa uses the polyphony of narrative voices and fragmented narration in Texas: La Gran Ladronería en el lejano Norte ( 2012), to question the structure of society through testimonies about an event that marked a drastic change in the social network from the perspective of socially excluded characters and how these testimonies give them power in the dynamics of the book. Texas is set in the year 1859 on the border between Mexico and the United States in the cities of Bruneville and Matasánchez. It tells the story of an ethnically diverse area, which generates a divided and tense society where cultural and power clashes exist. Supported by the theories of subalternity and ethnic studies, I analyze how Boullosa makes a series of criticisms about the social inequality that existed at the time, on the one hand, and identify the subaltern voices through a narrative discourse that makes visible actors who have been omitted from the official history for being considered secondary.

This study is to report the demographics, incidence, and patterns of spinal injuries associated with border crossings resulting from a fall from a significant height. A retrospective cohort study was performed at a Level I trauma center from January 2016 to December 2021 to identify all patients who fell from a significant height while traversing the U.S.-Mexico border and were subsequently admitted. A total of 448 patients were identified. Of the 448 patients, 117 (26.2%) had spine injuries and 39 (33.3%) underwent operative fixation. Females had a significantly higher incidence of spine injuries (60% vs. 40%; p?15 (RR?=?3.2; p?15 sustained falls from a higher distance (median 6.1 vs. 5.5?m) and had a longer length of ICU stay (median 3 vs. 0 days). All patients with operative spine injuries had an ISS >15 relative to 50% of patients with non-operative spine injuries (median ISS 20 vs. 15; p?0.001). Patients with spine trauma requiring surgery had a higher incidence of head (RR?=?3.5; p 0.0353) and chest injuries (RR?=?6.0; p?=?0.0238), but a lower incidence of lower extremity injuries (RR?=?0.5; p?

The article analyzes the involvement of the United States in the events of the Mexican Revolution in relation to the situa-tion on the border of the two countries. Based on archival and published sources, it shows how socio-economic, legal and military factors influenced the decision-making process by officials in Mexico City and Washington, as well as non-state forces represented by rebel groups. It is noted that among the tools for achieving foreign policy goals and gaining ad-vantages over opponents during the revolutionary struggle, there was a constant appeal to the concept of “neutrality.” The rapprochement of the United States with the constitutionalist movement in 1913–1914 and the search for reducing the risk of war between the two countries in 1916 stand out as hall-marks. It is emphasized that due to this, Mexican-American relations were a complex combination of conflict and mutual interests.

This study focuses on the historical landscape of the Douro River. The regional and local values of medieval cultural heritage elements were explored from “Demarcações de Fronteira” - a demarcation book dated from 1537-1538 - to understand the places and medieval testimonies of political, social, and economic relations between the two medieval kingdoms of Portugal and Castile. A document analysis is intended to identify and describe the cultural elements of a specific place and a particular time and discern resilient cultural features in the landscape. In parallel, a cartographic analysis could help to identify, characterize, and localize the late medieval landscape (beginning of the 16th century). This analysis is fundamental for comparing other periods and studying the landscape resilience.

Ceuta and Melilla are two enclaves that belong to Spain in Morocco and have become the contact points of the irregular migrants coming from Africa that are attempting to reach the European continent. The enclaves have utilized innovative technology and barbed wire, but immigrant crises have occurred over the years. Despite the crises, the Spanish and Moroccan governments choose to perform a semi-permeable border. This article explains the semi-permeable border using the liberal institutional theory. This article argues that a semi-permeable border is chosen by the Spanish and Moroccan governments to fulfill their mutual self-interests. The Spanish government agrees to perform a semi-permeable border to retain the symbolic border of the region. The blurring overlap in the enclaves has put the Spanish government to use help from the European Union to conduct security measures in the region. The Moroccan government agrees to perform a semi-permeable border to retain its influence over the enclaves and uses the immigrant crises as a bargaining chip for the European Union. The European Union maximizes the performance of a semi-permeable border to pursue its interest, which is to conduct the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Agreement.

State borders are imperative to a country as affirmation of the limits of the sovereignty of the country. A border is a strategic and vital area. The term strategic comes from the fact that a border area has natural resource potencies and a market opportunity because of its close distance from the neighboring country. It is vital since, in a political term, a border area is related to State sovereignty, defense, security, nationalism, and social, economic, and cultural aspects. This research focuses on analyzing and developing a model for settling the unresolved segment in Noel Besi-Citrana, land borders of Indonesia-Timor Leste. The method was qualitative with a case study approach. Findings showed that the unresolved segment problem in Noel Besi-Citrana had its roots in the dissenting interpretation of the 1904 Treaty. We proposed a model for settling the unresolved segment in Noel Besi-Citrana by studying the negotiation process development between Indonesia and Timor Leste is a settlement model using a top-down political approach. A political approach was considered the most effective because the regular way that is usually done causes this problem to drag on.

Narcotic Detection Dogs (NDDs) are essential tools in the fight against drug trafficking, acting with high precision and improving efficiency at border posts. When trained efficiently, these dogs can detect a great variety of compounds, such as cocaine, marijuana and its derivatives, and synthetic drugs, among others. Most of the knowledge on canine detection processes and efficiency has been determined in experimentally controlled conditions, but narcotic seizures detected by dogs in realistic anti-drug operations have not yet been critically determined in a Country with continental dimensions such as Brazil. This study aimed to evaluate the data set concerning the performance, operations, efficiency, and success rate of NDDs used by the Brazilian Customs Authority (Aduana) in the fight against drug trafficking. Narcotic seizure rates increased in luggage and packages detected by NDDs working at border crossings from 2010 to 2020, with an estimated value of over US$ 2 billion in losses to the cocaine drug trafficking business. NDD units also increased most narcotic groups seized in the same period. The number of NDDs and anti-drug operations, and Customs Border Post (CBP) influenced the rates of drugs seized. NDDs provided an increase of 3,157 kg/animal of drugs seized for every new dog introduced into the inspection systems.

Digital games are one of the most engaging forms of media. Players can have a first-hand experience and the possibility of feeling immersed within a digital setting where agency is exerted. This paper seeks to understand the role of digital games as new means of communication and their potential to convey messages that may defy gamers to question the moral grand narratives that shape contemporary societies. In a moment when many countries have opted to close or limit the circulation in their borders, it is important to think about the role played by the border as a historic liminal entity for the representation of societies and communities, distinguishing those who belong from those who do not. The representation of the border in digital games have tended to follow one of the main tropes explored in other media: the border as a physical space that set boundaries between different nations and different regions of the world. In order to assert the potential of digital games to offer a more comprehensive representation of the border as a liminal space, the case of Papers, Please! (2013) will be analyzed. Based on a qualitative methodology, having content analysis as primary data collection method, the paper intends to contribute to the discussion on how history may narrativized and, eventually, reinterpreted in digital games. Papers, Please! analysis will be centered on the relationship that is set between player and border, that is presented as a liminal space where the game's action takes places entirely. Moreover, the paper intends to discuss the role that has been played by digital games in the representation of serious topics and how they have evolved as communication tools beyond their role as entertainment products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agribusiness has unleashed new territorial dynamics on the Brazil and Paraguay border. Derived from Brazilian public policies influenced by geopolitical objectives, the spillover of agribusiness into Paraguayan territory has created productive, commercial, and logistical networks that have intensified the porosity of this border. In light of this, criminal groups have used these networks to carry out cross-border crimes. Among these illicit acts, the illegal flow of pesticides and agrochemical inputs stands out, since they use the road network to transport and distribute these products to the thriving agribusiness segment, despite the asymmetry between sanitary and legal parameters between Brazil and Paraguay. Through a qualitative analysis of quantitative data and interviews with agents responsible for security in the Brazilian Border Strip, we identified the characteristics of this cross-border illicit flow and built a scenario for the period after the construction of the RILA, which will make the river border of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, with the department of Alto Paraguay, Paraguay, between the cities of Porto Murtinho and Carmelo Peralta, more porous and therefore more vulnerable to these crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liminal function of rituals is an expression of the transformative power of collective processes and subjective developments. Rites, transitional activities (playing, dramas, music, literature, arts, etc.) work as vector, catalyzer, mediator and symbolic container of experiences of transformative processes. In terms of unconscious psychosocial process, liminality becomes particularly evident in all situations in which the human condition goes through crisis of identity and everyday organization of borders is at risk. On several occasions (including clearly in the book “Civilization and its Discontents”, 1930), Freud proposed that there are pathological states in which the delimitation and borders of the Ego in relation to the external world become uncertain and painful. Authors take in consideration two specific conditions of sufferance, which although are different yet show an intriguing affinity in their difficult relationship with experience of borders and in living in liminal areas: obsessive neurosis and borderline condition. In the case of obsessive neurosis, the subject, morbidly repeating a specific ceremonial ritual, shuns the border, starting over each time in the anguished search for perfection and rigid division, without ever realizing the transition to a new state. In the case of borderline sufferance, on the contrary, the impulsiveness, the lack of integration of the Self leads the subject to live perpetually on the threshold, always oscillating from one extreme to the other, without being able to move from the margin and find an integration of opposites and polarities. This paper, through contributions ranging from anthropology to psychoanalysis, figures as a seminal work in the introduction of the concept of liminality into psychodynamic theory and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses the situation that arose after the crisis on the Poland-Belarus border in the second half of 2021. The authors use the term “borderphobia” to describe social, political and propaganda mechanisms that became a form of border space management used to legitimize and gain support for the actions taken by the right-wing populist government in Poland. The phenomenon of borderphobia can be a symbol of the symbiosis between political authoritarianism, nationalism and economic neoliberalism: the combination of these three forces affects the development of the “border industry” in Europe and in the world. The policy based on borderphobia facilitates the suspension of civil rights in the border area: this is what happened in Poland, where a state of emergency was introduced in the border area under the pretext of “border protection.” The case of building the wall on the Polish-Belarusian border can also show how the nationalist right in Poland can use the borderphobic discourse for political mobilization and in an election campaign to maintain their influence and political power in the country. The article indicates that although the leaders of right-wing populist parties believe that the slogans of defending the “security border” and building border walls can bring them political benefits, the example of the Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland has shown that this is not always the case.

This article presents the case of the Beirut River corridor in Lebanon, which defines the administrative border between the capital Beirut, its eastern and south-eastern suburbs. The Beirut River has undergone several transformations from being a lotic environment to becoming complex urban infrastructure. This is often unnoticeable due to the scarcity of its running water and its walled existence at the edge of administrative boundaries. The separation from its riverbanks, disconnection from the urban fabric, and continuous pollution have contributed to its liminality, being simultaneously neither present nor absent. To understand this in-betweenness, the river’s spatial, temporal, and social liminality are analysed by identifying major events, actors, and key urban planning interventions that impacted the river at the national, city region, and local scales. The article explores the development of the river corridor both in terms of urbanisation and population dynamics; its distinct positionality in different periods that corresponded to major events and decisions made; and the contrasting river experiences and perceptions across generations, which vary between reminiscence and aversion. By examining the various transformative processes, collective practices, perceptions, and diverse actors, the article highlights the contextual implications of this obdurate liminality, but also Beirut River’s potential alternative future positionality amidst present and imminent urban challenges.

The border is a dangerous and ambiguous concept to deal with. Following an historical-juridical analysis of the evolution of the concept of border, the author explains what in his judgment is a proper connection that the concept of border must establish: (1) to overcome barriers, in respect of both the actors of changing traditions and customs, and in order to encourage integration and growth in the society as a whole; (2) to cleanse the concept of border from nationalist and supremacist ideas, so as to achieve a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society; (3) the right to immigration as a fully recognised universal human right.

The concept of border is a much-debated topic, also due to numerous planetary crises of political, economic, and religious origin. The present author supports both the usefulness and the necessity of the border qua psychological entity, insofar as its proper function allows for the process of psychological identification to occur. Moreover, the speed of major socio-cultural changes characterising the contemporary era is argued to be compromising the dynamic psychological balance between growth and transformation, whilst providing the illusion of the psyche as an undifferentiated whole.

Numerous studies report proximity to land cover edges decreases avian nesting success, yet variation among species, sites, and nesting guilds obscures overall patterns. Nest success is a key demographic parameter, and edges are often created from anthropogenic disturbance; therefore, further understanding of nest success and edges should inform bird conservation efforts. We performed a meta-analysis to examine effects of edges on mature forest and shrubland bird nest survival in eastern North America. Sixteen studies fit our inclusion criteria, comprising data for 11 mature forest and 9 shrubland species. Nest success for mature forest birds declined with proximity to edges. Additionally, random effects of species and study explained a relatively large amount of variance in nest survival. We did not find a significant edge effect for shrubland birds, but only two data points (averaged within studies) were greater than 100 meters from an edge. Thus, in studies we compiled, an impact of edges was only apparent for forest species that nested far from edges. An interactive effect of distance-to-edge and nest placement (low vs. higher nesting height) did not significantly influence nest survival. Single-species analyses showed a relationship between distance-to-edge and nesting success for Hermit Thrush ( Catharus guttatus ), though small sample sizes may have limited our ability to detect relationships for other species. Overall, core areas greater than 250 m from edges tend to have higher nest success for mature forest birds, information that will help managers and conservationists when maintaining habitat for both forest and shrubland bird communities.

The mainstream approach of regional integration impact assessments is mainly limited to assessing cross-border development projects/programmes. There is still a lack of critical assessment of how stakeholders at different institutional levels conceptualise the border. Local (municipal) strategic plans provide a reflection of the spatial imaginaries of stakeholders, perception planners, institutional power structures, and, to some extent meaning of the border to the local people. Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in South Africa were adopted as an important development planning strategy in the post-apartheid era. IDPs of 49 borderland municipalities were systematically reviewed using the Key-Word-in-Context (KWIC) content analysis technique of the keyword ‘border’ to determine the importance of state borders in light of regional integration. Border security and management is one of the most common themes associated with the border. This suggested that borders were mainly perceived as threats and barely considered as a potential resource for cross-border cooperation or integration.

The BORDERSCAPE Project WebGIS database and web app provide an overview of changes in the settlement pattern of the ancient Egyptian southern border during the long process of state formation and border-making. The dataset is set up in Excel and CSV formats and includes 163 archaeological sites from the First Cataract Region in southern Egypt, dating from c. 3800 to 2300 BCE. Eighty-two sites were discovered by the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project and are mostly unpublished. The rest of the data was retrieved from originally published material. The dataset is enriched by two inundation models created for the Nile Valley north of the cataract. The WebGIS is an opportunity for data sharing and sets the base for potential data exchange.

New Mexico is located along the U.S.–Mexico border, and as such, Spanish, English, and language mixing form an integral part of the New Mexican identity. New Mexico is often divided into a northern and a southern region with the north known for Spanish archaisms due to historic isolation, and the south associated with ties to a Mexican identity due to the location of the U.S.–Mexico border. The current study uses perceptual dialectology to capture the way in which speakers in the south of New Mexico perceive this north/south divide and communicate their identity. Overall, there is evidence of the north/south divide, but speakers in southern New Mexico focus much more on language use such as Spanglish, English, and Spanish than on their northern counterparts. Participants reference language mixing over language “purity” and borders over an explicit rural/urban divide. Like previous accounts, we see reference to the “correctness” of both English and Spanish, examples of specific terminology used in different parts of the state, and descriptions of accents throughout the state.

Cato The Elder (234-149 BC) wrote our oldest extant work of continuous Latin prose, On Farming (de agri cultura), a how-to guide for farming and life that also included many recipes. We were interested in the section on bread recipes in this text, particularly the recipe for the complex, layered placenta due to its choice of ingredients and cooking techniques. We were especially interested in the use of farro paste, an ingredient we had never seen used in ancient or modern cooking. Since Cato's placenta recipe makes a huge placenta (more than 26 pounds of ingredients), we scaled down the recipe in our initial experiments. For the tracta, we experimented with roughly 1/12 the original amounts… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prehistoric wooden projectiles likely have a complex evolutionary story in a similar way to stone tools, depending on their functions, and the cognitive and physical capabilities of hominins who used them. The technologies of some ancient projectiles (e.g., spears, arrows) can be studied more directly because they were equipped with stone points which survive archaeologically, but other implements made entirely of wood are extremely rare archaeological finds and need an indirect study of their ethnological diversity to try to shed light on their evolution. The evolution of throwing sticks is often restricted to the invention of boomerangs which, as returning objects, have fascinated Europeans, particularly since the early 19th century colonisation of Australia. However, the innovation of returning boomerangs is probably relatively recent, compared to their entire technological evolution. The resulting technological diversity of forms through time is reflected in the different morphological types of ethnological throwing sticks found on the Australian continent but is also present in other parts of the world. A scheme of evolution for throwing sticks is proposed here, according to the technology that can be observed on numerous ethnological objects studied in museum collections, and experience gained from throwing replicas, which allow us to distinguish different development phases for these projectiles. Surprisingly, Aboriginal people's myths can sometimes also shed light on the origins of Australian throwing sticks. Indeed, one of the most famous myths of the invention of boomerangs (Thomas, 1985) explains that it was an old man, forced to bend down at the creation of the world, because the sky and earth were too close, who planted his stick in the ground and pushed the sky away. His stick became bent after that, and he decided to keep it with him when he threw it away and saw how it could fly and return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of metal lorinery in the archaeological record of early medieval Ireland is addressed through a hypothesis that post-Iron Age bridles were made of straw and rushes, which did not survive deposition. Reconstruction and testing of a straw bridle show the material to be strong and quite suitable for vernacular use. It also raises questions as to the agency of using straw instead of leather, and what this may tell us of the techno-cultural transitions each side of Ireland's Iron Age. Bit styles, unlike many other objects encountered by archaeologists, almost always have analogues in different eras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we share our enriching experiences during internships at two prominent Archaeological Open-Air Museums in Europe: preHistorisch Dorp in the Netherlands and Butser Ancient Farm in the UK. Motivated by our passion for experimental archaeology, we embarked on this journey to contribute to the development of this field in Romania. At preHistorisch Dorp, we immersed ourselves in various historical periods, participating in activities ranging from exploring exhibits to restoring Roman walls. Our hands-on tasks, including working with clay, allowed us to connect with the museum's history and engage with visitors. Accommodated within the museum, we explored not only the exhibits but also the surrounding areas, fostering an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The adventure continued at Butser Ancient Farm in the UK, where we were exposed to diverse activities aligned with the museum's focus on experimental archaeology. From administering medicine to animals to participating in house dismantling and bronze casting, we gained practical insights into ancient technologies and agricultural practices. We also experienced the educational aspect of the museum by interacting with school groups. Our article concludes with our expression of eagerness to contribute to the establishment of an Open-Air Museum/Experimental Archaeology Park in Romania. The immersive experiences at preHistorisch Dorp and Butser Ancient Farm not only deepened our understanding of experimental archaeology and museum education but also inspired us to bring these best practices to our home country. The journey, funded by the Erasmus+ program, expanded our academic horizons and laid the foundation for future collaborations and knowledge sharing. The experiences, living history, and storytelling that unfolded almost daily, along with discussions on experimental archaeology, ignited within us a desire for an Open-Air Museum/Experimental Archaeology Park in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenic environment has been a constant shaping presence in human evolution. Despite its importance, this factor has been given little consideration and research. Here, we use experimental archaeology and microscopic analysis to present and support a novel hypothesis on the pathogenic properties of bifacial butchery tools during the Middle Pleistocene. Use-wear evidence from the Acheulean site of Boxgrove, Sussex suggests that a sample of flint bifaces were used for butchery tasks for a remarkably limited duration. Circumstantial evidence from other Acheulean sites, such as the apparent discard of bifaces at single-episode butchery sites, and biface caching sites, also suggest limited-use, and extend this interpretation beyond Boxgrove. There is no current utilitarian explanation for why such an apparently over-engineered tool would be discarded after such a limited duration of use. This pilot study demonstrates, via experimental investigation, that residual biological matter from performing butchery tasks cannot be completely removed from the flake scars of flint bifaces using prehistorically available cleaning methods. It is argued that the biological matter is likely to begin spoiling within hours of butchery, which poses a significant risk of introducing pathogens into foodstuffs if the biface is reused, resulting in foodborne illness. Subsequently, hominins likely learned to minimise this risk by discarding each flint bifacial tool after a single episode of butchery. Experimental archaeology has revolutionised our understanding of lithic technology specifically in terms of its manufacture and practical use, and the skill and expertise required for some of the more elaborate items. Likewise, microscopic analysis has begun to indicate the materials with which some of these tools were used. However, these approaches, with their focus on the moment of action, have missed what may be one of the most significant aspects of hominin life, the pathogenic environment that is created when biological matter adheres to lithic tools after use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]