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Multidisciplinary research on human remains can provide important information about population dynamics, culture diffusion, as well as social organization and customs in history. In this study, multidisciplinary analyses were undertaken on a joint burial (M56) in the Shuangzhao cemetery of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, to shed light on the genetic profile and sociocultural aspects of this dynasty. The archaeological investigation suggested that this burial belonged to the Mid-Tang period and was used by common civilians. The osteological analysis identified the sex, age, and health status of the three individuals excavated from M56, who shared a similar diet inferred from the stable isotopic data. Genomic evidence revealed that these co-buried individuals had no genetic kinship but all belonged to the gene pool of the ancient populations in the Central Plains, represented by Yangshao and Longshan individuals, etc. Multiple lines of evidence, including archaeology, historic records, as well as chemical and genetic analyses, have indicated a very probable familial joint burial of husband and wives. Our study provides insights into the burial customs and social organization of the Tang Dynasty and reconstructs a scenario of civilian life in historic China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ear diseases, especially external auditory canal (EAC) disorders, are rarely reported in paleopathology. This study reports on the archaeological skeletal remains of two adults from the medieval period in China that presented with bony destruction in the external auditory canal (EAC). The observed pathological changes were evaluated macroscopic and microscopic, and micro‐CT (micro‐computed tomography) was used to examine the extent of lesion involvement. The lesions in Case 1 involved the EAC and mastoid process with smooth and regular margins. We, therefore, concluded that EAC cholesteatoma is the most likely diagnosis. In Case 2, the lesion was in the superior and posterior walls of the EAC as well as in the mastoid air cells. In this case, we arrive at the diagnosis of EAC infection. Furthermore, the potential impact of these ear diseases has been discussed. This report addresses the lack of detailed descriptions of EAC diseases in previous paleopathological publications and emphasizes the fact that the diagnosis of ear diseases in this context requires comprehensive observations of lesions as well as of all adjacent structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new model for urban resilience considering adaptability, resistance and recovery was proposed. • Valid factual information during the Morakot was adopted to validate this model. • Critical parameters of the model such as damage intensity, experience coefficient etc. were studied. • Some optimal suggestions were provided to efficiently improve urban resilience. Due to the greater emphasis on cities' preparatory and recover ability for disaster, urban resilience is widely concerned, which is different from the traditional management mode of natural disaster and provides a new theoretical framework for urban security governance. In this paper, considering adaptability, resistance and recovery as the main characteristic factor of urban resilience, an urban resilience model was developed. This model could be used to simulate the resilience of a city under different disaster scenarios. Valid information was collected from Taiwan of China during the Morakot, and the urban resilience model was tested by the practical data, and then the resilience in Taiwan was analyzed by the constructed model. The results show that the model could reflect the resilience change of cities during disasters to some extent. Further, according to the disaster characteristics, five disaster scenarios were set to analyze various resilience characteristics. In addition, the critical parameters of the model were studied. We found that the greater intensity of disaster damage, the more serious damage of urban system function, and the earlier peak time of disaster damage intensity appears, the faster damage rate of urban system function will be. Furthermore, the larger coefficient of external disaster relief capability, the lower loss of urban system function and the better recovery capability. The higher coefficient of disaster experience, the richer the disaster response experience, the more perfect urban infrastructure of disaster response, and the smaller loss of urban system function. Based on our results, we analyze the characteristics of urban resilience and provide some optimal suggestions to efficiently improve urban resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on MODIS, three indicators (NDVI, TVDI and LST) were studied; • The correlation between above three indicators (NDVI, TVDI, and LST) and the wildfires was analyzed; • A fire danger index assessment method was proposed to analyze the short-term wildfire danger. • Case study in Xiangxi, China, was carried to provide a valuable reference for the wildfires prevention. Wildfire is a significant threat that can result in severe injuries and economic damage. Conducting wildfire danger assessments in specific areas is necessary to mitigate the negative consequences associated to them. A useful tool to achieve them is satellite remote sensing technology, which provides global observations of the earth surface and enables wildfire danger assessment, hotspot detection, and flame monitoring. Based on this, a fire danger index assessment method for short-term wildfires based on the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was proposed. The fire danger composite index (FDCI) could be obtained by using the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI), and forest vegetation types (VT). A fire danger rating and a fire danger map of wildfires can be developed, which could identify high and low danger areas. Additionally, it can be found that NDVI in Xiangxi was at a relatively high level, reflecting good vegetation conditions during 2014–2018. The study also showed that NDVI, TVDI, LST, and VT were key parameters affecting wildfire danger. Low FDCI values indicated a low wildfire danger and vice versa. Furthermore, a case study in Xiangxi was conducted in September 2018. The application shows that there is consistency between the actual high danger areas and the calculated high danger areas by this method. The case study reflects that the method benefits the danger classification, prediction, and rescue of wildfires in specific areas to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southward expansion of East Asian farmers profoundly influenced the social evolution of Southeast Asia by introducing cereal agriculture. However, the timing and routes of cereal expansion in key regions are unclear due to limited empirical evidence. Here we report macrofossil, microfossil, multiple isotopic (C/N/Sr/O) and paleoproteomic data directly from radiocarbon-dated human samples, which were unearthed from a site in Xingyi in central Yunnan and which date between 7000 and 3300 a BP. Dietary isotopes reveal the earliest arrival of millet ca. 4900 a BP, and greater reliance on plant and animal agriculture was indicated between 3800 and 3300 a BP. The dietary differences between hunter-gatherer and agricultural groups are also evident in the metabolic and immune system proteins analysed from their skeletal remains. The results of paleoproteomic analysis indicate that humans had divergent biological adaptations, with and without farming. The combined application of isotopes, archaeobotanical data and proteomics provides a new approach to documenting dietary and health changes across major subsistence transitions., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bioarchaeological data for tuberculosis (TB) have been published very sporadically in China or the rest of East Asia. To explore the history of TB in this area, 85 skeletons excavated from the Liuwei Cemetery in Shaanxi, China (202 BC-220 AD) were macroscopically examined to record TB related bone changes. These skeletons represented inhabitants of Maolingyi, an urban area that had a high population density during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 CE). Seventeen of the 85 skeletons had spines that were well enough preserved to observe evidence of spinal disease. Among them, a male skeleton aged around 30 years (M34-E) manifested multiple lytic lesions in the eleventh thoracic to second lumbar vertebral bodies (T11 to L2). TB was considered a possible diagnosis for the spinal lesions observed, with differential diagnoses of brucellosis and typhoid. The dense population and overcrowding in urban Maolingyi were considered the potential social risk factors for TB found at this site. The findings of this study contribute to limited knowledge about the history of TB in East Asia and suggest a relationship between population density and the spread of TB in Maolingyi at that time. However, the lack of published bioarchaeological data of TB in East Asia hinders understanding the transmission of TB within Asia and its link to the rest of the world. Further intensive review of archaeological skeletons in Asia is urgently needed. 。, 。85, 17, 。, 30、、。, 。, 。、, , 。, 。, 。., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)