Ceramic vessels, sometimes fashioned in whimsical animal forms, were used thousands of years ago as baby bottles to feed infants animal milk, according to scientists, offering an intriguing look at how and what infants were fed in prehistoric times.
Archaeologists said on Sept. 25 they confirmed the function of these ceramic objects by finding chemical traces of milk belonging to animals such as cows, sheep and goats in three such items found buried in child graves in Germany.
The oldest of the three vessels described in the study was made between 2,800 and 3,200 years ago during the Bronze Age. Other similar objects dating back as far as about 7,000 years ago during Neolithic times have been found in various other locations, the researchers said.
Photo: REUTERS
照片:路透
“I think this has provided us the first direct evidence of what foods babies were eating or being weaned on in prehistory,” said biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol in the UK and lead author of the study, published in the journal Nature. “I think this shows us the love and care these prehistoric people had for their babies.”
These objects, little enough to fit into a baby’s hands, served as vessels for milk, with a narrow spout for the baby to suckle liquid. While the three objects examined for the study were somewhat plain, others boasted lively shapes including animal heads with long ears or horns and human-looking feet.
“I find them incredibly cute. And prehistoric people may have thought so, too — they would certainly have a dual function of entertaining the children just like modern stuffed animals,” said archaeologist Katharina Rebay-Salisbury of the Austrian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, and a co-author of the study. “They testify to the creativity and playfulness we often forget to attribute to our ancestors,” Rebay-Salisbury added.
Photo: REUTERS
照片:路透
Life at the time was not easy, Rebay-Salisbury added, with many people living in unhygienic conditions, experiencing famine and disease and facing low life expectancy. During the Bronze Age and subsequent Iron Age in Europe, perhaps about a third of all newborns died before their first birthday and only about half of children reached adulthood, Rebay-Salisbury said.
These feeding vessels may have made life easier for mothers, as animal milk could substitute for breastfeeding, the researchers said. “Duties of mothering — amongst which feeding is an important one — can also be undertaken by other members of the community when children are fed with feeding vessels,” Rebay-Salisbury said.
(Reuters)
科學家指出,數千年前的人類有時會把陶製容器塑造成異想天開的動物形狀,將它們作為奶瓶使用,餵嬰兒喝動物的乳汁。這項發現提供一個有趣的觀點,讓人一窺史前時代人類如何、又是用什麼來餵食嬰兒。
考古學家在九月二十五日表示,他們在埋入德國兒童墳墓裡面的三個同類型物件中,發現殘留動物乳汁的化學痕跡──包括母牛、綿羊、山羊等──因此確認了這些陶製物品的用途。
在研究描述的三個容器中,年代最早的製造於兩千八百年前到三千兩百年前的青銅器時代。研究人員指出,其他許多地點都曾經發現類似的物件,最遠可追溯到大約七千年前的新石器時期。
該篇研究發表於期刊《自然》,主要作者為英國布里斯托大學的生物分子考古學家茱莉‧鄧恩,她表示:「我認為這項發現提供第一手直接證據,顯示史前時代的小寶寶吃什麼食物,或是用什麼食物斷奶。」她也指出:「我想,這項發現也向我們展現這些史前時代人類對小嬰兒的愛與關懷。」
這些物件小到能夠放進嬰兒的小手中,是用來盛裝奶水的容器,瓶身上附有一個狹長的壺嘴,讓小寶寶能夠從中吸吮液體。雖然研究檢驗用的三個物件外觀稍嫌平淡無奇,但其他同類陶器形狀卻相當生動,有著動物的頭,附著長長的耳朵或是犄角,以及像人類的腳。
研究的共同作者、奧地利科學院東方與歐洲考古研究所的考古學家凱瑟琳娜‧雷貝─索爾斯伯里表示:「我覺得這些陶器難以置信地可愛。而且搞不好史前的人們也是這樣覺得──這些陶器很可能還具備另一項娛樂小孩的雙重功能,就像是現代的填充玩具。」她補充說:「這些陶器證實老祖先們具備的創意和愛開玩笑的個性,那都是我們經常忘記的。」
雷貝─索爾斯伯里還指出,當時的生活並不容易,原因在於許多人都居住在不衛生的環境中、遭受饑荒與疾病,還要面臨很短的預期壽命。她表示,在青銅器時代以及接下來的鐵器時代,歐洲地區可能有大約三分之一的新生兒在一歲之前死亡,而且大概只有一半的小孩能夠順利長大成人。
研究人員表示,這些餵食用的容器會讓母親們的生活輕鬆一些,因為動物的乳汁可以代替親餵母乳。雷貝─索爾斯伯里指出:「當小孩可以用器具餵食的時候,為人母的諸多責任──其中,最重要的一項是餵食嬰兒──也就可以由部落的其他成員接手幫忙。」
(台北時報章厚明譯)
A: South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun is finally visiting Taiwan again for a fan meeting. B: Wow, it’s been nine years since his last visit. A: He became a superstar after his TV drama “My Love from Another Star” caused a sensation across Asia in 2013. B: Where will the fan meeting take place? A: It’s scheduled for July 6 at National Taiwan Sport University’s stadium in Taoyuan. A: 南韓男神金秀賢終於來台灣開粉絲見面會了! B: 哇他已經9年沒來台灣啦。 A: 他因主演2013年神劇《來自星星的你》,而在亞洲爆紅。 B: 這次他會在哪裡舉辦見面會呢? A: 台灣場將於7月6日,在桃園國立體育大學舉行。你也想去嗎? (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
With extreme heat gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere last week, authorities and public health experts have issued heat warnings to help keep people safe. Parts of China, India, the Middle East, southern Europe and the United States are bracing for the possibility of new record highs. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS? Heat affects health in several ways. Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking and thirst, can affect anyone, and is not usually serious, providing the person cools down within 30 minutes. The more serious version is heatstroke, when the body’s core temperature goes above 40.6 degrees Celsius. It is a medical emergency
A: South Korean superstar Kim Soo-hyun is back in the spotlight again with his TV drama Queen of Tears. B: He has made it to the Global Instagram Chart for K-drama actors, ranking at No. 10 with 14.5 million IG followers. A: So who have topped the chart? B: The top three are Ji Chang-wook, with 26.71 million IG followers, Lee Min-ho, with 34.78 million IG followers, and Cha Eun-woo, with 42.18 million IG followers. A: Hopefully, they can also hold fan meetings in Taiwan. A: 南韓男神金秀賢最近演出《淚之女王》人氣看漲。 B: 他還登上韓劇男星全球IG人氣排行榜,IG粉絲數1,450萬,是今年第10名。 A: 前幾名是誰啊? B: 前3名分別是池昌旭:IG粉絲數2,671萬、李敏鎬:IG粉絲數3,478萬、車銀優:IG粉絲數4,218萬。 A: 大家快來台灣開粉絲見面會吧! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Although shaved ice can be found even in fall and winter, douhua is a dessert that can be enjoyed year round in both hot and cold weather. Douhua is made from soy milk which is set by using coagulants such as gypsum or bittern. The resulting texture of douhua is soft and silky. It is often served with a sweet syrup and various toppings. Each shop selling douhua has many toppings for customers to choose from, such as peanuts, mesona jelly, tapioca balls, mung beans, adzuki beans and taro paste. 刨冰雖然秋冬也吃得到,但有什麼甜品冷暖皆宜,豆花是好選擇。豆花是在豆漿中拌入石膏、鹵水等促凝劑製成,白嫩絲滑,舀入糖水享用。每間豆花店還有許多種配料任君選擇,如花生、仙草凍、粉圓、綠豆、紅豆和芋泥等。 coagulant (n.) 促凝劑 gypsum (n.)