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Pottery from Guandimiao

Guandimiao is a Chinese archaeological site inXingyang, Henan. It is the site of a smallLate Shang village, inhabited by around 100 people at its peak, and occupied fromc. 1250 to 1100 BCE. It likely exported ceramics(example pictured) and cattle, while importing mass produced goods such as arrowheads and hairpins from theShang capital atYinxu, 200 km (120 mi) to the north. The villagers practiced rituals such aspyromancy using locally producedoracle bones and thesacrifice of cattle—as well as, more rarely, pigs and humans. Burials at the site have been noted for the almost complete absence ofgrave goods beyond occasionalcowrie shells and sacrificed dogs. Firstexcavated from 2006 to 2008 during preparations for theSouth–North Water Transfer Project, excavations have significantly broadened scholars' understanding of rural Shang economies and rituals, as well as the layout of rural villages, which have received relatively little attention in comparison to urban centers. (Full article...)

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On this day

May 7

Maximilien Robespierre

1487 –Granada War: Forces ofAragon andCastile began asiege of Málaga, a Muslim city in the south of theIberian Peninsula.
1794 –French Revolution:Maximilien Robespierre(pictured) established theCult of the Supreme Being as the newstate religion of theFrench First Republic.
1798 –War of the First Coalition: A British garrisonrepelled a French attack on theÎles Saint-Marcouf off the Normandy coast, inflicting heavy losses.
1937 – Employees atFleischer Studios inNew York Citywent on strike in the animation industry's first major labor strike.
1946 –Masaru Ibuka andAkio Morita founded the telecommunications corporation Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, later renamedSony.

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Today's featured picture

TheSumatran ground cuckoo (Carpococcyx viridis) is a large,terrestrial species ofcuckoo. It isendemic to Indonesia, where it is found exclusively on the island ofSumatra. Its favoured habitat is believed to be foothills and primarymontane rainforest. The Sumatran ground cuckoo is a large bird, adults having an average length of 55 cm, with a long, full tail. Much of its body is green and brown with cinammon-buff underparts, glossy and greenish-black wings and tail, and green, lilac and blue bare skin around the eyes. Due to ongoing habitat loss and small population size, the Sumatran ground cuckoo is evaluated ascritically endangered on theIUCN Red List. This Sumatran ground cuckoo was photographed in the western part of the Sumatran province ofJambi, nearMount Kunyit.

Photograph credit:JJ Harrison

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