On 27./28. February 2004 there will be a scientific workshop on The dynamics of change of consumerism in Africa in the IWALEWA-house in Bayreuth. The workshop is organised by the SFB/FK 560. Read everything about the workshop (in german).

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One of the great missing pieces of Britain's archaeological jigsaw may finally have fallen into place with the discovery of swords, ship nails and a silver Baghdad coin in a Yorkshire field. The Guardian

Suspected 9th Century Viking Boat Burial Discovered Metal detecting enthusiasts have uncovered a suspected 9th century Viking boat burial ground in a river side Yorkshire field. If the find is indeed what it appears to be, it will be the first such burial site found south of Hadrian's wall. Archaeologist at the Yorkshire Museum, Simon Holmes said: "I am 95% certain it is a boat burial. If this is indeed the case, it will be the first discovered in England and therefore one of the most important Viking discoveries ever made in Britain." Shortnews.com

News in German: "Wikinger-Grabschiff in Mittelengland entdeckt"

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Commented list of virtual libraries in southamerica. And the same for spain: Virtual libraries of spanish universities. And a last one: The brasilian Biblioteca Digital de Obras Raras, containing for example Hans Staden's "Warhaftig Historia und beschreibung eyner Landtschafft der Wilden/Nacketen/Grimmigen Menschfresser". Via Netbib

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A student asked me yesterday how to cite internet sources like websites in scientific publications. Considered as common style is the Columbia Guide to Online Style, also known as MLA-Style. A detailed article about this problem is also available in german from Thomas Christoph Marx: Zur Problematik des Zitierens aus dem Internet.. I have to add two important ideas to that topic. First of all: internet pages are fluctuant. Pages may not only vary in time, but also according to your browser or even your IP-Adress. So it makes no sense to add too much of information to your quotation, because the content may be different even from IP to IP. Even if you name your IP in the quotation, other people may not be able to get the same content at the same time. Thats sad but true. [Show more information about that.] Last year I wrote a german article about this fact, which was strongly discussed by my readers, and I posted also a english overview about the topic and the comments from my readers. And secondly, I strongly recommend to use a date format like "10 Feb 2004", because by using only numbers ("10.2.2004") the reader will not know which is month and which is day, as the positions vary from country to country.

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Da soll noch mal jemand sagen, dass die kleinen Aktionen der Stundenten in München nichts bringen: Über den Bewerbungsbrief, der aktuell immer noch bei uns in der Teeküche herumliegt und der tausendfach an das Kultusministerium verschickt wurde, erschien heute eine Artikel bei Spiegel Online. Ziel erreicht, würde ich sagen! Ach ja, und die Ausdrucke in der Teeküche kann man jetzt auch getrost entsorgen...

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This is something Zephyrin and me discussed many times: Why the media isn't interested in reporting about natural disasters in africa or huge accidents like sinking ferries in asia? Is there no interest? Aren't there pictures for TV? Is it too far away? Or is there a lack of commiseration for those victims? You may see this in connection with the debate in anthropology about the representation of the other. Today the german TV station "ARD" is sending a report exactly about this topic (23.00 Uhr). Read more about it in the Süddeutsche Zeitung (german).

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It seems to be a old story, but it was new for me: Last year the US Army recruited indigenous people from reserves in canada by sending recruiters to them. For indians in difficult social situations the army seems to be a appreciated income and a chance for education. I wouldn't dare to call this scandalous, but it reminds me of the actions done by colonial missionaries or the unfair working conditions of caoutchouc collectors in the brazilian rainforests in the 19th century, as probably now again the problematic social situations of the indigenous people is exploited. A bad taste remains and the incertitude, how to ethically judge this. Read more (in german) at Telepolis.

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I can't remember if posted yet, but I found a sensational archive of historic maps. You can find and download the maps drawn between app. 1830 and 1850. The Americas, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, various detailed regions and states of throughout the world - if someone shouldn't be satisfied by just having them virtually on the computer you can also buy them printed on linen. Thanxxx to Hamburg.de !!! (in German and English!)

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Telepolis with some thoughts about "virtual relations" ("Wer bist du?", german) and their differences to offline relations of our society (be careful, all you scientists, this is a slightly poetic text).

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Telepolis with review of a the german book Stefan Rieger, Kybernetische Anthropologie. Eine Geschichte der Virtualität.: Anthropologie und Kybernetik, oder: Der Mensch kehrt zurück Surprisingly I didn't find much about anthropology (as I know) in there, but i did only skim over the text.

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Windows is currently developing a special version of its Operating System which will be available in some of the so called "emerging markets" for less money, reports the Bankok Post. My question about this is: Is this only an adaption to the special economical situation in this countries or to the different different valuation of a product in this cultures, or is it simply a move against the vital illegal software market in those countries? Via Heise.de

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