Students, faculty unearth archaeological findings, community traditions
University students, accompanied by faculty, recently spent time at the Koutroulou Magoula site, an archaeology dig site located in Central Greece, which was settled around 6,000 B.C.
The site’s recent finds are providing positive evidence for the existence of hierarchal and communal inhabitants in the area, said Yannis Hamilakis, professor of Archaeology and professor of Modern Greek Studies and lead archaeologist of the site, in a University press release. The site showed early signs for the existence of community-based inhabitance, including the grouping of families. The discovery of pottery kilns also pointed toward early technological development. University students who accompanied Hamilakis aided in the excavation of the site and also used the experience as a springboard into their own future projects and investigations.
Additionally, the site’s central location between two towns of varying ethnic and historical backgrounds was a catalyst for community-driven events conducted over the summer. The events incorporated the culture and traditions of both towns in a display that attracts locals and foreigners alike.
South Street Landing receives preservation reward for $220 million makeover
South Street Landing, a once-abandoned electrical power station, received the 2019 Richard H Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award for its massive $220 million renovation project. The award aims to highlight the “best of the best in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and the re-imagining of historic buildings for the future,” according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
South Street Landing currently houses eleven University administrative units, and the renovation created a complete turnover of the building’s interior while simultaneously retaining its historical aesthetic accented by brick and concrete dynamo blocks. The construction began in December 2015 and served as one step in the University’s project toward stimulating the growth and fiscal success of Providence’s Jewelry District.
Age differences of lunar ice deposits may point to varying resources, help develop future exploration
Results uncovered by a team of University researchers may spur further exploration into the sources of a number of ice deposits located at the south pole of the moon. Though previous studies found that the deposits had accumulated nearly billions of years ago, the researchers found that some of the deposits illustrate more recent timelines.
Should these deposits indeed share varying ages, their chemical composition and usable resources may also vary and merit investigation.
Future plans may include sample collection from the lunar surface in conjunction with the Artemis program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which hopes to send humankind back to the planetary body by 2024.
“When we think about sending humans back to the Moon for long-term exploration, we need to know what resources are there that we can count on, and we currently don’t know,” said James Head, a study co-author and professor of the Geological Sciences Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, in a University press release.
