View allAll Photos Tagged Neanderthals
We traveled with a Scientific American magazine group to the Panama Canal. Chris Stringer, one of the the lecturers, gave a talk saying we all are about 2% Neanderthal.
Stringer is a Research Leader in Human Origins at the Natural History Museum (London), and director of the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project.
Frankreich / Provence / Côte d’Azur - Menton
Menton (French: [mɑ̃tɔ̃]; Occitan: Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm, pronounced [menˈta], locally [mɛ(n)ˈtã]; Italian: Mentone [menˈtoːne]; Ligurian: Menton or Mentun depending on the orthography) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Menton has always been a frontier town. Since the end of the 14th century, it has been on the border between the County of Nice, held by the Duke of Savoy, and the Republic of Genoa. It was an exclave of the Principality of Monaco until the disputed French plebiscite of 1860 when it was added to France. It had been always a fashionable tourist centre with grand mansions and gardens. Its temperate Mediterranean climate is especially favourable to the citrus industry, with which it is strongly identified.
Etymology
Although the name's spelling and pronunciation in French are identical to those for the word that means "chin", there does not seem to be any link with this French word. According to the French geographer Ernest Nègre, the name Menton comes from the Roman name Mento. However, it is possible that the name of the city comes from Mons Ottonis (reconstituted) from the name of Otton II, the count of Ventimiglia from 1162-1200. In Mentonasc, the city's name is Mentan, and in Italian Mentone.
An inhabitant of Menton, un mentonnais or un mentonasque in French, would be o mentonasc in the local dialect.
History
The Menton area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, and is the site of the original "Grimaldi Man" find of early modern humans, as well as remains of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. In Roman times, the Via Julia Augusta, a road connecting Placentia (now Piacenza) with Arelates (now Arles) passed through Menton, running along the Rue Longue in the old town.[6] The first major settlement occurred during the 11th century CE, when the count of Ventimiglia constructed the Château de Puypin (Podium Pinum) on the Pépin hill, north and west of the modern town centre. During the 13th century, the seigneury of Puypin fell to the Vento family of Genoa who built a new castle along the Roman road, now the site of the Vieux-Château cemetery, providing the core around which the current town grew. Menton was thus incorporated into the Republic of Genoa. The first mention of Menton dates from 21 July 1262, in the peace treaty between Charles of Anjou and Genoa. Its position on the border between the Angevin-ruled Provence and the Republic of Genoa, which at the time claimed Monaco as its western limit, made it a coveted location.
Acquired in 1346 by Charles Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco, Menton was ruled by the princes of Monaco until the French Revolution. Annexed during the Revolution, Menton remained part of France through the First Empire. It belonged to the district of Sanremo in the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which at the time included Monaco and Sanremo.
In 1814, Menton was included in a reconstituted principality of Monaco which, after Napoleon's Hundred Days in 1815, became a protectorate of the king of Sardinia. The princes of Monaco were obliged to do homage to the king for Menton, although not for Monaco itself.
In 1848, Menton, along with its neighbour Roquebrune, seceded from Monaco, due at least in part to a tax imposed on lemon exports. They proclaimed the Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune during the 1848 revolutions related to the Italian Risorgimento. The Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune hoped to be part of the Italian kingdom of Sardinia. Two years later placed themselves under the protection of the Italian kingdom of Sardinia where they were administered by the House of Savoy for ten years.
The Treaty of Turin concluded on 24 March 1860 between the Kingdom of Mauricio and Napoleon III's France called for the annexation of the County of Nice to France, subject to a plebiscite, as a reward for French assistance in Italy's war against Austria. The plebiscite, with universal adult male suffrage, was held on 15 and 16 April 1860, and resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of annexation (833 for versus 54 against in Menton and Roquebrune),[ The County of Nice was thus annexed to France that June, and Napoleon III paid 4 million francs in compensation to the prince of Monaco, who renounced his rights in perpetuity on 2 February 1861. Nice-born Giuseppe Garibaldi, who promoted the union of the County of Nice to Italy, complained that the plebiscite was not done with "universal vote" and consequently Menton was requested by Italian irredentists.
The publication of Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean (1861) by the English doctor James Henry Bennett had a profound effect on Menton, making it a destination for sufferers of tuberculosis. By the end of the 19th century, tourism was an important factor in Menton's growth. The town was popular with British and Russian aristocrats who built many of the hotels, villas, and palaces which still grace Menton today. Many of these hotels and palaces were pressed into service as hospitals during World War I to allow injured troops to recuperate in a pleasant climate.
Menton was the only sizable settlement captured by Italy during its invasion of France in June 1940. Following the armistice of 22 June 1940, two-thirds of the territory of the commune was annexed by Italy as terra irredenta. The annexation lasted until 8 September 1943.
Although officially returned to Vichy France, Menton was in fact occupied by Nazi Germany until its liberation by American and Canadian troops of the First Special Service Force on 8 September 1944.
Geography
Menton, nicknamed the Pearl of France, is located on the Mediterranean Sea at the Franco-Italian border, just across from the Ligurian town of Ventimiglia.[ Menton station has rail connections to Paris, Marseille, Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Ventimiglia. The smaller Menton-Garavan station is situated between Menton and Ventimiglia.
The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s due to a combination of overfishing and hypoxia in the bay. At the time, the devastation was erroneously attributed to the dubiously nicknamed "killer algae" Caulerpa taxifolia (a non-native Asian tropical green alga first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1984) spread throughout the coastal sea floor. Later, sound scientific findings revealed that the seaweed was adept at absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients, actually aiding the recovery of native Posidonia sea grass and enhancing local fish populations and overall biodiversity.
Climate
Menton has a very mild subtropical microclimate with an average of 316 clear or mostly clear/mostly sunny days per year. Under the Köppen system, Menton features a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). However, the milder winters (on average) and the warmer nights in summer (on average), compared to the rest of the French Mediterranean coastal area, provide Menton with a particular micro-climate, with significant warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) influences and characteristics, like coastal Southern California. This is usually experienced along the coast between Nice and Menton, toward the Italian border town of Ventimiglia and as far as San Remo). It is favourable to groves of hardy clementines, mandarin oranges, satsuma orange, tangerines, oranges and lemons (SRA 625 is protected Citron de Menton variety), hence one of the town's symbols, the lemon. Winter frosts are extremely rare but may occasionally occur at ground level, and snow falls on average once every 10 years. Likewise, summer temperatures are relatively moderate with day temperatures of 28 °C to 32 °C, but rarely rising above 32 °C.
Menton is sheltered from the west winds by Mont-Agel, and the steep foothills of the Alps, to the north and the north-east, protect the town from freezing winter cold. The winters are therefore very mild and sunny; the thermometer rarely drops below 0°C, and the lowest average temperature is 11.3°C in January. Summers are hot at 25°C on average in July and August but tempered by the sea breeze.
Menton holds the French record for the highest average temperature in July with an average temperature of 24.8°C.
Townscape
Menton is known for its gardens, including the Jardin Serre de la Madone, the Jardin botanique exotique de Menton ('Le Val Rahmeh'), the Fontana Rosa, the Maria Serena garden, and the modernist gardens of Les Colombières.[18] Le Val Rahmeh was established in 1905 by Englishman Sir Percy Radcliffe, the first owner of the gardens, and named for his wife. Villa Fontana Rosa was built in 1922 by Blasco Ibáñez, a Spanish novelist and the gardens of the villa are now open to the public.
The baroque basilica of Saint-Michel-Archange, with its bell tower, was built in 1619 by the Genoese architect Lorenzo Lavagna.
The Bastion Museum, which features decoration by Jean Cocteau, is located in the Bastion of the port of Menton. The bastion, built overwater in 1636 as an advance defence for the port by the Princes of Monaco, is now located at the shoreline.
The wedding room at the Mairie (town hall) was painted in the 1950s by Cocteau, transforming it into a giant work of art.
Menton is home to at least half a dozen beaches.
Menton is notable for its Palissy majolica pottery depicting lemons.
The historic covered market was built in 1898 by local architect Adrien Rey. The market is open every day from 5 am until 1 pm in the summer; in the winter, it opens at 5:30 am. Over 30 kiosks both inside and around the market sell local and imported vegetables. The Belle Époque structure was one of buildings constructed by the architect in the region.
Next to the beach and the covered market is the Jean Cocteau Museum. It opened in 2011 and is close to the Bastion Museum.
Mirazur is a French haute cuisine restaurant with three Michelin Guide stars. The World's 50 Best Restaurants list ranks Mirazur as the best restaurant in the world.
Mentonasc language
The Mentonasc dialect is currently spoken by about 10% of the population in Menton, Roquebrune, and the surrounding villages.[citation needed] It is taught within the French educational system, as a variety of Niçard (i.e. Provençal and Occitan). However, in nineteenth-century linguistic descriptions, as well as in contemporary linguistic scholarship, Mentonasc is described as an intermediate between Niçard and the Intemelio dialect of Ligurian. Some scholars insist that Mentonasc is, at its base, a Ligurian dialect, with French influences coming only later.
Annual town events
The Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) takes place every February. The event follows a given theme each decade; past themes include Viva España, Disney, Neverland, and India. The carnival lasts a few days, with different bands passing through Menton's streets on foot or on truck trailers. The Casino Gardens in the centre of town are decorated in the theme of the festival, using lemons and oranges to cover the exhibits, and huge temporary statues are built and covered with citrus fruit.
The Casino Gardens are also the location for Menton's Christmas Festival.
The Menton Classical Musical Festival is also held every year in the centre of the old town.
Also in Menton, celebrated on the first weekend of July, is the procession and celebration of Saint-Pierre (Sant Pie), the patron of fishermen. The procession begins in the Basilique Saint-Michel de Menton. Dancers, singers, and musicians in traditional costumes from La Capelina de Menton perform in the basilica. The crowds then head to a dock where boats are filled with people throwing flowers into the port. They then pay tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea. After the boats return, they start celebrating with the traditional fish soup.
(Wikipedia)
Menton [mɑ̃ˈtõ] (italienisch Mentone [menˈtoː.ne]) ist eine französische Gemeinde, zugleich Stadt, mit 30.326 Einwohnern (Stand: 1. Januar 2022) im Département Alpes-Maritimes in der Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Menton liegt an der Côte d’Azur (französischen Riviera), einem Teil der französischen Mittelmeerküste. Die Gemeinde liegt an der Grenze zu Italien gegenüber von Ventimiglia. Menton ist der erste französische Ort nach der italienischen Grenze und damit der erste bzw. östlichste französische Ort an der Côte d’Azur.
Der örtliche Dialekt heißt Mentonasque bzw. Mentonnais. Der Ortsname Menton wird auf Mentonasque [meⁿˈtaⁿ] ausgesprochen. In Menton wird der Ortsname Mentan geschrieben (auf Okzitanisch: Menton in der klassischen Norm bzw. Mentan in der Norm von Frédéric Mistral). Die Einwohner werden Mentonnais bzw. Mentonasques genannt.
Lage und Klima
Geschützt durch die Ausläufer der Seealpen im Hinterland zeichnet sich Menton durch ein besonders mildes Klima (Mittelmeerklima) aus.
Durch die geschützte Lage ist Menton im Winter der wärmste Ort an der französischen Côte d’Azur. Die angenehmsten Reisemonate sind der Mai und Mitte September bis Mitte Oktober. Die regenreichste Zeit sind die Monate Februar und März. Im Allgemeinen liegen die Temperaturen einige Grad über den Temperaturen in Deutschland. Die Monate Juni bis August können sehr heiß werden. Viele Veranstaltungen und Ausstellungen finden allerdings im August statt, dem Ferienmonat der Franzosen und Italiener. Die Winter sind mild, es gibt in Menton kaum Frost, Schnee fällt etwa alle zehn Jahre.
Geschichte
Zur römischen Zeit trug die Bucht von Menton den Namen Pacis Sinus („friedliche Bucht“); über eine Besiedlung aus dieser Zeit ist allerdings nichts bekannt.
Bis 1146 war die Stadt im Besitz der Grafen von Ventimiglia. Danach stand Menton unter der Herrschaft der Kommune von Genua bzw. des genuesischen Geschlechts Vento, bis es 1346 zusammen mit Roquebrune an die Grimaldi von Monaco kam.
Die monegassische Herrschaft währte bis 1848. Im gleichen Jahr erhoben sich die Stadt Menton und Roquebrune gegen die von Monaco verlangten Steuern und riefen eine unabhängige Republik aus. Daraufhin griff der französische Kaiser Napoleon III. ein und kaufte Menton dem monegassischen Fürstenhaus ab.
1861 stimmten die Bewohner von Menton für die Zugehörigkeit zu Frankreich. Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts setzte der Fremdenverkehr ein. Das Klima an der Côte d’Azur wurde damals von Ärzten als heilungsfördernd bei Tuberkulose empfohlen. Deshalb war diese Stadt im 19. Jahrhundert ein beliebtes Winterquartier für Briten und Russen. Unter anderem hielt sich hier die britische Königin Victoria in ihren Winterurlauben auf. Noch heute können die großen Hotels und Gärten bewundert werden, die damals für die Engländer errichtet wurden. Menton hat auch eine orthodoxe Kirche.
1872 wurde die Stadt über die Bahnstrecke Marseille–Ventimiglia an das Eisenbahnnetz angebunden. Menton war neben Modane der einzige internationale Grenzbahnhof nach Italien. Über den Ponte San Luigi/Pont Saint-Louis oder den ab 1879 bestehenden Grenzbahnhof Ventimiglia wanderten hier hunderttausende Italiener nach Frankreich ein. Ab 1946 war das ehemalige Hotel Garavan Palace ein Auffangzentrum für Immigranten, in dem alle Italiener einquartiert wurden, die bei ihrer Einreise keinen bestehenden Arbeitsvertrag vorweisen konnten. Hier warteten sie auf Anwerber. Komfort gab es keinen.
Im Ersten Weltkrieg hielten sich in Menton auch viele verwundete Soldaten zur Genesung auf. Am 28. Januar 1939 starb in Menton der irische Dichter William Butler Yeats. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde Menton mit der Kapitulation Frankreichs rasch von Italienern besetzt, 1943 nach der Kapitulation Italiens von den Deutschen, denen es 1944 unter schweren Kämpfen abgenommen wurde. Menton lag in Trümmern und es dauerte bis Mitte der 1960er Jahre, bis die Stadt wieder aufgebaut war. Seitdem entwickelt sich der Tourismus in Menton kräftig weiter. Mit der wachsenden Mobilität der wohlhabenden Bevölkerung Norditaliens gelangt Menton nach und nach wieder unter italienischen Einfluss. Seit dem Wegfall der Grenzkontrollen und der Einführung des Euro als Währung finden hier viele italienische Bürger eine neue Heimat.
1970 fand in Menton die erste europäische Umweltkonferenz statt, initiiert vom vietnamesischen, buddhistischen Mönch Thích Nhất Hạnh und dem Friedensaktivisten Alfred Hassler. Die Konferenz mündete in der Menton-Erklärung.
Wirtschaft
Die Wirtschaft Mentons ist von Tourismus- und Dienstleistungsangeboten geprägt. Viele Einwohner Mentons arbeiten im zwölf Kilometer entfernten Monaco und im 25 Kilometer entfernten Nizza. Das Baugewerbe ist seit dem Fortfall der innereuropäischen Grenzen fest in italienischer Hand.
Die klimatisch begünstigte Lage ließ im 19. Jahrhundert den Zitronenanbau zum wichtigsten Erwerbszweig werden. Heute ist die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung des immer noch traditionell betriebenen Anbaus gering. Die Zitrone, der seit 1934 die Fête du Citron („Zitronenfest“) gewidmet ist (Ende Februar bis Anfang März), ist das Symbol der Stadt. Mehr als 1000 Tonnen Zitrusfrüchte werden für die Zubereitung der Umzugswagen und die Dekoration des Parc Biovès benötigt. Die Zitrusfrüchte werden wegen der riesigen benötigten Menge heute größtenteils aus Spanien importiert. Ein beliebtes touristisches Souvenir ist die Zitronenmarmelade aus Menton.
In Grenznähe befindet sich das Drei-Sterne-Restaurant Mirazur, das 2019 vom Restaurant Magazine zum „weltbesten Restaurant“ gekürt wurde.
Kultur und Sport
Traditionen
Das jährliche Fête du Citron („Zitronenfest“) wird seit 1930 gefeiert.
Im August wird ein internationales Kammermusikfestival veranstaltet.
Einheimische Sprache
In Menton wird noch eine Art der provenzalischen Sprache gesprochen, die Mentonasque bzw. Mentonnais genannt wird und den Übergang zur ligurischen Sprache darstellt.
Sport
In Menton werden Segelsportwettbewerbe ausgetragen. Außerdem findet alljährlich im Juli oder August ein Kartrennen in der Nähe des neuen Hafens statt.
Menton ist der südliche Endpunkt des Fernwanderwegs GR 52, der auch als alternativer Abschluss des europäischen Fernwanderwegs E 2/GR 5 begangen wird.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
Die Altstadt mit ihren pastellfarbenen Häuserfassaden vermittelt ein stark italienisches Flair. Die Stadt besitzt zahlreiche Gärten und Parks, vor allem im Vorort Garavan mit zum Teil seltenen subtropischen Pflanzen, die im günstigen Mikroklima von Menton besonders gut gedeihen. Die Promenade du Soleil („Sonnenpromenade“), die Uferpromenade in Menton, mit schönem Strand ist weniger touristisch als z. B. jene Uferpromenaden in Nizza und Cannes.
Kirchen
Die barocke Basilika Saint-Michel von 1675. Vor der Kirche befindet sich ein Mosaik mit dem Wappen der Grimaldis, die die Stadt jahrhundertelang beherrschten.
Das Kapuzinerkloster L’Annonciade aus dem 18. Jahrhundert mit Ausblick über Menton.
Museen
Musée Jean Cocteau: Von Jean Cocteau selbst zu Lebzeiten entworfenes und mit eigenen Gemälden und Keramiken ausgestattetes Kunstmuseum in der ehemaligen Bastion direkt am Hafen
Rathaus (Hôtel de ville): von Jean Cocteau gestalteter Hochzeitssaal (Salle des Mariages)
Prähistorisches Museum (Musée de Préhistoire Régionale): enthält unter anderem den Schädel des sogenannten Grimaldi-Menschen, der in den Grotten östlich von Menton gefunden wurde.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Menton, Musée des Beaux-Arts du Palais Carnolès: Gemäldegalerie mit italienischen, französischen und flämischen Malern des 14. bis 17. Jahrhunderts
Musée Jean Cocteau Collection Severin Wunderman: Die Sammlung Séverin Wunderman mit vielen Werken von Jean Cocteau im neuen Museum am östlichen Ende der Strandpromenade vor der alten Markthalle – seit November 2011
Gärten
Jardin du Palais Carnolès: älteste Gartenanlage der Stadt mit zahlreichen Zitrusbäumen und Skulpturen
Jardin de la Villa Marina Serena: Der Garten der 1880 von Charles Garnier entworfenen Villa enthält zahlreiche seltene subtropische Pflanzen.
Jardin Fontana Rosa: ehemals privater Garten des spanischen Schriftstellers Vicente Blasco Ibáñez mit illustrierten Keramiken zu Don Quijote von Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), in den 1990er-Jahren in den Besitz der Stadt Menton übergegangen und seitdem ab und zu öffentlich zugänglich. Teile der Anlage Fontana Rosa sind vom Bahnhof Garavan sichtbar.
Jardin Botanique Val Rameh in Garavan: botanischer Garten mit einer Sammlung subtropischer Pflanzen
Serre de la Madone: der restaurierte Garten des englischen Gartenplaners Sir Lawrence Johnston (1871–1958)
Le Jardin des Colombières: restaurierter Privatgarten, Hauptwerk des Gartenkünstlers Ferdinand Bac (1859–1952)
Denkmäler
Statue Ulysse von Anna Chromy
(Wikipedia)
41,000 years ago (approximately), Kents Cavern, Torquay, Devon, England. One of the first Neanderthal couple's takes shelter in a cave to have a meal.
During these times bears and saber tooth lions still roam the, making dangerous for the Neanderthal people. The first Neanderthal people find shelter and protection in the naturally formed caves where they lived ate and died.
Kent Caverns were first explored around 1825AD and then onwards up to today. Finds include:
* 'Heidleberg man' large flints worked into hand axes nearly half million years old.
* Neanderthal flint tools.
* An early modern human upper jawbone which has been dated at over 41,000 years old. This is the oldest evidence of a modern human settlement in northwestern Europe.
* Ancestral Cave bear
* Cave Lion
* Saber Tooth Cat
The model was built for Bright Bricks and is on display at Milestones until 27th April 2014
Homo neanderthalensis
Soft tissue reconstruction based on the skull of a Neanderthal male (La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1, France, ca. 50,000 y)
Sculptor: © Elisabeth Daynès, Paris
Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien)
"La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 ("The Old Man") is an almost-complete male Neanderthal skeleton discovered in La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France by A. and J. Bouyssonie, and L. Bardon in 1908. The individual was about 40 years of age at the time of his death. He was in bad health, having lost most of his teeth and suffering from bone resorption in the mandible and advanced arthritis." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Chapelle-aux-Saints_1
Menton (French pronunciation: [mɑ̃tɔ̃]; Occitan: [meˈta], written Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm; Italian: Mentone [menˈtoːne]) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ("The Pearl of France").
History
The Menton area has been inhabited since the paleolithic era, and is the site of the original "Grimaldi Man" find of early modern humans, as well as remains of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. In Roman times, the Via Julia Augusta, a road connecting Placentia (now Piacenza) with Arelates (now Arles) passed through Menton, running along the Rue Longue in the old town. The first major settlement occurred during the 11th century CE, when the Count of Ventimiglia constructed the Château de Puypin (Podium Pinum) on the Pépin hill, north and west of the modern town centre. During the 13th century, the seigneury of Puypin fell to the Vento family of Genoa who built a new castle along the Roman road, now the site of the Vieux-Château cemetery, providing the core around which the current town grew. Menton was thus incorporated into the Republic of Genoa. The first mention of Menton dates from 21 July 1262, in the peace treaty between Charles of Anjou and Genoa. Its position on the border between the Angevin-ruled Provence and the Republic of Genoa, which at the time claimed Monaco as its western limit, made it a coveted location.
Acquired in 1346 by Charles Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco, Menton was ruled by the Princes of Monaco until the French Revolution. Annexed during the Revolution, Menton remained part of France through the First Empire. It belonged to the district of Sanremo in the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which at the time included Monaco and Sanremo.
In 1814 Menton was included in a reconstituted principality of Monaco which, after Napoleon's Hundred Days in 1815, became a protectorate of the King of Sardinia. The Princes of Monaco were obliged to do homage to the King for Menton, although not for Monaco itself.
In 1848, Menton, along with its neighbour Roquebrune, seceded from Monaco, due at least in part to a tax imposed on lemon exports. They proclaimed themselves a "free city" during the 1848 revolutions related to the Italian Risorgimento, then two years later placed themselves under the protection of the Kingdom of Sardinia where they were administered by the House of Savoy for ten years.
The Treaty of Turin concluded on 24 March 1860 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and Napoleon III's France called for the annexation of the County of Nice to France, subject to a plebiscite, as a reward for French assistance in Italy's war against Austria. The plebiscite, with universal adult male suffrage, was held on April 15 and 16, 1860 and resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of annexation (833 for versus 54 against in Menton and Roquebrune), despite complaints of rigged elections from, among others, Nice-born Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi. The county of Nice was thus annexed to France that June, and Napoleon III paid 4 million francs in compensation to the prince of Monaco, who renounced his rights in perpetuity on 2 February 1861.
The publication of Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean (1861) by the English doctor James Henry Bennett had a profound effect on Menton, making it a popular destination for sufferers of tuberculosis.[8] By the end of the 19th century, tourism was an important factor in Menton's growth. The town was popular with English and Russian aristocrats who built many of the luxurious hotels, villas, and palaces which still grace Menton today. Many of these hotels and palaces were pressed into service as hospitals during World War I to allow injured troops to recuperate in a pleasant climate.
Sailboats in Menton harbour, photograph by Jean Gilletta early 1900s
Menton was the only sizable settlement captured by Italy during its invasion of France in June 1940. Following the armistice of June 22, 1940, two-thirds of the territory of the commune was annexed by Italy as terra irredenta. The annexation lasted until 8 September 1943.
Although officially returned to Vichy France, Menton was in fact occupied by Nazi Germany until its liberation by American and Canadian troops of the First Special Service Force on 8 September 1944.
Geography
Menton, nicknamed the Pearl of France, is located on the Mediterranean Sea at the Franco-Italian border, just across from the Ligurian town of Ventimiglia. It boasts a warm micro-climate favourable to lemon, tangerine, and orange groves whence one of the town's symbols, the lemon.
The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s when a combination of overfishing and hypoxia in the bay. At the time, the devastation was erroneously attributed to the dubiously nicknamed "killer algae" Caulerpa taxifolia (a non-native Asian tropical green alga first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1984) spread throughout the coastal sea floor. Later, sound scientific findings revealed that the seaweed was adept at absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients, actually aiding the recovery of native Posidonia sea grass and enhancing local fish populations and overall biodiversity.
Origin of the name
Although the name's spelling and pronunciation in French are identical to those for the word that means "chin", there does not seem to be any link with this French word. According to the French geographer Ernest Nègre, the name Menton comes from the Roman name Mento. However, it is possible that the name of the city comes from Mons Ottonis (reconstituted) from the name of Otton II, the Count of Ventimiglia from 1162-1200. In Mentonasc, the city's name is Mentan (pronounced [mẽˈtã]), and in Italian Mentone ([menˈtoːne]).
An inhabitant of Menton, un mentonnais or un mentonasque in French, would be O mentonasc in the local dialect.
41,000 years ago (approximately), Kents Cavern, Torquay, Devon, England. One of the first Neanderthal couple's takes shelter in a cave to have a meal.
During these times bears and saber tooth lions still roam the, making dangerous for the Neanderthal people. The first Neanderthal people find shelter and protection in the naturally formed caves where they lived ate and died.
Kent Caverns were first explored around 1825AD and then onwards up to today. Finds include:
* 'Heidleberg man' large flints worked into hand axes nearly half million years old.
* Neanderthal flint tools.
* An early modern human upper jawbone which has been dated at over 41,000 years old. This is the oldest evidence of a modern human settlement in northwestern Europe.
* Ancestral Cave bear
* Cave Lion
* Saber Tooth Cat
The model was built for Bright Bricks and is on display at Milestones until 27th April 2014
A day at the museum.
First stop on the tour:
Neanderthals lived between 230,000 and 30,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, and were found only in Europe and the Middle East, where they coexisted with modern humans for the later part of their existence.
All Neandertals are heavily built but those from Western Europe are particularly robust. Their heavy physique was probably an adaptation to the extremely cold conditions in which they lived.
However, the key differences between Neanderthals and modern humans lie in features of the skull. The average cranial capacity is 1450cc, larger than the modern norm, although this may be a reflection of their greater bodily bulk.
Neandertals made a wider range of complex tools - belonging to the Mousterian tool culture. Sculpture and art has been dated in the range of habitation of Neanderthal. However, it is unclear whether they were responsible for the conceptualisation or whether it was due to interactions with modern humans.
Recently scientists have been able to extract mitochondrial DNA from Neandertal bones. This has allowed them to compare DNA sequences from Neandertals and modern humans, an interesting experiment considering that in the past Neandertals have been viewed as direct ancestors of modern sapiens. The multiregional hypothesis of human origins also takes this stance. While there are problems with this technique, the data appear to show that Neandertals were not closely related to modern humans, but belonged to a separate species.
We remember the Neanderthals - what it was like to torment and abuse the the great clumsy apologetic clowns, driving them through the village with jibes and sticks. And some of us, somewhere within, remember what it was like to be the 'obby 'oss..
Menton (French pronunciation: [mɑ̃tɔ̃]; Occitan: [meˈta], written Menton in classical norm or Mentan in Mistralian norm; Italian: Mentone [menˈtoːne]) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ("The Pearl of France").
History
The Menton area has been inhabited since the paleolithic era, and is the site of the original "Grimaldi Man" find of early modern humans, as well as remains of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. In Roman times, the Via Julia Augusta, a road connecting Placentia (now Piacenza) with Arelates (now Arles) passed through Menton, running along the Rue Longue in the old town. The first major settlement occurred during the 11th century CE, when the Count of Ventimiglia constructed the Château de Puypin (Podium Pinum) on the Pépin hill, north and west of the modern town centre. During the 13th century, the seigneury of Puypin fell to the Vento family of Genoa who built a new castle along the Roman road, now the site of the Vieux-Château cemetery, providing the core around which the current town grew. Menton was thus incorporated into the Republic of Genoa. The first mention of Menton dates from 21 July 1262, in the peace treaty between Charles of Anjou and Genoa. Its position on the border between the Angevin-ruled Provence and the Republic of Genoa, which at the time claimed Monaco as its western limit, made it a coveted location.
Acquired in 1346 by Charles Grimaldi, Lord of Monaco, Menton was ruled by the Princes of Monaco until the French Revolution. Annexed during the Revolution, Menton remained part of France through the First Empire. It belonged to the district of Sanremo in the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which at the time included Monaco and Sanremo.
In 1814 Menton was included in a reconstituted principality of Monaco which, after Napoleon's Hundred Days in 1815, became a protectorate of the King of Sardinia. The Princes of Monaco were obliged to do homage to the King for Menton, although not for Monaco itself.
In 1848, Menton, along with its neighbour Roquebrune, seceded from Monaco, due at least in part to a tax imposed on lemon exports. They proclaimed themselves a "free city" during the 1848 revolutions related to the Italian Risorgimento, then two years later placed themselves under the protection of the Kingdom of Sardinia where they were administered by the House of Savoy for ten years.
The Treaty of Turin concluded on 24 March 1860 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and Napoleon III's France called for the annexation of the County of Nice to France, subject to a plebiscite, as a reward for French assistance in Italy's war against Austria. The plebiscite, with universal adult male suffrage, was held on April 15 and 16, 1860 and resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of annexation (833 for versus 54 against in Menton and Roquebrune), despite complaints of rigged elections from, among others, Nice-born Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi. The county of Nice was thus annexed to France that June, and Napoleon III paid 4 million francs in compensation to the prince of Monaco, who renounced his rights in perpetuity on 2 February 1861.
The publication of Winter and Spring on the Shores of the Mediterranean (1861) by the English doctor James Henry Bennett had a profound effect on Menton, making it a popular destination for sufferers of tuberculosis.[8] By the end of the 19th century, tourism was an important factor in Menton's growth. The town was popular with English and Russian aristocrats who built many of the luxurious hotels, villas, and palaces which still grace Menton today. Many of these hotels and palaces were pressed into service as hospitals during World War I to allow injured troops to recuperate in a pleasant climate.
Sailboats in Menton harbour, photograph by Jean Gilletta early 1900s
Menton was the only sizable settlement captured by Italy during its invasion of France in June 1940. Following the armistice of June 22, 1940, two-thirds of the territory of the commune was annexed by Italy as terra irredenta. The annexation lasted until 8 September 1943.
Although officially returned to Vichy France, Menton was in fact occupied by Nazi Germany until its liberation by American and Canadian troops of the First Special Service Force on 8 September 1944.
Geography
Menton, nicknamed the Pearl of France, is located on the Mediterranean Sea at the Franco-Italian border, just across from the Ligurian town of Ventimiglia. It boasts a warm micro-climate favourable to lemon, tangerine, and orange groves whence one of the town's symbols, the lemon.
The fishing industry was devastated in the 1980s and 1990s when a combination of overfishing and hypoxia in the bay. At the time, the devastation was erroneously attributed to the dubiously nicknamed "killer algae" Caulerpa taxifolia (a non-native Asian tropical green alga first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco in 1984) spread throughout the coastal sea floor. Later, sound scientific findings revealed that the seaweed was adept at absorbing pollutants and excess nutrients, actually aiding the recovery of native Posidonia sea grass and enhancing local fish populations and overall biodiversity.
Origin of the name
Although the name's spelling and pronunciation in French are identical to those for the word that means "chin", there does not seem to be any link with this French word. According to the French geographer Ernest Nègre, the name Menton comes from the Roman name Mento. However, it is possible that the name of the city comes from Mons Ottonis (reconstituted) from the name of Otton II, the Count of Ventimiglia from 1162-1200. In Mentonasc, the city's name is Mentan (pronounced [mẽˈtã]), and in Italian Mentone ([menˈtoːne]).
An inhabitant of Menton, un mentonnais or un mentonasque in French, would be O mentonasc in the local dialect.
Andenne
Andenne is a city in Belgium located in the Walloon Region in the province of Namur.
Remains of an ancient Neanderthal occupation have been found at the Scladina site in Sclayn. Finds in the nearby village of Strud (Gesves) include what is considered to be one of the oldest known insect fossils.
It was in 692, the Merovingian period, that Andenne began its development, thanks to the foundation of a monastery by Begge (or Begga), grandmother of Charlemagne, sister of Gertrude de Nivelles, mother of Pépin de Herstal and grandmother by Charles Martel where he was born 1.
On a trip to Rome, the Pope encouraged Begge, then a widow, to build a monastery. God made known to Begge the exact place where to establish this monastery, by showing him a sow and her seven piglets, then a hen and her seven chicks. These signs were interpreted by Begge as the divine will to see a sanctuary with seven chapels installed there. Thus was born Andenne, the city of seven churches. More likely, the pilgrimage to the seven basilicas of Rome was undoubtedly at the origin of the creation of these parishes. A chapter of canonesses, also founded by Begge, settled around these churches at the same time.
It is also said that Charles Martel, still a child, killed, at the beginning of the 7th century, a bear which terrorized the Mosan city. This legend explains the presence of this animal as a symbol of the city.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the plastic lands of Andenne (the “white derle”) favored the development of ceramics. Pottery and terracotta tiles were exported far beyond the city limits. The manufacture of clay pipes dates from the end of the 18th century. Andenne was also distinguished by the production of fine earthenware. Today, a Ceramics Museum bears witness to this flourishing activity which once made Andenne famous throughout the world.
In the 18th century, the seven churches were destroyed and their stones used to build the collegiate church of Sainte-Begge, a neoclassical building built between 1764 and 1778 by Laurent-Benoît Dewez (1731-1812), the official architect of Charles-Alexandre de Lorraine . The collegiate church currently houses a museum which presents religious objects.
Source: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andenne
I went to the Neanderthal exhibit at the Museum of History yesterday.
Top Left: the finding of this 40000 year-old skullcap resulted in the birth what we call Homo Neanderthalenis.
Top Right: the skull of a twelve year-old girl who had her head caved in, reason unknown.
Bottom: complete or almost complete skeleton. Neanderthals practiced burial rites and appear to have been much less primitive than was believed early on.
© AnvilcloudPhotography
Please note:
All of my photos are copyrighted with All Rights Reserved.
Do not copy, print, download, display, alter, blog, stream or otherwise use my photos in any manner without my written permission!
DSC_3492
Autoskulpturenpark Neandertal
In the year 2000 the owner bought fifty cars and motorbikes built in 1950 for his birthday...to let them rot in the woods.
I am portraying a man sitting across from the viewer pausing in telling a story, perhaps for drama, to let a certain point sink in. This truly human activity may have been going on for hundreds of thousands of years.
artistnaturalist.com
Twee of drie keer per week haalt TKSE voor de staalfabriek in Duisburg kalksteen bij het bedrijf Oetelshofen Kalk in Dornap. Vanaf Düsseldorf rijdt de trein over een diesellijn waarbij de fabriek zich bevindt aan het eind van de lijn. Nog wel want men is bezig om de lijn door te trekken naar Wuppertal en te elektrificeren. De lijn wordt tot Mettmann elke 20 minuten bereden door de Regiobahn met Talent treinstellen.
Op 1 september 2017 reed TKSE 542 met de lege kalktrein, uniform bestaande uit Nacco Tadns, door het station van Neanderthal.
Neanderthal Man, still alive after 130000 years, you can find him in Neander Valley near Düsseldorf, Germany.
Homo neanderthalensis
Soft tissue reconstruction based on the fossil of a Neanderthal child (Gibraltar 2, Devil's Tower, U.K., ca. 50,000 - 30,000 y)
Sculptor: © Elisabeth Daynès, Paris
Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien)
"Gibraltar 2, also known as Devil's Tower Child, represented five skull fragments of a male Neanderthal child discovered in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The discovery of the fossils at the Devil's Tower Mousterian rock shelter was made by archaeologist Dorothy Garrod in 1926." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar_2
"L'uomo viene dall'acqua" Titolo di una mostra sulla Landart fatta a Pordneone
"Man comes from water" is the title of a Landart exhibition we made in Pordenone
Discovered in Engis, Belgium in 1829,
she was not recognized as a Neanderthal until 1936.
---------
Engis Child (detail) by Benoit Clarys,
Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec
11/02/2012; Last Saturday, the Keizersrace was being held, which is a drag race over 160 meters (roughly 500 foot) with ice skaters on the ice of the Keizersgracht. I didn't expect the race itself to be so photogenic, but I did want to make a panorama shot of the track, preferably during blue hour. So to rather be safe than sorry, I decided to be at the quay of the Keizersgracht early to get me a good spot. So I was there around 16:15, while the race itself only begun at 18:00.
As a 'reward' of my early arrival, I could listen to music that wasn't particularly my cup of tea, to put it gently. And as time flew by, more and more people gathered to check what was bound to happen, which at first was fun and cosy and all. Unfortunately, I forgot that people generally start acting like idiots when they're in a crowded location, meaning that the people around me became the pushy twats that I recognized from earlier similar events.
Especially as the race started, I felt as if it became more and more of a Mission Impossible to make the necessary photos with my tripod for my panorama idea. Hence why I started making a bucketload of pictures already even though the blue hour hasn't quite started yet, before the bunch of neanderthals around me pretty much pushed me on the ice.
Around 18:15, I must have seen the first 3 contestants race against each other, I fled my way out of the crowd. Kinda pissed off that I stood in the cold for 2 hours, thinking that the only successful thing that I produced in those 2 hours was more frustration towards my fellow human beings for their lack of willingness to give even the slightest bit of space. And frustration towards myself for being so naive that I haven't seen that all coming already.
However, when I checked out the pictures the day after, it looked as if there actually were 4 pictures out of that bucketload that were just about sharp enough for me to work with. And against all odds that I would have given this 'project' to succeed, this has miraculously become the outcome of those 4 pictures.
The frustration is still there, because I believe I could have done better with this idea (maybe I really have to kick, elbow and push around me the next time I'm getting in a similar situation), although I guess I, for example, would have kept that flare speck in the left anyway, but at least I'm relieved that I didn't stand at the quay for 2 hours for absolutely nothing in the end. :)
Nu we toch in de buurt waren en gezien het twintigminutentakt op de S-Bahn lijn 28, leek het ons wel een leuk idee om even de Talenten van de RegioBahn op plaat te zetten.
Op internet had ik een leuke plek gevonden net voor het binnenrijden van de stad Düsseldorf, in de vallei van de Düssel (voor geïnteresseerden: we zijn hier ook niet echt ver van het Neanderthal - u allen wellicht bekend). We moesten er nog geen vijf minuutjes wachten toen we deze kleurrijke verschijning op ons af zagen komen.
Samen met de loofloze bomen en de strakblauwe lucht, één van de beste platen van deze dag!
-----
Im Tal der Düssel sind diese zwei Talente unterwegs zum Kaarster See. Zusammen mit der stahlblauen Luft und die vegetationslose Bäume ein der besten Bilder vom 11. März, finde ich!
----------
Erkrath, 11/03/2015
Regio Bahn 643 233-9 + 643 236-2
S28 90794 Mettmann Stadtwald - Kaarster See
The Neanderthal Museum is a museum in Mettmann, Germany. It was established in 1996. Located at the site of the first Neanderthal man discovery in the Neandertal, it features an exhibit centered on human evolution. The museum was constructed in 1996 to a design by the architects Zamp Kelp, Julius Krauss and Arno Brandlhuber and draws about 170,000 visitors per year. The museum also includes an archaeological park on the original discovery site, a Stone Age workshop, as well as an art trail named "human traces". All signs in the museum as well as the audio guide offered by the museum are available in German and English.
Source: wikipedia.org
Creswell Crags is an enclosed limestone gorge on the border between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England, near the villages of Creswell and Whitwell. The cliffs in the ravine contain several caves that were occupied during the last ice age, between around 43,000 and 10,000 years ago. Its caves contain the northernmost cave art in Europe. The evidence of occupation found in the rich series of sediments that accumulated over many thousands of years is regarded as internationally unique in demonstrating how prehistoric people managed to live at the extreme northernmost limits of their territory during the Late Pleistocene period.[1]
The caves contain occupation layers with evidence of flint tools from the Mousterian, proto-Solutrean, Creswellian and Maglemosian cultures. They were seasonally occupied by nomadic groups of people during the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. Evidence of Neolithic, Bronze Age, Roman and post-medieval activity has also been found there. There is evidence of Neanderthal occupation 50,000–60,000 years ago, a brief Gravettian occupation around 32,000 years ago and use of all the main caves during the Magdalenian around 14,000 years ago
Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec,
Ms. Neanderthal is visiting from Musée de l’Homme, Paris
---------
The exhibition offers an updated perspective on Neanderthals, presenting a more accurate portrait of our human cousins.
Neanderthals lived successfully across Europe and Asia for nearly 300,000 years, until their mysterious disappearance around 30,000 years ago.
They used complex thought, and were skilled technicians and artisans.
-- History Museum. CA
-----------
"She won the Miss European Neanderthal fur lined bathing costume competition, 240,000 BC." -- Steve (Visual Photons)