The article outlines the history of Polish pharmacy museums in the broader European context. The first efforts to establish such an institution date back to the second half of the 19th century, when, despite the lack of a Polish sovereign state, Polish pharmacists, passionate about their trade, called for the creation of a pharmacy museum. Their continued efforts faced multiple obstacles, with the two World Wars being the worst of them. During the inter-war period, multiple collections were assembled, but the first Polish museum of pharmacy was established only after the Second World War, in 1946, in Kraków, thanks to Dr Stanisław Proń. In the 1970s, a number of smaller museums were established in other Polish cities, including Lublin, Warsaw, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, and Gdańsk. The transformation following the collapse of the Iron Curtain caused a temporary crisis for pharmacy museums in Poland, with some establishments being liquidated due to the withdrawal of funding. However, soon after Polish society became accustomed to the new realities, a number of museums were restored, and even new ones were established, some as part of municipal museums (Warszawa, Bydgoszcz), some within universities, and some even funded by private companies (Lublin, Łódź). The article illustrates the richness and distinctiveness of the field of Polish pharmaceutical museology, while also observing its connection to wider European realities.
Rangitāhua is a tupuna to Ngāti Kuri and represents the iwi's geographic and ancestral connection to the Pacific. Despite this millennium-long ancestral tie, Ngāti Kuri's access to Rangitāhua has been severed for two centuries. Meanwhile, many European expeditions visited the islands, extracting and distributing natural history taonga across institutions, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. In this context of disconnection, Ngāti Kuri engaged partners to reclaim research leadership over Rangitāhua, leading to the Indigenous-led Te Mana o Rangitāhua program, embedding Māori values and tikanga within the environmental wellbeing research project. This study is part of the program and documents our collaborative approach to identifying expeditions to Rangitāhua, mapping where their taonga and data are held worldwide, and examining institutional responses to our data requests. We identified 127 expeditions that distributed 1.73 million objects across 88 institutions. Our provenance mapping successfully cross-linked specimens to the expeditions that collected them and the institutions that house them today. However, our research also revealed ongoing institutional barriers to data access, emphasizing colonial gatekeeping practices embedded in contemporary museology systems. We stress the urgent need for accessible and reciprocal data request systems if museum practitioners hope to advance the ultimate goal of Indigenous data sovereignty.
This article examines a controversy over a nuclear-energy gallery at the Science Museum, London, in the early 1980s. It uses this case to explore the wider politicization of museums at this time, and thus the politicization of the display of science and technology. It argues that cultural changes in train since the 1960s, coupled with a museological turn towards 'social history' as the proper vehicle for exhibiting science and technology, led to the museum becoming newly subject to widespread critical scrutiny. That scrutiny had contradictory effects. On the one hand, it reinforced the image of the museum as a bastion of official culture and knowledge. On the other, it undermined this image, by exposing the ideological nature of the museum's authority. This double movement laid the groundwork for the crisis of confidence that culminated in the 'New Museology' of the later part of the decade. Attending to this controversy thus suggests a need to revise prevailing scholarship on the 'politics of display', which often takes for granted an overly straightforward connection between museums and power.
Museum decolonization has become a central concern in contemporary museology, raising questions that extend beyond curatorial reform to the construction of collective memory, the psychological elaboration of the colonial past, and the configuration of postcolonial identities. This review synthesizes recent literature on the decolonial turn in museums from a psychological perspective, addressing institutional critique, participatory practices, historical trauma, epistemic justice, and the affective dimensions of collective memory. It also identifies key risks-tokenism, aestheticization of difference, and "decolonization without decolonization"-and outlines a research agenda focused on the psychological effects of decolonial museum narratives, the relational nature of participation, symbolic reparation, and the comparative analysis of decolonization processes across sociopolitical contexts.
Medical museums are increasingly challenged to balance accessibility, educational effectiveness, and ethical responsibility, particularly when displaying human remains. Despite growing interest in digital museology, limited attention has been paid to its application in contexts involving culturally sensitive materials. This study presents a qualitative case study of the renovation of the Morgagni Museum of Human Anatomy (University of Padua), focusing on the integration of digital tools, including quick response codes, augmented reality (AR), and virtual itineraries. The project aimed to enhance accessibility and public engagement while preserving the scientific and ethical integrity of the collection. The results, based on observational data collected during guided visits and educational activities, indicate that hybrid interpretive strategies combining digital and traditional tools improve visitor engagement, support layered learning, and foster a more informed interaction with anatomical and pathological specimens. In particular, the use of AR and digital content was associated with increased student participation and enhanced observational skills. This case study demonstrates that digital technologies, when embedded within a coherent curatorial framework, can strengthen rather than diminish ethical engagement with human remains. The Morgagni Museum provides a model for the sustainable and responsible reinterpretation of historical medical collections in contemporary educational contexts.
Ethnographic museums are increasingly visited as cultural tourism destinations, yet their exhibition design remains predominantly visual, overlooking the potential of smell to shape tourists' emotional engagement, memory, and well-being. While smellscape research has grown in environmental psychology, a process-oriented model explaining how visitors perceive and interpret culturally-coded odors in museum settings is still lacking. This study aims to investigate the cognitive-affective process underlying tourists' smellscape perception in an ethnographic museum and to construct a theoretical model that explains how olfactory experiences influence cultural meaning-making and behavioral responses. Adopting a constructivist grounded theory approach, we integrated participatory smell-walks with in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were collected from 120 visitors at the Yunnan Ethnographic Museum (China). All participants completed a smell-walk and survey; 30 participated in follow-up interviews. Analysis followed open, axial, and selective coding using NVivo, with member-checking and researcher triangulation ensuring rigor. The analysis yielded a five-category theoretical model: (1) Smell Perception-detection and description of odors; (2) Smell Association-cognitive links to behaviors, memories, and environments (behavioral, subjective, perceptual, environmental); (3) Smellscape Evaluation-assessments of intensity, appropriateness, preference, safety, and harmony; (4) Environmental Expectation-desires for authenticity, atmospheric resonance, and emotional engagement; and (5) Cultural Export-potential for heritage innovation and enhanced tourist experience. The model delineates a dynamic pathway from sensory input to meaning-making and behavioral outcomes. This study provides the first grounded theory model of smellscape perception in an ethnographic museum from a tourism perspective. It advances sensory tourism research by demonstrating how strategically curated smellscapes can deepen emotional engagement, strengthen cultural memory, and enhance visitor well-being. The findings offer an evidence-based framework for designing multisensory heritage experiences that move beyond visual-centric practices, with direct implications for museum management and destination marketing.
The conservation of historic earthen structures requires repair materials that are both high-performance and historically appropriate. While archaeological evidence indicates that the historical use of blocky quicklime to make lime-soil materials, modern research and conservation practice often focus on its powdered counterpart, creating a knowledge gap. Thus, this work systematically evaluated the physical properties, microstructure, and composition of lime-soil materials prepared with blocky quicklime, powdered quicklime, and hydrated lime (at 10-20% content). The results demonstrated that hydrated lime yielded inferior strength and durability. Although both types of quicklime enhanced performance, they functioned through distinct mechanisms. Powdered quicklime provided consistent, dosage-dependent improvement, making it reliable for high-performance requirements. In contrast, blocky quicklime exhibited a pronounced optimum at 15% content; beyond this, performance declined due to expansion stresses from excess, partially hydrated cores, as identified by FT-IR spectroscopy. This study concluded that the choice of lime form was critical: powdered quicklime was recommended for predictable, broad-spectrum enhancement, whereas blocky quicklime could be effective but required strict dosage control to harness its unique potential and avoid damage. These findings provided a scientific basis for selecting and applying lime materials in the repair of earthen architectural heritage.
Ancient DNA and archaeological studies indicate the Central Plain's pivotal role in the cultural and genetic evolution of ancient China. However, limited genome-wide data have constrained our understanding of this region's population history during the Bronze Age Shang Dynasty (around 1600 to 1046 BCE). Here, we present genome-wide data from 11 individuals from the Xisima Cemetery in Central Plain, a site exhibiting clear burial evidence of social stratification dating to the Late Shang Dynasty (around 1300 to 1046 BCE). Genetic analyses reveal that all Xisima individuals can be modeled as direct, unadmixed descendants of Late Neolithic Central Plain-related people. We found no systematic genetic differentiation between individuals buried in high-grade (south-to-north) and low-grade (east-to-west) tombs, indicating genetic homogeneity across social strata. These results demonstrate that social stratification at Xisima occurred without corresponding genetic distinction, supporting the decoupling of social hierarchy from significant genetic differentiation in this Shang community.
This study reports a new hominin cranium, dated to 21,000 years ago, offering novel insights into the evolutionary pattern of the cranial morphology of the East Asian Homo sapiens over the past 40,000 years. The cranium (22IVPP-H-Cr01) was scanned and virtually reconstructed. Its morphology was described and compared primarily with other fossil H. sapiens. To better contextualize cranial variation, specimens of Homo heidelbergensis, East Asian late Middle Pleistocene archaic Homo, Homo neanderthalensis, and recent H. sapiens were also added to the comparative sample. Additionally, cranial measurements were conducted on the 22IVPP-H-Cr01 and compared with those of other taxonomic groups to assess its evolutionary status through principal component analysis. The 22IVPP-H-Cr01 cranium represents a female aged ~35-40 years. It exhibits typical H. sapiens morphology while retaining ancestral traits, including pronounced prognathism, a broad interorbital region, and wide nasal aperture. Overall, the cranial configuration of 22IVPP-H-Cr01 appears more derived than pre-LGM (Last Glacial Maximum) H. sapiens yet more primitive than post-LGM H. sapiens in East Asia. Compared to East Asian pre-LGM H. sapiens, post-LGM populations exhibit significant morphological variability. The 22IVPP-H-Cr01 specimen from Southwest China, dated to the LGM, may represent a candidate link between these two chronological groups. This finding supports population continuity at least in southern East Asia over the past 40,000 years, contrasting with the local population replacement documented in northern East Asia.
Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study investigated the impact of openness to experience on both subjective and psychological well-being among college students, with a specific focus on the mediating mechanisms of art-related aesthetic perception and needs. A sample of 558 college students (Mage = 18.40, SD = 1.38) completed standardized assessments. Mediation modeling was employed to test the direct and indirect pathways between personality traits and well-being. Openness to experience did not directly predict either dimension of well-being. Instead, it showed indirect associations with well-being through two pathways. (1) The independent mediation of art-related aesthetic needs, and (2) a sequential mediation involving both art-related aesthetic perception and needs. These findings clarify the psychological mechanisms by which aesthetic traits foster well-being, highlighting the critical role of art-related aesthetic needs in translating personality into positive adjustment. While providing cross-sectional evidence, future research should utilize longitudinal designs to confirm causal directions.
Waterlogged archaeological wood is highly vulnerable to degradation by wood-degrading microorganisms. Oregano essential oil (OEO) shows excellent antimicrobial activity against such microbes, but its high volatility and poor stability restrict direct application in cultural relic protection. This study aims to optimize the preparation of sodium alginate (SA)-based OEO microcapsules (OEO@SAM), characterize their structural and physicochemical properties, and evaluate their sustained-release antimicrobial performance for waterlogged archaeological wood conservation. OEO@SAM was fabricated via ionic crosslinking, with orthogonal experiments optimizing three key parameters: OEO:SA ratio, SA concentration, and CaCl2 concentration. The microcapsules were characterized by morphological observation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), etc. Encapsulation efficiency (EE), in vitro sustained-release kinetics, and antimicrobial activity against dominant wood-degrading microorganisms (isolated from waterlogged archaeological sites) were tested. The OEO:SA ratio was the dominant factor regulating EE: EE decreased sharply as the OEO:SA ratio increased, with the highest EE (24.05%) achieved at OEO:SA = 0.5, SA = 2%, and CaCl2 = 3%. Meanwhile, only 0.71 g/L of OEO@SAM is required to inhibit bacterial growth and achieve the conservation of waterlogged archaeological wood. OEO@SAM exhibited stable sustained release (fitting the zero-order kinetic model) and significant antimicrobial activity against target microorganisms. It provides a new type of antibacterial and antifungal material for the in situ conservation of waterlogged archaeological wood.
Multiple Late Pleistocene hominin fossils have been discovered at Maludong, southwestern China, which exhibit a mosaic of archaic and modern human traits, revealing high hominin diversity. To further investigate the regional variation of hominins during the Late Pleistocene in East Asia, this study presents a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of the Maludong frontal bone and mandibles. CT-scanned 3D models of Maludong frontal bone (MLDG 1704) and mandibular (MLDG 1679/1706) fossils were analyzed using 3D geometric morphometrics, alongside comparative 3D models of Pleistocene hominins and fossil/extant modern humans. The Maludong frontal bone and mandibular shape variation (MLDG 1706) fall within the range of variation observed in Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens and modern humans, exhibiting distinct modern human-like traits. Specifically, the frontal bone shows a reduced supraorbital ridge and a broad, globular frontal squama with greater curvature. The mandible displays a more vertical symphysis and a more elongated ramus. However, the MLDG 1679 mandible falls within the morphological range of Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, characterized by a shorter and more robust ramus. These findings indicate that the Maludong hominins share biological affinity with Homo sapiens, potentially reflecting broader evolutionary trends in modern human morphology. Meanwhile, the robusticity observed in these and other Late Pleistocene East Asian fossils highlights the wide regional craniomandibular diversity of East Asian hominins during the Late Pleistocene. This study thereby contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the morphological diversification and the complex evolutionary history of Late Pleistocene hominins in East Asia.
The Eurasian Steppe in the first millennium BCE saw the rise of the Scytho-Siberian archaeological horizon, which would come to stretch from the Altai Mountains in the east to the Black Sea in the west. We examined the genetic profiles of Iron Age Scythians to explore how social status shaped biological relatedness and ancestry patterns. We present genome-wide data from 85 individuals (38 elite and 47 non-elite), including 45 newly sequenced individuals and the first genome-wide data for the Scythian "Golden Man." We identify consanguineous unions, a reduced effective population size, and identity-by-descent links among the elites. Dynastic rule is supported by elite grandparent-grandchild relationships across cemeteries. While ancestries are heterogeneous, elite Iron Age Scythians show lower variation and no detectable patrilocal or matrilocal signal. These findings highlight hereditary status transmission and the emergence of social stratification in ancient nomadic societies.
This study aims to provide new insights into the morphological, biomechanical, and ecological adaptations of early modern humans in Northeast China through an integrated analysis of an Early Holocene humerus from Heilongjiang Province. A multidisciplinary approach is employed to assess the humeral structural and functional characteristics and to infer aspects of the individual's subsistence strategy. The partial humerus (specimen 23HLJ-H-Hm03) was analyzed using traditional osteometric measurements, computed tomography-based analysis of cross-sectional geometry, morphometric mapping of cortical bone thickness and second moments of area, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. The Heilongjiang humerus exhibits a relatively robust midshaft structure comparable to that of contemporary human fossils, along with diaphyseal and epiphyseal morphology features of anatomically modern humans. Morphometric mapping reveals diaphyseal reinforcement patterns aligned with those of other East Asian Upper Paleolithic humans, though the overall magnitude of reinforcement falls within the upper range of Late Upper Paleolithic modern human variation. Stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) indicate a predominantly C3-based diet derived mainly from terrestrial herbivores. The Heilongjiang humerus exhibits morphological affinities with Late Upper Paleolithic modern humans. Its relatively greater robusticity, coupled with isotopic evidence, supports the inference of a physically demanding hunter-gatherer lifestyle. This study enhances our understanding of modern human variation in East Asia during the Late Upper Paleolithic and offers preliminary insights into the biological and behavioral transitions across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary in Northeastern Asia.
The innovation of artificial materials marks a pivotal advancement in human technology. However, direct evidence of their earliest symbolic application remains scarce. In this paper, two tubular ceramic beads were studied, approximately 10,000-year-old, from the Nanzhuangtou site in North China. These beads represent among the earliest known ornaments made from a fully synthetic material, with their age constrained to approximately 10,000 cal BP through stratigraphic association with directly dated materials. A multi-analytical approach was employed, incorporating X-ray fluorescence, high-resolution micro-computed tomography, scanning electron and optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This approach was used to demonstrate that the beads were fabricated from locally sourced clay. They were formed around a plant stem to create a hollow structure, and were fired at low temperatures (around 500–600℃). Their morphological attributes strongly suggest that they were used as personal adornments. This discovery provides crucial empirical evidence that nascent pottery technology was used for symbolic expression during the critical Palaeolithic-Neolithic transition, thus extending the known chronology of the decorative use of synthetic materials by millennia.
To evaluate pathological changes identified in a skeleton of a horse from Roman-period Gerulata, Slovakia. The remains consist of a partially preserved, articulated skeleton of an adult horse from today's southern urban district of Bratislava-Rusovce in southwestern Slovakia. The specimen underwent macroscopic analysis to assess taxonomic identification, biological profile, and pathological changes. Thoracolumbar lesions were further evaluated using computed tomography (CT). Radiocarbon dating determined the absolute age of the remains. Species determination indicates that the remains, radiocarbon dated to 21-133 cal CE (90.1% probability), belonged to a male domestic horse that died between 9-10 years of age. Key pathological features include flowing ossification corresponding to the ventral longitudinal ligament, as well as signs of active bone remodeling. Complete bridging was observed between T11-T12, and near-complete bridging in the T10-T11 and T12-T14 segments. Recorded changes at T10-T14 are most consistent with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). The interpretation of lesions in non-contiguous segments (T16-T17, L3-L4) remains ambiguous. This case highlights diagnostic challenges in distinguishing DISH from spondylosis in horses and demonstrates structural limitations of current criteria derived from human and veterinary medicine. The skeleton was incompletely preserved due to post-depositional disturbance, and the vertebral arches in the affected segments (T10-T13, and partially T14) were not recovered. Future work should focus on standardizing diagnostic criteria for equine spinal pathologies, aligning them more closely with current human medicine standards.
Ningxia, located at a key crossroads between the Eurasian Steppe and East Asia, was an important corridor for cultural exchange and human migration, yet its genetic history has remained poorly understood. In this study, we sequenced 89 individuals from 23 archeological sites in Ningxia, dating from 4245 to 301 BP. Our findings show that late Neolithic inhabitants of Ningxia possessed ancestral components from the Yellow River, Ancient Northeast Asia, and the Tibetan Plateau. Over time, the region experienced major genetic shifts associated with historical migrations and political change. During the Western Zhou and Han periods (3.0-1.7kBP), expansions of Central Plains polities promoted the movement of Yellow River populations into Ningxia, influencing Ningxia's genetic structure up to the Ming-Qing period (582-301BP). Individuals associated with the Eastern Zhou Northern Bronze Complex (2.7-2.0kBP) show mixture between Eurasian Steppe and Yellow River populations. In the Northern Dynasties and Sui-Tang periods (1.6-1.0kBP), Western Eurasian ancestry increased markedly, likely reflecting Silk Road mobility. Tangut groups of the Western Xia show close genetic ties to Di-Qiang-related populations from the upper Yellow River. Reconstructing the genetic history of Ningxia from the late Neolithic to Qing dynasty (4.2k-301BP), evidencing complex genetic dynamics shaped by historical processes.
The transformation of the Roman world [fourth to ninth centuries common era (CE)], culminating in the Western Roman Empire's fall, marked a fundamental transition in European history. Key questions persist regarding the regionally specific nature of this transformation. We generated a paleogenomic dataset to reconstruct post-Roman organizations in the Little Hungarian Plain at microregional resolution. Genetic and archaeological analyses of two Roman (n = 68) and five post-Roman (n = 246) sites reveal a rise in Northern European ancestry, reflecting large-scale population movements into this region. Moreover, despite post-Roman sites sharing similar genetic profiles, material culture, and burial practices, they show distinct social structures, especially regarding the role played by biological relatedness. These findings highlight local hierarchies and reveal the making of a post-Roman polity.
This study evaluates the long-term conservation of humid earthen archaeological sites using protective shelters and plant essential oil treatments at the Laohuling Dam (Liangzhu, China), a UNESCO World Heritage site. Over seven years (2017–2024), structural deterioration, biological colonization, and microbial community dynamics were monitored through field surveys, amplicon sequencing (16 S rRNA and ITS), and shotgun metagenomics. Protective shelters effectively reduced large-scale structural damage and higher-plant colonization; however, enclosed and climate-controlled conditions promoted persistent microbial biofilms in high-humidity zones. Oregano essential oil treatments rapidly eliminated visible biofilms and suppressed recolonization for approximately 6–8 months, but did not prevent long-term microbial recovery. Post-treatment communities shifted from phototrophic and biofilm-forming taxa toward fast-growing, opportunistic heterotrophs, predominantly affiliated with Pseudomonadota. Metagenomic analyses revealed a stable resistome across consecutive treatment years. The high abundance of multidrug resistance genes (e.g., adeF, β-lactam- and CAMP-associated genes) primarily reflected the dominance of Pseudomonadota-related taxa rather than evidence of resistance evolution driven by essential oil application. No significant increase in resistance gene diversity or abundance was detected. These findings demonstrate that sheltering and essential oil treatments are effective short-term conservation tools but reshape microbial succession rather than eliminating biological risks. Long-term preservation of humid earthen sites therefore requires integrated strategies combining microclimate control, low-bioreceptivity materials, and continuous microbial monitoring.
Genetic relatedness between ancient humans can help to identify close and distant connections between groups and populations, uncovering signatures of demographic histories such as identifying mating networks or long-range migration. Critical to researchers are the characteristics that connected individuals, or groups of individuals, share, and how these characteristics interact and are correlated. Here we use Exponential Random Graph models as a method to explore demographic and contextual parameters that may help to explain the significant drivers of the topology of mating networks, as well as to quantify their effects. We show through simulations that model selection and coefficient estimators facilitate the exploration of such networks, and apply the method to individuals from a collection of Avar-associated cemeteries from the Carpathian Basin dating to the 6th to the 9th centuries CE.