2025 while surrounded by his loving family after a lifelong illness he was the son of the late Clarence and Madlyn (Peters) Gora Ron was educated through the Nashua public school system and raised his family in his hometown Ron worked for Nashua Corp for nearly 20 years (1978 to 1995) where he served as a Forklift Operator and Assembler until he was no longer able to continue due to illness He was a passionate New England sports fan His love for sports was shared with his family Whether on the lanes or with family and friends he always knew how to bring joy and laughter into any room Ron is survived by his children: Ronald Gora Jr Tracy; Randy Gora; Robyn Gora and her partner Kathleen; Kara Urban; Katie Hamilton-Gora; and Michaela Ervin and her husband He is also survived by his siblings: Russell Gora and his wife Ron was a proud grandfather to Elijah Gora He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews as well as sisters Donna Gora and Nancy Millard SERVICES: A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at a later date but the family appreciates all the love and support they’ve received during this difficult time An online guestbook is available at www.davisfuneralhomenh.com (603) 883-3401 “ONE MEMORY LIGHTS ANOTHER” Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New Hampshire LLC | https://www.nashuatelegraph.com | 110 Main St This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment and hospitality industry Mike is a seasoned and versatile leader in entertainment marketing He has worked with some of the biggest names and brands in the world and event pop-ups that generate buzz and billions of media impressions Some of his favorite collaborations from his career include Madonna either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Lena Góra is bringing her captivating presence to the small screen in a new series The Eastern Gate presents Góra with a role that demands both physical and emotional rigor navigating the treacherous landscape of geopolitical intrigue set against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Eastern Europe and Góra's performance is its beating heart Newsweek spoke to Góra about the role who shared the ins and outs of her performance along with all the preparation she did before taping "I got to learn Russian before I even started with my lines I told them that Ewa is so precise and constantly listening to everything that's happening in the room so it would be important for me to know more of the language than just my lines," she recalled Góra then mentioned that she got to meet women who are actually intelligence officers to help with her authentic portrayal of the role "It was six months of my life that I gave to Eastern Gate .. three months of learning the language along with boxing and training It was so cool to have been able to do that because your body your muscle memory is there," Góra reminisced Góra is also a force behind the camera with writing and producing credits to her name is that I'm allowed to be an artist right now To speak my voice freely and to create art and entertainment be a part of a catharsis for people to watch and take in I think the decision of what I'm going to give my time and energy to is important to show and for people to see Sometimes I feel like I need to go and write something and I am I'm writing something now that I'm really excited about," she revealed The Eastern Gate marks a significant moment in Góra's career, as her talent is poised to reach a wider audience. In addition to the series, Góra just wrapped Erupcja where she filmed alongside Charli XCX "I just wish for everyone to find collaborators like that She has this capacity and ability to really tune in whether it's the youth culture and what they need or whether it's connecting with her acting partner which happened with me," she said of working with the pop star The Eastern Gate premiered on January 31 and can be streamed on Max Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all The Owensboro Times News By Paid Content The Greater Owensboro REALTOR® Association (GORA) is proud to announce the appointment of Michelle Wiesman as its new Association Executive, marking an exciting new chapter in the organization’s leadership and future. After a comprehensive and thoughtful search process, GORA’s Board of Directors selected Wiesman from a highly qualified pool of applicants, recognizing her unmatched expertise, leadership, and deep roots within the REALTOR® community. “The ideal candidate was right here among us all along,” said Board President Glenn Ashby. “Michelle has been a trusted and valued member of our REALTOR® family for years, and we’re thrilled to welcome her into this new role.” Wiesman currently serves as the Operations Manager for a prominent local GORA-affiliated brokerage. In that capacity, she has demonstrated exceptional capability in overseeing a wide range of critical responsibilities, including daily operations, facilities and compliance management, bookkeeping, purchasing, HR, agent development, and regulatory adherence with the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC). Beyond her operational leadership, Wiesman has shown unwavering dedication to the advancement of the real estate profession. She has served GORA in many leadership capacities, including Secretary and President of the Board of Directors. Her committee experience spans the MLS, Finance, Bylaws, Governmental Affairs/RPAC, Membership (MARC), Education, Public Relations, Nominating, and Professional Standards Committees. “Michelle’s passion for REALTORS®, her extensive knowledge of the industry, and her longstanding service to GORA make her uniquely equipped to lead us forward with vision and strength,” said President Ashby. Wiesman’s appointment signals a commitment to continued excellence, innovation, and support for GORA members. The association invites all REALTORS® and affiliates to join in welcoming Michelle Wiesman as she steps into this pivotal leadership role. About the Greater Owensboro REALTOR® Association The Greater Owensboro REALTOR® Association represents real estate professionals throughout the region, advocating for ethical practice, ongoing education, and community involvement. GORA strives to empower its members to best serve the public with integrity and professionalism. Sports Privacy Policy Site by Tanner+West High-resolution UAV-based aerial survey of Dmanisis Gora has revealed the extent of the large outer fortification system and settlement which has few documented parallels in the region The exceptional size of Dmanisis Gora helps add new dimensions to population aggregation models in Eurasia and beyond showing the location at the convergence of two gorges; the 2023 excavations of the inner fortress are visible in foreground Fortress settlements in the South Caucasus appeared between 1500-500 BCE and represent an unprecedented development in the prehistory of the regions the Caucasus region has a long history as a cultural crossroads with distinctive local identities a 60-80-ha fortress-settlement in Georgia of exceptional preservation and size “The fortress of Dmanisis Gora consists of a double-walled fortress core and a much larger outer enclosure with additional fortifications,” said Dr Nathaniel Erb-Satullo from the Cranfield Forensic Institute at Cranfield University and his colleagues “Prior research noted that the site had an unusually large outer walled enclosure but the site was not systematically mapped.” The researchers used a DJI Phantom 4 RTK drone which can provide relative positional accuracy of under 2 cm as well as extremely high-resolution aerial imagery In order to obtain a highly accurate map of human-made features they carefully checked each feature in the aerial imagery to confirm its identification To understand how the landscape of the site had evolved the orthophotos were compared with 50-year-old photos taken by a Cold War-era spy satellite declassified in 2013 That gave the scientists much needed insight into which features were recent It also enabled the team to assess what areas of the ancient settlement were damaged by modern agriculture All of those data sets were merged in Geographic Information System (GIS) software helping to identify patterns and changes in the landscape “The drone took nearly 11,000 pictures which were knitted together using advanced software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos — composite pictures that show every point as if you were looking straight down,” Dr The team’s results showed that the Dmanisis Gora site was more than 40 times larger than originally thought including a large outer settlement defended by a 1 km long fortification wall “The use of drones has allowed us to understand the significance of the site and document it in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible on the ground,” Dr “Dmanisis Gora isn’t just a significant find for the Southern Caucasus region but has a broader significance for the diversity in the structure of large scale settlements and their formation processes.” “We hypothesize that Dmanisis Gora expanded because of its interactions with mobile pastoral groups and its large outer settlement may have expanded and contracted seasonally.” further study will start to provide insights into areas such as population density and intensity livestock movements and agricultural practices The team’s paper was published in the journal Antiquity Mega-fortresses in the South Caucasus: new data from southern Georgia The Warcraft universe is built on rich and diverse characters that may not fit into any singular family we will be adding additional Split Leaders starting with Malfurion Stormrage as Alliance and Cenarion and Orgrim Doomhammer as Horde and Blackrock Chieftain of the Blackrock clan and is also known as a backstabber to those who follow Gul’dan and Blackhand This fierce orc warrior will not back down from any challenge Doomhammer will be available during the event from December 24 Doomhammer will only be available in G.R.I.D.** until January 2 The current week’s family will not affect Doomhammer’s G.R.I.D or anything otherwise locked in a different Mak’gora Banshees will ignore Minis that are locked into a Mak’gora Get the new Jinglebold Kobold skin during the Doomhammer Split Leader event and jump into the action-packed fun of Warcraft Rumble News | Mar 1 Radamus moved up eight places in his second run on the Podkoren 3 slope “I made a costly mistake on first run and felt lucky to get a second,” Radamus told U.S Ski and Snowboard media liaison Sierra Ryder “I gave everything I had to take advantage of the opportunity on run two and was able to salvage a solid result but I hope to leave behind the mistakes for the last few races of the season.” Radamus currently sits 13th in the GS cup standings with two more events remaining — in Hafjell Norway on March 15 and then in Sun Valley at the World Cup Finals on March 26 Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen (2:18.18) took the win as Lucas Braaathen Pinheiro and Marco Odermatt rounded out the podium in second and third It was Kristoffersen’s fourth win at the venue since 2016 you normally get really good results,” he said you can’t cheat yourself to a good result you have to be a really good technical skier.” In addition to Radamus’ result, fellow Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumni Bridger Gile earned his first World Cup points with a career-best 24th-place finish “Getting two runs feels like ski racing and I’m glad I got to ski race today,” Gile said. The Aspen native was 19th in the GS at the World Championships last month The 25-year-old posted DNFs in his first two World Cup starts this season and failed to qualify for a second run in his last four but he’s turned things around lately “As far as my skiing goes I think I have been skiing pretty well since the middle of January,” Gile continued “And today I got a good start position and kept the same skiing and it worked out I’ve watched River do second runs for a while now and it feels really good to be able to join him and PK (Patrick Kenney) in the second run Kenney was the second American in the field “Huge day for the boys all around,” Radamus said “I’m beyond psyched to see Bridger collect his first World Cup points I know how hard he’s been working for this and how hard it is to break through I think this gives the whole team confidence seeing the hard work is paying off,” he continued “It’s awesome to have PK in there again as well The guys are building some real momentum.” Lindsey Vonn placed 13th and 16th in a pair of World Cup downhill races in Kvitfjell, Norway, on Friday and Saturday, respectively. It was the eight-time downhill World Cup champion’s first visit to the slope. Prior to the speed weekend, she posted on social media stating: “I’m having a blast getting to know the mountain Experimenting every day with my equipment and I think I’m making progress Vonn’s teammate Lauren Macuga placed second in Saturday’s race claiming her first World Cup downhill podium “I feel like it wasn’t me yesterday and today I went out there charging and my tuck over some terrain and got over the outside ski and just sent it,” said Macuga … I was also trying to be clean and trying to be smart over the jump because that is such a crucial part of this course.” Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky.. Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:.. Après at The Amp For its third year in a row Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually.. That left just Odermatt and Kristoffersen with the Swiss almost three-quarters of a second up on Pinheiro Braathen from the first run. The overall World Cup leader struggled on the top half of the track and, despite finding some fluency further down, ended up 11 hundredths of the pace to leave the former Norwegian eyeing his adopted nation's first World Cup win. The only man who could deny him was his ex-teammate Kristoffersen who extended his lead on the top of the course with some fluid turns. The 30-year-old lost half of his advantage on the middle section, but had plenty in hand as he secured his fourth career giant slalom victory on the Podkoren. Kristoffersen told FIS that this victory "means a lot". He added, "It was a really nice race, really good conditions both the first and second run. It almost felt better on the second run, to be honest, to ski. "Here, it's so much control of the speed from the hill and the snow. Here, it's the skier. It's not a set-up race, so the shape is pretty OK at the moment." This win saw Kristoffersen close the gap on Odermatt in the giant slalom standings to 41 points with two rounds remaining. He will bid for a weekend double in Sunday's Kranjska Gora slalom. About  .  Contact  .  Donation A recent study using drone mapping has revealed that Dmanisis Gora a 3,000-year-old mountainside fortress in the Caucasus Mountains The discoveries also prompted a reassessment of settlement dynamics during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages which was recently published in the journal Antiquity a Senior Lecturer at Cranfield University’s Forensic Institute and Dimitri Jachvliani of the Georgian National Museum Their work — which has been ongoing since 2018 — showed that Dmanisis Gora had emerged not just as a centerpiece for archaeological research on the South Caucasus but a crucial case study for investigating ancient urbanism and population dynamics Initial excavations took place near a fortified promontory between two deep gorges the fall visit — when thick summer foliage had receded — revealed remains of fortifications and stone buildings stretching well beyond the known inner fortress prompting the use of advanced drone technology to create aerial imagery “The drone took nearly 11,000 pictures which were processed using specialized software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos,” Dr “These datasets allowed us to identify subtle topographic features and create precise maps of fortification walls and other structures within the outer settlement.” The drone survey showed that the fort is expansive with its outer settlement protected by a fortification wall that stretches a kilometer long This makes Dmanisis Gora more than 40 times the size initially estimated The researchers merged aerial photographs with declassified Cold War–era spy satellite images to identify ancient structures from recent modifications attributable to the advent of modern farming Georgia has been a cultural crossroads since ancient times and Dmanisi Gora reflects a mosaic of cultures The massive size and defensive architecture of the site suggest that it was a major settlement in an era of evolving social and political complexity in the region Researchers speculate that the fortress’s growth was not simply due to the population in the surrounding settlement but also to the influx of mobile pastoralists suggesting that this network may have led to seasonal growth and population contractions in the outer settlement Despite the large investment in stone architecture the site shows evidence of low-intensity occupation This supports theories suggesting that pastoral mobility continued to play an important role in Late Bronze and Early Iron Age societies Although numerous regions of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean experienced considerable upheaval during this time the South Caucasus appears to have undergone remarkable continuity in terms of settlement and material culture revealing the daily lives of the people who constructed the fortress and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative beating fellow Norwegian Timon Haugan and Manuel Feller of Austria Picture by REUTERS/Borut ZivulovicBy Rory JiwaniHenrik Kristoffersen continued his love affair with Kranjska Gora on Sunday (2 March 2025) completing a weekend World Cup double in the slalom "It was a good second run," Kristoffersen told FIS TV afterwards "I think I still messed up the top and second part a little bit The bottom I skied really good and the middle part very good It was very tight today so I'm lucky to be on the right side of the hundredths." This victory also gave the 30-year-old a first career weekend double comprising a giant slalom and a slalom "I've been many times second in GS "And also won double weekends in both GS and both in slalom but never in GS and slalom so this was a big goal for me double Van Deer (ski manufacturer) first time missing out on the podium by a hundredth of a second Another Swiss, Tanguy Nef, was fifth ahead of Victor Muffat-Jeandet who was second the last time a World Cup slalom was held at Kranjska Gora four years ago had a superb second run to move up 20 places from 26th at midway He was the top Frenchman in the field as Clement Noel slipped from fifth to 10th place to lose ground on Kristoffersen in the standings After his second in Saturday's giant slalom, Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen was going well on the first run before missing a gate. The technical skiers now have a short break with their next races being a slalom and giant slalom in Hafjell, Norway in a fortnight. The Olympic Winter Games are just a TICKET away 🏂❄️🎿 Sign-up to get a reminder of when the next tickets go live and all the latest news of your favourite national Olympic teams and athletes trying to qualify Aristos is a Newsweek science and health reporter with the London He is particularly focused on archaeology and paleontology although he has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from astronomy and mental health Aristos joined Newsweek in 2018 from IBTimes UK and had previously worked at The World Weekly He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and City University You can get in touch with Aristos by emailing a.georgiou@newsweek.com. Languages: English Archaeologists have uncovered intriguing new insights into a Bronze Age "mega-fortress" that dates back to around 3,000 years ago Researchers conducted a systematic ground and aerial survey of the site which is located in Georgia—a transcontinental country that straddles the boundary between Eastern Europe and West Asia in the South Caucasus region Analysis identified hundreds of man-made features across the site revealing that the fortress complex is significantly larger than previously thought offer a glimpse into societies that existed around the time of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age transition while casting new light on the history of human urbanism Fortress settlements in the South Caucasus appeared in the period 1500–500 B.C and represent an unprecedented historical development in the region some particularly extensive examples of these sites—which the researchers refer to as "mega-fortresses"—remain poorly understood as a settlement type considered to be of "exceptional" preservation and size "[Mega-fortress] is not a term that really been used in a Caucasus context before," study lead author Nathaniel Erb-Satullo a senior lecturer in archaeological science at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom "I wanted to use this term to describe a type of site that has been identified as archaeologists have increasingly investigated fortress landscapes in the South Caucasus." "Hilltop fortresses of up to about 10 hectares have long been known as a defining feature of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in the South Caucasus but recent work has identified enormous extended outer fortification systems around a couple of these sites covering more than 50 hectares," Erb-Satullo said there are perhaps one or two other possible examples but they have not been investigated systematically using recent mapping technologies It is only in the past 15–20 years that researchers have conducted systematic surveys of the areas immediately around fortresses in the region—a trend partly enabled by developments in drone-based mapping technologies After working in Georgia for several years Erb-Satullo and colleagues were taken on a visit to Dmanisis Gora The researchers were impressed by the "massive" stone walls of the inner fortress "It was immediately [clear] that it was a very interesting site deserving of further investigation that at the time we were not aware of how large it was—what we initially saw was what we are now calling the 'inner fortress,'" Erb-Satullo said the researchers conducted further investigations including systematic drone mapping to get a clearer understanding of the site that would not have been possible from the ground "The drone took nearly 11,000 pictures which were knitted together using advanced software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos—composite pictures that show every point as if you were looking straight down," Erb-Satullo said in a press release "These datasets enabled us to identify subtle topographic features and create accurate maps of all the fortification walls and other stone structures within the outer settlement." The investigations revealed that the site was more than 40 times larger than previously understood including a large outer settlement defended by a 0.6-mile-long fortification wall "The key finding was the site was much larger than originally thought that the outer enclosure was filled with many more structures over a larger area than was expected," Erb-Satullo told Newsweek The characteristics of the outer settlement have significance for understanding what kinds of sites these mega-fortresses were the authors propose that the large outer settlement may have been occupied regularly but seasonally—meaning that the population living at the site may have expanded and contracted in different seasons as evidence by the larger accumulation of archaeological layers there "Dmanisis Gora sits at the boundary between present day agricultural and pastoral grazing lands It is possible that it may have been an important stopping point for pastoralists moving animals between lowland winter and highland summer pasture zones," Erb-Satullo said The results suggest "a mechanism for settlement growth that was predicated on building relationships between mobile herders rather than one based on gathering together groups of sedentary (non-mobile) farmers," he said The research feeds into broader debates about the history of human population aggregation and urbanism "Recent archaeological discoveries of large settlements which deviate in one or more ways from traditional definition of cities have forced archaeologists to think carefully about what cities are—or perhaps more usefully what cities do: what their function is in society," Erb-Satullo said "Even though the spatial extent of the site equals or exceeds other ancient cities I probably wouldn't call Dmanisis Gora a city but it does help reshape our understanding of urbanism as a broader phenomenon." Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering Erb-Satullo, N. L., Jachvliani, D., Higham, R., Weber-Boer, K. O., Symons, A., & Portes, R. (2025). Mega-fortresses in the South Caucasus: new data from southern Georgia. Antiquity, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.197 The University of Louisville has hired Jeff Gora and Nick Phillips both seasoned startup founders and supporters to help guide research-backed innovations to market Both will serve as entrepreneurs in residence through the UofL Office of Research and Innovation they will work with inventors to connect UofL technologies to industry and startups Phillips is a seasoned health care investor and startup operator and spent the better part of the last decade building startups and leading early-stage investment and accelerator programs in partnership with some of the world’s leading corporations and international governments a venture-backed men’s health care startup where he is focused on scaling the nationwide digital clinic “There’s a ton of innovation happening in the health care space,” Phillips said “I’m excited to leverage my own experience and work with the researchers and innovators at UofL to further new treatments diagnostics and more that can help people lead healthier lives.” Gora is a dynamic entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience across industries including medical device manufacturing From scaling innovative startups to leading customer-centric retail ventures Jeff has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation “I’m so excited and proud to support the work happening here at UofL to launch and grow startups,” Gora said “This is an opportunity to be part of something that could make a big impact here and across the Commonwealth.” Gora and Phillips join a class of EIRs that currently includes seasoned founders Tendai Charasika (software) and Bill Dawson (biotech) Charasika joined as an EIR in 2021 and helped lead the reimagining of UofL’s Launchit startup bootcamp The EIR program is led by the Office of Research and Innovation’s UofL New Ventures team which focuses on launching startups around research-born tech The EIR program is in partnership with Amplify an organization working to grow Louisville’s entrepreneurship ecosystem with funding from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development “Jeff and Nick bring a lot of knowledge and experience as founders and we’re excited to have them join the team,” said Will Metcalf a UofL associate vice president for research and innovation “They’ll make our already strong team even stronger and I’m looking forward to partnering with them to advance our technologies and startups to the next level.” Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski hugs second-placed Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen next to second-placed Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen celebrates on the podium with second-placed Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and third-placed Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt and third-placed Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt congratulate each other at the finish area Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen competes in an alpine ski Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt competes in an alpine ski Andorra’s Joan Verdu competes in an alpine ski Austria’s Raphael Haaser competes in an alpine ski Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen celebrates winning an alpine ski Slovenia (AP) — Henrik Kristoffersen won his first World Cup giant slalom in three years on Saturday denying runner-up Lucas Pinheiro Braathen what would have been Brazil’s first ever top-level victory in Alpine skiing Pinheiro Braathen improved from seventh after the opening run as he led the race with only first-run leader Kristofferson to come down The Norwegian lost more than half of his advantage but still finished a commanding 0.41 seconds ahead of his former teammate who switched nations and returned to the circuit competing for Brazil this season after a year off really good conditions,” Kristoffersen said who trailed Kristoffersen by 0.15 after the opening run Odermatt smashed a ski pole against the boarding of the finish area after he finished 0.11 behind Pinheiro Braathen you want to keep it until the finish,” said Odermatt who is the Olympic and three-time World Cup GS champion No other skier than Kristoffersen or Odermatt has won in the seven GS races held on the Podkoren course since 2019 Pinheiro Braathen came close to ending the streak but had to settle for his fourth podium result since his switch to the Brazilian federation Joan Verdu of Andorra was third after the opening run but finished ninth River Radamus placed 12th after posting the second-fastest time in the final run on the hill where his former teammate Ted Ligety won a record six times between 2008 and 2014 The Austrian men’s team has not won any of the 34 World Cup races since Manuel Feller won a slalom in February 2024 matching its worst series of winless events in 1991-92 Wendy Holdener and finished second and third in Kranjska Gora to make it back-to-back women's slalom titles in the 2024/25 FIS World Cup season But Ljutic tamed the technical event with a sensational run taking down some of the most respected and established racers on the circuit Ljutic moved fractionally ahead on the splits in the opening sections and built on that advantage with some crisp skiing crossing the line in a time of one minute Holdener had to settle for second place, finishing 0.16s behind Ljutic, with Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson finishing third with 1:40.81. Ljutic now leads in both the slalom discipline and the overall standings for the 2024/25 campaign. “I felt good. I was trying to push everywhere and the only thing that I thought I could do better was let go in the finish a bit earlier but it was enough,” Ljutic told the FIS. to boost her hopes of ending the 2024-25 season with a crystal globe trophy The Olympic gold medallist now leads the women's overall standings Alice Robinson of New Zealand was third. Italy's Federica Brignone, who had led the GS standings, fell on her first run. 2024/25 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup: Results from women's giant slalom We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. SearchBrowseServicesOpen researchInstitution LoginSearchMenu links Recent research on the organisation and growth of large settlements (both urban and non-urban) has prompted a reassessment of factors driving population aggregation Systematic aerial and ground survey of the South Caucasus mega-fortress Dmanisis Gora contributes to the understanding of large fortress settlements in the South Caucasus (c Substantial defensive walls and stone architecture in the outer settlement contrast with low-intensity occupation possibly by a seasonally mobile segment of the population the investigation of large non-urban settlements is an important component of wider investigation of urbanism as a phenomenon Archaeological survey (via remote-sensing, aerial and terrestrial methods) has identified a few large fortress complexes (tens to hundreds of hectares) that may date to the Late Bronze or Iron Age (c. 1500–500 BC) (Badaljan et al. Reference Badaljan, Edens, Kohl and Tonikjan1992; Hammer Reference Hammer2014) but further work is necessary to define this phenomenon South Caucasus mega-fortresses remain poorly understood as a settlement type even with respect to basic questions of size Many of the widely varying ecological and topographic environments of the Caucasus (unploughed temperate forests) are challenging for archaeological survey Site formation processes favouring lateral movement (horizontal stratigraphy) rather than vertical tell-building also pose interpretive difficulties a 60–80ha fortress-settlement of exceptional preservation and size offers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the spatial organisation of one of these large sites these results bring wider discussions of mega-sites into focus for the South Caucasus they contribute to comparative analyses of diversity in the forms of large settlements and offer insights into the factors driving population aggregation particularly in mountainous regions and in areas dominated by pastoralism where research strategies and archaeological preservation have permitted ‘halos’ of settlement (and cemeteries) have been documented around fortresses as well as long segments of fortification walls that extend between or around fortresses Map of the Dmanisi plateau and surrounding areas Former extent of field systems estimated from Corona satellite imagery (mission 1115-2 Elevation data: Shuttle Radar Tomography Mission (figure by R Site formation processes and architectural preservation at Dmanisis Gora are ideally suited for aerial survey Shallow sedimentation in the outer enclosure means that features are visible on the surface Survey was undertaken in early autumn when grass cover was minimal A DJI Phantom 4 RTK unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used to map the entire site and adjacent areas (total: 115ha) An RTK base station provided relative positioning accuracy of 20mm or better digital elevation models and hillshades were produced via photogrammetry from nearly 11 000 aerial photographs in Agisoft Metashape Orthophoto resolution was approximately 1cm/px; digital elevation models were downsampled to 3.4cm/px to capture subtle variations in underlying topography more effectively Ground control points shot with a total station were used to refine georeferencing Features observed in orthophotos and hillshades were investigated through ground-level observation and geospatial datasets were adjusted accordingly the combination of aerial and systematic ground-based observation was necessary for distinguishing natural features in whether a feature was anthropogenic or not Uncertain or otherwise ambiguous features were noted in the geodatabase it did not affect interpretations of overall site structure In the two weeks spent ground-truthing features undiagnostic pieces of ceramic and obsidian debitage were noted in the outer enclosure; systematic surface collection was therefore not attempted Lastly, to contextualise Dmanisis Gora within its wider settlement landscape, we undertook a wider survey of the surrounding areas, targeting fortresses and settlements (Figure 1) While these data are not presented in full here we refer to some of these results where relevant (e.g in reference to fortress-hinterland dynamics) Map of Dmanisis Gora highlighting archaeological features Red dotted line indicates extent of UAV photogrammetry Background image is a Hexagon satellite image (mission: 1210-3 Figure 3. Hillshade (top left) and orthophoto (top right) of fortress core, with plan of trench 2 excavations. For full details of excavations, see Erb-Satullo and Jachvliani (Reference Erb-Satullo and Jachvliani2022) (figure by N were also identified directly to the north of the inner fortress Mounded features were noted on both sides of a field boundary to the north-east of the inner fortress. These are possibly kurgans, but they differ morphologically from other, more definitive burials in the outer settlement (see below). Moreover, their proximity to the field boundary and a long rectangular barn foundation (Figure 2) raises the possibility that they are associated with recent agricultural activities Figure 4. Map of the outer settlement, with labels indicating locations shown in Figures 5 (A & D), 9 and 10. For key to features, see Figure 2; grey fill distinguishes area and linear stone features (figure by N Comparison of fortification walls (A–C) with field boundary walls (D–F) using hillshade (A & D) and orthophotos (B & C Outside the complete 1km fortification wall are three partial sections of additional walls (Figure 2) Two of these align and may once have formed a perimeter wall that was either partially destroyed or never completed The third section is less well preserved but has features more characteristic of a fortification wall than a field boundary The total area of plateau defended by these outer walls is about 80ha though the settlement is mostly contained with the smaller area defined by the complete 1km fortification wall Stone structures are directly associated with the outer fortification walls particularly the 1km complete wall and the southernmost partial wall section These include both rectilinear and curvilinear features some of which appear to be built against the wall Interpretation of these structures and their relationships to the fortification was challenging from surface observation alone might be interpreted as buttresses or watchtowers particularly where adjacent gaps in the wall might indicate the presence of gates are similar to cromlechs (stone tombs) seen elsewhere in the outer enclosure (see below for discussion of mortuary features) Hillshades of field systems showing plough-damaged features (figure by N Comparison of the outer settlement at Dmanisis Gora (left) and a medieval or post-medieval settlement at Kariani Scale and hillshade parameters are identical; note differences in topographic prominence and spatial structure of compounds (figure by N Oblique aerial view of outer enclosure from the north-west (figure by N with transparent grey interpretive overlays showing structures with walls two stones thick (A & B) examples of both curvilinear and rectilinear structures (B–D) and a structure abutting a fortification wall (E) (figure by N Surface detail and possible interpretations of mortuary structures in the outer settlement (figure by N Outcrops of bedrock within the outer enclosure indicate a shallower depth of sediment than in the inner fortress Together with the near total absence of surface ceramics the shallow sedimentation is unusual considering the substantial investment in the built environment shown by the stone architecture and defensive walls (though admittedly unploughed highland pasture is unfavourable to surface visibility of ceramics) The combination of abundant stone-built architecture and apparent low intensity and/or duration of occupation in this area requires explanation The absence of surface ceramics precludes dating of features identified in the outer enclosure through ceramic typologies careful examination of the remains enables some general observations about site chronology These reconstructions must necessarily be provisional there are indications that the field systems terraces and plough furrows post-date the settlement in the outer enclosure The presence of partially preserved plough-damaged structures within the field system supports this conclusion The ruined barn in the field nearest the inner fortress cuts across one of these field boundaries suggesting that the barn is one of the latest structures built on the site most likely in the nineteenth to mid-twentieth century The chronology of the sustained occupation in the inner fortress has bearing on the chronological interpretation of the outer settlement radiocarbon dates and most of the ceramic assemblage reliably dates the occupation in the inner fortress to the late second and first millennia BC Small quantities of possibly post-Iron Age sherds were occasionally identified in the uppermost layers during the excavation of the inner fortress but this activity is at present difficult to characterise and there is little indication of a later settlement of any size Glazed ceramics are a common feature in medieval settlements in the region but only one definitively non-modern glazed sherd of unclear date (10mm × 15mm) has been recorded among the >50 000 sherds processed from the 2018 the proportion of high-fired red and buff sherds (i.e fabrics that are definitely post-Iron Age) recorded is less than one per cent of the assemblage Several lines of reasoning suggest that the outer fortification and settlement were roughly contemporary with the occupation of the inner fortress the structure and architectural style of the outer fortification walls are comparable to the inner fortification walls; both were constructed of minimally or un-worked boulders with a similar range of sizes assembled without mortar into walls more than 2m thick the inner fortress and the outer settlement/fortification walls are mutually dependent with respect to defence so it is implausible that the outer settlement would be occupied when the inner fortress was not Topography restricts surveillance of approaches to the inner fortress from the west while the walls of the outer enclosure have excellent westward visibility most of the outer settlement lacks views of the key point of access to the plateau next to the inner fortress and there are no corresponding eastern defences other than the inner fortress to protect from attacks in that direction It is probable that a settlement of dozens of hectares would take advantage of the defensive affordances of the inner fortress and thus leave clear traces of occupation there The absence of substantial later occupation in the fortress therefore supports a first millennium BC or earlier date for the outer settlement This precludes the possibility of a much later date for the outer settlement In the absence of absolute dating of the outer settlement we cannot categorically rule out other chronological schemes besides our proposed Late Bronze or Iron Age date for the outer fortification and settlement roughly contemporary with the inner fortress Our phasing retains significant uncertainty in the sense that ‘roughly contemporary’ encompasses a range of different possible models of site chronology hypothetical chronologies that differ radically (e.g that the outer settlement and fortification system is medieval or later) are implausible given the current evidence The comparatively thin stratification in the outer settlement suggests a lower intensity or duration of occupation relative to the inner fortress despite the investment that construction of the outer defensive walls and settlement would have entailed One possibility is that occupation in the outer settlement was regular enough to warrant these efforts but short enough to preclude significant archaeological stratification The large outer settlement at Dmanisis Gora may be a manifestation of this phenomenon—a settlement population that expanded and contracted as the mobile segment gathered to evidence for a political or administrative apparatus within these fortresses capable of exercising coercive authority is limited in comparison with Late Bronze Age Hittite and Iron Age Urartian fortresses the protection afforded by gathering around well-defended strongholds especially ones large enough to encompass both people and animals may have been more attractive than coercive especially if such arrangements were more temporary Dmanisis Gora's inner fortress is largely comparable in size to cyclopean fortresses elsewhere including those where large outer enclosures have not been documented While sparse data on lower settlements do not permit a robust region-wide quantitative assessment size of the fortress core does not seem to scale proportionally with the size of the outer settlement If the size of the inner fortress can be viewed as a rough proxy for its administrative capabilities storage facilities and/or capacity for coercive authority the pattern might suggest that the apparatus of authority did not grow in proportion to the size of the settlement This might be consistent with a scenario of fluctuating lower-intensity occupation in the outer settlement and might support models of population aggregation that were more communal than coercive geophysical survey and systematic surface survey the spatial extent of settlement within the enclosure remains unclear primarily due to sedimentation and damage from intensive modern agriculture Other potential large sites lack systematic survey (UAV mapping surface collection or geophysics) which would enable detailed assessment These examples suggest that the Dmanisis Gora mega-fortress while exceptional in size and preservation though more robust evidence regarding site chronology and occupation intensity is needed while it remains unclear to what extent the twelfth-century BC ‘Bronze Age Collapse’ impacted the South Caucasus material culture and settlement patterns in this region show remarkable continuity across the Bronze Age–Iron Age transition suggesting a possible link between settlement dynamics and societal resilience This trajectory appears to be in sharp contrast to the rest of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean requires both more systematic survey of other potentially similar sites and more intensive investigation of Dmanisis Gora itself The authors would like to thank Lara Fabian and Tiffany Earley-Spadoni who provided in-press manuscripts of their upcoming work as well as Kakha Kakhiani and Zurab Makharadze who provided support and encouragement for field research at Dmanisis Gora Support for the project came from the Gerald Averay Wainwright Fund the British Institute at Ankara (BIAA) and a Gerda Henkel Foundation Project Grant (AZ 33/F/22) Hillshade (top left) and orthophoto (top right) of fortress core see Erb-Satullo and Jachvliani (2022) (figure by N with labels indicating locations shown in Figures 5 (A & D) see Figure 2; grey fill distinguishes area and linear stone features (figure by N Too many automated requests from this network - No HTML tags allowed- Web page URLs will display as text only- Lines and paragraphs break automatically- Attachments Your email address will be used in order to notify you when your comment has been reviewed by the moderator and in case the author(s) of the article or the moderator need to contact you directly shared ownership in or any close relationship with any organisation whose interests may be affected by the publication of the response Please also list any non-financial associations or interests (personal religious or other) that a reasonable reader would want to know about in relation to the submitted work This pertains to all the authors of the piece 3B Media105.7 The HOG / Spirit 101.9/ 93.3 The Ranch94.1 The VIBE / 98.9 The WOLF37 South DriveCrossville Phone: 931-484-1057Fax: 931-707-0580 but his favorite hobbies were spending time with his grandchildren He is survived by his wife Judy Kearley Gora; children GeLynna (Tony) Shaw and Shylah Gora; grandchildren Cayden and Gracie Jo; and sisters Berta Merolli and Barbara Carter George was preceded in death by his parents George Washington and Stella (Green) Gora; son Rocky Gora; and siblings Louis Gora A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday left her earthly home to be in the presence… Cynthia “Cindy” Gayle Helton age 56 of Lafollette Phone: 931-484-1057Fax: 931-707-0580 Website by: 3B Media in association with Maximum Site Design National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova welcomed the guests and organizers of the first folklore festival taking place on Saturday in the Kazanlak village of Srednogorovo “Let us continue to maintain traditions and preserve customs relatives and the beloved native village,” she said Kiselova thanked guests for the warm welcome "I think that those who come to Srednogorovo for the first time will be impressed," she pointed out And she wished the residents of the settlement to continue in the same spirit On behalf of Kazanlak Municipality Mayor Galina Stoyanova as well as on behalf of all residents of Srednogorovo the Mayor of the village Iliyan Iliev presented Kiselova with a gilded rose to decorate her office and the National Assembly as well as souvenirs to remind her that on this day she was in their hometown The organizers recalled the motto of the folklore event: “We welcome guests and Kiselova visited the charity culinary exhibition and visited the local church St The restoration of the frescoes and part of the iconostasis took a long time and now the main part of the iconostasis is to be restored so that the church can be used fully The frescoes in the church are the work of the most famous Kazanlak icon painters from the early 19th century The festival was created at the initiative of ​​community centre secretary Boryana Ilieva on the occasion of the  the temple holiday of the local church St Over 400 participants from the town of Kran and the villages of the region Rozovo as well as from the village of Dzhuliunitsa The festival presented the entire palette of Bulgarian folklore with songs Contacts +359 2 9262 210 This website uses cookies. By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages. The Norwegian’s love affair with the Podkoren is renowned and almost three years to the day since Kristoffersen last tasted World Cup GS success, he repeated the trick on his favorite hill to grab maximum points and close to within 41 of standings leader Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli). The Swiss man boasts almost as stellar Kranjska Gora record as his Norwegian rival, but this time around he could not quite find his rhythm on the second run and faded to finish third, 0.52 seconds back. Sandwiched between the two came Lucas Pinheiro-Braathen (BRA/Atomic). His charging afternoon effort propelling him up the leaderboard, just 0.41 seconds away from a first World Cup win in Brazilian colors. That excitement will have to wait a little longer, as will those Andorrans who sensed a rare chance to unfurl their flags. An aggressive, on-the-edge morning run had put Joan Verdu (AND/Head) into third but the 29-year-old slipped out of contention after making too many errors in the afternoon. Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR/Rossignol) knows the feeling. Twice a winner already this season, the youngster was hoping to make his own move in the Crystal Globe race. But fourth after run one, Steen Olsen never found his tempo in run two and dropped all the way down to 19th. Perhaps he will seek out his teammate for advice ahead of Sunday’s Slalom. In the nine Kranjska Gora GS World Cup races since Kristoffersen first landed on the podium in 2016, he has won the race four times, finished second twice and third once more. There may have been nowhere else the 30-year-old wanted to be on Saturday, especially as despite all his recent consistency, Kristoffersen had not won a GS race since his 2022 Podkoren triumph. “Really good conditions, both first run and second run. It almost felt better in the second run to ski, I’ll be honest. First run course set really good, second one a little faster. “Today was a really good day, really good skiing.” No man other than Kristoffersen or Odermatt has won a GS World Cup race in Kranjska Gora since Marcel Hirscher in 2018. And the fact both were on the podium once more sets up the Crystal Globe battle beautifully, with two more races to come. “For sure I feel the pressure, my advantage is getting less and less, smaller and smaller,” Odermatt said, before adding; “But it’s still there. I am going to fight until the end.” Just 0.15 seconds behind Kristoffersen at the halfway-stage, the reigning World Cup GS champion was in a good position to pile the pressure on the leader. But seeimgly thrown out of rhythm by a bumpy beginning, Odermatt leaked time throughout and even a trademark finishing surge could not save him this time. A good race, not the best race, not the race I hoped for but for sure a podium is always good. The Norwegians showed again they are very tough to beat on those spring conditions. – Marco OdermattReward for Pinheiro Braathen after tough timesPinheiro Braathen knows better than most just how good Kristoffersen is in softer snow, and indeed in Kranjska Gora. One-time teammates, Pinheiro Braathen had to be at his very best to come back from 0.88 seconds behind after run one to grab a podium finish. “If I thought the win was possible, I would have been dancing like a maniac in the finish area,” Pinheiro Braathen said with a smile after ending second. “It's really surprising that I was able to clinch Marco today. I'm really proud of that. He's a skier that I respect with so much. So, I'm really proud of that. And Henrik yeah, I mean, he's, he's amazing when it comes to this grindy, salty snow, and especially here in Kranjska Gora. He held it down, claimed the win. Nothing but respect to him.” The 24-year-old’s return to the World Cup after a year-long absence, has been impressive with six top-five finishes across the technical disciplines before Saturday. But things have been challenging recently, making the return to the podium even sweeter. “February, it’s just been tough man, it's just been right hooks to the face, left, right and center. I had no trust in my skiing recently, and then, with the sickness coming into World Champs, really knocked me out. I've spent the following eight, nine days on the bed trying to do everything I can. Analyzing ski racing from the past, working with my ski brand, doing everything in my power besides moving to get back on my feet and to return with the most amount of success. “I've been working so hard to make my way back so to come here on this demanding snow in Kranjska Gora, such a demanding Giant Slalom race, with success, it's a special one for me and my team today.” He will get a chance to improve that second place in Sunday’s Slalom. But they may all be chasing one man again, as he hunts down Ted Ligety’s (USA) resort record of six World Cup wins. “I will hopefully come back next year and tomorrow too, with the Slalom,” Kristoffersen smiled. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Kristoffersen started the second run in joint sixth place but put in a technically brilliant performance to claim his second Slalom victory of the season. It was the first time in his career he has won a GS and a Slalom in the same weekend. His closest rivals for the Slalom Crystal Globe meanwhile lost ground – Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) was fourth and Clément Noël (FRA/Dynastar) finished tenth after a scrappy second run, meaning the Norwegian now has one hand on the trophy with two Slalom races left. It was a fine day for Norway – and for Van Deer skis – too, as Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer) claimed second place. Manuel Feller (AUT/ Atomic), who has struggled to defend the Slalom Crystal Globe he won in fine fashion last season, looked back on form as he finished third. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Audi FIS Ski World Cup (@fisalpine) Kristoffersen seals ‘career goal’ doubleLoic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol) the recently crowned Slalom World Champion but Kristoffersen applied huge pressure on the second The Norwegian has a habit of winning from behind and on a slope he has identified as favouring more technical skiers – “you can’t cheat yourself a good result here” he said yesterday – he once again excelled He made minor errors at the top and mid-section of the course Kristoffersen then faced ten agonising minutes as his rivals tried to top him struggled to find a groove on the rutted track while Meillard was cautious early on and made a big mid-course error because I made a little mistake after the first roller in the second run I still feel like I messed up the top and second section a little bit “It is my first double weekend with GS and Slalom I’ve been second in GS and first in Slalom conditions where it’s all about the skier." has had a feast or famine Slalom season: he has won three times in his last ten World Cup Slalom outings and this was his second time finishing in second place Haugan put in a similar run to his compatriot: technically solid recovering rapidly from occasionally being pushed onto his heels It was his best performance by a mile on this track: his previous best in Kranjska Gora was 20th in 2021 and it’s the first double win for Henrik and I with Van Deer so I’m very happy to get my first podium here.” It was a perfect ski day – Manuel Feller Feller showed the aggressive line and bullish attitude that won him the Globe last season He gained three places in the second run to seal third despite skirting close to skiing out at the top on the first run the middle part was not that good “On the second run I was a little bit surprised after I crossed the finish line that I was only two tenths behind “I was close to DNF on the inside ski two times “When Tanguy [Nef] was behind me I thought ‘OK I’m happy because Loic is the best technical skier right now Kristoffersen will certainly agree with that Iowa - The 2025 Berger Lecture at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary will be held on Martin Luther King Jr Rev. Gilo Gora Agwa (MDiv'14) will present and preach on "Proclaiming and Demonstrating God's Care for Those on the Margins" at 11:00 a.m. January 20 in Blades Chapel, Blades Hall, University of Dubuque. The sermon will also be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/DubuqueSeminary A lunch by reservation will be held after the worship serve at 11:50 a.m. in Blades Chapel. Following the meal, a hybrid closing discussion on the care for immigrants and refugees will occur at 12:30 p.m. in Blades Chapel. To reserve a meal or request a Zoom link to engage in the closing discussion, please contact UDTS@dbq.edu by Monday, January 13, 2025. Agwa holds a bachelor's degree in leadership and development studies from the Mekane Yesus Management and Leadership College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After relocating to the United States in 2011, he continued his theological education, earning a master of divinity from UDTS. Agwa currently serves as the teaching elder for the Fountain of Life Faith Community, a joint ministry supported by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and St. Paul Area Synod. The Foundation of Life Faith Community meets at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, every Sunday afternoon. Additionally, for the past eight years, Agwa has worked as a part-time chaplain at Sanford Health/Good Samaritan Society Nursing in Stillwater, Minnesota. Agwa's current ministry in Minnesota includes micro projects focused on serving refugees from Ethiopia and South Sudan, particularly the Anuak community. The Berger Lectures on Preaching were established by alumni and friends of UDTS in memory of the later professor of preaching, David I. Berger. The first run had set the stage for an intense battle, with nothing separating Ljutic and Holdener as they pulled over a second ahead of the rest of the field. Holdener, 31, set a blistering pace in her second run, momentarily taking the lead and appearing poised for victory. However, Ljutic’s ability to lift her game even higher in the face of pressure secured her the top spot. “I was trying to push everywhere,” Ljutic explained. “I hoped it was enough, and it was.” Holdener was gracious in defeat, stating, “I attacked, I gave everything. It’s an amazing fight.” The 31-year-old had naturally hoped to snatch the season-standing lead in the absence of legends like Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Petra Vlhova of Slovakia, but now faces the challenge of holding off the younger generation. The women’s technical racers prepare for the next slalom in Flachau, Austria, on January 14, while the speed women will compete at St. Anton, Austria, on January 11 and 12. The women’s team will head back to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team headquarters in Toblach for training. 2025·Alpine SkiingSara Hector (SWE/Head) celebrates after winning the Kranjska Gora Giant Slalom on Saturday ©Agence ZoomAfter spending much of the week in her sick bed and then inadvertently revealing her meal of choice between runs Sara Hector (SWE) might have discovered not one but two secrets to success Despite being less than 100 percent healthy the 32-year-old Swede held off a spirited challenge from the next generation of World Cup stars to dominate Saturday's Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora and win by nearly a second and a half The Olympic Giant Slalom champion won her second race of the season using a scintillating first run to set up her victory ahead of 18-year-old Lara Colturi (ALB/Blizzard +1.42s) and 23-year-old Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon who was still coughing during her post-race interviews "I couldn't believe it this morning And rest wasn't the only successful recipe for Hector after mishearing a question in her victory interview another secret weapon that fuelled her between the two runs: a sandwich with scrambled eggs Hector moved into the lead in both the Giant Slalom and Overall World Cup standings as the new year begins and is well-positioned in both races with Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) still recovering from injury and Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI/Head) down on her form of a season ago Colturi and Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR/Rossignol) were the only top skiers to find the right combination of aggression and technique leading second-placed Colturi by 1.13 seconds at the halfway stage "These conditions really fit me very well," Hector admitted Almost everyone else struggled to find their grip in the first run including the two most decorated skiers in the field: Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) who went down and out on her inside ski midway down the course to register a DNF; and Gut-Behrami who lost time all the way down the piste and found herself nearly a second and three-quarters behind the Swedish leader Julia Scheib (AUT/Rossignol) threw down the gauntlet with the fastest time from equal 13th taking the lead and holding it for the next nine skiers until Robinson overtook her while speed star Sofia Goggia (ITA/Atomic) skied the second-best run of the afternoon session to finish fifth As the race reached its climax with the final five skiers Gut-Behrami couldn't take advantage of a course set by her father and coach while Stjernesund dropped four places from third to seventh who won three World Cup races as a teenager and has found her way back to close to that form in the last season and a half took the lead and guaranteed herself a place on the podium when Stjernesund faltered "I knew I could have done better on the first run," said Robinson didn't quite take advantage of a course set by her coach in the morning session "I think I skied solid but was just too conservative I just wanted to attack and go for it and not overthink anything I think I found a good balance of pushing and also being smart with the tactics." Colturi aimed to emulate fellow youngster Zrinka Ljutic's (CRO/Atomic) maiden victory last Sunday and skied wisely beyond her years to overtake Robinson although she was ultimately no match for Hector "It just feels amazing," Colturi said of her second World Cup podium "I was feeling really confident in myself in the last week and finally I've made two really good runs." As for holding her nerve in the second run she said simply: "I was just thinking (of) having fun like always was error-free and never troubled as she powered away from Colturi's splits with the third-fastest second run to confirm her seventh World Cup victory and second in the Slovenian resort after her 2022 triumph With some more rest on Saturday night — and maybe another sandwich or two — the veteran Swede will be back at it again on Sunday in the Slalom at 10:00 CET hoping to complete the Kranjska Gora double Home → Science → Archaeology Researchers have long known about the formidable scale of the Dmanisis Gora fortress but a recent study has unveiled its true magnitude Using drone-based imagery and photogrammetry a team of scientists has revealed that this 3,000-year-old structure in the Caucasus Mountains spans an astonishing 60 to 80 hectares The South Caucasus is a region that today largely corresponds to the countries of Armenia which are sometimes called the ‘Caucasus states’ marked by rugged mountains and diverse ecosystems As the area is situated at the boundary between Europe, the Eurasian Steppe, and the Middle East, the Caucasus has been a cultural crossroads with distinctive local identities. It’s also a place that has had to withstand some of the most expansive empires in human history fortress settlements started emerging in the area These fortresses weren’t like traditional cities They combined defensive strategies with communal living spaces Located on a plateau with steep-sided gorges providing natural defenses the fortress showcases the ingenuity of its builders enclose not only the inner fortress but also an expansive outer settlement These features suggest that the site served as both a stronghold and a center of social and economic activity Senior Lecturer in Architectural Science at Cranfield Forensic Institute his co-director from the Georgian National Museum the scientists conducted an aerial survey of the region “That was what sparked the idea of using a drone to assess the site from the air,” commented Dr “The drone took nearly 11,000 pictures which were knitted together using advanced software to produce high-resolution digital elevation models and orthophotos—composite pictures that show every point as if you were looking straight down This approach is called photogrammetry. In this technique, researchers take numerous, partially overlapping aerial photos. They measure precisely (up to a few millimeters) where the photos were taken and then they use complex algorithms to stitch them together “These datasets enabled us to identify subtle topographic features and create accurate maps of all the fortification walls and other stone structures within the outer settlement The results of this survey showed that the site was more than 40 times larger than originally thought including a large outer settlement defended by a 1km-long fortification wall.” The researchers also compared the results with 50-year-old photos taken by a Cold War-era spy satellite declassified in 2013 nothing which features were new and which were ancient life revolved around a duality—protection and community The heart of this settlement was its inner fortress surrounded by sturdy stone structures and remnants of their daily lives hinting at a community that was both self-reliant and closely knit Beyond the main walls stretched an outer settlement Imagine walking through dispersed compounds—some rectangular others curvilinear—separated by open spaces where people could coexist while still maintaining their independence This is why Dmanisis Gorais so intriguing for archaeologists because it represents a strange settlement type Its size rivals that of medieval towns in the region yet its layout suggests a different kind of community structure Dmanisis Gora’s outer settlement consisted of dispersed compounds with open spaces in between “Dmanisis Gora isn’t just a significant find for the Southern Caucasus region but has a broader significance for the diversity in the structure of large-scale settlements and their formation processes “We hypothesize that Dmanisis Gora expanded because of its interactions with mobile pastoral groups, and its large outer settlement may have expanded and contracted seasonally Moreover, the site’s scale and complexity suggest that Late Bronze and Early Iron Age societies in the South Caucasus were more interconnected and sophisticated than previously thought. This finding aligns with emerging evidence of extensive trade networks and cultural exchanges during this period The study was published in the journal Antiquity. © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved. © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 2 months agoDuration 1:33:02FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Kranjska Gora: Men's giant slalom run 22 months agoSportsDuration 1:33:02Watch the second runs of the FIS alpine ski World Cup men's giant slalom from Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |May 5Video11:28 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem Richard Omaya Atuya and Joyce Muthoni Njeru achieved a Kenyan double at the Smarna Gora Race, the 10th race in this season’s Valsir Mountain Running World Cup, on Saturday (5). Cool, drizzly and misty conditions greeted the runners for the race on the outskirts of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, making it a good temperature for running, but muddy in places with low visibility. The damp conditions also made the technical sections of rock tricky.  Taking on the 10km course that featured 710m of ascent, it was Omaya Atuya, the winner at Grossglocker and La Montee du Nid d’Aigle, who led in the opening stages of the men’s race. Josphat Kiprotich was a few seconds behind, ahead of Paul Machoka, with Michael Selelo Saoli 10 seconds further back.  By the second timing point it was all change. Kiprotich had taken the lead but it was incredibly close, with Omaya Atuya five seconds behind. There was another five seconds to Selelo Saoli, with Machoka right behind him. Former winner Timotej Becan lay in fifth place at that point, with just a minute separating the top five.  A trio of Italian runners – Andrea Elia, Alberto Vender and Tiziano Moia – sat just behind and the battle for places among the Italian runners was an interesting race in itself.  Omaya Atuya did catch Kiprotich in the final stages and he took the win in a race record of 41:30. Machoka secured second in 42:05 and Seleo Saoli third in 42:31. Kiprotich faded to fourth place (43:02), though this will still gain him valuable World Cup points, while Elia won the battle for fifth in 42:07. In the women’s race it was initially Scout Adkin who took the lead on approach to the first timing point, though Muthoni Njeru was right on her heels with one second separating them. Joyce Muthoni Njeru celebrates her Smarna Gora Race win (© WMRA / Marco Gulberti) It was no surprise to see Philaries Jeruto Kisang and last year’s winner Susanna Saapunki just behind them. Nusa Mali, who was third last year, was 10 seconds behind, while Alice Gaggi was also still in contention with the leading group.  By the second timing point Muthoni Njeru had overtaken Adkin and opened up a 40-second lead. Jeruto Kisang was a minute further back, with Mali in fourth, Gaggi in fifth and Saapunki dropped back to sixth.  Ultimately Muthoni Njeru could not be caught and she held off Adkin to win in 49:43. Adkin took second in 50:13, then there was a gap to Jeruto Kisang in third in 52:52. Saapunki fought her way back to take fourth in 53:21, with Mali just behind for fifth in 53:27. Adkin was racing the morning after winning the Smarna Gora Record, a short blast uphill (1.85km with 360m of ascent). Luka Kovacic won the men's event. With just two races to go, excitement is building in the World Cup competition. With today’s point, Adkin has overtaken Jeruto Kisang to move into second place in the rankings. Muthoni Njeru has strengthened her position as leader with 288 points, but it is still possible for Adkin and Jeruto Kisang to catch her next weekend.  In the men’s World Cup standings, the top four remain the same, but Omaya Atuya has overtaken Machoka to move into fifth place. It’s all very close at the top, with Patrick Kipngeno on 235 points, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago on 227 and Kiprotich now on 216. It’s all to play for in Chiavenna.  2 months agoDuration 1:36:14FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Kranjska Gora: Men's slalom run 22 months agoSportsDuration 1:36:14Watch the second runs of the FIS alpine ski World Cup men's slalom from Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen competes in the first run of the giant slalom event in Kranjska GoraJure Makovec / AFPHenrik Kristoffersen kept his head to deliver a flawless second run and seal his first giant slalom win of the season in Slovenia on Saturday.The Norwegian was leading in Kranjska Gora after the first run but was up against it as former Norwegian now competing under the Brazilian flag Lucas Pinheiro Braathen put in a storming second run to jump to the top of the pack with six skiers still to go One by one they fell short of the mark - Alexander Steen Olsen, fourth in the morning, trailing in 19th, Joan Verdu (third) settling for ninth, and Marco Odermatt slotting in second Then it was all eyes on whether Kristoffersen could deny Brazil their first ever World Cup win with all Pinheiro Braathen's previous wins coming before he switched allegiance to his mother's country after a falling out with the Norwegian ski federation The 30-year-old Kristoffersen wasn't about to let his first win of the season go begging going green in all the sectors for a combined time of two minutes 18.18 seconds almost better on the second run," he said The former double world champion (giant slalom in 2019 and slalom in 2023) was taking his World Cup tally to 32 wins Austria's Raphael Haaser who upstaged defending champion Odermatt and the mighty Swiss men's team to claim world giant slalom gold on home snow in Saalbach Kristoffersen moved to within 41 points of Odermatt with two races to go who won the super-G crown at last month's world championships holds a handsome lead in the overall World Cup standings with 10 races of the season remaining by January 21, 2025Source: YouTube a critical territory for protecting NATO's eastern flank & maintaining regional stability This looks unsettling and compelling - a very tense Polish spy series to watch Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Max's series The Eastern Gate, direct from Max's YouTube: Find more posts in: Streaming, To Watch, Trailer Add our RSS to your Feedly +click here+ Latest posts now available on Bluesky: Get the latest posts sent on Telegram Want emails instead?Subscribe to our dailynewsletter updates: