Scientists say the first full chemical analysis of medicine tablets found in an ancient shipwreck suggests that health care in the Roman world was surprisingly sophisticated. Our science reporter Rebecca Morelle has more.
For more than 2,000 years, six grey tablets lay locked away inside a small tin box kept safe from the corrosive seawater all around. The Roman shipwreck they were found on called the Pozzino was first discovered in the 1970s off the west coast of Italy. But it’s only now that the medicine has been fully analyzed. An Italian team of scientists carefully took samples from the fragile material and discovered it was packed full of different ingredients. They found pine resin which has anti-bacterial properties, animal fats and possibly olive oil, known for its use in ancient perfumes and medicinal preparations. They also found zinc compounds. The scientists said the composition of the tablets suggested that they could have been used to treat eye infections.
Crowds of people in southern China have rallied in support of journalists who called a strike to protest against censorship. Some carried posters demanding freedom of expression as hundreds gathered at the offices of the Southern Weekend newspaper in Guangzhou. The strike at the influential weekly followed the censorship of a hard-hitting editorial on political freedom.
BBC News
第二页:重点词汇解析
curb