Cult, herding, and 'pilgrimage' in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia: Excavations at a mustatil east of AlUla.

Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now called mustatil have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken, although this study could not determine the precise function of these features. Recent excavations in AlUla have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic taxa deposited around a betyl.

Geometric morphometrics on juvenile crania: Exploring age and sex variation in an Australian population.

For medico-legal forensic practitioners the identification of unknown remains is an important part of any investigation, often predicated on having accurate estimations of age and sex. In considering the specific skeletal elements available to facilitate such biological information, the cranium is frequently targeted for analysis, as it exhibits marked traits of sexual dimorphism, and also has a predictable pattern of growth. There are, however, instances where it may not be possible to estimate skeletal sex, especially in the juvenile skeleton.

Provision of maternity care for women in remote Far West New South Wales: how far have we come?

Background: The National Maternity Services Review in 2009 sought to address the ongoing issues of access, workforce capacity and inequalities in health outcomes for women and their babies in rural and remote Australia. The subsequent National Maternity Services Plan describes the type of care that should be offered to all women in Australia.

Objective: The aim of our study was to better understand the local context and progress in delivering recommendations of the National Plan to improve maternity services for women in remote communities of Far West New South Wales.

Investigating the potential for evidence-based midwifery-led services in very remote Australia: viewpoints from local stakeholders.

Background: Since the National Maternity Services Review, non-medical models of care involving midwives as the primary care giver are gaining prominence in urban settings in Australia. However, there remains a paucity of evidence about which non-medical primary maternity care models are best suited for rural and remote communities.

Aim: We investigated the perceptions, acceptability and barriers and enablers to the delivery of non-medical primary maternity care models in Far West NSW, as an example of remote Australia.