1,000-year-old Wood carved Mother Mary artifacts discovered in Davao City

1,000-year-old Wood carved Mother Mary artifacts discovered in Davao City

 

 Carved Mother Mary necklace, dating from 2014 to 2015 Philippine artifact were discovered in Davao City, Philippines last year.

Archaeologists have used radiocarbon dating to establish that it was made of a wood in the Philippines that instinct for over 4 centuries ago. The ancient item were discovered by Nerise Caitlin Adorador, a student of Ateneo de Davao University.

The 1000-year-old necklace was preserved by the Davao museum. A mixture of organic sediments assisted in the preservation process of the wooden necklace. Even the nylon string are preserved.

The necklace was carved in a Narra wood, it is the national tree of the Philippines 1000 years ago. The Mother Mary was carved precisely and finished it with black matte paint. Nylon string was knot together to become the necklace lock.

 

It was the Philippine culture that wood carvings are used as aesthetics giveaways and souvenirs to tourist. Until such time when nature takes its revenge to humans through global warming. Global warming takes its peak every year it becomes hotter and hotter until it destroyed the forest and causes fire across the equator. Philippines is above the equator and almost all the climate changes in the world Philippines experienced it the most. These fires spread across the Philippines forestry leaving dead trails to Philippine nature.

NARRA TREE (Pterocarpus indicus)

 

Narra is a big tree, growing to 33 meters in height and two meters diameter. The trunks are usually fluted and buttressed to seven meters diameter at the base. Narra bears many long branches that are at first ascending, but eventually arching over and sometimes drooping at the ends. Its leaves bear about 12 alternate leaflets. The leaflets are rather large—about 7 x 3.5 to 11 x 55 centimeters—and ovate to elliptic in shape. (Ramon Aboitiz Foundation INC., 2011)

The flowers are small, yellow, fragrant and borne in large axillary panicles. When flowering, the buds do not open in daily sequence. Instead, as the buds come to full size, they are kept waiting, to be triggered into opening. The opened flowers last for one day. After that, several days may pass before another batch of accumulated “ready” buds open. Whole avenues of such trees, blooming in unpredictable synchrony make a splendid display.

The fruits, which take four months to mature, are disc-shaped, flat, and have winged margins. About five centimeters across, the fruit have a central woody-corky bulge containing several seeds. Unlike most legumes trees, the fruit is indehiscent and is dispersed by wind. It also floats in water and can be water-dispersed. There are 1-3 seeds in each fruit.

USES

 

Bark and resin extracts is used to treat diarrhea while root extract is applied on syphilitic sores. The wood increases urination, cures diarrhea, and has antimalarial properties. The fruit kernel can induce vomiting.

The red latex is used in folk remedies for tumors and the plant for cancers, especially of the mouth. The kino obtained from this tree contains kinotannic acid and can be administered for diarrhea, often combined with opium. It is also used as a folk remedy for bladder ailments, dropsy, headache, sores, stones, thrush, and tumors of the abdomen.

The young leaves are applied on ripening boils, skin ulcers and prickly heat. Leaves soak on water relieves stomach trouble, sprue (a tropical disease affecting mouth, throat, and digestion), palpitation of the heart, rheumatism, abnormal mucous discharge from the vagina and fever.

Bark and resin extracts is used to treat diarrhea while root extract is applied on syphilitic sores. The wood increases urination, cures diarrhea, and has antimalarial properties. The fruit kernel can induce vomiting. The red latex is used in folk remedies for tumors and the plant for cancers, especially of the mouth. The kino obtained from this tree contains kinotannic acid and can be administered for diarrhea, often combined with opium. It is also used as a folk remedy for bladder ailments, dropsy, headache, sores, stones, thrush, and tumors of the abdomen.

The young leaves are applied on ripening boils, skin ulcers and prickly heat. Leaves soak on water relieves stomach trouble, sprue (a tropical disease affecting mouth, throat, and digestion), palpitation of the heart, rheumatism, abnormal mucous discharge from the vagina and fever.

                                                                   

As the destruction of the national tree of the Philippines, Narra Trees; the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered to developed the affected areas of fires to be planted series of Narra trees to preserve the culture of the Philippines. Until such time that it can no longer grow in our land.

Soil Erosion

There are terms of which the damage of the fire causes. The most damaging long-term resource impact that can occur after wildfire is soil erosion. Erosion robs land of its soil and its ability to grow vigorous trees. A healthy forest functions to keep soil in place on the land. The forest canopy intercepts raindrops and reduces their impact on the soil. Rain which makes it through the canopy is intercepted by the litter layer which covers the forest floor. Together, the canopy and litter layer protect the soil by keeping the rain from detaching soil particles. Without this protection, detached soil particles can wash down denuded slopes, entering stream channels and reducing water quality and altering or degrading aquatic habitat.

In addition to protecting soil from the force of rain, a litter layer functions to help the soil absorb rainwater. In the absence of litter, rain is more likely to hit the soil surface and run off than infiltrate into the soil, reaching the stream channels faster, leading to an increase in the possibility for flooding.

Your burned forest land is at increased risk for soil erosion if:

·         The forest litter layer has burned off, exposing bare soil

·         The forest canopy has burned away, reducing rainfall interception

·         The fire was of high intensity causing soil to repel water

·         Slopes are steep

·         Rain falls in large amounts quickly

·         The soil is highly erodible

·         Your land is directly downslope from other burned areas

Erosion Control Measures

There are a number of erosion control measures that can be taken to lower the soil erosion hazard and protect your land’s productivity and water quality during the first few years after a fire. The goal of these methods is to cover the soil surface to protect it from raindrop impact, to improve the soil’s ability to absorb water, and reduce the amount and speed of overland water flow.