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Sometimes called scaly anteaters, pangolins are the only mammals whose bodies are covered in hard scales. Pangolins are found in South, Southeast and East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. There are eight living species, and all eight species of pangolins are threatened with extinction. More than 1 million pangolins have been trafficked in the last decade. However, humans have been exploiting pangolins for hundreds of years. In China, traditional medicine prescriptions for pangolins scales can be traced back to at least the year 480 CE. ....
The Scottish archaeologist T.B. Mitford (1905-1978) from St. Andrew’s University and J. H. Iliffe, (1903-1960) the then director of Liverpool City Museum, excavated the site of Kouklia (Palaepaphos) from 1950 to 1955. The site was previously known to archaeologists but was never really properly excavated. During a visit to the island in 1949 Iliffe and Mitford found out from the locals about much sculpture being discovered not far from the village. Cyprus was at the time under British occupation. Mittford and Illife secured a licence to excavate the site in 1950. Mittford had a strong epigraphic background and knew of epigraphic evidence about the area’s rich history and its strong independent city kingdom. Illife was also specialised in Near Eastern Archaeology. Liverpool Museum had lost many of its collections during the 1941 Blitz and Iliffe may have been motivated to enrich the museum’s collections thr ....