CLASSIC MAYA WARFARE AND WEAPONS: Spear, dart, and arrow points of Aguateca and Copan

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuo Aoyama

To provide some insights into the nature and role of warfare in the rise, development, and decline of Classic Maya civilization, this article discusses spear, dart, and arrow points used by the Classic Maya elites at the rapidly abandoned fortified city of Aguateca, Guatemala, and their temporal and spatial distribution patterns in and around Copan, Honduras. Both the royal family and elite scribes/artists at Aguateca used spear and dart points for intergroup human conflict as well as for artistic and craft production under enemy threat. An important implication is that the ruler and elite scribes/artists were also warriors. The unusually high concentrations of identifiable weaponry at the Early Classic hilltop center of Cerro de las Mesas as well as the Acropolis and other Late Classic locations in the Copan Valley, along with other lines of evidence, indicate that warfare was critical in the development and downfall of Classic Maya civilization at Copan.

Author(s):  
James Alan Doyle

Through a broad discussion on the full monumental program at Naranjo during the reigns of Lady Six Sky and her son K'ak Tiliw Chan Chaak, this article provides new information about the role of women in Late Classic Maya civilization (AD 600-900). A detailed exploration of the distinct trends in the monumental program from 682-741 AD supports the primary argument for Lady Sky Six’s underlying importance in ritual representation. The author finds considerable evidence that suggests the transfer of power from mother to son during the latter years of Lady Sky Six. A concluding discussion of Naranjo focuses on spatial analysis of the monuments spread across the site core in relation to dual-gendered ritual space, as well as contrasting martial and mythological imagery.


Archaea ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth W. Vissers ◽  
Flavio S. Anselmetti ◽  
Paul L. E. Bodelier ◽  
Gerard Muyzer ◽  
Christa Schleper ◽  
...  

Despite their crucial role in the nitrogen cycle, freshwater ecosystems are relatively rarely studied for active ammonia oxidizers (AO). This study of Lake Lucerne determined the abundance of bothamoAgenes and gene transcripts of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) over a period of 16 months, shedding more light on the role of both AO in a deep, alpine lake environment. At the surface, at 42 m water depth, and in the water layer immediately above the sediment, AOA generally outnumbered AOB. However, in the surface water during summer stratification, when both AO were low in abundance, AOB were more numerous than AOA. Temporal distribution patterns of AOA and AOB were comparable. Higher abundances ofamoAgene transcripts were observed at the onset and end of summer stratification. In summer, archaealamoAgenes and transcripts correlated negatively with temperature and conductivity. Concentrations of ammonium and oxygen did not vary enough to explain theamoAgene and transcript dynamics. The observed herbivorous zooplankton may have caused a hidden flux of mineralized ammonium and a change in abundance of genes and transcripts. At the surface, AO might have been repressed during summer stratification due to nutrient limitation caused by active phytoplankton.


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stavros Xirouchakis ◽  
Manolis Nikolakakis

We carried out a four-year (1995-1999) survey on the foraging and breeding distribution of Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus on the island of Crete. The age classes of all birds sighted were systematically recorded and data on seasonal distribution patterns were collected; 262 observations were made covering an area of about 4,000 km2, at altitudes ranging from 200 m to 2,450 m a.s.l (mean 1,100 m). Adult birds were distributed evenly throughout the island while young birds avoided active territories and were mostly sighted at the periphery of the high mountains. The species depended almost entirely on domestic livestock herded into and away from the mountains seasonally, with birds foraging in the uplands (> 1,200 m a.s.l.) from early May to late October and frequenting midland pastures (600-1,200 m a.s.l.) for the rest of the year. The mean altitude of nesting sites was 750 m (range = 280-1,450 m), with 80% of nests positioned below the 1,000 m contour. Bearded Vultures are more vulnerable to human-induced mortality within their breeding territories and on midland pastures in winter than in the upland areas in summer.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110547
Author(s):  
Xuhao Chen ◽  
Bingzhen Li ◽  
Chun Zhang

Purpose To assess the distribution pattern of aerosol in the aspect of time and direction during the intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by air-puff non-contact tonometer (NCT) and further offer references for protection from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in the routine ophthalmic examination. Method A single-center observational study was conducted in the ophthalmology clinics of Peking University Third Hospital. Two air quality detectors were equipped to assess the generated particulate matter (PM) concentration simultaneously within 30 s after IOP measurement in the outpatient hall. Detector A was fixed next to the NCT as a reference, while Detector B was fixed 1 meter away. The participants were divided into two groups depending on the position of Detector B. The generation of aerosol was compared within different groups and time intervals. Results 144 participants were enrolled in the final analysis. At a 1 m distance from the NCT, the PM2.5 concentration significantly increased at the 30 s ( Z = 2.898, Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.038) while the PM10 concentration increased immediately after the IOP measurement ( Z = 2.967, Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.030). The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at 1 m were significantly higher immediately ( Z = −2.183, P = 0.029; Z = −2.502, P = 0.012) and 30 s ( Z = −2.021, P = 0.043; Z = −2.071, P = 0.038) after the IOP measurements when the Detector B was vertical to the air jet on the lateral side. Conclusions NCT may produce aerosol after the IOP measurement by air-puff. The generated PM2.5 had a prolonged existence compared with PM10 at a 1 m distance. The lateral side of the air-puff direction may be of higher exposure risk to aerosol.


1994 ◽  
Vol 301 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Creech Kraft ◽  
T Schuh ◽  
M R Juchau ◽  
D Kimelman

Recently, the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of the retinoid receptor ligands 9-cis-retinoic acid and all-trans-retinoic acid were described in Xenopus embryos during early development [Creech Kraft, Schuh, Juchau and Kimelman (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., in the press]. The present study demonstrates the presence and distribution of their likely precursors, all-trans-retinol, didehydroretinol, didehydroretinal and all-trans-retinal, as well as the occurrence of 4-oxo metabolites, in Xenopus embryos. The temporal and spatial distribution patterns of all-trans-retinol, didehydroretinol and all-trans-retinal did not coincide with that observed for 9-cis-retinoic acid but, in certain regards, were similar to the patterns delineated for all-trans-retinoic acid and all-trans-retinoyl beta-glucuronide. Evidence is presented that 9-cis-retinoic acid can be synthesized from both all-trans-retinoic acid and all-trans-retinol in Xenopus embryos, suggesting that the difference between the distributions of 9-cis-retinoic acid and the other retinoids may be caused by selective synthesis and/or protein binding of the 9-cis isomer.


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