Painting, Writing, and Polity in Teotihuacan, Mexico

1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Millon
Keyword(s):  
Wall Painting ◽  
Mural Paintings ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Units ◽  
Teotihuacan Mexico

AbstractTwo hitherto unrelated Teotihuacan mural paintings, no longer in situ, probably are companion pieces from upper and lower walls in the same portico or room or in related porticos or rooms of the same compound. The tassel headdresses worn by the figures in the paintings appear to be insignia of "Rain God"-related social units or institutions, signifying leadership and authority, with military associations. The contexts in which the tassel headdresses occur, both within the ancient city and outside its borders, suggest that persons with rights to the headdress may have been members of or attached to the ruling establishment or the bureaucracy of the Teotihuacan state. The unique two-part notation on the upper wall painting appears to be hierarchically ordered, corresponding to a ranking either of the social units to which the figures belong, or of institutions which they represent, or of places associated with them.

MEASUREMENT IN CACAXTLA: A MULTICULTURAL AND SYMBOLIC CONVERGENCE

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Geneviève Lucet
Keyword(s):  
Social Construction ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Mural Paintings ◽  
The Social ◽  
Maya Area ◽  
Reference Measurements ◽  
Creating Meaning ◽  
The Way

Abstract From the analysis of the mural paintings at Cacaxtla, it was determined that the painters shared a system of measurement with the builders of this site and those of the Puuc area. In the Maya area, the basic unit was divided into subunits that measured its ninth and sixteenth parts but the division system found in Cacaxtla corroborates this information and shows that it derived from working in situ with a string that is folded in half or in thirds in a repetitive manner. Study of the composition of the paintings shows the use of a grid, a resource widely used in Mesoamerica. Furthermore, the use of units of measurement found in Teotihuacan and Nahua culture in combination with the zapal system open the discussion about measurement as a resource for creating meaning. This expression must be contextualized in the multicultural expressions found in the paintings and this period of political reconfiguration, the Epiclassic (a.d. 650–950). The systems used to measure distances, time, liquids, and weights come from concepts and knowledge developed over centuries. Progressively, these systems were incorporated into shared customary systems among specific populations, thus integrating a series of factors specific to the culture of the social group that generated them (Morley and Renfrew 2010; Renfrew and Morley 2010). Different features stand out in this collective social construction, mainly regarding what is measured (sometimes in reference to something physical and sometimes a concept), the type of reference measurements used (for example, with or without relation to the human body), the way of relating what is large with that which is small, and the way in which the measurement is applied to the object.

Specialized Production of San Martín Orange Ware at Teotihuacan, Mexico

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin S. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Complex Societies ◽  
Pottery Production ◽  
Specialized Production ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
Basic Production ◽  
Organization Of Production ◽  
Socioeconomic Organization ◽  
Social Units ◽  
San Martín ◽  
Teotihuacan Mexico

AbstractSpecialized production forms an important component of the socioeconomic organization of ancient complex societies. Excavation provides critical information on the internal organization of production within a particular workshop and permits the recovery of features not preserved on the surface. In large settlements like Teotihuacan where modern occupation covers much of the ancient city, it is not feasible to fully excavate every suspected craft production locale. At Teotihuacan and in other complex societies, the use of surface indications to generate thematic maps permits discussion of the spatial relationships between economic and social units within the settlement. I use the surface collections made by the Teotihuacan Mapping Project and the partial excavation of one apartment compound and ceramic workshop in the Tlajinga district to consider the organization of specialized production in this neighborhood. I rely on the co-occurrence of ceramic production indicators to define likely workshops, using the surface collections from the excavated workshop as a reasonable indicator of production. Considering the evidence for vessel form specialization and dimensional standardization and previous ethnoarchaeological analyses of the excavated materials, Tlajinga district pottery production appears to have been maximally organized at the community level, with individual apartment compounds forming the basic production units.

scholarly journals Home Ranges and Movements of Elk (Cervus canadensis) Restored to Southern Ontario, Canada

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Rosatte
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Winter Range ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cervus Canadensis ◽  
Summer Range ◽  
Seasonal Basis ◽  
Social Units ◽  
Winter Feeding

During 2000 and 2001, Elk (Cervus canadensis) were restored to the Bancroft, Ontario area. The objective of this study was to determine the home range and movements of six social units of Elk, 5–12 years after restoration, in an area of about 2500 km2 near Bancroft. Home range and movements were calculated from 40 221 Global Positioning System locations acquired from 56 collared Elk (16 bulls and 40 cows) between 2006 and 2013. Annual home ranges were found to be significantly greater (mean 110.3 km2, standard error [SE] 11.2) for Elk in areas where winter feeding by humans did not occur compared with those (mean 51.0 km2, SE 9.0) where winter feeding was prevalent. Elk in winter feeding areas had smaller ranges in winter than other seasons. On a seasonal basis, home range size was larger for Elk in areas where winter feeding did not occur; mean winter home range for Elk in non-feeding areas was 73.4 km2 (SE34.0) compared with 8.3 km2 (SE 2.6) for Elk in areas where winter feeding occurred. The 20 Elk that were monitored for multiple years exhibited home range fidelity among years. The entire range of all radio-collared Elk within the social groups studied covered 1716.4 km2 during 2006–2013. Average daily movements of Elk in the study arearanged from 1.0 to 2.1 km/day with greatest movements occurring during spring and summer. However, some Elk were capable of moving an average of 5–7km in a 12-h interval. Movements (about 5 km) to winter range occurred during October to December each year. Cows moved to calving areas in May with mean movements of Elk to spring/summer range about 6 km. Cow/calf groups moved to fall ranges by early September with mean movements of about 4 km. During the rut, mean bull movements of 16.0 km to cow groups over 1–5 days occurred in early September. Hunting of Elk during the fall of 2011 and 2012 did not appear to significantly affect the movements and dispersion of Elk in the study area.

scholarly journals X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of a Gold Ibex and other Artifacts from Akrotiri

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Karydas ◽  
T. Pantazis ◽  
C. Doumas ◽  
A. Vlachopoulos ◽  
P. Nomikos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Composition ◽  
Fluorescence Analysis ◽  
Wall Painting ◽  
Inorganic Elements ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Soldering Technology ◽  
Excavation Area

In-situ X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) of ancient artifacts from the excavation area was performed using a novel X-ray instrumentation, composed of a portable silicon PIN thermoelectrically cooled X-ray detector, a miniature X-ray source, and portable data acquisition devices. The main objective of the analyses in Akrotiri was to explore the potential of the technique to provide answers to a wide range of archaeometric questions regarding the bulk composition of metal alloys, especially of gold, the characterization of corrosion products in bronze artifacts, identification of inorganic elements which are fingerprints of the minerals used in wall-painting pigments, and of the painting materials and techniques used for the decoration of clay vase surfaces. Among the analysed artifacts are a unique gold ibex, a bronze dagger and blade, various pigments from the wall paintings of room 3 in Xeste 3, decoration pigments from rosettes of faience, a bichrome jug, and other clay vases. The results of the in-situ XRF survey, primarily those of the bulk composition and soldering technology of the gold ibex, are discussed and compared with literature.

scholarly journals Study of Mural Paintings Using In Situ XRF, Confocal Synchrotron-μ-XRF, μ-XRD, Optical Microscopy, and SEM-EDS—The Case of the Frescoes from Misericordia Church of Odemira

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 702-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Valadas ◽  
A. Candeias ◽  
J. Mirão ◽  
D. Tavares ◽  
J. Coroado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Microscopy ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Fluorescence Spectrometry ◽  
Pigment Identification ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Color Changes ◽  
Spatially Resolved ◽  
Mural Paintings ◽  
Different Color

AbstractIn this work, we present the results of an analytical method developed for detailed pigment identification, stratigraphy, and degradation of the paint layers of mural paintings applied in the study of the 17th century frescoes from the Misericordia Church of Odemira (Southwest Portugal). In situ X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analyses were performed on three panels of the mural paintings and complemented by colorimetric measurements. The different color areas were also sampled as microfragments (approx. 1 mm2) that were studied as taken or mounted in epoxy resin to expose the different paint layers. The microfragments of paint layers and their cross sections were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Furthermore, elemental analysis was obtained with spatially resolved confocal synchrotron radiation μ-X-ray fluorescence spectrometry performed at ANKA synchrotron FLUO beamline. Occasionally, phase analysis by μ-X-ray diffraction was also performed. Results from the different techniques allowed pigment identification and, in some cases, the evaluation of color changes due to degradation processes and, considering the Southern Portugal geology, the identification of their possible provenance. The pigments used were essentially yellow, brown and red ochres, smalt blue, copper green, and black earths, probably from local sources.

Life and death in ancient Hermione. Excavations in the necropolis

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 157-167
Author(s):  
Angeliki Kossyva
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
The Road ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Social ◽  
Continuous Use ◽  
The City ◽  
East West

The wealth of ancient Hermione is no longer visible: continuous habitation from c. 3000 BC down to the present day has obliterated most traces. Important information on the social organization and economy of Hermione can however be drawn from the tombs that have been unearthed. A large cemetery was discovered in the early 20th century just outside the city gate, stretching along the road leading to ancient Mases and in continuous use for a period of 1,500 years. It covers an area of 1.5 km east–west along the modern Hermione–Kranidi rural road, taking in the terrain to either side to a width of 160 m and extending south to Pron Hill and north to a patch of level ground some 60 m wide. In this article we focus on cemetery finds unearthed in the area south of the present-day Gymnasium-Lykeion school of Hermione, as they typically reflect the urban organization and economic development of the ancient city. These two themes comprise some of the goals pursued in the collaborative research programme between the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Argolid and the Swedish Institute at Athens.

Users as Developers

2008 ◽  
pp. 1330-1345
Author(s):  
Beryl Burns ◽  
Ben Light
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Social Shaping Of Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Shaping ◽  
Contact Centre ◽  
Forms Of Knowledge

We report the findings of a field study of the enactment of ICT supported knowledge work in a Human Resources contact centre, illustrating the negotiable boundary between what constitutes the developer and user. Drawing upon ideas from the social shaping of technology, we examine how discussions regarding producer-user relations require a degree of greater sophistication as we show how users develop technologies and work practices in-situ. In this case different forms of knowledge are practised to create and maintain a knowledge sharing system. We show how as staff simultaneously distance themselves from, and ally with, ICT supported encoded knowledge scripts, the system becomes materially important to the project of constructing the knowledge characteristic of professional identity. Our work implies that although much has been made of contextualising the user, as a user, further work is required to contextualise users as developers and moreover, developers as users.

EXCAVATION OF AN OBSIDIAN CRAFT WORKSHOP AT TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth G. Hirth ◽  
David M. Carballo ◽  
Mark Dennison ◽  
Sean Carr ◽  
Sarah Imfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Lithic Technology ◽  
Craft Production ◽  
Classic Period ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Single Test ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Teotihuacan Mexico

AbstractThe original research by the Teotihuacan Mapping Project (TMP) identified a large number of obsidian workshops within Teotihuacan based on surface concentrations of production debris. Clark (1986b) questioned the validity of these identifications and called for subsurface excavation to confirm the presence of in situ workshop locales. This article summarizes the results from the excavation of one of the obsidian workshops identified in the Tlajinga district of Teotihuacan at Compound 17:S3E1 (Compound 17). We describe the excavations, discuss the lithic technology, and examine the subsurface contexts in terms of what they tell us about in situ obsidian craft activity. Excavations confirm that Compound 17 was a locus of large-scale obsidian craft production during the Classic period. While only a single test case, these results suggest that surface remains at Teotihuacan can be a useful guide in identifying craft production areas when they are confirmed through subsurface testing.

scholarly journals The Social Origins of Cooking and Dining in Early Villages of Western Asia

2000 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 89-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine I. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Adult Women ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Ground Stone ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
The Social ◽  
Village Communities ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Milling Tools ◽  
Activity Areas

This paper explores social customs of cooking and dining as farming emerged in the earliest villages of Palestine and Jordan (12,650–6850 cal BC). The approach is a spatial analysis of in situ hearths, pits, bins, benches, platforms, activity areas, caches, and ground stone artefacts. Mortars, pestles, and bowls first appear in significant numbers in base camps of semi-sedentary Natufian hunter-gatherers. Elaborate and decorated, these artefacts imply a newly formal social etiquette of food-sharing. They were used within houses, near hearths, and in outdoor areas. The earliest farmers of the Khiamian and Pre-Pottery Neolithic A used simple, mostly undecorated, ground stone tools. One-room houses were often fitted with a hearth and a small mortar in the centre, features that also occur in outdoor areas. In the Early and Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, firepits, milling stations, and storage features were placed on porches and outdoor areas near house doors. These areas formed a transition zone between house and community, where food preparation provided opportunities for social contacts. The most private rooms in houses were supplied with benches, platforms, and decorated hearths, and probably sheltered household meals. In the Late PPNB, when some villages grew to unprecedented sizes, storage, and cooking facilities were placed in constricted, private spaces comparatively hidden from community view. Numerous milling tools and multiple milling stations in individual houses suggest intensification of production of prepared foods. It is argued that adult women bore the brunt of the increased labour and that these activities placed them under new restrictions of daily activity and visibility in relation to village communities.

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