Research Topics: Time Machine

Time Travel: 1000 B.C.

Through the time machine I have created, I choose to travel back at the time of Mayans. Actually, the Mayan civilization is a historical Mesoamerican civilization, which extended throughout the northern Central American region which includes the present-day nations of Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador, as well as the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán.   During my travel, I discovered that the Mayans developed the famed cities of Tikal, Palenque, Copán and Kalakmul, as well as Dos Pilas, Uaxactun, Altun Ha, Bonampak and many other sites in the area which was justified in the paper of Abrams, Elliot M. (1994). Mayans created an agriculturally thorough, city-centered kingdom consisting of copious sovereign city-states. The most distinguished headstones are the pyramids they built in their sacred hub and the accompanying palaces of their monarchs. Actually, Mayans joined in lengthy distance trade in Mesoamerica and further lands. Essential trade goods included cacao, salt, and obsidian.   Actually, Abrams, Elliot M. (1994), stated that a typical Classic Maya polity was a small kingdom (ajawil, ajawlel, ajawlil) headed by a hereditary ruler – ajaw, later k’uhul ajaw. Based on my observation in this time, such kingdom was typically no more than a capital city with its locality and quite a lot of lesser towns, even though there were greater kingdoms, which controlled superior territories and unmitigated support over smaller polities. Every kingdom had its name that did not necessarily match up to any locality within its territory. Its distinctiveness was that of a political unit linked with a particular ruling empire.   Apparently, I understand that several researchers claimed that Mayans are very much fascinated and efficient when it comes to art (Corson, C. 1976; Coggins, C. C., and Orrin C. Shane. 1984; and Cowgill, U. 1961). To validate this claim, I decided to travel to Classic Era of Mayans i.e. 800 AD. As I have seen, Mayans art are to be the most refined and stunning of the ancient New World. The carvings and stucco reliefs at Palenque and the statuary of Copán are especially excellent, showing a grace and precise remark of the human form that reminded early archaeologists of Classical civilization of the Old World, hence the name bestowed on this era. As distinctive and impressive as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, time and again the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the implausible stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. These pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design. Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this “height” of Maya culture, the centers of their religious, commercial and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. Through observation of the Maya architecture, I have found out that Maya architecture have become an important key to understanding the evolution of their ancient civilization. According to the people, there are also cave sites that are important to the Maya. These cave sites include Jolja Cave, the cave site at Naj Tunich, the Candelaria Caves, and the Cave of the Witch. There are also Origin Cave myths among the Maya.   As Maya cities spread throughout the varied geography of Mesoamerica, the extent of site planning appears to have been minimal; their cities having been built somewhat haphazardly as dictated by the topography of each independent location, Maya architecture tends to integrate a great degree of natural features. For instance, some cities existing on the flat limestone plains of the northern Yucatan grew into great sprawling municipalities, while others built in the hills of Usumacinta utilized the natural loft of the topography to raise their towers and temples to impressive heights. However, some semblance of order, as required by any large city, still prevailed.   Basically, as I have observed a surprising aspect of the great Maya structures is their lack of many advanced technologies that would seem to be necessary for such constructions. Lacking metal tools, pulleys and even the wheel, Maya architecture required one thing in abundance: manpower. Yet, beyond this enormous requirement, the materials have been readily available. All stone for Maya structures appears to have been taken from local quarries. They most often utilized limestone, which remained pliable enough to be worked with stone tools while being quarried, and only hardened once removed from its bed. In addition to the structural use of limestone, much of their mortar consisted of crushed, burnt, and mixed limestone that mimicked the properties of cement and was used just as widely for stucco finishing as it was for mortar. However, later improvements in quarrying techniques reduced the necessity for this limestone-stucco as their stones began to fit quite perfectly, yet it remained a crucial element in some post and lintel roofs. In the case of the common homes, wooden poles, adobe, and thatch were the primary materials; however, instances of what appear to be common houses of limestone have been discovered as well. It should be noted that one instance, in the city of Comalcalco, fired-clay bricks have been found as a substitute to stone because of a lack of substantial stone deposits.   On the other hand, I also discovered that the Maya writing system (often called hieroglyphs from a superficial resemblance to the Ancient Egyptian writing) was a combination of phonetic symbols and logograms. Actually, Wren, Linnea H., Peter Schmidt, and Ruth Krochock. (1989), believes that it is most often classified as a logographic or (more properly) a logosyllabic writing system, in which syllabic signs play a significant role. It is the only writing system of the Pre-Columbian New World which is known to completely represent the spoken language of its community. In total, the script has more than a thousand different glyphs, although a few are variations of the same sign or meaning, and many appear only rarely or are confined to particular localities. At any one time, no more than around 500 glyphs were in use, some 200 of which (including variations) had a phonetic or syllabic interpretation. By observing the hobbies of most Mayans, Mayan art shows that writing was done with brushes made with animal hair and quills. Yoffee, N. (1991) argued that codex-style writing was usually done in black ink with red highlights, giving rise to the Aztec name for the Maya territory as the “land of red and black”.   Actually, the number of logograms and syllabic symbols required to fully write the language numbered in the hundreds, literacy was not necessarily widespread beyond the elite classes. Graffiti uncovered in various contexts, including on fired bricks, shows nonsensical attempts to imitate the writing system.   On the other hand, scribes held a prominent position in Maya courts. Maya art often depicts rulers with trappings indicating they were scribes or at least able to write, such as having pen bundles in their headdresses. Additionally, Becker, Marshall J. (1973) justified that many rulers have been found in conjunction with writing tools such as shell or clay inkpots.               References: Abrams, Elliot M. (1994). How the Maya Built Their World: Energetics and   Ancient Architecture. Austin: University of Texas Press.   Becker, Marshall J. (1973). The evidence for complex exchange systems among             the ancient Maya. American Antiquity 38:222-23.   Coggins, Clemency C., and Orrin C. Shane. (1984). Cenote of Sacrifice: Maya     Treasures from the Sacred Well at Chichén Itzá. Austin: University of         Texas Press.   Corson, Christopher. (1976) Maya Anthropomorphic Figurines from Jaina Island,           Campeche. Ramona, Calif.: Ballena Press, Studies in Mesoamerican Art,           Archaeology, and Ethnohistory, no. 1.   Cowgill, George L. (1979) “Teotihuacán, internal militaristic competition, and the             fall of the Classic Maya”. In Norman Hammond and Gordon R. Willey,   eds., Maya Archaeology and Ethnohistory, 51-62. Austin: University of            Texas Press.   Cowgill, Ursula. (1961). “An agricultural study of the southern Maya lowlands”.   American Anthropologist 64:273-86.   Wren, Linnea H., Peter Schmidt, and Ruth Krochock. (1989). The Great Ball         Court Stone of Chichén Itzá. Washington, D.C.: Center for Maya             Research, Research Reports on Ancient Maya Writing, no. 30.   Yoffee, Norman. (1991). Maya elite interaction: through a glass, sideways. In T.   Patrick Culbert, ed., Classic Maya Political History: Hieroglyphic and           Archaeological Evidence, 285-310. Cambridge: Cambridge University         Press.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Time Travel: 1000 B.C.

Through the time machine I have created, I choose to travel back at the time of Mayans. Actually, the Mayan civilizat...

THE TIME LINE JOURNEY

The journey for the time line begins at the Cenotaph, which is opposite the Hobart Indoor Swimming Complex. The period commences at 11 million years ago and this  was utilized to emphasize the research conducted on various pre  men. Australopithecus Anamnesis were possibly bipedal and the evidence suggests that they spend a significant amount of time in the trees.  Australopithecus Robustus and Australopithecus Africanus chewed on tough foodstuffs and utilized their lower molars significantly. Progressing towards the Brooker Highway and Homo Erectus witnessed significant changes in human evolutions.  Humans now have the ability to control fire and hunt on a regular basis.  Significant increase in height could account for better nutrition.  Progressing towards New Town and Kmart will witness sexual dimorphism evidenced in Australopithecus Boisei. Progressing to Homo Sapiens Archaic where men’s brains are capable of planning, speech, movement of limbs, socal conduct and the advancement of tools. The presence of the hand axe indicates that Homo Sapiens Neanderthalis utilized pointed tip tools. Progressing to the end of our journey and crossing a park to men who made tools out of ivory, bones antlers and wood and larger game hunted. These Homo sapiens were also capable of building advanced shelters using woolly mammoth fur and various animal bones. In Mongolia to some degree, such structures can be seen as well as remnants in museums. () ()                                                   CELTIC BRONZE RING “The ring was found at a roman site in Ancient Moesia but was made by one of the Celtic Hill tribes and most likely came from Thrace and dates around 2000 BC.  Tut, this is not the design.  The design engraved on the raised, rounded bezel is a “Flying Swastika” four crooked arms indicates this but I is not the design.  The design is the copper colored arms with the pointed terminals.  The black lines are simply the outline.  The Four armed varsities are related to the “Celtic Triskel” and go back to the times of prehistory. ()                                             Dutch Onion Bottle The ancient artifact dating from (1720-1750) High kick back on base and 180mm in height ()                         Bibliography   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

THE TIME LINE JOURNEY

The journey for the time line begins at the Cenotaph, which is opposite the Hobart Indoor Swimming Complex. The period commences at 11 mil...