m2creates

Why Every Warehouse Needs a Little Hayek

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is a formula that gets taught in every supply chain fundamentals course, referenced in every inventory management job description, and used every day in warehouses that have never heard of Friedrich Hayek. It looks like this:

Safety Stock = Z × σ × √L

Where Z is your service level Z-score, σ is the standard deviation of demand, and L is your lead time in days. You pick a service level (95% is standard, which gives you a Z of 1.65), you calculate how much demand varies, you account for how long it takes to get more product, and you get a number. That number is the buffer you keep on hand to cover uncertainty.

Most people who use this formula think of it as a technical problem with a technical solution. I want to argue that it is something more interesting than that. It is a philosophical position about the limits of knowledge, encoded in a spreadsheet.

What Hayek Was Actually Saying

Friedrich Hayek's 1945 essay "The Use of Knowledge in Society" is usually taught in economics courses as an argument against central planning. That reading is accurate, but it undersells how broadly the insight applies. Hayek's core claim was this: the information required to coordinate complex systems is dispersed, tacit, and local. No single person or institution can gather it all. The person on the ground knows things the planner in the office does not, and much of what they know cannot be easily communicated upward because it is not the kind of knowledge that travels well through formal channels. It lives in experience, in relationships, in the feel of a situation.

This is not an argument that planning is bad. It is an argument that any plan that does not account for the limits of its own information is fragile. Systems that assume they can centralize all relevant knowledge will eventually encounter the knowledge they missed, usually at the worst possible moment.

Now think about a warehouse.

The Warehouse as a Knowledge Problem

Every inventory system is trying to answer the same question: how much of this thing do I need, and when do I need to order more? The data you feed into that question looks clean on a spreadsheet. Historical sales, average daily demand, supplier lead times. But the real system is messier than the data suggests.

Demand is not stable. A local event drives a spike in one product. A supplier ships late because of something that happened three tiers up their own supply chain and never got communicated to you. A forecast that was accurate for six months stops being accurate because a competitor ran a promotion you did not know about. A product that moved reliably through summer slows down in fall for reasons that feel obvious in retrospect and were invisible in advance.

None of this is a failure of effort or intelligence. It is a description of how demand actually works. The information that would let you predict it perfectly is dispersed across millions of individual decisions made by customers, competitors, suppliers, and logistics networks. You do not have access to all of it. You never will.

The question is not how to eliminate that uncertainty. The question is how to build a system that handles it gracefully.

Safety Stock Is the Honest Answer

Here is what I find remarkable about the safety stock formula: it does not pretend.

A demand forecast pretends, a little. It says: here is what I expect will happen. A reorder point says: here is when I expect to need more product. Both are useful. Both are also wrong with some regularity, and the forecast knows it will be wrong and says it anyway.

Safety stock does something different. It starts from the standard deviation of demand, which is a direct measurement of how much the actual numbers have varied from what was expected. It does not ask why demand varied. It does not try to explain the variance or account for it or predict when it will happen again. It simply says: this system produces uncertainty at a certain rate, and we are going to hold buffer inventory proportional to that uncertainty.

That is the knowledge problem made operational. You cannot eliminate the uncertainty, so you engineer resilience into the system. You accept that you will be wrong and you build the hedge before you need it.

The Z-score you choose is how honest you want to be about the cost of that hedge. At 95% service level (Z = 1.65), you are saying: I am willing to stockout roughly 5% of the time in order to avoid carrying more buffer than that. At 98% (Z = 2.05), you are buying more protection at higher carrying cost. There is no theoretically correct answer. There is only your organization's tolerance for stockouts weighed against your tolerance for carrying cost, expressed as a number.

What the Calculator Actually Showed

For this project, I built a safety stock and reorder point calculator in Google Sheets using the DataCo Smart Supply Chain dataset, which contains over 180,000 order line records across hundreds of SKUs. The model calculates average daily demand, demand standard deviation, safety stock, reorder point, and estimated carrying cost for each product.

One of the more instructive things that happened during the build was how many SKUs came back with a blank standard deviation. Not zero. Blank. Those were products that appeared only once in the entire dataset. You cannot calculate a standard deviation from a single data point. The formula correctly returns nothing, and the safety stock for those SKUs is zero.

That is not a data quality problem. That is the model being honest. A product with one historical order has no observable demand variability. You have no basis for a buffer. If you held safety stock for it anyway, you would be spending money to hedge against uncertainty you have not even measured yet. The formula knows the difference.

The products with high standard deviations are the interesting ones. Those are the SKUs where demand is genuinely volatile. The safety stock formula rewards them with larger buffers, which costs more in carrying cost but reduces the probability of stockouts. The carrying cost column makes that trade-off visible in dollar terms for every SKU. You can look at a product, see that it has a safety stock of 40 units and an estimated annual carrying cost of $620, and ask whether that protection is worth the cost given what you know about that product's customers and its substitutability.

That conversation, between the number and the person looking at it, is where Hayek lives. The formula surfaced the decision. The tacit knowledge about whether the decision is right belongs to the person on the ground.

The EA Tension

I want to be transparent about a tension this project sits inside, because I think it is a real one.

Effective altruism, at its most systematic, asks for the theoretically optimal answer. Maximize expected value. Find the action that produces the most good per dollar. That framework is genuinely useful for a lot of problems, and I take it seriously.

But it runs into trouble with systems like this one because it assumes the information needed to calculate expected value is available. In a warehouse, it is not. You do not know what demand will be. You do not know exactly when your supplier will ship. You do not know what events will disrupt your forecast next quarter. The "theoretically correct inventory level" is not a thing you can calculate, because the inputs that would let you calculate it do not exist.

The Austrian answer is not that optimization is wrong. It is that optimization against irreducible uncertainty looks different from optimization against known quantities. Safety stock is not a failure to optimize. It is the correct optimization given what you actually know.

I think this distinction matters beyond inventory management. A lot of systems fail not because the people running them were not trying to optimize, but because they optimized for the world as their model described it rather than the world as it actually is. The buffer is the acknowledgment that your model has limits. The system that eliminates the buffer because it "should not be necessary" is the system that breaks first.

What This Means in Practice

If you are an inventory planner, the practical takeaway is simpler than the philosophy behind it.

Hold your safety stock. Not as a permanent number, but as a living calculation tied to actual demand variability. When a SKU's standard deviation drops because demand has stabilized, reduce the buffer. When it rises because something in the supply chain got volatile, increase it. Use the formula as a signal that updates when the system changes, not a fixed quantity you set once and forget.

Make the configurable inputs visible. In the calculator I built, service level and holding rate are cells you can change. Changing service level from 1.65 to 2.05 shows you exactly what 98% protection costs across your whole SKU catalog, in dollars. That number gives you something to bring to a conversation about whether the extra protection is worth it. The formula is not the answer. It is the starting point for the right conversation.

And take standard deviation seriously as a metric. Average daily demand is what you expect. Standard deviation is how much you should trust that expectation. A SKU with high average demand and low standard deviation is stable and predictable. A SKU with moderate average demand and high standard deviation is the one that will cause problems. Most people track the first number. The second one is often where the real inventory risk lives.

The Broader Point

Hayek was writing about price systems and socialist calculation. He was not writing about safety stock formulas in supply chain spreadsheets. But the insight translates cleanly: decentralized information cannot be fully aggregated upward, uncertainty is irreducible, and systems that acknowledge their epistemic limits outperform systems that pretend not to have any.

Every buffer in a warehouse is a small institutional acknowledgment of this. The safety stock formula just makes it explicit and quantifiable. It says: we do not know exactly what demand will be, we do not know exactly when our supplier will deliver, and we are holding this many units to cover that uncertainty at this service level and this cost.

That is not a failure of the planning system. That is the planning system working correctly.

This essay is part of a portfolio project series examining where standard analytical tools intersect with questions of system design, institutional theory, and the limits of optimization..

Ostrom's Commons and Your Inventory

Melanie E Magdalena — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Here is a management assumption so common it rarely gets examined: all inventory should be managed the same way.

Same review cycle. Same replenishment process. Same level of attention from the planning team. The logic seems fair. Consistent processes are easier to train, easier to audit, and easier to defend when something goes wrong. Uniformity feels like rigor.

But when you actually look at the data, uniform inventory policy turns out to be one of the more expensive assumptions a warehouse can make. Because the products in your catalog are not equal, and treating them as if they are means spending the most attention on the things that matter least.

ABC segmentation is the standard fix for this. What I want to argue here is that it is also something more interesting: it is an application of institutional design principles that Elinor Ostrom spent her career developing, applied to a problem she almost certainly never thought about directly.

What Ostrom Was Actually Studying

Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009 for her work on how communities govern shared resources. The dominant theoretical view before her research was that shared resources -- fisheries, grazing lands, irrigation systems -- were doomed to overuse because no individual had an incentive to conserve what everyone could access freely. The solution, in that framing, was either privatization or central government control.

Ostrom went and looked at actual communities managing actual shared resources and found something more complicated. Many of them had developed their own governance systems that worked better than either market allocation or top-down regulation. And the systems that worked best shared a set of design principles. Among the most important: rules should be matched to local conditions. Proportional obligations. Graduated sanctions that fit the stakes.

The communities that failed were often ones that had uniform rules imposed from outside without accounting for the actual variation in the resource and the actual behavior of the people using it.

That is, in a compressed form, the argument for ABC segmentation.

Your Catalog Is Not a Commons, But the Logic Transfers

A product catalog is not a fishery. Your inventory manager is not a fishing community. But the core institutional problem is the same: you have a collection of assets with dramatically different stakes attached to them, and you need governance rules that reflect those different stakes rather than ignoring them.

When I ran ABC segmentation on the DataCo supply chain dataset -- 118 unique SKUs across 180,000+ order records -- the finding was sharper than the classic 80/20 rule suggests it should be. Seven SKUs, 6% of the catalog, accounted for 77% of total spend. The remaining 95 SKUs in the C tier shared 5% of spend between them.

Think about what uniform policy means in that context. It means spending the same review cycle, the same replenishment attention, and the same planning overhead on a product responsible for $17,543 in annual spend as on the Field and Stream Sportsman 16 Gun Fire Safe, which logged over $6.2 million. It means treating every row in your inventory the same way because the process is simpler to administer, while the actual risk and value are distributed extremely unevenly.

That is not rigor. That is misallocated attention.

The Pareto Curve as Institutional Argument

The visual output of ABC segmentation is a Pareto curve: cumulative spend percentage plotted against SKU rank. In the DataCo dataset, that curve bends sharply. The first seven data points shoot the line past 77% of total spend. Then the curve flattens dramatically across the remaining 111 SKUs.

That shape is not a curiosity. It is an argument about where your institutional energy should go.

The 7 A-tier SKUs need weekly review, tight reorder point monitoring, higher safety stock buffers, and close supplier relationships. Those products are where a stockout creates real financial exposure. They are also where the investment in careful management has the highest return.

The 95 C-tier SKUs need quarterly review and minimal buffer. Most of them will not generate a meaningful stockout problem. The cost of a stockout on a C-tier item is almost always lower than the ongoing cost of managing it as if it were an A item. Applying A-tier attention to C-tier products is the operational equivalent of insuring a $50 bicycle at the same premium as a car.

B-tier sits in between: monthly review, standard replenishment, moderate attention. The tier exists precisely because the rule needs to be proportional, not binary.

This is Ostrom's proportionality principle made operational. The governance rule should match the stakes of the asset.

The EA Counterargument and Why It Mostly Misses

Effective altruism, in its most systematic framing, would push back here. If you are optimizing for total value, and A-tier items represent 77% of that value, then maybe you should be putting 77% of your resources into A-tier management and almost nothing into C-tier. Full triage. Concentrate entirely where the stakes are highest.

That argument is coherent as far as it goes. But it assumes that C-tier items can be safely ignored without operational consequences, and that is not quite right. A stockout on a C-tier item can still block a production run, frustrate a customer, or create a gap in a product family that affects the perception of A-tier items nearby. The C tier is low stakes on average. It is not zero stakes always.

More practically: the people who manage C-tier inventory are the same people who manage A-tier inventory. Completely abandoning process for 80% of your SKU catalog does not free up 80% of your team's time. It creates chaos that spills over into the 20% you actually care about.

Ostrom's proportionality principle is not "ignore the low-stakes resources." It is "apply governance rules proportional to the stakes." Quarterly review with minimal buffer is still governance. It is just calibrated to what the situation actually requires.

What This Connects to in P5

If you read the previous essay in this series, you will remember that safety stock is a hedge against irreducible demand uncertainty. ABC segmentation tells you which SKUs that hedge matters most for.

A-tier items are the ones where demand variability is most expensive. A stockout on a $6 million SKU is not the same event as a stockout on a $17,000 SKU. Which means your service level target -- the Z-score you feed into the safety stock formula -- should logically vary by tier. A items at 98% service level. B items at 95%. C items at 90%, or lower if the cost structure supports it.

Running both analyses on the same dataset makes this connection explicit. Your ABC tiers become the governance layer that tells your safety stock calculator what level of protection each SKU deserves. The two projects are not separate analyses. They are two parts of the same institutional system: one that identifies what matters most, and one that determines how much buffer to hold against the uncertainty in getting it.

The Uniform Policy Trap

I want to name the appeal of uniform policy directly, because it is real and the people who implement it are not wrong to value what it offers.

Uniform policy is auditable. It is easy to explain. It does not require the person running the process to make judgment calls that could be second-guessed later. When something goes wrong, you can point to the process and say it was followed consistently.

What it cannot do is match governance rules to the actual variation in your catalog. And in a catalog where 6% of SKUs drive 77% of spend, the cost of that mismatch is not theoretical. It shows up as planning hours spent on products that do not need them, and as under-attention to the products that do.

Ostrom's contribution was to show, empirically, that communities which built proportional and context-sensitive rules consistently outperformed communities that imposed uniform ones. The evidence was from fisheries and irrigation systems and Swiss alpine meadows. But the design principle was general.

Your inventory is not a commons. But the rule still applies.

This essay is part of a portfolio project series examining where standard analytical tools intersect with questions of system design, institutional theory, and the limits of optimization.

7 Techniques to Navigate the Universe of Your Subconscious Mind

Melanie E Magdalena — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In today's digital era, we often overlook the importance of introspection and understanding our subconscious mind. This oversight can disconnect us from our deepest desires and potential.

Think of the subconscious mind as an uncharted territory within ourselves, rich with insights and possibilities. Preparing for this exploration requires readiness and the right tools. It's a journey into the depths of our being, where we discover keys to personal growth and well-being.

Positive Affirmations: Directing Your Subconscious Mind

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool for tapping into your subconscious mind. They bypass the often critical and judgmental conscious mind and directly influence your subconscious. This method is like setting a GPS to your desired destination – straightforward and effective.

Using positive affirmations consistently can transform your internal dialogue. Being positive and supportive in your mind is a crucial change. It helps you achieve your goals. Remove barriers created by self-doubt and negative self-perception.

First, identify the significant issues you need to address. Those are the major obstacles to your goals. Focus on these primary issues rather than minor ones. Write them down for a clear understanding of what to work on.

Tackle one issue at a time, from improving self-confidence to overcoming fear. Find or create a few positive affirmations that specifically address this issue and resonate with you. You can find these affirmations in books, online, or write your own. Ensure they are positive and meaningful to you.

Integrate these affirmations into your daily routine. Speak them aloud, think about them, or write them down – whichever method you prefer. Many find it effective to repeat them in front of a mirror, during a commute, or in quiet moments throughout the day. Use your affirmations at least three times a day – in the morning, during the day, and before bed.

Consistency is key. Regular use of these affirmations nurtures growth and change. Over time, they will alter your self-talk and self-image, replacing negative thoughts.

Once you succeed with one issue, move on to the next. Work through your challenges with positive affirmations.

Exploring Meditation: Finding Your Path to Inner Space

Meditation is a practical and accessible tool for delving into your subconscious. It offers a quiet space amidst our digitally cluttered lives. For thousands of years, people have turned to meditation for its profound benefits.

Meditation comes in many forms. One approach is the traditional method: sitting cross-legged, focusing on your breath, and clearing your mind. It's like finding a comfortable spot in your home. Experiment with different forms and find what's comfortable for you.

Different types of meditation offer various paths to tranquility. Mantra or chanting meditation is like repeating a calming phrase or song. Movement meditation is like a gentle walk, aiding mental clarity. Progressive relaxation meditation gradually relaxes each body part.

Focused meditation involves concentrating on a single object or thought. Mindfulness meditation is about being present in the moment. Loving-kindness meditation involves sending positive thoughts to yourself and others. Guided and visualization meditations lead you through peaceful scenarios.

You don't need a class or a teacher to start meditating. Many resources are available online, including apps and recordings. Experiment with different types to discover what resonates with you.

Meditation isn't only for accessing your subconscious. It's a tool for well-being. Regular practice can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Start with a few minutes a day, a couple of times a week. Gradually increase the duration and frequency as you get comfortable.

Free Association: Connecting the Dots

Free association unlocks the hidden rooms of your mind, where your deepest thoughts and feelings live. This therapy technique can be a powerful tool for personal reflection and creative brainstorming.

To begin, create a space that feels emotionally safe. This could be a quiet room in your home, a peaceful outdoor spot, or any place where you feel comfortable and undisturbed. You can do this exercise alone or with a trusted person.

There are two approaches to free association. The first is topical, choosing a specific word or theme. The second is more spontaneous, letting any thought lead the way.

Make yourself comfortable in your chosen space. If you're alone, prepare a recorder or a text-to-speech device. If you're with someone, ask them to take notes.

Focus on your chosen topic or wait for a thought to emerge. Speak your thoughts out loud without censoring or analyzing them. This process is a direct line to your subconscious mind but may take a few attempts to get comfortable. The goal is to bypass internal filters and allow a raw stream of consciousness.

Reflect on what you've said after the session. This reflection can reveal hidden beliefs, feelings, and perspectives. With practice, free association can become a valuable tool for self-discovery.

Harnessing Daydream Visualizations for Self-Discovery

Daydream visualizations are a unique tool for tapping into the subconscious mind. Unlike deliberate visualizations, daydream visualizations let you explore spontaneous and less guarded aspects of your thoughts and desires.

Find a quiet, comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Once settled, close your eyes and relax. Let your mind wander without direction.

Think back to childhood daydreams, where imagination had no constraints. The images and scenarios that emerge during these daydreams can reveal your deepest desires and aspirations.

This process might be challenging at first. Both your conscious and subconscious minds might resist this exploration. Persistence is key. With each session, relax more and let your thoughts flow freely.

Daydream visualizations can clarify your thoughts, feelings, and motivations. Use them to uncover your true desires and what you genuinely want from life.

Embracing a Creative Hobby to Connect with Your Subconscious

Finding a creative hobby is an effective way to access your subconscious mind. Engaging in creative activities taps into the depths of your creativity and intuition.

Creativity is inherent in being human. You don't need to be an artist or a genius to benefit from a creative hobby. Creating, in any form, connects directly to the subconscious.

Creative hobbies offer more than artistic expression. They can be tools for problem-solving, brainstorming, and generating new ideas. They also reduce stress and add fun to your routine.

The range of creative hobbies is vast. Here are a few:

painting
sculpting
pottery
woodworking
glassblowing
fiber arts, like knitting and crocheting
coloring in adult coloring books
assembling models
drawing or sketching
photography
pressing flowers
resin molding
and many more

Find a hobby that excites you and sparks creativity. Try out something different from your professional work.

Consistency is crucial. Dedicate time to your hobby at least twice a week, even if it's only for half an hour.

Prioritizing Sleep for Subconscious Insights

Sleep is crucial for connecting with your subconscious mind. It's a time when your conscious mind rests. It allows your subconscious to process memories, repair cells, and solve problems.

The power of sleep in accessing the subconscious is often underestimated. Waking up with a sudden solution or burst of inspiration is your subconscious at work.

Skimping on sleep can harm your:

physical and mental health
work performance
relationships
ability to connect with your subconscious

During REM sleep, the subconscious communicates with the conscious mind through dreams. This stage is essential for deep sleep, yet many people don't get enough due to lifestyle factors.

Make sleep a priority. The average adult needs 7 to 9 hours per night. Pay attention to your dreams, as they can carry messages from your subconscious. Quality sleep is vital for your physical and mental health.

Honoring Your Instincts and Inner Voice: Follow Your Internal Compass

Listening to your instincts and inner self is a natural way to connect with your subconscious mind. Your subconscious constantly tries to communicate with your conscious self. It guides and protects you.

These instincts and the 'inner voice' are your subconscious speaking to you. They communicate through feelings, hunches, and intuitions. Listen to what it tells you.

Pay attention to quiet hunches and subtle feelings. Your subconscious can offer incredible insights, though it's not infallible. Consider these instincts as valuable data points in your decision-making process.

Start Navigating Your Subconscious Mind

Each of these techniques offer a unique pathway to connect with our subconscious mind. The journey to self-discovery is boundless and beautiful. Embark on this journey with patience and persistence. Start with one technique, like Positive Affirmations or Free Associations. Gradually incorporate others.

Begin tonight. If you can, stand under the stars and choose one technique to start your journey. Let the vastness of the night sky remind you of the unexplored depths within you. Your journey to inner harmony and self-discovery is limitless.

Using Airtable as an Analytics Hub

Melanie E Magdalena — Sat, 07 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Why? I honestly don't know (yet)... but it's cool! And built with Airtable of course.

One table aggregates the various network stats from a series of other tables. I started with tweets and LinkedIn posts.

Twitter is the easy one.

Download 2 (or 4 if you post videos) CSVs from the analytics page in monthly intervals. Upload to the respective table with the CSV Import app. I add a CSV app for each one so that I don't have to remap the columns every time.

Use the CSV app to add your Twitter stat exports.

Use a table for every Tweet.

Use a table to aggregate daily Twitter stats.

LinkedIn is tricksy. Unless the posts are on a company page you manage, your stats are stuck on the actual post...

Airtable's web clipper can speed this up! When you post, clip the thing so you can pull your stats whenever you remember to go do that.

Configure your web clipper to snatch the stats from a LinkedIn post.

See this quick video (it has no audio) of how the web clipper works.

Play: Using Airtable as an Analytics Hub: LinkedIn Web Clipper - New Post Watch on YouTube

When you do remember, clip it again! And use an automation to update the source record.

Why a source record? Because LinkedIn doesn't list the post date on the post. So we need to use a "Created Time" in Airtable or input the date manually for our record keeping.

Regardless of which post date system you decide is less of a headache, an automation will track down the original record and plug in the new clipped stats.

Tada, you have personal LinkedIn post stats!

Here's a brief video illustrating this process and how I have configured my automation.

Play: Using Airtable as an Analytics Hub: LinkedIn with Web Clipper & Automations - Update Post Stats Watch on YouTube

Put it all together! I wrote a little formula that trims the tweet/post date down to YYYY-MM. This gets calculated for every record automagically.

An automation copies that value and pastes it into a linked record field to the Report table.

Use automations to create linked records between tables so that Rollups can do math for you.

And that's it! Now I have a ridiculous amount of views to see all my nifty numbers to really rub in how infrequently I actually post things on the internet. Perhaps it will serve as inspiration to actually post things... we shall see.

Now I just need my Twitch stats; also, Loom has folder-level stat exports...

Loom folder-level stats are available in CSV format via "Export Insights".

Built on Air - Season 3, Episode 8

Melanie E Magdalena — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to BuiltOnAir, a podcast and video series about all things Airtable. Each episode, we talk with someone active in the Airtable community to discuss their experiences and showcase an interesting way they’ve used Airtable in their work.

In this episode, I speak with Melanie Magdalena: scientist, creator, web-designer, developer, and self-proclaimed unicorn. Melanie works with nonprofits and entrepreneurs to simplify their workflows using no code solutions. After kicking off her career in archaeology, life took her in a different direction and she started using her technological knowledge to build platforms to help her day-to-day work life.

In today’s episode, Melanie showcases a base she created to calculate the scores of student assessments; and details an extremely creative way to get the data she needs in the right spots.

Read the Built on Air shownotes.

Play: BuiltOnAir [All Things Airtable] S03:E08 - Melanie Magdalena, Digital Consultant Watch on YouTube

Listen on Transistor

Reflecting on My Podcast Experience

I had the incredible opportunity to be featured on the "Built on Air Podcast." It was a chance to share my unique journey from the world of archaeology to the cutting-edge of technology. This transition has been a pivotal part of my life, highlighting the limitless potential when we dare to pivot our careers.

My Unconventional Career Path

My journey has been anything but ordinary. Starting in archaeology, I found myself increasingly drawn to the digital realm. My shift to freelance web design and development marked a significant chapter in my life. It underscored the importance of adapting and evolving professionally.

The Airtable Revelation

Discovering Airtable was a game-changer for me. It revolutionized how I managed and automated my projects. This tool didn't just help me organize my work; it redefined my entire workflow, bringing a new level of efficiency and creativity to my endeavors.

Projects and Innovations

My work has ranged from developing an open science platform to integrating dynamic content on Twitch. Each project was a new adventure in problem-solving.

Navigating Challenges in Airtable

Working with Airtable hasn't been without its challenges. From managing long texts to handling intricate subtasks, I've navigated various hurdles. These experiences have given me insights into how Airtable could be enhanced, like incorporating markdown support and nested records.

Equestrian Assessment Tracker: A Deep Dive

One of my standout projects involved developing an assessment tracker for an equestrian course provider. This case study was a deep dive into the complexities of data migration, automation, and data display in Airtable. It was a testament to the versatility and power of this tool.

Concluding Thoughts

Reflecting on my journey, the shift from archaeology to technology has been more than a career change. It's been about embracing technology and no-code solutions for creative problem-solving. This path has shown me the importance of viewing technology not just as a tool, but as a canvas for innovation.

Describing the Broken & Brittle: potsherd, sherd, or shard

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The word sherd comes from “potsherd,” a piece of a broken brittle substance of ceramic nature, most typically earthen pottery in an archaeological context.

Shard is used to refer to glass-like fragments, such as obsidian, porcelain, glass, or other glassy substances, non-exclusive to an archaeological context.

Rather than sherd and shard being interchangeable, each refers to a distinct type of broken, brittle substance.

Additionally, sherd most commonly refers to Native American pottery, whereas shard is used in a European context.

Here's a real world scenario...

If I break my ceramic, clay flower pot and pick up all the pieces, the pieces are shards.

If I am lazy, all the broken pieces end up being mostly left alone, and site formation processes kick in, the archaeologist who digs them up in the future has sherds, or potsherds, because they came from a clay pot.

If I break a glass beer bottle today and pick up the pieces, or leave them for the archaeologists of the future to find: the pieces of the broken glass beer bottle are shards.

Here's what the dictionary has to say.

Etymology: Online

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

If online began as a word to describe being connected to a computer, then the Internet, by a line (so, a cable)... does that mean we have evolved to be onfi? Or are we, more confusingly so, offline?

Inked: A 5,000 Year Old Tattooing Tradition Among Us

Melanie E Magdalena — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Presented by Melanie E Magdalena (me!) from the University of New Mexico's Department of Anthropology, 'Inked: A 5,000 Year Old Tradition' is a thought-provoking exploration presented at the AGSU Conference. This 12-minute journey delves into the world of tattoos - a form of body adornment rich in history and diverse in meaning. From being personal status symbols to declarations of love, from forms of punishment to religious amulets, tattoos have adorned human bodies and spirits across various cultures for over five millennia. This post aims to unfold the story of Inked, reflecting on how tattoos have been both praised and disdained, and what they reveal about our society.

Play: Inked: A 5,000 Year Old Tradition Watch on YouTube

The Prevalence and Significance of Tattoos

Tattoos, once a fringe element, have now permeated mainstream culture, with an estimated 45 million Americans embracing this form of body art.

However, tattoos are far more than just skin-deep decorations. They are a tapestry of personal stories and cultural narratives. Each tattoo can signify a rite of passage, a commemoration of personal milestones, or a profound connection to one’s cultural roots.

In some cultures, tattoos are integral to identity and social status, while in others, they serve as amulets for protection or symbols of spiritual beliefs.

This multifaceted significance of tattoos underscores their relevance across various societies and epochs, making them a unique intersection of art, identity, and heritage.

Historical Perspective of Tattooing

The art of tattooing is not a recent phenomenon but a historical tapestry rich with global threads. Magdalena's presentation takes us back to ancient times, illustrating the depth and diversity of this tradition.

The Polynesian Tatau, for instance, is not merely a form of body art; it is a sacred rite, deeply woven into the social and religious fabric of Polynesian culture. These intricate patterns tell stories of lineage, status, and achievement.

In ancient Egypt, tattoos served a different purpose. Geometric patterns found on mummified remains, particularly on women, suggest a therapeutic or protective role, possibly linked to maternity.

And then there's the fascinating case of Ötzi the Iceman, whose 5,000-year-old preserved body displays tattoos. These markings, located on acupuncture points, indicate a therapeutic purpose, offering a glimpse into ancient medical practices.

These examples highlight not just the longevity of tattooing but its versatility in meaning and function across different cultures.

Far from being a modern fad, tattoos have been a significant part of human expression and identity for thousands of years, with each culture contributing its unique brushstroke to the art form's rich history.

Tattooing: Art, Identity, and Perception

Tattooing has undergone a remarkable transformation from ancient ritual to contemporary art form.

Historically, tattoos have served as indelible markers of identity and belonging, often reflective of societal hierarchies and cultural milestones.

In Polynesian culture, for instance, the complexity and style of tattoos signify social status and tribal affiliation.

As we move through history, the art of tattooing begins to intertwine with personal expression and aesthetic appeal.

In modern times, tattoos have become a canvas for self-expression, allowing individuals to narrate their life stories, ideals, and passions through ink on skin.

However, this evolution has not been without its challenges.

The perception of tattoos has fluctuated significantly, often marred by stereotypes and stigmas, particularly in Western societies where they were once associated with rebellion or deviance.

Melanie's exploration prompts us to view tattoos through a broader lens - not just as body art, but as a nuanced form of personal and cultural identity.

This shift in perspective challenges prevailing stereotypes, inviting a deeper appreciation for the art form and its rich historical roots.

Challenging Modern Perceptions of Tattoos

In the modern context, tattoos often find themselves at the intersection of art, personal expression, and societal judgment.

Melanie's presentation not only celebrates the rich history of tattooing but also challenges us to reconsider contemporary perceptions of this art form.

While tattoos have gained mainstream acceptance in many cultures, they still face prejudices and misconceptions, often dismissed as mere body modifications or associated with negative stereotypes.

Melanie encourages a paradigm shift, urging us to recognize tattoos as a manifestation of cultural heritage and personal narrative.

By understanding the deep-rooted historical significance and the diverse meanings tattoos have held across cultures and ages, we can appreciate them as a form of storytelling and identity expression.

This perspective invites a more inclusive and respectful discourse around tattoos, recognizing them not just as art but as a profound form of human expression, rich in history and meaning.

Evolution of the Napkin

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Who hasn't used a napkin?

Everyone uses SOMETHING to clean him or her hands during and/or after a meal. A napkin is a piece of cloth for wiping the mouth and fingers, usually a small square piece of cloth or tissue paper used at meals. Napkins are essential today in dining around the world; however, they were not always available. Throughout history napkins have evolved to meet peoples' needs.

Beginning with a lump of dough, napkins slowly evolved into new forms. In ancient Greece, Spartans used lumps of dough to wipe their hands at the dinner table. In Rome, two types of cloth napkins began to surface. The first napkin was called a sudaria, a pocket-sized handkerchief used for blotting the brow. The second, called a maapae, was a large cloth used to cover the surface of where the individuals eating were seated. They were also used to wipe mouths and for wrapping up leftover food to take home. Then suddenly during the Middle Ages, cloth napkins vanished and anything and everything was used for cleaning mouths and fingertips alike.

During the Middle Ages, cleanliness of ropes was very important to society; therefore, hands were wiped on tablecloths. The tablecloth evolved with the custom transforming into a three-cloth spread over the table approximately 4-6 feet long and 5 feet wide. The first cloth, the couch, was laid lengthwise in front of the master's place. The second cloth, the surnappe, was a towel laid over the couch indicating the seat of an honored guest. Finally, the third cloth was a communal napkin hung from the edge of the table. With time, the basin with water for hand washing appeared and a servant would drape a cloth over his arm to provide a place to dry wet hands throughout the meal.

In the 16th Century, napkins were accepted as a dining refinement. Sizes of napkins varied depending on the event. Moving into the 17th Century, the standard napkin was 35 inches wide and 45 inches long. The napkin size was reduced in the 18th Century after the fork was accepted by all classes of society. At this time, the napkin was 30 inches by 36 inches in size. Around 1740, manufacturers began making matching tablecloth and napkin sets.

Today, the napkin is made in a variety of sizes and with many materials to meet every entertainment need: large for multi-course meals, medium for simple menus, and small for afternoon tea and cocktails. The transition from cloth to paper napkins began in 1887, when John Dickinson used paper napkins at a company party in the United States. This change remained unformalized until 1931 when Scott Paper added them to the American market.

Paper napkins are much more accessible than cloth napkins but there is a lot of controversy.

The benefits of paper napkins include:

They are convenient because they eliminate the need to wash napkins, and they guarantee the user they will have a clean napkin.
They are lightweight and easy to pack.
Thick paper napkins are easiest to fold.
They come in a wide variety of sizes, patterns, and styles.

And then there are disadvantages:

They consume natural resources and pollute landfills.
They are bleached with chlorine and may contain dioxins and other toxins.
They are thin, tear easily, may not absorb well, and may be abrasive to the skin.

Limiting the use of paper napkins minimizes environmental waste, and using napkins from recycled paper and/or cloth napkins.

Napkins have become essential for dining and are used by almost everyone. Starting with the Greeks with dough, moving to Rome with the first cloth napkins, and evolving from tablecloths to personal napkins that are nowadays even from recyclable material is the evolution of the napkin. Napkins are essential today in dining around the world; however, they were not always available so throughout history, napkins have evolved to suit people accordingly. Different sizes of napkins are used in different types of meals, and different materials are used to make them. They have colors and some even have elaborate patterns and designs.

Napkins are an art of their own class. They can each resemble whatever a dinner host has in mind and are the perfect final touch to make every table look magnificent.

References

Drachenfels, Suzanne Von. [“Napkins: A Brief History.”](https://www.foodreference.com/html/art-history-napkins-729.html Foodreference. N.p., 2010. Web. 27 October 2010.
Moore, LJ. “Who invented the dinner napkin?” Answerbag. Livestrong, 2010. Web. 27 October 2010.
Murphy, Claudia Quigley. The History Of The Art Of Tablesetting - Ancient And Modern. USA: Church Press, 2009.
Slutsky, Abby. “What year were paper napkins invented?” eHow. N.p., 2010. Web. 27 October 2010. Moved to: https://www.theclassroom.com/what-year-were-paper-napkins-invented-13636169.html

All Good Things Come in Good Time - A Letter to U.S. Congress

Melanie E Magdalena — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The following is my nominated essay by the Center For A Public Anthropology which led to my award in Public Anthropology in 2012. This letter was sent to U.S. Congress to address legislation changes for the Belmont Report and their effects on the field of anthropology and anthropologists. Only 20 students were selected from the University of New Mexico.

Good intentions - what does it mean to have good intentions? In anthropology we strive to conduct research in an ethical manner that does not harm the people we study. Ethnographic research, the field study of cultures, is an effective way to understand other people beyond our personal worldviews. Unfortunately, anthropologists have not always conducted ethical research.

In 1974, the Belmont Report was created in order to prevent unethical research such as the Guatemala Syphilis Experiment and the Yanomami blood samples. The Common Rule of 1991 was a refined version of the Belmont Report that founded Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) which now manage all human research requests. These federally mandated protocols are an acceptable way to prevent unethical human research. At the same time, however, IRBs can take a very long time to approve projects that are actually exempt from their protocols.

Many people are concerned about the amount of control the government should have over research on humans. Medically speaking, federally mandated rules should be followed so that the human research subjects are protected. Any person involved in a medical experiment should be fully aware of all the risks involved and be a voluntary subject. Right now IRBs are responsible for making sure research includes informed consent and voluntary subjects.

Regulations can be a good thing; government should be limited though. IRBs need to have a well defined list of types of research that are exempt from the IRB review process. The currently proposed revisions sound like a promising solution so that future research reviews are completed in a timely manner and accurately.

Anthropologists need to have a set of ethical standards to follow while conducting research. However, these standards need to be mandated by IRBs on a case by case basis. Not every research project fits into the current "one size fits all." Studying human subjects is delicate but if IRBs reinforce good intentions, over time the government will not need to be as involved. People should be able to study people with as much liberty as needed as long as those being studied remain unharmed.

Fueling Evolution: The Transformative Power of Cooking in Human History

Melanie E Magdalena — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In "How Cooking Made Us Human," Dr. Richard Wrangham delves into the pivotal role of cooking in human evolution, revealing its profound impact on our biology and culture.

Cooking is a human universal and most societies cook dinner. Levi-Strauss (1969) said cooking is biologically unimportant (it is conventional wisdom and symbolic). Darwin (1871) said the discovery of fire was probably the greatest ever made (after language) and dates from before the dawn of history.

How many extra calories does cooked food have? Cooking destroys a portion of calories, whereas eating raw food does not.

But what are the energy consequences of cooking? Organisms search for energy intake in order to reproduce. Wild food is important from an evolutionary perspective: even small energy gains matter. Body mass lowers when a person is on a raw diet.

Cooking increases energy gain. Cooked food is more easily digested in the ileal.

More energetic benefit is absorbed than simply raw food. When eggs are cooked, 91% of the energy benefit is absorbed – a 78% increase! Protein digestion, in general, increases 44-78% when food is cooked.

Cooked food also requires less energy to digest, allowing for the body in intake more energy while spending less: a win-win situation.

The human body is also adapted to cooked food (small intestines and big brains). There is no diet that can explain human survival on raw food, and our bodies are adapted to cooked foods.

Our brains use 25% of our caloric intake and the human body changed to have small guts so we can sustain the energy request the human brain requires in order to function.

The first humans probably began cooking because their bodies received more calories with cooked food than raw food. After the discovery and mastery of fire, cooking possibly became a tradition that began the creation of culture.

NMAC 2012 Fall Conference - “Chuska and Chaco: Puebloan Relationships Across the San Juan Basin”

Melanie E Magdalena — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The NMAC 2012 Fall Conference – "Chuska and Chaco: Puebloan Relationships Across the San Juan Basin" – shed new light on the ancient Pueblo communities in the Chuska Valley and Chaco region. Themed around Chuska-Chaco relationships in the San Juan Basin, the conference highlighted how these played a crucial role in forming the area's cultural landscape.

“A New Look at the Old Data: Ceramic Trends in the Chuska Valley”

Presented by Lori Stephens Reed.

A lot of pottery in Chaco Canyon uses trachyte temper, a rock only found in the Chuska Mountains. It was adopted rapidly in the valley and spread across the surrounding region. Trachyte is a better temper than sand because quartz weakens ceramics when they are fired.

For a deeper dive into the topic, read the archived paper "Tracking the Trachyte: Origins and Development of Chuska Pottery Technology" by Kathy Niles Hensler, Lori Stephens Reed, and Andrea J. Carpenter.

“Chuska Grayware from the Pueblo Bonito Middens: Implications for Site Function and Interaction”

Presented by Hannah V. Mattson.

Large quantities of broken ceramic vessels seems to suggest that a ritual “pot breaking” event was happening in Chaco Canyon. An interesting fact about ceramics is that based on the pinching of coils, an archaeologist can determine whether the coils were pinched together with the right or left hand of the ceramicist. Clockwise coils are pinched with the left hand and counter clockwise coils are pinched with the right.

“Social Landscape and Ecology in the Southern Chuska Valley”

Presented by Bradley J. Viera.

This contract archaeologist has been rapidly excavating sites that will be destroyed by the widening of US Highway 491. There are tons of Basketmaker and Pueblo sites. Basketmaker people were flowing into the area and were not getting along: there are signs of burning and stockades. Also many of the sites began as Basketmaker II or III and then subsequent Pueblo I, II and III structures were built on top of them.

“Chuskan Connections and the Rise of Chaco”

Presented by Ruth Van Dyke.

Using a Marxist perspective, Dyke’s research shows how Chaco may have reached a tipping point around 1000 CE. People migrated into Chuska and Chaco and were from matrilineal societies. Men may have transformed pit houses as a meeting place. With villages torn between the two centers, people were probably travelling often back and forth to visit family. According to this point of view, Chaco may have finally convinced the Chuskans to bring their temper, wood, and chert to the canyon so they could all partake in rituals together.

“The Chuska Valley: Chacoan Colony or Ancient Puebloan Heartland?”

Presented by Paul F. Reed.

Chuska Valley was an early and persistent ancient Pueblo heartland and core area that deserves equal status as Chaco, Mesa Verde, Kayenta, and others. The valley shared cultural beliefs with many of the sites located in the Colorado Plateau.

Masks & Marigolds

Melanie E Magdalena — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

El Dia de los Muertos (or the Day of the Dead in English)... no the dead do not rise from their graves nor do zombies roam the streets. This tradition began long ago in Mexico as a day dedicated to honoring those who have passed on from this world. It is a day for happiness and celebration while everyone remembers their loved ones for who they were.

Why the marigold? Yellow marigolds or cempasuchil is "the flower of the dead" which gives off an aroma that attracts the souls of the dead to the offerings prepared in their honor. My family continues this tradition even though we've moved back to the United States. Each year an altar is built with marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, tissue paper, etc. with photographs of everyone we wish to remember on November 1st and 2nd.

This year, I was unable to build an altar but I was lucky enough to witness the Marigold Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I hope you enjoy this short video about it.

Play: Marigold Festival and Parade Watch on YouTube

Echoes of Ancient Iberia: Tracing Human Evolution Through Millennia

Melanie E Magdalena — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In “The Stone Age Prehistory of Iberia”, Dr. Lawerence Guy Straus (UNM, Universidad de Cantabria) shares insights from his research into the lives and evolution of our ancient ancestors.

There are currently 150 years of Iberian Stone Age Research. It began in the 1860s at Portuguese cave sites through federally funded systematic archaeological research. Research came to a screeching halt when the Spanish Civil War began.

Homo antecessor colonized Gaudix Basin, Atapuerca (Europe) and the Gran Dolina sites 1.4 million to 800 thousand years ago. Iberia was only occupied during warm interglacials.

Homo heidelbergensis pops up in the middle Pleistocene at Cima de los Huesos, possibly the first site with the intentional disposal of human remains.

Mousterian sites appear 250 to 30/40 thousand years ago – Homo neanderthalensis began making stone tools. (The first Neanderthal was discovered in 1848 but the discovery was ignored until another was found in the 1950s.) Important sites include: Gibraltar, Malaga Bay, Morin, Castillo, Sidron, Romani, and Arbreda.

Remains from Sidron show that Neanderthals had the FOXP2 language gene, light skin, and were eating plant foods and medicinals (like chamomile). Three closely related males with spouses were living there, they were starving, and there were cannibalized remains.
At Romani, archaeologists found settlements and evidence shows Neanderthals had sense of spatial organization.

Homo sapiens show up on the landscape about 40,000 years ago with the Aurignacian stone tool tradition followed by the Gravettian burial tradition, rock art in El Castillo, and a buried modern juvenile (with longer Neanderthal-like limbs) at Lagar Velho in red ochre.

21,000 years ago, the Last Glacial Maximum and Solutrean Refugium in Iberia occurred. Atalatls, arrowheads, and eyed needles appear concentrated in northern caves and the temperate south.

The Magdalenian tradition began with a global warming. People began moving up mountains and mesas to hunt and trade; they took their art with them. The landscape was decorated with rock art: petroglyphs and pictographs.

The Holocene began (7,000 years ago) and traditional rock art disappeared (their worldview was probably destroyed) as the Neolithic rose with plant domestication, agriculture, maritime travel, ceramics, and collection of livestock.

Homo erectus, heildelbergensis, neanderthalensis, and sapiens lived on the Iberian peninsula (at different times) throughout the Paleolithic. There are an abundance of archaeological sites that can tell us about settlements and cultural traditions as well as various types of stone tool technology.

Neandertals were migratory since temperatures in the north would cool and southern temperatures would rise. Until the Magdalenian, they were forced to move south quite often.

Humans settled in the south and then expanded across Europe taking their hunting, artistic and portable art, body ornamentation, and goods for trade (shells) with them.

Resilience and Adaptation: Unveiling the Hopi Journey in “Beyond the Mesas” Documentary

Melanie E Magdalena — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

“Beyond the Mesas”, a documentary by Dr. Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, offers a profound Hopi perspective on the challenging history of Hopi removal to boarding schools and their enduring spirit of resistance.

As a young child, Dr. Gilbert lived in Albuquerque. His father, a PhD in Education, “academized” him starting at a young age. He job-shadowed his father in college and decided he wanted to teach when he grew up.

In 2006, Dr. Gilbert was finishing up his dissertation on Hopi boarding schools at the University of California-Riverside. (He had enrolled to study European Medieval history, originally, to become a German historian.)

His interviews began at the reservation where he learned about the boarding school experience imposed on his grandfather and other Native American children in the early 1900s.

His grandfather was sent to Sherman Institute. Native Americans were enrolled there for at least eight years – or had to pay to go home. Since most families did not have money to bring their children home… they stayed.

Students lived on rationed food. They could leave to buy food outside of school, but again very few were sent any money.

They were punished if caught speaking in their native languages, such as Hopi.

White men kill those that don’t agree with him.

Dr. Gilbert’s film “Beyond the Mesas” is a beautiful compiled narrative of Hopi people that were forced into boarding schools.

For the Hopi to survive as a culture, they were forced to learn the language and ways of the white men so they could coexist. Boarding school children lost parenting skills and Hopi traditions.

Today, Hopi boarding schools encourage students to speak Hopi, instead of punishing them. They survived assimilation in the past and Hopi traditions continue to live on: they kept the best of both worlds.

For more details on the film, please visit Beyond the Mesas.

“Sightseeing the End of the World! Or, Everything You are Dying to Ask about 2012” with Dr. Quetzil Castañeda

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

This lecture – “Sightseeing the End of the World! Or, Everything You are Dying to Ask about 2012” – by Dr. Quetzil Castañeda (Indiana University) was focused on three goals:

the difference between Maya and Mayan
the mystery of the Maya
and what 2012 phenomena (or meme) is truly all about

Maya is an adjective and is used when referring to anything Maya except the language.

Mayan is the term used for “Maya language.”

What this all means is that Maya can be an adjective or a noun and be used in a singular or plural form.

Mayan, as a rule, should only be used when referring to the language that uses “Maya phonetics.”

Maya is used for everything: Maya architecture, Maya ruins, Maya people, etc. The word Maya is also used as an adjectival noun (such as “the Maya” which is the same as saying “the French”).

So the difference between “to study Maya” and “to study Mayan” is simple: Maya refers to the people and culture, whereas Mayan refers to the language family.

2012 is causing an increase in tourism. There are many 2012 oriented tours, such as Mayan Cruise 2012 and Maya 2012 Tour, that are taking people around many important Maya sites as the so called “doomsday” date approaches.

Not to mention the gurus taking advantage of making some extra cash. We have Humbatz Man, a Mayanist, along with “fake scholars” David Pinchbeck and John Major Jenkins using their 2012 fantasies and twisted interpretations (from research completed by real scholars and academics) to promote their end of the world ideas.

The final part of the lecture was the most amusing. Apparently, unless you study anthropology/archaeology, the world is trying to convince everyone that (1) the Maya had a physical calendar and (2) this calendar is the Aztec Sun Stone.

Unfortunately, there was no physical calendar — the calendar we refer to as the Maya calendar was created by present scholars in order to visualize how it operates.

The non-physical Maya calendar was used to record important dates in Maya history: battles, anniversaries, births of kings, when a king was put in power, etc, plus when the best planting times were.

My question is: who decided that it was appropriate to rename the Aztec Sun Stone as the Maya calendar? And who decided that deceiving the world with it was appropriate?

My 2012 plans are slightly different. I will be taking advantage of the Cycles of Time symposium at Uxmal during the “end of the world” and trekking across the Yucatan peninsula and into northern Belize with Dr. Susan Milbrath afterwards.

No, the world is not ending. But what better way to spend the beginning of a new Maya cycle than with the modern Maya of today?

Unearthing Ancient Agriculture: Geospatial Revelations in Chaco Canyon

Melanie E Magdalena — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

My notes on the presentation “Modeling Agricultural Potential in the Chaco Core During the Bonito Phase: A Predictive Geospatial Approach” by Wetherbee Bryan Dorshow (University of New Mexico).

Geospatial modeling of ancient landscapes has the potential to assist archaeologists in the predictive modeling realm.

This predictive scientific research builds a series of layers based on different criteria of a landscape.

A composite map shows the good areas and bad areas for whatever the archaeologist is searching for.

During the Bonito Phase (ca 850-1150 CE), the great house community in Chaco Canyon may have been at the center of a regional network of agricultural communities dispersed over much of the San Juan Basin and Colorado Plateau.

Dorshow is creating a farming model that highlights probable agricultural zones in 10m by 10m pixels.

As of the lecture, 60% of the land studied in the Chaco Canyon region is arable.

Great houses are located on the margins of cachement boundaries and sites are concentrated on moderate arable land.

I’m looking forward to an update about the 3D models that will run water through different zones in order to see how flooding could have affected different areas.

I am also hopeful that someday all the LiDAR imagery taken of Chaco Canyon will be compiled into a public database.

Tracing the Footsteps of Time: The Seven Stages of Pre-Clovis to Clovis Cultures in the Americas

Melanie E Magdalena — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

My notes on the presentation “Clovis: The Mid-Point in the Cultural History of the Americas” by Dr. Michael B. Collins (Texas State University).

According to Michael B. Collins, ancient archaeological sites can be divided into seven groups based on technological types present in the archaeological record.

The first of these is the Cinmar site (20,000 BP) with “Laurel Leaf Bifaces.” These Solutrean style bifaces are about 6”-10” in length and recovered from several underwater depths. Some finds came from the ground but were heavily eroded.

In 1854, the first “Solutrean” biface came from Hampton, Virginia.
A biface from Epps Island, Virginia, came from an excavated context (though there were younger deposits in older soil)
A biface that looked truly Solutrean came from a surface find in Grady Collins, Maine; this biface was made from French flint – a material difficult to acquire by Paleoindians during its time of manufacture. The only reason anyone knew that is was French flint is because a group of historical archaeologists (whom had experience with gun flint) identified it and interpreted that someone from Europe brought it along during colonization.
The final biface of this category is another Solutrean style found in a basement during a construction project.

The second group (21,000-14,000 years ago) was named Unfluted, Lanceolate Points.

At Cactus Hill, Virginia, prismatic blades (20,000-18,000 BP) were found under an overlying Clovis deposit that consisted 25% of local quartz (12,800 years ago).
Clovis artifacts were also found along an unconformity at the top of Bollling-Allerod layer Miles Point, Maryland. There is no archaeology above or in that soil at this site: below the layer lies a thin layer of artifacts such as quartzite, points, and a handstone. In a windblown environment – rocks do not move.

Flaked Mammoth Bone (20,000-14,000 years ago) was the third group. Basically this category encircles sites with no stone or other artifacts.

All these sites share evidence of high impact fractures to the dense leg bones found in mammoth contexts.
Most of these sites are also in high windblown contexts and there is strong evidence of human exploitation of mammoths.
Lovewell, Kansas, and La Sena, Nebraska (21,000 years ago) have cultural materials with high impact fractures and flaking of dense bone.

Moving across the United States of America from the east coast toward the west, next up is the Modified Proboscidean Bone with Artifacts and/or Features group (17,000-14,000 years ago). These sites are set apart from other groups because of impacted or cut mastodon remains with associated stone and bone artifacts.

A rib bone was discovered in a bog at Manis Mammoth, Virginia, (14,000 years ago) with an unusual feature: an embedded bone projectile point.
Mammoth bones at Schaefer Mammoth Site, Wisconsin, (14,000 years ago) were found disarticulated and in stacks.
A bone with cut marks was also found at Mudlake Mammoth site, Wisconsin (16,000 years ago).
At Sanderson Site, Lea County, New Mexico, an ulna and vertebra were found together. These bones were preserved in casts and all the surrounding area was screened. Why was everything screened? People often sharpen tools at sites and carry their tools away. Fine screens can pull put the resharpened flakes. Between the bones a sand filled hole was discovered. It turns out that this hole was probably created by a stake since there are nobs in the hole to support the hypothesis. A viable means of meat preservation is staking meat at the bottom of a water source; this is called cold water meat caching.

The Gault and Freidkin Sites (15,000-13,000 years ago) create the fifth group. There are stratified components beneath the Clovis layer and cultural material below the Clovis layer share many Clovis technological traits. Blades, a variety of thick and narrow bifaces, small prismatic blade tools, and three notched projectile point fragments were uncovered.

Half of the Clovis material collected to date was discovered at the Gault site.

The intriguing part of this excavation is the older-than-Clovis (OTC) gold dirt followed:
- an Upper OTC layer with blades similar to those of Clovis
- and then the Lower OTClayer with a point stem, a thin heavily resharpened biface, a broken preform, and a large scraper (ca. 13,800 years ago).
There was also a stone “pavement” (a 2m by 2m flat square with an outlying toss zone) in part of the site with sticky yellow clay.
There were 16 prismatic blade sections all with evidence of cutting plants – a non-Clovis tradition. This layer was also isolated by a sterile gap above and below this pavement layer.

The Old Cordilleran is the sixth group (14,500 to 9,000 years ago) with long, thick narrow points and bifaces with no macro blades. The point technology seems to be shared with Siberia. Some sites included in this group are: Mesa Complex, On Your Knees Cave, Haskett, Paisley Cave, El Jobo, and Monte Verde.

The Paleocoastal is the final group (ca. 13,000 years ago). The artifacts are contemporary with Clovis but are not from the Clovis “culture”.

According to Dr. Collins, the seven groups are almost in chronological order from East to West: 21,000 to 13,000 CYBP. Clovis is at the midpoint of cultural history in the Americas.

For more insights and in-depth discussion, check out Dr. Michael B. Collins' interview on NPR, shedding light on the journey of America's first inhabitants.

“Archaeology and Science at the Paisley Caves” By Dr. Dennis Jenkins (University of Oregon)

Melanie E Magdalena — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dennis Jenkins works at the Paisley Caves in Oregon, the location of the oldest human remains in the Western Hemisphere (12,000-14,600 cal. BP). His dates come from human corpolites buried beneath rockfalls and multiple sediment layers. DNA samples say these coprolites are Siberian. From the artifacts recovered, not one shows evidence of Clovis technology. Hand stones recovered show evidence that these possible first Americans were a broad range of foragers and not primarily meat eaters.

Excavations in Cave 1 (14,000-11,000 years ago) were conducted underneath a boulder that collapsed. Since the ground beneath this boulder was untouched, the stratigraphy was pristine and safe from looters.

Cave 2 was also undisturbed thanks to a roof fall. A botanical lens (10,160-10,585 years ago) preserved grasses, sliced hair, and a pronghorn bone with cut marks. The human (sliced) hair sample was 12,570 cal. BP; plus, a hand stone had evidence of plant processing and mammoth residue.

Cave 5 had an unusual modified bear bone (14,230 cal. BP) which may be an artifact or it cracked by natural processes. The stratigraphic deposits are 1cm per 44 years. A bone pit of Pleistocene animals lay on top of human corpolites. These stertile sample were sent to a lab in Copenhagen. Haplogroups A2 and B2 found in these Paisley coprolies were common in Pleistocene Siberia.

Paisley Caves 14,300 years ago was a Paleoamerican site with people well adapted to their environment who were a broad range of foragers with Siberian DNA. Since the ice free corridor technically was not ice free at the time this site was settled, Dr. Jenkin's research supports the Costal Migration hypothesis.

“Finding America: Seeking New Paleolithic Paradigms” By Dr. Dennis Stanford (Curator of Archaeology, Smithsonian

Melanie E Magdalena — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Dr. Dennis Stanford's focus of study is on the origins of people in the New World and the means by which they arrived. He believes that people of Solutrean decent crossed the Atlantic ice while following seal migration and ended up in the Americas. Since Alaskan artifacts resemble microblade weaponry from Siberia, a migration from Beringia probably occurred, though he believes this was at a later time since they date to 14,000 years ago and the Solutrean-style Atlantic Coast artifacts discovered in Miles Point, Maryland at 21,000 years ago.

Dr. Stanford discussed many sites on the east coast they may be supporting evidence for his claims regarding an Atlantic Migration for the peopling of the Americas. Carson Con Shore (two miles long) and Saint Clare Site each have 100,000 artifacts. These two large sites are near chert sources. Along the Delimarva Peninsula, 150 Clovis sites stretch for 40 miles; there are also over 500 surfaces finds. Across the river no sites have been discovered – but as Dr. Stanford said: “There are many large urban and metropolitan areas across the river.”

One of the main points was that Solutrean and Clovis people both practiced caching. The Volgu Cache had Solutrean-style bifaces whereas the Drake Cache had Clovis bifaces. These caches are near each other. Clovis used a unique flaking technology, named by Bruce Huckell as thinning,” and the only other people to use this technology were Solutrean. I have to argue personally that there are only so many ways to flake a stone tool effectively. No one brought agriculture to the Americas yet it existed, so why couldn’t the Clovis people figure out this technique on their own?

Most of Dr. Stanford's evidence is based on unexcavated sites, faunal hairs with no evidence of human relationship nearby stone tools, and a point dated (the date comes from a mammoth bone tampered by fishermen which came out of the same bog as the point) 30 years after its discovery. This Atlantic Migration hypothesis could be valid, however the current "evidence" does not necessarily make the first Americans European migrants.

“Science of Food” - Adult Night at Explora

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Before Explora, I had not been to a children’s museum in over ten years.

First impression: FUN!
Second impression: Baffled after learning taste depends on your sense of smell and there are three different types of “tasters” in the world.

While the majority of the adult guests were out on the deck looking at far away stellar bodies and playing in the exhibits, I was in the Explora Theater learning about taste. The one-hour documentary by BBC explained how taste was studied, explored, and how we use it today.

The “taste doctor” in the film was part of a brain study where a volunteer “super taster” (one of the three taster types). The four different types of taste — salt, sweet, bitter, and sour — all occur in the same part of the brain but at different depths. This was the first part of their scientific study. The second part was seeing how taste is affected by smell. A woman who suffered from a head injury was their volunteer. It turns out, she lost her sense of smell and she can only taste the four types of taste but without smell, nothing has flavor.

A chef in a French restaurant appeared throughout the film cooking for his guests. According to the film, inhaling deeply with food in your mouth enhances the flavor. I actually tried this afterwards with chocolate, soda, and onion rings. Food tastes much better this way! This will probably become a new eating habit of mine from now on.

“Vindija Cave (Croatia): Late Neandertals in South-Central Europe” By Fred Smith (Loyola University)

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The second part of Dr. Fred Smith’s talk was a specialized seminar about his work in Vindija Cave. During this seminar, Dr. Smith used his morphological research and studies of Neandertal morphological diversity to support his Assimilation Model. Recently, the academic world decided that Neandertals went extinct by hybridization (also known as assimilation…). This seminar was indeed specialized: I learned I know practically nothing about human anatomy (and even less about Neandertal anatomy) but managed to understand bits and pieces.

The most famous Neandertal sites are in Hrvatsko Zafgorje, in northern Croatia close to the Slovenian border. Some sites in this area include Mujine Pećina a little Mousterian cave, Bukovak Pećina which had a calcium carbonate layer with bone points and bone “flutes”, and the caves Velika Pećina and Mala Pećina that had Mousterian lithics dating back 39,000 years ago. There is ongoing research in Croatia today searching for Paleolithic sites.

Krapina is a Mousterian cave where geologist Greyonovich kept careful records of most artifact levels. This is significant because these excavations occurred from 1899-1901. There were nine layers of cultural remains: layer 8 had fossil humans remains and layers 3-4 had Homo sapien remains. The Neandertals discovered were referred to as Homo primi genius. Greyonovich firmly believed that Neandertals gave rise to modern humans: out of the 1,300 Neandertal bones found at the site, there were at least 40 individuals. Krapina is the last known interglacial site – 130,000 years ago.

Vindija Cave overlooks a valley with two rivers. The original excavator, Meerco, mined this cave for fossils (which he found) but ruined a lot of the data since hardly anything was accurate. In Vindija Cave, it seems that Neandertals began developing chins and their faces shrunk. I understood this to mean Neandertals were indeed changing morphologically when Homo sapiens arrived. Genes only flowed one way though, and since our human ancestors were rare on the European landscape to begin with, they disappeared rather rapidly (or were assimilated) after modern human migration waves entered their territory.

“Neandertals and Folks Like Us” By Fred Smith (Loyola University)

Melanie E Magdalena — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The Journal of Anthropological Research invited Dr. Fred Smith, expert in Neandertal biology, to UNM to discuss his thoughts and reasoning about Neandertals and their relation to modern humans. When I studied Neandertals in physical anthropology two years ago, I learned that they were short, stalky proto-humans incapable of speech. A few months earlier, the Neandertal Genome was completed and the world found out that 1-4% of our modern DNA came from Neandertals.

Dr. Smith pointed out that even though modern human brains are 5cm3 larger than Neandertal brains, there is no concrete evidence to prove that Neandertals were cognitively inferior to modern Homo sapiens. Recent studies show that Neandertals show no evidence of speech impairments since both they and modern humans have relatively the same hyoid bones and FOXP2 genes.

I personally support Dr. Smith’s Assimilation Model. During my class, I never doubted the possibility of the two species (or races as Dr. Smith also defends) merging together. It always felt a bit illogical to say that modern humans only migrated to Europe once or only migrated multi-regionally — why would assimilation not be a possibility? (I also feel this way about migration hypotheses regarding arrival in America...why not multiple different types of migrations? Why would there only be one wave of people across a piece of ice?) After he mentioned the morphological similarities between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, it seems logical to support that indeed, we are very similar yet interestingly different.

My favorite part of the lecture was when Dr. Smith said that circumstances and technology that modern humans had may be the only reason why Neandertals did not feel compelled, nor felt the desire, to create an abundance of material objects. They created the goods they had well, that does not mean they were inferior to us.

“An Admiring Look at 19th Century Scholarship in the 21st Century: Quen Santo Revisited” By James Brady

Melanie E Magdalena — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, I had the unique opportunity to listen to James Brady discuss his research in Quen Santo (Huehuetenango, Guatemala). Interestingly enough, I learned that Eduard Seler was responsible for the original research of the cave system. With the technology Seler had available, he did an excellent job at documenting the area even if his worldview skewed his thoughts away from an accurate interpretation. I did not know that during the time of the original research Europeans generally interpreted cave sites as “primitive” and associated them with “Stone Age people.”

After 100 years, James Brady and his team were able to finish what Seler left out: the caves were actually holy “sanctuaries” that are still respected today and Quen Santo, in particular, continues to be a Maya pilgrimage site. The archaeological team had to take an alcade rezador (“prayer man”) with them and complete rituals with candles and incense each morning prior to entering the caves, and repeated this at every altar found within the cave as well.

Personally, I found James Brady’s presentation humorous when he retold the conflicts he encountered. Women are apparently prohibited from entering the caves, but their prayer man “had a dream” in which the Earth Lord granted them entry; but this entry could be revoked if the Earth Lord knew that the women were on their periods and cause bad karma. The last spectacular point I really enjoyed was that the Quen Santo caves are not limestone, but tectonic caves caused by uplifts over the years. The Maya built walls enclosing these uplifts where natural boundaries were absent.

Banned Gaza Children’s Art Exhibit Comes to UNM

Melanie E Magdalena — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The children of Gaza are living in a war zone. The exhibit at UNM was a collection of drawings by children for the age of 7 to 14. These children experienced “Operation Cast Lead” — the 23 day bombardment and invasion of Gaza during December 2008 and January 2009. The drawings come from six Gaza communities, and each one depicts the trauma of living in the war zone, the death, and violence witnessed by children and how they interpreted the slaughter of their friends, families, and other citizens of Gaza.

In May 2009, a group of 13 people traveled to Gaza and saw the consequences of “Operation Cast Lead.” Art therapy classes began for the children. Despite the siege and boycott of essential goods — lack of paper, pencils, and school supplies plus power shortages was hard to overcome. In the pamphlet, it says children ended up recycling old sheets of paper in order to draw and let their emotions flow out. Also, one school sent the group a photo of children working my candlelight due to lack of electricity.

It is sad that the United States fuels this destruction. Every year, the USA sends money to Israel to continue the war against Palestine. Palestine is slowly disappearing from the map: each year their territory is smaller and smaller as more death increases by the day. Yes, Israelites needed somewhere to live after World War II; but is this a justifiable excuse for killing the citizens of Palestine? Therapy may help the children of Gaza cope with the lives they’ve been forced into. In the long run, these children will never be the same again. Their world is composed of violence. Many of these young citizens of Palestine may develop violent characters and retaliate in the future. Violence is now a constant state of life in Israel and Palestine and it will never stop until a peaceful solution is born. We are citizens of the United States of America and it is our duty to educate people in our country and in other parts of the world — there is such a thing as peaceful solutions, it is only a matter of trying to be nice and not blowing up people because they choose to not conform with our worldview.

Flaming Zozobra

Melanie E Magdalena — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The most anticipated event in the southwest is the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe, held the first weekend in September. For the past 300 years Santa Fe hosts a 3 day festival that began in 1712 to celebrate an expedition by Don Diego de Vargas, who re-conquered the territory of New Mexico.

Order obliging the citizens of Santa Fe to celebrate henceforth the 14th day of Sept. of each year as the anniversary of the re-conquest of the said Villa by Diego de Vargas.” Spanish Archives of New Mexico; Archive 179, Sept. 16, 1712.

The centerpiece of the celebration is the burning of 1600 pound, 50-foot giant monumental effigy, the Zozobra, created in 1924 by local Santa Fe artist William Howard Shuster. Inspired by the effigy, Judas, from Holy Week in Mexico, Shuster set out to create the Zozobra now holding a Guiness World Record. Judas was filled with firecrackers and paraded by donkey around town and ultimately set on fire. Zozobra, the gloomy one, is Shuster’s growling version, “[the] mischievous and hideous boogey man.”

Each year the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe stages the ceremonial burning of Zozobra. The ceremony opens with a speech persecuting Zozobra:

The time has come to consider the fate of Old Man Gloom.
Zozobra for being a mischievous and hideous 50-foot boogey man… Guilty!
For scaring our innocent children with your miserable growling… Guilty!
Zozobra big dog howling at the moon filling our dreams… Guilty!
Zozobra for upsetting our peaceful way of life with your dark gloominess… Guilty!
Zozobra for bringing sadness anxiety and gloom into our lives… You are guilty!
The Zozobra, Old Man Gloom, will be dispatched by the ceremony of fire. All that bear witness will be free of sadness and suffering. Let the darkness bring us light!

Immediately after the fiery sentence, elaborate tribal-styled dances and fire wielding performances begin. The effigy begins to growl as fireworks and nearby flames light up the darkness. And then... he burns.

Play: Zozobra Festival Watch on YouTube

The burning of Zozobra is a tradition that everyone should experience at one point in their lives. Whether you believe that it will cleanse and free you from your troubles or you just want to feel the excitement… you'll be sure to find yourself chanting “BURN HIM!!”

Firewalking for Spring

Melanie E Magdalena — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Spring is upon us with the equinox only days away - it's time to discover balance in our lives. Yesterday was a fascinating day, one I would like to define as an Experimental Anthropology Day.

While researching the Toltec culture, something interesting popped up: The Austin Toltecs group. Today was their Spring Equinox Ceremony. Jose-Pierre and I decided to check it out.

The ceremony began in the evening after voting for our favorite piece from their art exhibit. I voted for the winning painting "Rocks and Water" - a beautiful multicolor abstract piece.

We began by creating a circle, there were about 40 of us present, and after joining hands, called upon the elements with a chant:

Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath, and fire my spirit."

After opening the circle, each of us found a partner to discuss what we wanted to plant in ourselves this spring and what we wanted to weed out. In my case, I want to increase my sense of security and weedout my impatience with others. Then we joined groups of six and took turns surrendering our bodies to those around us by letting ourselves gently fall into the hands of each group member.

Now that we'd defined how to begin our spring, we took a little pot of soil from the center altar and planted a seed that symbolized our goals. Our intents are like seeds - if we nourish them, they grow!

Once again, we joined hands, this time in two circles around the altar and called upon the elements to close the circle we'd opened.

The night was barely beginning. Next was the firewalk. After watching people overcome their fears of not being able to do something, we went into the night under the skies and chanted again, this time to prove we had overcome our obstacles: Our toes survived!

What I find most interesting about all of this is the fact that many ancient traditions are still alive. People have been walking on fire for thousands of years and we were able to take part in this ceremony that still survives.

I hope you enjoy this pop cultural revival of ancient traditions, you are about to witness The Firedance!

Play: Firewalking Watch on YouTube

Thanksgiving & Being Vegetarian

Melanie E Magdalena — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As a Thanksgiving tribute, who traditionally has turkey for dinner? And at a broader scope, how about meat on a daily to semi-daily basis? Turkey is a genetically enhanced poultry with antibiotics and estrogenic hormones that in the long run, not only turkey but other genetically modified animal products as well, pollute the soil and increase the risk of breast and reproductive cancers (Weil). Wanda Embar explains the commercial turkey as, “Altered to grow twice as fast, become twice as large, have white feathers and abnormally large breasts. All these changes have caused serious health problems like collapsed lungs, swollen joints, crippled feet and heart attacks. Commercial turkeys are also unable to reproduce naturally and are artificially inseminated instead.” Debeaked turkey with their toes trimmed are raised in an overcrowded shed in a warehouse and slaughtered 14-21 weeks old, depending on how enhanced they are. Maintaining an animal product free diet not only increases your chances of being healthier, but also decreases the impact of animal agriculture on our earth, air, and water supplies with a substantial knock-out of important global warming factors.

Glancing at the familiar food pyramid a balanced diet consists of 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, 2-3 servings of protein, 2-3 servings of dairy, and sparing intake of fats, oils and sweets.

Switching to a vegetarian pyramid there are 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings vegetables, 2-4 of fruit, 2-3 servings of dairy/fortified foods, 2-3 servings of protein, and sparing intake of fats, oils, and sweets.

Where’s the difference? There is simply no intake of animal meats. However, other than the health risks from genetic enhancements for animal growth animal agriculture also have a damaging impact on the Earth.

Vegetarianism spurred in the early 1800s with Reverend William Cowherd and his sermon quoting Genesis 9:3, “And God said, every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you: even as the green herb I have given you all things, but the flesh, with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Antrobus). This sermon given to the congregation of a small chapel in Salford, Sweden was the beginning of abstinence from meat.

Until the 1950s people cooked at home until “casual dining” gained unreasonable popularity and poorer foods were eaten more often, if not regularly. Fast food caused an unprecedented rise in obesity levels and a not unrelated climb in healthcare crisis (Bittman). The Green Revolution of the 1970s introduced hybridized seeds to increase produce populations. These were dependent on fossil fuels, which increased carbon dioxide emissions causing global climate changes that negatively affected global agriculture productivity (Katz). Therefore, meat began tasting less and less, morality disappeared from animal treatment, and nobody cared to stand up for a change until outbreaks of mad cow disease and salmonella became an issue (Bittman). More seeds were used to produce more food for animals creating a vicious never-ending cycle. No, not even this caused much change, simply an increase in governmental policy regarding food handling. Vegetarianism took a leap of faith from Biblical reference to a world-crisis solution.

American best-selling author and talk show guest Kathy Freston wrote the article “Vegetarian is the New Prius,” for the Huffington Post in 2007, explaining the consequences of animal agriculture. Her reference to the UN states, “[…] almost a fifth of global warming emissions come from livestock.” She goes on to clarify, “that’s more emissions than from all of the world’s transportation combined.” Her claim in the article is that every car in the world could be electric and animal agriculture would still impact the world. Animal agriculture takes up an incredible 70% of all agricultural land, and 30% of the total land surface of the planet (Freston).

Why is animal agriculture so environmentally damaging? Land has to be cleared for agriculture, animals have to be fed, and animals have to be transported to a slaughterhouse, packaged, and shipped to their consumer destination. Water is needed to water the crops being fed to the animals, plus animals need water to survive as well, along with cleaning factories, transportation equipment and vehicles, and the slaughterhouses (PETA). Animal agriculture accounts for 9% of carbon dioxide emissions while the manure produced releases 37% of methane emissions and 65% of nitrous oxide (Freston) and requires more than 2,400 gallons of water per pound of meat (PETA).

The North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) launched a poster on October 1, 2010 for World Vegetarian Day and Vegetarian Awareness Month with the following, “By maintaining a vegetarian diet you can:

Reduce the risk of major killers such as heart disease, stroke and cancer while cutting exposure to food borne pathogens;
Provide a viable answer to feeding the world’s hungry population through more efficient use of grains and other crops;
Save animals from suffering in factory-farm conditions and from the pain and terror of slaughter;
Conserve vital and limited freshwater, fertile topsoil, and other precious resources;
Preserve irreplaceable ecosystems such as rainforests and other wildlife habitats;
Mitigate the ever-expanding environmental pollution of animal agriculture;
And decrease greenhouse gases that are accelerating global warming.”

So where is my credibility? Dr. Weil, the North American Vegetarian Society, and Kathy Freston all have reasonable arguments to be vegetarian. From personal experience, I was raised around animals since my father is an animal broker. My passion for animals was visible since I was child by despising Barbie dolls and playing with stuffed animals and TY Beanie Babies. In my teenage years that I was given a choice: to play my part in stopping animal agriculture or doing nothing at all. There is no in between. Not only was I able to challenge my high metabolism and gain weight, but I reached a moral satisfaction by helping stop a greater problem. So now I ask you, will you continue your ways and encourage animal agriculture or will you face it and stop it with vegetarian or vegan lifestyles? Stay risk free, save the world, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

References:

Antrobus, Derek. “Vegetarianism: Neither Phoenix nor Fad.” New Vegetarian & Natural Health Spring, 2003, p26-29. Print.
Bittman, Mark. Why take food seriously? Because your life depends on it: Everything’s an Argument. USA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010.
Embar, Wanda. “Animal Cruelty: Turkey.” Veganpeace.com. N.d. Web. 20 November 2010.
Freston, Kathy. “Vegetarian is the New Prius.” Huffingtonpost.com. The Huffington Post, 18 January 2007. Web. 15 November 2010.
“Food Pyramids: What They Are and Why You Should Avoid Them.” Chart. Open Water Chicago. Web. 22 November 2010.
“‘Good Eating’ Guidelines.” Chart. Seventh Day Adventists. Web. 22 November 2010.
Katz, Solomon H. The World’s Food Crisis, An Overview of the Causes and Consequences: Everything’s an Argument. USA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010.
“Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources.” PETA.org. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, 2010. Web. 15 November 2010.
“Vegetarian Awareness Month.” Chart. North American Vegetarian Society. NAVS. 18 November 2010. Print.
Weil, Andrew. “Hearty Helping of Cancer Prevention?” AlkalizeForHealth. Alkalize for Health, N.d. Web. 22 November 2010.

"Archaeology: Basic Field Methods" by R. Michael Stewart

Melanie E Magdalena — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The following is a summarized version of Stewart's Archaeology: Basic Field Methods prepared for my Academic Cooperative course at Austin Community College and first field session in Belize (Summer 2011). For convenience, here is the book citation:

Stewart, R. Michael. (2002) Archaeology: Basic Field Methods. USA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

As of 2022, this textbook summary also links to examples from my field experience (2011-2014), where applicable.

What’s the Point? (pages ix-xii)

Fieldwork is flexible. Without flexibility, archaeologists would be unable to address the past and its people with a variety of questions in archaeological deposits. It is difficult to learn when and how techniques should be used and there is no book that an archaeologist can open to address challenges; only experience combined with knowledge from books can build a framework for solving problems and making decisions.

Chapter 1: Basic Definitions and Assumptions (pages 1-16)

Archaeology, defined, is the means of studying the human past by analyzing material evidence and its context by the means of fieldwork. The goals and purpose of archaeological studies vary depending on the interests and theoretical perspective of the researcher. Bruce Trigger said, “changing social conditions influence not only the questions archaeologists ask but also the answers that they are predisposed to find acceptable.” Archaeology encompasses the details of everyday life, chronological sequences of events, as well as dealing with social and political aspects of the people studied.

By documenting archaeological finds, unknown pasts can be discovered. Material evidence (artifacts, ecofacts, and human remains) help archaeologists define material culture, the physical environment of the archaeological deposits, and a record of physical and social life. Context can be spatial, chronological, and behavioral; each give meaning to the artifacts – what was used, why it was used, and how it was used. Sites are where artifacts are collected in order to reconstruct past lifeways. There are ethical concerns: how archaeologists should behave in the field and elsewhere. Archaeological deposits are finite resources that must be excavated with a scientific plan or research design.

Chapter 2: The Archaeological Record and the Recognition of Evidence (pages 17-35)

How the Archaeological Record is Formed

Archaeological record is material evidence, its context, and the processes responsible for their creation and present condition. Cultural and natural processes both form and transform archaeological record.

Cultural processes are human behaviors that alter or transform a pre-existing material and/or context.

Natural processes create or transform the physical world and are responsible altering and destroying archaeological deposits. Not everything is preserved; in some sites material evidence is preserved while in others destroyed.

The archaeological record does not directly reflect human behavior; archaeologists must translate it into behavior through objective interpretation of evidence.

Preservation is conditioned by mechanical, chemical, and biological weathering. Depending on what the artifacts are made of and how they were made, the nature of the depositional environment, and the nature of the postdepositional environment, some things preserve better than others.

Preservation is enhanced by intentional or quick burial and/or the removal of materials from exposed surfaces. Modern life also impacts archaeological record: any alteration to the environment and alter archaeological record.

Recognizing Archaeological Evidence

Archaeologists constantly face the question, “Is this an artifact?”

The archaeological framework for identifying evidence consists of: analogs with things in our own culture; documentary and pictorial records; knowledge of ethnography, ethnohistory, and ethnoarchaeology; cumulative achievements of archaeology; experimental archaeology; natural and material sciences; and evaluation of context and associations (Stewart, 25).

Determining if something is natural or modified by humans is critical for accurately reconstructing the past.

Landscapes can be useful in determining where archaeological sites may be located. Studying cultures in the area, before and currently, amplifies knowledge about past lives that may have been responsible for creating sites or alterations present in situ.

Chapter 3: Fieldwork – Motivations and Design (pages 37-54)

Fieldwork consists of archaeological survey, site testing, and investigations focused on the research questions that drove the project to its initiation.

Collecting research and proper training is essential to a project before going out into the field.

Discoveries may be accidental and not always planned. It is important to understand the significance of a find before intensifying efforts in fieldwork.

Cultural resource management studies encompass areas that may be affected, transformed, or destroyed if the area of a site is altered. Generally, these studies are put in place before construction projects.

In the United States (USA):

The National Historic Preservation Act established the National Register of Historical Places which lists areas and objects that have cultural or design values. To be listed the resource must be classified as significant at the local, state, or national level (e.g., the petrified forest).
State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPO) oversee the preservation and management of listed resources.
Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPO) are responsible for Indian lands and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) advises the President and Congress on preservation matters.

Fieldwork consists of identifying and locating archaeological resources via research design: developing hypotheses, determining what data is needed to answer the hypotheses and how to collect the data, analyzing and evaluating the data collected, and ultimately answering the hypotheses or developing new ones that require further investigation.

Budgets limit how much work can be done on a site, making sampling a very important element. Samples provide information about where sites may be so more effort is placed in those of high and medium probability levels. After identifying known elements (structures, land features, previous sites), samples may be taken by qualitative (intuition) or quantitative (statistical) samples, such as random grid units and stratified samples in order to address the areas of high and medium probability.

Chapter 4: Background Research (pages 55-84)

In order to start a project, background research must be done on the culture, the history, the environment, and previous land use in order to create a context for evaluating the significance of sites discovered.

Cultural and historical background consists of analyzing history of the area, maps, projects completed in the area, previously located sites, and any prehistoric and/or historic developments in the local, state, region, or nation depending on the extent of the project.

SHPO keeps a record of documents about any site surveys that were previously carried out; these can be significant if the project is an expansion of a previous one (e.g., a previous project revealed a prehistoric home on one side of a hill, maybe another home is on the other side of the hill).

It is important to know who has already worked in the area, what has been discovered, how and where sites have occurred, and if any of these sites have been classified as significant for the National Register.

Environmental data is useful in formulating expectations about what kind of rocks may be encountered in a project area, distinguishing man-made landscapes from natural geological processes, identifying useful types of rocks for the inhabitants of the area, where the useful rocks came from, and the locations of quarries, rock shelters and caves might exist in the project area.

Geological maps, aerial photos, topographic maps, and soil maps can help further the team’s knowledge of the project area. These resources can reveal what resources were used by past people, where clay is located for pottery, how deep excavations will need to be, determining the age of a site (stratigraphy and soil weathering), and even enable the reconstruction of paleoenvironments.

How the landscape was previously used is a factor that should not be overlooked. Landscapes transform over time, and if the land has been used for farming artifacts may have been moved from their original context.

It is important for an archaeologist to prepare for what may be encountered once in the field so interpretations are correct.

Chapter 5: Preparing for the Field (pages 85-99)

Preparation for field work includes field kits, dress, health and safety concerns, and field etiquette.

Field kits may have some or all of the following: trowel, ice pick, gloves, root clippers, knife, compass, ruler and/or tape measure, plumb bob, line level, hand lens, soil Field Guide, personal provisions, and a Fieldbook.

A trowel, pointed and 4.5-5 inches long, is used to move and cut through sediments. Some archaeologists carry a variety of trowels to make different types of work easier.
An ice pick or stiff wire is used as a probe to find where large artifacts may be located or to get a feel for the stratigraphic boundaries.
A knife is a multipurpose tool: cutting, chopping, testing soil compaction, or sediment texture.
Root clippers remove roots for excavating, photographs, and mapping.
Gloves are necessary to minimize cuts, scrapes, and blisters, plus protect your hands from oils of poisonous plants.
A compass is for context and maps; rulers/tape measures are for measuring units and the sizes of objects.
A plumb bob keeps the walls of an excavation straight and maps horizontal locations of objects; a line level records depth.
A field guide, such as a Munsell color chart, describes and classifies soil color and texture. A 10X hand lens is used for examining sediments and the edges of artifacts.
Personal provisions should include all personal information, emergency contacts, health insurance, medications, and allergies.
A fieldbook is a daily log of anything and everything done and things-to-do next. Clothing should be professional, comfortable, adequate for the climate, and inoffensive to communities you may be working with, plus ankle-high boots and brimmed hats (or hard hats if working in hazardous zones).

(NOTE/TODO: I have a picture of my field kit from my second Belize field session. It should be added here.)

Personal safety includes having a health and safety plan, plus possible training for on-site safety measures, such as CPR. Field hazards may be part of the existing environment (insect bites or poisonous plants), the working environment (injuries or labor strains), or living in the field (personal hygiene).

Field etiquette is acceptable behavior and communication to your team and visitors about what you are doing and why.

Chapter 6: Map, Surveying, and Mapmaking (pages 101-160)

Maps

Maps are essential for planning prior to fieldwork so that once in the field members of the team have knowledge regarding the natural landscape, the rocks, plants, and soils that may be present, and be able to recognize out of place things in the landscape that are a result of human behavior.

Topographic maps record elevations, the rise and fall of the landscape, and cultural features. The most common map scale is the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle (1:24,000).

In a map, the name, a key, a scale, and topographic contour lines are displayed.

Coordinate and grid systems used by archaeologists include latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes, and the UTM grid.

Topographic map symbols include water, cultural features, land surface, vegetation, unsurveyed areas, major roads, urban area, and added features from aerial photographs.

Surveying and Mapmaking

Various instruments are used to determine direction, measure angles, and do surveying. These instruments include, but are not limited to, magnetic compasses, GPS, and theodolites.

Distances are measured in a variety of ways, such as by measured pace (e.g., 12 steps equals 1m).

A compass is used to locate and plot the position of an area, its diversion from true north and its orientation on a map. Stewart uses the example of a site next to a lake and the site’s 40° angle from the Buck Road and Fort Road intersection.

Sites are documented with landmarks and GPS location.

UMT grid units are used to depict in which unit a site is located.

Transect lines are used to locate a general area for subsurface tests.

Grids and units are placed according to the site datum point by means of triangulation.

Plan maps and elevation for topographic maps are also part of the procedure.

At the end, a draft of survey data is constructed.

Chapter 7: Sediments, Soils, Stratigraphy, and Geomorphology (pages 161-204)

Geoarchaeology is the combination of studying soils, sediments, and the formation of landscapes.

Sediments reflect the color of parent material (Munsell Color Chart) based on hue (dominant spectral color), value (lightness or darkness), and chroma (strength of lightness/ darkness).

The size of grains is are graded with the Wentworth Grain Size Classification. Texture can be gravelly, cobbly, or stony.

Soil and sediment texture can be classified as sandy, loamy, silty, clay, or a combination of this four main textures. Consistence and stickiness is also characterized. Particle shape and orientation are also determined, and are sorted according to size.

Soil forms from a parent material and may receive additions that cause transformations: transfers (movement), translocations (movement and deposition in a soil column), and removals (extraction by soluble materials).

Color reflects the developmental process and texture reflects mechanical, chemical, and biological breakdown of materials.

Soil structure (how peds separate from each other) may be weak, moderate, or strong and described as granular, crumb, platy, blocky, subangular blocky, prismatic, or columnar.

Soil horizons are created by the processes that form soil: (i) O, organic matter, (ii) A, well-decomposed organic matter, (iii) E, mineral horizon zone of intense leeching, (iv), B, mineral horizon zone of illuviation, (v) C, unweathered and lacks characteristics of A and B horizon, and (vi) R, the bedrock.

Discontinuity is a break in the soil profile.

Stratigraphy is defined by the law of superposition (the highest is the youngest and the lowest is the oldest).

Geomorphology is the study of how landscapes are shaped.

Two features that result from shaping processes are flood plains (table 7.4) and slopes (table 7.5).

Samples are taken in consistent vertical increments. Soil must be interpreted based on the effects of climate, organisms, topography, and parent material.

The Harris Matrix is a way to organize stratum into a schematic diagram.

Chapter 8: Working on the Surface (pages 205-237)

Archaeological deposits are generally during the first step, surface survey.

Factors that can affect discovering artifacts include abundance, clustering, and obtrusiveness of artifacts, visibility and accessibility of the site.

Surface observations include topography, vegetation, drainage, sediment and soil color, above-ground construction, and artifacts.

There are multiple types of exposures and disturbances that can be looked for and examined; some of these are trails, areas of construction, and arid environments with little vegetation. Signs of deposits that were once-buried are: “tight spatial clustering of artifacts, human remains, and patterned soil discolorations.”

Field notes should include field observations (table 8.4), the activities performed, why they were performed, the field conditions they were performed under (can affect the reliability of survey results), the results produced, how the results were interpreted, the relevance of the survey to the research design, and how future action should follow.

All artifacts and samples collected are listed in a field specimen catalog (figure 8.29) and photographs of the methodological work recorded in a photo log (figure 8.32).

The location, size, and shape of surface features and recovered objects should be recorded with their provenience.

Remote sensing techniques (e.g., aerial photography, ground penetrating radar) have provided ways for non-invasive archaeology to grow. Now archaeologists do not have to expose a site until invasive archaeology is needed, therefore increasing the preservation of a site.

(NOTE/TODO: link remote sensing to Alaska project)

Chapter 9: Subsurface Investigations (pages 239-318)

Subsurface excavations require special excavation tools, such as digging tools (shovels), screening devices for dry screening (typically ¼ inch or ⅛ inch, size depends on the size of artifacts being recovered) or wet screening (break down sediments and soils), augers (drill into sediments for sample collections) and coring devices (vertical subsurface samples), and sometimes earth-moving machinery (e.g., backhoes, bulldozers, grandalls).

Unit dimensions are 1x1 meter, 5x5 meter, etc. The type of excavation determines unit size.

Excavations may be by natural strata, arbitrary levels in a natural strata, only by arbitrary levels, or by quadrants. Stratum and levels are labeled and reflected when recording provenience (e.g., site, unit number, stratum, level/quadrant/artifact).

First a unit is measured and elevation is recorded below datum (BD).

Materials recovered should never be mixed with different levels or contexts in the screen.

Artifacts should try to be located in situ before the screening so exact provenience can be recorded; once in the screen only the level in the unit is known.

Artifacts are plotted in a unit map (a mapping screen may be used for determining an exact location) that is scaled.

Before a new level is begun, the level is given a catalogue number for the next batch of field specimens.

Excavations are affected by the excavation size, depth, number of, and distribution of excavations.

Field records include provenience tags or cards, excavation level forms, an excavation summary form, feature level and summary forms, and the artifact collection. If a burial was discovered, a burial recording form is also submitted.

"Katun: A Twenty-Year Journey with the Maya" by Cindy Hull

Melanie E Magdalena — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The following is a summarized version of Hull's Katun: A Twenty-Year Journey with the Maya for use as a reference in my Belizean Ethnoarchaeology studies. For your convenience, here is the formal book citation:

Hull, Cindy L. (2004). Katun: A Twenty-Year Journey with the Maya. USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. pp. 190.

Foreward (pages xi-xiii)

About the series Katun: A Twenty-Year Journey with the Maya, by Cindy L. Hull is one book of a series of case studies in cultural anthropology that addresses the rich and complex aspects of human life lived in different ways and places, how groups and communities cope with changes in their physical and sociopolitical environments, and how cultures solve problems in life.

About the author Hull began her research addresses the collapse of the mono-crop henequen system and its impact on families in the village of Yaxbe, in northwest Yucatan. Twenty years of work in the area allowed her to see the changes and adaptations of the people to the economic transformation; plus, she was given the opportunity to participate in their daily lives and rituals.

About the case study Hull examined how women adapted to their growing power and the economic and social changes that have occurred since 1992. The case study is not only about Yaxbe, but how the whole world was transformed when the network of global relationships was born.

Preface (pages xiv-xviii)

Introduction to the Yucatan, Mexico Hull arrived in Yaxbe in 1971, when henequen (sisal), a cactus-like plant, was abundant in the limestone plains and the henequen production was at its peak. Hull was faced with questions regarding how these people made a living with the extremely demanding environment and how they managed to preserve between two economic systems – ancient subsistence on corn and the imposed mono-crop production and wage labor. The Maya are part of a social system within their village and as a state in a developing nation.

Purpose of this Study This study was done during a period of transition and adaptation with an analysis of the new integration of the Yucatec Maya culture with the dominant Yucatecan and Mexican society. The study focuses on the village of Yaxbe: the shift in economic strategy adopted by villagers after the collapse of the henequen market and the transformations in social relations with Yaxbe as women were integrated into the wage economy and the expansion of their involvement in social and political life of the village. The ethnography consists of three parts: the historic and geographic setting of Yaxbe and an introduction to the village, social context of the village life, and economic and social changes that occurred in the nation, state of Yucatan, and the village Yaxbe since 1990.

Chapter 1: A Katun with the Yucatec Maya (pages 1-12)

The Mayan Landscape The natural landscape is made up of semitropical brush and corn fields or henequen plants. Towns have oval-shaped houses arranged in clusters (solares) and separated by limestone boulder fences. People speak Spanish and the elderly Mayan. Women dress in huipiles and magenta shawls; men wear the Maya traje. Girls wear faded skirts and dresses while boys wear tattered shirts and shin length pants. Older children carry infants on their hips as they rush to their destinations.

Entering the Village, 1976 Yaxbe, relatively isolated, was close enough to Merida for access to their urban markets – a major factor for their survival. As part of the henequen zone, fewer women wore the huipil and fewer men the traje. Even fewer villagers spoke Maya, only the elderly.

Returning to Yaxbe, 1998 After twenty years, Hull’s children and the children of Yaxbe had grown up together during the intervals Hull returned to update her data and document changes.

The Objective and Subjective in Anthropology Anthropology is a constant conflict between theory and method. Anthropologists define the discipline as scientific, with testable hypotheses, research, and published works. Franz Boas, the father of anthropology, initiated the field. Ethnography is academic and written in third person – the anthropologist is removed from the action, but is present, and has a minimal impact on the culture being described. However, the anthropologist does have an impact: new technology, gifts, and even teaching others their language impacts the culture being studied.

Method: Longitudinal Research Valuable research can be validated or tested. First, anthropologists can conduct research in the same location; secondly, longitudinal research means one or more researchers can return to the same location over time (Hull’s method of choice).

Chapter 2: Historical Context (pages 13-21)

Anthropology, History, and Economic Theory; The Maya World Mexico can be viewed within three matrices: the relationship between (i) Mexico and Spain, (ii) Mexico and the United States, and (iii) the Mexican government and its diverse regions. Within these matrices of colonialism, nationalism, and the formation of modern institutions, a person can understand the diversity, sources of inequality, and identity in the sociopolitical area. Maya territory expands from the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatan, to Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and part of El Salvador. The Yucatan peninsula is flat and dry, with wet tropical lowlands. There is little soil for crops (with the exception to corn, beans, and squash) and the little rainfall the peninsula receives is absorbed into karst.

Pre-Conquest Maya and Conquest to Independence Agriculture was supplemented with hunting and fishing. There was no centralized government in the Maya territories. Power was held by each civic center. Conquistadores took over the land and made the Maya work for them, the encomenderos. Land was suitable for cattle raising. Later, encomiendas transitioned to haciendas, self-sustaining enterprises.

Henequen and the Post-Independence Era Yucatan was dependent on cash crops for most of its colonial history. Henequen became a mono-crop after the Yucatan invention, a mechanized decorticator, and the United States’ invention, the McCormick Reaper.

The Decline and Fall of the Henequen Era In 1910, 985 of the world’s henequen came from Yucatan. By 1950, synthetic materials were replacing henequen, and by 1976, henequen production in Yaxbe was declining. The world competition for sisal, the rise of the petrochemical industry, and the production of less expensive synthetic substitutes caused the decline of henequen production. Increased reliance increased Mexican debt to the United States. Now, Yucatan depends on the maquila industry and tourism.

Chapter 3: The Economy of Yaxbe, 1976-1989 (pages 22-36)

World Systems Theory and Agency in Yucatan The main principles of cultural change are: (i) economic and social change and patterns of cultural change are understood in the larger context of politics that affected the land and exploitation of natural resources, (ii) individuals and groups are agents of change who shape their own futures in this larger context, and (iii) human responses to change are not identical or predictable.

The Economic Structure The Henequen Cycle consisted of extracting the fibers in henequen plants by cutting and stripping their leaves. Henequen requires seven years of care before they produce leaves that are useful. The plants produce leaves for ten to twelve years. When the plant dies a flower blooms that produces poisonous sap. Henequen production, until 1992, was exploited by ejidos and parcelas. The state and national governments that subsidized the production of henequen controlled the Henequen ejido system and also reimbursed the ejidatarios. Parcelarios are private landowners that cannot sell their land, only abandon it or pass it down to their children. Cordemex or haciendas owned decorticating factories. Families with two members working with Cordemex had better standards of living. The sindicato was a trucking operation used to transport henequen fibers to the Cordomex plant in Merida.

The Milpa Cycle, the second agricultural cycle, depends on the seasons. Milpa refers to the trilogy (corn, beans, and squash), though some also grow chiles, tomatoes, and yams. Soil is poor so milpas are moved yearly. Land is cleared, and brush is left to dry. At the end of the dry season, the land is burned for a month, after which a crop is planted.

Animal husbandry consists of herding cattle, selling domesticated animals and their byproducts, and beekeeping. Nonagricultural occupations include construction, tailoring, jobs in stores/restaurants/bars, and hammock weaving.

Chapter 4: Village Life: Resilience and Change, 1976-1998 (pages 37-66)

The Village Yaxbe was a minor Maya settlement when the conquistadores arrived. According to the villagers, the Mayan ceremonial center, “los cerros,” is actually west of the current city and not beneath the Catholic Church. Yaxbe is made up of the village and seven henequen haciendas, set up as a grid with a main highway that divides the village in half. A central park is located across from the church. Houses are grouped in solares, each with its own well (some now have water pipes that extract water from the wells). Water from the wells is used for cooking and drinking. Hammocks are the dominant feature in all homes; kitchens are outside of the house since traditional cooking is done over an open fire.

The People The blended population of Mexican and Maya (or with any indigenous race) is called mestizo in literature. Mestizo in Mexico, though, is the cultural concept of those who wear indigenous clothing (e.g., the elderly wear Maya clothing as a symbol of their traditional culture). Those who speak Maya are considered mestizo (e.g, the elderly), but most speak Spanish. There are Mayan and Spanish surnames. There is constant competition between Maya religion, Catholicism, and Protestantism (e.g., Seventh Day Adventism). Most of the population makes up the working or middle class. Kinship originally (prior to conquest) was ranked and patrilineal until the forced bilateral kinship with early marriages and a nuclear family.

Culture and the Individual: The Life Cycle After birth, transitions in a child’s life are marked by religious rituals (e.g., hetzmek, baptism). As children grow, they are given responsibilities rather than their early freedom to do as they please (e.g., hammock weaving, working the milpa). In adolescence, actions are monitored by adults and they take on adult responsibilities (e.g., childcare, marriage, work). Women have a quinceañera that marks their passage to womanhood. Marriage may be of common law, civil ceremony, or religious church wedding. At death, the body is displayed in the home and then buried in the village cemetery.

Village Cohesion School associations and community service are volunteer associations that help social and economic networks form. Mutual assistance is strongly expressed, always willing to help other villagers who are facing crisis.

Education Education is a major agency of socialization and provides children with a chance to learn about their origin, religion, and values by listening to their elders and learn about future roles by observing daily tasks and practices. In Mexico, only primary education is mandatory (1st-6th). There are three primary schools in Yaxbe (federal, state, and private). When Yaxbe had a secondary school (7th-12th) built, there was an increase of education advancement. Those who want a professional career must complete high school so they may go on to university. Higher education has changed the perception of importance in urban and rural families because it gives their children opportunities in different workforces after the decline of working in the ejido.

Health and Medicine Traditional health and healing focuses on traditional beliefs in the spirit world. Natural forces and ill will of others result in disease. Sorcery is not as common now, but it is still believed by some that sorcerers send disease by the winds. Traditional herb and plant medicines are still favored for everyday ailments (e.g., stomach aches, head aches). Western medicine promotes the persistent practice of breastfeeding, family planning, and balanced nutrition.

Chapter 5: The Political Structure of Yaxbe, 1976-1998

National and Local Politics The political party PRI dominated the political spectrum until the birth of PAN and PRD. Presidents in Yaxbe are elected based on personality and what they can provide for the people, not based on party affiliation. To recruit supporters, candidates must graciously give money (candidates need a lot of money, as a local patron and for his campaign) and offer something to their people (e.g., two kilos of beef for each family) if they are elected. The president gains respect, authority, and prestige, though they often continue with their original work and serves only one three-year term with no reelection. Presidents are to be loyal to family and compadres, favor egalitarianism, earn prestige by graciously sharing their wealth, demonstrate honesty, integrity, and fairness, plus are expected to express patronage and nepotism, and leave office with more wealth than when he began. The values expected from presidents are measured by what he did to benefit the village and how individuals were benefitted during his presidency.

Crime and Punishment in Yaxbe The most common offenses are theft and drunkenness, not murder. Robberies normally concern the sale of livestock. These offenses are what cause people to serve in the state prison. People who spend their families money in excessive drinking are left to “sober up” in the local jail then are taken home to be delt with by their families. In the past, women were passive about their husbands’ actions; now in neolocal and matrilocal families, the wife has increased influence over their husbands. Alcohol used to be part of rituals and now is abused of, not only in Yaxbe but also globally. In Yaxbe, there are minimal capital offenses and violence. This calm state is controlled by the social and economic factors of external sources of factionalism (nonlocal class system promotes antiwealth distinctions and political gains of power) and internal sources of cohesion (village networks are reinforced by village endogamy and “compadrazgo”).

Chapter 6: Mayan and Catholic Roots in Yaxbe (pages 87-107)

Mayan and Catholic Syncretism Religion, in an anthropological perspective, is the beliefs on native people and their corresponding rituals. Religion adds supernatural beliefs to explain the unexplainable world through symbols (e.g., the origin of the universe, spirits and demons in nature). The Maya roots of religion are based on the complex stratified society of the Maya that had economic, social, and religious positions. In religious positions, the “priest” interpreted the cosmos of thirteen tiers that divided the earth, sky, and underworld. Religion was part of everyday life prior to the conquest. Catholicism was imposed on the natives. After the conquest, native populations decreased 90-95%. The massive reduction formed new Indian social congregations without shared cultures. Women form the core of the Catholic church that provides important rites of passage (e.g., baptism, first communion, quinceañeras, weddings). Women are rejected positions in the church despite their participation.

The Place of Ancient Spirits in the Modern World The aluxob and Xtabai are two factors of the Maya supernatural realm still believed in by Yaxbeños. The aluxob cause misfortune to people if they are not shaken off. The Xtabai is a spirit that appears as a woman that lures drunken men away, whom are never seen again. Both of these supernatural powers are used to lure people from drinking and wandering away at night.

A Tale of Two Rituals There are two rituals that have combined traditional and modern customs: the comistraje and the annual fiesta. The comistraje is a rain ceremony. Live chickens and turkeys are brought and a large pot of water boiled (from the sacred cenotes) for the preparation of ritual food. The gods are addressed and asked to bless the food prepared. The fiesta is predominantly Catholic but has incorporated elements of traditional Maya beliefs; an example a syncretism between religion and secularism. It is a celebration of the village patron saint and is becoming more and more secular (controlled by the church and government).

Chapter 7: Religion for Business and One for Sunday: The Seventh Day Adventists (pages 108-124)

Protestantism in Yaxbe Seventh Day Adventists (STA) had 180 baptized members in 1976 and the villagers built a second (religious, STA) primary school. The church is modern and modest, unlike the imposing Catholic Church. Adventists drew people away from the “centralized, authoritarian, and patriarchal” Catholic Church. There are dietary (abstinence from pork) and social (cigarettes, alcohol, and secular activities) restrictions. Adventist baptisms occur in the cenotes. Adventists emphasize individual salvation and the relationship between work and predestination. Most people covert to Adventism after a crisis that was unresolved by Catholicism. Protestants are “drawn together” by daily sacrifices and moral superiority that strengthen their faith that God is leading them in life and gives them strength.

The Impact of Protestantism on the Lives of Men and Women in Yaxbe In Yaxbe there is an unspoken emphasis on individual effort as a means to economic success. Adventists are less likely to work in traditional agricultural and factory work. There is an emphasis on professional and non-agricultural occupations. Those who do work in agriculture are diversified (combination of henequen production, cattle herding, vegetable horticulture, and non-agricultural work). Adventists devised a way of self-employment, such as the vegetable shipment market of Pedro. Statistically, a higher percentage of Adventists (compared to Catholics) continue their education after primary school.

Pentecostals and the Impact of Protestantism on Village Life There is a third, least established, church in Yaxbe that is the Pentacostal temple. Pentecostals have not expanded as much as the Adventists, and most live isolated from other villagers. There are cultural “threads” that tie the Protestants and Catholics together in the village, though they worship, have social events, and express their interests separately.

Chapter 8: In the Ashes of the Henequen Ejido (pages 125-146)

Peasants and the World System Revisited In 1989, the ejido fell and the service sector rose. The decline of the henequen system was destroying the delicate economic balance of the local economy. Non-agricultural wage jobs were rare in the village. A local taxi service increased traffic going into Merida. In the 1990s, the infrastructure and appearance of the village improved. There is an increase of cellular phones in the village (increased communication) and even internet cafes. Houses are larger and more modern (e.g., furniture) and many villagers have vehicles. Contrary to Hull’s beliefs, there was a decline in migration rates and a healthy increase in population. There were economic strategies that led to the village improvements.

Economic Diversification in the Village Diversified sources of income and the participation of women in the wage economy, combined with commuting and out-migration gave birth to the economic diversification that increased economic success of the village. Agriculture became an occupation for both men and women the cooperatives were reborn. Non-agricultural occupations have expanded (primarily were construction, tailoring, and shop keeping). Only the poorer women make hammocks now. Women and their children have invested in home-front stores with produce. More women are joining the workforce outside of the home as teachers, secretaries, nurses, and even factory workers.

Commuting and Migration as Economic Strategy Factory jobs and professional occupations have played roles in economic diversity, though women are underpaid in wage jobs. Commuting is a dominant employment pattern. Migration may be temporary (find wages elsewhere to maintain a family in the village), chain (siblings follow the older ones), or return (leaving the village for work and then returning).

The New Social Class System, 1977-1998 The wealthy contribute help villagers in need and Western culture has influenced families’ perceptions of “wealth” (e.g., televisions).

Chapter 9: Mayan Women: Beyond the Stereotypes (pages 147-167)

The Anthropology of Gender Roles and Statuses The relationship between men and women in reflected in all aspects of culture. Gender roles originate from religion, kinship, family systems, and the economic division of labor. These are embedded in society and define the roles and statuses of everyone in the society. Maya women were modest and assertive and had some control over land and their possessions. The machismo-marianismo model is a stereotype of Mexican society (male dominance and submissive women with lack of power).

From the Woodwork to the Double Day Women production has transformed over the years. New economic positions and shifts have resulted in more political opportunities and increased status for women. PRONASOL (Solidaridad), an antipoverty program for rural programs and UAIM, a women’s agricultural-industrial unit have given women a chance to form cooperatives and “carry out small development projects.” Horchateras and the tortilleria industry started economic movements with the government for loans to continue their businesses.

Women and Economic Production Women face obstacles (appealing to the local government with a convincing argument their enterprise has merit and opposition to women in cooperatives) because women working faces conflict in traditional values but economic circumstance require more work from the family (and women can contribute to the work). Most women in cooperatives are married, have economic motivation, and face the advantage of remaining in the village. Labor is often gender-based and lack of women in households impacts the social form and family ties. Women’s production has provided control of resources, improvement of family status and standard of living, and a sense of empowerment.

Women in Yaxbe Women activism has provided a means for women to expand the borders of their worldview. Women have increased their participation in the “social sphere” and they express their pride in their work, helping their families, as part of the working community.

Chapter 10: From Tortillas to Bread (pages 168-173)

From Tortillas to Bread: The Tortilla as a Metaphor for Economic and Social Change In the beginning of Hull’s study, cooking huts were abundant and women worked over comals making tortillas. Upon her return in 1992, only one woman was able to demonstrate the art of tortillando to her and her accompanying student. The disappearance of the tortilla ritual marks a loss of an integral part of Mexican culture. Changes in Yucatecan life were replacing the previously core elements of ritual practice. Modern appliances have replaced the traditional stove with a gas power stove and oven. Machine-made tortillas have replaced the homemade “from-scratch” tortillas. Economic and educational patterns have caused the loss of the tortilla practice. Women grew up either not knowing the skills to make tortillas or simply do not make them. Tortillando symbolizes economic and social relations: to Hull as tradition, household, and female bonding; to older women as linking past to present, mother to daughter, and home to village; but to the young girls of today, tortillando is a symbol of poverty and tedious, old-fashioned hard work.

Epilogue: Return to Yaxbe, 2001

Hull’s sons, Nathan and David, accompanied her on her sixth trip to Yaxbe. Houses were less active since both men and women were out working. Solares had adopted consumer patterns. Though many customs had dissipated and social ties loosened, Hull and her friends of Yaxbe were still tied together even after so many years. Reymundo, Hector, Pedro, and Dora still remain in contact with her. Hull terminates her ethnography with a phone call from Pedro, whom she tells her ethnography will be published and she will visit them once again for permissions for photos. Dora requests if she could bring her a new comal and some instant coffee. Hull instantly accepts. After many years of free hospitality she still feels as if there should be someone to repay the people of Yaxbe for their kindness and generosity. Her closing statement is powerful and the reader (myself) finds there is no next page for the story of the people and equally anticipates Hull’s next trip to Yaxbe to live a little longer in the Yaxbeños world in the rural Yucatecan countryside.

Aquatic Apes: True or False?

Melanie E Magdalena — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Elaine Morgan defends the idea that man evolved from aquatic apes. She reintroduces Alister Hardy’s hypothesis that humans were more aquatic in the past. From her video on TED begins with a rejection of the Savannah Hypothesis regarding fossilized pollen as proof humans were wandering around on two legs before the savannah ecosystem came into existence. Before this clarification bipedalty was strictly savannah behavior. The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis states our hairless nature evolved from our ancestors that lived in water. The fat layer we have is inside the skin and would be our form of blubber compared to other aquatic mammals, excluding the sea otter. Our streamlined bodies are ideal for water and only aquatic mammals and humans have the ability to vocalize due to our conscious control of breath.

Algis Kuliukas, Ph.D. of bipedal origins, has attempted to understand why people have rejected the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis for so long. He believes it has been misunderstood. Humans do have some traits that are unusual in primates and more common in aquatic species. Apes tend to move in water bipedally the way we do on land. He says that going back to Hardy’s origin claim, perhaps we were more aquatic in the past. Kuliukas believes were lived beside water and were influenced by selective pressures that eventually changed us into who we are now.

John Moore has personally taken apart and dissected every claim Elaine Morgan has ever said about our aquatic ancestors. Hairlessness he says is not related to an aquatic past and the hair alignment difference between humans and apes does not prove we are more aquatic. All primates have salty tears, not just humans and aquatic mammals. Salt glands are not exclusive to marine reptiles and birds. Moore also reminds us all mammal infants naturally swim and non-human, non-aquatic mammals can also hold their breath. Non-human primates do not all have forward facing nostrils; most of the Old World primates have nostrils that face down. Sebaceous glands also cannot waterproof the skin.

My personal opinion is that Elaine Morgan and John Moore have too many contradictory facts to say the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis is true. I find myself inclined to believe that Algis Kuliukas has a point. We share similarities with apes and some aquatic animals. Perhaps we simply spend more time beside water, on coasts, and then moved to the savannahs after experiencing some type of a selective pressure. Philip Tobias suggested this idea as “Waterside Hypothesis of Human Evolution”. I do not believe we were ever truly “aquatic apes” because the facts just do not add up. The lack of fossil evidence in the ocean eliminates that idea; however if we think back to the ice age the shores receded and perhaps those fossils we need for the shore dwelling humans are in those sediments at the bottom of the sea today.

References

Kuliukas, Algis. River Apes. Algis Kuliukas, 2007. Web. 05 December 2010.(http://www.riverapes.com)
Moore, Jim. Aquatic Ape Theory (AAT): Sink or Swim? Jim Moore, 2010. Web. 04 December 2010. (http://www.aquaticape.org)

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris)

Melanie E Magdalena — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are more than just adorable creatures; they play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem. With their distinctive appearance and playful antics, they've captured the hearts of many. Yet, these charismatic animals face numerous challenges, many stemming from human activities. This post dives into the enchanting world of sea otters, their unique characteristics, the vital role they play in their habitat, and how our actions impact their survival. By understanding and appreciating these marine mammals, we can better advocate for their protection and the health of our oceans.

Physical Characteristics and Behavior of Sea Otters

Sea otters, the smallest marine mammal, are listed in Appendix I of CITES as endangered. They inhabit the Northern coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean along near-shore rock or soft-bottom coastal waters and in dense kelp forests. Sea otters live 15-20 years and are an average 4.5 feet long, though some grow up to 6 feet in length. Males weigh 70-90 pounds and females 40-60 pounds. Their marine environment required them to evolve certain skeletal, dental, and pelage adaptations.

The sea otter skeleton is loosely articulated and lacks a clavicle therefore increasing flexibility in swimming and grooming. They have short, retractable claws on their forelimbs, long hind limbs with broad, flat, webbed flipper-like paws, and a strong rudder-like tail. The hind paws exhibit an extension of the fifth digit to increase area to keep afloat when resting.

The sea otter diet consists of clams, sea urchins, snails, mussels, octopus, and occasionally small fish or sea birds. Small prey is swallowed whole, but larger prey is crushed with flattened molars and the four lower incisors. Sea otters will dive 5-250 feet for their food for a minute to a minute and a half. They can last up to four minutes underwater. Sea otters locate their prey with vision and touch then capture it with their forepaws. Loose skin at the armpit is used to store and transport food to the surface. Their metabolic rate requires them to eat at least 25% of their body weight daily.

The sea otter has the densest mammal fur, 120,000-140,000 hairs/cm2. Their coat is reddish-brown and coated with natural oils that make it waterproof. Their fur is split into oval-shaped bundles of wool hair surrounding one primary hair follicle. These hairs are flexible, interlock during grooming, and trap air inside them, creating a layer of insulated air heated by the body. Grooming consists of rubbing, rolling, and blowing air into the fur. This thick fur protects sea otters against extreme temperatures.

Social Structure and Behavior

Sea otters congregate in same-sex groups called rafts. Females begin breeding between two and four years old. Males sexually mature by the age of six. Males establish territory several years later and each male has several females all to himself. The male bites onto the female’s nose during mating, leaving visible scars. Mating is year round and pregnancy lasts anywhere between four and twelve months.

Pups are born one at a time since females can only successfully raise them at this pace. Pups are born weighing three to five pounds, nursed from the mother’s two mammae, and carried on her chest. The mother constantly grooms her pup to ensure the pup’s fur is buoyant and well insulated. Pups are left at the surface while the mother forages until the pup matures and can follow. Once they can follow they learn how to forage from their mother. There is no paternal care for the young. Pups stay with their mothers three to six months.

Role in the Ecosystem

Sea otters, as a keystone species, play a critical role in maintaining the health and stability of marine ecosystems, particularly kelp forests. Their diet, predominantly consisting of sea urchins, is a key factor in this ecological role. By controlling sea urchin populations, sea otters prevent these creatures from overgrazing on kelp, thus preserving the kelp forests. These underwater forests are not only vital habitats for various marine species but also serve as significant carbon sinks, highlighting the broader environmental impact of sea otters beyond their immediate habitat.

Human Impact

The species Enhydra lutris is classified as endangered since 1911. Commercial fur trade pushed the species toward extinction until an international protection treaty was established. The Exxon Valdez oil spill caused the death of thousands. Today environmental toxins, commercial fishing, and logging activities on the coasts reduce the sea otters’ natural habitat. Along the Russian coast sea otters are still hunted for their fur.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (USA) and Species at Risk Act (Canada) are the first step for modern conservation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is attempting to manage damaging human activities.

Conservation facilities, such as Monterey Bay Aquarium and Long Beach Aquarium in California, are working with the species in order to release them and repopulate the sea otters. So far, there have been several reintroduction attempts.

If we take care of our planet, we help sea otters too.

References

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