gardant

centuriespast: Owl Mask Nisga’a (Niska) British...

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:30:11 -0700

centuriespast:

Owl Mask

Nisga’a (Niska)

British Columbia

1850-1880

National Museum of the American Indian

cazadordementes: Un poco de Nahualt….

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:30:22 -0700

cazadordementes:

Un poco de Nahualt….

"We picture whooping, hard-riding Sioux. We see the war-painted brave crouched behind a ledge, ready..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:30:35 -0700

““We picture whooping, hard-riding Sioux. We see the war-painted brave crouched behind a ledge, ready to ambush a covered wagon train with tomahawk, bow and arrow. We label our conception “the American indian,” forgetting that accident placed this single type of aborigine astride our path of westward expansion. Sharp conflict fixed the image in our national memory. Bowing to stereotype, today’s Eastern States Indian dons the Western Plains headdress his fathers never knew, so people will know he’s Indian.””

- Mattew W. Stirling, National Geographic on Indians of the Americas: a color-illustrated record, 1955 (via zomganthro)

gowns: lower-income people tend to be “hoarders” and richer people are able to do more “minimalist”...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:17 -0700

gowns:

lower-income people tend to be “hoarders” and richer people are able to do more “minimalist” living spaces. if u don’t have much, you will hold onto any little thing that comes across your way. you got a new tv, but you still keep the old tv because you know things can break. you keep extra boxes of macaroni and cheese lying around because there will be a week when you don’t have money for groceries. you hold onto your stacks of books and clothes for dear life. those are your assets. physical evidence of where your money’s gone. it’s hard to get rid of it. the bare wall is terrifying when you don’t have much.

coffee-n-cats: The full suite. (original post)

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:31 -0700

coffee-n-cats:

The full suite.

(original post)

69shadesofgayy: Is that a girl or a boy? And you smile because...

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:34 -0700

69shadesofgayy:

Is that a girl or a boy? And you smile because today maybe you might just pass. But then you see their eyes register no facial hair, no knot in your throat, no bulge in your pants. They say it again, louder, tauntingly.

Is that a girl or a boy. This time they know the answer and they just want to see you squirm.

And you do.

And they snicker.

“IT” performed by Kavindu “Kavi” Ade.

There are no words for the emotions that this video causes.

jtotheizzoe: comaniddy: Being a scientist has nothing to do...

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:15 -0700

jtotheizzoe:

comaniddy:

Being a scientist has nothing to do with gender or race. Science is all about methodically seeking the truth. Take your curiosities and get your science on.

Watch this Science Rap and more on my YouTube Channel: Coma Niddy University.

Coma Niddy delivers some crucial truth. Happy we share PBS Digital Studios science lab space together.

art-of-swords: Ceremonial Sword Dated: 18th century Culture:...

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:29 -0700

art-of-swords:

Ceremonial Sword

Dated: 18th century

Culture: Eastern Tibet or Mongolia

Medium: Steel blade, jade handle; silver sheath inlaid with coral and turquoise; silk tassel

Measurements: 21 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (54.6 x 8.89 cm)

Source: © Museum Associates 2011 - LACMA

anotherafrica: SYMBOLS & MYSTICISM # 9 Eyes without a...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:30:34 -0700

anotherafrica:

SYMBOLS & MYSTICISM # 9

Eyes without a face

Workers restoring the newly relocated temple of Abu Simbel, Egypt, 1968 created by King Ramesses Il during the 12th Century B.C.

More insight on the salvage of the temple from the encroached Lake Nasser | read more.

37thstate: Renowned Novelist CHINUA ACHEBE (November 1930-March...

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:13 -0700

37thstate:

Renowned Novelist CHINUA ACHEBE (November 1930-March 2013)

theolduvaigorge: Early cercopithecid monkeys from the Tugen...

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:30:17 -0700

theolduvaigorge:

Early cercopithecid monkeys from the Tugen Hills, Kenya

by James B. Rossie, Christopher C. Gilbertb and Andrew Hill

“ The modern Old World Monkeys (Superfamily Cercopithecoidea, Family Cercopithecidae) can be traced back into the late Miocene, but their origin and subsequent diversification is obscured by the scarcity of terrestrial fossil sites in Africa between 15 and 6 Ma. Here, we document the presence of cercopithecids at 12.5 Ma in the Tugen Hills of Kenya. These fossils add 3 My to the known antiquity of crown Cercopithecidae. The two specimens represent one or possibly two species of early colobine, and their morphology suggests that they were less folivorous than their modern relatives…

…Modern colobine monkeys possess two principal adaptations that permit their high level of folivory: highly developed molar shearing crests that allow them to finely triturate foliage and a sacculated stomach in which fermentation aids in the breakdown of cellulose. Given their functional synergy, it is tempting to postulate that these two systems evolved simultaneously under selective pressure for increased folivory, but it is not clear that this was the case. The less pronounced molar shearing crests of KNM- TH 48368 and other Miocene colobines suggest that they were less folivorous than their modern relatives. One of the least olivorous extant colobines, Procolobus verus, is also the smallest (4.2–4.6 kg) and is similar in size to Microcolobus and KNM-TH 48368 (∼4–5 kg based on molar dimensions). P. verus differs from larger African colobines in consuming almost no mature leaves, focusing instead on immature leaves, as well as seeds and fruit. With their less advanced dentitions and similar body size, Microcolobus and KNM-TH 48368 would clearly have been less folivorous than Procolobus. Even the larger Pliocene colo- bines, which are presumably part of the crown clade, have less developed molar shearing crests than modern genera, implying less folivory.

At present, it is not possible to determine whether early stem colobines like Microcolobus had acquired the adaptations for foregut fermentation that characterize the modern species, but current evidence indicates that fundamental elements of this system were present in the common ancestor of crown colobines. Assuming that Pliocene colobines like Paracolobus were members of the crown clade, this implies that their foregut fermentation adaptations preceded the evolution of fully modern molar shearing crests. Thus, paleontological and molecular evi- dence combine to suggest that foregut fermentation was of adaptive utility before highly elaborated molar shearing crests, thereby implying that it originated for some purpose other than folivory of the sort used by modern colobines” (read more).

(Source: PNAS, in press 2013)

statues-and-monuments: Great Buddha in the coiled Naga, Buddha...

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:30:36 -0700

statues-and-monuments:

Great Buddha in the coiled Naga, Buddha park, Laos

photoencounters: Isabelle d’Aragon. Chateau Fontainebleau....

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:30:30 -0700

photoencounters:

Isabelle d’Aragon. Chateau Fontainebleau. Fontainebleau, France. Photo by Amber Maitrejean

scientificillustration: Although archaeological illustration...

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:30:19 -0700

scientificillustration:

Although archaeological illustration shares many things with scientific illustration it has its own conventions and techniques. Here are a few recommended books and resources for anyone interested in archaeological illustration:

Archaeological Illustration by Lesley Adkins & Roy Adkins

Student’s Guide to Archaeological Illustrating by Brian Dillon

Approaches to Archaeological Illustration - A Handbook by Mélanie Steiner - particularly good as it covers the techniques used by illustrators in great detail.

There are various technical papers published by The Association of Archaeological Illustrators & Surveyors:

http://www.aais.org.uk/html/papers/papers.html

Archaeological Illustration (PDF)

thevintagethimble: Pair of gold, lapis lazuli, glass and pearl...

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:30:11 -0700

thevintagethimble:

Pair of gold, lapis lazuli, glass and pearl bracelets, Byzantine, circa 5th-7th Century A.D. | CHRISTIES

How common or rare is abuse of migrants in U.S. custody?

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:30:19 -0700

borderfactcheck:

How common or rare is abuse of migrants in U.S. custody?

“The Department of Homeland Security claims that only three complaints were lodged against Border Patrol detention conditions for the entirety of 2010 (the most current data), a year when agents apprehended more than 463,000 individuals. Only 10 complaints were filed for ‘abuse of authority’ that year and 13 for ‘discrimination.’ … Customs and Border Patrol in Washington responded in even more general terms: ‘CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission,’ an agency spokesperson said by email. ‘We do not tolerate abuse within our ranks, and … we are fully committed to protecting the health, safety and human rights of all individuals with whom we interact.’” — John Carlos Frey, “Cruelty on the Border,” Salon.com, July 20, 2012

The Facts:

Non-governmental groups have already documented what appears to be a far more widespread problem of migrant abuse while in the custody of U.S. authorities. Last week, a team from the University of Arizona published an extensive study adding new evidence.

To produce In the Shadow of the Wall (PDF), Jeremy Slack, Daniel Martínez, Scott Whiteford, and Emily Peiffer led a team that surveyed 1,113 recent deportees in five Mexican border cities, as well as in Mexico City, between 2010 and 2012.

Of those surveyed:

11 percent reported physical abuse by U.S. authorities.

23 percent reported verbal abuse by U.S. authorities.

45 percent did not receive sufficient food while in U.S. custody.

39 percent had possessions taken and not returned by U.S. authorities.

26 percent were carrying Mexican identifying documents and had at least one document taken and not returned.

On the other hand, 57 percent of deportees surveyed said that “everyone” or “the majority” of Border Patrol agents “treated me with respect” Twenty-nine percent said “about half of them treated me with respect.” Still, these numbers are indicative of more than just a few “bad apples.”

The University of Arizona study recommends a series of measures that Border Patrol and other agencies should take to review their use-of-force guidelines and to improve mechanisms for transparency and dealing with abuse complaints. These include reexamining internal affairs procedures, improving training programs, establishing a chain of custody for migrants’ possessions, and reevaluating legal procedures to ensure migrants know what they are signing.

— Adam Isacson

fckyeahlaos: “This old man is from the Khamu minority (or...

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:30:20 -0700

fckyeahlaos:

“This old man is from the Khamu minority (or Khmu). He’s very sick, he cannot see anymore, and is a former slave of the Lao people. The tattoos on his arms are the sign of this sad past. He was ok for the picture but didn’t want to let me take his face as he was ashamed.”

-Eric Lafforgue

Con Co Ngua excavation potentially the earliest cemetery site in Southeast Asia

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:30:00 -0700

More than 140 ancient burials including men, women, teenagers and children have been recovered from the site in the Thanh Hoa province in Northern Vietnam.

The burial site, known as Con Co Ngua, is believed to have existed sometime between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago. Rising sea levels helped preserve the site under a thick cap of marine clay.

“Archaeological cemeteries and living sites of such antiquity are all but unknown in the region, with only a handful of burials from a number of cave sites previously known,” Dr Oxenham said. [full article]

centuriespast: The XII Mounthes of the Yeare in the Habits of...

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:30:26 -0700

centuriespast:

The XII Mounthes of the Yeare in the Habits of Severall Nations / August

Published by Thomas Booth

Print made by Robert Vaughan

1620-23

The British Museum

jothelibrarian: Pretty medieval manuscript of the day is a...

Sat, 04 May 2013 18:30:24 -0700

jothelibrarian:

Pretty medieval manuscript of the day is a fifteenth century map of England, Wales and Scotland. Confusingly, Scotland is at the bottom. Can you spot the cathedral city of St Andrews? And look, there’s Canterbury at the top. Can you see Ely, surrounded by water? What a beautiful book.

Image source: British Library MS Harley 1808. Image declared as public domain on the British Library website.