The Role of the Plaza in Maya Festivals

Like many pre-modern societies, the Classic period Maya (AD 250-900 AD) used ritual and ceremony performed by the rulers or elites to appease gods, repeat historical events, and prepare for the future. But not all ceremonies were secret rituals; in fact, many were public rituals, theatrical performances and dances played in public arenas to unite communities and express political power relationships. Recent investigations of public ceremonialism by University of Arizona archaeologist Takeshi Inomata reveal the importance of these public rituals, both in the architectural changes made in the Maya cities to accommodate the performances  and in the political structure which developed alongside the festival calendar. Mayan Civilization The Maya is a name given to a group of loosely associated but generally autonomous city-states, each led by a divine ruler. These small states were spread throughout the Yucatà ¡n peninsula, along the gulf coast, and into the highlands of Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Like small city centers anywhere, the Maya centers were supported by a network of farmers who lived outside the cities but were held by allegiances to the centers. At sites such as Calakmul, Copà ¡n, Bonampak, Uaxactun, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Caracol, Tikal, and Aguateca, festivals took place within the public view, bringing together the city residents and the farmers and reinforcing those allegiances. Festivals of the Maya Many of the Mayan festivals continued to be held into the Spanish colonial period, and some of the Spanish chroniclers such as Bishop Landa described festivals well into the 16th century. Three types of performances are cited in the Maya language: dance (okot), theatrical presentations (baldzamil) and illusionism (ezyah). Dances followed a calendar  and ranged from performances with humor and tricks to dances in preparation for war and dances mimicking (and sometimes including) sacrificial events. During the colonial period, thousands of people came from all around northern Yucatà ¡n to see and participate in the dances. Music was provided by rattles; small bells of copper, gold and clay; tinklers of shell or small stones. A vertical drum called the pax or zacatan was made of a hollowed tree trunk and covered with an animal skin; another u- or h-shaped drum was called the tunkul. Trumpets of wood, gourd, or conch shell, and clay flutes, reed pipes and whistles were also used. Elaborate costumes were part of the dances as well. Shell, feathers, backracks, headdresses, body plates transformed the dancers into historical figures, animals, and gods or other-worldly creatures. Some dances lasted all day, with food and drink brought to the participants who kept dancing. Historically, preparations for such dances were substantial, some rehearsal periods lasting for two or three months, organized by an officer known as a holpop. The holpop was a community leader, who set the key for the music, taught others and played an important role in festivals throughout the year. Audiences at Mayan Festivals In addition to Colonial period reports, murals, codices, and vases illustrating royal visits, court banquets, and preparations for dances have been the focus for archaeologists to understand the public ritual which predominated the classic period Maya. But in recent years, Takeshi Inomata has turned the study of ceremonialism at Maya centers on its head---considering not the performers or the performance but rather the audience for the theatrical productions. Where did these performances take place, what architectural properties were constructed to accommodate the audiences, what was the meaning of the performance for the audience? Inomatas study involves a closer look at a somewhat less-considered piece of monumental architecture at classic Maya sites: the plaza. Plazas are big open spaces, surrounded by temples or other important buildings, framed by steps, entered via causeways and elaborate doorways. Plazas in Maya sites have thrones and special platforms where performers acted, and stelae---rectangular stone statues such as those at Copà ¡n---representing past ceremonial activity are also found there. Plazas and Spectacles Plazas at Uxmal and Chichà ©n Itzà ¡ include low square platforms; evidence has been found in the Great Plaza at Tikal for the construction of temporary scaffoldings. Lintels at Tikal illustrate rulers and other elites being carried on a palanquin--a platform on which a ruler sat on a throne and was carried by bearers. Wide stairways at plazas were used as stages for the presentations and dances. The plazas held thousands of people; Inomata reckons that for the smaller communities, nearly the entire population could be present at once in the central plaza. But at sites such as Tikal and Caracol, where over 50,000 people lived, the central plazas could not hold so many people. The history of these cities as traced by Inomata suggests that as the cities grew, their rulers made accommodations for the growing populations, tearing down buildings, commissioning new structures, adding causeways and building plazas exterior to the central city. These embellishments indicate what a crucial part performance for the audience was for the loosely structured Maya communities. While carnivals and festivals are known today throughout the world, their importance in defining the character and community of governmental centers is less considered. As the focal point for gathering people together, to celebrate, prepare for war, or watch sacrifices, the Maya spectacle created a cohesion that was necessary for the ruler and common people alike. Sources To get a look at what Inomata is talking about, Ive assembled a photo essay called Spectacles and Spectators: Maya Festivals and Maya Plazas, which illustrates some of the public spaces created by the Maya for this purpose. Dilberos, Sophia Pincemin. 2001. Music, dance, theater, and poetry. pp 504-508 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America, S.T. Evans and D.L. Webster, eds. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York. Inomata, Takeshi. 2006. Politics and theatricality in Mayan society. Pp 187-221 in Archaeology of Performance: Theaters of Power, Community and Politics, T. Inomata and L.S. Coben, eds. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek, California. Inomata, Takeshi. 2006. Plazas, performers and spectators: Political theaters of the Classic Maya. Current Anthropology 47(5):805-842

Ford Motor Company s Goals Essay - 2188 Words

Abstract In the previous years, ford has had issues with their activities, car transmission system problems, and issues with the promotion of the environment and sustainability in production. Through detailed data collection and analysis, the aim of this capstone project is to assess different problems with Ford cars transmission problems, with the objective of making the company’s goals of improving the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emission, implementing methods of manufacturing that are efficient, and working with innovations as well as recycling materials in production. Through research, it is clear that there are feasible methods that the company can work with so as to achieve the set goal lines. Company Overview The Ford Motor Company well known as The Ford globally is a multinational American Automaker corporation that has its headquarters in Dearborn of Michigan. Its original founder is known as Henry Ford and he did this in the year 1903. So far, the company has grown wide turning to be one of the best sellers of different vehicles and automobiles under the brand Ford. Lincoln is the brand they use to sell most of their luxury cars. It concentrates with the manufacture of the named components on a large scale basis having a very good manufacturing team of engineers dealing with both production and assembly. Currently, it is the 2ndleading American based automaker and fifth in the entire globe (Friedman et al., 2009). The challenges that have been facedShow MoreRelatedMarketing Project : Ford Motor Company1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ford Motor Company enlivened an assembling transformation with its large scale manufacturing sequential construction systems in the early 1900 s. Ford is one of world s most surely understood car brands, consumer’s top choices were vehicles like the Ford Mustang, and F-Series tucks. Ford Co. is known as one of the biggest auto organizations on the planet. 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Goodyear Essay Example For Students

Goodyear Essay Haven, Connecticut in 1800. Charles wasthe oldest child in his family and hadfour brothers and a sister. He marriedClarissa Beecher in 1824. The y had 6children, Ellen ,Cynthia, Sarah, a un-named child, Charles Jr. ,and William . son William died at 3 Yr. Most of his lifewith his first wife and children were inpoverty . He remarried after the death ofhis first wife to Fanny Wardeell ofLondon England. Charles died on July 1, 1860 himself a poor man ,the way heCharles had an average education .Hewent to high school but not college. Hedid do an apprenticeship in New York ina hardware store. Charles was veryinfluenced in his early childhood by hisfathers interest in inventing things. Hisfather experimented with new types ofpitchforks, etc. Charles did not haveIn 1821, he worked with his fatherin a hardware business. This business failed in 1830 The y tried to expand toquickly causing them to go bankrupt.rubber and inventing new things. Indiarubber was not used in industry becauseof the adhesives of the surface. It was toosticky when hot and too brittle whencold. Goodyear spent most of his life inlimited usefulness to industry. Rubberproducts melted in hot weather, frozeand cracked in cold, and adhered to everythi ng. One day, one of Good yearsearly experiments was that he discoveredworkable. But his big breakthrough wasrubber mixed with sulfur on a hot stove. Goodyears discovery of what came to berubber so it could be applied .Goodyearachieved very little recognition fo rbefore he died. He had a few companiesusing his process and was earning somemoney . He was satisfied knowing thatcome true. Today the Goodyear Medalvulcanization process, and is awarded to honor individuals for outstandingon today is the use of rubber for a widerange of products including tires . Rubber is also used for other things such as ..mouse balls and for the littlebuttons on TVclickers. (thank good nessfor rubber) Without rubber we wouldstill be wearing leather(ect.) soled patented vulcanization strengthenedrubberso it could be used for a varietyof industrial uses, including automobiletires eventually. Rubber also helpedmake one of my favorites, snowmobiletracks so I can go snowmobileing withmy dad at our camp in Vermont. I dontknow what I would do without rubber. Rubber changed ways of transportationmany occasions because he had overduedebts that he could not pay. CharlesGoodyear didnt invent the tire yet hehas one of the biggest tire companies inGood year had other inventions besidesvulcanization he also invented alongwith his father improved pitchforks. Bibliography:

Histology for Laboratory Manual and Review- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theHistology for Laboratory Manual and Review. Answer: The specimens are delicate items and there are handled with care with minimal errors because any of the above could lead in misleading and fatal results. The specimen has to go through the preparation section and given the fact that tissues are very delicate; cutting them into thin sections could be impossible task. The specimen usually needs preservation or to be fixed before sections are prepared. This can be done through two different ways, whereby the tissues can be rapidly frozen while the sections sliced using a cryostat microtome in the freezing chamber. Alternatively, the specimen can be dipped into a liquid agent with properties of turning into a solid state for thin sections to be cut from it (Kemal, 2014). Upon receiving the specimen, then fixation is the crucial stage that follows in the laboratory. Fixation is a critical stage when it comes to preparing specimens for microscopic examination. It helps in preserving the specimen by protecting it from the decay. It kills all the microorganisms responsible for decay and keeps the specimen in a hardened state with enough molecular structure for the subsequent necessary staining procedures to be applied. The specimen then has to go through the grossing process. And here, the process involves a comprehensive examination and analysis of the specimen characteristics including their physical appearance, their size and the dimension as well as the number of the pieces of the specimen. Larger specimens in some instances require further dissecting into smaller appropriate sections. Furthermore, the specimen would go through the processing stage for paraffin section using the tissue processors. The tissue processors allow the specimen to be infiltrated by a variety of liquids which in the end results in the finishes in the molten state paraffin wax. Then later on after the processing, the specimen goes through an embedding centre where they are extracted from their cassettes and put inside molds filled with wax (Rolls, n.d.). Then the specimen goes through section. At this stage, the sections of the specimen are cut in precision sizes using a microtome instrument, with very fine metallic blades. The sections of the specimen are then placed afloat on the surface of the warm water and the place into microscopic slides and after extensive drying; they are then ready for the staining process. The staining process is necessary for revealing the structural information of the specimen when using bright field microscopy. Most specimens apart from having a few natural pigments like the melanin; most cells and other components that constitutes of the specimen do not have specific colors. In histopathology, the frequently used stain universally as a basic primary point in providing the structural details about the specimen is the hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stain. There are various tests that could be undertaken to assist in the diagnosis of the patients condition. These tests can either be cytology examination or the biopsy tests. Cytology tests involve the process whereby the doctor examines the cells from the body under the microscope to determine any underlying conditions (Mandal, n.d.). Cytology is a quick test that determines the existence of the common infections, inflammatory disease of the urinary tract, cancer among others. These examinations do not completely identify illness conditions such as cancer and also it cannot be used to base a medical conclusion about the absence of a disease. The cytology process is different from the biopsy whereby, it deals with examining individual cells rather than elements of tissues found in a lot of cell clusters. The other significant test that could rapidly help in the diagnosis of the disease is the biopsy. Biopsy is the process of diagnosing diseases whereby a doctor removes parts of the body tissues to be examined by a pathologist under a microscope within a laboratory. There are several types of biopsy, and establishing the most appropriate one for your patient is necessary. These types include excisional biopsy which involves a whole affected area being surgically removed. It could also be the incisional biopsy which involves a sample of a tissue for examination. Biopsy is an important test in examining the health condition of the patient and provides an insight of underlying medical problem, although further comprehensive tests are necessary before arriving to conclusion on the condition of illness of the patient. The cytology and biopsy tests are an important diagnostic process that can complement the histopathology diagnostic of chronic conditions such as cancer and other troublesome diseases as they employ different techniques that can be used to gain necessary clinical information in the context of diagnostic procedures. The significance of the two procedures in complementing other histopathology procedures is invaluable as they assist in the diagnosis of different conditions within the patients, and provide the basis for further clinical tests. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stain is the commonly used staining method in histopathology. The staining procedure uses a combination of two dyes that is, hematoxylin and eosin. They demonstrate the nucleus and the cytoplasmic involvement in the clinical specimens. The baseline principle in this staining process is that the alum will operate in a position of a mordant and the nucleus is stained light blue by the hematoxylin which contains alum. The results of the HE stain produce blue and black nuclei, a pink cytoplasm, muscle fibers with a deep red color, the red blood cells are orange red in color, and finally, the fibrin is deep pink color. Many clinical conditions can be diagnosed in histopathology by the close study of hematoxylin and eosin alone. However, in the event whereby additional information is required for the further examination tests in the laboratory, then other staining techniques might be used. These may consist of special stain that contains dyes that define specific structures or other micro-organisms with the involvement of the position of the diagnostically important proteins with aid of marked antibodies. Some non histological tests could also provide good diagnostic grounds for the clinicians. They can offer an alternative way in helping the laboratory tests of the chronic diseases. Radiological studies are a good basis for the testing and establishing liver problems. CT-scans can be used to look deeper into tissues to provide crucial details about the liver and provide diagnosis grounds. Secondly, the use of Ultra sonogram (USG), of the abdomen whereby the clinician utilizes the wave of the sounds to establish important liver pathology and it is a noninvasive method of diagnosis. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), provides a clear imaging study into the internal body tissues and offers great diagnosis environment for detection of abnormal conditions in body tissues like the liver. The diagnosis means that the doctor is not 100% sure of the outcomes after the diagnosis and based on the information he/she has, they make an educated guess about the possible diagnosis. The clinical notes on Ferritin at 2,355, and total body iron content at 20grams meant that this was provisional, as the specific condition had not been established. Likewise, Differential diagnosis means that you have more than one possibility for the outcomes of your diagnosis and the doctor must clearly differentiate the two to come up with an actual diagnosis. Lethargy, loss of sex drive and abdominal pain can all be caused by varied conditions (Shimelpfening Gans, 2017). References Kemal, J. (2014). Laboratory Manual and Review on Clinical Pathology. OMICS Group eBooks . Mandal, A. (n.d.). Liver disease diagnosis. News Medical: Life Sciences. Available at: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Liver-disease-diagnosis.aspx Rolls, G. (n.d.). An Introduction to Specimen Preparation. Advancing Cancer Diagnostics Improving Lives . Available at https://www.leicabiosystems.com/pathologyleaders/an-introduction-to-specimen-preparation/ Shimelpfening, N., Gans, S. (2017). The Difference Between Provisional and Differential Diagnosis. Very Well. Avaialable at: https://www.verywell.com/provisional-diagnosis-vs-differential-diagnosis-1067284