The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America

The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America Jade occurs naturally in very few places in the world, although the term jade has been often used to describe a variety of minerals used since ancient times to produce luxury items in many different regions of the world, such as China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Neolithic Europe, and Mesoamerica. The term jade should be properly applied to only two minerals: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite is a calcium and magnesium silicate  and can be found in a variety of colors, from translucent white, to yellow, and all shades of green. Nephrite doesn’t occur naturally in Mesoamerica. Jadeite, a sodium and aluminum silicate, is a hard and highly translucent stone whose color ranges from blue-green to apple green. Sources of Jade in Mesoamerica The only source of jadeite known so far in Mesoamerica is the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. Mesoamericanists debate over whether the Motagua river was the only source  or ancient peoples of Mesoamerica used multiple sources of the precious stone. Possible sources under study are the Rio Balsas basin in Mexico  and the Santa Elena region in Costa Rica. Pre-Columbian archaeologists working on jade, distinguish between â€Å"geological† and â€Å"social† jade. The first term indicates the actual jadeite, whereas â€Å"social† jade indicates other, similar greenstones, such as quartz and serpentine which were not as rare as jadeite but were similar in color and therefore fulfilled the same social function. Cultural Importance of Jade Jade was especially appreciated by Mesoamerican and Lower Central American people because of its green color. This stone was associated with water, and vegetation, especially young, maturing corn. For this reason, it was also related to life and death. Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Costa Rican elites particularly appreciated jade carvings and artifacts and commissioned elegant pieces from skillful artisans. Jade was traded and exchanged among elite members as a luxury item all over the pre-Hispanic American world. It was replaced by gold very late in time in Mesoamerica, and around 500 AD in Costa Rica and Lower Central America. In these locations, frequent contacts with South America made gold more easily available. Jade artifacts are often found in elite burial contexts, as personal adornments or accompanying objects. Sometimes a jade bead was placed within the mouth of the deceased. Jade objects are also found in dedicatory offerings for the construction or ritual termination of public buildings, as well as in more private residential contexts. Ancient Jade Artifacts In the Formative period, the Olmec of the Gulf Coast were among the first Mesoamerican people to shape jade into votive celts, axes, and bloodletting tools around 1200-1000 BC. The Maya achieved master levels of jade carving. Maya artisans used drawing cords, harder minerals, and water as abrasive tools to work the stone. Holes were made in jade objects with bone and wood drills, and finer incisions were often added at the end. Jade objects varied in size and shapes and included necklaces, pendants, pectorals, ear ornaments, beads, mosaic masks, vessels, rings, and statues. Among the most famous jade artifacts from the Maya region, we can include funeral masks and vessels from Tikal, and Pakal’s funeral mask and jewels from the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque. Other burial offerings and dedication caches have been found at major Maya sites, such as Copan, Cerros, and Calakmul. During the Postclassic period, the use of jade dropped dramatically in the Maya area. Jade carvings are rare, with the notable exception of the pieces dredged out of the Sacred Cenote at Chichà ©n Itz. Among Aztec nobility, jade jewelry was the most valuable luxury: partly because of its rarity, since it had to be imported from the tropical lowlands, and partly because of its symbolism linked to water, fertility, ​and preciousness. For this reason, jade was one of the most valuable tribute item collected by the Aztec Triple Alliance. Jade in Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America were other important regions of the distribution of jade artifacts. In the Costa Rican regions of Guanacaste-Nicoya jade artifacts were mainly widespread between AD 200 and 600. Although no local source of jadeite has been identified so far, Costa Rica and Honduras developed their own jade-working tradition. In Honduras, non-Maya areas show a preference for using jade in building dedication offerings more than burials. In Costa Rica, by contrast, the majority of jade artifacts have been recovered from burials. The use of jade in Costa Rica seems to come to an end around A.D. 500-600  when there was a shift towards gold as the luxury raw material; that technology originated in Colombia and Panama. Jade Study Problems Unfortunately, jade artifacts are hard to date, even if found in relatively clear chronological contexts, since this particularly precious and hard-to-find material was often passed down from one generation to another as heirlooms. Finally, because of their value, jade objects are often looted from archaeological sites and sold to private collectors. For this reason, a huge number of published items are from unknown provenience, missing, therefore, an important piece of information. Sources Lange, Frederick W., 1993, Precolumbian Jade: New Geological and Cultural Interpretations. University of Utah Press. Seitz, R., G.E. Harlow, V.B. Sisson, and K.A. Taube, 2001, Olmec Blue and Formative Jade Sources: New Discoveries in Guatemala, Antiquity, 75: 687-688

How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing

How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing How Reading Comic Books Improved My Writing Dr. Franklin Warsh is an Investigating Coroner and retired family doctor who lives  in London, Ontario. While writing his first full-length book, The Flame Broiled Doctor (a memoir of his experiences working in the health care system), Frank Warsh realized that his many years of reading comic books had not just been an enjoyable pastime, but a lesson in writing. Read on to learn more about the storytelling tips comic books provided him - including stories within stories, and archetype inspiration.Nowadays, comic books are a perfectly respected, even revered form of art. And at three to five bucks a pop, they’re clearly no longer just a product for children. But even the cheap newsprint comic books I read voraciously in the 1980s weren’t as silly a past-time as my elders would have had me believe. Depending on what kind of writer you’re striving to be, you owe it to yourself to give comic books another go-around. While writing my recently published memoir, The Flame Broiled Doctor, I drew upon the following comic book storytelling tips. My largest writing block isn’t a lack of ideas, or a lack of skill, but a lack of motivation. Even my own memoir, full of funny and intensely personal stories I’ve been collecting for nearly twenty years, was a chore to write at times. If I’m not in the mood to write, I’m probably not going to feel like reading something meaty either. We all need an escape, but when the kids are asleep and people have been barking at me all day, the last thing I want is the noise of the TV. Give me ten minutes with Deadpool or Suicide Squad or Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and the creative juices are churning once more.There are a myriad of reasons I read comic books even to this day that have made me a better writer, beyond those I’ve described. One of the great tools in your kit as a humorist is over-writing. Poking fun at your characters with liberal dashes of purple prose works as well in the pages of Deadpool as it did in Cervantes’  Don Quixote. Writing a s an over-the-top narrator can get your reader in the mood for a joyride, like an episode of the campy 60s Batman  TV show - that’s now in circulation as a comic book. Have a terrific villain in your novel, but can’t quite get their villain speech right? Give comics a try†¦ Cersei Lannister and Iago have nothing on  Lex Luthor from Superman or Dr. Doom from Fantastic Four. Head to a library or local shop to give comic books a second look. They’re a great escape from the daily news, and you’re sure to find something to help your writing as well.The Flame Broiled Doctor is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle! Find out more on Frank's website.Are you a comic book reader? What nuggets of writing wisdom have you discovered through reading comics?  Leave your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Frank  in the comments below.

Political Corruption in Israel Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Political Corruption in Israel - Research Paper Example Only recently very reliable sources identified that Israel bagged 30th position out of 178 countries when evaluated in context of corruption rate and even worse results were witnessed when the country was compared to other member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (Dattel and Reuters). Highly irresponsible, unprofessional, and inconsiderate behavior of the politicians has led to prodigious public commotion within the country but unfortunately, the terror game played by atrocious political instigators which is fraught with big risks continues to remain in vogue. This research paper is basically an attempt to discuss what contemporary research evidence has to offer on the reality of political turmoil in Israel and how corruption and debaucheries of the political leaders is negatively interfering with the basis of moral government. Research material presented in the paper will principally focus on the corruption of politicians and influential public officials and how their conduct serves to foster lawlessness in every field of life will also be debated in the paper. Israel is placed in the category of â€Å"Elite Cartel Corruption† by Johnston who analyzed political corruption in association with nature of political agencies and economic liberalization (Shannon). He argues that this specific category involves well-connected networks of social elites who share corrupt advantages in an environment of fierce political competition and enhanced economic liberalization. Such politically powerful figures regularly â€Å"work together to protect and maintain their advantages and stave off the opposition† (Johnston cited in Shannon). This is exactly the style of top Israeli politicians and official moguls who exploit their own people in order to foment their personal wealth and form a channel of corruption by notoriously collaborating among themselves. Lost in their wicked conspiracies, they do not maintain a sincere assoc iation with Israeli public, rather use their political influence to transform state agencies into promising means of personal welfare. Consistent bad ranking exposed by a huge collection of analytical studies has not managed as yet to inculcate a sense of responsibility and awareness in the minds of Israeli politicians. Rather Israel continues to be the poorest, disreputable, and most unreliable member of the OECD and the Western world. Research cites that corruption and fraudulence affairs currently occupy the center of the Israeli political stage (Avnery) with many former powerful political figures including prime ministers and governors awaiting judgments in rape and bribery trials. It is thought to be a matter of great concern by all critics that while many other countries suffering from similar troublesome conditions have shown significant improvements over the past years, corruption in Israel remains unaffected by any reconstructive agendas and continues to successfully genera te political upheaval. There is such explicit austerity in political corruption in Israel that millions of lives have been and continue to be sacrificed to resulting exigencies. The series of outrageous events

Question 30 of 30 Explain in your own words the logic of statistical Essay

Question 30 of 30 Explain in your own words the logic of statistical significance - Essay Example This means that even if it does, it happens very infrequently, thus leading the teacher to the conclusion that since the event occurs so infrequently, the child is probably lying and the most probable thing that must have happened is that the child never did the homework. The child’s explanation is statistically insignificant since the probability of occurrence of such incidents is very less, if any. â€Å"Although tests of statistical significance are widely reported in criminal justice literature, the logic underlying them is subtle and often misunderstood† (2011, p. 292). The logic here is that very unlikely events like a cat eating a child’s homework surprise teachers greatly and so the teachers tend to think of a better explanation. It is hard to depict which level of significance is significant. There has to be a sufficiently large coincidence to assume that the matter under consideration is not simply a mere

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there are several instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would prefer to call it, usually means a situation in which the character of the play has limited knowledge and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions will be. The degree of irony and the effect it has depends upon the readers grasp and recognition of some discrepancy between two things. Our first taste of dramatic irony comes very early into the play when Oedipus vows to bring to justice the killer of Laius, which is in reality himself. When he learns that the bringing of justice of Laius killer will rid the city of a terrible plague, he sets forth with a plan to track down the killer. Oedipus begins to curse the killer and vows: Oedipus: As for the criminal, I pray to God Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number I pray that that mans life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less (968) This is very ironic, as Oedipus is indeed, without knowledge of the truth, talking about himself. Another example of dramatic irony is the power of fate and Oedipus powerlessness against it. Throughout the play we are aware of Oedipus fate and we realize there is nothing that he can do to change it. When Oedipus tells his city after listening to their plea for help against the terrible sickness and plague that has taken over the city: Oedipus: I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. (963) The audience understands the truth and the irony in that statement. Oedipus should not worry about himself becoming sick for he is already infested with the sickness. A third example of the irony of Oedipus is the fact that Oedipus seemed to be blind and deaf to the truth. He appears to be on a valiant search for the truth and justice of the killer of Laius, yet refuses to hear the truth when it is spoken to him. In order to hear the truth Oedipus needed to be able to hear and interpret it, yet he only heard what he wanted to hear. Therefore rendering him unable to understand the mystery of who he truly was. In this play there seems to be a constant string of ironies throughout. Oedipus is in denial of the truth. In his dramatic speeches he misconstrues the information that he has been given by Teiresias, as well as Creon and Iocaste. The horrifying realization that the prophecy of the Sphinx is in fact the truth, causes Oedipus to blind himself. The audience therefore pities him, which is a result of the use of dramatic irony. The use of irony in a play allows the writer to make their audience want to see how the events which are occurring, mentally affect the main character, even if they already know how the story will end, as in Oedipus the King. Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. Oedipus the King Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. 960-1005.

Ethical and Legal Considerations in Social Work Essay -- Social Work E

Shaniya Robinson arrives at the County Human Services Authority for her monthly appointment with her social worker. Ms. Robinson is a 25 year old African American female who is receiving treatment for schizophrenia from the adult behavioral health services program. During a session the client reports that she is under a great deal of stress because she is having difficulty adjusting to being a new mother. Her five month old baby girl Shanice is teething and cries frequently. Ms. Robinson is also struggling financially because she is currently unemployed; her mental illness makes it difficult to sustain employment long term. And she does not receive support from the child’s father on a consistent basis. The combination of these interactional difficulties is weighing heavily on the client who reports an increase in positive and negative symptoms (i.e. auditory hallucinations and social withdrawal). Because the client does not have insurance she disclosed to her social worker that she self-medicates using marijuana in an effort to manage symptoms. More noteworthy, the client explains that she uses the same method to soothe the baby by blowing marijuana smoke in the infant's face. It is certain that Ms. Robinson divulged such information for several reasons, she wants help and she believes that any information she shares within the context of her sessions are confidential. Confidentiality The expectation in the practitioner/client relationship is that any information disclosed will not be shared with others. Confidentiality is emphasized to provide the client with a safe haven in which to share traumatic events or embarrassing personal information about themselves (Krase, 2013). Disclosing this type of sensitive information... ...). Marijuana and Breast Feeding: Is it Safe to Smoke Marijuana and Breastfeed? Retrieved from http://addictions.about.com/od/legalissues/a/Marijuana- And-Breastfeeding.htm?p=1 Krase, K. (2013). Social Workers as Mandated as Reporters: Conflicted Over Confidentiality? Part IV. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/feature- articles/practice/social-workers-as-mandated-reporters%3A/page-2.html Louisiana Children's Code. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 27, 2014 from http://www.nicholls.edu/frc/louisiana-chidrens-code/ National Association of Social Workers (2008). NASW Code of Ethics: Guide to the Everyday Professional Conduct of Social Workers. Washington, DC: NASW. Sheafor, B. & Horejsi, C.J. (2012). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice. (9th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

How Important Are Customer Expectations

Customer expectations are very important because depending on their satisfaction, they are more likely to return for service or refer other customers. The company needs knowledge if satisfaction is rising and which are the areas in which customers are satisfied so the company can continue with that same service. There needs to be an observation when customer's satisfaction level is changing since it affects their expectations and or perceptions. Constant diligence in observing your customers' environment and your own can affect their satisfaction level. A good way to exceed service quality to switch from service provider mentality to being the customers. Observe what would be your expectations as a customer. For the most part, customer will not demand service that is in executable, it is usually reasonable. Customers like to be treated with courtesy, appreciation and listened to as well. Customer service includes not only how the customer is treated, it is the entire process of obtaining the product and after the product has been purchase. Acknowledgement of voicemail and service request is a very important factor. Customers many times have questions on the product, it is essential for them to obtain correct responses and together with friendliness and dedicated attention. Due to the economic status of this nation there has been many jobs positions that has been made to the minimum amount of employees needed. Customers do not like to wait for service, therefore, once they receive service it should be the best quality to make them feel it was worth the time they waited to obtain the service. ttp://www. nkarten. com/mce. html The company also needs knowledge in the areas in which the customers are not satisfied, they need to track and cout the frequency of complaints and if they are the same or similar complaints. Company may opt to send periodically Mystery Shoppers. A survey to customers is a good idea because it give them the opportunity to express their experience and also to make suggestions. When Customer satisfact ion has been met or exceeded, it leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. Customer should be inform about changes made as the direct result of listening to their needs. All survey of customer service should be made available to all employees to make them aware of the positive and negative feedback and changes could be made accordingly. Quality measure should both be made internal and external. Customer service should be such that it exceeds that of competitors. Proper training to employees should be given so they can provide excellent customer service. The company should also look for ways for the employees to be happy with their employment, so they can offer unique happiness as they perform their duties. Many times if employees encounter work problems such as conflicts with their superiors, coworkers and or disappointed because they would like to have the opportunity to advance professionally, this does affect their performance in a negative way. Employees needs must be met, company have to communicate with them as they have to with their customers. Problems at work has to be approach and resolve. http://www.qualitydigest.com/sept00/html/satisfaction.html