DOCSLIB.ORG

Current Threats to the Lake Texcoco Globally Important Bird Area1

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Current Threats to the Lake Texcoco Globally Important Bird Area1 Current Threats to the Lake Texcoco Globally Important Bird Area1 José L. Alcántara2 and Patricia Escalante Pliego3 ________________________________________ Abstract Lake Texcoco was reported as almost dry in the late Key words: airport, IBA, Lake Texcoco, multi-species 1960s, and as a consequence the aquatic life has been conservation, restoration, waterfowl. considered gone since then. However, the government undertook a reclamation/restoration project in the area beginning in 1971 to help alleviate some of the envi- ronmental problems of Mexico City. Although Lake Texcoco was not completely dry in that period, the Introduction basin containing the lake had already lost the local forms of the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris), Ameri- Lake Texcoco is located in central Mexico, approxi- can Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) and Black-polled mately 23 km east of Mexico City, between 19° 25’ Yellowthroat (Geothlypis speciosa). With the restora- and 19° 35’ North latitude and 98° 55’ and 99° 03’ tion project an artificial lake was created (called Nabor West longitude, with an average altitude of 2,200 m. Carrillo) with an area of 1,000 ha. The wetlands in total This body of water is a remnant of an ancient lake that occupy approximately 8,000 ha in the wet season, and covered most of the Valley of Mexico, a large, elevated half that in the dry season. Both government agencies valley (a closed hydrologic basin) surrounded by high and students have studied the avifauna of this area for mountains in the Central Mexican Plateau. Because the decades but the results are not available. We compiled basin lies on the 19º parallel, it intersects with the data from theses and government agencies to establish Transversal Volcanic Axis, also called the Neo- the importance of the current avifauna of Lake Texco- Volcanic Axis (a line of volcanoes that extends across co and provide an accurate picture of the effect of res- Mexico in an east-west direction.) The basin has the toration to the bird populations. This information is of approximate form of an irregular rectangle inclined in prime importance to evaluate the consequences of con- NE-SW direction, with length over 120 km and less structing a new airport within the boundaries of this than 80 km in average, it has an approximate surface of area, both in terms of conservation and in terms of the 7,500 km² (Alvarez 1977). security concerns for the airport operations. With the data presented, we will show that Lake Texcoco de- Lake Texcoco is located in the central flyway for mi- serves to be considered as a Globally Important Bird gratory waterfowl. The myriad of small lakes spread Area because it maintains approximately 100,000 birds through the highlands of central Mexico were and still that occupy this area every year, among them signifi- are important stopover and wintering grounds for sev- cant populations of Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus eral species of waterfowl and wading birds, as well as tricolor), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Ruddy the breeding ground for several permanent residents. Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), Snowy Plover (Charad- Pollution, desiccation, and urban sprawl are just some rius alexandrinus), Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), of the factors that have caused severe habitat degradat- American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana), Black- ion, a process in practically all of the Mexican highland necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), and Solitary lakes. Unfortunately, there is no assessment of how Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria). such habitat degradation has affected avian popula- tions, but there is strong evidence that a serious loss of avian diversity is still under way, at least in Lake Texcoco. Our objectives are to outline the main charac- teristics and the current condition of Lake Texcoco, as __________ the most important refuge left for migratory and resi- dent waterfowl in the Valley of Mexico, and to point 1A version of this paper was presented at the Third Interna- out current threats. tional Partners in Flight Conference, March 20-24, 2002, Asilomar Conference Grounds, California. Lake History and Current Situation 2Área de Fauna Silvestre, Especialidad de Ganadería-IREGEP, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km 36.5 Carr. México-Texcoco, During pre-Hispanic times, the Valley of Mexico was a Montecillo, Estado de México, 56230 Mexico. E-mail: [email protected]. huge marshy zone surrounded by extensive pine and 3Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad oak forests (Lorenzo and Mirambell 1986). Transfor- Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70-153, 04511 México DF, mation of the ancient lake started with natural climatic Mexico USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. 2005 1143 Threats to Lake Texcoco IBA – Alcántara and Escalante changes (Espinosa 1996). On the other hand, human- quence, in 1971 the Mexican government started a made changes probably started with the first civiliza- restoration project for the Lake Texcoco zone in order tions in the area, around 100 B. C. In the late 1300s the to ameliorate the environmental problems of Mexico Aztec empire was the climax of the pre-Hispanic alter- City caused by the degraded area (Cruickshank 1994). ations of the lake through the building of a complex system of aqueducts, bridges and dams, and the prac- Plan Lake Texcoco was a set of programs to diminish tice of intensive wetland agriculture. Finally, the basin the effects of erosion, water pollution, etc. This pro- has suffered its most radical transformation since the gram represents the first successful environmental re- sixteenth century, after the fall of the Aztec empire, storation model in Mexico and, in the words of its main with the Spanish Colonial period and culminating in architect, Gerardo Cruikshank (1994); Lake Texcoco modern Mexico, with the construction of complex hy- has become again the most important refuge for winter- draulic structures (Alvarez 1977). The ultimate goal of ing migratory aquatic birds in the Valley of Mexico. those hydraulic constructions was flood control and drying out of the lakes in order to gain land for human The total area that currently encompasses the Lake habitation. Texcoco restoration plan is 11,600 ha. The project included the hydrologic management of the area and It has been assessed that the original lake of the Valley resulted in the building of a complex system that in- of Mexico had an area of approximately 1,575 km² cluded the creation or restoration of a dozen artificial (Alvarez 1977). The limits of Lake Texcoco never have or semi-natural lakes. The most important of those is been fixed. With the arrival of the Europeans, the larg- Nabor Carrillo, with an area of 1,000 ha and a maxi- est lake in the Valley of Mexico at that time (the so mum depth of 3.5 m. called Lake Mexico-Texcoco) was still more than 10 meters deep in some places and had a surface area greater than 700 km². By 1864, only 15 percent (ap- Avian Diversity in the Valley of Mexico proximately 230 km²) remained of the original surface, and by 1891 only 95 km² (6 percent) remained. Loss and Gain of Diversity Towards the end of the 1950s, the lake could reach a surface area of up to 100 km² when there were There are numerous historical accounts and archeolo- abundant rains; but in the dry season it was reduced to gical evidence of the importance of the birds of Lake a few ponds, although it is said that the lake covered Texcoco for the local cultures. In fact, the lake was a some 270 km² at that time (Rzedowski 1957). Recent- representative example of what some authors have ly, of the former extensive lacustrine zone, there are called an 'inextricable link' between biological and cul- just three vestiges. In order of importance they are: (1) tural diversity (Espinosa 1996, Posey 1998). Neverthe- Lake Texcoco, of very salty and alkaline water, whose less, scientific accounts of the avifauna of the Valley of Mexico did not start until the end of the 19th and begin- size varies largely according to the season and from th year to year, (2) Lake Zumpango, with a maximum ning of the 20 centuries. surface of approximately 15 km² of moderate salinity, One of the main consequences of the implementation and (3) a network of canals of fresh water in of the lake reclamation project was the remarkable in- Xochimilco, and a smaller one near Mixquic (both crease of diversity of both resident and migratory bird neighborhoods of Mexico City), that are kept artifi- species. The return of numerous bird species (previous- cially filled for tourism. ly common and widespread on the area) was, of course, Plan Lake Texcoco the direct consequence of changes in habitat availa- bility; that is, the re-establishment of permanent water By the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, bodies, temporary pools, cattail, marshes, and patches Lake Texcoco had practically disappeared. Because of of woods. the extreme salinity of the soil, for the most part no ter- restrial vegetation grew. Additionally, urban waste- More than 30 studies have been done on the avifauna waters were poured into the area. Thus, during the dry of Lake Texcoco, but most are unpublished, mainly as season winds carried out dust from the desolate old research theses or governmental reports (Villada 1883, dried lakebed all over Mexico City; such dust storms Herrera 1888, Villada 1897, Madrigal and Hernández caused serious gastrointestinal diseases among the 1968, Halfter and Reyes 1975, Leopold 1977, Babb et city’s population. On the other hand, attempts to con- al. 1982, Chávez and Huerta 1985, Chávez et al. 1986, trol flooding, changes in watershed land uses, and inc- Wilson and Ceballos-Lascurain 1993, González 1995, reased water use resulted in drastic changes in the Bojorges 1997, González et al.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Grade 5 Curriculum Overview SS
    Social Studies: 5th Grade Curriculum Overview North American Geography OVERVIEW: The standards in fifth grade focus student learning on the geography of North America. The introductory unit is designed to familiarize students with the many different tools and themes that geographers use to study the world. Students are introduced to some of the unique physical characteristics of the continents as they create their mental maps of the world. The skills and concepts introduced will continue to be practiced and refined as students study North America. Using these skills and the five 5th themes of geography, students will study five United States regions, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Students will be able to compare and contrast the physical, cultural, and economic geography of regions and countries in North America. Sites that represent the cultural characteristics of each region provide students with a sense of what life in the region is like today. Regional Studies Essential Skills StudentsNAG will practice 5.3-5.9 and apply the following skills throughout the course: • Interpret a map legend (key) and a map scale to help understand information contained on a map. •The studentAnalyze will and explore interpret maps. •regionsAnalyze of the andUnited interpret graphs, charts, tables, and images of geographic information. •StatesInterpret and countries a model of of the earth showing the locations of the continents, oceans, equator, and prime meridian. •North AmericaDescribe theby: location of a continent by determining the hemisphere(s) where it is located. • Explain the use of GPS. •a. locatingCompare the regionand contrast on places using the five themes of geography.
    [Show full text]
  • Knowledge of Skull Base Anatomy and Surgical Implications of Human Sacrifice Among Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Cultures
    See the corresponding retraction, DOI: 10.3171/2018.5.FOCUS12120r, for full details. Neurosurg Focus 33 (2):E1, 2012 Knowledge of skull base anatomy and surgical implications of human sacrifice among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures RAUL LOPEZ-SERNA, M.D.,1 JUAN LUIS GOMEZ-AMADOR, M.D.,1 JUAN BArgES-COLL, M.D.,1 NICASIO ArrIADA-MENDICOA, M.D.,1 SAMUEL ROMERO-VArgAS, M.D., M.SC.,2 MIGUEL RAMOS-PEEK, M.D.,1 MIGUEL ANGEL CELIS-LOPEZ, M.D.,1 ROGELIO REVUELTA-GUTIErrEZ, M.D.,1 AND LESLY PORTOCArrERO-ORTIZ, M.D., M.SC.3 1Department of Neurosurgery, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia “Manuel Velasco Suárez;” 2Department of Spine Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación; and 3Department of Neuroendocrinology, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia “Manuel Velasco Suárez,” Mexico City, Mexico Human sacrifice became a common cultural trait during the advanced phases of Mesoamerican civilizations. This phenomenon, influenced by complex religious beliefs, included several practices such as decapitation, cranial deformation, and the use of human cranial bones for skull mask manufacturing. Archaeological evidence suggests that all of these practices required specialized knowledge of skull base and upper cervical anatomy. The authors con- ducted a systematic search for information on skull base anatomical and surgical knowledge among Mesoamerican civilizations. A detailed exposition of these results is presented, along with some interesting information extracted from historical documents and pictorial codices to provide a better understanding of skull base surgical practices among these cultures. Paleoforensic evidence from the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan indicates that Aztec priests used a specialized decapitation technique, based on a deep anatomical knowledge.
    [Show full text]
  • La Marginación Y Exclusión Como Posibles Factores Socioeconómicos De La Violencia Urbana En El Estado De México
    Papeles de Población ISSN: 1405-7425 [email protected] Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México México La marginación y exclusión como posibles factores socioeconómicos de la violencia urbana en el Estado de México López-Santiago, Marco Andrés; Hernández-Juárez, Martín; León-Merino, Aurelio La marginación y exclusión como posibles factores socioeconómicos de la violencia urbana en el Estado de México Papeles de Población, vol. 23, núm. 91, 2017 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=11250327013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22185/24487147.2017.91.008 PDF generado a partir de XML-JATS4R por Redalyc Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto Marco Andrés López-Santiago, et al. La marginación y exclusión como posibles factores socioeconómi... La marginación y exclusión como posibles factores socioeconómicos de la violencia urbana en el Estado de México Marginalization and exclusion as possible socio-economical factors of urban violence: e Valle de Chalco Solidaridad, State of México case Marco Andrés López-Santiago DOI: https://doi.org/10.22185/24487147.2017.91.008 Universidad Autónoma de Chapingo, México Redalyc: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa? [email protected] id=11250327013 Martín Hernández-Juárez Colegio de Postgraduados, México [email protected] Aurelio León-Merino Colegio de Postgraduados, México [email protected] Recepción: 03 Julio 2014 Aprobación: 20 Junio 2016 Resumen: En este artículo se muestran los resultados de la investigación relacionada con los factores socioeconómicos que influyen en la generación de las violencias en el municipio de Valle de Chalco Solidaridad, Estado de México.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tectonic Evolution of the Madrean Archipelago and Its Impact on the Geoecology of the Sky Islands
    The Tectonic Evolution of the Madrean Archipelago and Its Impact on the Geoecology of the Sky Islands David Coblentz Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM Abstract—While the unique geographic location of the Sky Islands is well recognized as a primary factor for the elevated biodiversity of the region, its unique tectonic history is often overlooked. The mixing of tectonic environments is an important supplement to the mixing of flora and faunal regimes in contributing to the biodiversity of the Madrean Archipelago. The Sky Islands region is located near the actively deforming plate margin of the Western United States that has seen active and diverse tectonics spanning more than 300 million years, many aspects of which are preserved in the present-day geology. This tectonic history has played a fundamental role in the development and nature of the topography, bedrock geology, and soil distribution through the region that in turn are important factors for understanding the biodiversity. Consideration of the geologic and tectonic history of the Sky Islands also provides important insights into the “deep time” factors contributing to present-day biodiversity that fall outside the normal realm of human perception. in the North American Cordillera between the Sierra Madre Introduction Occidental and the Colorado Plateau – Southern Rocky The “Sky Island” region of the Madrean Archipelago (lo- Mountains (figure 1). This part of the Cordillera has been cre- cated between the northern Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico ated by the interactions between the Pacific, North American, and the Colorado Plateau/Rocky Mountains in the Southwest- Farallon (now entirely subducted under North America) and ern United States) is an area of exceptional biodiversity and has Juan de Fuca plates and is rich in geology features, including become an important study area for geoecology, biology, and major plateaus (The Colorado Plateau), large elevated areas conservation management.
    [Show full text]
  • COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL NOT for DISTRIBUTION Figure 0.3
    Contents Acknowledgments ix A Brief Note on Usage xiii Introduction: History and Tlaxilacalli 3 Chapter 1: The Rise of Tlaxilacalli, ca. 1272–1454 40 Chapter 2: Acolhua Imperialisms, ca. 1420s–1583 75 Chapter 3: Community and Change in Cuauhtepoztlan Tlaxilacalli, ca. 1544–1575 97 Chapter 4: Tlaxilacalli Religions, 1537–1587 123 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Chapter 5: TlaxilacalliNOT FOR Ascendant, DISTRIBUTION 1562–1613 151 Chapter 6: Communities Reborn, 1581–1692 174 Conclusion: Tlaxilacalli and Barrio 203 List of Acronyms Used Frequently in This Book 208 Bibliography 209 Index 247 vii introduction History and Tlaxilacalli This is the story of how poor, everyday central Mexicans built and rebuilt autono- mous communities over the course of four centuries and two empires. It is also the story of how these self-same commoners constructed the unequal bonds of compul- sion and difference that anchored these vigorous and often beloved communities. It is a story about certain face-to-face human networks, called tlaxilacalli in both singular and plural,1 and about how such networks molded the shape of both the Aztec and Spanish rule.2 Despite this influence, however, tlaxilacalli remain ignored, subordinated as they often were to wider political configurations and most often appearing unmarked—that is, noted by proper name only—in the sources. With care, however, COPYRIGHTEDthe deeper stories of tlaxilacalli canMATERIAL be uncovered. This, in turn, lays bare a root-level history of autonomy and colonialism in central Mexico, told through the powerfulNOT and transformative FOR DISTRIBUTION tlaxilacalli. The robustness of tlaxilacalli over thelongue durée casts new and surprising light on the structures of empire in central Mexico, revealing a counterpoint of weakness and fragmentation in the canonical histories of centralizing power in the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Fundamental Biogeographic Patterns Across the Mexican Transition Zone: an Evolutionary Approach
    Ecography 33: 355Á361, 2010 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06266.x # 2010 The Author. Journal compilation # 2010 Ecography Subject Editor: Douglas A. Kelt. Accepted 4 February 2010 S YMPOSIUM ON Fundamental biogeographic patterns across the Mexican Transition Zone: an evolutionary approach Juan J. Morrone J. J. Morrone ([email protected]), Museo de Zoologı´a ‘‘Alfonso L. Herrera’’, Depto de Biologı´a Evolutiva, Fac. de Ciencias, Univ. Nacional Auto´noma de Me´xico (UNAM), Apartado postal 70-399, 04510 Mexico, D.F., Mexico. B IOGEOGRAPHIC Transition zones, located at the boundaries between biogeographic regions, represent events of biotic hybridization, promoted by historical and ecological changes. They deserve special attention, because they represent areas of intense biotic interaction. In its more general sense, the Mexican Transition Zone is a complex and varied area where Neotropical and Nearctic biotas overlap, from southwestern USA to Mexico and part of Central America, extending south to the Nicaraguan lowlands. In recent years, panbiogeographic analyses have led to restriction of the Mexican Transition Zone to the montane areas of Mexico and to recognize five smaller biotic components within it. A cladistic biogeographic analysis challenged the hypothesis that this transition zone is biogeographically divided along a north-south axis at the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, as the two major clades found divided Mexico in an east-west axis. This implies that early Tertiary geological events leading to the convergence of Neotropical and Nearctic elements may be younger (Miocene) B than those that led to the east-west pattern (Paleocene). The Mexican Transition Zone consists of five biogeographic OUNDARIES provinces: Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Transmexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur, and Chiapas.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 7: Mexico
    Chapter 7: Mexico Unit 3 Section 1: Physical Geography Landforms • Mexico and Central America form a land bridge between the 2 continents of South America and North America • The western side of Mexico is a part of the Ring of Fire – Seismic activity – Volcanoes Landforms • The Sierra Madre Oriental/Occidental – Southern portion of the Rocky Mountains (Canada and the US) – 8,000-9,000 ft tall • In the middle of the country is the Mexican Plateau – Moderate, consistent temperatures – Great place to live! Landforms • Mexican Plateau: – Mesa del Norte • Larger than the Central region • Some large cities – Mesa Central • More populated • Breadbasket of Mexico Water Systems • Northern Mexico has a dry climate – What landform is the exception??? • Central region has more rivers and natural lakes Water Systems • Lerma River – One of the most important rivers in the country – Begins in the Toluca Basin west of Mexico City – Feeds into Lake Chapala • Largest natural lake • Gulf of Mexico forms the east coast – Special wild life – Shrimp – Fishing – Oil • Gulf of California – Special wild life Section 2: Human Geography History and Government • Indigenous people lead to much diversity in cultures, languages, and civilizations • Northern Mexico: – Nomadic people – Agriculture – Tarahumara people • Southern Mexico: – Mayan Civilization • Massive cities • Agriculture • Central Mexico: – Aztec Empire • Massive empire • Warriors and conquerors History and Government • Spanish came and colonized Mexico – After the resources: • Gold • Silver • Cash crops: chocolate and corn • Beginning in the 1700s, people began to protest Spanish rule. • 1821: Mexico finally won its independence – But the country was ruled by a small group of wealthy landowners, army officers.
    [Show full text]
  • Geology of Nevado De Toluca Volcano and Surrounding Areas, Central Mexico
    mch089 1 of 26 Geological Society of America Map and Chart Series MCH089 2002 Geology of Nevado de Toluca Volcano and surrounding areas, central Mexico *Armando García-Palomo, José Luis Macías, José Luis Arce Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, México D.F., México Lucia Capra Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, México D.F., México Victor Hugo Garduño Departamento de Geología y Mineralogía, Instituto de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México Juan Manuel Espíndola Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, México D.F., México ABSTRACT Nevado de Toluca is an andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano of Pliocene-Holocene age located in central Mexico. The volcano is built on a complex sequence of metamorphic and sedimentary formations of Jurassic-Cretaceous age, rhyolitic ignimbrites of late Eocene age, and massive andesitic lava flows of late Miocene. In the northwest corner of the map area, on top of this basement sequence, a complex andesitic-dacitic strato- volcano, San Antonio, and a series of andesitic-dacitic domes and cones of Pliocene– early Pleistocene age were also built. The first andesitic-dacitic emissions of Nevado de Toluca occurred 2.6 Ma and continued during late Pleistocene–Holocene time contem- porarily with basaltic to dacitic emissions of the Chichinautzin Volcanic Field in the eastern parts of the map area. Volcanism in the area has been controlled by the interplay of three fault systems active since late Miocene. These systems, from older to younger, are the Taxco-Querétaro Fault System (NNW–SSE), the San Antonio Fault System (NE–SW), and the Tenango Fault System (E–W).
    [Show full text]
  • Head of Xilonen, Goddess of Young Maize A.D
    Head of Xilonen, Goddess of Young Maize A.D. 1400/1500 Aztec (Mexica), Tenochtitlan, Mexico THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO Department of Museum Education Division of Teacher Programs Crown Family Educator Resource Center This sculptural fragment depicts Xilonen, the youthful Aztec Aztec (Mexica) (Mexica) goddess of new maize (corn). Carved in the round, this dark grey basalt bust was originally painted in bright naturalistic colors; the two indented strips in her cheeks most Tenochtitlan, Mexico likely would have been filled withturquoise or shell. Rising from her floral headband is a pair of large, realistically represented ears of maize, the long tassels flowing down her back. This feature, along with the rhomboid-shaped pendant around her neck, identifies her as Xilonen, whose name derives from the Nahuatl words xilotl (tender ears of maize) and nen Head of Xilonen, Goddess (benefit or good). of Young Maize The many existing carvings of Xilonen suggest her importance in Aztec culture as one of three female maize deities repre- A.D. 1400/1500 senting stages of crop growth and maturation; Xilonen’s teotl (divine power) embodied fertility. The Aztec believed that Basalt representations of deities were imbued with the teotl of the gods themselves. Sculptures of Xilonen and other deities 32.4 x 20.3 x 12.1 cm (12 3/4 x 8 x 4 3/4 in.) played a role in the great festivals held in the open plazas and temple platforms. While this particular sculpture likely would African and Amerindian Art Purchase Fund, have functioned as an effigy for worship in a communal 1986.1091 temple, the cult of Xilonen was also observed in the home.
    [Show full text]
  • Contested Visions in the Spanish Colonial World
    S Y M P O S I U M A B S T R A C T S Contested Visions in the Spanish Colonial World _______________________________________________________________________________________ Cecelia F. Klein, University of California, Los Angeles Huitzilopochli’s magical birth and victory, and Suffer the Little Children: Contested Visions of Child the world-mountain of cosmic renewal. Such Sacrifice in the Americas contrasting, alternating themes, the subject that I explore here, were similarly expressed at other This talk will address the ways that artists over the sacred mountains in the Valley of Mexico. The centuries have depicted the sacrifice of children in juxtaposed celebrations of conquest and tributary the preconquest Americas, and what those images rulership, alternating with the call for world can tell us about the politics of visual representation regeneration, were complementary aims engaged in complex arenas where governments and social in the annual cycle, expressing the dynamic factions struggle to negotiate a more advantageous obligations of Aztec kings in maintaining the place for themselves. The focus will be on the formal integration of society and nature. differences between New and Old World representa- tions of Aztec and Inca child sacrifice and the ways in which western artistic conventions and tropes Carolyn Dean, University of California, Santa Cruz long used in Europe to visualize its “Others” were Inca Transubstantiation deployed in the making of images of Native American child sacrifice. Colonial and early modern images of In Pre-Hispanic times the Inca believed that the subject, it will be argued, were largely shaped, objects could host spiritual essences. Although not by the desire to record historical “truths” about rocks were the most common hosts, a wide child sacrifice among the Aztec and the Inca, but by variety of things (including living bodies) were their makers and patrons’ own ambitions at home, capable of housing sacred anima.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethinking the Conquest : an Exploration of the Similarities Between Pre-Contact Spanish and Mexica Society, Culture, and Royalty
    University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Dissertations and Theses @ UNI Student Work 2015 Rethinking the Conquest : an exploration of the similarities between pre-contact Spanish and Mexica society, culture, and royalty Samantha Billing University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©2015 Samantha Billing Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd Part of the Latin American History Commons Recommended Citation Billing, Samantha, "Rethinking the Conquest : an exploration of the similarities between pre-contact Spanish and Mexica society, culture, and royalty" (2015). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 155. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/155 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses @ UNI by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Copyright by SAMANTHA BILLING 2015 All Rights Reserved RETHINKING THE CONQUEST: AN EXPLORATION OF THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PRE‐CONTACT SPANISH AND MEXICA SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND ROYALTY An Abstract of a Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Samantha Billing University of Northern Iowa May 2015 ABSTRACT The Spanish Conquest has been historically marked by the year 1521 and is popularly thought of as an absolute and complete process of indigenous subjugation in the New World. Alongside this idea comes the widespread narrative that describes a barbaric, uncivilized group of indigenous people being conquered and subjugated by a more sophisticated and superior group of Europeans.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 Techniques for Prediction of Subsidence, by Germán Figueroa Vega, Soki Yamamoto, and Working Group (Section 5.3.6 by Donald C
    5 Techniques for prediction of subsidence, by Germán Figueroa Vega, Soki Yamamoto, and Working Group (Section 5.3.6 by Donald C. Helm) It is very important to predict the amount of subsidence and to estimate the subsidence rate in the near future. There are many methods for predicting the amount of land subsidence due to the overdraft of fluids from aquifers. Some methods are simple and others are complex. It is preferable to use several methods whenever possible and to reach a conclusion based on the overall judgment. Both adequate and accurate data are required to obtain useful results, although these depend on the purpose, time length of the forecast, and cost. The methods used may be classified into the following categories: (1) Empirical methods; (2) semi-theoretical approach; (3) theoretical approach. 5.1 EMPIRICAL METHODS This is the method of extrapolating available data to derive the future trend. It is a time series model. The amount of subsidence, the amount of compaction, and sometimes tidal height near the sea coast, are available to plot against time. In this method, the amount of subsidence is considered a function of time, ignoring causality of land subsidence. 5.1.1 Extrapolation of data by naked eye No explanation of this procedure is needed except that a smooth curve with a natural trend should be obtained. 5.1.2 Application of some suitable curve: Nonlinear extrapolation 1. Fitting of quadratic function (Figure 5.1): The following function is used and the least squares method is applied: s = ax2 + bx + c, or s = ax + b,(5.1) where s = subsidence amount, x = time, and a, b, and c are constants.
    [Show full text]