Monday, May 23, 2011

The Olmec Civilization

The exact location of the origins of the Olmec civilization differs among scholars. It was originally thought that the culture originated in Los Tuxtlas and Catemaco (Veracruz). Miguel Covarrubias thought it had originated in the state of Guerrero. His thesis was supported by Carlo Gay who studied ceramics found in the environs of Xochipala, a mountain village of the Mezcala region. The pottery was found at the sites of El Zacatoso, Las Mesas, Las Tejas and Llano Delgado. The decorated vessels were corroborated by Franz Feutchwanger as typically Olmec in style and iconography. In addition, four monoliths found within a ceremonial enclosure at El Rincón (whose pre-hispanic name seems to have been Teopanticuanitlán meaning “The place of the Temple of Tigers and Lions”), showed an inverted shape representing beings with typically Olmec feline features. Román Piña Chan maintained that the Olmec presence was located at the juncture of the states of Morelos, Puebla and Guerrero. Another view, held by Philip Drucker and William T. Sanders felt that the Olmec had originated in the Gulf coast region.
            There are two main schools of thought concerning Olmec history. One is labeled the Olmec centric school. This view holds that the Olmec created Mesoamerica’s first civilization and it is supported by Miguel Covarrubias, Alfonso Caso, Beatriz de la Fuente, Mathew Stirling and George Vaillant. The other school is labeled the Primus inter Pares and it denies the Olmec priority. These scholars claim that the culture traits called Olmec originated outside the gulf coast or were widely distributed. Among its proponents we find Eric S. Thompson, William R. Coe, Kent B. Flannery and Joyce Marcus.
            The Olmec lived in Southern Veracruz and Western Tabasco and disseminated through Mesoamerica. Their influence has been found in Chatcalzingo, Morelos; Teopantecuanitlán and San Miguel Amuco in Guerrero; Tlatilco, Las Bocas and Tlapacoya in central Mexico; the valley of Oaxaca and numerous sites in the Pacific Piedmont and coastal zones of Chiapas and Guatemala.
            We do not know what the Olmec called themselves. The name Olmeca meaning “people of the region of rubber”, was given to these people by the Aztecs and it is the name used by modern scholars.
            The culture existed during the Formative or Preclassic periods. Based on radiocarbon determinations and changes in the style of pottery their history can be divided into four phases:
*     Formation stage (1700 – 1300 B.C.)
*     Integration stage (1300 – 900 B.C.)
*     Expansion stage: (900 – 300 B.C)
*     Disintegration stage (300 B.C. – A.D 200)

Technological advances in architecture, surpluses of food, the appearance of an
 artisan class and a priest class created a hierarchical structure were religion was institutionalized and gave rise to a theocratic society. The ceremonial centers became the focal points of their society.
Their economy was based on farming, hunting, fishing, and gathering and supplemented by the trading of products and materials. The marsh and flood agriculture occurred along the rivers and they cleared the forest using the slash and burn system. The populations of the coastal regions consumed manioc (Manihot esculenta), sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), jicama (Pachyrrizus erosus) and palm. Fishing activity is evidenced by the discovery of weights for nets, remains of canoes and fishbones.
            Some social aspects of the Olmec can be observed through their figurines. They represent short, obese men with deformed heads, slanted eyes and toothless mouths. The women are distinguished by their braids and headdresses. Cranial deformation, dental mutilation and scarring were also represented. The statuettes also show their clothing. They wore loincloths, kilts, short capes, blouses and shorts with tassels. The heads are decorated with hats; turbans or kerchiefs knotted under the chin and the faces may be concealed by masks or veils and adorned with earrings and necklaces. Ballplayers are represented with one hand gloved. Musicians are portrayed playing small drums, dancers wearing skirts and acrobats with arched bodies. This demonstrates the existence of festivities.
            Patrilineal and totemic clans may have been the early forms of social organization. Shamans probably exerted partial control since they were the intermediaries with supernatural beings and the repositories of knowledge. There may also have been councils of elders who decided the actions of the community.
            The Olmec perceived their cosmic universe as multileveled, living and interconnected. The Jaguar was their principal totemic animal and it was associated with the earth. The serpent symbolized the water of rivers and the two were merged into a supernatural monster. This form took over as a cult object and human sacrifices were made to ensure the communion of water and earth. Ponciano Ortíz and María del Carmen Rodriguez uncovered bones of children in El Manatí, a wet bog at the base of a hill twenty kilometers from San Lorenzo.
            Their iconography reveals a blend of myth and natural phenomena. The growth of maize, meteorological events, the motion of astral bodies and animal behavior generated symbolic metaphors that described their cosmic order. These metaphors took the form of zoomorphic super naturals that possessed the ability to cross cosmic boundaries. At Chalcatzingo there is a representation of a rattlesnake with a winged body and head with a bird’s beak and a forked tongue. This is a concept that is later seen in the plumed serpent of Teotihuacán. There’s also a bas-relief in monument 2, showing two masked individuals carrying tools, a third one touching a bundle of vegetation and a fourth one seated, naked, his hands tied and his male organ erect. The scene suggests a ceremonial fertility rite in which the penis of the victim was severed to propitiate the earth with blood.
            Their art was powerful, simple and realistic in their portrayal of humans or anthropomorphisms. They worked with stone, jade, basalt, andesite and serpentine. They developed an artistic style based on Jaguar symbolism, probably because of magical-religious motivations. There is a monument in Potrero Nuevo that shows a woman copulating with a Jaguar. Stirling interpreted this myth as the origin of a race part- human, part-feline resulting in infant were-jaguars. Typically the were-jaguar is portrayed as bald with a cleft at the top; with narrow or oval eyes above which they may be wide brows. The nose is flat; the corners of the mouth are drawn down in a snarl and the toothless gums have the alveolar ridge typical of human babies. Sometimes long feline canine tusks may curve down from the upper gums.
            In architecture we find monumental structures, pyramids with rectangular shapes, basalt columns, stone slabs, steles, and colossal heads that show a high skill of carving and sculpture.  
            The cult of the dead was widespread. People of high rank were buried in funeral mounds or in tombs dressed with jade, earrings and beads. Common folk were buried in holes dug in the ground. They were wrapped in mats and buried in a bent or extended position, sprinkled with cinnabar or red hematite powder and accompanied with figurines and other simple offerings.
            There is evidence of the use of abstract graphic symbols in their glyphs. Monument 13 of La Venta shows symbolic elements that could be interpreted as hieroglyphics.  Stela C at Tres Zapotes shows two columns of glyphs, one of which is a calendar inscription; and the famous Tuxtla statuette, exquisitely sculpted in nephrite, shows lines of glyphs and a calendar inscription that dates from A.D 162.
            It is not clear what caused the decline and disappearance of the Olmec civilization between 300 B.C and A.D 200. Theories include pressure from other populations, arrival of foreign invaders, peasant revolt and conflict over political supremacy. But the reality is that they were the first to develop a series of basic concepts adopted by posterior societies. Such as the idea of a religion based on a cult and ancestors; social distinction in the burial of important figures; the Mesoamerican ballgame; human sacrifices; the working of semi-precious stones; the creation of ceremonial centers; a theocratic form of government; an ordered division of space in their architectural concepts; an advanced technology in monumental sculpture designed for outdoor contemplation; and finally, hieroglyphic writing, numeration and the calendar.

Monumental Olmec Head


Sacred Ceiba Tree


Sacrificial God


The land: Green, Hot and Humid




Monday, May 9, 2011

Dancing with the Stars

Last saturday 7th, boxer-crooner-congressman Manny "Pacman" Paquiao faced "Sugar" Shane Mosley in defense of his world welter weight title for a guaranteed 20 million purse.
Although Mosley is a widely recognized bona fide boxing champ he entered the ring as a 5-1 underdog. Still, he had declared before the fight that he considered those figures an insult and that his power would neutralize the Filipino warrior.
Mosley looked tentative in the first two rounds and in the third, a straight left bomb sent him (and his heart and soul) to the canvas. You could see the dazzled look in his eyes. After the knockdown he turned into a defensive fighter. He ditched boxing and changed his sport to running and backpedaling. He became unwilling to engage and appeared interested only in survival.
In the end, the scorecards read 119-108 / 120-108 / 120-107 All by unanimous decision in favor of Mr. Paquiao. Another one bites the dust.
                                                 No mas!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Mr. Summers, Pickering’s harem and the Harvard Computers

Back in January 2005, Mr. Lawrence H. Summers, then president of Harvard University sparked an uproar at an economics conference when he said that “innate” differences between men and women might be one reason that female scientists are under-represented at elite universities. It is inconceivable that such a foolish statement could be uttered by such a prominent individual. I will call this remark by its proper names: prejudice and ignorance. Both are very much alive in the 21st century. Apparently this eminent dullard didn’t know about the exceptionally brilliant women scientists that contributed to enhance Harvard’s illustrious name.
Back in the late 1800’s, Mr. Charles Edward Pickering, Director of the Harvard Observatory hired a group of ladies to process astronomical data and replaced his inept male assistants. Williamina Fleming (1857-1911) started as Pickering’s maid but working at the observatory she devised a system of star classification. And in time she discovered additional nebulae and stars.  She accomplished an honorary membership at the Royal Astronomical Society in London.  Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941) was a physics graduate from Wellesley College and at the Harvard Observatory she developed a classification system with the letters O. B, A, F, G, K and M. Astronomers learn the sequence with the mnemonic “Oh, Be a Fine Girl, Kiss Me.” Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1862-1921), a graduate from Radcliff College, was at first assigned to count images on photographic plates but went on to discover the period-luminosity relationship of Cepheid variables. This breakthrough allowed astronomers to measure galactic distances and changed forever our conception of the universe. And finally, Antonia Maury (1866-1952) educated at Vassar College, indexed spectra of over 500,000 stars, published a catalog of classifications and completed work on the spectroscopic analysis of the binary star Beta Lyrae.
These bright ladies were chauvinistically known as “Pickering’s Harem” or the “Harvard Computers”.
Mr. Summers should be made to write on an immeasurable blackboard ALL these compilations in Victorian handwriting. Maybe then he will see the light.

                                          The Harvard Computers

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Night and Day

San Francisco at night can be a city of multiple contrasts. On Friday April 15th, I was fortunate to attend a jazz performance at the Herbst theatre across City Hall on Van Ness Avenue. Munich native Barbara Dennerlein opened the extravaganza on the Hammond B-3 organ. Her talent was evident as she maneuvered with precision, grace, power and dexterous footwork through her original compositions. She was followed by wily veteran Dr. Lonnie Smith who dazzled the audience with his ultra-modern kaleidoscopic and chromatic harmonies.  I had the good fortune to meet personally fraülein Barbara and purchased one of her autographed CD’s.
After the concert I headed to famous City Lights Bookstore. Considered a landmark of insurgent thinking and anti authoritarian politics it was, back in the fifties, the epicenter of the beatnik movement. Alas! When I arrived it had already closed so I resolved to explore the surrounding territory. The corners of Broadway and Columbus are surrounded by an eclectic variety of businesses. At a glance you can spot Chinese eatery “New Sun Hong Kong”, a branch of Wells Fargo bank, “Tutti Melon”, “Nizario’s” Pizza, “Big Al’s” adult bookstore and the “Condor Club” topless a go go. Throngs of revelers filled the sidewalks and in a period of about an hour I saw drunks, beggars, glittering stilettos and furtive eyes.
Santa Cruz by day can be a delightful experience. I walked through the hilly meadows of  U.C.S C’s campus and the winding paths among the tall redwoods. And then I biked downhill at breathtaking speed. In the afternoon I went to Steamers Lane and Pleasure Point and saw die-hard surfers riding deep blue, frigid and kelp saturated waves.
It was nice experiencing night and day in the northern lands with my son. Only I wished I could have shared these experiences with my dear wife.
Maybe next time. Here’s a song for you darling….

Columbus & Broadway

The Condor Club

Dark Alley

Pleasure Point

Santa Cruz Harbor

U.C.S.C  Meadows

Monday, April 11, 2011

Der Erlkönig

A few days ago I purchased a 4 CD pack at the school library for .50 cents. As I played the third CD, I came upon a piano piece that caught my attention. It is called “Der Erlkönig” which means “The Erl King”. It was written by Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) in 1815. After some research I found out that Schubert’s piece was called a “Lieder” which is a musical arrangement for a single singer and a piano. Schubert’s piece is based on a poem by German writer and polymath Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832). The poem describes the tragic account of a child’s death as his father carries him on a galloping horse.  The child is delirious and hallucinates imaginary beings. The Erlkönig represents the grim reaper.
What caught my attention was the fast playing of repeated chords, which corresponds to the galloping horse. This technique is extremely challenging and it is played by Gerald Moore. The voice belongs to baritone Dieter Fischer-Dieskau and it complements perfectly the intended lieder’s tone. 

The Erl King

Who rides, so late, through night and wind?
It is the father with his child.
He has the boy well in his arm
He holds him safely, he keeps him warm.

"My son, why do you hide your face so anxiously?"
"Father, do you not see the Erl king?
The Erl king with crown and tail?"
"My son, it's a wisp of fog."

"You lovely child, come, go with me!
Many a beautiful game I'll play with you;
Many colourful flowers are on the shore,
My mother has many golden robes."

"My father, my father, and don't you hear
What Erl king is quietly promising me?"
"Be calm, stay calm, my child;
The wind is rustling through withered leaves."

"Do you want to come with me, dear boy?
My daughters shall wait on you fine;
My daughters will lead the nightly dance,
And rock and dance and sing you to sleep."

"My father, my father, and don't you see there
Erl king's daughters in the gloomy place?"
"My son, my son, I see it clearly:
The old willows they shimmer so grey."

"I love you, your beautiful form entices me;
And if you're not willing, I shall use force."
"My father, my father, he's grabbing me now!
Erl king has done me some harm!"

The father shudders; he swiftly rides on,
He holds the moaning child in his arms,
is hardly able to reach the farm;
In his arms, the child was dead.

 This video shows a performance by Russian master pianist Evgeny Kissin (1971- ) without voice accompaniment. Illustration by Alarie Tano (Simon Schmidt).

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Oh Barbara!

Über fräulein Barbara Dennerlein was born in Munich in 1964. She began playing the organ at age 11, and at 15 she was already performing at Jazz clubs. Known as “the organ tornado from Munich” she soon became a leading organ virtuoso. Her compositions range from blues to ballads and includes jazz, swing, bebop funk and Latin rythms.
Her unique style combines furiously fast pedalboard footwork, frequent changes in meter and creative use of the Hammond B 3 with samplers and synthesizers. She will be performing in Santa Cruz, California at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center on April 14 at 7 pm; and at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco the following night.  
Here is a sample of her virtuosity:

Monday, March 21, 2011

Fatal Attraction

On Wednesday March 16th, Sion Milosky a 35 year old big wave rider from Hawaii, drowned at "Mavericks".  The infamous break is located on Half Moon Bay, a few miles north of Santa Cruz, California.
He was last seen by Chris Killen, a surf filmaker who captured Milosky's last wave. After he paddled on to a 50 foot behemoth with a smile, he was able to negotiate the steep drop but had to straighten up as the mountain of white water engulfed him. He was riding an 11 foot board and Killen could only see 3 or 4 feet of the board out of the water, as it tensioned its leash and drove him deep underwater.  The next giant wave broke directly on the board. With 50 ft waves repeatedly holding you down, there's no chance of survival. Milosky's body was found 20 minutes later by Nathan Fletcher. He was transported to Seton Coastside Hospital in Moss Beach and pronounced dead at 7:46 pm.
Shane Dorian, another Pro surfer from Hawaii also had a close call last year. And Mark Foo, a well known pro, drowned a few years ago. Anyone who surfs Mavericks has to accept the fact that they might get badly injured or killed. Because, even though there are ski patrols, there's a limitation to what they can do. Realistically you are out there by yourself and you will have to deal with such situations on your own. Here's a short video tribute by Jeff Flindt: