Wire services have released this piece on a project near Calpulalpan, Mexico that has unearthed direct evidence that Aztecs sacrificed and ate a party of Spanish conquistadors, their allies and camp followers during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Ritual sacrifice and cannibalism by the Aztecs has been pretty well attested, though lately some have tried …
Pluvialis Returns
Just noticed this morning that Pluvialis has returned from her trip to Central Asia. Helen links to her trip photos that she has loaded to Flickr. We look forward to reading about her journey when she’s over her jet lag.
What Reid is Reading
I just checked, and we haven’t done this since May. Before the Dawn by Nicholas Wade. Anyone interested in human evolution needs this book. Osman’s Dream:The History of the Ottoman Empire by Caroline Finkel. You must understand the Ottomans to understand today’s Balkans and Middle East. Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the …
More Random Beach Art
This is starting to turn into an occasional series. I saw this delightful “beach henge” on Tuesday evening. Do you think the dark glasses on top of one of the cairns is an essential part of the installation? I have no idea. As I finished taking this photo, two middle-aged blonde ladies in flowing faux-Hindu …
Kennewick Man and NAGPRA
The AP had this item a few days ago about a bill introduced in Congress to amend the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). You can read more about NAGPRA here at a National Park Service site. NAGPRA was enacted in 1990 to allow Native American tribes to reclaim and rebury the remains …
Struck with Consequence
I re-read Steve’s essay of this name last night. It’s the opening piece from On The Edge of the Wild: Passions and Pleasures of a Naturalist, and it frames out a basic distinction between the New and the Old in the world, and the kinds of people dwelling in each: “The old people, the old …
Rain and Boletes
The last three weeks plus of daily rain have brought lush greenery to our garden and to our mountains. We have been able to pick mushrooms for the first time in years, in quantities enough to dry a few. These are what we refer to as “lesser boletes”, mostly Suillus species. I like them better …
Sensible Thoughts on Air Travel
Which means that probably no one will pay attention. From England’s Samizdata (apparently and to my joy, not all in England is as bad as my last poster’s experience!): “Well, for a start, an airline could have a bunch of laptops in the aircraft and offer people the chance to use them, simply by giving …
Decline and Fall England , Part ?
Our roving correspondent Roseann, en route to Africa but spending a few days in England, writes: “I am less and less enamored of England as it becomes weirder and more restrictive and more crowded (350,000 immigrants from Eastern Europe alone last year). Driving is truly insane – Ethiopia will be a breeze after this. They …
AR Follies Continued: “Conger Cuddling”
In a surprising place, the religious (mostly Catholic) blog “On The Square”, Joseph Pearce offers good defense of foxhunting. But that is not the best part: AR loonies are now trying to protect DEAD EELS! “The following is a true story, though it may seem surreal enough to belong in a Monty Python sketch. A …