How Ancient Hunters Used Desert Kites

A desert kite (or kite) is a variation on a type of communal hunting technology used by hunter-gatherers throughout the world. Like similar ancient technologies such as buffalo jumps or pit traps, desert kites involve a collection of people purposefully herding a large group of animals into pits, enclosures, or off steep cliff edges. Desert kites consist of two long, low walls generally built of unmortared fieldstone and arranged in a V- or funnel shape, broad at one end and with a narrow opening leading to an enclosure or pit at the other end. A group of hunters would chase or herd large game animals into the wide end and then chase them down the funnel to the narrow end where they would be trapped in a pit or stone enclosure and easily slaughtered en masse. Archaeological evidence suggests that the walls dont have to be tall or even very substantial--historical kite use suggest that a row of posts with rag banners will work just as well as a stone wall. However, kites cannot be used by a single hunter: it is a hunting technique that involves a group of people planning in advance and working communally to herd and eventually slaughter the animals. Identifying Desert Kites Desert kites were first identified in the 1920s by Royal Air Force pilots flying over the eastern desert of Jordan; the pilots named them kites because their outlines as seen from the air reminded them of the childrens toy kites. Extant remnants of kites number in the thousands, and are distributed throughout the Arabian and Sinai peninsulas and as far northward as southeastern Turkey. Over a thousand have been documented in Jordan alone. The earliest desert kites are dated to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period of 9th-11th millennia BP, but the technology was used as recently as the 1940s to hunt the Persian goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa). Ethnographic and historic reports of these activities state that typically 40-60 gazelles could be trapped and killed in a single event; on occasion, up to 500-600 animals could be killed at once. Remote sensing techniques have identified well over 3,000 extant desert kites, in a wide variety of shapes and configurations. Archaeology and Desert Kites Over the decades since the kites were first identified, their function has been debated in archaeological circles. Until about 1970, a majority of archaeologists believed that the walls were used to herd animals into defensive corrals in times of danger. But archaeological evidence and ethnographic reports including documented historic slaughtering episodes have led most researchers to discard the defensive explanation. Archaeological evidence for the use and dating of kites includes intact, or partially intact stone walls extending out for a distance from a few meters to a few kilometers. Generally, they are built where the natural environment helps the effort, on flat land between narrow deeply incised gullies or wadis. Some kites have constructed ramps leading gently upward to increase the drop-off at the end. Stone-walled or oval pits at the narrow end are generally between six and 15 meters deep; they are also stone-walled and in some cases are built into cells so that the animals cant gain enough speed to leap out. Radiocarbon dates on charcoal within the kite pits are used to date the time that the kites were in use. Charcoal isnt typically found along the walls, at least not associated with the hunting strategy, and luminescence of the rock walls has been used to date them. Mass Extinction and Desert Kites Faunal remains in the pits are rare, but include gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa or G. dorcas), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), hartebeest (Alcelaphus bucelaphus), wild asses (Equus africanus and Equus hemionus), and ostrich (Struthio camelus); all of these species are now rare or extirpated from the Levant. Archaeological research at the Mesopotamian site of Tell Kuran, Syria, has identified what appears to be a deposit from a mass kill resulting from the use of a kite; researchers believe that the overuse of desert kites may have led to the extinction of these species, but it might also be climate change in the region leading to changes in regional fauna. Sources Bar-Oz, G., et al. â€Å"Role of Mass-Kill Hunting Strategies in the Extirpation of Persian Gazelle (Gazella Subgutturosa) in the Northern Levant.†Ã‚  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 108, no. 18, 2011, pp. 7345–7350.Holzer, A., et al. â€Å"Desert Kites in the Negev Desert and Northeast Sinai: Their Function, Chronology and Ecology.†Ã‚  Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 74, no. 7, 2010, pp. 806–817.Kennedy, David. â€Å"The ‘Works of the Old Men’ in Arabia: Remote Sensing in Interior Arabia.†Ã‚  Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 38, no. 12, 2011, pp. 3185–3203.Kennedy, David. â€Å"Kites - New Discoveries and a New Type.†Ã‚  Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, vol. 23, no. 2, 2012, pp. 145–155.Nadel, Dani, et al. â€Å"Walls, Ramps and Pits: the Construction of the Samar Desert Kites, Southern Negev, Israel.†Ã‚  Antiquity, vol. 84, no. 326, 2010, pp. 976–992.Rees, L.W.B. â⠂¬Å"The Transjordan Desert.†Ã‚  Antiquity, vol. 3, no. 12, 1929, pp. 389–407.

Maltese Falcon Free Essays

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett is a thrilling movie full of twists and turns and deceits. Each character wants the Maltese falcon for the rewards it will bring. Almost everyone is a villain in some way or another. We will write a custom essay sample on Maltese Falcon or any similar topic only for you Order Now I will start with Sam Spade. He is the hero of the story, but I would say he is more of an anti-hero. He plays by his own rules. He is tough and a bit hard-nosed. He doesn’t seem to be upset that his partner is dead. I feel that he knew Brigid killed his partner from day one, but for some reason he didn’t let on until the end. Knowing this he still put up with her lies and melodrama. He obviously isn’t a man of scruples as he was having an affair with his partner’s wife. At the end I wonder did he love Brigid as he claims or was he just playing with her? I’m also left wondering was he redeeming his character by turning Brigid over to the police or was he saving his own skin? I like his character but I’m not entirely sure about his motives at all points in the movie. I’m not sure how much I would trust him. Dashiell Hammett has constructed Sam Spade in a way so the protagonist has become a feature of the book, rather than merely a medium for the transfer of clue and information in this novel. The reader is given the chance to venture in Spades mind and inner thoughts, Hammett cleverly allows Spade to expression his values, fears and opinions to the respondent and in turn allowing them to associate, trust and relate to him. In bringing the reader closer to the protagonist Hammett has subliminally lured the reader closer to the crime, the suspects and the victims and ultimately dragged them deeper into the noir world in which Sam Spade resides. Sam Spade, the detective-protagonist is aware that his best efforts are ultimately futile, to the extent that the corrupt urban environment will inevitably undercut and outlast his heroic attempts to see justice done, this sense of Spade wanting to achieve greater justice implies to the reader that Spade is essentially good and is resistant to the hostile world which he had devoted his life to combating. Raymond Chandler labels Hammetts character of Spade as a â€Å"cynical, tough individual who maintains his code of honour in a world tarnished by deception and betrayal at all levels of society† In â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† Spade is described as the â€Å"blond Satan. † Whilst his objective and inner good is clear to the readers, other characters struggle to see Spade in his true light, and describe him as a â€Å"wild and unpredictable†¦ How to cite Maltese Falcon, Papers

“Home Cooked Meals Vs Eating Out” free essay sample

Many students studying in Canada and abroad seem to be running into similar issues with how they are being taught in the classrooms. First, students are not receiving as much study material and information from their professors as expected. Second, students become tired and lose interest when the lectures go on for too long, and when the professor does not engage the students. Finally, students should have enough time to grasp information from their teachers, by being able to discuss the information. Students, in past years, having been having problems understanding the information; for example, teachers are not breaking down the information so that it becomes easier to understand, which then causes unnecessary questions to be asked. Teachers should share life experiences and examples related to the material, making the information easier to understand. The examples should be more current so that students can relate to them. Hiring the right professors can make a big deal in someone’s life, such as giving someone their number, or going out for coffee. We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"Home Cooked Meals Vs Eating Out† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Competition should make the class more interesting in the subject or topic as well. It can also keep them more energized in the morning. When a teacher drones on for more than 30 minutes non-stop without turning to the students to ask questions and engage their understanding, students begin to lose focus, interest, and eventually it can led to dropping the course. Changing the system can make students more interested in the subject. Students want to be challenged in a fun and unique way where it makes them feel important. They need to feel a sense of self-accomplishment. The information provided to students must not be overwhelming either. The information should be enough so that its easy enough to remember. This ensures that they have enough time to dissect and understand the lesson before the next lesson is provided. Doing so will ensure that students are keeping up with each lesson, understanding it, and finally putting it into practice. The last thing you would want is information overload. Location can be a big deal; being far away can make the trip so hard on them that it gets them really tired. Also, expenses can be a big deal because of the amount of money one would need to spend for one class in order to listen to a teacher that knows too much about the topic or the subject. In conclusion students should receive more information from their professors, teachers should share life experiences, hiring the right professors can make a big deal in someone’s life; also Competition should make the class more interesting. Finally Students want to be challenged in a fun and unique way where it makes them feel important.

Changes and Continuities in Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 to 1750 C.E. Essay Example

Changes and Continuities in Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 to 1750 C.E. Paper Changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian ocean region from 650 to 1750 C. E. In the period between 650 C. E. and 1750 C. E. , the Indian Ocean region endured both change and continuity. One continuity is simply trade, for this 1,100 years the Indian ocean was an important trading zone. One change in Indian ocean trade over those years was which country dominated trade their. Over those years the Indian ocean was controlled by the Indians, the Arabs, the Chinese, and last but not least the Europeans. Their was continuity and change in trade in the Indian ocean over the aforementioned years. In the Indian ocean from 650 C. E. and 1750 C. E. there have been many continuities in commerce. One such continuity was the goods traded. For instance, spices from India and Indonesia such as black pepper were traded constantly to other countries throughout this period. Luxury products such as ebony, silk and fine textiles were also commonly traded in the Indian ocean. / Another example of continuity would be that although no one country always dominated trade in the Indian ocean the Indians and Indonesians were involved with trade to varying degrees throughout this entire time period. Weather it be threw their products being traded, receiving goods from other countries, or doing the trading themselves, they were always involved in trade. / One more example of continuity was how Indian ocean trade stayed so important over the years. Almost all major world powers did trading in the Indian ocean, Europe for instance went to great lengths to find a better trade root between the Atlantic and Indian ocean. The desire to trade in the Indian ocean region is actually what caused Europeans to discover the Americas. We will write a custom essay sample on Changes and Continuities in Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 to 1750 C.E. specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Changes and Continuities in Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 to 1750 C.E. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Changes and Continuities in Commerce in the Indian Ocean Region from 650 to 1750 C.E. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Europeans were looking for a sea rout to get to Asia without going all the way around Africa, so they tried to go around the world, not knowing yet of the Americas existence. Their desire to trade urged them to explore new frontiers. There are many examples of continuity in Indian ocean commerce between 650 and 1750 C. E. In the Indian ocean from 650 C. E. and 1750 C. E. there have been many changes in commerce. One change in commerce over the years was who dominated Trade in The Indian Ocean. Over the course of this time period the Indian ocean trade was dominated by the Indians, the Chinese the Arabs and even the istant European powers. Their were also changes in what goods were traded. Some trade goods like the exotic animals taken from Africa to China that weren’t traded for longer then a few decades. The reason Ming China had imported animals was because they were in an age of exploration at the time and wanted to have some animals for their exotic royal zoo. Also sen ding great explorers like Zheng He showed their ability to travel to distant lands and take what they please. Another change was how things were traded. Over the course of the 1,100 years described many changes occurred in the world of sailing. China had many of these inventions with in it’s walls before this time period. China was so Ethnocentric . that they did not spread their inventions till generations after they were made, and even then it was often by accident The compass were great improvements on how sailors navigated to their destinations. The ships them selves also changed throughout this period. The Chinese Junks were incredible ships, vastly larger then the ones Columbus used, They were equipped with cannons to defend them selves from pirates and were, in their time the most impressive ships on the water. There are changes in commerce in the Indian ocean between 650 and 1750 C. E. Many changes and continuities and in commerce in the Indian ocean occurred between 650 and 1750 C. E. Indian ocean trade can even be related to the discovery of America. Some examples of continuities are; who was involved in trade, what was traded, who dominated trade. Examples of change are; how things were traded, the importance of trade, and what was traded. There were many changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian ocean.

An Introduction to the Romantic Period

An Introduction to the Romantic Period The categories which it has become customary to use in distinguishing and classifying movements in literature or philosophy and in describing the nature of the significant transitions which have taken place in taste and in opinion, are far too rough, crude, undiscriminating- and none of them so hopelessly as the category Romantic   Arthur O. Lovejoy,  On the Discriminations of Romanticisms (1924) Many scholars say that the Romantic period began with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge in 1798. The volume contained some of the best-known works from these two poets including Coleridges The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Wordsworths Lines Written a Few Miles from Tintern Abbey. Of course, other Literary scholars place the start the Romantic period much earlier (around 1785), since Robert Burnss Poems (1786), William Blakes Songs of Innocence (1789), Mary Wollstonecrafts A Vindication of the Rights of Women, and other works already demonstrate that a change has taken placein political thought and literary expression. Other first generation Romantic writers include Charles Lamb, Jane Austen, and Sir Walter Scott. The Second Generation A discussion of the period is also somewhat more complicated since there was a second generation of Romantics (made up of poets Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and John Keats). Of course, the main members of this second generation- though geniusesdied young and were outlived by the first generation of Romantics. Of course, Mary Shelleystill famous for Frankenstein (1818)- was also a member of this second generation of Romantics. While there is some disagreement about when the period began, the general consensus is... the Romantic period ended with the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837, and the beginning of the Victorian Period. So, here we are in the Romantic era. We stumble upon Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats on the heels of the Neoclassical era. We saw amazing wit and satire (with Pope and Swift) as a part of the last age, but the Romantic Period dawned with a different poetic in the air. In the backdrop of those new Romantic writers, penning their way into literary history, we are on the cusp the Industrial Revolution and writers were affected by the French Revolution. William Hazlitt, who published a book called The Spirit of the Age, says that the Wordsworth school of poetry had its origin in the French Revolution... It was a time of promise, a renewal of the world - and of letters. Instead of embracing politics as writers of some other eras might have (and indeed some writers of the Romantic era did) the Romantics turned to Nature for self-fulfillment. They were turning away from the values and ideas of the previous era, embracing new ways of expressing their imagination and feelings. Instead of a concentration on head, the intellectual focus of reason, they preferred to rely on the self, in the radical idea of individual freedom. Instead of striving for perfection, the Romantics preferred the glory of the imperfect. The American Romantic Period In American literature, famous writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and  Nathaniel Hawthorne  created fiction during the Romantic Period in the United States.

Ethical standards in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethical standards in business - Essay Example 1987). Thus any virtuous manager aught to be particularly conscious about the validity and credibility of one's ethical affiliations and must ensure that the organization being managed and run by him/her abides by the time tested and authentic standards of integrity and propriety. It often gets difficult for the managers operating in the contemporary organizations to accurately identify the ethical standards, considering the deluge of ethical philosophies circulating in the academic and intellectual spheres. In the given context, it will be highly relevant to consider the opinions pertaining to ethics furnished by various schools of philosophy, which will go a long way in understanding the dilemma faced by the conscientious managers pertaining to the identification of appropriate ethical standards in a given situation. As per the theory of ethical relativism, there exist no universal norms pertaining to what is right or wrong (Ethical Relativism 2008). This gives every individual a free hand in deciding what is right or wrong as per one's discretion and understanding. ... As per the theory of ethical relativism, there exist no universal norms pertaining to what is right or wrong (Ethical Relativism 2008). This gives every individual a free hand in deciding what is right or wrong as per one's discretion and understanding. Ethical relativism holds that the meaning of 'right' and 'wrong' mostly depends on a society's dominant moral perceptions and thus the ethical standards can never be universal and may vary from place to place and from time to time. The confusion pertaining to ethics and in particular the business ethics gets further aggravated when one takes into consideration the consequentialist theories that tend to identify if an action is ethical or unethical on the basis of its final consequences. Utilitarianism is one such consequentialist theory that holds that any action is to be labelled as being truly ethical only if it succeeds in doing the "greatest good to the greatest number of people" (Ethics Matters 2006). As per this theory, an action aught to be considered to be ethical if the net happiness produced by it exceeds the unhappiness associated with it. Thus if any organization decides to build a dam to assuage the water shortages being faced by a state, utilitarianism will consider it to be ethical, even if it involves uprooting and displacing some historical monument situated in the vicinity of such a project. In contrast, the nonconsequentialist theories of ethics like Kantianism and the social contract theory totally negate the individual or group preferences in the overall process of judging the credibility of ethical or unethical actions and give predominance to the fundamental rules and principles cherished by the

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Textual Analysis - Essay Example For him, group absolution means the dominance of the group influence over individual will. Grossman effectively convinces the audience through pathos and logos that people can kill another person because of their group bonds that dissolve their accountability and promote their anonymity, although he commits the fallacies of false analogy, biased sample, and confusing cause and effect, when he fails to expand his sampling and to identify other probable motivations and conditions for killing. Grossman effectively convinces the audience through pathos that it takes emotional bonding to do something as hard as killing another human being, as well as being killed. He uses different emotional examples to support his claim. For instance, he mentions Dinter who explains that the â€Å"integration of the individual in the group† can be so deep that when the group is destroyed or defeated, individuals either fall to depression or commit suicide (Grossman 149-150). This example is emotio nally charged because it describes how people give up their lives when their groups falter. Furthermore, Grossman highlights the emotional connections involved in group bonding that can overpass the will of survival. He cites the account of a veteran U.S. Marines Corp. Gwynne Dyer, who underlines the role of â€Å"peer pressure† in combat, while Ardant du Picq calls it â€Å"mutual surveillance† (Grossman 150). He mentions these people who believe that groups form emotional connections, which make them extremely aware of and sensitive to one another’s opinions and actions. In addition, Grossman uses examples of emotional value to stress the association between emotional group bonds and individual action. He narrates the action of Audie Murphy as a form of gallantry: â€Å"[Murphy] won the Medal of Honor by single-handedly taking on a German infantry company† (Grossman 155). The word â€Å"single-handedly† suggests that, for Grossman, what Murphy di d is not stupid, but rather admirable. Grossman extends this admiration by quoting something deeply emotional from Murphy, who said that he attacked the Germans against all odds because â€Å"they were killing [his] friends† (Grossman 155). Murphy is illustrated as a selfless, devoted comrade, an emotional tactic that depicts how emotions surpass rationality in the context of heroic acts. Grossman, hence, clearly articulates through the testimonies of others that killing is a group business with strong emotional attachment, and not a product of individual will alone. While using pathos, Grossman also employs logos to explain how the group shapes individual combat behavior. He uses analogy to describe the parallelism between animal and human group behavior. He narrates the result of the 1972 research of Kruck, who learned that some animals slaughter prey that are more than necessary for their consumption because of group behavior (Grossman 151). Grossman believes that the same analogy applies to people in groups, where they think and act like a herd, instead of as separate individuals. He adds the explanation of Shalit, which he believes is important to corroborate his analogy. Shalit believes that â€Å"senseless violence in the animal world† is similar to â€Å"violence in the human domain,† and in both cases, groups are the ones who conduct violent acts, not individuals (Grossman 151). Senseless violence cannot be performed by one individual in normal cases, but groups can