Entering The Underworld
Anth 68
Day 2
Entering the Underworld
In his chapter, Entering the Underworld, Leonardo Lopez Lujan talks about the relationship between the Mexican and fauna through time. Archeological sites excavated by archeologists show a wide variety of wild animals that were used as food and raw materials.
He analyzes a singe burial place in a stone box called Offering 125, which he says is small in size but very rich in the information that it gives about the ancient relationship between human and fauna. Mexican priests laid six layers of object inside the box. Each layer contained an animal with objects surrounding it. Through the analysis, Lujan said that there were many different types of species that were buried. It also revealed domestication of eagles and says they cold have lived in captivity and fed only quails.
Lujan also says that some of the animals were selected more for their symbolic value than just for food. The skeleton of a wolf-like species that they found showed that they wolf was of considerable age meaning the human did not kill it for food. The eagle was chosen because they were symbols for excellence of the sun and its daily movement. He also says the Offering 125 represented entering the underworld and the eagles were facing westward, indicating the dying sun or souls of the eagle warriors dying in battle. “The combined use of archeological, biological, and historical information is revealed as a powerful means to shed light on the relationship between the Mexicas and fauna through time
Fox Hunting as Ritual In his article, Fox Hunting as Ritual, James Howe tries to explain fox hunting that is done in England. He brings in writings of an author named Leach who wrote an extensive article on fox hunting. He starts out by describing the event, basically saying that people would gather for this even and used hounds and horses to hunt for foxes. He goes on to say how this relates to the English culture. With the help of Leach’s writings, he explains
Day 2
Entering the Underworld
In his chapter, Entering the Underworld, Leonardo Lopez Lujan talks about the relationship between the Mexican and fauna through time. Archeological sites excavated by archeologists show a wide variety of wild animals that were used as food and raw materials.
He analyzes a singe burial place in a stone box called Offering 125, which he says is small in size but very rich in the information that it gives about the ancient relationship between human and fauna. Mexican priests laid six layers of object inside the box. Each layer contained an animal with objects surrounding it. Through the analysis, Lujan said that there were many different types of species that were buried. It also revealed domestication of eagles and says they cold have lived in captivity and fed only quails.
Lujan also says that some of the animals were selected more for their symbolic value than just for food. The skeleton of a wolf-like species that they found showed that they wolf was of considerable age meaning the human did not kill it for food. The eagle was chosen because they were symbols for excellence of the sun and its daily movement. He also says the Offering 125 represented entering the underworld and the eagles were facing westward, indicating the dying sun or souls of the eagle warriors dying in battle. “The combined use of archeological, biological, and historical information is revealed as a powerful means to shed light on the relationship between the Mexicas and fauna through time
Fox Hunting as Ritual In his article, Fox Hunting as Ritual, James Howe tries to explain fox hunting that is done in England. He brings in writings of an author named Leach who wrote an extensive article on fox hunting. He starts out by describing the event, basically saying that people would gather for this even and used hounds and horses to hunt for foxes. He goes on to say how this relates to the English culture. With the help of Leach’s writings, he explains