Maya And Aztec Essays - Architectural Styles, Maya Classic Period

Maya And Aztec Plundering and carnage were the overlying results of the Spanish conquest of MesoAmerica beginning in 1519. The ensuing years brought many new "visitors," mostly laymen or officials in search of wealth, though the Christianity toting priest was ever present. Occasionally a man from any of these classes, though mainly priests would be so in awe of the civilization they were single handedly massacring that they began to observe and document things such as everyday life, religious rituals, economic goings on, and architecture, which was the biggest achievement in the eyes of the Spaniards. That is how the accounts of Friar Diego de Landa, a priest, were created, giving us rare first per-son historical accounts of the conquest and the people it effected. To archaeologists monumental architecture is more important than an inscribed stelae listing names and dates. There is so much more to learn from a building than a slab of stone usually seething with propaganda. In most societies they are what remains after conquest, usually for their beauty or ability to withstand the elements. Landa was amazed by what he found. "There are in Yucatan many edifices of great beauty, this be-ing the most outstanding of all things discovered in the Indies; they are all build of stone finely ornamented..." (Landa, 8). If it were a commoners domestic dwelling we would learn through the study of remaining artifacts and middens what objects were used on a daily basis and also the standard of living, helping us to construct an accurate view of the long neglected commoner. According to Landa steepled roofs covered with thatch or palm leaves protected the habitat from rain. Homes were often divided into two sections, a living section, customarily whitewashed, and a domestic area where food was prepared and inhabitants slept (Landa, 32). In Aztec societies commoners often lived in calpolli, a residential area segregated by occupation, usually surrounded by walls for protection (Smith, 145). If it were a domestic dwelling for a noble it would be larger than a com-moner's dwelling, and usually consisted of more than one large structures occasionally located on a platform near the center of the town. The high status is obvious by the in-clusion of more elaborate and ornamental objects and frequently frescos adorned the walls. Monumental Architecture of public and private buildings are one of the best indi-cators of the size and importance of a site. The size of the structure has direct corrolation to the power held by the leader, in his ability to conduct peasants to construct the build-ing. Temples and plazas were the main objects of monumental construction and often rival the pyramids of Egypt in quality and size. Temples were often pyramid like struc-tures that were built, facing east, over the cremated remains of a priest or ruler. With each acceding ruler the temple was made larger by building over the previous, thus the layering effect so often uncovered. Different styles of decoration and construction were used by each culture during different periods. "In contrast to earlier Mesoamerican pyramids with a single temple built on top and a single stairway up the side, the pyramids built by the Early Aztec peoples had twin temples and double stairways" (Smith, 43). "There are several complexes of Esperanza architecture at Kaminaljuyu...these are stepped temple platforms with the typical Teotihuacan talud-tablero motif..." (Coe, 84). Then in less than three hundred years there was a completely different style of architec-ture in the area, "Characteristic of Puuk buildings are facings of very thin squares of limestone veneer over the cement-and-rubble core; boot-shaped vault stones...and the exuberant use of stone mosaics on upper facades, emphasizing the usual monster-masks with long, hook-shaped snouts, as well as frets and lattice-like designs of criss-crossed elements" (Coe, 157). Mesoamerican architecture has withstood the test of time, many of the structures not destroyed during the conquest still stand today, whereas numerous Spanish buildings do not. In pre-modern history, throughout the world burials have been customarily simi-lar, irregardless the distance. Whether this is coincidence or not will be determined at some point in the future, but for now I am of the opinion that since many cultures wor-shipped similar gods many of their customs will be comparable. For example many cul-tures, including the Aztecs and the Maya buried bodies in the fetal position facing east. More often than not various foods and goods were placed in the grave to accompany the deceased in the next life. Burials usually followed some ritual and occurred near the home, which would be abandoned soon after (Landa, 57). If they were

Using the Spanish Verb Llegar

Using the Spanish Verb Llegar Although llegar typically is translated as to arrive, it has a wider range of uses than does the English word and is often used figuratively. To come is also a common translation. Keep in Mind Llegar usually carries the idea of arriving at a destination, either literally or figuratively.Llegar a followed by ser or another infinitive carries the idea of arrival at a goal or situation unexpectedly or after considerable effort.In terms of pronunciation, llegar is conjugated regularly, although sometimes its spelling changes to accommodate the ending. Using Llegar for Arriving In its most common usage, llegar refers to arrival at a place. The destination is frequently preceded by the preposition a, and de can be used to indicate the origin: Por fin llegamos a Madrid. (We finally arrived at Madrid.)Cuando llego a casa hago mis tareas. (When I get home Ill do my homework.)Llegaron a Mà ©xico los cuerpos de estudiantes muertos en Ecuador. (The bodies of the students killed in Ecuador arrived in Mexico.)Llegaron de diferentes partes de Espaà ±a. (They came from different parts of Spain.)Hay miles de refugiados que llegan de frica. (There are thousands of refugees who are arriving from Africa.) As can the English word arrive, llegar can also refer to the coming of a time: Llegà ³ la hora de la verdad. (The moment of truth is here. Literally, the time of truth came.)Ya llega la primavera. (Spring is already here. Literally, spring already arrived.) Using Llegar for Reaching a Goal Llegar can often refer to the reaching of a goal, physical or otherwise: Los tres mexicanos llegaron a la cima del Everest. (The three Mexicans reached the summit of Everest.)El museo llegà ³ a las 100.000 visitas en menos de un aà ±o. (The museum reached 100,000 visits in less than a year.)Microsoft y Marvel llegaron a un acuerdo para distribuir los videojuegos. (Microsoft and Marvel reached an agreement for distributing video games.)No puedo llegar a fin de mes. (I cant make it to the end of the month.) The phrase llegar a ser typically suggests a long or difficult period of change to become something: Nunca lleguà © a ser doctor. (I never became a doctor.)Diez de estas tribus llegaron a ser la Europa moderna. (Ten of these tribes became modern Europe.) ¿Cà ³mo fue que los computadores llegaron a ser parte de nuestra sociedad? (How was it that computers came to be a part of our society?) Llegar With Infinitives When llegar a is followed by an infinitive, it is often the equivalent of the English to come to. It often carries the connotation that the activity is extreme, unusual, or unexpected. Note how a variety of translations can be used: Algunos seguidores del candidato llegaron a llorar mientras escuchaban a su là ­der. (Some of the candidates followers even cried while listening to their leader.)Los Leones nunca llegaron a ganar un campeonato. (The Lions never came to win a championship.)Llegà ³ a decirme que mi pequeà ±a era mocosa. (He went so far as to tell me that my little one was a brat.)Lleguà © a comprender lo que querà ­a decir. (I even came to understand what he wanted to say.) Idioms Using Llegar Llegar is used in a variety of idioms and set phrases. Here are some examples: La secuela no llega a la suela del zapato al original. (The sequel doesnt hold a candle to the original.)Las negociaciones entre el equipo y Gustavo Torres llegaron a buen puerto. (The negotiations between the team and Gustavo Torres reached a satisfactory conclusion.)La empresa que no construya confianza no llegar lejos. (The business that doesnt build confidence wont get far.)El cantante llegà ³ y besà ³ el santo con su cancià ³n Silencio. (The singer had success on his first try with his song Silencio.)Afortunadamente no llegà ³ la sangre al rà ­o, gracias a la rpida reaccià ³n de mis amigos. (Fortunately, there were no serious consequences, thanks to the quick reaction of my friends.)Despuà ©s de insultarse, llegaron a las manos. (After insulting each other, they came to blows.) Conjugating Llegar Llegar is conjugated regularly in terms of punctuation, but not in terms of spelling. The final g needs to be changed to gu when followed by an e. This occurs in the first-person indicative preterite (lleguà ©, I arrived) and in the subjunctive and imperative moods. In this way it follows the pattern of pagar.

Project study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project - Case Study Example Plagiarism is an illegal, punishable act that constitutes fines between $100 and $50000, one year imprisonment, or both (â€Å"Plagiarism FAQs†). If a writer copies even one sentence from another piece of work, it falls under the category of plagiarism. On the other hand, originality refers to one’s own words, ideas, thoughts, and expressions. In order to avoid plagiarism, the writer must be vigilant to change the 5 W’s and H (who, what, where, when, why, and how), but most significantly the writer must use his own words. In total, Plagiarism is illegal and immoral while originality is legal and moral. 2. Process of research question development Choosing an appropriate topic/issue is the first phase in developing a research question as it gives a ‘specific focus’ for the writing (â€Å"The relationship between†). The major topic may be subdivided into smaller pieces but the writer must stick to one major issue per research paper so as to have a coherent piece of work. While breaking down the major topic into its components, a series of questions may be listed. Once the listing of questions is completed, the researcher must review the listed questions in order to select the most appropriate one that is â€Å"neither too broad nor too narrow† (Bryman & Bell, 87). ... Difference between description and analysis As Egger and Carpi point out, the term description can be defined as a detailed presentation of certain aspects, features, or characteristics of a subject matter, something experienced, seen, heard, or known; in contrast, analysis refers to the interpretation of the described information and it includes lots of lists, data, and graphs (â€Å"research methods†). The difference between description and analysis is similar as that of data vs. information. For instance, an organization may compile ranges of data (description), but this description is of no use unless it is interpreted in a meaningful context (analysis). The reader gets lots of facts and data while going through the description part, but he would not understand why it is important and how it should be applied unless an effective analysis of the data is given. Therefore, description is only the factual representation whereas analysis makes this representation meaningful. 4. Data selection criteria Data selection is an important and complex process that determines â€Å"the appropriate data type and source as well as suitable methods† to gather data (â€Å"The Ohio State University†). The process of data selection is entirely different from selective data supporting and interactive data selection. The method of data selection would be often discipline-specific and is determined by the nature of research, existing academic literature, and accessibility to relevant data sources. While choosing data, first priority must be given on ability of data for effectively answering the research questions rather than cost and convenience of data accessibility. Similarly, researcher must be aware of fixing proper procedures in order for getting a representative sample while