The sleep number did a number on me. It was not so comfortable and I was up with the sun at 6 AM. The bus was on time and we took off for the Latin American Studies Center at University of Texas. Learned some unique facts today. Pissarro was the founder of Peru and Cortez the founder of Mexico. In the 16th Century Spain was the most powerful nation in the world. They were in competition with France, Portugal and England to explore and gain territory for their Kings. At that same time Luther was gaining converts with the reformation and Spain wanted to spread the faith to others by converting the new world. The Incan empire was huge 25 million in Mexico and 9 million in South America. It literally extended all the length of the coast of South America along the Andes. Spain also went to gain riches for the King. This was accomplished in both places with silver primarily but also some gold.
We will see how Spain impressed its domination over the indigenous people by conversion, exploitation and spreading illness. But the natives were also sick of taxation by the Inca nobility and were willing to band together to defeat the common enemy.
Anyway, we should see evidence in the buildings, Zocalo (Town square) and the layout of the cities we visit. In the churches we will see the images of a native looking Christ child wearing the Incan headdress and yet raising three fingers in symbolic gesture of the Trinity.
In the Yucatan we will be with the largest indigenous population of all the states. Oaxaca, where I went for the Days of the Dead is the second largest population. The story about the struggle of power went on and on. Mexico has had lots of political struggles and corruption. Even today it is the Indians who are the poorest and with the least amount of rights. The new President is Calderon, and he is working on multi cultural policies and dealing with the Zapistas with the Mano Duro (Heavy Hand).
By far the best talk, in my opinion, was from Professor Doolittle who I likened to a Texan version of Indiana Jones! He spoke about the Pyramid builders need to eat! Doolittle swaggered in, removed his shades, and entertained us for an hour. He showed images of the places we will see and dropped unusual tidbits of information.
It took 20 people in the fields to feed one unproductive artist.
Where were these fields in Maya lands?
If thousands built the temple, 20 thousand had to feed them...this would require a lot of land.
Where could all this land be near the pyramids?
When Professor Alfred Siemans was flying over the Yucatan in a small plane in the 60's, he just happened to notice the landscape below near the pyramids looked unnatural. When he took a closer look...he learned that it was swamp land that was created into terraced and built up farms. That was the way these people were fed with smaller plots of land. Before that they used the slash and burn technique to prepare the land for farming.
Where were these fields in Maya lands?
If thousands built the temple, 20 thousand had to feed them...this would require a lot of land.
Where could all this land be near the pyramids?
When Professor Alfred Siemans was flying over the Yucatan in a small plane in the 60's, he just happened to notice the landscape below near the pyramids looked unnatural. When he took a closer look...he learned that it was swamp land that was created into terraced and built up farms. That was the way these people were fed with smaller plots of land. Before that they used the slash and burn technique to prepare the land for farming.
The Mayans also were bee keepers! They cut down the hollow trees that had hives in them, capped the ends and drilled a hole in the center so the bees could go in and out. They stacked these hives in neat rows.
Finally, Doolittle told us about Dennis Puleston from Penn State who was researching for his masters in the Yucatan. He wrote a huge paper on the Ramon Tree that produced fruit and seemed to be plentiful around these pyramids. He proposed that this tree fed the people. Later on his proposal was contradicted, but it was a great theory. Dennis actually was struck and killed by lightning from the top of a pyramid at Chichen Itza when his two sons were standing beside him. Weird huh! He was only 38 years old!
Tonight, we eat Mexican food. Group is still good. No political discussions, but I did find out that 58 people applied for this trip, only 16 were accepted. This trip costs the Fulbright commission spent $28,500 per person. Fulbright has been doing these trips since Sputnik....because we cannot be isolated in this world!
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/pqrst/puleston_dennis.html
Maryann, Clifford Pierce Middle School, Merrillville, Indiana
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