Archaeology · Observations · Ethnography

Burials of nomads from the 13th century and earlier in Cueva de Candelaria

Cueva de la Candelaria is part of a cave complex that the nomads of this region used for burial. It was already written about a great deal in the 18th century, so the historiography is rather interesting. The caves were first investigated systematically by Mexican scholars in 1953-54. Cueva

NB! · Archaeology · Observations · Ethnography

A nomad's headdress of status, probably 13th century

A nomad's headdress of status, probably 13th century. Well preserved, though the red colour has been lost. From the famous Cueva de la Candelaria in northern Mexico. I hope to visit it next year

NB! · Society · Nature · Ethnography

The Pilgrim Fathers slaughtered buffalo by the thousand to deprive the Indians of their traditional means of livelihood

Archaeology · Faith · Ethnography

The Maya built pyramids over caves and underground lakes as gateways to the other world

Interestingly, a stepped altar of six to eight tiers was built beside the cave, and it survived until the later period of Chersonesos. A similar deification of caves is characteristic of the Maya, who raised pyramids over caves and subterranean lakes and regarded them as a link with the other

Science · Ethnography · Humour

The thirteen Maya constellations and the bat that corresponded to Ophiuchus

On the thirteenth astronomical constellation, Ophiuchus. The Maya likewise had 13 constellations, which is to say that they too possessed astronomy and knew the constellations of the Milky Way. To odd-numbered Ophiuchus there corresponded the bat. It is curious that half of the Maya constellations were named after mammals,

NB! · Ethnography

You Have Surely Seen Similar Piercings Among African Tribes

Archaeology · Geography · Ethnography

PIERCING FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OLD

Labrets are traditional Neolithic ornaments, which in this case are made of slate. The plates, resembling gigantic teeth, were fixed to the body by piercing the skin. Labret lip plates are one of the many cultural bridges between Eurasia and America: they are found at Aleut, Eskimo and Indian sites.

NB! · Archaeology · Ethnography

Stone labret plates used as lip and cheek piercings found on the Taymyr Peninsula

A white figurine of a cross-legged scribe on a white pedestal beside a black vessel with a relief pattern, against an orange wall.

NB! · Archaeology · Museums · Ethnography

Zapotec scribe figurine at the RGGU museum, named by analogy with Egyptian scribes

A Zapotec scribe figurine from the RSUH Museum. It received its name by analogy with the characteristic Egyptian scribe figurines, about which I wrote earlier: https://telegram.me/captainpaleo/74

NB! · Archive · Mores · Society · Ethnography

Tolerance and Racism in the Countries of the Americas: The Caste System as Recorded in a Mexican Codex

NB! · Archive · The East · London · Ethnography

Padaung Women from Burma in London, 1935

The East · Museums · Observations · Pop Culture · Ethnography

Summer jacket of salmon skin sewn by a Nanai woman in the Amur valley

SALMON-SKIN CLOTHING WOULD BE FIT EVEN FOR A KING. This summer jacket, which looks like a tsar's baby-shirt, is made of salmon skin. It was sewn by a Nanai woman from the Amur valley, though the piece looks like a statement coat from a Dries Van