Scientists report correlation between locations of Easter Island statues and water resources

Scientists report correlation between locations of Easter Island statues and water resources

Scientists report correlation between locations of Easter Island statues and water resources

Saturday, January 12, 2019

A United-States-based team of scientists released findings on Thursday about the large statues that dot the island of Rapa Nui, also called Easter Island. The study, published on Thursday in PLOS One, employed quantitative spatial analysis to establish that the platforms, or ahu, built to support the Easter Island statues, or moai, are usually located near sources of drinkable water. This feeds into the scholarly discussion of whether the purpose of the statues was exclusively ritualistic, practical or some combination of these.

The study examined 93 statues on the western side of the island, all of which were built before contact with Europeans. They compared the sites of the statues to sites associated with the specific resources: the kind of rock the statues are made of, the kind of rock used for tools, fishing, vegetable and potato cultivation, and water sources. The archaeologists say that this study is the first attempt to formally examine the idea that the locations of the moai are correlated to locations of resources important to the people who built them, such as fresh water.

Easter Island does not have streams that run nonstop but it does have an aquifer that produces freshwater seeps of brackish but drinkable water during low tide. Most of these water harvesting sites are along the coast but a few are inland—and so are the ahu.

“What is important about it is that it demonstrates the statue locations themselves are not a weird ritual place – [the ahu and moai] represent ritual in a sense of there is symbolic meaning to them, but they are integrated into the lives of the community,” said study co-author Professor Carl Lipo of Binghamton University. He went on to add “The exceptions to the rule about being at the coast where water comes out actually are met by the fact there is also water there – it is found through cave locations,” referring to caves with fresh water, and that some historical evidence suggests there may have been wells dug near the ahu that are not near caves.

The researchers plan to gather information on more freshwater resources so they can evaluate statue sites on the rest of Easter Island.

Jo Anne Val Tilburg of the University of California, Los Angeles disagreed with these findings: “The existence of fresh water seeps near coastal ahu is well-known and was certainly important at European contact. However, such seeps are today, and probably always were, minor resources. It is highly unlikely, in my view, that these resources were of major importance in locating ahu during prehistory.”

The earliest moai date to the 13th century. They vary in size but are about fourteen feet (four meters) tall and can weigh about fourteen tons. Scholars have long wondered about the role they played for the people who built them.

Easter Island is today a relatively barren place with scanty resources. Easter Island is located 2300 miles (3700 km) off the west coast of South America and 1,100 miles (1770 km) from its nearest neighbor island. It today has a grass-dominated landscape but it was once mostly covered by palm forests and it was home to a significant human population for a few hundred years. Scientists debate whether its environmental degradation, in the form of the loss of its palm forests and soil to erosion, was caused by human activity, natural climate change, or by rats and other introduced species that stowed away on the colonists’ boats, but there is consensus that the island’s environment changed considerably over time.

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World Trade Organization allows Antigua to ignore US$21 million of US copyright per year

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Arbitrators at the World Trade Organization (WTO) have granted the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda a special dispensation to ignore United States copyright law.

In their report, the WTO panel stated that Antigua possessed “no effective trade sanctions against the USA” and agreed to allow the country to ignore up to US$21 million worth of US copyrights a year. While this amount falls significantly short of the US$3.4 billion per year dispensation that Antigua was seeking, it is far higher than the US$500,000 per year allocation that US negotiators were pushing for.

The ruling comes at the end of a five year legal contest between Antigua and the USA regarding the USA’s blocking of offshore online gambling sites. Because many of these sites were located in Antigua, the Antiguan government filed a complaint with the WTO saying that the US prohibition constituted unlawful restriction of trade. When the WTO agreed, Antigua pressed for US$3.4 billion in punitive damages. They asked to have this penalty assessed as permission to copy US intellectual property, since there was no trade embargo that Antigua could impose on the US to collect the amount for itself. The panel agreed that Antigua had no way to collect punitive damages through trade sanctions. However, they lowered the amount of damages to US$21 million per year.

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Forex Trading Tips For Successful Trading

Forex trading tips can help a trader make profits in the highly volatile forex market. In a sense, forex trading is like equity trading and a few bad decisions can lead to bankruptcy. Like share prices, the prices of currencies fluctuate frequently in either direction within a short span of time. Thus, a basic understanding of forex trading is essential before entering into the forex market.

Some Important Forex Trading Tips

Forex trading tipscan help you save a lot of time and money. Here are some of the most valuable tips one can get:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE2dudYR6UQ[/youtube]
  • Know Yourself: Before executing a particular trade, define your risk tolerance and capital allocation for that trade. While selecting a trading style, ensure that your own financial objectives are met and risk tolerance levels are not exceeded.

  • Plan and Stick to It: Once you have decided your financial goals, define a timeframe and make a working plan for your forex trading career. Ensure that you have enough time to practice with a demo account before executing actual trades. Decide the amount of time you want to spend trading and whether you want to turn forex trading into a career. Once you have designed the plan, stick to it to determine whether your trading strategies are working.

  • Determine the Investment Amount: One of the most important forex trading tipsis to start with a small amount of money. You should gradually increase the investment capital as you start making profits. It is better not to pump more and more money in the initial stages of trading.

  • Restrain Emotions: Although traders might find it difficult to implement, they must refrain from letting excitement, euphoria, greed or panic affect their trading decisions. Emotions running lose is one of the reasons beginners are advised to trade with small amounts. Low emotional intensity and a logical approach are the best ways to conduct forex trading.

  • Choose The Right Broker: Ensure that your broker can help you meet your investment objectives. You can get a lot of information about a broker by checking his client profile and customer testimonials. You can read online forex broker reviews to get a broker who would suit your trading strategies and style. Your broker should also offer you some great forex trading tips.

  • Avoid adding to a losing position: Ignorance of this principle has been a cause for several disasters in the forex market history. Since one can never definitively say when the market trends will turn, adding to a losing position can raise your risk profile.

Ctsforex.com offers a forex trading system that helps investors take out emotions from forex trading and make the best use of profit-making opportunities.

UK retailers MFI and Woolworths collapse

Friday, November 28, 2008

Two major retail chains in the United Kingdom — general retailer Woolworths Group and furniture vendor MFI Group — have entered administration. Entertainment UK — which distributes videos and DVDs to retailers and are owned by Woolworths — have also entered administration.

“The boards of Woolworths PLC and Entertainment UK Ltd have concluded that there is no longer any prospect of those businesses being able to operate as a going concern,” said a Woolworths statement.

Woolworths, who sells household goods, music and other items, owns 815 stores nationwide, and MFI owns 111. MFI CEO Gary Favell said he had “secured the future of the MFI business” in September when he led a management buyout, but cracks rapidly appeared. Favell revealed administrator Kroll were to take control of the property division and half the stores were surrendered to the administrators. He also asked landlords to grant a three-month period of no rent for the ‘new’ MFI, which only some agreed to, leaving Kroll to seek payment for the rest.

Now the entirety of MFI is in administration, with MCR as the administrator. “Closing down sales” have been announced by MCR. Analysts predict that while in the short term consumer confidence will be damaged by the collapse, in the middle term it will help the situation as excess competition and capacity are removed. MFI employs 1,500 people.

The administrators for Woolworths and Entertainment UK are consultancy firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. “In the last 24 hours we have received expressions of interest from a number of parties for both the retail and wholesale businesses,” said Deloitte partner Dan Butters. “We are working hard to ensure that any sale of the business, in whole or part, will preserve jobs.” The 25,000 Woolworths employees have their positions safe until Christmas.

Shares in Woolworths have been suspended at just over a penny each. The firm also owns 2Entertain, a DVD publishing joint venture with BBC Worldwide, and book wholesalers Bertram Books. Both are currently operating as usual, although Woolworths is seeking to sell 40% of 2Entertain to the BBC.

“The important thing is in the long run that employees in this company – where the businesses and the shops are not going to stay open in the longer term – can get other jobs quickly,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. “That’s why we’re going to move in immediately to give advice to employees.”

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Read Santa Clara marks tenth anniversary

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Santa Clara, California, USA. The adult literacy program Read Santa Clara marked its tenth anniversary today with a gathering of program participants, staff, and supporters from the community. Read Santa Clara trains volunteer tutors and matches them with adult learners who wish to build their literacy skills.

In the presentation, program staff and supporters reviewed the program’s history and growth, honored long-time participants, and looked toward the future.

Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan spoke at the gathering, noting, “Read Santa Clara joins people who need to learn with people who need to teach, and what a powerful combination that is.” She added, “I think adult literacy is so important.”

Program coordinators estimate that tutors volunteered some 5000 hours last year. City Manager Jennifer Sparacino estimates, “That’s worth about $100,000 per year in volunteer time.”

Learners also spoke about what Read Santa Clara meant to them. Raymond Moreno said, “I hope it stays for another ten, twenty, thirty years, because we need it.” Juan Velasquez said, “My life has changed a lot…I did many things I could not have done without help.” And Ike Moore said, “To be able to express myself…What a gift!”

This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
This article features first-hand journalism by Wikinews members. See the collaboration page for more details.
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Nine thousand Romanian miners to be laid off in 2006

Tuesday, May 3, 2005

Approximately 9,000 Romanian miners will be made redundant in 2006, slightly more than the 7,000 which are expected to be laid off this year. This comes as part of a government program for 2005-2008 which seeks to maximise efficiency in Romania’s mining industry, as well as reduce the number of mines and quarries in the country, while progressively bringing down the number of workers in this industry. As agreed with the European Union as part of accession negotiations, Romania must cease to provide major state aid to mining companies after 2007, when the country will become a member of the EU. Until then, it must gradually reduce subsidies to state-owned mining companies, in order to comply with European Union competition law.

Romania’s mining industry currently employs 47,000 people, quite significantly less than the 175,000 it employed in 1997, before restructuring took place. A major reform in the industry took place between 1997-2000. This time around, from 2004 onwards, restructuring is expected to be more gradual. Out of the workers who have been laid off from 1997 onwards, around 100,000 have accepted voluntary redundancy, while 8,000 have retired and 12,000 have found other jobs in the private sector. By 2010, the government expects that more than 340 mining units will be closed throughout the country.

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Knowing What A Rehabilitation Centre Can Do

byAlma Abell

Medical rehabilitation is the first phase of recovery from a medical issue that is considered debilitating. To heal wounds and adapt a suitable treatment plan, the doctor and patient are required to follow a certain set of steps, all of which help the patient reintegrate into the labour market and society. Rehabilitation begins immediately after an operation or injury, and this can occur in a hospital or other type of Rehabilitation Centre. This means that two to three weeks after surgery, the patient should be referred to the appropriate rehabilitation clinic. At that time the wounds must be healed for the most part, although it is not absolutely necessary.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZKVpi5B_Fo[/youtube]

Normally, adequate insurances cover the costs of rehabilitation. It is also the entity who chooses the rehabilitation centre when there is a request by the physician. The rehabilitation centre should be as close to home as possible, although the procedures do not provide a direct influence on the patients’ choice of facilities. In general, most patients must follow entry conditions before entering a Rehabilitation Centre. This is because the complexity of the necessary exercises can only be offered to those who are admitted and can successfully complete them.

There may be an exception with the assistance of amputees and patients of the like. In addition, during the first weeks after surgery patients also need special care that cannot be guaranteed at home. The home environment is very important, as is the support of friends and acquaintances, so the sooner you teach family members to help the patient, the better. In addition, rehab centres like Allegheny Medical also explain the necessary changes in housing and helps apply them. The family environment also helps stabilize the affected physics.

The team of doctors and physiotherapists should be able to treat all types of injuries and limitations caused by traumatic diseases, rheumatic issues, accidents, etc. and in people of all ages. To do this doctors and therapists combine manual treatments, massage therapy, electro-rehabilitation techniques, laser, microwave, short-wave, ultrasound, magnetic, and so on. To learn more about rehabilitation or to find a clinic in your area, contact your local doctor today. You can also visit them on Facebook.

TAITRONICS Autumn 2007: A 3-in-1 combination and great innovations

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

2007 the 33rd Taipei International Electronics Autumn Show (TAITRONICS Autumn), organized by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufactorers’ Association (TEEMA), started on October 9 -13 at Exhibition Hall 1 and 3 of Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC), and inconjunction with Taiwan International RFID Applications Show (RFID Taiwan) at TWTC Hall 3 and Taiwan International Photovoltaic Fourm & Exhibition (PV Taiwan) at Taipei International Convention Center (TICC). With the 3-in-1 combination, TAITRA and TEEMA hoped this show will integrate upper and lower companies of electronic manufacturers and companies in Taiwan.

This 3-in-1 show is mainly focused on electronics parts and components, RFID solutions, photovoltaic products, and medias on electrical industry. About 1000 exhibitors exhibited with 2100 booths at TWTC Hall 1 & 3 and TICC. In the theme pavilion section, iF Design Award in Hanover Fairs set “iF Design Pavilion” with lots of awarded 3C products in Taiwan first time, also, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) showed their solutions on home entertainment such as 3D LCD wide screen display and game projector.

Not only ITRI and iF Design, TAITRA and TEEMA also set “Taiwan Innovalue and Branding Taiwan”, “Product Certificates and Testing”, “Cross-Strait Electrical Products”, “Security Products”, and “Broadband Communications” pavilions at this exhibition.

With those pavilions, TEEMA also held lots of seminars and forums on Bluetooth technology, electrical industry, testings and certifications, and International Electrotechnical Commission Quality (IECQ) system. Furthermore, CARTS Asia 2007 is the most welcomed seminar by buyers and exhibitors.

According to TAITRA, this 3-in-1 exhibition opened daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at October 9 to 13, PV Taiwan forum and exhibition will be held only two days on October 11 and 12. For the quality and security issue, minors under 18 ages are not permitted to enter the showground.

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Ford, Fiat to produce small cars together

Friday, September 9, 2005

Italian-based Fiat Auto SPA and US-based Ford Motor Co. announced they signed an agreement to cooperate in designing two small car models. This came only seven months after General Motors severed their relationship with Fiat.

Both companies plan to work together on a new version of the popular Fiat Cinquecento and on a replacement for the Ford Ka, both to be based on the Fiat Panda platform.

The cooperation can help reduce the companies’ small car production costs and ease financial difficulties they are facing. Ford is struggling with high labor and health care costs, while Fiat suffers from its unprofitable Italian plants.

After the deal was announced, shares of Fiat rose $0.06 to $9.44, while Ford gained $0.06 to $9.95 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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The Manchu In The Qing Dynasty Marriage Customs

After the manchu young men and women, love with a “before marriage and the procedures, namely the man,” the woman’s house to watch girl mother looks, ask age, and reviewing relevant situations of the girl.If all aspects satisfaction, the man the mother would send a present to the woman’s family, marriage even determined.A few days before the wedding, the man home will give the woman’s family sent advertising (known as GuoLi).The more lucrative advertising generally, clothes, jewelry, vessels and cash, etc.By day, the bride married with niang company, in litters or ride to the man through great apartment house in advance where near, called “living”, the second day lay by the man in stayed place bride.This custom comes from the qing troops in history for many years, the elder don’t return, the manchus girl married to barracks near first in barracks, need to borrow room shack, as time passes, then become a common, now that the custom has changed in the woman’s house, to marry.

Married the day by parents and children, the elder women with bed decorate bridal chamber, the quilt, after placing dates, peanuts, around longan, chestnuts, take its early birth of a healthy baby of Italy, then put one flexibly in quilt middle or apple.Meanwhile in bridal chamber music, called ring room within.Xi litters pack rob very beautifully, and in the yard, called light litters.

Wedding day by the elders, the bridegroom bride escorting the woman’s house, accompanied by the woman’s house after KouTou to new in-laws, can bride returning home.Belted out, the music is all ready, the suona banging away to keep the car carried to the bridal chamber starwood.Into the bridal chamber to represent a brazier before, the bride’s xi axle after allegedly from braziers to ward off evil spirits. This isXi, the car door to bridal chamber to hand car, the door that archer, shoot three arrows, better known as arrows after bride, you can shoot, the bride bride after car under a car, someone GongChou pierced installed inside the mouth, the vase (known as corn grains on the bride hand vase.Then placed in the gateway from above, and let the bride saddle across the past.When the bride in bed, the bridegroom can remain after the girl head uncovered cooker.By this time, the bride and groom left female right according to male sitting position, a new bed together held by elders sat his ritual: the groom’s right skirt of women in the bride’s left pressure skirts, then the bridegroom bride drink JiaoBeiJiu, eat pasta, with containing rawness son of idea.

And then also held a meeting to the bride and bridegroom ritual: bride, ancestors, parents and their elders, couples to worship.Night also have NaoFang custom.During the reception, men and women both parties are large banquet guests at home, friends and guests, accepting congratulations.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On25Za9sbw4[/youtube]

There is the manchu wedding fixed and more tedious etiquette, scattered around the process of manchu wedding in a slightly, but the total process can be divided into: and notice, send small ritual, advertising, wedding had four doors of five parts.Manchu nationality customs

The development of manchu in long in the process also formed its own unique marriage customs, its connotation is very rich.By the man first commonly manchu married with her good day, choose a consultation, and finally by son-in-law hit it off from the NvGu “with a gift to send day”, and then the agreed dowry produce, send to prepare NvGu, called “gift” or “after advertising”.1 day, before marrying the two apart, the man on the road is NvGu nearby chosen to generation of stay in, says lay a place “.”NvGu 1 day ahead accompanied the bride, the relatives womenfolk and arrived in “rate” will be sent to moreshethgath family.

Married, 3 days to be formally practiced family.The first day for “kill pig” and kill pig, killing chickens, borrow tableware, dozen tents etc preparations.The next day as “bright litters” or “go litters”, afternoon near carried sedan loops around the, reception, groom the guest it sent ShangFen ancestors.The third day for “Kim has”.In the morning, the groom PiGongDaiHua, accompanied by drum in the groomsman play, by car or riding the bride CaiJiao or lead to NvGu or “floats, rate” yingqin.Generally speaking yingqin team are in the days when not yet light all the way the team were about to set out, banging away, let everyone know the bridegroom bride escorting, based in the bridegroom go out, the bride at home bride escorting also do some preparation, the main one is the bride elders and QuanFu people give her dress, and also an important content of the neck, with lock off back to introduced.the.At the beginning of life and to hang on neck auspicious locks, parents for their children to grow up healthy and blessing, now want to get married daughter leave the lock and expressed the daughter of gratefulness to parents is reluctant and under immense gratitude, meanwhile solution the lock, also marks the girls from adult, indicates the beginning of new life.

Banging away festive party all the way to the bride, head DaiGong hejaab by brother or uncle back, and escorted to the man sedan at home.Under the car, the bridegroom will before hanging in the car bow and arrow, build on took down arrows to the sedan to shoot three arrows, archery even means to bring the evil. All drivesArchery reflect the manchu is a hunt national, after thousands of years of development and evolvement of retained the old customs.The bride, after about under the car to foot supported life, the symbol of red felt all walk forever bonanza.Then the bridegroom bride with the ChengGan will uncover and throw to covering a roof to pile satisfactory marriage so ascended the devas.The hair of stroke a fondle bride, then touching her head, to show couple wanted.now.

In the yard and the table of the mantle with honors.New era in the heaven and earth to worship, desk called “bride”.A bride, two worship to worship in-laws couples.Worship the heaven and earth, must pass before entering bridal chamber of the future, meaning a brazier day thriving;Also, as a deputy saddle across safely. Honestly small familyAfter entering bridal chamber, is want to sit account, also called “sit f”, the so-called “sit f” is actually “take axe” will a new axes in bedding, the couple sit above under, meaning sit enjoy happiness.Children at the side will take peanuts, big jujube, chestnuts in kang, dried fruit such as Isaac, jujube add chestnut says early birth of a healthy baby, peanut is that future bride, male and female and baby girl born male.Bridal chamber has an important content, is drink JiaoBeiJiu, in addition to eat some food thing, some noodles, symbolize longevity;Some people eat dumplings, dumplings symbol to the rawness early birth of a healthy baby;And eat with bean, meat, rice cooking, symbolizing family prosperity and family prosperity.

Wedding coming into the climax, from sainted family of old in the yard for the new sang the song “secret was o, cloth is the close marriage song, people wine and food into the air JiGao to heaven, and wish the bride and groom close close meimei, wishes to extend the whole families.

At noon NvGu sprinkled feast to guests, called “respect for the customer” kiss.The groom to its parents to greet, groom toast x pro.The bride and groom a toast to worship in accordance with table guests banquet.After dinner, the bride for lang family relations “pack smoke”, lighting up (fire), the relatives shall return “pack smoke money”.At night, the bridegroom equals the custom of men and women, have chamber with the bride and groom, eat, make, ShuaXiao, until late at night.Nine days after marriage, the “back nine” newlyweds su2, carry wine, sugar, fish, vermicelli, etc HuiBai gift to four color home.Called “accounted for nine”.

Manchu marriage custom has abundant cultural connotation, it is the manchu for thousands of years of rich and colorful an epitome of social life from one side, it reflects the characteristics of the manchu culture.

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Article Source: sooperarticles.com/travel-articles/destination-tips-articles/manchu-qing-dynasty-marriage-customs-425796.html

About Author:

Andrew Linca is a local travel expert who has stayed in Beijing China for 5 years and works for beijing tour Travel Agency which provides various Beijing and China travel information, travel tips, culture knowledge and tour services. For taking tours of Beijing and China, please check great wall tour for details.Author: Anderm Linca